A Little Fall of Rain

Visitors

The next few days were endlessly frustrating for Adrien. The dizzy spells came whenever he tried to stand, and no amount of concentration could stop them. Adrien had never felt so helpless in his life. And right when Marinette needed him the most!

His injury wasn't the only frustration. Adrien missed Plagg. Their parting was so abrupt that Adrien didn't have time to prepare for it. He wished his Kwami would visit, even if it was just for a minute. Adrien needed Plagg to answer his questions about being Chat Noir. The suit would make up for any balance issues, right? The Kwamis wouldn't have injured him so severely he couldn't fight anymore, right? Not when the stakes were so high. As hard as it seemed, Adrien knew he needed to trust the Kwamis.

Even with Plagg gone, Adrien didn't have the chance to be lonely. His father was constantly by his side. When Gabriel needed to leave, a rotating staff of smiling nurses kept him company. As much as Adrien was thankful for their efforts, he worried that they might be keeping Plagg away.

Thankfully, as time went on, the headaches were less intense. But Adrien still needed help getting in and out of bed. And if he wanted to walk anywhere, someone would have to walk with him. It was just so stupid; his legs were fine! The second day after he woke up, his nurse brought him a walker to use. As much as Adrien hated the look of the thing, at least it allowed him to get to the bathroom independently. But only if he moved slowly.

Adrien knew he needed to keep up his strength, so he spent his waking hours pushing his walker up and down the hospital hallway. He could tell he was a favorite among the nurses. Whenever his father was away, they always seemed eager to walk with him.

Six days after he had arrived at the hospital, Adrien was finally allowed to have friends visit. Wasting no time, he invited Nino right away. Adrien desperately wanted to wash his greasy hair before his friend came, but the doctor wanted him to wait until his stitches were removed. Still, Adrien felt the need to shave for the occasion.

Even if he couldn't wash his hair, he looked more like himself freshly shaved. Adrien stared into the small bathroom mirror, trying to psych himself up for the visit. He was excited to see Nino, but he also knew he would have to lie again. And this time, it would be to his friends that had actually been there that day.

When he exited the bathroom, Nino and Alya were already waiting in his room. Adrien couldn't help smiling at the sight of his friends. With slow, steady steps, he shifted his walker toward the center of the room. A moment later, Nino was at his side, pulling him into a hug.

"Good to see you, man," Nino squeezed tightly.

"It's good to be seen," Adrien patted his friend's back and then looked over at Alya. She waved politely and leaned against the wall.

"Dude, a walker?" Nino asked as he pulled away.

"Sucks, I know," Adrien moved to sit down on the bed. "I start PT soon. Then, maybe I can switch it up to a cane."

"Is your ear not any better?"

"Well, I still can't hear at all with my right ear. The doctor doesn't think that is likely to change. But at least the vertigo is better, as long as I don't move too fast." Adrien noticed looks of pity in both his friends' eyes. He fidgeted nervously; he didn't want them to feel bad. "But hey, at least I'm here."

"Yeah," Nino nodded.

Several moments of awkward silence passed. It bothered Adrien; conversations used to flow so easily with these two. And Alya had yet to say anything. Adrien nervously scratched the back of his neck, racking his brain for something to say.

"So, um... I haven't been able to reach the Ladyblog. Are you having hosting issues?"

Nino winced at the question. "Alya took it offline."