No Strings Attached

Chapter 9: Recovery

"Sure, " said Mr. Zhang. "Just be back in five minutes."

"Okay, " Aria smiles, grabbing ahold of our hands.

Then walking to the hospital bed next to her, Aria tells Marco and me that James is in there, resting.

"Really?" I inquire. "The doctors cured James?"

"Not according to Dr. Temple, " says Aria. "She says that his injuries healed like crazy."

Marco frowned for a second. "Funny, that's the exact same thing my doctor said."

"What about you, Nadine?" asked Aria.

"What about me?"

"How is your back doing?"

Scrunching my face, I slid my hand on my back, expecting to feel any stitches or bandages. But surprisingly, there wasn't anything touching my bare skin.

Except for my hand, of course.

Looking up at Aria and Marco, I asked: "How long have we been in the hospital?"

"Three weeks, " answered Aria. "Apparently, we have missed a deadline for the project. But the teacher has decided to cancel it."

I widen my eyes in shock.

"Three weeks?!" I repeated. "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah," said Marco. "And since we are healed, our doctors said that we're free to leave."

This doesn't make any sense, I think.

Normal patients have stitches or bandages after recovery. Why don't we have any?

Does this have something to do with the green slime three weeks ago?

Just then, I hear a disgruntled sigh coming from James' bed.

Approaching the curtain-covered bed, I pulled the sheets away to find James' eyes opened, his breathing is as steady as a drum, and his auburn hair absorbed the fluorescent lights.

Like the rest of us, James wore a light blue hospital gown, but his hair looked disheveled from sleeping too much.

Scratching his head, James licked his lips then stared at me.

"Hey, James, " I say quietly.

"Ugh, hey," he replied, yawning. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three weeks," said Marco, stepping inside James' private room.

James looked at him in shock. "Wait, what?"

Giving James a confirmed nod, Aria steps into his room and closed the curtains.

"I had the same reaction as you, " she sighed. "Apparently, that slime must have done something to our wounds."

"Like what?" I snort. "Give us superpowers?"

Aria gives me a thoughtful look.

"Well, think about it, Nadine: those guys shot us, and we survived without a scratch." 

James scratched his chin. "So, what was in that toxic waste?"

"I have no idea, " I responded. "but I do know that Hope for Humanity is trying to keep their crimes a secret."

Aria and Marco both nod in agreement.

"Yeah, " said Marco, sitting down on James' bed.

"They're so desperate that they send two idiots to dispose of it very quickly."