Alright, here's chapter 2!

—-

Meena woke up to a silent hospital room, save for her coworkers' snores and the electronic beeping of one of the machines next to her. Ash had at some point acquired Johnny's jacket and was using it as a pillow where she was curled up on one of the hospital chairs. Johnny hadn't seemed to move at all, still right next to Meena with her struggled up to his shoulder and his cheek resting on the top of her head. Meena already felt her face heating up and didn't want to deal with being the first one awake, so she let herself stay in the foggy in-between of sleep and awake until she felt Johnny start to move. To two groggily separated, Johnny stretched, and Meena totally didn't notice the way his mussed up T-shirt got pulled up revealing some of his midriff. The morning felt hushed and lethargic… until they heard loud knocking on the door.

"Helloooo!" Eddie's voice came from the other side. "Is Meena in there?"

"Not so loud! What if this is the wrong room?" Mr. Moon's voice was more restrained but still distinctive to Meena's ears. Ash groaned and sat up, glaring at the door. Johnny chuckled and got up to answer it. The little hospital room was soon much less spacious as Meena saw her boss, Ms. Crawly, Eddie, and Rosita all crowded in. Meena felt horribly embarrassed for having only just woken up, but also touched that they had all come to check on her. She was practically bombarded with questions about her well beinhg from Mr. Moon, Eddie, and Ms. Crawly. She answered as best she could until Rosita shooed them to the side and lighten scolded them for crowding Meena. Things settled down a bit and each animal got a chance to speak with Meena, normally bequeathing her with some kind of get-well-soon card or gift. To Meena's utter surprise, even Mike showed up. She hadn't seen him since the open theater show! Yet, here he was, looking sheepish and holding a tiny bouquet of flowers for her. Meena tried to ask when he gotten back and what he was doing here, but he just gave her a weird look and didn't get a chance to explain anything before Gunter burst into the with a giant stuffed bear. Gunter quickly stole everyone's attention as he presented Meena with the giant get-well-soon stuffie, and Mike quietly ducked out.

Through all the chaos, Rosita explained that Mr. Moon had given them the choice to either work though the morning or pay her a quick visit first. Everyone had apparently jump at the chance to check up on her, including Mr. Moon himself. Meena was glowing from bashful glee, unbelievably flattered by the theater employees concern for her.

Later on when Leslie finally showed up, the mama elephant laughed at the number of animals crammed into her daughter's little hospital room. Everyone was sent back to work after a bit, save Johnny and Ash who were sent home, and Leslie check Meena out of the hospital. Meena was walking on clouds back to the car and drive home, her mood so brighten by her coworkers.

When they got back to the house, Leslie tried to convince Meena to rest more before heading off to work the lunch shift at her waitressing job. Meena tried to relax in her room but soon became restless. She booted up her laptop to check her assignment lists for her online classes, but for whatever reason she couldn't access her courses at all. She sent emails to her professors and the sites help desk before setting the laptop aside. It was Thursday, so Meena didn't have any on-campus classes for the rest of the week, as the only classes she was taking on campus were Mondays-Wednesdays. So with no homework or classes, and still no phone to entertain her, Meena got bored. So, she when to bake something.

Meena was pleased to find a whole tub of cream cheese she didn't remember them having, and decided on making cheese cake. The elephant happily hummed to herself as she got everything out and tidied up the kitchen enough to bake in it. Her process was interrupted by her grandfather's voice.

"Meena? That you, baby girl?"

"Yeah!"

"Aren't you should to be resting?"

"I'm fiiiine!"

"Well then be an angel and make your grandmother and I some tea?"

Meena smiles to herself and put on the kettle. She went back to humming as she heated tea water and she got out their old teapot. A minute later, she brought the pot and a couple of cups on a tray, out into the living room. That's where her smile faltered.

Her grandmother and grandfather were sat in front of the T.V. like normal, her grandfather with a newspaper and her grandmother happily watching soap operas. But there was a giant, heavy duty walker right next to her grandmother. Meena was sure she'd never seen it before. And when she gave them each a cup of tea, her grandfather smiled and thanked her, but her grandmother didn't speak. The old elephant's hands were shaking and her eyes seemed a bit glazed over and tired as she smile at Meena. The whole thing unnerved Meena and she quickly excused herself back to the kitchen.

What was that all about? Meena's first instinct was to call her mother and find out what on earth happened to her grandmother. But Leslie had already said nothing strange had happen. After standing in the kitchen for a few minutes silently panicking, Meena shook herself and tried to rationalize. Maybe the walker had been lent to them. Or maybe it had been one of the many items stuffed away in their over crowd garage they never bothered to clean out, and Meena never noticed it. Either way, it wasn't unreasonable for an elderly grandparent to try out a walker. And the old elephant's shaky hands could be explained away by her just not feeling well, which could have been why Leslie felt the need to return home the other night. As she continued baking, her mind supplied other reasons and explanations. After a little time, the baking was a welcome distraction from the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

One cheese cake and two batches of muffins later, Meena locked herself back up in her room to putter around on her laptop. By the time her mother came home, Meena had convinced herself she just imagined the far off look in her grandmother's eyes and the old elephant was just under the weather. Meena was able to put ordeal out of her mind for the night, so never ask her mother about it.

—-

(Don't worry, her grandma is alright)