Randall was still kept confined for a few more days to make sure he was alright. When he was finally let out, Jesse had made him a crutch to help him walk on the broken leg.

The injuries were healing, if feeling slow. Since Travis was still upset with him, they weren't sharing the same room at the moment. Randall was made a new temporary sleeping spot in the living room. He stayed on the couch.

His appetite was back and the bandages were changed every other day.

Travis got home one day and saw the extent of the wounds when Rowan was changing them. He couldn't believe how bad they were.

The whole family knew the story by now. Randall looked over at the boy.

"Travis, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I was just stressed from what happened to me and just didn't want to be around anyone after I had undergone all the torture that I did, but I'm alright now. Are we still friends? When I'm well again, we can do things together again."

Travis saw that the lizard was being sincere and his eyes and face were softer since the last time. "Yeah. I'm sorry too. I was just so happy you were awake when you didn't wake up for those four days. We didn't know if you were going to make it. I need my best friend back."

Randall smiled. The boy and monster shook hands. Randall couldn't handle hugs right now.

After the settlement, Randall could move back into the room he and Travis shared, but he had to have the lower bunk with his injuries.

During the day while Jesse and Travis were out, Randall was encouraged to move around the house and a little outside. Travis had to get up earlier and do the morning chores for the animals because of his friend's limitations. But Randall would resume them when he was well again.

Randall helped Rowan out with what he could at this point, but not too much. He saw the nursery had been done. It definitely showed it was a little girl's room.

"So, what's her name going to be?" Randall asked.

"Joanna Lee Shrubner." Rowan said.

Randall thought it over. "It sounds like a good name."

"Don't you wish you could have a family of your own, Randall?" Rowan asked him.

He looked away sadly. "I don't know. All who I loved back home I pushed away years ago. And if I went back, if the authorities found out I was back, I would probably be put in jail for what I did with that little girl and what I nearly did to Sullivan and Wazowski. And being involved with Waternoose. Everything was a disaster. And I'm in no shape right now to be in a prison."

"Yes, we can see that. Just remember, if you do decide to go back, you have our support. I know Travis might feel differently, but he's at that age right now where everything has to revolve around him. You're his best friend. You tend to keep him on the straightened arrow. You keep him focused. When you were gone, he was so lost without you." Rowan explained.

"I never wanted that to happen. I had no control over it. But that Bill guy wanted me to obey him just because he saw me with Travis. I listen to you guys because you are my friends and my family. I may never have one of my own, but everyone back in my world practically abandoned me anyway. This is my home now." Randall said.

Rowan could tell he truly was back to his old self, but at night while sleeping, she knew that he had bad dreams of what he went through. It wouldn't be easy to forget those awful memories.

Then she said, "Randall, though the baby's room is ready for her now, with the bad dreams you are having, maybe until things pass a little more, it might be better if you stay in the baby's room for awhile. At least until you feel better. I know you'll have those memories forever ingrained, but when they are fresh, they are hard to ignore. And Travis has said you are keeping him up at night."

"I don't mean to. And yes, it might be a good idea." He agreed.

Later in the day, a mattress was put in the baby's room and away from the crib and Randall's bedding was added to it. It was only temporary until hopefully, the bad dreams would pass. And hopefully before the baby was born.

…..

Randall felt his healing time was all too slow. He wanted to do things normally again. But he just had the limitations he had with the injuries.

Jesse had changed the casts on his arm and leg to braces. It had now been three weeks since he had been returned to them. The stitches had just come out of certain wounds. And though Randall liked having the stitches out, there was still burning inside his belly.

The tissues inside were still healing too.

He was still sleeping in the baby's room, but he still did homework with Travis in his room any night he had it to do. Then they would watch a movie, play video games, or play a board game.

Now that Randall wasn't wearing bandages on his middle anymore, Rowan eyed the scar there, feeling unsure of it. She hoped she wouldn't have her child by c-section, but if it came to it, it would.

One day, while both the human boys were out at school and work, Rowan had come in from cleaning the kitchen to the living room and Randall was just relaxing on the couch. The TV was on, playing some movie.

Rowan sat down on the couch with Randall and he curled his tail around himself. She saw Randall lay his head back as if going to sleep. She moved herself closer to him and looked at the scar again. It had been a good long one.

She reached her right hand over and stroked his belly. She began to gently rub it.

Randall became aware he was being touched. He opened his eyes and raised his head, seeing Rowan. "What were you doing?" He asked.

"Just giving a belly rub. Does it still hurt in there?" She asked.

"Yeah, sometimes." He replied.

"Belly rubs can be soothing, if you let me."

Randall considered it a moment, then he turned from his side onto his back.

Rowan took that as a yes to proceed. She gently rubbed and massaged his belly.

He winced when she pressed inward a little bit.

"Just relax." She said.

"It just still burns right there."

She continued, despite his groans.

Pretty soon, it turned into a whole body massage. The braces were even taken off and massaged too on the still healing arm and leg. She mainly just worked the painful muscles.

Randall tried hard not to scream from those spots being worked.

When she was done, Rowan had an idea. "From all the pain that your body still has, maybe this is a good idea to be done right before bed at night."

"Yeah, it is. But then, what about you? You won't be able to get up off the floor soon."

"We can do it here on the couch." She said. "Like just now."

Later that night, she talked to Jesse about it and he agreed if it would help heal him faster, it was fine. Then she gave him another one and by the time she was done, Randall was almost asleep.

Jesse helped him to his room.

That night felt like the first time that Randall slept peacefully without any bad dreams. They were filled more with his childhood, his mom giving him love and letting him lay in the grass and such.

When the alarm went off, Randall found it was only dreams. He really missed his mom. Maybe Rowan was beginning to bring that feeling back, considering she was about to be a mom herself.

Every night after that for quite awhile, Rowan would give Randall a body massage to try to help him sleep better at night.

…..

At Bill's house, he felt like something was missing. He had trophies of all kinds of animals in his home. His dog's leg was nearly healed now and couldn't wait to take him hunting for real again.

But he still felt he needed that lizard monster back. He would be more of a prize as a trophy than all the others combined. What use did Dr. Shrubner have with him anyway?

Bill was going to get the lizard back. If the lizard couldn't obey him, then he would take him as his trophy.

…

Ever since the death of his parents, and Travis had had to relocate down to Louisiana, his original closet monster had been Fungus. And Fungus had been looking for him for a long time.

Randall was still sleeping in the baby's room for right now. But on this night, Fungus found Travis's new room and made a good impression on the boy.

Travis then spoke to Fungus about if he happened to know a monster named Randall.

"Randall? How do you know him? He was my old scaring partner, back when we scared kids before reverting to making you laugh." Fungus said. "Is he causing trouble? I haven't seen him in over three years though."

"Well, no. But I know him because he's living with my family. He's a family friend. He recently went missing and was returned to us hurt real bad by some maniac. I don't know who though." Travis explained. "I have a bunk bed because before he was taken away, we shared it. We are almost like brothers, but he is my best friend. But right now, he's sleeping in another room because his bad dreams are so bad from what he went through."

Fungus listened intently. He would never have pictured his ex-partner becoming friends with humans. He still remembered him like how he was before he had disappeared, and Randall was on the Wanted list for causing trouble back in the monster world. If he stepped foot in there, he would be instantly arrested.

"If he's showing a different side of himself, then maybe, I'd like to see him when I come tomorrow night." Fungus said.

"I'll see what I can do." Travis said.

Fungus left. He had collected the boy's laugh and that was good. He would be back tomorrow night to hopefully see his old ex-boss partner.

….

Randall's injuries were just down to the arm and leg. The leg was in good enough shape now that he could walk around outside more. He was now helping Travis out again with some of the barn chores. He still couldn't lift hay bales or heavy buckets.

The next morning before school, Travis spoke to Randall while they did the chores.

"Randall, I have some news."

"What about?"

"Do you remember your old scaring friend?"

Randall stiffened at that. "Fungus? Yeah. What about him?"

"He found me again after trying to find me again after I moved down here. I kind of told him you lived here. He wants to see you again, if that's alright with you? Tonight?" Travis stated.

Randall wasn't sure what to make of it. He was nervous of seeing any others from his old dimension again. He knew what risk he would be taking of going to jail.

"Alright. It would be nice to see him again. I just hope I don't get dragged back there for this." Randall said.

Travis was pleased. He couldn't wait to see them together.