After five days Peach was finally allowed to see Mario in the hospital. He had sustained severe damage to his ribs, cranium and jaw, as well as numerous second degree burns throughout his body. Doctors and magicians had worked tirelessly to mend the breaks and fractures. Luckily with their expertise Mario would need no more than three weeks of recovery after leaving the hospital. Peach had been informed that Mario needed to remain in the burn ward for the next four days so that his healing could be monitored. As she opened the door to his room, her mouth slightly dropped open in shock at the shattered hero that lay before her.
One side of his face was full and swollen, and his skin was red and blistered. His eyes stared straight ahead, but when she coughed slightly he looked up. Their eyes met, and Peach could see weariness in his expression.
"Hey Mario, how are you doing?" Peach asked in a hushed voice as she walked to the side of his bed.
"I've been better." He answered shortly.
"I'm sorry you got hurt so badly. I shouldn't have called you, if I had waited until Bowser took me to his castle this never would have happened." She reflected, thinking of the fireproof structure that served as their battle ground.
"I always get hurt. That's just part of the job." Mario replied, giving her a quick tight smile before wincing at the pain.
"But now you won't have to fight anymore! You can finally relax and take me on a date without needing to rescue me!" She said with a chuckle.
He smiled sadly and shook his head. "I love adventure, Peach. And I need conflict and danger and fighting and someone to rescue. I can't live without that."
"But you don't have to save me anymore..." Her voice caught in her throat. Hurt and insecurity bubbled under her skin.
"I have to be with someone who needs me to save them, not the other way around."
"What are you talking about?!" Peach said loudly, before realizing where she was. She continued, her voice slightly above a whisper. "You don't want me to care about you?"
"Look, I had everything under control according to plan before you got scared and needlessly yelled "Bowser don't!" While quoting her, Mario changed to a falsetto voice to parody Peach's. He returned to his normal register, "you know I always win against him. But because he turned around I had to change tactics." Mario paused to collect his thoughts. "How do you think I feel now, being a murderer?" He finished.
The question stunned Peach to silence.
"Besides," Mario stated, "what kind of hero would I be if I couldn't take care of myself?"
Peach's mind scrambled to make things right. "I'm sorry I screwed up the fight. Next time I'll just keep my eyes and mouth shut." She promised.
Mario opened his lips to speak before closing them. Then after a few beats, he reverently muttered, "Peach, there won't be a next time."
Peach took a few steps backward, rattled. All at once the repercussions of Bowser's absence in both of their lives hit her square in the chest. Her lungs locked, and she felt like she was breathing through a straw. Deep sadness overwhelmed her, coupled with a loss that reverberated from her whole body.
"I'm so sorry." She said again, barely managing to remain collected. "I should go, get better soon, ok?"
Mario blinked slowly in acceptance. "Take care, Peach."
She quietly let herself out of Mario's room. The stark lighting and sterile smell furrowed into her inmost being, furthering the chaotic sensations and emotions that swirled around her. Peach tried desperately to exit the hospital, but the endless identical corridors and rooms made it difficult for her to find her bearings. The white walls seemed to jeer at her efforts, and the locked doors cackled with each useless tug to their handles. She looked around wildly for someone to help her, but she was all alone. Her heartbeat quickened, and panic rose through her veins and into her head. What if I never get out? Suddenly, her logical brain surfaced. I need to take a minute and calm down, she told herself. Peach scanned the hallway and spotted a bench outside one of the vacant rooms. She slowly walked to it, and guided herself into a seated position. Then she closed her eyes, and finally let herself breathe.
She stayed there for a very long time. Slowly she calmed down, but she still felt too shaken to stand. So she continued to sit and concentrate on each inhale and exhale. From a distance, her ears detected a faint conversation.
"Are you giving him caustillium?"
"No, it's too powerful for the extent of the breaks."
"Not when coupled with placoephran."
"Is that safe?"
"They use it in the Darklands all the time. Doctor Ralundra informed me that they used it just yesterday to treat a royal Koopa that was crushed by a building."
The voices became more and more distant until Peach could no longer listen to the conversation. But she had heard plenty.
Pain wracked Bowser's body. He had been trapped in the tiny bed in the tiny room for days and days and days and days now, surrounded by obnoxious doctors and magicians and nurses who all wanted to make his life hell. Everything hurt, and lately they'd been weaning him off of the pain medicine that made him feel like he was flying. Suddenly, the door to the tiny room opened, and a nurse stepped inside. Without even looking at him she walked to his IV and changed the fluid bag that hung on the metal wrack.
"Good morning to you too." Bowser snarkily replied. Even though it hurt to talk, getting a rise out of the staff beat the incessant boredom that he suffered from.
The nurse gave no response and she checked the machines and monitors that were hooked up to Bowser's body. She clearly had not forgotten the last time he messed with her.
"Did I hurt your feewings? Look, I'm sure being a nurse is "just" as rewarding as being a doctor." He said sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes and continued to record data on her clipboard. The motion reminded him of Peach. It was her go-to move when she didn't have a good comeback to say. Stars he missed her. A twinge of pain surged inside his chest, adding to his physical suffering. Quickly, he tried to distract himself before his conditioned worsened.
"Hey, why did the nurse carry around a red pen? So she could draw blood!" Bowser joked, enjoying the noticeable cringe that flashed across the nurse's face. He began to tell another terrible joke when the door was opened again.
"Sire, a special package has arrived for you!" Kamek said, bursting through the door carrying a large box.
"Probably some fan mail," Bowser remarked casually. His claws itched to tear open the tape and cardboard, but both of his arms hung idle in casts.
"It's from the Mushroom Kingdom," Kamek added carefully. He knew how Bowser felt about the death threats and hate mail that he received from Peach's loyal subjects.
"Well, open it up. My ears might as well suffer just like the rest of me." He said flippantly.
Bowser watched Kamek carefully wave his wand over the package, checking for concealed weapons. When no trace of dangerous chemicals were found, Kamek slowly pulled the tape off of the sides, and emptied the contents of the box. A smaller container, a scrap of paper, and dozens of hotel soaps came flooding out onto Bowser's tiny bed.
"For your collection," Kamek read, holding a scrap of paper up to his near-sighted eyes.
Bowser's face lit up with a smile, and a warm fluttery feeling filled his chest.
"This is very bizarre..." Kamek commented.
"It's ok Kamek, just open the other thing." Bowser instructed, still smiling. He didn't even notice the pain.
Kamek pulled the top off of the container, and pulled out the plastic bag that rested inside. Within the plastic bag lay six delicious cake pops.
"Cake pops! What a thoughtful gift!" Kamek exclaimed.
"He can't eat them." The nurse said sternly, butting into their conversation. Obviously she was savoring any sort of revenge that she could enact on Bowser without losing her job. He wouldn't be allowed solid food for another two weeks.
Bowser forced his smile into a saddened frown. "I wish I could eat them." He said remorsefully, looking down at the colorful treats.
"You can't." The nurse repeated with a spiteful grin.
"Will you try one, just so I can know what it tastes like?" Bowser asked, looking into her eyes with as much fake innocence as he could muster.
"I will gladly eat them all in front of you." The nurse replied, reaching for the plastic bag. She slowly withdrew a chocolate pop, and with a pointed look at Bowser she took a bite.
Her scream echoed through the halls.
Bowser was still giggling about it hours later, while he rested alone in the tiny bed in the tiny room. Even though his whole body hurt worse than before, he didn't feel nearly as bad. His chest still felt warm and fluttery, and his head felt airy and light. New determination filled him. He stopped pestering the staff and began to improve faster than anticipated. Eventually he was moved into the recovery unit, where he dutifully performed his physical therapy exercises every morning. Though his treatment was far more difficult and painful than he would have thought possible, he pressed on, driven by his deep longing and affection for the girl that he was hopelessly infatuated with: Princess Peach.
A/N: OH MY GOSH! It's finally over! I can't believe I wrote a 10 chapter fan fiction! And even more surprising, people actually enjoyed it! I know I couldn't have done it without the support of my wonderful readers. You guys restore my faith in humanity and inspire me to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone and follow my dreams. Every follow, favorite and comment are so precious to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I wish only the of the best of things for all of you. You don't deserve anything less. Much Love, Guardian.
B/N: Wow it only took 10 chapters to get to my perspective. What a great writer you are. People must be really patient to wade through all that pointless Mario drama to get to the good part. Hey, in your next one can you write more about what a terribly, scummy person Mario is? Because it seems like it wasn't really covered well this time. Oh yeah, sorry to spill the beans, but THERE'S GOING TO BE A SEQUEL! You read that right. Hopefully this will teach the author to stop keeping secrets. It was going to be some sort of big surprise, but who likes surprises anyway? Plus surprises aren't really the author's thing. I mean, everybody saw it coming that I was really alive. Surprise. Come on, who kills off their main character that they don't even own? Anyway, the secrets out and so am I. Bwahaha!