EPILOGUE

Tino lost all his senses, for a moment. A pulse went through his brain, as though his heart redirected all his blood the wrong way, upwards. The pumping in his head was a new sensation, and for that moment he could only think was to come.

He fell to floor, gripping his head, like squeezing it would make the pain ooze out his ears. It didn't work.

He ran to the refrigerator and grabbed two bags of frozen peas and wrapped them around his melon. Sprawled on the floor, he could only close his eyes and wait for the pain to leave him. It didn't.

It could have been something serious. Maybe a tumor. He wasn't about to tempt fate waiting for simple, child-safe Acetaminophen to take effect. Suffering Tino needed something stronger.

He remembered his mom's Hysterectomy surgery. The day she was brought back, waiting for her prescription to get home, she howled with pain. After those magic pills, she was pain-free and happy and relaxed. The day she stopped taking them, Tino remembered the scene, where she put those pills, "in case she needed them."

Tino threw two half-melted bags of peas anywhere away from him and ran to his mom's bathroom. The commotion would probably wake her up, since he had to pass her bedroom to get in there, but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, the world was coming to an end.

Tino knocked down the door and was surprised that his mom was still up and with all the lights on. And with a guy. And with a girl.

It was the guy from the museum. He was standing at the edge of the bed holding his mom's legs up and hammering away with his dog. He said, "I'm just gonna go ahead and moves this over here," while Tino's mom moaned with delight. After he adjusted his position and noticed Tino, he dropped his coffee mug. It made a light thump and a lighter splashing sound.

Tino's mom yelled, "my carpet!" without ever seeing the drop. It was sort of muffled.

The girl sitting on her face said, "hey, watch it with my carpet! You're gonna bite me, opening your mouth like that, right in the middle of it." She giggled.

And Tino recognized that voice. It was Moira. He should have been excited to see her in that state, but the shock of the scene overrode that.

Even more, the fissure of pain forming in his head overrode the shock after a mere two seconds of gawking. He quickly ran, back to his task. He found the bottle, it said Take one as needed for pain.

He chewed and swallowed two before his mom realized what had happened. Tino fell back to the floor gripping his head and closing his eyes. His mom may have rushed to his side, but he couldn't focus on anything except the pain and thinking that he was happier when this sort of thing never happened.

EARLIER THAT DAY

Tino felt bad ever since Carver lost his toe to a street sweeper. He would visit Carver whenever he could, even when they didn't do anything.

Tino considered it a good day when Carver would even have the will to eat some chili fries or watch a movie. For the first few days of Carver's hospitalization and subsequent depression, Tino assumed it was separation anxiety for his lost toe, or being called a four-toed freak. It was actually because he had to walk around with an ass-ugly cast on his foot, wearing only one shoe. Carver didn't like the idea of having uneven wear on his shoes, so he got some rejects out of storage to wear for his time as an invalid. After a few days, he didn't even feel he was worthy of even owning nice shoes. Tino spent most of their time together trying to convince him otherwise.

"Hey, how did your date with Moira go? That must have been hot!" said Tino.

"You mean the pity date?" Carver mumbled.

"Hey, c'mon. She's always liked you. You two had this kind of... shoe connection."

"She spent most of the pity date talking on her cell. I even overheard her talking about meeting the only one who can fulfill her needs, later tonight."

"Really? I though you guys were made for each other."

"Well, just look at me now. I couldn't even save my favorite pair from being shredded by the slowest conveyance known to man. I lost a toe. I can only wear one shoe. And it's so ugly I can't even open my eyes."

"Hey, let's put a nice shoe on you and catch a movie. There's a nice and angsty one playing right now. It's playing at FFN."

"I don't deserve a shoe or a movie. I'm going to sleep."

"Alright. See ya around buddy."

Tino left, but couldn't bring himself to have fun without Carver. He went straight home to some TV and popcorn. It was mind-numbing, yet entertaining, so he didn't feel so guilty about having this reasonable amount of fun while Carver cried himself to sleep.

THE DAY BEFORE

Tish was at the museum with Tino, trying to figure things out.

"You can let go of my hand now." Tish said. "What did you drag me over to this corner for?"

"Um, this painting. Isn't it great?"

"Sure, Tino. It's so much different from the last fruit bowl I saw."

"Seriously, though. What are we gonna do about Carver?"

"There's nothing we can do that we haven't already tried. All we can do now is wait for his toe to heal. As soon as he can wear two shoes again, he'll be fine."

"Maybe. I just feel guilty. It seems like it's been us two having fun while the rest of the group suffers."

"I don't know if Lor is really suffering that much. You heard what she said."

"Yeah, but I don't believe her."

"I'm telling you. In due time, this will all run its course."

"Alright, I trust you."

"I believe you. You can let go of my hands now."

He did so.

"Hey, it's the museum guy." Tino said.

"I didn't he'd be such a fruit bowl fan."

Tino walked over to him, leaving Tish waiting behind, then returned to her.

"What did you talk to him about, Tino?"

"I told him about my mom's paintings. You know how she loves to paint."

"Yeah, but, well, she's not that great."

"I know that. But she's a fruit bowl fanatic! I thought he should at least see them. I gave him our number."

"I guess that's okay."

THE WEEK BEFORE

"It's all my fault." Lor thought. "I'm responsible for the deterioration of our group. All four of us. Down the drain. Still together, but hardly together. Barely speaking. Chance meetings. No activities."

She walked towards the appointed place and time.

"But it'll all change today."

The rest were waiting. At the hospital, the only place they could all meet under the circumstances.

"I'm going to tell them."

"Tell us what?" said Tino.

"That it's changing!"

"What?"

"Everything!"

"How?"

"Because we want it to!"

"That's it?"

"Yes! One grand, final, sweeping gesture to change it all!"

"From you?"

"Yes! From me! And you won't even realize I'd done it."

"Sounds good Lor." said Tish. Not a modicum of sincerity in her voice.

"You'll see. Give it time. And until that day, when we are once together, and happy, as we once were, fight through the pain."

"The pain?"

"Yes. It'll be different, but just get through it. Happiness awaits afterwards."

"Okay Lor. I'll try." said Tino, depressed about Carver.

"Me too." said Tish. A little scared. A little bratty. A little mad.

"Carver?" asked Lor.

"Alright." he mumbled.

"Were you even listening?"

"Not really."