Gentle Heart yawned as she looked out the window. The sky was getting brighter and she hadn't moved from her seat all night. Take Care was going to kill her.
Bright Heart had, for the most part, slept soundly. Though there were a couple of times during the night where he would move and aggravate one of his injuries and terrify Gentle Heart, causing her heart to leap up into her throat.
"Gentle Heart?" The sudden noise made Gentle Heart jolt upright in her chair.
"Oh, Bright Heart, you're awake!"
"Sorry if I scared you." He said as he rubbed his eyes with his hand, careful of the stitches over his right eye.
"Don't worry about me, I'm too busy worrying about you! Are you feeling any better?"
"It still hurts to breath." He ground out. "To say nothing of talking or eating. Which is annoying since I'm really hungry. I also have a headache the size of the Kingdom of Caring." He paused. "But, I guess I'm okay."
"If it hurts to talk, then you should probably stop." Gentle Heart urged. Bright Heart cocked his head and blinked.
"It also hurts to breath, should I stop doing that too?" Gentle Heart regarded him curiously.
"You really must've hit your head hard. That sounds more like something Playful Heart would say." Bright Heart gave a look of mock horror.
"You're right, I must be further gone than I thought!" He gasped dramatically. "It's too late! Do you think another knock another on the head will help?"
"Now you're just scaring me." Gentle Heart said warily. "Cut it out."
"Sorry." Bright Heart looked at her. "You've been up all night, haven't you?"
"It's nothing." Gentle Heart murmured around a yawn. "You did the same for me, if you recall."
Bright Heart nodded, remembering the night that he, Tenderheart and Bedtime Bear had spent watching over Gentle Heart as No Heart attacked her dreams and prevented her from getting any rest. Only then it was Gentle Heart who was too weak to get out of bed and Bright Heart who stayed with her. Bright Heart would have chuckled at the irony of them having traded places, had it not been too painful to do so.
"Yeah, I guess I did." He admitted. "But I still don't want you staying up all night because of me. The last thing I need is knowing that you got yourself sick on my account." Gentle Heart hadn't been the healthiest cub in the family. She got sick rather often, usually being the first to fall ill and the last to recover. Part of it stemmed from her own shy nature, not telling anyone she wasn't feeling well until she was already sick. Eventually she had shed that particular habit but after her run in with No Heart, Bright Heart wasn't willing to have her take unnecessary chances, especially on his account.
Gentle Heart shook her head. "And if you had needed me?" Bright Heart paused, at a loss for a good answer. He was spared having to admit it when the door opened, causing both Cousins to turn their heads to see whom it was.
Giggling, two cubs came bolting into the room shouting:
"Bright Heart! Bright Heart!" Seeing where this was going, Gentle Heart interposed herself between the cubs and Bright Heart's bed.
"Wait a minute Hugs and Tugs! Don't leap on Bright Heart."
"Awww…" Tugs groaned.
"Why not?" Hugs asked.
"Because he's not feeling well enough for you to be pouncing on him just yet. You may accidentally hurt him."
"We'd never do that!" Tugs protested.
"Would a hug hurt?" Hugs asked softly. Gentle Heart smiled and shook her head.
"Not if you can find someplace where he doesn't have bandages or casts." Helping Hugs and Tugs up on the bed, Gentle Heart took a step back to give them some room. Hugs threw herself around Bright Heart's neck (one of the few bandage free places on his body) and gave him one of her patented, world-famous hugs.
"Goody goody gosh, Bright Heart, I hope you're feeling better."
"Now that you're here I am." Tugs cleared his throat importantly.
"We made you a card, we hope it'll make you getter better soon." Bright Heart smiled as he took it.
"I'm sure it will. Thank you."
"And just how are you feeling, dear?" Bright Heart and Gentle Heart turned their heads to see Grams Bear standing at the foot of the bed, neither had noticed her entering.
"I'm…doing better." Bright Heart answered, it was technically true and sounded better than saying that he was still in quite a lot of pain. Still, it didn't look like she was buying it. But instead of saying anything about it, she simply said:
"I thought you might be hungry dear, so I made you breakfast." She placed a foldout tray on the bed with a bowl of oatmeal.
After everything that happened yesterday, Bright Heart was famished. "Thank you Grams!"
"You welcome, dear. Eat up, you need your strength." Turning to Gentle Heart, she added, "And so do you. You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."
"Well, I-" Gentle Heart began. Grams held up her paw.
"Now, I wont hear another word of it. You need to lie down. Please, for this old Bear's sake?" Gentle Heart, realizing there was no point in arguing with Grams, sighed and took a seat on one of the unused beds that lined the room. Grams smiled as Gentle Heart sat down and gently started humming something softly as she turned around. Gentle Heart yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Within moments she was curled up on the bed, fast asleep.
"That was really clever." Bright Heart commented as Grams tucked her in.
"Thank you Bright Heart. You didn't suppose that you were the only clever one in the family, did you?" Grams chuckled. "Now eat up, before it gets cold."
Bright Heart swallowed one spoonful and promptly winced, fighting the urge to double over in pain. Eating with broken ribs was not a pleasant experience, but he doubted that not eating would help. He ate as much as he could, about half the bowl. Finally, he dropped the spoon in the bowl and put his head back on his pillow, signaling that he was finished.
"I think we've visited enough for now." Grams said as she took the tray. "When you're better, I hope you'll see fit to visit us for breakfast. I'll make pancakes."
"Sounds great Grams. If that isn't the best motivation I have for getting well soon, then I don't know what is.
"I think I know." Grams said with a smile, looking at a point past Bright Heart's head. He frowned and followed her gaze. It landed on the bed next to his, where Gentle Heart slept on. Then it clicked.
"Grams!" Bright Heart moaned, blushing a deep red.
Grams chuckled. "I don't mean to be an old tease, but Grams knows best." Giving Bright Heart a quick peck on the cheek, she gathered up the cubs and headed for the door. "Take care of yourself!" She called.
"Goodbye!" Tugs called.
"Bye Bright Heart!" Hugs added. After the door had closed and they were gone, Bright Heart sighed and buried his head in the pillow, covering his still warm face with his hands.
"Well that was mortifying."
"What was?" Bright Heart lifted his hands to see Gentle Heart sitting up in her bed and stretching.
"Nothing." He said quickly. Changing the subject he suggested, "Maybe you should go grab a bite to eat? You've got to be as hungry as I was." Gentle Heart nodded reluctantly.
"Alright, but I'll be right back." She assured him.
"I promise I'll still be here." He answered dryly. After Gentle Heart got out of bed and left, Bright Heart just sighed and pulled the covers up over his head.
"What a day."
