Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! First, I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I haven't forgotten how nice you were during the first story, and I thank you for all the support! Anyway, in this chapter the plot picks up a little, so hopefully you'll enjoy!

Disclaimer: Meesa no own these characters except those which meesa own. :)

Part Dos: Suspicions

Addie Stevenson rushed down the bleak corridor, her shoes squeaking on the polished floor. She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and swept her eyes over the door numbers. Here. Number 215.

She placed one hand on the shiny metal handle and rapped lightly on the door. She pressed down on the latch and entered the room. All was dim. The windows were open, but outside the sky was dull and drab. Her nose tingled at the uncomfortable hospital smell. She dropped her bag down on the floor and stood quietly in the corner.

She wasn't the only one visiting Mindy that day. One of Neptune's squires—Mindy had called him Kalid, she thought—sat in a corner, reading. She had seen the royal carriage outside, so the king must have been there, in the building, but he wasn't here now. A nurse was placing another vase of flowers on a table. And Dennis sat slumped in a chair, nearly dozing. She smiled wanly, remembering her childhood crush.

"Hey, princess," Addie said quietly, so as not to disturb Dennis. Mindy grinned. Her sapphire hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her face looked bright and radiant, despite the stitches in her cheek and her slightly swollen right eye. Her arm was still in a sling, the sleeves on her hospital gown cut off to make room for the bandages covering her terribly bruised shoulder. It had only been two weeks since the accident, but everyone said Mindy was recovering exceptionally well.

"Hey, Addie. Did you get those tickets yet?" Addie rolled her eyes and dug in her purse. She pulled out three tickets and laid two on Mindy's bedside table.

"Right here. I got an extra one, in case Dennis wants to go, and if he doesn't, I can always sell it," Addie paused. "But remember, if the doctors say you can't go…"

"Of course I can. I wouldn't miss Stingray's concert for the world!"

"Alright, if you're sure. But if you can't, I'll just have to take someone else…"

"No you won't. That's an order."

The two giggled, but Mindy had to stop for a moment to cough. Dr. Flemington had said she must have gotten a touch of pneumonia the day of the accident. There were still traces of it left, it seemed.

"Let's hope you recover in time for the coronation," Kalid said brightly, looking up from his novel.

Mindy's eyes shone, a smile spreading across her face. "I can't wait…"

Kalid frowned absently, "Let's also hope you're ready for the responsibility..."

"I won't be on my own, though. Aren't I just going to be...like co-ruler or something?"

"It's still a heavy burden. Believe me, I had to give up an arm and a leg to convince Neptune you didn't need to wait until your twenty-first birthday."

"I'll be fine..." Mindy said, not trying to mask her irritation.

No one noticed the glazed, distant look in Addie's eyes...the way her hands fluttered nervously to her hair… No one noticed when she bit her cheek as she stared out the window, trying not to breathe a word…

Dennis woke from his dream. He wiped sweat from his brow. In the nightmare, he had been running, running, trying to rescue himself from some unseen danger…and he hadn't realized that Mindy was in trouble too, until it was too late to save her…

He needed to stop this. He looked at Mindy, soft and tranquil lying in a bed of white, dozing. He couldn't lose her again.

He was the only one there now. He vaguely remembered Kalid leaving and the king popping in and out. What time was it, anyway? Only 6:00. Visiting hours weren't even over.

He had never felt before how tired he was. He'd been at this hospital for a full week, even when Mindy had begged him to go home. His emotions were too raw. If he left her for even a moment…

A quiet knock came at the door. Dennis glanced up to see…oh no. He groaned. The two FOOLS again. He yawned stiffly and rested his fist in his cheek.

SpongeBob gave a quiet little wave. Dennis scowled. Patrick walked in silently.

"Hey, there," SpongeBob said, a little too loudly for the small room. Patrick glared at him.

"Can it, SquarePants," he fumed. Now he was staring rapturously at Mindy. Dennis clutched the edge of his chair. Why he oughtta—

"Hmm? I'm awake, I'm awake," Mindy muttered sleepily. She sat up, smiling. "How long have you been here?"

Something panged in his heart—the weird mushy feeling again. He couldn't help but beam.

SpongeBob elbowed Patrick hard in the ribs.

"Oh!" Patrick started. He thrust a card out to Mindy. "Get well soon!"

"Wow. Another one," she said, stifling a yawn. "Thanks!" She took it and set it amidst the other cards all signed "Love, Patrick" …and usually with a hastily tacked on "+ SB".

Mindy's mouth was set in a thin line, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. Dennis jumped up and slowly pressed her back against the pillows, adjusting them until her signs of compressed pain went away.

"I love you," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah, yeah," he whispered, flushing red. "Just tell these two to get out. They're disturbing you."

"Yeah, I'm the one that's disturbed. Don't get all defensive, Dennis. You—"

"Hello?" came a crackly voice from the door. Dennis turned to see an old woman—at least eighty—come in. She had a pair of horn-rim glasses on her head and she was dressed simply in a dull blue dress.

"How are ya, Princess?" the woman said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Mrs. Jones!" Mindy cried, her voice cracking.

Dennis did a double take. It was her—she was much older, but there was no mistaking it. He waited uncomfortably as their kindergarten teacher leaned over to pat Mindy on the head.

"You've certainly changed since I last saw ya," Mrs. Jones said. Mindy laughed silently.

"Oh! And who's this?" Mrs. Jones asked, eyebrows raised. She stared Dennis up and down until his face was beet red.

"You mean you don't remember?" Mindy exclaimed. "That's Dennis—same as the one in kindergarten."

Mrs. Jones' eyebrows went up even higher, so high, in fact, that her glasses popped back down onto the bridge of her nose. "You don't say?" She stepped back and gave him another once-over. "I remember you. A troublemaker. One of the best students I've ever had. An artist…" Something—like worry, maybe?—flickered in her brown eyes. Then she smiled widely. "Always knew you two'd hit it off!"

Mindy rolled her eyes as Dennis coughed. Patrick, forgotten until now, gave an angry snort. SpongeBob suppressed giggles.

Mrs. Jones visited with them all for quite some time. Before long it was 8:00 and visitor's hours were drawing to a close.

"Dennis?" Mrs. Jones whispered while Mindy and the boys were in conversation. "A word, if you please?"

Dennis followed her out in the hall. The hallways were dark. Light fixtures hung at intervals, casting only small pools of light around them. Mrs. Jones looked odd, very serious, very eerie.

"You've had a rough life, ain'tcha?" she asked bluntly. "Pa left ya, then your mother—God rest her soul—and then you went down some ugly road. Don't say anything," she said, holding up a hand as he opened his mouth. "I'm not here to judge you. It's just that—" She glanced inside the room through a crack in the door where Mindy was laughing.

"Being royal is…hard. Old Neptune probably wouldn't have even let her come to school had she not wanted to be like everyone else. She's very different from her father. She might make a good queen someday…" Mrs. Jones paused, staring off into space. "But you wouldn't believe how many people don't want any Tridentian on the throne. They don't want anyone." She licked her lips. "And now that the coronation is coming up..."

Dennis's stomach twisted. "What are you saying?" he said faintly.

She turned and looked straight at him. "You're a good kid, Dennis. I think you made some bad choices, had a lotta bad things happen to ya, but I think you want to put it all behind you. The way you looked at her—" She trailed off again, a wan smile on her face. "You love her. Deeply. Something you don't see a lot of in everyday life.

"Now listen close, because what I'm going to say next is really important." He leaned closer to hear. Her face looked distressed and pained, like she could hardly believe what she was saying. Her voice cracked.

"That car wreck," she said, whispering, "…was no accident."