Even though Cole was getting stronger physically, he was struggling to keep food down. Tests were done, but they proved to be inconclusive. The nurses tried changing his medicine, but that did little to help and seemed to make things worse at times. It was a delicate balancing act giving Cole his medicine at the right time so he would be well enough to go to physical therapy or go see Dr. Mesda for a session.
Cole became strong enough to stand unsupported, but he was too weak to maintain it for more than a minute. No matter how Cole got his medicine and nutrients, whether in pill form, liquid form, or through his IV, he couldn't keep anything down. He wished they would just stop giving him medicine altogether. He would rather be in constant pain than be constantly vomiting.
His medical team debated the best course of action. If they kept him in the hospital, they could manage his medicine and continue looking for a cure. If he went home, it would be less stressful for him and he would get more rest. But they also couldn't keep him accountable and make him do his exercises, or take his medicine, or do anything he was supposed to do. They were also worried he would try and rush his healing process. Lou was brought in and gave his opinion. A week went by before a decision was made.
After four months, two weeks, and three days, Cole was finally discharged. As he changed into a clean T-shirt and sweatpants, Nurse Crane brought him a wheelchair.
"What is that?" Cole asked.
"I think you would know what a wheelchair is by now," Nurse Crane replied.
"Correction: why is it here?"
"I have to wheel you out."
"Why?"
"It's hospital policy."
"I spent how much time learning how to walk again, and you won't even let me walk out of here with dignity?"
"Just go with it, Cole. I'll meet you outside," Lou said as he grabbed his suitcase.
Cole grumbled as he sat down. He crossed his arms as Nurse Crane pushed him to the elevator. They ran into Brad in the hallway.
"I guess I won't be seeing you anymore. I've told the new office to expect you," Brad said as he tapped Cole's shoulder.
"Good riddance I say," Cole muttered.
"Take care of yourself."
Nurse Crane pushed Cole outside just as Lou pulled up in the car. Cole squinted as he saw the sun for the first time in months. He refused to let them help him as he climbed into the car.
"Bye, Cole," Nurse Crane said as she waved to him.
"Bye." Cole waved and shut the door. He tried to rest, but his dad insisted on playing opera music on the way home. He wanted to text his friends, but his phone was dead since no one ever bothered to charge it for him once since Morgen's attack.
Cole hated it, but he needed to use one of Lou's old canes to get into the house. Once inside, he started digging through his things looking for a charger.
"Do you need anything right now?" Lou asked.
"A phone charger. Do you have one? I can't find mine," Cole answered.
"Oh, maybe Eric left one here." Lou started looking on the counter.
"Eric?" Cole tried to think of a reason for his aunt's husband to be at their house, but couldn't. He knew Eric and Misty were having marital problems, but they had been having problems for twelve of the thirteen years they had been married.
"Yeah. He volunteered to house sit while you were in the hospital."
"House sit, or get away from Aunt Misty?" Cole joked.
"That's my sister you're talking about. But that's probably it. And I don't really blame him. Uh, try this one." Lou handed the charger over.
"Thanks."
"Do you need anything else? Food?"
"Actually, I'm debating taking either a shower or a nap."
"Go for the shower."
Cole nodded and headed upstairs. After setting his phone up to charge and digging around the hall closet for extra toiletries, he took a nice, hot, forty-five-minute long shower. Granted, he ended up sitting down in the tub for most of it, but it still felt good on his back and neck. Once he was out, he found clean clothes to wear and took a nap until two in the afternoon, when Lou woke him up for his medicine. Cole groaned, grabbed his phone, and slowly made his way downstairs. He turned his phone on and saw he had nearly a hundred texts and missed calls, mostly from the other ninja. Apparently they had thought he was going home the next day, so when they showed up to the hospital and were told he was no longer there, they were very confused. He sent out a group text telling them that he was at his dad's house, but he didn't really feel like having visitors just yet.
"What are you doing?" Lou asked when Cole hadn't spoken in several minutes.
"Trying to construct a Chirp," Cole said without looking up.
"Why?"
"Kai had been keeping people updated, but he tends to spin things to make himself look good. Like, this one post basically says he took down Morgen singlehandedly. I mean, I wasn't there, but I highly doubt that's true. Besides, I'd rather be the one to tell people I'm out of the hospital."
"Hm… I have people who do the social media stuff for me. It's just too complicated," Lou said as he put Cole's medicine on the table in front of him.
"Eh. How does this sound? 'Thank you all for your support these past few months. I wanted to let everyone know that I am now at home resting. I still have a long ways to go before I am back up to full strength, but I hope to be back in the action soon.'"
"Except, you're not going back."
"Dad…"
"We talked about this, Cole."
"You talked, I was trying to keep my breakfast in my stomach," Cole muttered as he posted his Chirp.
"I don't want you out there anymore."
"It's perfectly safe!"
"Perfectly safe? You turned into a ghost for a year! You were sent to another realm! You were in a coma for three months! And that's just the stuff I know about! How is that 'perfectly safe'?"
"What about when Krux and Acronix kidnapped you? What about when Pythor dropped all that lighting equipment on you?"
"I want you to find another job, Cole."
"It's not just a job, Dad."
"I don't care. It's too dangerous, and you're not going back to that monastery ever again. Now, take your medicine."
Cole swallowed his cocktail of medicines and went back upstairs.