Ib awoke in a hospital bed. She could tell it was a hospital right away, even though she'd never been in one because it had a strong antiseptic smell and seemed to be coloured entirely in white. As the feeling returned to her body, she became aware of a pleasant warm pressure encircling her right hand.

"Garry?" she asked softly, her voice a bit weaker than usual. But when she turned her head she saw that the person holding her hand was not Garry but her father. He had his face resting on the edge of her bed and had obviously been sleeping. "Mmm," he mumbled incoherently as he started to wake up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his free hand.

Once he was awake enough to notice Ib watching him calmly he nearly jumped out of his chair. "Ib! Oh, thank goodness you're awake! We were so worried…" Thank goodness…you really worried me, you know? Ib felt warm tears well up in her eyes as she remembered how concerned Garry was for her and how she had been unable to reassure him. Mistaking her tears for fear or pain Ib's father tried to comfort her. "Shh, oh honey it's alright. It's all-" "Garry," Ib said, cutting him off. "Where's-" Seeing her father's eyebrows knit together she changed her wording. "-the boy who saved me?"

Ib's father relaxed considerably. "Just down the hall in room 317." Ib made an effort to get up but her father only eased her back down into bed. "Where do you think you're going young lady?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "There'll be plenty of time to thank him later, but first we have to have the doctor take a look at you. Your mother has been awfully worried too. She's just out taking a call."

The minutes seemed to crawl by. Ib answered question after question, went through a check-up, even had to sit through her mother's intense lecturing. "What were you thinking! Getting off at the wrong stop like that, chasing after strangers-honestly! I thought we raised you better than that!" Her dad reassured her in hushed tones. "That just shows you how much she cares about you."

When the doctor told them at last that Ib was free to go, she could hardly contain herself from bolting down the hallway at top speed. Her mother sighed. "I think it's about time we checked in on Ib's rescuer." Mortified, Ib turned to her parents and requested than she see him alone. Releasing a soft huff from her perfectly painted lips Ib's mother consented with the exception that they come in to thank him personally after a minute or two. After she left them she heard her mother say, "Perhaps she's a little too independent."

Resisting the urge to sprint full speed down the hallway, Ib walked as fast as she possibly could fully aware that her mother was watching her and there was nothing she hated more than bad manners. As soon as Ib entered Garry's room she practically flew to his side. "Garry!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes again at the sight of his leg in a cast and his head wrapped in bandages. "Ib!" he chorused brightly. "You had me worried there. I tried to come visit you myself but the staff wouldn't let me, can you believe it? I mean it's just a broken leg…" Ib frowned unhappily, sniffing as more tears welled up in her eyes. It was her fault Garry had gotten hurt in the first place. "It's okay Ib! I'm okay, really!" Looking up at him with watery eyes, her gaze shifted towards his bandages. "What, this?" He said, motioning to his head. "Just a scratch! Not even a very deep one, but they bandaged it just in case."

A little smile played at the corner of her lips as Garry attempted to cheer her up. Ib wanted to wrap him up in a big hug but was afraid that that might only hurt him more. Seeing her dance indecisively on her toes, Garry chuckled and pulled her into a hug himself. "I'm so happy you're okay, Ib," he murmured to her as he patted her head gently. "Hic!" was all Ib could reply because the tears were freely rolling down her cheeks now, keeping her from making any audible sound.

The duo didn't have very long to socialize before Ib's parents entered to thank Garry personally for what he had done, although in truth it turned into more of an interrogation. Ib's mother fired off a barrage of questions, such as: "What's your name, young man?" "How old are you?" "Where do you go to school?" "How many people are in your family?" "Do you have any siblings?" "What do your parents do?"

Garry answered as best he could, although it was easy to see he was a little overwhelmed. When he told her his name was Garry Ib's mother didn't even bat an eye, although her father appeared to be a little uncomfortable. Garry didn't seem to notice the affect it had on him. "I just turned seventeen, and I'm actually living on my own right now." "Is that so…"

The interrogation continued for a few more minutes before one kindly nurse took pity on Garry and shooed the family away. Ib was reluctant to leave Garry after she'd found him again after all this time but resolved to visit him the next day no matter what. Only Garry wasn't at the hospital the next day. He had been released after going through a few more tests. Much to Ib's good fortune, however, the kindly nurse from the day before was on the floor again. Under the pretense that she was going to send him flowers, Ib asked the nurse what Garry's home address was. At first the nurse refused to tell her, saying it went against the hospital's confidentiality policy. Ib wasn't quite sure what that meant, but before too long the nurse gave in and wrote the address on a memo pad which she handed to Ib. "This'll be our little secret," she said slyly, winking at her from over the counter.

Ib was practically skipping out of the hospital. Now she could she Garry anytime! Clutching the note to her chest, she turned towards home, a plan already coming to mind.