The nurse who came in was male, thankfully, because Allen was going to need help with some embarrassingly basic things. Neither of his arms were of much use at the moment, the left because of the new incision and the right because of cracked cartilage in his ribs. Unfortunately, it also meant enduring some teasing about how he got into this position in the first place.
"I managed to make it to age thirty-five without getting into a single fight," said the nurse, "and this is your second this year."
Sure, Allen thought, and let me guess. You have a nice, normal life and don't look like a freak.
"Hope they arrested the other guy. Who picks on a kid with a heart condition?"
Allen had to suppress a laugh at the fact that the other guy had apparently been napping in his room, with the nurse's blessing.
"Anyway, think you can stay out of trouble from now on?"
"I'll try," Allen said.
"Do that. Try really, really hard, because we'd like to see you for something simple and routine next time. Now tilt your head back so I can help you with that eye."
Allen leaned back so the nurse could put his prosthesis in and wash his face.
When he was as clean as he could get without getting out of bed and they'd brought him food, Lenalee came in with an overfilled vase in her hands "Allen!"
"Hi, Lenalee," he said.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine," he said. "Thank you. Sit down."
She set the flowers on a small table and sat in the recliner. "Komui's in the waiting room, but he fell asleep. He was up all night."
"Doing what?" Everyone seemed to have been up all night.
"Talking to people, mostly, and getting everyone home. We left as early as possible this morning. I think he got about four hours of sleep."
"Is everyone okay?"
"Better than you are," she said. "Are you really all right?"
"Yes. They fixed everything. How's Lavi?"
"Good, as far as I know." She smiled. "When I asked you to cover for him, I didn't mean for you to go this far."
Allen laughed. "But it worked, didn't it?"
"It worked. He made it."
"Where did he go?"
"Israel." She sobered. "He texted me very early this morning, but I haven't heard from him since, and Israel isn't a very safe place for him."
The obvious question was why he'd gone there, but Allen didn't have to ask. Whatever Lavi was protecting, it was in Israel, so that was where he went. "Don't worry," Allen said. "He'll be all right."
"Why do I not find this reassuring coming from you? It took two shocks to get your heart running, and you think you're all right."
"One of the leads was out of place," Allen said. "That shock wasn't going quite where it was supposed to."
"Yes, and that's not what I call all right," Lenalee said. "How could Kanda do that? He knew."
"It wasn't his fault," Allen said. Kanda had, in fact, been careful not to hit Allen's chest.
"How was it not his fault?" Lenalee asked.
"He was aiming for my face and I messed him up."
"Allen!" she said. "That doesn't make it better."
She would never understand that part, so he shifted to a part she would understand. "He doesn't have to dance anymore," Allen said. "That's what's important."
"Yeah," she said. "His poor friend! Poor both of them! Kanda hasn't even been home yet. He came from there to here, and has been sleeping on couches and chairs. I guess you're right. He's free now, although we'll miss him. He's one of the best dancers Komui's ever worked with."
It was, in its own way, one of the worst things the Order had done. Kanda, like Cross, was a living work of art, and the Order had broken them both.
"What about you?" Lenalee asked. "I should warn you, there are a lot of rumors flying around."
There undoubtedly were. "Like what?"
"Did you know there are Campbells in the waiting room?"
"Kanda told me. Tyki and Road, right?"
"Yeah," she said. "They got here last night. Nobody's sure why, although there's a rumor going around that you're really a Campbell."
At one time, that rumor would have made him laugh. Now, he wasn't so sure. "I have no idea who my parents were," he said. "Maybe that will change someday, but it won't change who I am."
"Good, because someone else said that you're Rouvellier's kid."
"Heck, no, I hope not!" Allen said. "I'm kind of related to the Rouvelliers, but only by adoption and I didn't know about it until Cross..." He still didn't know whether to say died or disappeared.
Lenalee blinked. "Adoption? How?"
"Hevlaska adopted Cross, and Cross adopted me," he said. "I don't know the details, but that's as close as the relationship gets." He hoped.
"That must be why Hevlaska's here," Lenalee said.
"She is?" It was Allen's turn to be surprised, but Hevlaska never seemed to leave her flat, not voluntarily anyway.
"Yes. She's the one telling the nurses who to let in. She told them to let the Campbells in. Should I tell her you don't want to see them?"
"No," Allen said. "I do."
"Why?"
"They're here for a reason," Allen said, "and if they get obnoxious, I can always call a nurse to kick them out."
"I guess. What did Tyki want to talk to you about in Paris?"
Paris. It seemed like a completely different world. "There was a problem with Kanda and Winston, and he needed help breaking it up."
"So that's what happened!" she said. "All I knew was that he took you, and all of a sudden there was a fight. I thought it was him who hit you, but then I found out it was Kanda."
"It was Tyki who called the ambulance," Allen said.
"Wow! I guess it's no wonder he's here. I heard it was the Earl Campbell who collapsed while you were performing. Is that true?"
"Yes," Allen said. "Any word on how he is?"
"Not that I've heard," she said. "I'm sure the Campbells can tell you."
"Yeah," Allen said. It was another reason why he wanted to talk to them. "Lenalee, how are you?" She looked worn out, and there were dark circles under her eyes.
She took a deep breath. "All right. I mean, Lavi landed okay, but it's not over yet. Kanda's been expelled. You're in here. Komui's exhausted. A few people are just gone, and we don't know where they went. It's funny. You tied with Road yesterday, but nobody cares anymore. Everything's chaos."
"To be honest, I don't care, either. I'm just glad Kanda's finally free."
"That's really what you care about?" Lenalee said.
"Yes. Lenalee, I'm fine. I really am. I'm not hurt, and the ICD did it's job. What they did to Kanda and his friend was hideous, and I'm glad it's finally over."
"I am, too. Kanda's out and Lavi's out. Of course, it's early days yet, but they've done everything to Kanda that they can, and Lavi at least made it home. Others might be able to get out now, too."
"What about you and Komui?" Allen asked. "Will you go, too, if you can?" He wouldn't blame her, but he'd seen the way Rouvellier looked at her.
"We talked it over," she said, "and we're staying as long as we can. For the others. Komui cares about them, and his replacement might not. Maybe we'll finish school here, maybe we won't, but until they make us leave, we're staying. What about you? Can you still dance?"
"Of course!" he said. "I've had this surgery before. I'll be back in a few months, give or take."
She shook her head. "You took an awful risk."
"So did you," he said, "helping Lavi get out. The worst is over for me, but you could still be punished."
"Maybe so," she said, "but Komui and I have braced ourselves for the worst, so if it happens, it happens."
"What will you do?" he asked.
She grinned. "We don't know, but we're not afraid of it anymore. Everyone feels like that now, almost everyone anyway. We've been dancing because we were afraid people we knew would get hurt, but people are getting hurt no matter what. Now that I can see that, it isn't as hard to think that if I have to go back to China, I'll go back to China. It's not the end of the world anymore."
"That's good," Allen said.
"I just wish I'd seen it sooner," she said. "I thought I was Kanda's friend, but I never really tried to help him. I helped him try to bear it, but I didn't help him try to end it."
"How could you have?" Allen asked.
"I don't know," she said, "but that's what makes it so awful. I never gave it any thought at all."
"I don't think he expected you to."
"That's the worst part," she said. "It was normal for him for people to not try. That should never be normal. It should never have come to this."
"It's going to be all right, Lenalee," he said.
She made a face. "Yeah, right, coming from you that is so reassuring, because you have the best definition of all right! Do you want more food?"
He had finished what they'd given him, but he hadn't eaten since Paris, so a normal meal was nowhere near adequate. "Yes, thanks."
"I'll tell them." She got up, looking like she would have hugged him if she dared to touch him. "I'm glad you're okay. You scared the crap out of us."
"I'm sorry about that," he said. "I didn't mean to. Keep me updated on Lavi, okay?"
"I will. When are you going home?"
"Tonight or tomorrow, probably," he said, if one could call a dorm room home.
"Good! I'll have to talk to Father Tiedoll about taking over the guest lounge to throw you a proper party."
"Lenalee, that's not necessary!" he said, knowing that protest would be in vain.
"You're in no condition to stop me," she said with a grin, and he watched her grab the attention of a passing orderly as she went out into the hall.