Chapter 8

It's been three days. Three days since he heard Hope scream. Three days since he ran into that room to fight Caius. For Hope. For Hope who had his name carved into his back and chest. Three days since Noel got up happy and refreshed.

"Serah would like to see you." Alyssa knocked on Noel's door, it was actually Hope's bedroom. Noel hasn't gone out of that room once, just for eating or drinking or showering.

"Tell her I'm busy." Noel mumbled loud enough for her to hear.

"You said that to her last time." She tried to unlock the door with a passcode but Noel managed to change it last minute.

"Does it matter?" He picked up his head, his chestnut brown hair was flat against his head, his voice still raw and scratchy.

"We need to re-dress your wounds, the med-bot won't keep it from infection." Alyssa said. The thought of his own wounds sent his head into the pillow again, the last thing he wanted was to think of the fight. Think of Hope.

With a growl Noel got up and walked over to the door, pressing in the keycode he met face to face with Alyssa. She was a tiny little thing, but she did have a spark of intelligence mixed with aggression. She smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood and took his arm. He followed her down the hall and up the stairs, the hall where the fight had occurred was still off limits, yellow signs blocked anyone from walking there.

"I won't take you to see either of them if you don't want to," Alyssa said to Noel, "I'll be true to my word. I'll only re-dress your wounds and let go be on your way."

"I want to see Serah." He met her colored gaze, they sparked at the positive outlook of my words, "I need to apologize to her. For not getting back sooner...I left her...she must've seen Hope in the bed and..."

"Hey now! Don't talk like that!" She piped up, tapping my face lightly, "Hope is fine now! And Serah's getting better by the day! Everything is looking just fine. What happened, happened. You can't stick on it like...like a cat to milk. Ok?"

He stayed silent but nodded. He should have taken his sword with him, it would've set his over reactive nerves to rest for the time being. Alyssa took him into a private medical room and told him to strip.

Noel's shirt went to the floor along with his oddly fashioned pants. He was left in old bandages and black briefs. Alyssa, professional and all, carefully took the bandages from around his chest, arms, wrists and legs. She studied each one, recorded them with a small camera, and set out for new antibiotic salve. Noel waited calmly, surprised he was hallucinating and relapsing into a series of crazed behaviors like he normally did outside of Hope's room.

Noel, at this moment, still didn't know if Hope was alive or not.

He never asked. He didn't want the answer. The loud ringing in his ears told him Hope was dead for that instant Noel was put under sedation. That loud ringing put enough daggers in his chest to tell him there was a larger change of Hope being dead than alive.

His fingers started to twitch, the behaviors were beginning.

BAM

But before Noel could drown in his own thoughts, the one and only Farron sister burst into the room. One hand on the door while the other clenched Mog tightly. There was pure determination and anger on her face, two nurses stood behind her warily.

Miss Farron stormed down the space between them and closed it with her hand cracking across Noel's face. He fell to the side, holding his cheek, raw with pain from her blow.

"NOEL CRISS." She shouted, so loudly Mog poofed from her grip in fright. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, sky blue eyes crackling with anger, her lips set in a frustrated snarl. "How dare you."

"Serah I-"

Noel was smacked again. Across his other cheek. And for good measure too.

"You left me in that hospital room wondering what was going on. I would have forgiven you if you'd left for an hour or two, but three days?" She continued, the heat of her voice bearing down on Noel like fire on his skin, "I saw Hope being wheeled down the hall and you! I didn't see you at all!"

He cringed.

"No one would tell me where you went! I thought you died, Noel. I really did!" Serah grabbed his shoulders this time, realizing for the first time he bore scars of a fight. One, obviously, that no one had yet informed her of.

Noel began to speak but it came out in flustered stutters. His face scrunched up and he stopped all attempts to speak. Instead he looked at her with apologetic brown eyes, water falling them as he slammed his hands down in frustration.

At once she grasped her time traveling friend in a loving hug. Noel wrapped his arms around his friend, possibly his only remaining friend, and cried into the crook of her neck. She massaged his back affectionately, crying a little herself, and smoothed down his hair. Alyssa came in not moments too soon and paused at the scene, Serah nodded to her.

Alyssa left the salve and clean bandages on the counter beside her and shut the door, allowing Noel to relieve himself without worrying about the public. Mog, as best as he could, hugged Noel's shoulder, soothing him with little kupos every now and then. That only made Noel cry harder, out of all his years living he has never be in such a comforting area. With people who didn't challenge him or depend on him constantly, nearly driving him insane with responsibility.

Serah took Noel's face into her hands and she kissed him gently on his forehead, she stood on her tip toes to do so.

"Noel, I'm so sorry." Her voice was softer, blue eyes replaced with affection rather than rash anger.

"Serah just...just tell me one thing," He whispered, allowing her to wipe away his tears with her hand, "Is...Is Hope alive?"

She had her hand on his cheek as he asked the question, she moved it to under his jaw line, catching his chin with a gentle push. Her face was blank, showing no answer. The anticipation killed him, it gnawing at him. His fingers started to twitch again.

But Serah wouldn't just make him suffer like that. Not when she began to speak, her lips twitching into a smile or a frown, Noel couldn't tell anymore.

"He's been calling for you for a while now." Serah said.

Noel could only smile and grab her into a hug once more, a gasp of air that was thick between a sob and a cry of laughter escaped his throat. Only then did Serah begin to dress his wounds and only then did Noel go into a repetitive speech of "thank you"s.

It took another slap to the face for Serah to shut him up.