Awareness came back in pieces.
At first it was sensations, like flashes of color in the darkness. These eventually became sounds, pulsing through the color in rippling waves.
A beep, fading in and out.
Voices.
They were familiar, though he couldn't really place them. One with a rough, scratchy tone. One soothing, one feminine, one deep and masculine.
There were other voices, too, though they faded away faster. Like whispers in the dark...
"That way only leads to one thing..."
"Guys, I think he's waking up!"
Another sensation bloomed as soon as he cracked his eyes open.
Pain.
MK blinked rapidly in an attempt to adjust to the blinding white hospital lights around him. He jumped as a dark shape shot out from the glare.
"Kid! You're ok. It's just us."
Eventually the dark shape on his shoulder formed into a hoof. Bleary eyes trailed up the white sleeve to a round, pink face lined with worry.
"Dadsy?"
Someone snorted, and MK's eyes darted to Tang. The scholar stood next to Pigsy, one comforting arm around the demon's shoulder.
"Wow, Pigsy, sounds like they gave our boy the good stuff! He hasn't called you that since he got his tonsils taken out!"
The swine frowned, then shrugged off his husband's arm and sat next to MK. He took the young man's left hand in his own. "Don't mind him, kid. How ya feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a bus," he groaned.
It was true. Everything hurt, especially his right arm. A quick look down and he could see the offending appendage wrapped in a cast. Guess that explains that.
Mei poked her head into his line of sight, pausing in her attempt to draw a dragon down the length of his casted arm. Maybe it was the pain meds, but it looked more like a snake to MK. "Try a pole, monkey man. I told you that tuk-tuk was a death trap! Broke your arm and bonked your brain cage pretty good."
"Did anyone get hurt?"
"Other than you? Nah," she shrugged. "Your hero-ness kicked in. You managed to warn everyone out of the way. Now hold still- I'm trying to make art here!"
The group settled into mostly small talk until the door opened to reveal a man in blue hospital scrubs. He informed them that visiting hours were over, but if MK's tests came back clean overnight, he would be able to go home in the morning.
Pigsy, however, refused to leave the room.
"Listen, sir, it's hospital regulations. The patient isn't a minor, so I can't really allow you to stay. You can come back at 8:00 when visiting hours open back up."
In the end, Sandy had to tuck the pig under his arm in order to avoid a showdown with security. They each bid MK goodnight until it was just him and the nurse.
The smiling man, Nurse Jeff he found out, started with his evening routine as soon as the door had closed. "That's some family you've got there! They've been by your side this whole day! Pretty sure they only agreed to leave because you were finally awake!"
MK smiled, not even bothering to correct him. "Yeah, they're pretty great."
Nurse Jeff did a quick exam, including shining a flashlight into the hero's eyes. "This is just a precaution, but I'll need to keep waking you up throughout the night to check on you. If all goes well, the doctor will send you home in the morning!"
MK sat through the tests and chatter, but found he was struggling to stay awake. Nurse Jeff flashed a sympathetic smile. "Try to rest. I'll be back in an hour to check on you. If you need anything at all in the meantime, just press this button."
He laid a remote next to his patient's good hand and pointed to a blue icon shaped like a person. MK nodded his thanks and closed his eyes, and the nurse took his cue to leave.
There was a click as the overhead lights went off, and then one more as the door closed.
MK sighed, then cracked his eyes open. "Hey Monkey King."
The astral projection of the Great Sage sat in the chair Mei had occupied earlier, gold eyes staring at the scribbled-on cast. "Hey bud. I heard about what happened. Sounds like everyone is pretty worried about you."
MK tried to fight a yawn, but failed. "Everything is fine. I just didn't sleep great last night. Or the night before, or... whatever. It's all good though! Hon-"
He yawned again, and the Monkey King flinched when he heard the kid's jaw crack from the force of it. He shook his head.
"All right, kid. Get some sleep and heal up. You've earned a rest. I'll check up on ya soon."
Tired eyes drifted closed, and he could feel the presence of his mentor slip away with his consciousness.
The next day was busy for MK, but all he wanted to do wassleep.
Nurse Jeff, true to his word, had woken MK up on the hour every hour until he was replaced by Nurse Hushi in the early hours. She wasn't much for talk, but at three am MK wasn't exactly in the mood to chat either. The only positive about the whole evening was that he never slept long enough to dream.
He suffered through the checks and could barely sit still for the final exam with the doctor. By the time the clock hit ten that morning, he was being loaded into a wheelchair by Mei and was on his way home.
Business at Pigsy's was slow that time of day, so only the pig, Tang, and Sandy were there. Mei dropped him off before heading to the pharmacy for some pain medication, but made him promise to eat something before she came back. He wasn't hungry, but he also couldn't refuse when Pigsy slid a bowl of his favorite noodles under his nose.
It was difficult to eat with his left hand, so the young hero was grateful to be left alone for the time being. It wasn't until the final noodle had been slurped that the questions started.
Pigsy leaned over the counter, replacing MK's bowl with a steaming mug of tea.
"All right MK," he asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice, "spill. What's been going on?"
The young man shrugged, his good hand absently scratching the back of his neck. "Ok, ok. I just haven't been sleeping very well. You know, since..."
Sandy moved to the stool next him. Mo, who had been riding on the big demon's shoulder, hopped down into MK's lap and began to purr. MK pet him gently for a few moments before taking a sip of the tea. He recognized it as Sandy's special sleepytime tea.
"Well, since you and that car o' yours are outta commission, I'm givin' you a few days off."
MK almost dropped Mo. "What? Pigsy, come on! I'm fine!"
Four sets of eyes turned to look at the cast on his arm.
Pigsy sighed. "Look, MK. You need a break. Take a few days and just relax, yeah? Sandy offered to help cover deliveries until you're feelin' better. Now go on up and get some sleep. Ya look dead on your feet. Besides, the dinner rush is gonna start soon, and with the way you look you'll scare away my customers!"
MK laughed, a small, hollow sound that only made his adopted father frown deeper. "Yeah, ok."
After returning Mo to Sandy, MK took his leave and trudged up the stairs to his apartment. By the time the door clicked shut behind him, he had fallen face first onto his bed and was fast asleep.
Finally!
The early afternoon shadows in the small apartment condensed into the wrinkled face of an old woman. She hadn't been able to feed while the boy was in the hospital- he never fell into a deep enough cycle to dream, and there were constant interruptions. But now he was snoring away. His fears, his insecurities, hispowerripe for her to feast upon.
She needed the sustenance to gain back more of her form. This little mortal had been feeding her so well these past weeks, it seemed almost a shame to make him suffer. However, there was nothing for it. In order to regain her physical form, she needed his strength. She reached a clawed, translucent hand into his mind and plucked out a tasty morsel.
Maybe, when the end came, she would let him die quickly as his reward.
She popped the squirming piece of dream, which appeared as smoke, into her fanged mouth. Delicious. The boy moaned beneath her, and she drank the pained sound as a human would fine wine.
Her meal was interrupted as the door cracked open.
"MK?"
Mei poked her head through the door. Tang had warned her that he was probably asleep, so she figured she'd just pop in and leave the pain medication for him.
As she crept through the room, she saw MK sprawled on his bed.
Something hovered over him.
She rushed forward, knocking over the box he used as a coffee table in the process. MK bolted up with a cry of pain, the movement jostling his broken arm.
"Mei! What the brick are you doing?"
The girl stopped and blinked her eyes to make sure they were clear. Whatever she thought she had seen was gone, leaving only her and her exhausted best friend in the room.
"Uh, sorry MK. I thought I saw something... never mind." She motioned for him to wait and fetched a glass of water.
By the time she had come back, MK was properly settled under the blankets. "Here," she offered him the medication with the glass. "Doctor's orders! It should help you sleep, too."
He popped the pill and chased it with a large swallow of water.
Satisfied, Mei placed the glass to the side and motioned for him to scooch over.
"Ok. Make room, monkey man! We are havin' a sleepover, boi!"
MK smiled and did as he was told. Mei watched him snuggle up with his Monkey King doll as she whipped out her Dragon Horse plush.
"Hey Mei? Thanks. I've been..."
She waved him off. "Me too, MK. Though I guess not as bad. I mean,Istill managed to get here without wrecking my ride. Though I have always been the better driver."
They shared a quick laugh, and then she instructed MK to get some sleep. He rolled over and was out in a few moments.
Mei pulled out her phone and texted the MK Support Squad group chat to let them know she was staying over. Then she settled in to wait and watch over her friend.
There was something weird going on.