Hi again, so I know I keep kinda saying I don't have any stock put into this story, and that's kinda true. However, it would be great if I could hear your thoughts on it. Plot-wise or on my writing style, or anything like that, would be great. Constructive critism is always good.

2:22

I sat glumly in my hospital bed, bored out of my mind, staring at the wall and trying to will it to cave in from mental thought alone. I had been bored for the few weeks I had been here, but more so today than usual.

I had no idea why I was so restless today, but it was driving me insane. I looked at the clock on the wall.

2:33

I slammed my head back into my pillow repeatedly. This was torture.

"Tap-Tap-Tap"

I sat up as the door to my room swung open to reveal my Mom.

"Hiya, Little Dude! I hope you're feeling better."

I looked up with a smile, if there was one thing I could count on, rain or shine, it would be my Mom.

"Yeah, a little, I wish my leg would stop itching under my cast but that can't really be helped. So, what brings you around?"

She looked incredulously at me, "What?! You can't have forgotten what today is?"

"Ma, I don't even know what day it is. Not being in school and having nothing to do really makes it hard to keep track of the days."

"Well then maybe this will jog your memory!" She opened the door and grabbed a brightly wrapped box into the room.

"It's Christmas!" she shouted into the room, holding the box over her head.

"Oh wow, I hadn't even thought of that! Thanks Mom!"

She hands the box to me as I notice it's a few boxes sort of lashed into one, I take them apart and look over them.

"Now I am going to admit," Mom says, "one of those is just something I repackaged from your room. Don't worry, though. From the sound of it, you probably need it more than ever."

I slowly open the presents, making sure I don't make too big of a mess and piss off the nurses.

The first present was a new DVD player and some films, and the second was a new jacket to replace the one that got burned. I turned the final present over in my hands, trying to guess what it was.

"Well, I know this has to be the one from my room... It's a little bigger than my cell phone, but I already have that with me...Eh, I can't guess."

I tear open the package to find.

"Oh, my PSP! Thanks, Mom."

I turned it over to find one of the games taped to the back, my copy of Peace Walker.

I visibly darkened, remembering that it was this game that caused that dream on the day I got attacked.

BEEP-BEEP

Mom's watch angrily beeped as she checked her watch.

"Oh man, Is it already? Hey champ, I'm gonna have to go home soon and make dinner, are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine... Have a Merry Christmas, Mom."

She smiled brightly back at me as she headed out the door.

"You too, James. Have a good night."

The door closed softly as I stared back up at the ceiling, wondering what I should do next.

I decided to watch a movie, as I reached for the player, the door opened again.

"Hey James, how're you feeling?" Shaun stepped quietly into the room.

I started to smile even harder, if that was possible.

Shaun and I had become good friends ever since the day he saved my sorry ass from hypothermia and gotten me to the hospital for treatment. And I had unfortunately developed a sort of crush on him. He was sweet and smart and apparently a kick-ass cook, so sue me, I found myself liking him more than I probably should. Not that I was gonna let him know that.

"Better now that you showed up."

Or maybe he might just figure it out if I say stupid things like that, why did I say that out loud?

"Okay, I just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas and all that. I also got you a present."

"Really? Aw, that nice of you... Makes me a little guilty that I couldn't get you anything."

He held out a small box with a bow on it.

"I didn't really know what to get you, so I just sort of went back to basics."

He started rubbing the back of his head as I opened the box. It had a small chain bracelet inside.

He started to blush a little.

"Now I'm kinda worried you might think it's girly.

I chuckled. "Don't worry, it's perfect."

He flopped over comedically. "Oh thank Christ. I was worried you were gonna, like, reject it or something."

"I wouldn't do that to you, you're too nice." Again, brain? Again!?

"Aw, you're really nice, too."

I frowned a little. "I wish I was a little less nice, then I wouldn't have gotten my ass kicked by that guy in the school."

"Hey, don't worry about it. If he bothers you again you can get me, okay?"

I sigh deeply. "That's not the point, I wish I didn't need someone to hide behind. That I was strong enough on my own..."

Shaun pondered for a moment before looking back at me. "You could always take up a martial art, then you could maybe see how well you do on your own."

" Maybe..." I thought for a moment, wondering if I should take a shot, before he looked up at the wall clock.

"Oh boy, my parents are gonna want me home soon, I'd better go."

He stood up and made for the door before my body almost seemed to move on it's own.

"W-Wait!"

He stopped halfway out the door.

"What's up?"

I took a deep breath and scrunched my eyes shut as I mentally prepared myself to say what I was going to say next.

"Maybe, when I'm out of here, would you maybe wanna go do something?"

I paused for a second.

"C-Cause I really like you and you're nice and I thought that maybe I could at least try once please don't hate me.

I paused for a few more more seconds before opening my eyes to see him still in the doorway.

He turned back around, smile on his face.

"See, you're braver than you give yourself credit."

He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something on it before he handed it to me and walked back out the door.

I unfolded the paper and looked at the writing inside.

It was his phone number and a small note

'Txt me when you get out. ;)'

I pumped my fist in the air.

"Fuck yes!"

One week later

It had taken some effort, but my leg was almost fully healed. Thank God for slightly above average healing rates.

I had been thinking about Shaun and what he had said for the past week.

I had been looking at tons of different self defense classes, but none of them sounded that good, and they were expensive to boot.

It was just then that something I never expected to happen, well, happened.

A large blue portal opened up in the middle of my room, and out stepped... me?

"Yeah, Hi, I'm the you from the universe that's writing this, And I am so sorry for breaking immersion like this, but I have been thinking for hours and I can't think of another way i like for this to happen, so here."

He...I...Whatever, held his hand out and dropped what looked like a PSP into my hands.

"So yeah, you're supposed to go in there and learn CQC from Big Boss and have this awesome Matrix-style story, while juggling real life and I just could not think of a legit way for you to get this device."

Still getting over the shock of seeing my apparently alter-universe self. All I could do was stand there and nod.

"Okay, that's basically it, just lie on the bed, turn it on, and... well it's like Sword Art Online. you just go in, you'll be fine. Okay bye!"

He turned around and left in the same portal before it whooshed shut.

All I could do at that point was lay down and go to bed. I was obviously hallucinating and needed rest.

So...yeah... I honestly couldn't think of anything, at first he just built it but that sounded too dumb, and then I thought that he might stumble across it but that sounded too convenient.
Whatever, I self-inserted myself into a self-insert that is in essence already talking about self-inserting myself into Peace Walker. WHAT, BRO. YOU GOT BEEF!?

jkpleasedonthateme.