Louisiana
Sarah gently knocked on the door to her room. She opened the door and looked in. Phoenix was sitting in bed looking out the open window. Her back was still in rough shape but the wound had closed enough that it no longer seeped or bled. The scar still looked pretty raw and angry though. She wore loose shirts to let it breathe and to keep it from getting rubbed too much. Sarah entered the room and set a cup of ashwagandha tea on the bedside table. She sat in the chair next to the bed and just watched. Phoenix slowly turned her gaze to her hostess. It became clear to Sarah that Phoenix had been crying recently. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Are you okay?" she asked, gently. It took Phoenix a moment to register the question. "No," came the first word she had spoken in weeks.
Sarah looked at her sympathetically. Phoenix had been so quiet for so long, her voice was both weak and grating from disuse. "I made…a terrible mistake…and he…he never came back…," the shifter choked out, hand going to her throat. It was so painful to talk. Sarah stood up and got the teacup. "Here. Try this. It should help get those vocal cords working again," she encouraged her. Phoenix took hold of the cup while Sarah held it steady. After a couple of sips, Phoenix pushed it back carefully and Sarah set it on the saucer. "My body…hurts…not just from my back. Everywhere…hurts. Especially here…in my soul," the shifter said, haltingly, pointing at her chest. A coughing fit racked her body as her voice box protested being used so much. Phoenix broke out into a sweat as she choked. Sarah rubbed her shoulder until it subsided before reaching up and turning on the fan. "I just…wanted to…make him happy. But I didn't. I ruined...everything," she continued.
Lifting her left hand to look at the ring, Phoenix looked miserable. "I wouldn't…blame him…if he broke things off. I don't…deserve him," she said before going quiet again to cough. Her vocal cords were killing her now from the usage. Sarah helped her with some more tea. The shifter started shaking a bit, her hands closing on the blankets. "Keeping talking, honey. Let it all out," Sarah encouraged as the telltale signs of a panic attack started becoming apparent. "He's not going to take me back. I messed up too badly. He hates me…," cue the rambling. "He's had so much happen to him and all I wanted was to make him happy. I thought becoming a human would let me do that better than I can now. He deserves the world. Me? I can't give him everything he deserves. Too much was lost during my creation. He doesn't understand the reality that I won't grow old with him," Phoenix kept on.
Sarah just sat quietly, knowing this was difficult for the otherwise proud creature to admit but also knowing it would be cathartic to get it all out so it wasn't weighing on her. Phoenix was really frail because of her wound and her emotional state. "I'm afraid of him," she said in a whisper. Sarah got concerned. Bucky did go off on Phoenix but from what she knew, the chimera never had any reason to fear him before. "I'm afraid of what he's going to say. It's…over," was the last thing the shifter said before breaking down. Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and helped Phoenix finish the tea between sobs. She let her cry it out while she herself checked the wound on her back. She could tell that Phoenix's joints started aching again when she curled in on herself after being coaxed into lying down. The tea should help with that.
After a while, Phoenix quieted down while Sarah stroked her hair. She looked exhausted. "Things will be okay, Phoenix. I know it doesn't seem that way now but things will work out," Sarah said before going over to open the window to let fresh air in. "Get some sleep, hon. You're exhausted. Things will get better," she then said before taking the tea cup and heading for the door. "Sarah?" came a small voice. Looking back, she waited. "Thank you for letting me recover here. Sorry for being a burden," Phoenix said quietly. "You're not a burden. You've been the perfect guest. I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, just give me a call. If I don't hear you, Cass or AJ will come get me. Try to sleep now," Sarah said.
Closing the door carefully, Sarah took a deep breath. She really wanted things to work out for her two friends. She knew they cared and loved each other deeply. Bucky contacting her the other day gave Sarah some hope that things would turn out well. He said he had a lead about where Phoenix got the idea to try form expulsion from but that he needed a little more time. Sarah had no issue with the shifter staying in her house longer. Phoenix had a very simple diet that didn't stretch the budget to a meaningful degree and she had been a good guest overall despite needing to recover on multiple fronts.
Heading downstairs, Sarah set the teacup on the kitchen counter before picking her phone up. She dialed Bucky's number and waited for him to pick up. "It's Sarah. How are things going on your end?" she asked when he answered. "Good to hear. Well, far as I know, the spell she's under hasn't broken yet but I have a feeling she'll tell me when it does," Sarah explained before going quiet for a moment. "Bucky…if or when Phoenix decides to return to New York after you give the all-clear, be kind to her. She hasn't been in a good way and she's emotionally fragile right now. Both of you have a lot of work to do to rebuild what you had before this fiasco if that's what you want. I don't want her hurt more than she already is. Deal?" she inquired.
After a moment of listening, Sarah just hummed. "At least it seems you want things to work. The only other thing I have to tell you is that I got her talking. It was difficult because she had been nonverbal for weeks. Yeah, as much as I want to tell you what she said, I don't think it's right for you to hear it from me and I don't think I can talk about it anyway. Better to wait until you see each other again. I'll let you go so you can take care of business. I'll let you know when the spell breaks and what she decides to do when it does. Talk to you later," she said before hanging up. Sighing, Sarah looked at the ceiling above her head. She hoped Phoenix was sleeping upstairs. She needed to regain her strength because she was going to need it.