I Knew You Were a Weirdo

by Designation M

Author's Note: I'm back! The Moon Troupe latest show takes a turn that results in one of their newest among their number being savagely attacked. This sets events in motion beyond their control. The Moon Theater family will need to stand more united than ever if they're going to survive.

4. Watch Your Back

I Knew You Were a Weirdo

00000

IIII - Watch your Back

Rosita, her husband Norman, Miss Crawley and Buster Moon watched with growing horror as the newsflash continued.

"I for one am truly shocked that this of all things happened in our beloved city. Hold on…" The blond female news reporter put her hand to an earpiece as she listened to the latest update. Her face betrayed the look of shock. "This just in, hospital staff confirms that Noelle Ann Wright, stagename Nooshy, is missing. She was just reported to have disappeared from her hospital room, just this morning." An image of Nooshy appeared on the upper right corner of the screen. "The same goes for several members of the Moon Group, including Clay Calloway, who were visiting Miss Nooshy last night." Images of Ash, Johnny, Meena, Porsha , Gunter and Clay Calloway appeared as well. "Hospital staff are at a loss to what happened other than several armed men were found unconscious on the premises. It has yet to be confirmed but official sources have confirmed some of these men are in the employ of ruthless gang leader Sean DiMarco. No further explanation could be given as no witnesses could confirm any unknowns to this case. As for CCTV footage, none could be recovered as the system had apparently been tampered with, most likely by the same awful men who invaded the hospital. Please stay tuned for further information. And please for those of you tuning in, keep young Nooshy in your prayers, as well as those of her friends who also count among the missing."

The newsflash ended.

And Buster shut the tv off.

No one spoke after that.

Rosita looked back at the message she had received on her phone only a few hours ago.

JOHNNY: Hospital not safe. Stay away. Watch your back.

Rosita dropped the phone on the hotel sofa and she wept.

Norman put an arm around her.

"Don't worry honey, I'm sure they're ok."

"None of them have answered their phone," Rosita said in between tears. "Something is wrong, I just know it."

Miss Crawley blew on a handkerchief. "Those poor little things. And poor Nooshy."

"Oh there there," Buster said, trying his best to comfort the distraught old woman.

"Why won't they answer their phones?!" Miss Crawley cried.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Buster said optimistically.

"And that good reason could be that they've been taken by that savage DiMarco or worse, they be de-!"

"Miss Crawley please!" Buster exclaimed, cutting her off. "The kids are in the next room, and they just stopped crying."

This seemed to help the aging lizard settle down a bit. Feeling ashamed, she turned to the Witherspoons. "Oh Rosita, Norm, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," Rosita said, wiping her own eyes. "I know you're scared for them. I'm scared too but we have to keep our heads. We've been in dangerous situations before. We'll bet through this. I'm sure of it."

There was a knock on the door and Rosita wasted no time to answer.

"Honey, wait!" Norman called out. "Check who it is first."

"Right." Standing on a chair, Rosita looked through the peephole to see who it was through the door.

Rosita stepped back in surprise.

"It's Suki."

That got their attention.

"Let her in," Buster said. "Maybe she has news."

Undoing the latches to the door, Rosita opened the door and Suki slipped in.

She was wearing a white coat and a beret woman's hat with sunglasses.

Her chestnut brown hair appeared to be tied in a bun.

"Suki?" Buster said, taken slightly aback by her unusual fashion sense.

"Are you modeling or something?" Miss Crawley asked.

Suki removed her sunglasses and replaced them with her circular specs. She rolled her eyes. "It's a disguise, I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"Do you know what's happened?" Rosita asked. "Have you seen the others? Are they ok?"

"They're fine, they're safe."

Sighs of relief filled the room.

"Where are they?" Buster asked, smiling.

"In a safehouse, arrangements have been made for you to see them."

"And Nooshy?" Rosita said anxiously.

Suki grimaced. "She...woke up this morning."

Rosita gasped as tears of happiness filled her eyes.

Norman leaned back into the sofa, breathing out as a breath he was holding.

Miss Crawley blew her nose again, this time however she was smiling.

Buster covered his face and he let out the breath he was holding as well.

"...albeit that was a little messy."

All eyes looked back at the talent agent.

"What do you mean?" Rosita asked.

"What I mean is that she went a tad hysterical when she woke up but that young man managed to calm her down."

"Johnny?" Buster said, although he seemed to know the answer anyway.

"That's the one." Suki pulled out a sealed envelope from her coat. "And he wanted me to give you this."

Buster took it with shaky hands.

"I have to go, I have an appointment to make with a police captain."

"Whatever for?" Buster asked.

"To see to it that the DiMarcos are stopped so you can all come out of hiding."

"We're not hiding," Norman said. There was a quiver in his voice like he was afraid where this conversation was going and what the implications could be.

"For your own safety, you'll have to," Suki said with grim finality. "I've arranged a security detail to escort you. All of you."

"Are our kids in danger?!" Norman cried.

"Norm!"

"Sorry."

"Until the danger has passed, anyone associated with Miss Wright are at risk." Suki knocked on the hotel door three times. "But don't worry, I have people who'll help you pack and escort you to your designated safehouse."

The door opened and in came four people in finely tailored suits, a tiger, a large gorilla, a rhino and a gazelle.

"Hey," Buster said, pointing. "I know you guys, you're from Kickenklober's dance troupe." He looked at the tiger who stood at the front. "Ryan is it?"

"The one and only," the young tiger said as he extended his paw to the koala. "Ryan Cagney, please to meet ya, officially anyway."

"Likewise," Buster said, smiling. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"It's our pleasure," the gazelle said. "We may have known Johnny and Nooshy for a short time…" She started looking a bit emotional. "...but they both left an impact."

"On all of us," the gorilla said.

"When we heard what happened to Noosh, we couldn't believe it," Ryan said grimly. "We wanted to help in anyway we could. So we got a hold of Miss Suki."

"Then we were suited up and put on the first plane to Jersey," the rhino said.

Buster turned to Suki. "Thank you, thank you so much Suki."

Suki gave the koala a lopsided smile. "It wasn't just me."

"Huh?"

"Now," Suki said, opening the door. "I have to go. I'll contact you later with details."

The door closed.

Buster looked down at the sealed letter in his hands and then, very carefully, he tore it open and took out a written letter.

"This is Johnny's handwriting."

Rosita, Norman and Miss Crawley moved in closer so they could read the letter as well.

"Buster, Rosita, Miss Crawley, everyone," Buster reads. "I am so sorry that we didn't contact you but we couldn't risk our phones getting hacked and our safehouse being compromised. This DiMarco is going to stop at nothing to find us and her."

The way those last words were written were rather rushed, agonizing as though Johnny was under a lot of pressure when writing.

"She's fine btw, Nooshy I mean. She's rather uncomfortable but we have a nurse tending to her. The others are ok too. Ash, Gunter, Meena, Clay and Porsha, we're safe. Alfonso is here with us too. Until the heat dies down, we have to lay low. At the bottom is a number for a pay phone. Call this number and someone will answer.

Love you guys, Johnny."

"Here's the number," Buster says. pointing to the bottom of the page.

"We'll help you pack," Ryan said. "If you want to make a call, Sam and Julie here will go with you," he said pointing to the rhino and gazelle. "Me and Murphy will stay and help your husband pack Miss Rosita."

Rosita smiled. "Just call me Rosita."

00000

Standing on top of a platform in the phone booth designed for smaller mammalites, Buster Moon inserted his quarter and dialed the given number.

"It's ringing," Buster said.

Rosita leaned in so she could listen in.

It didn't take long for someone to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Johnny!" Buster almost shouted.

"Oh Johnny," Rosita said, misty-eyed. "We tried so hard to get a hold of you guys. We were so worried."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, it was just really dangerous and we didn't want to take any risks. So Suki gave you my message, that's good."

"And Nooshy?" Rosita asked.

"She's wide awake but she can't walk on her own right now."

Buster blinked. "She...she can't walk?"

"It's not as bad as it sounds." Johnny seemed to be having difficulty finding his words. "But the nurse says she should be able to walk on her own in a couple of days."

"Should we bring anything?" Buster asked. "Blankets? Aspirin? Maybe a walker."

"No no no no!" Johnny cleared his throat. "I suggested it to her and she was not impressed. Blankets and aspirin are fine."

"Anything else?" Rosita asked insistently. "You know what she likes. What could we bring that would really make her happy?"

"Uh...ice cream I guess. She loves ice cream," Johnny said. "And whatever happens, do not make her feel like she's helpless. She hates that."

"Understood," Buster said. "Do not make Nooshy feel like she's weak and helpless."

"Errr…yes, exactly." Johnny did not care for the word weak being associated with Nooshy either.

"Alright," Rosita said, but then something appeared in the corner of her eye and she instinctively turned. "We'll just...Casper?!"

Casper, one of Norman and Rosita's more rambunctious children, was standing at the door of the phone booth.

Rosita was alarmed to see he was crying. She jumped down and came to her son's side.

"Oh honey, are you ok?"

Caspar sniffled. "Mommy, can I talk to Johnny...and Nooshy?"

Rosita said nothing but she looked at Buster. "Could you ask if Nooshy can come to the phone?"

"Uh um Johnny?"

"What's going on? Is Caspar ok?"

"Well, he's really upset and he's asking if he can talk to you and Nooshy. Can she come to the phone?"

"Wait there, I'll go get her."

Buster smiled down at Caspar, but refrained from confirming if at all Nooshy could come to the phone.

"He's going to see if she can talk, so hang in there Caspar ok?"

Caspar sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Ok."

00000

There was a knock on the door.

And Nooshy immediately hid the book that she was reading in bed.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me."

"Me who?" Nooshy said playfully.

"Noosh," Johnny said, slightly annoyed.

"Alright alright, you can come in."

Johnny opened the door but only poked his head in so he could address the bed-ridden lynx. "There's someone on the payphone who really wants to talk to you Noosh."

"Really? Who?" She looked rueful. "It's not my mom is it?"

"Oh no no, it's Rosita and Buster...and Caspar."

Nooshy gasped excitingly. "Little buddy?"

Johnny smiled while rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, little buddy."

Nooshy had become quite fond of Rosita and her children in the short time they'd known one another.

Caspar, in all his energetic and unpredictable glory, held a special place in Nooshy's heart, seeing much of her wild and carefree spirit in him and she'd take any opportunity to spend time with him, whether it was giving him a high five or, much to his playful distress, a kissy face.

Nooshy pushed the covers off, kicked her legs over the edge of the bed, and began to descend to the floor.

"Go easy," Johnny said, holding a hand out.

"Relax Johnny boy, I feel like a million bucks."

As soon as her feet touched the floor, they gave out and Nooshy fell with a cry.

Johnny caught her easily.

Deeply frustrated, Nooshy growled.

"It's ok Noosh," Johnny said assuredly. "One step at a-" Johnny stopped short when Nooshy glared at him. "Eh, I mean one day at a time."

"Good choice," Nooshy said with a smug smile. It dropped into a look of annoyance. "Right, let's get this over with."

Nooshy turned around so Johnny could put one arm under her upper back and one under her knees.

And then he very slowly lifted her.

"How did I get myself into this?" Nooshy said, arms crossed.

"Oh c'mon Nooshy, it's only for a few days."

"Hmm." She looked up at her best friend and noticed the bandage on his left cheek. "Is it painful?"

"Huh? Oh, oh no!" Johnny said sheepishly, turning his head to block the bandage from view. "It just stings is all."

"I really am sorry," Nooshy said, ashamed.

"Nooshy, it's ok, really. You don't have to keep apologizing."

"Still…" Nooshy bowed her head. "Of all the people I'd hurt…"

"Nooshy, compared to seeing you get hurt abs wondering when you'd wake up, that was a tickle."

Nooshy looked up at Johnny. She smiled weakly. "You're so sweet."

Johnny chuckled nervously. "Now then...onward to Caspar."

"Full speed ahead," Nooshy declared while pointing a commanding finger as though she were a ship's captain. She pulled her hand cautiously. "Coast clear."

Johnny nodded confidently. "Yup, checked 'fore I went to come get you."

As they walked down the hall, they past an open door leading to the living room.

And Johnny froze when he saw the others sitting on a couch, watching tv.

Ash, Meena, Gunter and Porsha turned to see a deer in the headlights Johnny and a very unimpressed Nooshy in his arms.

"Well hey hey hey," Porsha said in a cheeky manner.

Nooshy stuck her tongue out before turning back to Johnny. "Coast is clear eh?"

"I thought it was."

"Never mind, let's just go."

Once they were gone, a thoroughly ticked off Ash looked up at the young Porsha. "Come on Porsha."

"What?"

"Come on!" Ash shook her head. "Nooshy can't walk on her own and you're making jokes?"

Porsha looked stricken. "I didn't-"

"I can still hear you," Nooshy said from down the hall.

Ash pursed his lips in frustration. "Porsha, look, I get you're under pressure for having to hide in a safehouse but that's no reason to make jokes at others' expense."

Porsha folded her hands shamefaced. "I don't do it to hurt other people's feelings."

"We know you don't Porsha," Meena said, putting a massive hand on her shoulder. "You just gotta have a little more…"

"Self-control? Sensitivity?" Ash said. "Any one of these things would work."

"I guess maybe I should delete some of that stuff I recorded on my phone." Porsha said without thinking and she went stiff when she realized what she had just said.

Ash, Meena, and Gunter stared at her dumbfounded.

"What did you say?" Ash said incredulously.

00000

Luckily, Johnny and Nooshy did not have to travel far to reach the pay phone that was in the private garage of their safehouse.

Hands full with carrying Nooshy, Johnny had to leave it to her to answer the phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"Nooshy!"

"Oh hey Rosita," Nooshy said, smiling widely.

"Oh Nooshy, are you ok?"

"Yes yes, I'm fine, for the most part."

"Nooshy, there's someone very special who wants to talk to you."

"Oh?" Nooshy said with a knowing smile.

"Alright, here you go baby," Rosita said before an indistinct sound of a phone in motion was heard.

"Nooshy?" said the voice of a very enthusiastic child.

"Caspar!" Nooshy said joyfully. "Little buddy!"

Nooshy could hear soft crying on the phone. "Aw, Caspar, you ok little mate?"

"I was so scared, I was-!" Caspar hiccuped. "I was scared you were gone forever."

Nooshy put a hand to her heart as it ached for the little piglet. "Oh Caspar," she cooed. "I'm alright, really." She scoffed. "Me? Gone forever? Caspar, I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Nooshy said solemnly. "I'll even pinkie promise when you and your family come over later."

Nooshy heard a sniffle. "Ok."

"Ok Caspar, time to say goodbye."

"Ok mommy." Caspar sounded dreadfully disappointed to have to end the call. "Bye Nooshy."

"Bye bye love," Nooshy said, finishing her goodbye with a loud kiss.

"Ew, kissy face."

Nooshy laughed. "That's just a preview for what's coming, little guy."

"No!" Caspar squealed in delightful despair.

"Oh yes!" Nooshy held the phone to Johnny's ear, who was trying hard to keep from laughing. "Say goodbye to Caspar, Johnny."

"See you soon Caspar."

"Bye Johnny!"

The same indistinct sound of the phone being transferred to another caller.

"Well...I guess we'll see you guys later tonight," Rosita said.

"Yeah, looking forward to it," Johnny said smiling, while Nooshy was holding the phone out so both could talk and listen.

"One more thing," Rosita said but there was something in her voice that suggested she had an interesting thing to say, one she'd been saving up to say.

Johnny and Nooshy seemed to detect this. "Um...yeah? What is it?" Johnny asked, somewhat uneasily.

"If Nooshy is having some trouble walking, how did she come to the phone?"

Johnny sputtered, feeling his ears burning. "Oh...uh…" He looked at Nooshy, who just shrugged her shoulders. "I helped."

Rosita sounded like she was smiling. "In other words, you carried her."

Johnny said nothing, too embarrassed to form the words.

"Well aren't you a gentleman!"

"Uh...uh...eh…" was all Johnny could utter.

Nooshy covered her face, slightly embarrassed herself, not because of Rosita becoming wise to their current predicament but because of Johnny's choice of words.

Nooshy put the phone back to her ear. "Well we'll see you guys later. We'd better go too before this big lug drops me…" She eyed him somewhat menacingly. "An' if he does, I'm going to hurt him."

Johnny gulped and straightened himself out.

Rosita giggled. "No, wouldn't want that. Bye now."

"Cheers," Nooshy said.

And then she hung up the phone.

Nooshy crossed her arms as she looked up at Johnny, who was still rather shaken.

"Oh get a grip Johnny, it's just Rosita."

"Y-yeah, I know."

"Well, we'd better get back upstairs before the others find ways to really mess with us, Porsha especially."

Johnny gulped again.

"You got somethin' in your throat or somethin'?" Nooshy asked.

"Somethin'." Johnny looked back at her, somewhat nervously.

"You look like you have somethin' you want to say," Nooshy said raising an eyebrow.

"Well I have been wondering about earlier, right after I put you to bed." He took a deep breath. "What was that about?"

"What?" Nooshy said innocently.

"You know, it?"

"It?"

"The kiss?" Johnny finally said, his ears burning hotter.

"Oh," Nooshy said, pretending to finally understand. "What about it?"

"Well…" Johnny felt his heart ache. Was she just saying thank you? Was that all it was. "...what was that about?"

Nooshy put on a look of feigned innocence. "I don't know what you mean."

Johnny stared at her, incredulous.

Nooshy then had a mischievous look on her face as though a nasty idea crossed her mind. "Ok, enough chit-chat."

She pinched Johnny's ear. "Ow! Hey!"

"Onward to the elevator, I'm feeling a bit peckish. You're not moving fast enough!" Nooshy pinched his other ear and didn't let go.

"Nooshy, stop it!" Johnny exclaimed painfully, but he was laughing as well as though he were enjoying himself. "I have to carry you!"

Nooshy laughed as well. "Then you'd better be careful, I think I'm slipping."

As they struggled to walk to the elevator, Nooshy paused in thought.

It was just a kiss, she told herself. I mean it's not like it meant anything.

Truth was, it was not a thought out move and she knew it.

She was spontaneous but this was entirely new.

And it puzzled her.

Hmm, why did I do that?

00000

"I can't believe this, I can't believe you!" Ash complained as she looked through some of Porsha's latest videos. "You were spying on Johnny?!"

"Just a little," Porsha said, ears drooped. "I wasn't going to show it to anyone."

"You still had no right to do that!" There's a thing called privacy, personal space!"

Porsha bowed her head.

"Porsh," Meena said sweetly. "Did your dad ever talk to you about this sort of thing?"

Porsha scoffed. "He was always too busy with his work. Half the time we're together, he's on the phone, giving orders or signing papers."

"He never had one-on-one talks with you?" Meena asked, incredulously. "Not once?"

Porsha sniffled. "Not since mom died."

Ash looked stricken, now feeling guilty that she had not considered this. No. No, of course she might not know any better. With that psychopath for a father, but she's not a kid anymore.

"Porsha, please delete those clips from your phone as soon as possible ok?"

"Ok ok, I'll do it."

The steady ping of the elevator sounded, followed by the elevator doors opening.

The sound of loud, spritely laughter could be heard coming from the elevator.

"I can't believe you did that!" Nooshy said, covering her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Well we weren't going to just leave after coming all the way from Calatonia," Johnny said laughing with her. "And when as we were coming through the doors on a zamboni, I hit my head and was like-," Johnny made a pained look with his mouth open in a silent scream, much like the one he made at Crystal Tower almost a year ago.

Nooshy threw back her head and cackled like a mad woman.

But stopped as she winced and gripped her ribs.

"Ow."

"Whoa whoa, you ok?" Johnny asked, voice laced with concern.

Nooshy chuckled weakly. "It only hurts when I laugh."

"Then you might need one of these."

Johnny and Nooshy turned to see Nurse Sue, holding up the painkillers in front of her. She was followed by Clay Calloway, who was carrying bags of groceries.

"How are you feeling honey?" the old lion said.

"Meh," Nooshy said, shrugging her shoulders. She looked at the bottle of pills held up between Sue's index and middle finger and stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Awful stuff."

"I know," Johnny said. "But it's for the best."

"If you say so."

A metallic glint of light in the corner of the eyes of Nooshy, Johnny, Sue and Clay caused all four to turn to see those seated at the couch, Gunter, Ash, Porsha and Meena staring at them as though they were watching a cheesy soap opera.

The glint of light however came from Porsha's phone as it was coming into view from behind the couch very slowly without her hand being visible.

Before she could take a picture, Ash, without taking her eyes off Johnny and Nooshy, very gently and slowly pushed the phone back down out of view behind the couch.

Nooshy raised an eyebrow. "Were you about to take a picture?"

"Yes," Porsha said nonchalantly as though it were the most natural thing.

Nooshy crossed her arms again. "Why?"

"I wanted to remember this moment."

"What moment?" Nooshy asked, somewhat indignantly.

"Um excuse me?" Nurse Sue said, wanting to move on. "Nooshy, we should go to your room now, your bandages will need to be replaced immediately."

"Fine," Nooshy said, slightly irritated. Being waited on like this was starting to get to her.

Sue went down the hall, followed by Johnny with a pouting Nooshy in his arms.

Clay went off to put the groceries away.

Alone again, Ash turned to Gunter. "You've been oddly quiet. Something you want to get off your chest?"

Gunter said nothing aside from putting his hands to his cheeks and gave a girlish squeal as though a cheesy soap opera was the sweetest thing he had ever seen.

"Ugh," Ash said, rolling her eyes. "What a motley crew we are."

"Oooh, Motley Crue!" Porsha squealed. "I love that band!"

Ash rolled her eyes with an endearing smile.

But I wouldn't have any other way.

00000

Johnny followed after Sue, Nooshy nestling uncomfortably in his arms.

Just as they were about to turn a corner, Johnny looked up at the corner wall, and froze when something flashed across his mind.

He was back at the hospital and the sound of shattering brick and plaster, and then a gaping hole penetrating the corner wall, the angle making it clear that he had almost been shot dead.

Johnny gasped as though he couldn't breathe for a moment.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Johnny came to and looked down to see Nooshy looking at him with genuine concern.

"Johnny, you ok? You kind o' went away for a sec there."

"I-I'm fine."

Nooshy wasn't buying it. "No, I don't think so. We'll talk about it later."

After setting Nooshy in her bed and leaving Nurse Sue to tend to her, he went to the nearest restroom and purged his breakfast and lunch into the toilet.

Johnny's heart felt like it was beating a hundred miles per hour. His breathing was ragged and hoarse.

What...what was that?! I thought…it just came out of nowhere!

"Johnny…"

Crying out in surprise, the young gorilla turned, his back now to the toilet bowl.

Clay Calloway stood at the doorway, looking mournfully concerned. "I saw that."

"What?" Johnny said, a bit confused. "Just felt sick is all."

"No, not that," Clay said, shaking his head. "In the hall, when you froze when you thought you saw something. I know a flashback when I see one because I've seen it in my fellow troops more times than I can remember."

Johnny stared at the lion. "Just for almost getting shot?"

"That's all it takes," Clay said, closing his eyes searching back in memory. "And you've never been under fire before have you?"

Johnny stared helplessly.

"That's what I thought. Here," Clay said, offering his massive hand to Johnny. "Up you go."

Johnny, very shakily, gave his hand to Calloway and he was lifted to his feet.

However, the young gorilla felt very weak in the knees, the trauma of nearly dying himself still fresh.

Calloway recognized it at once and held the young man by the shoulders.

And Johnny straight up fell into the lion's arms, hyperventilating, struggling to catch his breath.

Calloway thankfully was not unfamiliar with the ancient art of consolation having had to comfort many of his own troops when they suffered field shock.

"Johnny," he said. "I know you're trying to be strong for Nooshy but you can't bottle something like this up. I know you're holding back because I've seen it a hundred times, I felt it a hundred times. And I know we may not have known each other very long, but we are in this together and I want to help."

Johnny gasped and then he gasped. He had never felt more scared in the past 24 hours than he has ever been his entire life.

"So stop fighting Johnny, let it out."

Johnny held onto Calloway tightly as the inner pain bubbled up inside him..

He could no longer contain the combined trauma of finding Nooshy after the attack, the fear of losing her, running for their lives, seeing the strongest woman he ever met fall to pieces in his arms and nearly dying by gunshot, and all came out in gasping, heaving sobs.

"UUUUUWWAAAGHH!" he wailed. Calloway hugged him tightly as Johnny broke down, the agony of the past 24 hours flowing out full force.

The old lion found himself crying as well but he held on.

He had to.

00000

Sue was just finishing up with cutting off the remainder of Nooshy's head bandages.

She took a gander at the stitching on her head and smiled. "Seems to be healing quite nicely, and so soon."

"Well, I've always been a quick…" Nooshy trailed as her ears perked to the sound of heavy, wounded weeping.

She knew that voice.

Sue heard it as well. "Oh my."

"Johnny?" Nooshy was startled. Johnny had cried but never this hard. Never.

"I knew it," Nooshy said, mentally kicking herself. "I knew something was wrong. I knew the moment he froze, the way his heart was racing. I could feel it."

Nooshy motioned to get out of bed but Sue held her back.

"Wait, I need to replace your bandaging."

Nooshy pushed against her. "After I make sure Johnny's ok. Let me up!"

"Nooshy-!"

"NO! Let me up or you won't be replacing anything!"

Sue looked ready to argue but relented. She knew Nooshy would not accept her help unless she was allowed to help her friend.

"Fine, but I don't know if I can carry you."

Nooshy looked in the corner of her room. "Wheelchair."

"What?!"

"The wheelchair, unfold it and give it to me."

Johnny clearly means a great deal to her if she's willing to use, in her own words, a crutch.

Nurse Sue got the wheelchair and helped Nooshy into it. She wasted no time opening the door and Nooshy practically rushed out on wheels, following the sound of Johnny's wails.

Nooshy wheeled down the hall and saw the open bathroom door crowded by Ash, Meena, Gunter and Porsha, who were all looking inside with terrible concern.

They saw Nooshy coming and they immediately let her pass.

What Nooshy saw made her heart shatter.

There in Clay Calloway's arms was Johnny, on his knees, in tears and looking utterly broken.

This hurt her more than the pain of her recovery.

Nooshy touched her face and was not surprised to find that she was crying.

She wheeled herself forward.

"Johnny?"

The young gorilla turned his head and was surprised to see Nooshy in a wheelchair.

Nooshy saw his eyes were red and raw, the bandage on his left cheek soggy and starting to peel.

Clay turned to look at her and smiled, pleased to see that Nooshy had swallowed her pride and came in a wheelchair to be by Johnny's side.

"Oh Johnny." Nooshy said softly.

She wheeled closer, holding out her arm to him.

Johnny burst into new tears and threw himself at her.

Nooshy, in tears, threw herself out of the wheelchair, causing it to tip over, and falling on her knees, she caught Johnny in her arms.

Johnny fell to his knees as well. He held Nooshy for dear life, his face buried in her stomach and he continued to wail out his pain.

"It's ok Johnny, I'm here," Nooshy cooed as she held one arm around his massive trembling shoulders and one hand gently caressing the back of his head.

"Nooshy," Johnny cried, shaking terribly. "Nooshy."

What in the world shook him up so bad?

"Perhaps I should explain?" Clay said sadly.

Nooshy looked up at the old rockstar. "You know why Johnny is so upset?"

"Yes but only partly." Clay cleared his throat. "While we were escaping from the hospital, we came across some dangerous men. Thugs working for Sean DiMarco, the brother of the leopard who assaulted you."

Nooshy's eyes widened. "They were after me?"

"I'm sorry Nooshy but yes. And we had to circle the hospital in order to reach an exit that was safe to take. When we reached the exit, a panther shot at us and nearly hit Johnny."

Nooshy gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "What?"

Clay Calloway nodded sadly.

"And if Porsha hadn't held Johnny back, he would've been…" Clay did not have the heart to finish that sentence.

Nooshy turned her head to look at Porsha, who was crying as well.

Nooshy smiled. "Thank you Porsh."

Porsha smiled as wiped her eyes and nose. "What're-?" She coughed. "What're friends for?"

Ash looked at the young wolf, smiling. Good answer. Porsha would usually respond with something cheeky. It seemed she was learning some self-control after all.

"It wasn't just that Nooshy," Johnny said, lifting his head to look at her. "It was everything else. What happened to you most of all. I was so scared of losing you."

Nooshy felt her breath caught in her throat but she swallowed it. "Johnny…"

"And…if I had only been there with you, if I had stayed with you, you wouldn't have gotten hurt, and if you died, it would've been all my-!"

"Oi!" Nooshy angrily snapped her fingers in Johnny's face, shutting him up. "Stop it!" She pointed a stern finger at him. "Don't you ever think to blame yourself for this Johnny! You are not responsible for this and I'm not some helpless woman who needs protecting! I've gone out on my own plenty of times so if anyone is to blame, it's me for my carelessness but above all that savage bloke who jumped me! So I don't want to hear you talk like that again, got it?!"

Johnny sniffled and nodded. "Mmhm."

"Say it!"

"What?"

Nooshy looked Johnny in the eye. "That this isn't your fault."

"Ok ok," Johnny said placatingly. "This...this is not my fault."

"Like you mean it!" Nooshy said firmly.

Johnny clenched his eyes. "THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!"

The young gorilla was as startled as the others, except Nooshy, by how loud his declaration was.

The lynx smiled. "That's more like it."

Johnny wiped his eyes. "Thank you Noosh, for everything."

"Anytime."

Nooshy hugged Johnny around the neck and he returned the hug by wrapping his long arms around her middle, being very careful not to irritate her damaged ribs.

"You look good," Johnny hiccuped. "Without the bandages I mean."

Nooshy gave Johnny a toothy grin. "Well aren't you a charmer?"

Johnny grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ahem."

Johnny and Nooshy turned to see Nurse Sue standing at the door.

"I'd hate to cut this short but we really need to finish replacing Nooshy's bandages."

Nooshy rolled her eyes. "Right, let's get this over with." Instinctively, she stood up on one knee and went stiff when she felt no lightheadedness, no weakness in her knee.

Johnny seemed to notice as well, seeing that Nooshy had shown no discomfort. Offering a hand, which she eagerly took, he helped her to her feet.

And Nooshy stood up, albeit a bit shaky but she did not fall.

Everyone gasped with delight and they applauded.

Sue, however, stood stock still, utterly bewildered. She's recovering faster than I thought.

"Nooshy!" Ash exclaimed happily. "You're standing!"

"Yeah," Nooshy said with exceeding joy and she gave Ash a humorous look. "I'm sure I'll go down in history as the first who managed to stand on her own two feet."

Ash laughed. Even now, the street dancer couldn't help but be cheeky.

Gunter, ever the drama king, threw his head back and burst into happy tears.

Ash, tears running down her own face, turned Gunter and gently pushed him down the hall. "I think it's time we all turned in." She sniffled. "I don't think I ever cried this much in my entire life."

"I don't think any of us have," Meena said, wiping her eyes and cheeks, following after the porcupine.

"I have."

"Not now Porsha," Ash said dismissively.

Giggling to herself, followed by a yawn, Porsha followed the gang down the hall.

"So…" Johnny said, rubbing his neck. "I guess you don't need help getting anywhere anymore."

"Nope!" Nooshy took three steps forward before her knees started to shake again.

Johnny didn't miss a beat and he took Nooshy by her hands from behind, steadying her.

Nooshy looked up at Johnny with a bashful smile. "One step at a time."

"So...the wheelchair?" Johnny asked, motioning to the overturned chair on the bathroom floor.

Nooshy's face was awash with deadpan annoyance.

"No?"

Nooshy raised an eyebrow.

Johnny then nodded firmly. "Got it."

He assumed the position and Nooshy practically jumped into his arms.

Nooshy smiled smugly. "I think I could get used to this."

"That's not good," Johnny chuckled. "How will I learn your moves?"

"Good point."

Once Johnny and Nooshy were out of the bathroom, a smiling Clay Calloway stood alone.

But then grimaced when he caught a foul scent in the bathroom. Sniffing the air, he looked at the source and gagged.

That's right. Johnny had lost his lunch and judging by the look of it, his breakfast too.

Turning away while covering his nose with his whole arm, Calloway flushed the toilet.

"I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled.

…..