Suddenly, they were back in Christina's hospital room.
"Christy..."
Christina was hooked up to a plethora of machines once more. One the sole reason she was breathing. Radu stood somberly at her bedside, tears flowing down his face.
"She's almost brain dead."
Shaggy stumbled forward. Heart shattering into pieces.
"I'm sorry." his voice cracked as he took her hands, "I'm so sorry." kneeling at the bedside, he began to sob, "I didn't abandon you, I-I promise I didn't"
All those long hours. The never-ending schedule, wearing him out until he dropped. He should have tried harder. Should have fought his mother and her smothering actions. Now, Christina, his friend, his cheerleader, his light, was almost gone. Because he hadn't put his foot down. Because he hadn't fought back. Crying horribly, he laid his head beside her.
"Please...please don't leave me."
Christina's hand twitched, startling him.
"She can hear you," Alissa gasped, having seen it, too. "Keep talking to her."
"Christina, you like- have no idea how much I've missed you lately," his voice shook with the weight of unreleased sobs. "I hate my school it's cold and boring and I miss sitting with you during your lessons, you made learning fun, you know that? I've like, never liked school but you make it fun. When you come out of this we're going to school together, you and I. We're like, going to have a good time, I know it, but you like, have to wake up first, please, please wake up."
Words failing him, all they could do was wait.
Wait and see.
Wait and hope.
...
It thundered outside the window, and lightning flashed when she opened her eyes just after midnight. Looking around the room, she found herself surrounded by sleeping people. Her parents, Clawdeen and Duncan, all snored in hospital chairs with thin blankets thrown over them. But Shaggy still knelt at her bedside, tears leaking from his closed eyes, breathing shallow. The tube in her throat prevented her from speaking, and Christina was sore all over. But she gathered what little strength she had to squeeze Shaggy's hand.
He jerked awake.
"Christina!"
That was enough to wake everyone else. Radu tripped over himself to hug his daughter swiftly joined by Alissa. Clawdeen flipped on a light while Duncan paged the doctors. The once quiet room became a whirlwind of activity and many, many tears with no end in sight. Through it all, Christina kept a vice grip on Shaggy's arm, terrified he'd disappear all over again.
She wouldn't let him.
Not again.
...
It wasn't until the afternoon the next day that Shaggy's parents arrived at the hospital. Stacy, still without her voice, practically busted open the door to Christina's room. Alissa stood to meet her, magic flaring, scepter suddenly in hand, but no one was quicker than Shaggy, who pushed his mother away with a snarl, sending her wheeling into his father.
"NO!" he roared, "You aren't dragging me home, you AREN'T keeping me away in anymore!"
On the bed, Christina began to hyperventilate with nerves.
Shaggy was at her side instantly, angling himself so she couldn't see his gobsmacked parents. "It's okay, Christy, it's okay," he took her hands, "Take a deep breath, okay? Like this"
Everyone watched in silence as Shaggy guided Christina through her breathing. Once done, he sat with her again, holding tightly to her as she leaned into him as if she was trying to get as far away from his mother as she could.
"Stacy," Sam sighed heavily, his face worn with stress, "Wait in the hall."
Stacy stamped her foot in protest but Sam would hear none of it, gently guiding her to the hallway and shutting the door, keeping it closed with his weight.
"Dad-"
"I know," Sam quieted Shaggy's protests, "Here," From his coat he pulled an envelope, "I did it this morning"
Taking the envelope Shaggy tore it open, Christina trembling beside him.
"This...this is a transfer to Monster High."
"Yes, I didn't want you to go to private school, I've been fighting with your mother about it since she enrolled you but given last night..." Sam faltered looking from his son to Christina, "I am so sorry, I know you aren't contagious, I hope you'll continue to be Shaggy's friend despite his mother I don't know what's gotten into her and I cannot even begin to figure it out but I've been too quiet not anymore, Shaggy has my full premission to visit you whenever he likes and I hope that when you're released you'll do the same for him"
"I'd like that," Christina whispered. "Thank you."
...
Monster High loomed before him. He'd imagined going with Christina, but she was still hospital-bound bound so it was only Scooby and him that following week. Thankfully, his father had dismissed the various therapists, moving those appointments back to the Steins. As for his mother, well, she was still voiceless, which suited the rest of the family fine. Shaggy suspected that she'd get her voice back when she had something nice to say and would stop judging Christina on a skewed first impression.
He truly didn't know why she was so against the hybrid.
"Shaggy, you okay?"
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he turned to find Clawdeen and Duncan beside him, each with an encouraging smile.
"It's really not so scary," Duncan promised, "When you get used to it."
"I know, it's just-" he rubbed his neck self-consiously, cheeks flushing, "Um-"
"You wish Christina were here, that's understandable" Clawdeen finished for him like she could read his thoughts.
"She's my friend," he mumbled.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed.
He completely missed the knowing grins the couple swapped as he fumbled for his phone.
Have a great first day, call me lunch/break period.
Which was followed by:
You've got this!
And a dozen animal-themed encouragement gifs.
"Christina?" Duncan fought to hide a grin.
"Yeah." Shaggy didn't realize how big he was smiling as he responded with a smiley face and a thumbs up.
No more leaving Christina on read.
Ever again.
"Come on, we'll show you to the creeperteria, we can grab something to eat before the bell," Clawdeen declared. "You have your schedule right?"
"Got it," Shaggy patted the backpack hanging over his shoulder.
"We'll show you to all your classes."
"Thanks"
...
Head throbbing. Christina tried to slip back into sleep, but someone was shaking her. Maybe a new nurse? Her parents had gone out for brunch, and the doctors had already been by earlier, so what was so important that she needed to be awake right now? Cracking an annoyed eye open, the room slowly came into focus. Someone was sitting on the foot of her bed.
"Hi there, sleeping beauty!"
"MELINDA!" Christina sat up in shock, "Where-What-HOW?"
"Whoa!" the green-skinned beauty laughed, "You've almost died twice since moving here I don't need you to drop dead on my account!"
"But, but how are you here? WHY are you here? Did I hit my head? I must have hit my head-"
"No, Christy, you didn't hit your head," Melinda grabbed her arms. "I'm going to be moving in with you."
"Huh?"
"Mom got melted again, she tried to kill Ozma."
"Oh, Melinda," Christina hugged her friend as tightly as she could, "I'm sorry."
"I think Aunt Evanora put her up to it, Aunt Glinda, Dorothy and the council are trying to figure it out but they all agreed it would be safer for me to leave, but, let's not focus on that right now, okay?"
"Okay"
"Your Mom says you made a friend, a real friend, not a fake sickness-inducing one, I mean."
"I did," Christina smiled.
"Tell me, tell me everything right now, right, right now!"
Sinking back into her pillows, Christina caught Melinda up on the craziness she had just gone through. Needless to say, Melinda was grinning like the cat who caught the canary by the end of the saga.
"What's that look for?" Christina demanded; she would have shoved Melinda off the bed if she'd had the strength to do so.
"He likes you! Like, like, likes you!"
"Does not!" she smacked the grinning witch with the closest stuffed dog she could grab.
There was a reason she'd left out the part about the kisses. Melinda's imagination tended to be a runaway twister.
"OH HE DOES SO!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"I'm not the one being ridiculous!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"ARE TOO!"
"Melinda!"
"Christina!"
"Shut up."
"You shut up!"
"Well, I see you girls have caught up." Alissa laughed in greeting, pushing open the door, Radu following her.
"vho vants a doughnut!" he lifted the white, sprinkle-decorated box.
"Yes, please!" the two best friends cried in unison, their argument forgotten.
For now, at least.
...
Shaggy's head was spinning as he tried to keep up with the lecture below him. Shrunken into the auditorium-style seating, he nudged Scooby under the desk just to check that he was still there. On the side of the teacher's desk was a small camera, focused on the board. The camera was recording the lesson for Christina. At the thought of Christina, the ticking of the clock seemed to amplify. Just a little bit longer and he could call her. He just had to make it through this last lesson!
Just a little longer.
But it felt like an eternity!
Or four eternities smashed together.
Scooby bumped him back reassuringly. Just a bit longer, just a wee bit longer.
None too soon, the bell clanged the end of class his peers flooding the halls, streaming into the parking lot to eat off campus. Ripping his phone from his backpack he dialed Christina's number with a relieved sigh, climbing into his car.
One ring was all it took for her to answer.
"How's your first day going?" she asked.
"It's good, I like, miss sitting with you though."
"You're at lunch now, right?"
"Yeah"
"School food or-"
"I was hoping to find something quick."
"There should be a deli about five blocks east of the maul, it's a little out of the way might try there, less people-y, faster than the food court at the maul or there's any number of fast food places but-"
"People?"
"Busy, of course. I only remember it from vacations here; I'm not sure what they'd be like on a school day."
"Thanks, Christy, so, what did you eat for lunch?"
"A half a glass of tomato juice and a doughnut. I couldn't stomach much else today."
"I could swing by with something?"
"No, don't worry about me, okay, but visit after school if you can."
"I'll be there, I promise."
...
I wonder what Stacy will try now that Sam has put his foot down? What do you think? Please, review and I'll see you next chapter!