The flight was long and stressful and Stu didn't enjoy it in the least. It was really a fitting end to a horrible trip. He took a shower as soon as he got home, but it hasn't improved how awful he looks very much. His face is bruised and pale, and he's looking rather close to gaunt ( Read more... )

Muds had left a strange message in his journal. Candy? What was that all about? Still, if he said he'd be there, Stu had better go see if he is. And as much trouble as it is to get out of the house without getting caught, if Muds isn't there, Stu is going to be very cross ( Read more... )

After talking on Aim, Muds had said he'd bring over soda if Stu was naked when he got there. So Stu had stripped off his PJs and waited patiently. It's hard to wait patiently when you're twitchy from exhaustion and dying of thirst. So to keep himself occupied, he wandered around his room absently. By the time Muds gets there, Stu is still naked, ( Read more... )

The respirator tube has been removed from his throat, though he's still on oxygen. He sits alone in the room, wide-eyed and staring, giving him a permanently astonished look. His left pupil completely dilated and fixed open. Every now and then, he makes a soft sound in his throat.

Today there is movement. Undeniable movement. There's a soft sigh and his fingers curl delicately. It's not much, but it's there. Things are looking up.

They cut his hair today. The doctor explains that it's difficult to maintain longer hair when a patient is in a coma. They had waited to see if he would wake up before they did it, but it had been a long enough time with no sign of recovery. So they cut it. Rose had to leave the room; she couldn't watch ( Read more... )

His condition having stabilized, Stu has been moved from the heavily monitored ICU to a private room in the neurology wing of the hospital. No longer in critical condition, his status is now considered serious. Visitors are allowed, no more than three at a time.

He still shows no signs of waking.

The only sounds in the room are the beeping of monitors and the respirator. Hooked to these contraptions is a thin, blue-haired boy, bruised and frail. If not for the thick bandaging on his head and the fact that his eyes have been taped closed, it would almost look as if he's asleep. But he isn't asleep. And he won't be waking up for quite some ( Read more... )

( The bus ride home is long but uneventful.... )