Peony laughs, and the sound is all the music I need to fade back into sleep.
When I awaken once more, I feel less fuzzy than before, but my pain is much more acute. I groan the second I’m able to move my mouth, and I hear Peony say, “I think the meds are wearing off.”
“He goes through them so fast,” someone else says, and then I feel a rush of warmth. Slowly, the pain ebbs, and I’m able to open my eyes. “He’s also healing… very quickly.”
When I blink the fog out of my eyes, there’s a nurse peering down at me.
“Man, what are you?” he asks. “I had to get special permission to give you more pain medicine. Because of your weight and all.”
“Are you calling me fat?” I choke out, and Peony covers her mouth as she chuckles. Kellen seems to be gone this time.
The nurse sighs. “The cops told me to contact them as soon as you came to. Sorry, big guy.” He picks up a clipboard and waves to us before ducking out.
“Don’t worry,” Peony says, puffing her cheeks out and clamping her lips together. “They won’t do shit to you while I’m around.”
I know better than to laugh after the last time, but I smileat her protectiveness. I know I’m lucky to have a woman like Peony, though I should be the one looking after her, not the other way around.
Not a moment later, the door opens and two officers step inside. They both have grim looks on their faces, like they’re already prepared to fight me on whatever I have to say.
“State your name?” the man says, and we go through the rudimentary facts: my full name, my citizenship status, where I was born and when I came to the States.
“I promise,” I tell them, gesturing at myself, “this happened on your soil, not mine.”
Both officers pause at this, and then finally, the woman’s stern face breaks.
“Whatareyou?”
I let out an annoyed huff. “Well, I was a man once. But you won’t believe any story I tell about how it came to be, so let’s skip that part?”
“We pulled up your old photo,” the other officer says, squinting at me. “You don’t look like what’s in the database.”
“Like I said.” I gesture at myself. “I used to be human. Now, I’m this.”
“Genetic experiment?” the woman asks. “A government program?”
“Just an asshole of an old guy and a sprinkle of fairy dust,” I answer, growing irritated with the interrogation. “What do I need to say to get rid of you?”
The man lets out an affrontedhmph, while the woman pulls a notepad from her pocket.
“Why don’t you start with telling us how you ended up at the credit union getting shot? Twice?”
When I’ve finally finished my story, the grumpy cop looks even grumpier while the woman takes notes. I’ve done nothing more than basic self-defense. Asking to see the videofootage at the grocery store was uncouth, but the manager showed it to me voluntarily, and I didn’t hold him at gunpoint.
“Am I free to go now?” I ask, weary. “Or rather, free to stay in this hospital bed because I got shot—twice?”
“For now,” the aggressive cop says, “but you know this is only the beginning of the questions, right?”
I know. I knew it as soon as I was seen at the grocery store that my time of being anonymous, my time in hiding, had come to an end.
The two cops file out, and then Peony is back again, her hand immediately linking with mine. She scowls after their retreating backs.
“The nerve,” she says when they’re gone. “Treating you like the criminal when Andy was the one with the gun.” Relief passes through her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re all right, Rupert. When you showed up at the bank…” Peony sniffles, bending her head forward to rest it on my knuckles. “They say you’re healing really well, though. You’ll only be in the hospital for a few more days.”
I stare at her. “Wait, I have to stayhere?”
“You can’t be moved yet,” she says patiently. “But sooner if you keep healing like you are.”
My head falls back onto the pillow. All I want is to be home, to be back in my own bed with Peony at my side. But I guess I’ll tolerate this for now, because at least I am alive.
