The sound of children laughing echoed around Tom. Everything around him was dark and he was unable to tell where the laugher was coming from. He felt as though he was standing but couldn’t move, not even twitch a finger. Confusion and terror started to rise within him as he tried yelling out, but not a sound left his lips. The laughter began to fade and become more distant. Tom’s fear began to rise. No longer was he worried about where he was, he just didn’t want to be left alone there in silence. For a while Tom couldn’t hear anything, not even his own thoughts.

Everything around him suddenly illuminated to reveal a small white room. He was still unable to move, but a strange feeling started sweeping over him; something about this room seemed familiar.

A sharp throb surged through Tom’s head, causing the world around him to blur and warp. He closed his eyes in pain as another throb racked his mind. Through a crack in his eyes the white room slowly faded away, only to reveal another. This one felt different. A small twitch, fingers rubbing together, and a soft groan escaped his lips. He was awake.

Tom took a strained swallow as his vision slowly came into focus. The room was dimly lit from a light shining off the wall above his head and by a small amount of sun peeking through the window curtains to his right. Tom lifted his head as he slowly shifted himself into a sitting position on the bed, his body felt unusually heavy and fatigued. He took another hard swallow, lifting his right hand to rub his head which was starting to throb again. He felt an unusual sensation coming from his left arm. He looked down and realized there was some tubing tapped to his left arm leading to a single point.

For a moment Tom stared in confusion, but his eyes suddenly narrowed. His body broke out in a cold sweat and began to shake in fear. He started grabbing the tape and tried to peel it and the tubing away from his arm. He thought he had to remove the needle quickly before it carried all of his blood away in that clear tube. Tom stopped, his shivering right hand clutching the tube and was ready to yank. He gazed at the tube intently. It was clear. His eyes followed the tubing to his left and upwards to a bag hanging above with a clear liquid in it. Tom slowly released his grip and pulled it away to rest on his lap.

Tom’s heart continued to race as memories of what happened continued to play in his mind, some clear and vivid while other vague and blurry, but nonetheless traumatic. He couldn’t help but let out a pained moan, burying his head in his hands as he tried to stop the memories from playing in his mind.

“Tom…?” a soft voice said. Tom’s head rose in confusion. There on the other side of the room was a Hund getting up from a couch. He hadn’t even noticed someone had been there.

“Mom…?” Tom asked as he watched her drop a blanket to the floor. “Mom…” he said again as she slowly approached, tears starting to roll down his face as he was unable to contain himself anymore.

Sera quickly rushed forward towards Tom’s bed when he started to break down. She came to his left side and wrapped her arms around Tom, who promptly wrapped his arms around her neck. “It’s alright now…” Sera said with a soft whine as she began crying as well, both from the pain of knowing what Tom must have gone through and from the relief of finally having him safe in her arms. “It’s alright now…” she repeated as Tom cried over her right shoulder.

Minutes passed. Tom’s crying slowly died down until there was only a quiet stream of tears rolling down his face. As he loosened his grip around his mother’s neck she in turn loosened her grip around his body. Tom pulled back, revealing his red eyes. “Is…” Tom swallowed. “Is Irena alright?”

Sera gave Tom a soft smile. “She’s home with her family.”

Tom’s body shivered from the relief of hearing that. A small smile formed on his face as he brought his right arm up to his face to wipe away the tears. Despite the relief and joy he was feeling from the news, he still couldn’t stop crying. Over and over he wiped the sides of his eyes as new tears formed. He eventually gave up and just closed his eyes, his body shaking.

“Take your time…” Sera said softly as she brought her paws to Tom’s face and gently wiped away the new stream. “I’ll be right here.” She leaned forward and gently nuzzled his forehead, eliciting another small smile from Tom. “If it’ll help, I can have Luna come. Would you like that?” Tom sniffled and once again cleaned away the tears from his face. He gave a quick nod. “I’m just going to go get my phone…” Sera said as she softly rubbed Tom’s arms before getting off from the bed and walked back to the couch she had been sleeping on. She grabbed her phone which was slightly tucked into the cushion. “Luna is with your grandmother right now.”

“What about dad and Ren?” Tom asked with a sniffle.

Sera said nothing as she slowly took a seat at the foot of the bed, eliciting a sigh. “Your father is with Ren right now. Ren… has been under observation at this hospital for the past two nights.”

Tom’s eyes shot open. “Why?”

Sera gave Tom a sympathetic look. “Ren went looking for you when you didn’t come home. When he found out what happened to you… he had a panic attack and his hea…” Sera stopped herself from going into too much detail. “He was in great pain, and so head had to be sedated to calm him down.”

“But he’s fine now, right?” Tom swallowed.

Sera smiled softly. “Your father has told me he is in no danger right now. The doctors just want to keep an eye on him just in case.”

“Okay…” Tom said with a bit of relief as he nodded his head. He was now wondering what Ren must be feeling after spending two nights here… “Two nights?” Tom said under his breath as he wiped his eyes again. “What is today, mom?”

“It’s Sunday morning, dear… you’ve been sleeping for nearly 36 hours.”

Tom’s eyes widened in shock, his tears finally stopped. “I was sleeping for that long?”

“Well…” Sera reached over and softly rubbed Tom’s left arm. “After what happened…” she watched as a shiver ran down Tom’s spine, causing her to feel a bit nauseous. “Your body needed a lot of rest to recover.

“Two days…” Tom said silently, still not believing he was capable of sleeping for that long. “How’s Irena doing then?”

Sera was silent. “I don’t know Tom…”

Tom glanced down at the bed. “Would it be alright if she came to visit as well?”

“I’ll see what I can do…” Sera said as she continued to gently rub Tom’s arm, eventually going low enough to trace over the bandaging and IV tubing. “In the meantime would you like me to get the nurse to remove these?” she tapped softly on the tube.

Tom swallowed. “Please…” he said with a weak smile.

--------------------------------------------------

In a small office, Todd sat across from the doctor, watching him reading from notes. “After performing various cardiovascular tests on Ren, it would seem that he has arrhythmia; an irregular heartbeat.”

“Is this also due to his previous heart condition?” Todd asked, gripping his arms.

“It is possible that the treatment of his heart’s rapid growth has caused its internal electrical system to become prone to malfunction.”

Todd’s ears shot up as the grip on his arms tightened. “How serious is it?”

The doctor flipped a few pages. “Based on the tests we ran, his arrhythmia seems to be rather minor while his heart rate is at rest. However…” he flipped one page back. “His arrhythmia was much more severe when he was examined two days ago, even after being sedated. If he hadn’t gotten treatment as soon as he did, it could have progressed into cardiac arrest.”

A shiver ran down Todd’s spine. “Shit…” Todd said under his breath as he closed his eyes. “So what do we do now for Ren?”

“We have medication that can help with arrhythmia…” the doctor said as he started filling out prescription paperwork. “I would also recommend that he be kept away from any high stressors.”

“High stressors?” Todd asked, opening his eyes.

“Anything that causes severe, prolonged stress. His arrhythmia was probably exacerbated by the kidnapping of his brother.”

Todd gave the doctor a blank stare. “You’re telling me Ren could die if he’s too stressed now?”

“The medication should help mitigate the symptoms and prevent that from happening, but there is still a possibility if the stress is great enough.”

Todd chuckled in disbelief. “Great…” he said rubbing behind his left ear. He suddenly felt a vibration on his leg. He reached down and grabbed his phone. It was a message from Sera. ‘Tom is awake. Come and bring Ren when you can.’ Todd let out a sigh as a small smile crept onto his face. He closed the message and looked back at the doctor. “When will Ren be able to leave observation?”

“His sedation is currently wearing off right now.” the doctor said as he handed the medication prescription to Todd. “Once it fully wears off in thirty to forty minutes he’ll be free to leave.”

“Can I see him?” Todd asked as he took the paper.

“By all means” the doctor said as he got up and gestured Todd to follow.

“Thank you” Todd said as he stood up.

Todd followed the doctor down the hallway and into another room. It was a larger room with four hospital beds against the same wall, each divided by a curtain. “Ren is second from the back” the doctor said.

Todd walked through the room and past the beige curtain divider. There he finally saw Ren lying there, his back slightly propped up, his body under the sheets while his arms were laid out on top. As Todd approached, he could see Ren had a glazed look in his eyes. Ren’s eyes started to follow Todd as he approached from his right side. “Hey…” Todd said as he kneeled down next to Ren, whose eyes continued to follow. “You doing alright?”

Ren opened his muzzle and tried to answer, but only incoherent mumbling echoed.

Todd smiled softly and he reached up and gently ruffled the top of Ren’s head. “Tom just woke up. You want to see him later?”

Ren’s ears twitched slightly. He slowly nodded his head.

--------------------------------------------------

Tom slowly drank water from a cup, his throat stinging slightly. After he drank it all in one go, he let out a soft gasp of air. Sera gently took the cup from Tom’s hand. “Luna should be here in a few minutes” she said as she placed the cup on a nearby table. It had been about thirty minutes since Sera had sent text messages out regarding Tom’s condition. She recently received an update from her mother that she and Luna had pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Tom stretched his arms, no longer connected to the IV. He had managed to finally calm down not long after the needle was removed from his arm, and soon had a smile on his face that Sera had been used to, though it was not quite as energetic. “So if Luna doesn’t know what happened…” Tom said as he gazed at his mom. “What should I tell her?”

“Just say you were feeling really sick, but you’ll be coming home today.”

Tom was silent, his fingers gently rubbed the bandaged area where the needle had formerly been. “What happened after I was found?”

“Well…” Sera paused for a moment. “They found the blood that was… taken from you and slowly started to put it back in as they brought you here.”

“Oh…” Tom said as he pulled his right hand away from his arm. “Fifteen percent…”

“What?” Sera asked in confusion.

“He said fifteen percent of my blood is bad…” Sera’s ears shot up, finally understanding what Tom was talking about. Tom looked up to see his mom’s shocked eyes. “I saw the black swirls in my blood…”

Sera sighed. “When you arrived here, the doctors filtered the remaining bags of blood. To make up for what was lost, they also transfused a separate bag of blood.”

“Oh… red-collar blood?” Tom asked, surprising Sera. He turned his hands palm-up and stared at them. He chuckled softly, realizing there was Hund blood in him now.

There was a small knock on the door. Sera turned around and approached the door. As soon as she opened it a small Hund rushed past her. “Tommy!” Luna said with excitement as she leapt onto hospital bed, barely managing to avoid landing on Tom’s legs. “You feeling better?”

Tom felt himself bounce slightly off the bed from the impact of his sister. “Hey Luna…” Tom said with a chuckle as he noticed Luna’s tail wagging as she gazed at him intently. “I’m feeling much better” he said as he spread out his arms. Luna let out a giggle as she quickly dove in and wrapped her arms around Tom’s chest, her muzzle resting on Tom’s left shoulder. Tom slowly brought his arms behind Luna, her tail still wagging with enthusiasm. “I’m so happy to see you…” Tom said softly as he gently squeezed Luna closer.

Across the room, Sera watched with a smile. “You should tell her the truth sooner rather than later…” Sera’s mother said softly as she approached from behind. Sera glanced at her mother, who was also watching Tom and Luna. “It was being reported on the local news this morning.” Her mother turned to meet Sera’s gaze. “No names or pictures were given, but it won’t take long for everyone to figure out who the human in the report is…” She stared back at Tom and Luna.

“We’ll explain once Tom is back home…” Sera said softly with a sigh. “I’m just grateful she didn’t have to experience what the rest of us did.”

“Indeed…” Her mother said softly before stepping forward.

Luna pulled herself from Tom. “Are you coming back home?”

“I am…” Tom said as his gaze became fixated on the approaching Hund behind Luna.

“Luna dear…” their grandma said as she approached the side of the hospital bed. “You must be mindful with hospital patients…” She placed her paws under Luna’s arms and gently raised her off the bed. “You don’t know if you might be causing them pain.”

“Oh, no…” Tom stuttered as he watched his grandmother gently set Luna on the floor. “She wasn’t causing me any pain.”

“Is that so?” Tom’s grandmother asked as she turned around to face him. “Then I shouldn’t worry about this then.” She bent down and slowly wrapped her arms around Tom’s shoulders. Tom’s eyes widened momentarily from the unexpectedness of the hug. “Glad you’re alright…” she whispered near Tom’s left ear. Tom slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around his grandmother’s neck.

Sera’s fur stood on end. She watched in disbelief as her mother slowly separated herself from Tom. It may have been brief, but it was enough to make Sera smile. Sera watched as her mother turned around and smiled down at Luna.

“Be sure to be gentle with him until he’s home.”

“Okay” Luna responded as she moved to the side of the bed to be closer to Tom.

Sera watched as her mother slowly walked her way. Her smile faded as her mother started walking past her. “Mother…” she started as she turned towards her mom. “Thank you…”

Her mother stopped and let out a soft sigh. “Don’t thank me, dear. I only did what was needed to ease the pain.” She turned to face Sera with a solemn gaze. “No child deserves to experience that…”

Sera’s ears went limp. “No…” she said softly. “Still, thank you for showing him that you care.” Her mother didn’t reply as she turned her head back to face ahead. She started walking towards the door. “You’re leaving?”

Her mother grabbed the handle and opened door. “I’ve done my part.” She looked back at Sera with a soft smile. “Little Luna was so restless I barely got any sleep these past two nights. Give me a call when everything calms down.” She walked through the door.

Sera’s ears twitched. “Will do” she said with a nod as she watched her mother close the door behind her. Sera turned back to see Luna was leaning against the side of the hospital bed, having a one-way conversation with Tom about what she did while with grandma. Sera gazed to her left towards the couch and focused in on her phone. She let out a slow sigh. She walked over and picked it up. “I’m going to step into the hallway and make a call” Sera said with a soft smile as she turned back to face Tom and Luna. “Behave while I’m gone.”

“Okay” Tom and Luna said nearly in unison, eliciting a giggle out of Luna. Sera chuckled softly as she approached the door and left. When the door closed behind her Luna looked back up at Tom. “It didn’t hurt, did it?”

Tom went stiff for a moment. “Wh- did what hurt?”

Luna stared with innocent eyes as she gently shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know… isn’t this place for those who are hurt?”

“Oh” Tom said with a swallow. “It hurt a bit…” Tom said as the memories started flashing through his mind again. He swallowed again as his body started to unconsciously shiver. Luna’s ears straightened in confusion as she noticed Tom’s left hand start to twitch. She looked up and saw Tom’s eyes starting to stare blankly.

“Tommy?” Luna said softly, a slight unease welling up in her. She looked back at his shivering left hand.

Tom’s eyes widened back to attention as he felt a sudden, but familiar sensation. He looked down and realized Luna had started to softly nibble on his left hand. Her eyes were looking up at his face. When his eyes met hers, the corners of muzzle curled and she let out a muffled giggle. Tom returned a smile and brought his right hand over to gently rub Luna’s head. “I’m feeling better.”

--------------------------------------------------

Sera gazed out the floor-to-ceiling window. Thick clouds were rolling in from the ocean, their coloring that of a slight pink from the sunrise ending. It was a soothing sight, one that was great at balancing the stress she was feeling as the phone rang in her right ear.

For a moment the ringing stopped, and there was a silence. “…Hello?”

“Hi…” Sera said as she started to pace in front of the windows. “How’s Irena doing?”

“She’s sleeping right now… the painkillers really knock her out” Mrs. Chienna said, the usual chipper tone missing from her voice.

“I see…” Sera said softly.

An awkward silence hung in the air. “How’s Tom doing?” Mrs. Chienna finally asked.

“He’s awake now” Sera said with a slight smile.

“That’s good to hear” Mrs. Chienna said, slightly relieved.

“Yeah… he’ll be coming home later today… he is rather anxious to see everyone again.”

“I can imagine…”

Sera took a deep breathe. “Including Irena…”

“Sera…” Mrs. Chienna’s voice became serious. “Is that all you called for; to ask for us to bring Irena?”

“Not at all” Sera replied. “I did want to know how she is doing. The last time I saw her was when…”

“We should have been there!” Mrs. Chienna exclaimed. Sera’s ears dropped. “You had no right keeping us in the dark about what was happening.”

Sera closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I know…” she said with resignation. “I’m sorry.”

A sigh could be heard from the other end. “Listen, Sera… I’m grateful Irena and Tom are still with us, but it’s going to take time before I can trust you again. We’re not moving Irena for a social visit.”

Sera opened her eyes, her ears straightened. “Interesting choice to use the word trust…” she said softly.

“Excuse me?” Mrs. Chienna asked, not sure if she actually heard what Sera said correctly.

“Nothing…” Sera said with a sigh. “Have you been able to speak with Irena at all?”

“No” Mrs. Chienna replied. “She’s barely been conscious with the sedation and painkillers.”

“Do you know what her last words before being sedated were?” Sera asked. “Is he going to be alright?”

“Don’t do this, Sera…” Mrs. Chienna said with a slight break in her voice.

“And do you want to know what Tom said to me after he woke up?”  Sera asked as her eyes started to water. “He asked if Irena was alright. Now… I can’t imagine what either of them went through that day, but whatever it was they both need the reassurance that the other is alright.” Sera let out a slow, deep sigh. “Just be sure to let Irena know when she wakes up, please.”

A soft, barely audible whine echoed through the phone.

“And…” Sera said, a slight smile forming. “However long it takes for things to normalize between us, I’ll look forward to catching up after it does.”

There was no response. The line remained silent for a few seconds until the call suddenly ended. Sera just let her arm lower to her side as she continued staring out the windows. The color in the clouds had faded.

Sera’s phone let out a brief bell tone. She looked down at the screen to see it was a message from Todd. Heading your way with Ren. Sera smiled as she turned around and started walking in the direction of the elevators.

--------------------------------------------------

Todd pressed the circular button with the number three on it. It illuminated upon release. Soon the metal doors closed in front of him and Ren. As the feeling of rising could be felt Todd looked down at Ren, noticing his paws fidgeting and his ears twitching. “Almost there” Todd said calmly as he wrapped his left arm around Ren and patted him on his left shoulder as the elevator started to come to a stop.

The door slowly opened, revealing a familiar figure waiting there for them as they walked out. Ren’s body tensed slightly in surprise as his mom focused her attention on him and approached. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around Ren’s torso. To Ren’s surprise Sera lifted him off the ground, a brief yip echoing from Ren’s throat as Sera pulled him close. “I’m so glad you’re alright” Sera said as she nuzzled Ren’s left cheek.

Todd chuckled. “I’m going to head on to Tom’s room,” he said as he once again patted Ren’s shoulder before walking past the two of them.

For over a minute Sera and Ren remained in that position; Sera’s arms tightly wrapped around Ren while his were wrapped weakly around her neck. “Umm…” Ren said softly. “Can I be put down now, mom?”

Sera softly lowered Ren down until he was standing on solid ground again. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling alright…” Ren said, his paws fidgeting again.

“I’m so glad to hear that” Sera said as she knelt down to briefly nuzzle the top of Ren’s head. She noticed Ren’s eyes kept shifting in the direction Todd went. “Shall we head to his room?”

Ren nodded his head softly.

--------------------------------------------------

A soft knocking echoed briefly in the room before the wooden door slowly opened. “Good morning…” Todd said as he peeked his head through the frame to see Tom and Luna both on the hospital bed. He then fully opened the door and entered without bothering to close it behind him.

Luna hopped off the bed as Tom straightened himself in surprise. Tom couldn’t help but smile broadly as he started moving his legs over the edge of the bed to let himself off. By the time Tom was on his feet his dad had closed the gap between them and was leaning down. Tom suddenly found himself enveloped by his dad’s tight embrace and felt his feet leave the ground. Tom’s body shivered as he quickly wrapped his arms tightly around his father’s neck.

Todd let out a long exhale next to Tom’s left ear. “You had us all so worried…” Todd whispered as he emphasized with a slight tightening of his hug.”

Tom’s eyes started to water up. “Sorry, dad…”

“No, no, you have nothing to be sorry about” Todd said as he pulled back his head to get a look at Tom, noticing tears were starting to form in his eyes. “We’re just so happy to have you back.” Todd watched as a smile crept across Tom’s face once again. Tom tightened his grip, bringing himself back for another close hug. Todd returned the favor.

Luna didn’t fully understand what her dad was talking about, but knew he must have been happy that Tommy wasn’t hurt anymore. She looked back towards the door, then up at her dad. “Daddy...” Luna said as she light tapped his right thigh. “Where’s mommy?”

“Ah” Todd spun around with Tom to look down at Luna. “She’s with Ren right now. They should be here soon.” He then started to lower Tom back to the ground. Tom started wiping his eyes when his father released him. Luna lifted her arms up towards Todd. “Oh, you want a hug too, huh?” Luna only let out a giggle as Todd knelt down and easily scooped Luna in his arms, her head resting over his right shoulder. Once he had a firm grip he looked forward and noticed someone entering the room.

Ren swallowed as he entered the hospital room, watching his dad picking up Luna before his eyes focused on Tom standing in front of Todd, his back to Ren. “Only one left for me to hug now is Ren” Tom said, looking up at his dad. He followed with a bit of laughter.

A shiver went down Ren’s spine as he smiled. It wasn’t just the words that were spoken, but hearing it come from Tom. A sense of calm washed over Ren from hearing Tom’s voice, knowing that he was actually there in front of him. He slowly walked forward, his tail wagging softly side to side. His body was still a bit sluggish from being sedated, hiding just how happy he was.

Todd kept his eyes on Tom as he watched Ren approaching in his periphery. He let out a small bit of laughter after Tom. “I’m sure he’s looking forward to it as well” he said as he noticed Ren slowly raising his arms as he got closer. Todd also smirked as he briefly glanced to the other side of the room where he noticed Sera was watching as well.

Ren was only a few steps behind Tom now. His heart began to beat slightly faster in excitement. With a sudden surge of energy Ren lunged forward and wrapped his arms completely around Tom, squeezing Tom’s arms to his side as Ren leaned against his back.

Tom’s eyes widened from the sudden feeling. His body became tense and froze. A memory flashed through his mind as Ren gently squeezed tighter. Tom’s jaw trembled as a shiver ran up his spine. Any moment now, he thought, he’d feel that prick on his neck again. A panicked scream echoed from his mouth, shocking everyone in the room. His body started to shiver more and more violently as he struggled to pull himself away.

Ren was confused at what was happening as Tom continued to thrash in his arms.

“Let go of me!” Tom shouted, a fear in his voice that scared Ren. He quickly retracted his arms, watching as Tom immediately dashed away from him.

Todd quickly set down Luna on the bed before bracing Tom as he collided with him. He looked down and noticed Tom was staring forward with intensity, sweat forming on his skin, his body was stiff, but shivering.

“Tommy?” Luna said with confusion and fear as she slightly pawed at his left shoulder. He didn’t respond. She looked over at Ren. “Stop hurting Tommy, Renny!”

Ren’s ears dropped as he started to slowly back away, not even sure what Luna had even said. All he could focus on was Tom shivering next to their father. “But I…” Ren said with a whine as he suddenly felt himself backing up against his mother.

“Tom, look at me” Todd said as he tried getting Tom’s attention. He cursed under his breath when he noticed Tom’s eyes showed no recognition he was there. Todd snapped a few times in front of Tom’s face before Tom blinked and his pupils suddenly started shifting. He could feel Tom’s body relax slightly. He took the opening to place his paws on Tom’s shoulders and turn him around. “It is just Ren, see?”

Ren’s heart sank when he saw Tom’s eyes were filled with intensity, confusion and fear. “Tom… I didn’t, I didn’t mean to…” Ren said with a whimper as he looked down to avert his gaze from Tom’s. “I just wanted…” Ren closed his eyes as they started tearing up.

Tom blinked again and took a sudden inhale of air as he became aware of his surroundings again. In front of him he could now see Ren on the verge of tears as he fumbled through his words.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Ren said before he suddenly felt hands on his shoulders. He opened his eyes in surprise, coming face to face with Tom, who now stared back with calm eyes and a smile.

“It’s alright” Tom said. “I’m just happy to see you” Tom pulled Ren closer, wrapping his arms around Ren’s neck, his head leaning over Ren’s left shoulder. “Sorry I made you worry…” Tom said softly.

Something clicked within Ren. The tears that had slowly been forming started streaming out faster now. He let out a whine as he wrapped his arms around Tom, returning the embrace as he rested his muzzle on Tom’s left shoulder. For the next minute Ren loudly vented out all of the emotions that had built up within him since that day.

Todd and Sera watched from either side. For Todd, watching Ren’s pained expression made his stomach sink, but seeing it soften as he kept crying and sporadically hugging Tom closer made him feel relieved. For Sera, she could only watch in mild confusion as a pained expression was maintained on Tom’s face. His lips were quivering, but no sound escaped them; his eyes were filled with sadness, but no tears were flowing. She wondered if perhaps he had become dehydrated. Luna just watched from the side, not really understanding why Renny was crying so much. She wondered why he was so sad to see Tommy again.

Ren’s sobbing and whines eventually died down, but his grip on Tom hadn’t eased. Tom smiled as he stared forward. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah…” Ren said with sniffle.

“Me too” Tom said as he briefly tightened his hug before relaxing it. Ren returned the gesture. Tom then slowly retracted his arms, letting them lower to his sides. To his surprise, Ren didn’t retract his arms and kept his grip around him. Tom couldn’t help but chuckle softly in a bit of amusement. “Can I have my body back?” he asked in a whisper.

Ren’s ears flinched slightly. He let out a deep breath as he slowly raised his head off Tom’s shoulder and took a step back. Tom could now see how red Ren’s eyes had gotten as he watched his brother wipe his right arm across his face. “Sorry…” Ren said softly.

“Oh, don’t be” Tom said with a smile. “The hug wasn’t that bad” he ended with a laugh. Ren let out a bit of laughter along with Tom, but to Tom’s confusion tears started flowing down Ren’s cheeks again.

Ren brought his arm back to his face again to wipe away the tears. “I’ll do better next time.” He gave Tom a tired smile.

As things calmed down between Tom and Ren, a variety of emotions were circulating from the rest of their family. Sera felt relief seeing both of her sons smiling and laughing after what each of them have been through. Luna still wasn’t sure what had happened but her confusion was slowly replaced with excitement seeing the change in mood as she hopped down from the bed to get Tom’s attention.

Todd, though smiling, couldn’t help but feel a mix of contradicting emotions. He felt happiness and relief just as Sera did, but the more he watched the more anxiety and fear he felt. He hadn’t realized just how much Tom had an impact on Ren’s well-being, to the point where it could now result in Ren’s heart giving out. His fear started to turn into a dread, one he hadn’t felt in many years. A familiar sense of helplessness.

All he could do was keep smiling.

--------------------------------------------------

Soft snoring echoed from Todd’s throat as he lied on the couch, his back to the rest of the room. Above him, Sera gently rubbed his head soothingly. She knew that Todd hadn’t been able to get much rest since he brought Ren to the hospital. It was only now was he finally given a respite to get some sleep. As she continued to gently run her fingers through Todd’s fur she watched their children all sitting on the bed.

Tom laughed as he looked down at Luna sitting in his lap. “No, we’re not going to have a sleepover here. We can do something at home but I really don’t want to stay another night here.”

Ren was sitting opposite of the two and noticed how disappointed Luna seemed. “Besides… I don’t think either of us would have been able to…” he said softly, hiding the fact that he would have enjoyed the proposal if Tom had needed to stay another night. “I think only mom or dad would have been able to stay with you” he locked his gaze with Tom’s.

“Well, there would have been only so much space on this bed…” Tom said with a smirk. “Can’t imagine we’d all be as comfortable as dad over there.” Ren looked over his right shoulder while Luna looked past Ren, both now noticing their dad was asleep. Luna giggled while Ren didn’t react as he turned his head back to face Tom and Luna.

“Luna would be able to fit with you, I would have elected to sleep on the floor” 

Luna giggled at the imagery.

“No, if it came to that then I’d sleep on the floor with you.” Tom said calmly.

Luna looked up at Tom. “Me too, Tommy!”

Ren shook his head. “You should be comfortable after…” Ren’s voice trailed as he noticed Tom giving him a serious gaze, motioning down at Luna. “…after what you’ve been through.”

Tom leaned forward over Luna so she couldn’t see his face. “And you don’t think you should after what you’ve been through?”

“You can’t compare the two…” Ren said as he looked down at the bed. Tom let out a silent sigh as he leaned back again.

“Why are you both sad again?” Luna asked as looked at both of her brothers’ expressions. “Renny, stop making everyone sad.”

Ren’s eyes widened as his ears twitched.

“Don’t worry about it, Ren” Tom said as he looked down at Luna. “We’re not sad, Luna. We’re just both very tired. I promise everything will be fine when we go home.”

“Okay” Luna gave a nod. “I like it better when you smile.”

A grin formed on Tom’s face. “I like it when you’re smiling too!” he gently tickled Luna’s sides, eliciting a loud laugh from her. Ren groaned as his ears twitched again.

“Let’s try to keep it down while your father is napping” Sera said softly as she approached from behind.

“Yes mom…” Ren said.

Sera glanced at each of the children. “Are any of you hungry?”

“A little” Tom said. Luna nodded her head. Ren kept quiet.

“Want to come help me pick out some snacks, Luna?” Sera asked.

“Yeah!” Luna said excitedly as she stood up and approached her mom who proceeded to pick Luna into her arms. Luna wrapped her arms around Sera’s neck.

“Behave while I’m gone” Sera smiled at her sons as she turned around and carried Luna off. Luna waved to Tom as she and Sera left. Soon the two were gone with a soft click of the door.

Ren lifted his head. He met Tom’s gaze who watched him with concern. “What’s wrong?” Tom asked.

Ren swallowed. “Did… did it hurt?”

A shiver went up Tom’s spine. “Oh… um…” Tom found it hard speak as he started rubbing his left arm. “A little… from the needle in my arm.” His thumb traced the area it had been inserted. “I also felt… extremely fatigued. So… it wasn’t so much as pain I felt…” Tom closed his eyes. “I was afraid though.”

A whine echoed from Ren’s throat. “I’m sorry.”

Tom opened his eyes. “For what? It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know… I just wish I could have done something to help; not just make things more stressful for everyone.”

Tom sighed. “You know… I want to say you shouldn’t think like that, but I’d be a hypo… a hippo…” Tom groaned as he tried to think of the work.

“Hypocrite?” Ren finished.

“Yeah, that… I hate how I wasn’t able to do anything the whole time.” Tom’s body began to slightly shiver. “I couldn’t even speak or scream as I was dying; only wait until it was all over.”

Ren’s body began to shiver as well as he listened to Tom. He let out another whine. “I’m sorry…”

Tom closed his eyes. “You don’t have to say sorry.”

“Well it’s the only thing I can say…” Ren’s voice cracked slightly. “I can… slightly sympathize with what you might have been feeling. I remember how scared I was when I fell through the ice and into the freezing water before you pulled me out.”

“Yeah…” Tom said softly as he slightly opened his eyes, gazing down at the sheets. “Can I tell you something?”

Ren’s ears straightened at the sudden question. “O-of course.”

“It wasn’t dying I was afraid of…” Tom fully opened his eyes. “I was afraid of what was going to happen to Irena; I was afraid she was going to die because of me.” Ren’s ears lowered as Tom’s eyes gazed up to meet his. “I was also afraid because of you.”

“Me?”

“You, Luna, mom and dad. I realized that… I hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to any of you. I really thought I was going to die, and that none of you would have known what happened to me…” Tom closed his eyes again and took a deep inhale as he bit his bottom lip.

Ren’s eyes started to water. “I… I can understand that…” he closed his eyes trying to stop himself from crying again. “It wasn’t something I was thinking about before, but… if something had happened to you…” despite his best efforts, he could stop himself from crying. “I would have realized I hadn’t said a single word to you the last day I saw you…” Ren clenched the bedding beneath him. “I didn’t even reply to text you sent me!” Ren was whimpering now. “That almost became our last interaction…” Ren opened his teary eyes, barely being able to recognize Tom’s staring sadly back him. “I’m so sorry, Tom.”

Tom scooched himself closer to Ren. “Hey…” he reached down for Ren’s paws, gently pulling them away from the sheets which now showed signs of slight tearing. “We’re both here; you don’t have to apologize for something that didn’t end up happening.” Tom softly squeezed Ren’s paws.

“Sorry…” Ren said as he gazed down at his paws resting in Tom’s hands. “It’s just hard to get this stuff out of my mind.”

“I understand…” Tom said softly with a sigh. “Maybe your mind needs to focus on something else…” Ren suddenly let out subdued giggling when he felt an unusual sensation. He looked down to see Tom was gently ticking the pads on his paws. “When we do have to say goodbye, no matter when that day comes, I want to make sure it’s our smiles that we both remember.” Tom brought Ren’s paws together, eliciting a soft clap to sound off. Ren watched in silence. “Think you can show that smile I’m talking about?”

Ren chuckled as he took a deep breath through his nose. “It might take a moment to compose myself.”

Tom smirked. “Would another hug help?”

“Yes…” Ren said, immediately lunging forward with arms outstretched, taking Tom by surprise. Tom’s body tensed for a second before he slowly exhaled.

“Give me a warning next time” Tom said with a chuckle as he slowly tried to loosen his arms from Ren’s grasp. Ren just tightened his hold. “What, no sorry this time?”

“Nope…”

Tom started to laugh. “You’re learning…” a realization quickly hit Tom. His shoulders slumped. “I still have homework to do…”

Ren started to laugh as he pulled himself away from Tom. “Is that really important right now?”

“I don’t need more trauma from all my teachers getting on me for not doing any.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand after what happened…”

Tom raised a brow. “Did you do yours?”

“…Most of it…”

“You see! You’d probably be excused as well, but you’ll just show up with all your homework done and your teachers will praise you for excelling despite hardships. My teachers will probably say ‘Well you should have done it before or after’ or ‘They took your blood, not your pen ink.”

“Oh geez…” Ren said with a groan at the dark joke. “They won’t say that…”

“I know…” Tom said with another chuckle. “But if I can, I’d like to get caught up... Perhaps you can help me if I’m struggling?”

Ren’s tail started wagging. “Of course!” An excited smile formed on his muzzle

“There it is” Tom said. “So do you have anything lighthearted to talk about?”

“Um…” Ren gazed at the ceiling as he tried to think of something. His ears started to twitch as something suddenly came to mind. “Actually, you were invited to a birthday party…” Ren’s ears started to go slightly limp. “that was yesterday…”

“I got invited to a party?” Tom said, shocked. “Whose?”

“A kid from the neighborhood. I don’t know his name. I think he said he was turning nine years old yesterday.”

“And he told you I was invited?”

“Yeah.” Ren nodded.

Tom let out a soft exhale from his nose. “It’s a shame I had to miss it… hope he’s not too disappointed.” Tom shrugged his shoulders. “At least he was nice enough to invite me.”

“What would you have gotten him?”

“I don’t know… we’ve only ever waved to each other. I have no idea what he likes.”

“What if he wasn’t expecting you to bring him anything? Maybe he just wanted you to come.”

“I know I’m great, but I don’t think my presence alone is worth a birthday gift.”

“True…”

“Well you certainly changed your mind pretty quickly…” Tom crossed his arms, smirking. “Don’t think I’m so great now, huh, you jerk?”

“No! I...” Ren started to stammer as panic started to once again fill his mind. He watched as Tom’s smirk started to slowly fade into that familiar look of concern again. “I just think that… that you’re worth more.”

Tom was slightly taken aback by the compliment. “Thank you, Ren.” Ren’s tail started to wag as Tom smiled again. Tom shifted himself on the bed until he sat to the right of Ren. “And just so you know…” Tom wrapped his left arm around Ren’s back, resting it on his brother’s left shoulder. “I’m happy you went looking for me.”

“But I only just…” Ren let out a surprise gasp when he suddenly felt himself being pulled closer into Tom’s side. He could see Tom looking straight into his eyes.

“Thank you for caring… and let’s just leave it at that.”

Ren nodded his head, watching as Tom slowly closed his eyes as he faced forward. Ren let out a calming sigh as he lifted his right arm to return the gesture to Tom, closing his eyes when his paw rested on Tom’s shoulder.

Neither were sure how much time passed before the both heard a strange growling. Both of them opened their eyes and slowly glanced down. “I hope mom and Luna return with food soon…” Tom said. Ren suppressed a laugh.

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Sera browsed the various products that were available within this small hospital eatery. There were various containers filled with slices of various meats and some vegetables, a variety of sandwiches, a few salads with chicken, and a selection of fruit, both whole and sliced. There were shelves of various snacks and refrigerated drinks. She lamented that there didn’t seem to be any hot meals available, something no doubt only available at the cafeteria.

Sera looked up and noticed the Hund behind the counter was glancing down at Luna. Luna was entranced by the various desserts sitting before her. Her breath fogged the glass of the display shelf as she rested her head against it. “We’re not getting dessert, Luna.” Her attention was caught by her mother, now watching down at her with a semi-amused smile. Luna let out a disappointed whimper, but did not remove herself from the glass.

A flicker behind the counter caught Sera’s attention. It was a monitor tuned to the local news channel. Its audio was muted, but it did have closed captioning on. The headline caught Sera’s attention. Kidnapped Human Condition Unknown. She knew it must have been the same story that her mother told her about earlier. The closed captioning mentioned the town where Tom and Irena had been taken to, but not about where they were from or to which hospital they had been taken to. Sera was slightly relived that it seemed they weren’t being kept up to date.

“Mommy… what does that word mean?” Sera’s attention was snapped away by Luna’s touch on her leg. When she looked down she saw Luna was pointing at the monitor. Luna had noticed her mom staring at the tv for a long time and started watching it out of curiosity.

Sera was silent for a moment. “Which one?”

Luna looked back at the tv. “The k word…” She lowered her arm and looked to her mother again. “Human is what Tommy is, right?”

“That’s right…” Sera said, lamenting where this inevitably leading to.

“Are they talking about Tommy?” Luna asked with a slight tilt of the head.

Sera closed her eyes. When she opened them, her gaze was on the Hund behind the counter. “I know what we’re getting.”

A minute later Sera held two plastics bags filled with three sandwiches, a meat platter, a salad and multiple water bottles and snacks, including a cup of butterscotch pudding. Luna wagged her tail in excitement as she followed her mom to a small eating area in the corner of the hospital.

Sera noted that while it was in the open, it was rather far removed from the heavier-traffic areas of the hospital. She was also thankful that there wasn’t anyone else utilizing it at the moment. She set the bags on the ground near a table and assisted Luna into one of the chairs.

Sera moved another seat to the left of Luna. She reached into one of the bags and pulled out the pudding with a plastic spoon. Luna’s tail started to wag. Sera placed the pudding cup on the table, opened it and handed it to Luna with the spoon. Sera watched as Luna took the first spoonful of pudding in her mouth and giggled with satisfaction. “Luna dear…” Sera said as she watched Luna dip the spoon back into the pudding. “I need to tell you something.”

Luna’s ears twitched in curiosity. She began to swing her legs in anticipation, watching her mother as she brought the spoonful of pudding into her mouth.

Sera took a deep breath and exhale. “Do you know why Tom is here?”

“He was hurt?”

“In a way…” Sera sighed, stalling. “Do you remember that k word you pointed at?”

Luna nodded her head. “It had the word kid and nap it. Was Tommy sleeping?”

“He was sleeping… but that’s not what the k word means. Kidnapped means he was… taken.”

“Taken?” Luna asked in confusion as let her spoon rest in the pudding. “Taken here?”

“No… he was taken away from us.” Sera watched as Luna’s ears started to flatten. “And they didn’t want to give Tom back.”

“What?” Luna’s voice was weak as her mind processed the new information. “Who took Tommy?”

“Bad Hunds, Luna” her words were direct, filled with a hint of venom. Luna was taken aback by the answer. “They took Tom and hurt him; hurt him so bad that he needed to spend two nights here.”

A whimper echoed from Luna’s throat, he jaw starting to quiver.

“But it’s fine now, Luna” Sera knelt down and nuzzled her head against Luna’s. Tom is safe with us.”

Luna sniffled through watery eyes, but had managed not to cry due to her mother’s affectionate nuzzling. “Why would anyone want to hurt Tommy?”

“I… I don’t know, Luna… but the important thing is Tom will be coming back home with us and… things will go back to normal.”

“No more bad Hunds or Tommy coming here?”

“We’ll all do our part to make sure Tom stays safe. You’ll do the same, right?” Luna’s ears perked up. She quickly nodded her head. “Good girl.” Sera gently rubbed Luna’s head, eliciting a growing smile from the young Hund. “Now finish your pudding so we can head back.” Luna brought her attention to the half-eaten pudding. Unlike the first half she ate, she didn’t savor each spoonful, instead scoffing it down as fast as she could. “Slow down, Luna.”

“Done!’ Luna said with an expectant grin as she held the empty cup and spoon.

“Let’s get going, then.” Sera stood up from her seat, watching Luna hop down from hers. Sera grabbed the bags walking back towards the main walkway. Luna walked slightly ahead her mother, throwing away the trash as they passed the eatery. Sera could tell Luna was more anxious to get back after everything she had told her.

When they arrived at the elevator, Luna kept on pressing the third floor button. Even after the doors closed, Luna kept pressing the button in hopes it would make the elevator go faster. Sera said nothing, amused at how impatient Luna was now.

When they arrived at Tom’s room, Sera knocked softly and turned the handle. She barely managed to crack the door before Luna pushed it open. Luna rushed in to see Tom and Ren still sitting on the bed, though both their back were now facing her. “Tommy!” Luna shouted with a mixture of happiness, relief and a bit of sadness. She made a dash towards the bed as her brothers were starting to turn their heads.

Luna leapt towards Tom, colliding with his back. He let out a gasp of air as the force of impact and Luna’s momentum caused him to collapse forward. His chest landed on the mattress with force, followed shortly by his head barely managing to collide with the pillows.

Ren watched with shock as Luna tried wrapping her arms around Tom’s back. Tom could only let out muffled groan as he continued processing what had just hit him as Luna nuzzled his back.

Sera shook her head, wondering if Tom really was going to have to spend another night at this rate.

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The late afternoon sunset shined through the window of the hospital room. It was finally time for Tom to be discharged from the hospital along with Ren. The only thing the family had to wait for now was for the staff to bring two wheel chairs to carry the two boys out of the hospital. Tom and Ren sat waiting on the couch while Todd and Sera stood adjacent to them, Todd carrying a tired Luna.

Tom let out a yawn. “I think I might just head to bed early tonight.” He looked to his right at Ren, and his heavy eyes. Ren gave a slow nod in agreement as he let out a yawn of his own.

“We’ll all be getting some much-needed rest tonight…” Todd turned his attention to Sera. “No school… no work...”

“Yes...” Sera nodded. “Agreed.”

The family waited in silence before a knock on the door captured their attention. The door opened and in came two nurses pushing two wheelchairs. A wave of relief swept over most of the family as it signaled they were finally ready to leave.

“Alright boys, let’s get seated and get out of here.” Todd encouraged his sons.

Ren’s ears twitched as he stood up and walked to the wheelchair closest to him. He slowly sat back and let his body relax as he adjusted his footing. Tom stood up next, stretching his arms towards the ceiling before approaching the other wheelchair. When he touched an armrest, another knock at the door caused him and the rest of the occupants to bring their attention to the door again.

Sera’s ears shot up in surprise. Standing there in the door frame was Mrs. Chienna. Her usual chipper look was missing, leaving only exhaustion and slight depression. “Afternoon…” Mrs. Chienna said as she cleared her throat. She took a step forward into the room. “Was hoping to catch you before you left…” she glanced at the wheelchairs. “Appears we might have come a bit too late…”

Behind Mrs. Chienna another figure appeared. Mr. Chienna’s appearance was even worse than his wife’s. Instead of a hint of depression, his was frustration. He didn’t even look Sera in the eyes, focusing instead on Tom. “How are you feeling, kid?”

Tom flinched slightly. “Um, doing better now.”

“Good, good…” he nodded his head as he remained within the doorframe. “Well…” he looked to his left. “I’m sure she’s glad to hear that…” he shifted himself away from the door and back into the hallway, making room for Irena to peer around the corner.

Tom held his breath as Irena slowly stepped into the room. A chill ran down Tom’s spine when he stared at the brace around her neck. Despite the brace, Irena kept her gaze towards the floor as if trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

“Irena!” Luna said excitedly as she stared over her right shoulder. Her little tail wagging.

Irena turned to Luna with closed eyes and a smile. She silently waved back for a moment before lowering her arm and her head again, leaving the room in silence once more.”

“Todd…” Sera said as she turned to her husband. “Could you please take Ren and Luna back to the car?”

Todd nodded his head, turning his attention to the nurse holding Ren’s wheelchair. “After you…” the nurse took the cue and started to push Ren towards the door. Ren made a brief glance over his shoulder to Tom before relaxing his neck again. Todd followed close behind, still carrying Luna who waved goodbye at Irena’s back.

“Um… nurse…” Sera said as she addressed the Hund holding on to Tom’s wheelchair. “It’ll be a little while before he’s ready to go. Would it be alright if you come back in about twenty minutes?” The nurse glanced at the clock on the wall before nodding his head. Without saying anything he left the room, taking the wheelchair.

Tom continued to stare silently at Irena while she stood there with her eyes still closed. Sera sighed and turned towards Mr. and Mrs. Chienna. “There’s something I want to talk about with the two of you… in private.”

The Chiennas glanced over at the kids and then to Sera. They nodded in agreement, if only to give Tom and Irena some privacy. Mrs. Chienna took a step backwards, keeping her gaze on Irena before turning around and joining her husband in the hallway. Sera placed her right paw on Tom’s left shoulder and squeezed gently as she stepped away.

Tom’s attention had never strayed from Irena even as the rest of his family left the room, leaving them alone. “Hey…” he said weakly, catching Irena’s attention. Her eyes cracked open. She turned her body to look around the room before facing Tom again and slowly opening her eyes. Tom took a deep inhale as Irena was now staring at him, her eyes almost completely bloodshot red.

“Hey…” a raspy voice echoed, sending a shiver down Tom’s spine. It was almost unrecognizable from her normal voice.

“Does it… hurt to talk?”

“Slightly, but the medication is dulling the pain. It’ll heal in few weeks.”

“Okay…” Tom took a strained swallow.

“What about you? How are you feeling?”

“I’m doing alright… a little exhausted now, but I did feel a bit more energetic than usual earlier…Sorry…” Tom sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t say something like that with what you’re going through…”

“Don’t… I’m just glad you didn’t experience any complications after what happened… and that you’re still alive…” she gave Tom the best smile she could in her medicated state.

Tom smiled back. “Same with you…” something flashes within Tom’s mind. An obscure set of images he couldn’t decipher individually, but somehow tell a story when compiled together. “Irena…?”

“Yes?”

“Sorry to ask, but… could you tell me something… about that day?”

“Like what?”

“Well…” Tom rubbed the back of his head. “Certain things have been playing in my mind over and over again since I woke up. Most of them are clear, but some are… hazy. I can’t really picture what happened after a certain point, but something is telling me that the last thing I saw was you…” Tom looked into Irena’s eyes. “you saved me, didn’t you? How did you do it?”

Irena’s pulse began to hasten from the question. “I…” her raspy voice began to crack as she struggled to find the words to say.

Seeing her struggling, Tom smiled gently, his gaze softening. “You’re… not a Verund, are you?”

Irena’s body went stiff from the question. She suddenly couldn’t bring herself to speak. Instead, she softly shook her head.

“Are Verunds even a real thing?”

“They are…” Irena said weakly before clearing her throat, causing her quite a bit of discomfort. “I just…” she took a strained swallow. “pretended to be one to you.” Irena suddenly found it hard to look Tom in the eyes. “I’m…” her eyes started to water. “I’m not supposed to be wearing a blue collar…” when the words echoed out, her ears straightened in shock from actually having said it. Panic started to rush through her body as she turned away from Tom, starting to feel ashamed.

Tom’s eyes didn’t blink for seconds as his mind processed what Irena had just said. He took a step towards her. “Does that mean you’re…” Tom cut himself off as he noticed Irena’s body starting to shiver. “Is what you’re supposed to be wearing… a white collar?”

Irena turned her head to face Tom, tears forming in her eyes as she slowly nodded.

Tom was in disbelief, he had never before even considered the possibility of a Hund just wearing a collar they weren’t supposed to; the concept itself didn’t make sense to him. Yet, as he recollected that day and numerous other events with Irena, it all started to make sense. As numerous thoughts began to fill Tom’s mind, he could only give Irena a wistful smile. “Is that what you were struggling to tell me on the beach?”

Irena’s body had begun to shiver once more as she now became flustered. “Yes… Only my family knows about it and…” she gazed into Tom’s eyes. “You’re the first one I’ve ever willingly let know that about me…” Irena let out a painful whimper and closed her eyes as tears started to roll down her cheeks. “Those who know the truth see me as a freak, a deceiver; a Varzi.” Irena opened her teary eyes to see Tom closer than he had been before. “I just didn’t want you to see me the same way… as just another white collar trying to hurt you…”

“I don’t care…” Tom said softly. Irena’s body tensed when she suddenly felt Tom’s hands on her shoulders. As he leaned closer, Irena came to the realization that through her own crying, she hadn’t noticed Tom’s own tears forming. “It doesn’t matter to me what you are or what collar you’re wearing, the only thing I know is that you’re my friend and… you saved my life, Irena.” Tom smiled as tears rolled down his face. “I thought you were going to die because of me, but you saved me…” Tom’s body started to shiver. “I thought I’d never see my family again, but you gave me back to them.” Tom closed his eyes and bowed his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the flow of tears. “Thank you…”

Irena was speechless, still processing everything Tom had said as she watched him silently cry in front of her. A wave of relief flowed through her body, making her body feel lighter. Her tears hadn’t ebbed, but they were now accompanied by a smile of her own as she bowed her head forward, leaning it against Tom’s. Irena let out an involuntary laugh. Tom followed with a soft one of his own before the two began to laugh in unison. For both of them, it felt like the nightmare was finally coming to an end.

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Been a while, huh?

I won't go into much detail, but it has to do with irl events

Chapter 19 will be posted later today or early tomorrow morning