Expulsion

The Hospital

Alfred's POV

I was forced to sit in a waiting room at the end of a long hall, with three sets of doors between me and Iggy. I got out my phone, and tried to distract myself with my favorite game, Alien VS USA (aliens attack the white house, and you have to shoot them) At the end it gives you a medal that says HERO on it. I've beaten it 7 times. This time, however, I couldn't focus. I turned the phone off and shoved it into my pocket in frustration. A lady came out from behind the reception desk.

"You alright, hun?" She asked.

My head snapped up."Georgia????? I didn't know the states were involved in this too!"

She giggled."Just the original 13 colonies. We have the strongest connection to England."

"Oh. Of course." I hated remembering that time of tension. I suppose that's one good thing about Arthur's memory being gone. Yet somehow, I felt almost happy when I remembered that time, when Artie relied on me. I betrayed him, but he still loved me. I broke down, sobbing. She walked over and rubbed my back. "It's ok, you'll see him soon." She said, glancing over at her monitor. "Now, in fact."

I bolted upright, eager to be reunited with him. I followed her eagerly down the hall, wiping a tear away. It came straight back as soon as I saw him. There was a bandage around his head, and he was sleeping peacefully. He looked haggard and ravaged. His neck had a large bandage on it, presumably a cut from my car. I knelt beside him, and kissed his forehead gently. "Can you give us a minute?" I asked the attendants. "Sure." They said, and I realized that they were all states. Virginia, the Carolina twins, and Massachusetts filed out of the room.

"Iggy. I'm sorry. I don't want to do this. I don't want to deceive you. But I have to. For all of our sakes." I knew he couldn't hear me, but I had to confess everything. "I love you." With those words, I pulled out two things from my pocket: a golden locket and a folded piece of paper. I opened the locket and stared at the pictures inside.

On one side, there was me, when I was little, being raised by "Engwand", and on the other was Artie himself, smiling over at the other picture. It was taken at one of the only times I have seen him smile: when he told me he loved me.

On the paper, I had written just 8 words. I put it inside of the locket, and snapped it closed. I hung it gently around Arthur's neck, kissing him tenderly on the lips. I heard a giggle and whirled around. Pennsylvania blushed guiltily as I walked over to her.

"You two are so cute." She said apologetically.

"Shut up. Is he cleared to go home yet?" I asked.

"Almost. He needs to wake up, and we have to make sure he isn't hallucinating or dizzy. He did get a concussion, you know." She assured me.

"Okay..." I walked back to his bedside.

"Vwhy don't jyou get some rest?" She asked, a hint of a dutch accent creeping into her voice, as it often did when she was feeling a strong emotion.

"I don't want to leave him. Not again. I'll sleep here." I said, curling up on the floor next to his bed.

"Vwhell, if zat's vwhat you really vwant..." She conceded, looking apprehensive.

I settled down to sleep, and the hours went by like the blink of an eye. I awoke to the sound of voices, one slightly annoyed and one concerned. The first could only be the voice of Iggy himself, and the second was Georgia. It was obvious from the sound of her voice. Most of the states' names were their human names as well. "Georgia? Wassup?" I asked sleepily.

"What the ruddy hell is this idiot doing on the floor?" Arthur asked.

We both chose not to answer that, and Georgia turned to me. "Arthur has informed me that he does not wish to share an apartment with anyone. I have already informed him that his only other option is an orphanage.