Stanley Pines, Our Hero (TEOC series #1)

The Relief

My eyes were closed. I could sense a bright light somewhere on the other side of my eyelids. There was soft murmuring around me; it sounded like quiet speech, but I couldn't be sure. The surface I laid on was soft and malleable. My head felt as though it had been smashed between two brick walls and drilled into by a jackhammer, while my body ached as though it had been run over by a military tank.

I groaned softly as I blinked rapidly, adjusting to the brightness of my surroundings. Whenever I made even the smallest movement, all my nerves screamed in protest.

Three human faces swam immediately into view, blurred too much to recognize them and talking too fast in their worried, scared voices to make out what they were saying.

I shook my head slightly; and this time, it actually did clear my head. I looked up into the closest face, so similar to my own.

"Stanley! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Poindexter was looking ready to burst with his anxiety. He was clutching one of my hands firmly with his polydactyl one.

I laughed weakly, even as my throat and sides burned with the small act. "Calm down, Sixer. I'm fine," I assured him hoarsely.

Relief flooded my brother's face, and twin gasps of happiness came from the other two people in the room.

"Oh thank God you're alive!" one of the other people sobbed, flinging their arms around my neck as best as they could, and I realized it was Bella. I gave her a one-armed hug in return, before we pulled apart. There were dried tear tracks beneath her slightly puffy eyes, but she was grinning wide enough to split her entire face in half. I smiled back at the sight of her.

"You guys alright?" I asked, taking in her and Ford's torn clothes, bruises, and bandaged wounds spotted with dried blood.

"Oh yeah, we're fine," Bella said quickly, still grinning. Her smile faltered slightly. "You're not, though."

I figured that had something to do with my feeling of being steamrolled by a tank, but before I could ask about it the third person said gently, "Why don't I get you something to eat? You've been out for a while; you must be starving."

I peered over Bella's shoulder at the woman standing there, smiling kindly at me. It took me a moment to recognize Sally Jackson, Bella's sister and Percy's mother.

"Yeah," I replied, feeling for the first time the pangs of hunger in my stomach. "That'd be great."

Sally smiled and left the room.

I looked around at the small, unfamiliar living room. However, judging by the New York skyline outside the window, we must've been in the Jacksons' apartment.

I turned back to Ford and Bella, who were both watching me attentatively. "So, uh ... what happened?" I asked, touching my palm to my forehead. I could feel the bandages wrapped tightly around my head over the sensitive, presumably injured skin.

Ford winced very slightly as he recalled the experience. "Well, after a few minutes, the axolotl had burned to ashes, and you passed out. At that moment, all the monsters fled the island, without even going for you or Bella or me. We brought you to the lake, but it was completely still and calm; hardly a single wave. I used the inflatable raft I had brought with us so we could cross, and then we made our way back to the Stan O' War II, still anchored at the edge of the outer island.

"We sailed back to New York and brought you here, to Sally's place. She's been taking care of you since. You've been unconscious for about four days; it's already September 19th." Sixer looked slightly anxious as he studied me. "So ... How much do you remember from Saturday? Is he - is he dead?"