There was a hesitant knock on my door that stirred me awake a few hours later, and Anes stood up from where he had been sitting and keeping an eye on me while I slept.

I opened my eyes and bit back an annoyed sigh while I closed them again but was paying attention to what was going on and letting Aenes handle this.

"Who is it?" Aenes asked when the person didn't open the door or say anything to us. Something in his tone had me open my eyes again, and I couldn't help but look at him to see that he looked taller, more protective of me than I had ever seen him in the past.

"Ummmm, it's me," Mel said, her voice barely above a whisper while she opened the door just a tad. "Can I come in?"

"You can," Aenes said and nodded in confirmation while he relaxed slightly and grew smaller. "Are you ok, Melody? Are you sure that you weren't hurt from anything?"

"I am not hurt, Aenes, thank you for checking on me," Mel said and opened the door all of the way. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet but didn't step into the room. "Is TJ ok? Is he awake? Mom said that he woke up and was conscious."

"I-"

"I am awake," I said, my voice cracking ever so slightly while I interrupted Aenes. I turned my head in her direction and looked at her with a small frown on my face when she sniffled, and I couldn't help but bite back an annoyed groan, hating the fact that she was about to cry. "Come here, Mel," I said and held my hand out to her. "Don't start crying, now."

Mel bit back a small chuckle and shook her head. She closed the door and wiped her eyes, but that didn't stop some tears from falling, not moving toward me like I told her to.

"Melody," I softly scolded and narrowed my eyes while I stared at her. "Come here. Stop standing by the door and not doing what I am telling you to do."

Mel blinked back some more tears and rubbed her eyes. She did what I told her to do and walked to my side, her bottom lip quivering. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking and becoming barely above a whisper. "I-I-"

"Shut up, Melody," I said, interrupting her with a shake of my head. "You do not have to apologize to me because you did nothing wrong."

My sister didn't say a word and more tears fell from her eyes. She walked over the rest of the way toward me and was about to sit down in the chair by my side, which had been inhabited by Aenes before he moved out of her way, and I bit back an annoyed growl.

I narrowed my eyes and screwed while she looked at me with wide eyes filled with fear and sadness. "Come here, Melody," I said and continued to hold my hand toward her. "I do not want you to be sitting there."

"But..." She gestured toward the wires and shit that were connected to my body, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl. She bit the inside of her bottom lip, trying but failing to keep her bottom lip from quivering but it didn't work while she bit it.

"So?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"So?" she asked and raised her eyebrow as well, mimicking me. "I do not want to mess anything up if I lie on the wires wrong or something like that. Why do you want me to be right there?"

"Because you are my sister, and I want you to be here," I said. "I do not think anything will be messed up, so go ahead and do this for me. Please?" I offered her a tight smile and tucked my head closer to her chest.

My little sister sighed and slowly nodded, relenting. "Ok," she said with her voice barely above a whisper. She hesitated before she started to make her way closer to me, becoming very hesitant and scared.

I rolled my eyes while she slowly sat down on the bed before I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to me, and my sister gasped and flailed but didn't smack me like I thought would happen while I did that.

"Thomas Junior!" she exclaimed while she grew tense beside me. "How dare you!"

I bit back a small chuckle and pulled her closer to me, rubbing her arm, and she slowly started to relax and closed her eyes while she buried herself closer to me. "I know," I said, biting back a small chuckle. "How dare of me for making you do something that you did not want to do."

"Hmph." She rolled her eyes and scowled, pressing her lips into a thin line and staying silent. Tears landed on my shoulder while she started to cry, and I pulled her into a hug and continued to rub her arm.

"You're ok," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're ok and alive."

Melody scoffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. "I am not worried about me, TJ," she said and looked at me with tear stained eyes. "I was worried about you. I didn't know if you were going to be alive or anything, a- a-"

"And hush," I said, interrupting her with a shake of my head. "I am alive, and I am ok, too." I paused and licked my lips while I rubbed my thumb on her arm. "I do not blame you at all. I am glad that you are alive and didn't get hurt."

She slowly nodded and bit the inside of her lip while she looked away from me. "I was so scared," she said, her voice barely above a whisper while she looked at me again.

"I know," I said. "I was scared, too." I paused and cleared my throat, growing serious. "I still do not know what happened, though," I said and looked at Aenes, raising an eyebrow in question before I turned my attention back to my sister. "Aenes is going to tell me what happened once I am out of the hospital."

My sister closed her eyes and nodded, not saying a word while she placed her head on my shoulder again. She grabbed me tighter and slowly started to sob, and I silently soothed her while I opened my eyes and looked at Aenes, pressing my lips into a thin line.

Aenes bit back a small smile and slowly nodded. He didn't say a word while he watched both Melody and I, and I could see the debate in his eyes as if he had no idea what he wanted to do and didn't like my sister crying.

"You can stay or you can go now that I have my sister beside me, Aenes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am alive and will not move until I am told that I can move to my room." I cleared my throat and shook my head, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I can let Mom know if you decide to leave."

Relief flashed through Aenes's eyes, and he slowly nodded. "However, I am going to be outside the door so that I can give you two a moment," he said. "If you need me, then contact me."

I nodded and bit back a small sigh of relief. "That will be wonderful. Thank you, Aenes."

"Of course, Young Alpha. Excuse me, and I will leave you two alone for now." He bowed and walked to the door before he opened it and stepped outside of the room, pausing while he looked at us again, and I watched him with half closed eyes while I made sure that my sister was still fine.

He offered me a tight smile and bowed again before he left, leaving my sister and I alone in silence.

Thank Goddess...