I sat on the ground after my shower and put on my clothes with my legs splayed out in front of me, and my breathing was labored. My whole body ached and was sore, and all I wanted to do was get to my bed so that I could rest, but I couldn't move.

I had no energy left to give for me to complete my task...

My eyes were closed, and a small grimace was on my face while I rested to get some energy back, but I did not ask for help, even though a part of me knew that they were willing to help me get back to bed so that I could rest comfortably.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and I turned to look that way while I opened my eyes but didn't say a word. "TJ?" someone asked, my sister, her voice barely above a whisper and filled with hesitance and fear. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

I bit back a tired sigh and moved a shaking hand through my hair and across my face, pursing my lips in annoyance. "No," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, even though I had a feeling that my sister had heard it. "I am not, but I am not hurt."

"Is the door locked?" my sister asked, speaking normally while she knocked on the door a second time. "Do you need help getting a shower, or are you done and need help getting dressed?"

"The door isn't locked," I replied and shook my head. "I am done with all of that and just need help getting back to bed." I leaned my head against the tub, biting back a small groan of annoyance. "I don't know if I will be able to stand and get back to bed by myself."

My sister hesitated, and I could tell that she was nervous about whatever it was she was about to ask, as if she was afraid of what I would say. "Do you want Dad?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't mind getting him in here for you."

Oh, thank Goddess...

"Is he still waiting by the door?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, even though I knew that she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Yes," she said and nodded in confirmation. "He is still sitting beside the door and waiting for you to ask him for help if you need it." She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "Mom is there, too," she added, hesitating some more.

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "Ok," I said and moved a hand through my hair and across my face. "If she wants to come in, too, then she can come in." I paused and licked my lips, biting back a small smirk when a thought occurred to me. "You know that I can ask them myself, right?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

My sister opened the bathroom door and shrugged. "Eh," she said. "I'd rather be helping you b-"

"I am going to smack you if you keep that up, Melody Rose," I said and bared my teeth in warning just as my parents walked into my room. "I swear to Goddess, you are driving me insane with all of this."

"With all of what?" Mom asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "And do not smack your sister. I have raised you better than that, Thomas Junior. Just kick her ass in the ring the next time that you fight." She flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and I held back an eye roll, biting my lip to keep myself from smiling.

My sister sighed and shook her head while she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling sheepish. "I might have pissed him off by babying him a little too much, Mom," she said and bit back a small smile while she tucked her head closer to her chest.

"A little?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied her, cocking my head to the side. "Are you sure that it is a little?"

"Are you sure that you should have been released from the hospital so soon?" Melody asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me, and I pursed my lips in annoyance, tucking my head closer to my chest.

I didn't say a word because I had no idea if it had been a good idea for me to escape the hospital or not, but I knew that I had wanted to leave the hospital as soon as I had woken up there.

Melody bit back a small smirk and a snort while she rolled her eyes. "That's what I thought, T," she said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line.

"Does that mean you need to go to the hospital again?" Mom asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me. She cocked her head to the side and bit back a small frown, and worry flashed through her eyes.

"No," I said and shook my head, biting back a tired sigh. "All I need is some sleep, and then I will be good to go later on today."

"Or tomorrow," Mom said. She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she tucked her head closer to her chest. "I want you to get as much rest as possible before you leave the safety of your room. Is that understood?"

I nodded. "That is understood," I said and shifted on the ground before I looked at my father, and my cheeks turned red. "Can you help me to my bed, Dad?" I asked and tucked my head closer to my chest. "Please?"

"Certainly," he said and nodded in confirmation while he walked over to me. He picked me up, and I bit back a small sigh of relief, wrapping my arms around his neck. My father chuckled and bit back a small smile while he tapped my side.

He started to walk toward the bathroom door with my mother and sister following him, and I closed my eyes while I hated every minute of this.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" I asked and opened my eyes, looking at my parents. "Please? I think we need to talk about everything that has happened and what's going to happen now. Mel is going to be coming with us while we talk."

My mother and father glanced at each other before they nodded. "We'll talk tomorrow if you are feeling better. If not, then do not worry about it. We will talk after that," she said.

"Bu-"

Mom raised her hand to stop me from talking, and I did what I was told to do and closed my mouth. "We will talk later. I am hoping that you will get some more sleep and energy. If that means you sleep for two days, then you will sleep for two days. We will talk as soon as you wake up. Is that understood?"

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, relenting. "Ok," I said. "Serenity is going to want to talk to you about a few things, too," I added. "I don't know when she wants to talk to you about this, but she does."

My parents looked at each other before they looked at me with a small frown on both of their faces.

"And what is it about?" Mom asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me.

I shook my head. "I don't think it's safe to talk about it in my room or in the office," I said. "If she does want to talk to you about it before I give you a heads up, then I think it might be safer to talk in the other one."

"Other one?" Melody asked, her interest piquing. She cocked her head while she studied us, raising an eyebrow in question. "Other one what?"

"You'll know tomorrow, Mel," I said and bit back a small groan of annoyance while my father set me down on the bed that Mel had moved the covers back for me. "We will have to talk there, anyway."

"Then we will talk there," Mom said and lifted my blankets to my neck after my father had moved away from me. She bit back a small smile and tucked her head closer to her chest. "Right now, you need rest."

I nodded and closed my eyes while I buried myself further into my covers. "Mel needs rest, too," I said, biting back a tired yawn. "She has been doing too much because of this."

Mel scoffed and rolled her eyes, pursing her lips in annoyance. "I do not," she said, becoming very defensive. "I am fine."

"Liar," I mumbled sleepily. "Dad, can you set her pants on fire?"

My father chuckled and shook his head while he moved closer to me so that he could move a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Son," he said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Unfortunately, I am not able to do that because she is an innocent, and I don't want your mom to be mad at me." He flashed my mother a small smirk and a wink before he turned to look at me. "But we will make sure that she gets some rest, too."

"Good," I mumbled sleepily while I slowly but surely drifted off to sleep. "I love you all, and thank you for everything."

"Of course," Mom said and moved a hand through my hair. "I love you, and never forget that."

"I love you, too," I mumbled.

And with that, and without another word from anyone that was gathered in the room, everyone left, leaving me alone in a dreamless sleep that my body so desperately needed to heal without another fight.

Thank Goddess...