Beep, beep, beep.

"Beep," Fralith muttered back at the BeepCorner.

Beep, beep, beep.

"Beep, beep."

Beep, beep, beep.

"BEEP."

Beep, beep, beep.

"BEEP! Beep, beep, beep!"

"Brave Bud, what are you doing?"

"BEEEEEEEEEEEP!" Fralith screamed, nearly jumping out of his skin. He jerked backwards, wide eyes darting around the room, landing on an equally startled Tim.

"Woah!" Tim exclaimed, rubbing his ears. "Woah there, Bud. That was loud!"

He put a hand to his beeping heart, lungs heaving. Tim. It was just Tim. Sneaky Tim. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, repeating until his heart no longer flapped. Bad sneaky Tim.

Tim walked over, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "I guess we startled each other pretty bad, huh?"

Fralith rubbed his chest and flicked his fingers at him in answer. His stomach twisted and growled, and he looked up at Tim. Did you bring food? It's noon and I'm hungry!

But just as Tim did that morning, he shook his head. "Sorry, Bud, but no food before surgery."

He huffed. Why not? Why was there no food? Since he'd gotten here, Tim never failed to bring food with him at meal time. But ever since the last SleepySilver blob, Tim hadn't brought him food. Was something wrong? He didn't know what they did after the SleepySilver made him sleep, but it evidently changed something.

"Hey, don't look too sad. You'll be able to eat after the surgery and more! No more tubes, no more small room, maybe even no more hospital!" Tim smiled at him, patting the bed. "We've found the problem with your heart and now we're going to fix it. I'm sure that's worth a few hours without food."

Fralith glanced at Tim, blowing hair out of his face. Happy. Tim seemed happy. Happy about no food? He scowled and huffed a "Beep," at him. How could he be happy about withholding food? He was hungry! And being hungry was very bad!

Tim tilted his head. "Hmm. It's obvious you don't understand." He was silent for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure how to explain this to you, Buddy, and I think it's best if I just move on. We have a deadline to meet." Standing, he pulled a flat thing from his pocket and approached. "Let's look at that arm of yours, shall we?"

Shifting, he glanced at his injured arm that Tim pointed at. Was it time to change the bandage already? It hadn't been that long since it was changed. Mentally shrugging, he let Tim take his arm. He watched as he unwound the bandage and peered at the healing skin. The stitches had been taken out recently, leaving behind a line of pink, tender skin which allowed for some movement.

"Mmm...it's healing very well," Tim said as he carefully ran a finger over the closed wound. "I don't think you'll need to wear a bandage anymore."

Fralith held himself still, holding back his own nod of approval. Tim knew just as much as he did in wound care and had kept it very clean and nice, allowing it to heal quickly.

Once he was finished, Tim set aside the old bandages and the flat thing and started pulling off the circles on his chest.

He blinked. Since when were they allowed to pull them off? Not that he was complaining. Eagerly, he joined in. They peeled off with a satisfying sssspt. When every last of the SuckyCircles were off, the beeping finally cut off.

Silence.

The. Beeping. Had. Stopped.

No more beeps. It was actually silent. He stared at the BeepCorner, eyes wide. The circles had been making the beeps all along?! He could have made them stop at any time? A little part of him exploded.

A chuckle sounded in front of him. "The great beeping machine has fallen."

Fralith turned to Tim, hands gesturing. "Lanni— lannihept! Amnbeepsonge!" The beeps are gone! AND I COULD'VE KILLED THEM SOONER!

Tim grinned. "I have no idea what you just said, but I'm guessing it's about the heart monitor." He patted his leg. "Unfortunately this reprieve is only temporary, but at least the day when you won't need a heart monitor any more is nearing."

"Beep," he muttered under his breath, baring his teeth at the blanket under him. All that pain and it was so simple to fix. It wasn't fair. Not fair at all. Tim's hand entered his vision and he looked up.

"Stay still," Tim said, cupping his chin with one hand and reaching for the tubes in his nose.

Fralith stilled, holding himself stiff and stifling a grin. All the annoying things were coming off and out! Why now, he didn't know, but at the moment he didn't care. They were coming out and he was going to be finally free.

Tim gently pulled out the tubes in his nose. As soon as they were out, his lungs squeezed and struggled to pull in a full breath. He gasped, hand flying to his chest and heaved a gulp of air. Like the first night in this new world, the air proved too thin for him to fill his lungs completely. Unlike the first night, his lungs adjusted faster.

He sucked in another breath and let it out slower, the lightness in his head fizzling away. Bleh... he sniffed and looked at the nose tubes, frowning. How come when they were out, the air was thin again? Did the nose tubes give him good air? Was that why they had been in his nose?

"Take things easy, okay? You're off oxygen now," Tim said, patting his shoulder and straightening. He set the tubes and circles to the side then went to the IV's white blob, which — even though it looked the same — were different from SleepySilver blobs, and fiddled with the bottom part. "There," he announced. "Now we can take that IV off."

His gaze dropped to the tube in his wrist, still consciously breathing. Was it the IV's turn to be taken out? Experimentally, he raised his wrist, offering it to Tim.

"Thank you." Tim took his wrist and, with an expert flick, twist, and fiddle of his fingers, detached the tube, leaving behind a piece. "Now you can follow me." He gestured for him to follow, turning for the other door — the one he didn't come through every day.

Oh! Fralith realized, brightening and wiggling to the edge of his bed. We're going to the ExcrementRoom. He and Tim had made this trip before, but the tubes, circles and IV all came with him. But, for some reason, this time he was released from them.

Standing, he trotted to Tim's side, taking the longest strides possible. It only took four wide, muscle-stretching strides to get to Tim and three more to get to the door. Tim flipped something next to the door then pushed it open, and they stepped inside.

The ExcrementRoom was fairly small and had metal rails all along the walls. A sink and a YouClearStone stood to their left, a shelf with some fluffy-looking skins on the opposite wall from the door, and the ExcrementBowl to their right. Next to the ExcrementBowl was a closed off corner. The walls were made out of panels of ClearStone, so he could see into the closed-off corner, which wasn't much to look at.

Tim walked over to the closed-off corner and grabbed a handle on one of the panels, drawing it sideways. The panel slid to the right, opening a way inside like a solid, stiff DoorCurtain. "This is a shower," Tim said, turning to him and gesturing at the corner. "Shower. Shah-were. Shower."

Fralith tilted his head, sounding out the new word in his head. Shah-were. Shower. Shoooower. Shower. It was a funny word — having an 'sh' sound next to a 'were' sound — and felt weird in his mind. He approached the shower and put a hand to the cool ClearStone. When he pulled it away, his hand left a mark.

A movement caught his eye and he looked up. Tim stepped inside the shower and patted a metal knob on the wall. "This is how you turn on the water. And when you do," he clasped a white stone in his hand and rubbed it all over himself— leaving a centimeter of space between the stone and himself. "You wash yourself."

What was Tim doing? He cocked his head to the other side, shaking it a little when a strand of hair fell in his eye. I really need some string. It looked like Tim was using a stone to scrub himself clean. But where was the water? The river? One couldn't get clean without a river, and he'd never seen a river in this world. Actually, he'd never seen any large bodies of water.

Tim repeated his actions a few times before beckoning to him to come inside the shower. "You're old enough to know how to wash yourself," he said when Fralith walked inside. "Even if you've come from a very different place — which, by the way, we still haven't figured out where or even who you belong to. You're a very unique little gem, Brave Bud — you should know how."

With a final smile and an ecuriging pat, Tim stepped out of the shower and left, shutting the door behind him. Fralith stared after the red-haired man, bewildered. What did Tim mean for him to do? Wash...? But there was no water. Straightening his shoulders, he turned and eyed the shower for any clues. It was probably the most plain-looking part of the ExcretementRoom.

It had smooth, white walls, a little shelf for the white stone Tim used, another shelf for some brightly colored bottles, and two metal things sticking out from one wall. One of the metal things looked like the slender neck of a GracefulPearl bird, the head flattening out like a circular slice of bread instead of a dainty beak. It looked close to the ever-flowing WaterTap all houses in SecondHome had, except the head was wider and flatter and no water poured from it.

Below that was the smaller metal thing; the one that Tim had patted. It resembled a round, fat handle that had a small rectangle of blue and red painted on either side. When he pulled on it, the metal GracefulPearl neck sputtered to life, spitting out water in a steady stream, almost like rain.

Fralith yelped, flinching away from the rain. How? How could the handle make rain? Where did the water come from? Was the water inside the walls? But if it was, that meant the walls had roots to suck up water from the ground. His eyes widened. Did that mean the whole building was one weird tree that was alive?

Could it eat him?

A shudder of horror snaked down his spine and he edged away from the walls, stomach flipping over. Please don't eat me, BuildingTree. Sssss, went the metal GracefulPearl neck as it rained. Shhhhwwushhh, rushing water murmured from somewhere behind the walls. Wait. Trees didn't eat people. He dropped his shoulders with a sigh, sidling into the rain. It was safe. He was safe. Nothing would eat him.

The rain was temperate, unlike the breath-stealing chill of SecondHome rivers, and thrummed onto his skin comfortingly. He lifted his face to the rain, letting it patter away all the built up dirt and sweat and plaster his long dark hair to his neck and shoulders.

It soaked through his skin and reached down into his soul, quenching a thirst he didn't know he had. He hadn't realized it before, but he'd missed the rain. Missed the feeling of water washing away grime and stink. Missed the coolness of its touch and gentle drumming sounds. And now, with the water pouring down, he soaked it all up, the wetness of it stilling all unease.

Fralith remained like that for a long time, hardly moving. But, eventually, he lowered his head and wiped the water from his eyes then reached for the white stone. It was surprisingly smooth and slippery for a stone. He held it carefully and scrubbed it across his body, lightening the pressure around his wound.

The stone left bubbles and foam in its path, a distinct flowery scent rising from them. He put down the stone, watching the bubbles whirl away with the water, head tilted. The white stone must not be a normal stone. Could it be LatherRoot? Lye? Both mixed together? But neither smelled this...this springtime-y.

He shrugged. Whatever it is, I'm clean now. Glancing towards the door, he chewed his lip. Should he get out now? But the rain felt so good... He bared his teeth and lingered for a moment more before turning to the handle. How to turn it off?

Reaching out, he nudged the handle to the left. Nothing happened; the rain still fell steadily and the water still hummed somewhere out of sight. Cold drops slid down his back, each one chillier than the last. He blinked and shivered. When had the water gotten so cold?

Wrapping his good arm around his bare chest, he nudged the handle the other way. Again, nothing happened immediately. Then, warmth. It spread over him like the sun's heat dawning over a frozen world, reaching into his bones and scooping out frost bit by bit; embalming his muscles in contentment. The sun grew closer and the warmth souped his muscles further, the heat becoming hotter and hotter and hotter until... ouch!

Fralith jerked out of the rain, rubbing his shoulder, and stumbling into the wall. Too hot! His back hit something cool and, with a final gurgle, the rain shut off. He blinked in the silence, steam wafting around him and fogging the ClearStone walls.

How had he turned off the rain?

Turning, he examined the handle. It protruded almost flat against the wall, thinner part pointing right. When he pulled it, the rain started to fall. When he pushed it towards the wall, it stopped. Oh, he thought, staring at the handle. Sneaky.

An eddie of cool air gusted over his bare legs and he shivered, turning to the opening in the ClearStone wall. It was probably time to get out now. As soon as he stepped out of the ClearStone's walls, a blast of frigid air hit him full in the face.

He made a sound, wrapping his arms around himself. So cold! Shivering, he trotted over to the rack of fuzzy skins, quickly grabbing the nearest one and pulling it around his shoulders. The skin's fur — soft and white — was on both sides and retained his remaining warmth easily.

Once the air lost its harsh nip, Fralith cast his gaze about for clothes. He hadn't been wearing much when he'd entered (just some underthings — nasty RedShirts stole all the rest) and he'd much prefer more. Wearing just underthings all the time was...not good. Clothes would were nice. Good, warm clothes.

When a search produced nothing but fuzzy skins, Fralith huffed, scowling a little. The fuzzy skins would have to do until he could get across to Tim that he wanted clothes. His clothes, to be exact. While they weren't made for winter, they were much warmer than these underthings. Much, much warmer.

Releasing another sigh and pulling his fuzzy skin tighter around his shoulders, he padded across the chilly floor to the door and nudged it open. A blast of frigid air hit him, immediately turning the dampness of his skin and hair into ice. "Beep!" Cold!

Tim looked over, his usual grin on his face. "Cold?"

"Beep..." Fralith huddled into his fuzzy skin, shivering. When had the room become so cold? It was like winter in here! Quickly, he skurried to the bed and buried himself under the covers, fuzzy skin still wrapped around him. The blanket settled over him like a layer of snow; cold, but warming with his body heat.

A chuckle rumbled above him and, a moment later, the blanket over his head was pulled back. "Hey, little Cold Bud," Tim said, bemused.

He peeked up at Tim and bared his teeth, squirming back under the covers. I want to be under the blanket; it's too cold!

The chuckle rumbled overhead again. "You're too cute. Almost make me want to wrap you up in a cocoon and steal you." Another chuckle. "But alas, you're needed for an operation."

Diffuse light filtered through the blanket, making it look like he was surrounded by fog, a light source sliding through the wisps. He gazed at the blanket around him, letting out a short breath. It was nice here. Things were starting to warm up and it was silent, save for Tim's shuffling around and tinkering noises. No beeps. No background thrumming. It was just him, his heartbeat, and Tim.

Comfortable. He was...comfortable. When was the last time he'd been comfortable? Before...before Drao had been arrested. Before Davith went away. Before his father paid more than cursory attention to him. Before things went wrong. Before...when he'd been happy. Safe. Content.

But now he was comfortable. He was in a new, strange world, captured by its RedShirts, surrounded by weird things like the BeepCorner, with people who didn't speak his language — and here he was, lying on a bed, wrapped in a blanket and a skin while a flame-haired person walked around out of sight, perfectly comfortable.

It was strange.

"Brave Bud?"

A hand touched his side. Fralith wiggled up a little, peeking his eyes out from under the blanket to peer at Tim.

Tim smiled, lifting a tube. "It's time to fix that special heart of yours."

Fralith followed the tube to a SleepySilver blob. A part of his stomach flopped. Did he have to? He didn't want to go to sleep! Not yet — he was still wet and cold! He made a little noise and shifted farther under the blanket.

"Aw, Brave Bud, it's not so bad. You won't feel a thing and we'll take very good care of you." Tim patted his side again. "Your arm, please?"

He had to, didn't he? Tim wasn't going to leave it alone; he never had. When the SleepySilver blob came, he would sleep. That's how it went. But he'd also wake up a few moments later with nothing amiss. And Tim had always been there when he woke up. He'd cuddle him and comfort him until the foggy silver went away and he felt better. If Tim was there, he'd be safe. It'd be safe.

With a small exhale, he squirmed his uninjured arm out of the skin and blanket and let Tim take it.

"Thank you, Brave Bud. You never cease to amaze me with your courage," Tim said as he fiddled with the IV part in his wrist, wiggling the tube into it. "I'll be with you the entire time, alright? You'll be A-okay." He smiled and patted his hand then stood.

Moments after Tim tugged on the SleepySilver bob's bottom, the cool silver slipped into his veins. He shivered a little, shadows forming in his stomach. Did he have to do this? Why did he have to sleep? He looked up at Tim, shadows and silver misting into his mind. Will you be there, Tim?

Tim's warm hands brushed wet strands out of his eyes and rubbed his shoulder. He murmured things that he could not hear any more, but the tone eased the shadows.

Fralith let his eyes slip closed, the silver fog in his mind rolling forward. It covered him in its wet, swirling form, pulling him away from all words until he faded into it.