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30 - Offline

"Genesis...Exodus...Levitic--"

The memory of reciting those words was all Kenneth could remember before the anesthesia had pulled him under. That and the cold discomfort of the nurse's hand on his shoulder.

Kenneth blinked and looked over at his shoulder. The nurse wasn't there. He could still sense people, though. His eyes lifted and he squinted, inhaling quietly through the oxygen mask. His chest was...sore, but nothing burned. He put his hand over his heart and inhaled softly again, eyes staring at the stranger in front of him.

Who? I can breathe...why are there so many people? Am I in a game...dreaming? His eyes scanned the room. It was a hospital room. White lights. Real people. The VR headset he saw still securely locked up in its dock. Not a game. 

Kenneth finished his scan of the place. His mother was there, standing near the other side of the bed. He started to recoil before realizing she wasn't touching him. She wasn't alone, though. A couple of teens--Kenneth assumed they were around his age--and a younger man with a woman who appeared to be his wife also stood in the room, and back by the door he thought he spotted some older couples.

This isn't my family...who are they? His chest tightened and Kenneth dug his fingers into the fabric of his hospital gown, his breathing getting short. A slight beep reminded him of that and he swallowed, gulping down the pressurized air again. It tasted cold, but he could feel it reaching his lungs. He was breathing. In and out, painlessly. 

He inhaled again and exhaled, feeling the air rush into his lungs. His eyes widened slightly and he held his breath, counting to ten. No pain came to stab him in the side other than the dull throb leftover from the surgery. The tubes and respirators remained in place, but he no longer heard the dull wheeze of his own breath as he inhaled and exhaled. I can breathe. His lips wavered into a thin smile, barely holding back the joy that he could feel brimming up inside of him. 

The person beside him shifted closer. Kenneth jumped and the joy sank back down into his stomach as his head snapped up and he hazily blinked at the almost familiar man standing in front of him. 

"Hey, he looks a little nervous, back up some." The woman beside the man standing at the right of the bed pulled him back, whispering. Kenneth's eyes snapped to them. He looked up and squinted again.

Daniel. The name came to mind after a second and his eyes widened. Recognition of the youth minister brought a wave of relief that washed over him and Kenneth relaxed back again.  He watched the man's gentle eyes as he stayed where he was.

"Hey, how do you feel?" the youth minister asked after Kenneth's gaze had lingered a moment. 

Opening his mouth, Kenneth inhaled deeply. He felt his chest constrict and expand, air filling his lungs. Fresh air, unrestricted air. Lungs that didn't feel frail or sickened inside of his chest. Lungs that expanded of their own free will. He smiled thinly. "B-Better," he said, his voice still thin. "Why are y-you...here?"

Daniel chuckled. "Oh right, we didn't tell you. Well, I kinda let the church know we were going in for an operation today, and my wife," he patted the shoulder of the woman beside him, "the youth group, and several others insisted on coming to see you after you got out." He looked around the room and then rubbed at the back of his head. "Sorry Byrd isn't here, she's still coming back into town."

Kenneth looked around the room. His smile grew bit by bit as he shyly glanced at each face and nodded to the kids and people standing there. He got a few waves and grins in return. One of the younger girls told him hi and inched a little closer. Kenneth's eyes landed on his mother last, and he looked up at her. Her lips thinned.

"Thank you all," Kenneth whispered.

His mother shifted back some. "I'll go tell the doctor you're awake." She slipped out of the room, nodding and weaving through the small crowd. The weight of her eyes left and Kenneth's shoulders relaxed. A few of the other's left with her, but the youth and Daniel stayed behind. Kenneth looked down, wondering if he could sit up. The sore state of his body told him to remain where he was, though, and he just relaxed his head back.

Daniel pulled a chair over and sat down. His voice lowered slightly. "We're all very glad you're safe," he said, "but I wanted to ask you something very important."

Eyes skirting away, Kenneth nodded. The joy began to mingle with the fear still leftover inside his gut. He pressed his hands into his sides. Did she say something to them? he thought, eyes peering at the doorway where his mother had exited. She'd turned their father on them before, he didn't doubt she could turn these good people too. His fist tightened and he swallowed at the nauseating butterflies as he looked at the floor. "Yeah..."

Daniel rested his hands on the edge of the bed but didn't get too close. He bowed his head. "I know I told you Byrd explained to us your predicament...and I know we talked briefly before, but I need to know. Do you have somewhere to go after this?"

Kenneth stared at his hands for a few brief seconds of shock. His eyes grew heavy and watery and he sniffled in quickly. He pressed a hand to his eyes and shook his head. "N-No." I can't go home, he thought. Where am I supposed to go? What...what do I do? Panic gripped his chest. He grabbed the edge of the blanket and inhaled sharply, realizing he hadn't thought this far ahead. "I-I don't..." he repeated.

A hand rested on the edge of the bed, but Daniel didn't touch him. "That's okay," he said. He gestured back to the woman still at his side. "No need to worry about it. Amanda--my wife--and I talked, and of course, it's up to you, but we wanted to offer for you to stay with us until you're well and able enough to live alone. You don't have to say yes, and I understand if--"

Turning his head, Kenenth looked up at him. Tears slipped down his cheeks. "R-Really?" he whispered. "Y-you'd do that?"

Daniel smiled. Amanda put her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," she said from behind him.

Tears continued to slip down Kenneth's cheeks. His chest was tight, but it wasn't painful. He didn't know quite how to answer or express the joy pushing into his throat and eyes, expressing itself in the only way he knew how as he hiccuped and cried.  He nodded rapidly. "P-Please."

Amanda smiled this time. She patted Daniel's shoulder. "We'd love to have you stay."

Kenneth closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Thank you," he hiccupped, tears dripping onto his shoulder and the blanket. He smiled. "Thank you so much." 

Daniel nodded. "Of course, of course." He looked over and Kenneth followed his gaze to the still open Bible, halfway read. Kenneth reached out and touched it. His eyes turned back to Daniel, though.

"Daniel...can I ask one favor?" he whispered, his voice slowly strengthening with each breath.

"What?" Daniel cocked his head to the side. 

Kenneth let his hand drop and he exhaled. "I read it...last night, and this morning. There's a lot I want to know. Do you think," he looked up at the youth minister. "We could talk about it more? I...I wanna be baptized, but I have a lot of questions still."

"I'd love to answer your questions, Kenneth," Daniel said. His smile broadened and appeared to fill his whole face. "That's what I'm here for after all."

Kenneth smiled back. His face felt warm, as did his body. If not for the fact they were indoors, he would've imagined it was a ray of sunlight finally hitting his skin. Is this how she feels? Why she's always so bright? He thought of Byrd's warm smiling face as well. I hope I get a fraction of her light, it's so beautiful. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. A hand patted the blanket beside him.

"Rest up, we'll talk about moving later, alright?" Daniel said.

Kenneth nodded. He sank back into the blankets and pillows as Daniel and Amanda gathered the remaining stragglers out of the room. As they talked and shifted, he looked up to the dock where the headset sat. His fingers didn't itch to get at it anymore, but he wondered if Byrd was online. Daniel said he told her I made it alright. Still...I wanna talk to her.  He spread his fingers and let the adrenaline fade from his veins as he closed his eyes. People started to filter out again. 

Eyes following them to the door,  Kenneth watched as they cleared out for him to rest. He spotted a figure standing at the door, not moving but peeking inside. His lips tightened into a line and he exhaled slowly. Mom. He briefly caught her eyes. She looked away. He did too. Kenneth curled his hand into the blankets and looked at the Bible still sitting on the bedside table. He closed his eyes, Maybe someday, I'll forgive you.

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