Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! *hands out hugs and cookies*

So... my author's notes keep messing up the rest of the chapter once I save the document. (Don't ask... my computer is just screwy. xP) So I'm keeping it really short.

kthx4readingbai (See? SUPER SHORT! ;D)

Chapter 11: Home, Sweet Home

(Sonny)

"He could stay with us!"

I don't know what made me say it. I didn't mean to, I swear. It just... Came out.

Chad's mouth dropped open and he stared at me with wide eyes. Mom's eyebrows shot up, and even the doctor appeared a little taken aback.

The doctor, being a professional I guess, recovered the fastest. "Erm... If you would be alright with that Mrs. Munroe, then that's actually not a bad idea. Mr. Cooper needs someone to take care of him, and you and your daughter seem very capable of doing so."

Mom snapped out of her shocked state and replied, "I guess that would be ok... but I can't take off from work, so he'd be all alone during the day anyway." She finished uncertainly, making it sound like it wasn't a very good idea after all.

"I could take off!" I blurted out. Urg... AGAIN? I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes! Stupid Sonny! Stupid! I mentally scolded myself.

Mom looked at me with surprise written all over her face, but managed to stutter out, "Sonny, that would be... Perfect! If you're up to that, I mean."

I realized she was giving me a chance to back out, to negate what I just said as if it had never happened. I almost did, until I saw the look on Chad's face.

Throughout the entire conversation, he had remained silent, his focus switching from one person to the other. Now his eyes were focused on me, and I caught their gaze briefly.

In those sky-blue eyes was obvious surprise and confusion, but that was understandable considering everything that had happened in the past two minutes. What I wasn't expecting, however, was to see fear in his eyes as well.

It then occurred to me for the first time the effect that this whole ordeal might have had on him. First he nearly died, and now he had nowhere to go? My fat heart softened, and I succumbed to pity.

"Yeah, I'm totally up to it," I said, smiling. Darn my niceness!

Chad's eyebrows went up, and I saw a hint of a real smile on his face, making any regret that I had vanish. I silently promised to help him as much as I possibly could, no matter the sacrifices I had to make, such as sharing a house with him or taking off from work. I would do it all.

The doctor spoke again. "Well, that settles that I guess. Mrs. Munroe, if you would come with me please, then we will take care of the legal issues so that Mr. Cooper can go home with you." he motioned for the exit, and Mom walked out with him following closely behind, shutting the door as he left.

For a while, Chad and I sat there in an awkward silence, neither of us brave enough to talk or even look at each other.

"So..." I started, trailing off after only one word.

"So..." he mirrored. He coughed once, and then added, "Umm... So if I'm going to be, you know, staying with you, then there are some things that I'm gonna need from my place..."

"You wanna write a list out for us?" I mocked, but he seemed to take me seriously.

"That's a great idea!" He reached for a pen and notepad that were lying on the table next to him and began writing furiously.

I scoffed. "You're not actually writing a-" I was cut off by him shoving the pad into my hands. "Wow, you really did just write a list."

I quickly skimmed over what he had written. Clothes, toothbrush... It all seemed like regular stuff to me. Wait! Five cans of hairspray? Salon-style shampoo and conditioner? A designer comb? He cannot be serious with this!

"You cannot be serious with this, right?" I laughed. He looked at me like I was a freak of nature or something, and I realized that he really was serious! I laughed harder, holding my stomach to stop it from hurting so much.

Chad's face reddened, although I couldn't tell whether he was embarrassed or angry with me. I managed to subdue my laughter for his sake, but I still couldn't believe what I was looking at.

"I'll, umm, give this to my mom I guess," I stammered out, trying to keep my laughter from spewing out again. I got up from my chair and walked out of the room to inform Mom of Chad's 'demands.'

I as soon as I shut the door, I burst out laughing one more time.

(Chad)

The door closed, and I heard loud, Sonny-like laughter coming from the other side. I didn't know what felt worse: her laughing to my face or her laughing behind my back. I flinched at the sound, and my blush deepened.

What was so wrong with my list? I had only put down the bare necessities. Nothing more. What the heck was so funny?

I once again looked at the I.V. drip attached to me, and I tried to mentally prepare myself for the pain and weakness that I would soon feel.

The last time I had a reaction like this was when I was seven. I remember sitting in the hospital bed, with both of my parents there, scared to death, but feeling ok. I remember thinking: This isn't so bad. Why did everyone make such a big deal out of it? Then I was sent home, and it hit me. It was like running into a brick wall at top speed. I was sickly and ill for weeks.

I just hoped that I would recover faster this time. I couldn't afford to miss that many days of work. They needed me! How were they supposed to make Mackenzie Falls Magic without Mackenzie? I couldn't disappoint my millions of viewers; they were what kept me so popular! That, and my natural awesomeness, of course. I mean really, you don't become a heart-throb by accident!

Over the next hour or so, I basically just sat in the bed and did nothing. Sonny came in a few times, but never stayed very long. I figured she was just checking up on me.

After about twenty minutes a nurse came in and gave me something to eat for dinner. It was disgusting. I would have much rather eaten whatever the Randoms were usually served for lunch than this stuff. Ick.

Then they removed the I.V. from my arm, claiming that there wasn't any more medicine that could be put into me that would do any good.

Shortly after, another nurse came in and helped me get dressed. How humiliating. For once I was unhappy with a female nurse. Usually I loved it when girls took care of me (for obvious reasons), but for the first time I wished that I could have gotten a man. I think my face will be permanently pink with embarrassment.

As I sat in bed, I could gradually feel my strength waning. It was like... someone pulled the plug on a full bathtub, and the water was slowly draining out of it. Hmm... Not bad. I might just keep that simile. God, what am I thinking about? Similes? This gave a new meaning to the word 'bored.'

I was barely able to stay awake by the next time Sonny came in. The only thing that kept me up was the fact that she wasn't alone. The doctor and Mrs. Munroe were with her.

"Chad, it's time to go." said Mrs. Munroe. I groaned. Why did they always send me home once I really started to feel sick?

The doctor looked me up and down, probably seeing my deflated posture and pained face. "I'll call for a wheelchair."

I sat bolt upright. "What? No no no no NO! Chad Dylan Cooper does not do wheelchairs! I - I can walk! I can walk!" I pleaded desperately. Wasn't this whole ordeal humiliating enough?

The doctor turned to me and said, "Try to stand up. I'll go and get the wheelchair... Just in case." He left the room, leaving only Sonny and her mom standing there.

I swallowed. Well, here goes nothing. I shifted position so that my legs hung over the bed, then pushed myself up slowly. I stood and two wobbly legs, but I was standing. I smiled. So far, so good.

Then I tried to take a step. A little shaky, but still ok. Then another. This isn't so hard. One more -

Suddenly I felt my legs give out underneath me, and I began to fall towards the ground. But before I could make contact with the cold, hard floor, I felt two arms wrap around my waist, hoisting me up. I looked and realized that it was Sonny and Mrs. Munroe.

They were standing on either side of me, holding me up. I shakily wrapped one arm around each of their necks, grunting at the effort.

I took another step forward, and another, and soon I was out the door and walking down the hallways, both Munroes at my side.

I walked right out of the hospital, and I was really proud of myself, even if I had needed help. Take that doctor-man! Who's wheelchair-bound now?

I glanced around. Where was the car? Suddenly I felt Sonny and her mom steering me toward an old, ugly station wagon. No, they can't be serious... This has to be a joke right? But, to my horror, Mrs. Munroe took out a set of keys and opened the back door. I groaned. This was more painful then leaving in a wheelchair! Sonny, however, seemed to take my moan as a sound of physical pain, because I heard her whisper into my ear, her breath hot on my neck, "Shhh... It's alright Chad. It's just a short car ride and then we'll be home. Just hang in there, ok?"

I nodded, shivering slightly, but not from cold. Why did Sonny have that effect on me? I didn't understand it.

She slid into the backseat, and Mrs. Munroe helped me in next to her, then she got into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition.

It was then that I suddenly realized how exhausted I was. I figured I had probably strained myself trying to walk, and now I was paying the toll.

I slumped against Sonny, my head resting slightly on her shoulder, my eyes half-closed. I breathed in deeply, and my nose was filled with the delicious smell of her perfume. Mmm... Vanilla. I sighed, and the rest of the car ride flew by me, as I had fallen into a daze of exhaustion and bliss.

I vaguely remember stopping, and Sonny and Mrs. Munroe helping me out of the car and into a standing position. I remember dragging my feet in a poor attempt to walk, and I remember hearing grunts coming from the Munroes, who practically carried me to their apartment. I wasn't aware enough, however, to react to any of it at the time.

Then I saw a door open in front of me and heard Sonny say in that overly-peppy voice of hers, "Well, here it is! Home, sweet home!"

I looked around at the small apartment that would be my living quarters for God-knows-how-long, and couldn't help thinking sarcastically: Yeah... home, sweet home, all right.

Author's Note: Alright, another quick author's note. Dx

Let's make it... 120 reviews! Do that, and I'll post the next chapter! :D

Read and Review Please! ;D

~ Servy :)