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Erend's head lolled backwards, his pale, unfocussed eyes staring at an unseen point on the ceiling. Medical gauze bulged from his puffed-out cheeks, and his protruding lips quivered as he began to whisper frantically to himself.
Aloy's eyebrows furrowed in alarm as she observed Erend's condition. He looked terrible, shuffling restlessly in his chair. "Are you sure he's okay to leave?" she asked the nurse, standing clipboard in hand by his side.
"He's perfectly fine, just a bit groggy from the anaesthesia," the nurse reassured her with a smile, “He just needs a rest, and plenty of fluids.” Aloy watched as Erend's unsteady gaze shifted towards the nurse.
“Is she kidnapping me?” The words came out garbled, like he was trying to speak around a mouthful of marbles. It was unsettling for Aloy to see the usually strong and capable man to be brought so low by a simple dental procedure.
The nurse smiled placidly down at him, “No, she’s going to take you home.”
Erend paused for a moment, his dazed mind trying to make sense of his surroundings. "Oh," he finally muttered, nodding to himself, "This is my home." Aloy watched with fascination as he surveyed the waiting room, taking in the sparse and unremarkable furnishings with a mix of bewilderment and resignation.
Suddenly, Erend craned his head back sharply, causing Aloy to startle. "My TV's on the roof!" He cried out in wonder, staring at the wall-mounted TV, lifting himself from the chair.
Aloy stepped forward and took hold of Erend's arm, helping him to his feet. "Come on, big guy," she said with a soft smile. "Let's get you home and tucked in under a cosy blanket."
His pale gaze finally settled on Aloy, and she was unsettled by its unsteady intensity. “Oh,” he said, his voice filled with wonder, “you’re pretty.” Aloy fended off a large hand that reached to tangle in her hair, and she felt herself flush at the unexpectedly sincere compliment.
“Quite the charmer, isn’t he?” The nurse giggled as she gently disentangled Aloy’s hair from Erend's grasp, "Are you going to be alright on your own?"
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help Nurse-” Aloy searched for the woman’s name tag, flushing again as she realised her mistake, “Sorry, Dr. Zo. I’ll take him from here.”
Getting Erend into her hatchback was a challenge at the best of times, and in his current condition, it was more like wrestling a drunk octopus. Arms and legs flailed in every direction, impeding their progress and repeatedly getting caught on the car door. Eventually, she managed to settle him in the passenger seat, but had to lean over him to fasten his seat belt. As she did, she felt something tug at her hair and looked up to see him staring at a fistful of her fiery locks with a mesmerised expression.
“It’s beautiful,” he slurred.
She reached up to disentangle herself from him, “You said that.” When she was finally free, she slipped into the driver’s side and turned the ignition. As she pulled away from the parking spot, she heard a choking sound coming from Erend. Alarmed, she turned to see him crying, tears and snot streaming down his face. His chest heaved with wracking sobs.
"What's wrong?" Aloy asked, her heart racing. She had only been gone for a moment, and she couldn't imagine what could have caused such a sudden outburst.
Erend brought a thick finger up to his lips, tracing them as if he were trying to form words. "They took my tongue," he finally managed to say between sobs.
Aloy sighed, equally frustrated and relieved. “They didn’t take your tongue. Look - in the mirror.” She pulled down the passenger side visor mirror and watched as Erend sagged in relief, his wide tongue poking in and out of his parted lips like a lizard at a stream. The visual sent Aloy into a silent fit of giggles as she indicated to enter the main road.
Erend suddenly pitched forward, bringing his face to the small mirror. “I’m so handsome,” he announced, to no one in particular, “My hair! I’m cool. Like Mr T. Mr. T-cool.” He ran his hand over his stubbled sides, crying “I pity the fool” at varying pitches as he studied himself in the mirror.
At this point, Aloy had to pull over to keep from crashing. Her gasping laughter left her wheezing and slumped over the steering wheel.
Erend reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, concern etched on his features. “It’s okay,” he slurred, “You’re really pretty too.” He spoke the words slowly and deliberately as if speaking to a child. He looked again in the mirror, pulling it so close to his face his nose was almost touching the glass. “We’re both beautiful.” The words were said matter of factly, and Aloy had to quickly wipe a tear from her eye before returning to the road.
He remained in quiet contemplation for some time, only snapping away from the mirror when Aloy reached over to turn on the radio. The sound of Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight filled the car, and Erend began air drumming with such enthusiasm that the car rocked from side to side. A loudly and joyously slurred rendition of Killer Queen later, Aloy reached over to switch it off again. Ideally, she’d like to make it home with her hearing and love of music intact.
He lapsed into silence again, swaying slightly in his seat as he watched the traffic ahead. They weren’t far from the house when a weight landed on Aloy’s knee, and she had to fight her shock to keep the car steady.
"Erend? What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
He turned to her and asked in a soft voice, "What's your name?"
"Aloy," she replied, stealing a quick glance at him before focusing back on the road.
“Aye-loy,” he repeated her name contemplatively, like he’d discovered a new species.
"Aaaaaalooooy!"
He stretched the vowels as she turned off the freeway, juggling the consonants as they passed the sign welcoming them back to Meridian.
“Aloy?” This time it was a question.
“Yes, Erend?”
“I think I love you.” He slurred the words and Aloy was transported back to the first time he’d said them to her. He’d been slurring then too, lost in grief and drink. Aloy hadn’t known how to react, and she just watched him like a rabbit in headlights as he teetered on his barstool. Erend had always been flirtatious, something even Aloy with her limited experience had picked up on. But that night he’d let the words out to wreak havoc on her heart, then had no memory of it the next morning.
“Aloy?” he asked now, his voice small, vulnerable “Do I have a marshmallow in my mouth?”
Aloy all but slung Erend over her shoulder as they stumbled up the uneven path to the front step. As she fumbled in her pocket for the keys, she was startled by a loud ding-ding-ding-ding sound from the other side of the door. Glancing up, she saw that Erend had rediscovered the doorbell and was merrily ringing away. A small red light above the bell illuminated, and a wicked smile curled on Aloy’s lips. She made a mental note to get her hands on the footage and never let Erend live this down.
It took three attempts for Aloy to get the key in the lock, as Erend swayed unsteadily beside her. Nearly losing her balance, she tightened her grip around his waist and managed to turn the key, pushing open the front door.
Aloy guided Erend towards the tan couch in the centre of the living room. She released her hold on him for a heartbeat as she bent down to drop her bag on the floor. He wavered for a moment before collapsing backwards onto the cushions. Aloy winced, worried that he might have hurt himself again.
More surgery was the last thing he needed.
"What's that?" Erend's voice was clear and laced with panic. Aloy yelped as he yanked on her hand with surprising strength, causing her to stumble backwards and land in a tangled heap on top of him.
Erend whimpered again, his grip tightening on Aloy's hand as he twisted his head to look at her with horror.
Her hand, bent at an awkward angle at the wrist, hovered just inches from his face. "You're married ?" he asked mournfully. Aloy had never seen him look so crestfallen, and her heart broke for him. She pulled away from his grip, but the small tug sent Erend slumping back into the soft cushions of the couch, crossing his arms like a petulant child.
"Oh, Erend," Aloy couldn't contain her laughter any longer as she watched him sulk. She slipped off his lap and onto the floor, kneeling in front of him and taking his large hand in hers, pulling him from his slouch.
“Erend,” she began, stifling her giggles as she asked, "Are you upset that I'm married?"
His reaction surprised her as he puffed out his cheeks and turned away, his voice quiet and hurt. “Not if you're happy," he muttered.
Aloy's heart broke anew. He was so agonisingly selfless. Of course he wanted her to be happy, that was all he ever wanted. She schooled her features to hide how his words had affected her, and entwined her fingers with his. Erend stirred at her touch and looked down at their conjoined hands.
“I’m very happy.” She said firmly, a smile playing at her lips.
“Good.” It came out as a derisive snort.
“Erend, I’m very happy, because I’m married to you.” She lifted his hand to eye level, twisting her grip to show a second flash of gold in their tangle of fingers.
It took a second for the words to penetrate his addled mind, but when it did, a smile like pure sunshine broke out on his face. For the first time, he seemed to notice that he wore a ring matching her own plain gold band, and he tugged his hand free and held it to the light, a look of awe in his pale blue eyes.
Aloy felt her heart swell watching him. When he came around, she’d never let him live this down, but for the moment she was happy to bask in his simple joys.
Something behind his hand seemed to grab his attention and Aloy’s eyes followed his gaze to the mantle under their TV, where their wedding photo sat. It wasn't exactly a traditional portrait - they stood on a bustling sidewalk outside the town hall, hands clasped and gazing into each other's eyes as the world whizzed by in the background. Aloy wore a tailored navy suit over a cropped blouse, while Erend looked dashing in a linen yellow suit, a pocket watch dangling jauntily from his vest. This simple, intimate moment after their courthouse wedding had been one of the happiest of Aloy’s life, and she braced in anticipation for his reaction.
“Oh,” Erend said, his eyes going wide as he took in the sight, “My TV’s on the roof here too!”