Word Count: 595

“Hey Grams! I’m going out. You need anything? Imma leave Merlin here, he’s outside in the backyard!”

Azzo was ready to head out the door, when his grams came down with a stack of bills and a list of things to pick up from the store. Azzo looked at the list and then the stack of bills; he’d never realized they amassed such a pile. He shook his head, “Be careful dear. I want you home in time for supper.”

His Grams instructed. It was just after lunch. Azzo pouted, “Alright, alright fine. What are you going to do?” He asked curiously head tilting. “I’m heading to the next town over for just a bit. The taxis’ coming to pick me up, some of the girls from the country want to meet me over there and catch up. They’d heard your father had been in town recently.” She said as she got her coat out.

Azzo paused, “Alright, just be careful?” He asked looking at her curiously as he held the door for her, she nodded.

“Always pup. I’ll see you at supper.”

“Alright Grams.” He said with a smile as he watched her leave before picking his way towards the places that needed to be paid.

He’d had head his headphones in because he took his ipod with him listening to songs that crept up on the play list. He paused when he passed a restaurant that had the wafting smell of cinnamon buns coming out of it. He licked his lips and looked at the time.

Supper wasn’t till 6 or 7…. He paused it was still early enough. His mouth was watering, as the cinnamon drew him in. “Grams won’t mind. It’s just a little snack…”

He said as he entered the shop, placing an order. It was after he got his buns wrapped safely in a paper bag and walked outside when it happened. The surge of sleep covered Azzo had just swallowed a bit of his cinnamon bun when he dropped, the song changing to enter the sand man.

As the strange rash of coma victims spread, Fiona Crowley’s new cell phone rang. Once, Twice…

“Hello?” The voice on the other end picked up, she was in another town all together, expecting Azzo’s voice on the other end.

“Hello.” The other voice said, not her grandsons. “Ma’am do you know an Azzo Wolf Crowley?”

“Yes he’s my grandson… why… has something happened?”

The voice hesitated, unsure how to answer. “Are you sitting down Ma’am?”

Fiona’s eyes started tearing up pleading with the man on the other end, “Please don’t tell me he’s dead. I just got him back. Please…”

“Ma’am… he’s not dead… he’s just… not responding. In a coma from what we can tell, he’s here at Destiny’s coma ward; we’ll know more when we can finish some tests.” The voice said.

“I’ll be right there.” Fiona’s friends looked at her, worried.

“Is he…” Started one of her friends but they were cut off by Fiona getting up and shaking her head.

“I have go, I’m sorry, he needs me.” She called a cab and got into the back seat, telling the driver to step on it, to get her to Destiny city memorial. The second most dreaded phone call she had to make would come later that night. His parents had just left not a few weeks ago… Now they’d have to find out their son wasn’t responsive, she looked down at the sidewalk, and tears filled her eyes as she walked.

How would she ever tell them?