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(Note: Open only to people who ICly know Eve!)

It was December the Twentieth.

Eve would have hardly remembered; she had been too busy being bored, staring at the flowers around her (which were slowly losing their bright colors), clinging on to any company that had dropped in to visit her, and trying to find a way to get herself out faster. Every time she asked, the doctor would harumph and tell her to be patient, they just needed to observe how she did for a while more.

It felt excruciatingly long, and was certainly not just a while more. She didn't even think she would have to stay long, she was just bruised and her ankle sprained. However, what she had thought was an ankle sprain was really a fracture, and her leg had been put into a cast. Still, she felt like she had laid in the hospital bed for what seemed like forever. It wasn't as though the doctors knew she had almost died. Doctors did not believe in starseeds. They wouldn't even she tried to explain, anyway.

She had been reminded by the nurse who had come in to check on her, and looked at her charts. Then told her it was her birthday and patted her head with a smile. She had tried to use this as negotiation; 'Hey, since it's my birthday, can you ask the doctor to discharge me as a present?' The nurse only laughed and told her she would have to be patient.

Ugh. Eve Summers was not a patient girl.

Eve was now more fidgety than she was. It was her birthday. Who spent their birthday in the hospital? She certainly thought she would never experience this. Expelling a muffled 'urgh!' after the nurse left the room by covering her face with a pillow, the blonde girl lay there for a while, annoyance slowly seeping in.

She was not about to be alone on her birthday. Not if she could help it.

Snatching up her cellphone that lay on the side table, she texted practically everyone on her contact list.

'hey guys!! apparently, it's my birthday today heehee x3 come down to the hospital and accompany me just for today? i'm bored )':

p.s. please bring cake??? <33'

Now to wait. If anyone would actually come, of course. "Happy birthday to me." She mumbled and then sighed.

Waiting was always the hardest part.

"You're like a mind reader or something." Eve said, bolting up from her bed at the sound of Rea's voice (the knocking could have signaled anyone's arrival). She was also grinning very widely, it was like a very pleased 'YAY, I don't need to wait any longer!' expression on her face. "You're awesome, Reanna Marshall." Her eyes drifted to what Rea held in her hand, balloons and a box! Presents! Maybe everyone else in the hospital were getting get well gifts, but these were birthday gifts, and Eve did not care what they were. They were presents!

"You look funny." She commented, tilting her head as she observed the strawberry-haired girl. "It's supposed to be a happy day! As happy as it can get in the hospital, at least. It's boring. I'm so glad you came! And if only you would let me use my henshin pen to sneak out, I'd be free from this accursed place!" The item in question was actually under her pillow, for Eve had no idea where else to put it. There were many times when she reached her hand underneath it and fingered it, wondering that if she henshined up, the cast would still be on her senshi self.

But Eve never bothered to try yelling out 'Flora Power, Make Up'. She didn't really have a desire to remind herself of failure.

The hospital was even busier around this time of year than any other year, at least when it came to dealing with Hillworth students. From misadventures of licking frozen poles to the dangers of ice to even 'Frosty the Abominable Snowman' pranks gone wrong, there was always bound to be at least three Hillworth boys checked into the hospital.

Alexander wasn't one of them, luckily. Rather, that one kid he kinda-sorta knew in class happened to have taken a snowball surprise with extra rock filling to the head, leaving him out of school and in the care of the hospital staff. He didn't envy them – even Hillworth's oh-so delectable food was preferable to the cardboard seasoned fare served here.

He was on his way out when he spied a mass of balloons moving ahead of him. It was easy enough to duck into someone's room and peer around the doorway. Was that...? Yes! It was the Crystal girl who gave Marlo and him her panties in order to return victorious to their fellows. He first wondered what she was up to, then wondered again what would happen if she saw him. How did her date with Marlo go anyway? Wait! That was the chick he recorded and who then kicked his a**! What was she doing here?

With a shrug to himself and a quick apology to the bemused hospitalized patient whose room he hid in, Alexander made his way to Eve's hospital door and peered in. Hopefully he wouldn't be noticed...

Already he could hear the warning siren -- the lights were about to flicker red and Alex would have to scramble for the nearest cardboard box to hide under an- wait. This wasn't Metal Gear! He relaxed his grip on the doorframe he suddenly clenched, then stepped away with it to further place himself in the line of fire doorway.

"Me? Ahahaha, nonono!" He said, a blush rising to his face as he flailed his arms in negatory, "No way! I mean, uh, it's not like that since they're kinda still, um, wearing them y'know and it's not as if I know where the staff area is and you know how sometimes some people are when they look one way but really swing for the other team and I don't want to fall into a trap you know?!"

He slapped his pockets, scrambling for a peace-offering just in case the other girl approached. She already tackled him once, and he didn't need to repeat that experience! "Um, can I interest you ladies in some strawberry pocky that I swear I just bought today and didn't keep in my pocket for a couple months? I have the receipt for it, too!"

Eve was almost tempted to ask Rea, 'it's jewelery, right?' It seemed small enough to fit earrings, or even a pendant inside. But it was supposed to be surprise, and Eve liked surprises, so she kept her guesses to herself. Besides, she trusted Rea's taste, and Rea was a very very good friend of hers. When you were a very very good friend of Eve's, she tended to disregard what you bought her. Unless it was Lucien and it was books; in that case, Eve usually went ugh, but did secretly try to find some time to read it. With a smile, she opened the box, and the grin grew when she saw the hair clips. "More flowers!" The girl exclaimed. "Can I put them on now? Or is my hair too messy? It's hard to get up and go to the mirror to see how I look these days. Please don't tell me I still look awful!"

Rea would have been pestered more by incessant chatter, if not for Alex's presence. "I was just joking." She said lightly, though somewhat amused at his discomfort. "So, your present to me is strawberry pocky?" She didn't have his number though, so that means he had stumbled upon them by chance. Oh well, the more the merrier!

Rea let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when she heard (what she hoped was) a pleased exclamation, offering the blonde girl a smile. "Of course you can put them on now, they're yours," She returned, pulling a nearby seat up to the bed and taking a seat, her smile growing as Eve continued to chatter happily, "You don't look awful, you're looking much better. I hope they'll let you out of the hospital soon."

She meant it, too. Things had been rather lonely without her bubbly roommate to keep her company, chattering about school or, more often than not, something to do with their senshi-dom. Rea had gotten use to living with her cheerful friend, and with these long days without her, she was surprised how empty it felt without her. She really missed her. Even so, she knew that the hospital was probably the safest place for her to be while she was injured, not because she thought they could protect her, but because she knew Eve had to stay inside. No patrols, no youma, no negaverse.

Relaxing a little in the chair, Rea offered Alex her attention as he spoke, listening politely and shaking her head when he mentioned the balloons, which had by now gathered on the ceiling, the strings hanging down around Eve's bed like little vines.

Alex offered a grin and a shrug in response to Eve. "Typical Hillworth stuff -- someone ends up here every winter. I don't blame'em, though I've never tried it myself. Apparently the beds are just as comfortable here as they are at Hillworth, except the food here's better and you get a reasonably good tv." He gestured to the TV that was nearly hidden by an attention-grabbing shiny balloon. "Granted some of the shows just loop again and again and again and it's quite boring, but it's good for the first couple of minutes to sate the boredom."

He fell silent, then glanced from Eve to Rea and back again, considering before turning to Rea. "If she has a seatbelt, helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and a couple of pillows would it be okay? C'mon, it'd be fun! For one of you, that is," he added quickly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Then again I suppose you could also push and jump onto the back of it like a shopping cart if they're sturdy enough providing that it has a handy break system and can handle turns pretty well..."