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Deviation Actions
Literature Text
We rode in the van behind the ambulance, and soon were at Fairview Southdale hospital.
The driver of the van tossed several towels towards Shelly and me. "Dry off as best you can. Did you find her shoes?"
"I have them," Shelly answered. "You don't have to treat me like a piece of cargo!"
"And if Greg were here, he'd zap the bejesus out of you for even saying that, buddy!" I had to be the strong one, remember?
"Okay, okay..." the driver held up his hands in defense. "Of course, I meant did you find your shoes... look. Just... just dry off and get your legs back, okay? We don't want any photos of mermaids on the internet today."
"There's tons of them!" Shelly gasped, still tearing up.
"I meant if you-"
"Just shut up and guard the door! We'll be out in a moment." I wanted to punch the guy, but I also knew that it still wasn't worth getting too upset. I had to keep human too, especially if I was going to be able to see if Greg was okay for myself. "Come on, Shelly... he's gotta be okay."
"I thought about him every day... I owe it to him to be at his side, Michelle... we're bonded..." Shelly put her hand over her engagement ring. "Both by the laws of the sea and the magic of the land... and by this beautiful ring..."
"Just dry off. They don't have any extra wheelchairs for mermaids in this hospital," I said with a chuckle.
She sniffled, but nodded. "Okay."
A few minutes later, Shelly was human and my hair was dry enough to put somewhere close to right. Once she got her shoes back on and she lost the denim getup - I lost my U of M attire too, having worn my normal clothing beneath, Shelly and I exited the van and followed the FBI agent inside the waiting room.
Though Shelly was now wearing hot pants from the waist down, we didn't get many stares while in the waiting area. I just sat quietly and tried to reflect on the events that had gotten me here today. Nobody was talking about me anymore, that much was certain. If this had been some act on Greg's part, drawing the attention to himself and away from me or Shelly, I had to give him thanks - that would be quite a sacrifice on his part. But even if it was just a part of his usual bumbling dumb luck, I was still happy for that.
That fact was confirmed when we sat and watched the local news on the television, which was recounting the events in the stadium. Instead of talking about the car that could jump and drive itself around without a driver, they were now talking about the walking power plant and the man who stood between her and the crowd.
"Who the heck is Surge?" Shelly asked.
"Looks like a reference to the X-Men character..." I read the scrolling text beneath the video of Greg and Wanika exchanging electricity. "Though I can't tell if they're referring to him or her."
"No, they're calling him Bishop," Shelly said.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Ridiculous."
Just then an FBI agent and a nurse came into the waiting room. "Shelly? Michelle? You can come with us, please."
Shelly went first, and I followed close behind. They brought us to the back hallway and met privately with the FBI agent and the nurse. “We checked Greg's vital signs and discovered that he’s alive and fine, but currently in some sort of coma.”
“Did you leave everything on him?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” the nurse asked.
“His clothes, his shoes, his...”
“No, he’s wearing a hospital gown. What are you asking about, exactly?”
I began to envision a smoldering nurse who had attempted to remove Greg’s pearl from his person.
Shelly spoke for me instead. “Never mind... where is he now?”
“Once we were certain that his heart and body functions were normal, we transferred him upstairs. He’s in room 317, resting comfortably.”
“Great.” Shelly started straight for the elevators.
“Wait!” I held up my hand to grab her shoulder, but she was too fast. “Um...”
“I understand... at any rate, we don’t know how long he’ll be in a coma, but we can’t find any degregation of tissues or any lapse in mental activity...”
“In other words, he’s not hurt,” I said.
The nurse nodded. “As far as we can tell, he's completely normal. Anyways, I’m sure you want to go visit with him... I had better let you go...”
“Thank you.” I nodded to the FBI agent as the nurse left.
“There’s an FBI team upstairs. I’ll keep things secure down here.”
“Thanks.” I headed for the elevator.
Shelly had already beat me upstairs, and I found her at the nurse’s station.
“He’s unresponsive, but are you a sister?” the nurse asked.
“I’m his fiance. I have to see him, please?”
“And I’m his best friend. We’re going to see him, miss. Which room is 317?”
“The doctor staff is still checking vital signs...”
“Forget this.” Shelly started down the hall, and I followed.
“Wait!”
We headed down the hall to 317, pushed aiside the FBI agent outside and found a double occupancy room, but there was only a bed on one side, where Greg was laid out, unconscious and covered with a blanket. He was wearing a hospital gown, equipped with an oxygen mask and hooked up to an IV and an EKG which was reading very bizzare electrical patterns.
“Greg... are you okay?”
Two doctors were looking over his EKG screen. “Miss... you’re not supposed to be here...”
“Bullshit I’m not supposed to be here!” Shelly pushed them aside and sat next to Greg, holding his right arm. “Oh Greg...”
“I’m Michelle, and she’s Shelly. She’s his fianace...” I began.
“Sure... I guess we’re done here, aren’t we, doctor?”
The second doctor nodded. “Aside from very bizzare electrical results from his EKG, he seems normal.”
“Did you check his pulse rate? Blood pressure, that sort of thing?” I asked.
“From regular examination, he seems fine, aside from what almost appears to be a self-induced coma. His EKG results are especially erratic, his diatonic level's a little high... but despite the increased elecrical activity his body functions and systems all appear normal...”
“Did you see the news, fellas? He could’ve easily had a hundred amps pulsing through his body just now.”
“A hundred amps?” The doctors nearly jumped out of their shoes. “No kidding...”
“Just give us a moment, please? We’d like a few moments with our friend.”
The two doctors exchanged glances. “Very well. We’ll be monitoring his condition from the nurse’s station.”
“Thank you.” I shook their hands and closed the door after they left. Once we were alone together, I pulled over a chair and put my hand on Shelly’s shoulder. “How is he?”
“Sleeping... just sleeping... Greg? I know you can hear me... you were great, protecting those people.” Shelly turned to me. “What about you? How did you get out of that?”
“Ice beam,” I smiled. “They caught me with a net, and then brought in the other car. Pretty well executed, in all fairness.”
“At least one thing came from this,” Shelly said.
I nodded. “They’re not talking about me any longer.”
Around that time, my cellphone began to ring. I moved over to the window and sat along the window well and answered it. It was Greg’s father.
“Hello? Yes... you’re wondering if you can talk to him?” I held my hand over the phone a moment, before asking back into the phone. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve been watching the news... I can’t tell if its him or not. I got a phone call from my other son...”
“Well, Mr. Claxion...” I held my hand over the phone. “What do I tell him, Shelly?”
“Um...” Shelly raised up her hands with a shrug.
Greg began to stir. He slowly opened his mouth. “...no...”
“Greg?” Shelly’s eyes widened and she began to smile. “I’m here, Greg.”
Though I don’t know if he was with us or not, I held the phone to my ear again and took his one word to heart. “As far as I know, sir, Greg’s at work. You know how he is, I wouldn’t bother calling him right now... I’m also just leaving work myself today... working at the zoo, you know, there needs to be someone feeding the dolphins, you know.”
“Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“I’m sure, absolutely. Can I call you back after awhile? Maybe after he heads home?”
“If you could, Michelle, I’d appreciate it. We’re just wondering...”
“Don’t worry, sir. I’m not even sure what all that stuff on the news is, but I have a hard time believing Greg’s involved in it.”
“You’re sure? Michelle?”
“I’m sure, sir. You know us... nothing weird ever seems to happen when we’re involved.” Damn I wanted to slap myself just then... you have no idea how hard it was not to laugh.
“Okay... well, keep me posted. I’d like to hear it from him, just to be sure.”
“If anything changes, sir, you’ll be the first to know. Talk to you later.”
“Thanks, Michelle. Later.” Click.
I lowered the phone and sighed. “Phew. I never thought I’d be covering for Greg.”
“After all the times he’s covered for us? How are we going to get through this so easily?” Shelly sat up in the chair. “I mean, I changed... you changed... he’s done so much to keep us out of the limelight and the spotlight.”
“Should I turn on the news report?” I asked.
Shelly thought a moment, and then nodded. “Yeah... go ahead.”
I walked up to the TV and changed the channels, and the first local news I found had moved onto other stories. I scrolled through them, but now only found regular shows. The story was no longer breaking news, and even though it was still raining outside, the afternoon was back to normal, at least from the media’s perspective.
“Guess they’re not interested in us right now,” I said, leaving it on channel four. “What time is it?” I checked my cellphone, but Shelly answered first.
“Almost six thirty.” Shelly put her hand on Greg’s chest. “He’s warm... but why is he still unconcious?”
“That was a lot of energy that went through him...” I began to wonder. If Greg was knocked out, what happened with Wanika? “I’m going to go find out where Wanika is... just wait here, okay?”
Shelly nodded. “I want to be here when he wakes.”
“And I’m sure he would too.” I pocketed my cellphone and left the room, leaving the door ajar but mostly closed so that Shelly and Greg could have their privacy.
I checked with the FBI agent out front. If I were to have any idea what had happened with Greg, I would have to know Wanika's side of the story.
He said he'd keep watch over Greg and Shelly, but instructed me to head to room 378 where Wanika was. I walked down to the far end of the hall and found Agent Wright personally keeping an eye on her.
"Hello Miss Peyton," the agent said as I approached.
"Can I speak with Wanika?"
He nodded. "Be careful. She may still be electric, and although she's in a room by herself..."
"I know, I'll be careful." He didn't have to tell me that one good shock and I'd be turning this ward into a garage. That little fact was true anyplace, anytime, everywhere I went. "Thanks."
I knocked on the door and went in.
Inside, Wanika was hooked up to equipment in the same manner Greg was, but her EKG wasn't working at all. There was too much interference, and it was clear by all the static in the corners of the screen. The lights were off, and though I didn't ask why, I assumed it was Wanika's idea. She too had a room by herself, and the space for the second bed was clear and open.
"Wanika?"
"Michelle? Please... come in." Wanika was wearing her own hospital gown and was sitting up in the bed. "I hoped I'd be able to see you."
I pulled up a chair. "How have you been?"
Wanika smiled. "The same as I was when you last saw me. I've been living with Mrs. Finch, your neighbor, ever since January, when the people from Secrelia released me."
“January... we’ve had power surges and troubles at the house ever since... I guess you’re responsible, huh?”
Wanika nodded. “I’m very sorry. But I’m glad to be back in public.”
"They just released you? Just like that?" I asked.
Wanika shrugged. "They decided I wasn't a threat to anyone. It was determined that I could control my abilities, and for a time, I thought they were right. Recently... that hasn't been the case..."
"I remember when we first met, you told me that you admired my own abilities..." I held up my hands and looked at my knuckles. "That you thought it was wonderful that I could control myself. Yet, some days, I feel that it's totally the opposite."
"Agreed," Wanika said. "Have you... have you been able to control Summer? I mean, completely?"
I shook my head. "And I don't know if I'll ever be able to. Summer herself is easy to keep leashed, as it were, but suddenly transforming when I get hot... well, I can only do so much."
"Did the FBI help you get your independance back? I remember seeing the news report... I felt so terrible, I had to go to the exhibition, even though I tried to tell Lexi's mom that she was meddling with you."
"She's a very enthusiastic person, isn't she?" I chuckled.
"She loves Lexi very much, and as I’ve came to know her over the past few months, it’s easy to tell why."
"How did Lexi get thrown onto the bridge beam?" I asked.
Wanika sighed and turned towards the window. "I thought you might ask that."
"I guess I just happened to be there at the right time... I'm glad she didn't get hurt. I'm just a little curious."
"Maybe I've been getting careless... maybe I can't control myself. I... feel sometimes..."
I noticed that the EKG machine began to lose power. The lights in the hallway were also dimming slightly.
"Wanika?"
"Maybe I can't control myself..." She looked towards me suddenly, and the lights in the hall seemed to return to their normal levels. "When it happens, what can you do?"
"All I can do is try to move into a better position. I can't move my head, I can't stand... all I can do is kneel to the floor and let everything happen."
"Does it hurt?"
I shook my head. "It hasn't in a long time. I'm so used to it by now, I sometimes transform in my sleep."
"Could you... change for me sometime?"
I widened my eyes. "Right now?"
"No... I guess you don't have to now..."
"There's room, but how am I to explain to the nurse why there's a car in here? You're here to recover, right?"
"Actually, I'm not even hurt. I was a little dizzy, maybe, when they first brought me here... but I guess they‘re keeping me here for observation, if nothing else. How is Greg?"
"Sleeping, but I think he'll be okay."
"Was he... electrocuted? I feel terrible about that."
"I'm not sure. Ever since he got that Neptune Pearl... if they were to hit him with the defibrillator, I don't think it would have any effect."
Wanika settled back into the bed and leaned back. “If he isn’t responding... maybe that pearl of his is more important than... than he thinks it is.”
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning forward.
Wanika put her glasses on the nightstand. “He got his power from that pearl... maybe that’s the secret to him coming around.”
“Yeah... maybe...” The idea didn’t sound too impossible. “Is there anything else we need to discuss right away?”
“No, I’d like to sleep if I could... it seems that’s usually when I’m least... charged, if you will.”
I nodded. “Would you like me to try and talk with Dr. Chase about you? There must be some way for you to better control your charges. If I can control Summer, you can control that, right?”
“I welcome any help I can... anything to feel normal again.”
I rose from the chair. “I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, I hope you can rest for awhile.”
“Thank you.”
The driver of the van tossed several towels towards Shelly and me. "Dry off as best you can. Did you find her shoes?"
"I have them," Shelly answered. "You don't have to treat me like a piece of cargo!"
"And if Greg were here, he'd zap the bejesus out of you for even saying that, buddy!" I had to be the strong one, remember?
"Okay, okay..." the driver held up his hands in defense. "Of course, I meant did you find your shoes... look. Just... just dry off and get your legs back, okay? We don't want any photos of mermaids on the internet today."
"There's tons of them!" Shelly gasped, still tearing up.
"I meant if you-"
"Just shut up and guard the door! We'll be out in a moment." I wanted to punch the guy, but I also knew that it still wasn't worth getting too upset. I had to keep human too, especially if I was going to be able to see if Greg was okay for myself. "Come on, Shelly... he's gotta be okay."
"I thought about him every day... I owe it to him to be at his side, Michelle... we're bonded..." Shelly put her hand over her engagement ring. "Both by the laws of the sea and the magic of the land... and by this beautiful ring..."
"Just dry off. They don't have any extra wheelchairs for mermaids in this hospital," I said with a chuckle.
She sniffled, but nodded. "Okay."
A few minutes later, Shelly was human and my hair was dry enough to put somewhere close to right. Once she got her shoes back on and she lost the denim getup - I lost my U of M attire too, having worn my normal clothing beneath, Shelly and I exited the van and followed the FBI agent inside the waiting room.
Though Shelly was now wearing hot pants from the waist down, we didn't get many stares while in the waiting area. I just sat quietly and tried to reflect on the events that had gotten me here today. Nobody was talking about me anymore, that much was certain. If this had been some act on Greg's part, drawing the attention to himself and away from me or Shelly, I had to give him thanks - that would be quite a sacrifice on his part. But even if it was just a part of his usual bumbling dumb luck, I was still happy for that.
That fact was confirmed when we sat and watched the local news on the television, which was recounting the events in the stadium. Instead of talking about the car that could jump and drive itself around without a driver, they were now talking about the walking power plant and the man who stood between her and the crowd.
"Who the heck is Surge?" Shelly asked.
"Looks like a reference to the X-Men character..." I read the scrolling text beneath the video of Greg and Wanika exchanging electricity. "Though I can't tell if they're referring to him or her."
"No, they're calling him Bishop," Shelly said.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Ridiculous."
Just then an FBI agent and a nurse came into the waiting room. "Shelly? Michelle? You can come with us, please."
Shelly went first, and I followed close behind. They brought us to the back hallway and met privately with the FBI agent and the nurse. “We checked Greg's vital signs and discovered that he’s alive and fine, but currently in some sort of coma.”
“Did you leave everything on him?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” the nurse asked.
“His clothes, his shoes, his...”
“No, he’s wearing a hospital gown. What are you asking about, exactly?”
I began to envision a smoldering nurse who had attempted to remove Greg’s pearl from his person.
Shelly spoke for me instead. “Never mind... where is he now?”
“Once we were certain that his heart and body functions were normal, we transferred him upstairs. He’s in room 317, resting comfortably.”
“Great.” Shelly started straight for the elevators.
“Wait!” I held up my hand to grab her shoulder, but she was too fast. “Um...”
“I understand... at any rate, we don’t know how long he’ll be in a coma, but we can’t find any degregation of tissues or any lapse in mental activity...”
“In other words, he’s not hurt,” I said.
The nurse nodded. “As far as we can tell, he's completely normal. Anyways, I’m sure you want to go visit with him... I had better let you go...”
“Thank you.” I nodded to the FBI agent as the nurse left.
“There’s an FBI team upstairs. I’ll keep things secure down here.”
“Thanks.” I headed for the elevator.
Shelly had already beat me upstairs, and I found her at the nurse’s station.
“He’s unresponsive, but are you a sister?” the nurse asked.
“I’m his fiance. I have to see him, please?”
“And I’m his best friend. We’re going to see him, miss. Which room is 317?”
“The doctor staff is still checking vital signs...”
“Forget this.” Shelly started down the hall, and I followed.
“Wait!”
We headed down the hall to 317, pushed aiside the FBI agent outside and found a double occupancy room, but there was only a bed on one side, where Greg was laid out, unconscious and covered with a blanket. He was wearing a hospital gown, equipped with an oxygen mask and hooked up to an IV and an EKG which was reading very bizzare electrical patterns.
“Greg... are you okay?”
Two doctors were looking over his EKG screen. “Miss... you’re not supposed to be here...”
“Bullshit I’m not supposed to be here!” Shelly pushed them aside and sat next to Greg, holding his right arm. “Oh Greg...”
“I’m Michelle, and she’s Shelly. She’s his fianace...” I began.
“Sure... I guess we’re done here, aren’t we, doctor?”
The second doctor nodded. “Aside from very bizzare electrical results from his EKG, he seems normal.”
“Did you check his pulse rate? Blood pressure, that sort of thing?” I asked.
“From regular examination, he seems fine, aside from what almost appears to be a self-induced coma. His EKG results are especially erratic, his diatonic level's a little high... but despite the increased elecrical activity his body functions and systems all appear normal...”
“Did you see the news, fellas? He could’ve easily had a hundred amps pulsing through his body just now.”
“A hundred amps?” The doctors nearly jumped out of their shoes. “No kidding...”
“Just give us a moment, please? We’d like a few moments with our friend.”
The two doctors exchanged glances. “Very well. We’ll be monitoring his condition from the nurse’s station.”
“Thank you.” I shook their hands and closed the door after they left. Once we were alone together, I pulled over a chair and put my hand on Shelly’s shoulder. “How is he?”
“Sleeping... just sleeping... Greg? I know you can hear me... you were great, protecting those people.” Shelly turned to me. “What about you? How did you get out of that?”
“Ice beam,” I smiled. “They caught me with a net, and then brought in the other car. Pretty well executed, in all fairness.”
“At least one thing came from this,” Shelly said.
I nodded. “They’re not talking about me any longer.”
Around that time, my cellphone began to ring. I moved over to the window and sat along the window well and answered it. It was Greg’s father.
“Hello? Yes... you’re wondering if you can talk to him?” I held my hand over the phone a moment, before asking back into the phone. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve been watching the news... I can’t tell if its him or not. I got a phone call from my other son...”
“Well, Mr. Claxion...” I held my hand over the phone. “What do I tell him, Shelly?”
“Um...” Shelly raised up her hands with a shrug.
Greg began to stir. He slowly opened his mouth. “...no...”
“Greg?” Shelly’s eyes widened and she began to smile. “I’m here, Greg.”
Though I don’t know if he was with us or not, I held the phone to my ear again and took his one word to heart. “As far as I know, sir, Greg’s at work. You know how he is, I wouldn’t bother calling him right now... I’m also just leaving work myself today... working at the zoo, you know, there needs to be someone feeding the dolphins, you know.”
“Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“I’m sure, absolutely. Can I call you back after awhile? Maybe after he heads home?”
“If you could, Michelle, I’d appreciate it. We’re just wondering...”
“Don’t worry, sir. I’m not even sure what all that stuff on the news is, but I have a hard time believing Greg’s involved in it.”
“You’re sure? Michelle?”
“I’m sure, sir. You know us... nothing weird ever seems to happen when we’re involved.” Damn I wanted to slap myself just then... you have no idea how hard it was not to laugh.
“Okay... well, keep me posted. I’d like to hear it from him, just to be sure.”
“If anything changes, sir, you’ll be the first to know. Talk to you later.”
“Thanks, Michelle. Later.” Click.
I lowered the phone and sighed. “Phew. I never thought I’d be covering for Greg.”
“After all the times he’s covered for us? How are we going to get through this so easily?” Shelly sat up in the chair. “I mean, I changed... you changed... he’s done so much to keep us out of the limelight and the spotlight.”
“Should I turn on the news report?” I asked.
Shelly thought a moment, and then nodded. “Yeah... go ahead.”
I walked up to the TV and changed the channels, and the first local news I found had moved onto other stories. I scrolled through them, but now only found regular shows. The story was no longer breaking news, and even though it was still raining outside, the afternoon was back to normal, at least from the media’s perspective.
“Guess they’re not interested in us right now,” I said, leaving it on channel four. “What time is it?” I checked my cellphone, but Shelly answered first.
“Almost six thirty.” Shelly put her hand on Greg’s chest. “He’s warm... but why is he still unconcious?”
“That was a lot of energy that went through him...” I began to wonder. If Greg was knocked out, what happened with Wanika? “I’m going to go find out where Wanika is... just wait here, okay?”
Shelly nodded. “I want to be here when he wakes.”
“And I’m sure he would too.” I pocketed my cellphone and left the room, leaving the door ajar but mostly closed so that Shelly and Greg could have their privacy.
I checked with the FBI agent out front. If I were to have any idea what had happened with Greg, I would have to know Wanika's side of the story.
He said he'd keep watch over Greg and Shelly, but instructed me to head to room 378 where Wanika was. I walked down to the far end of the hall and found Agent Wright personally keeping an eye on her.
"Hello Miss Peyton," the agent said as I approached.
"Can I speak with Wanika?"
He nodded. "Be careful. She may still be electric, and although she's in a room by herself..."
"I know, I'll be careful." He didn't have to tell me that one good shock and I'd be turning this ward into a garage. That little fact was true anyplace, anytime, everywhere I went. "Thanks."
I knocked on the door and went in.
Inside, Wanika was hooked up to equipment in the same manner Greg was, but her EKG wasn't working at all. There was too much interference, and it was clear by all the static in the corners of the screen. The lights were off, and though I didn't ask why, I assumed it was Wanika's idea. She too had a room by herself, and the space for the second bed was clear and open.
"Wanika?"
"Michelle? Please... come in." Wanika was wearing her own hospital gown and was sitting up in the bed. "I hoped I'd be able to see you."
I pulled up a chair. "How have you been?"
Wanika smiled. "The same as I was when you last saw me. I've been living with Mrs. Finch, your neighbor, ever since January, when the people from Secrelia released me."
“January... we’ve had power surges and troubles at the house ever since... I guess you’re responsible, huh?”
Wanika nodded. “I’m very sorry. But I’m glad to be back in public.”
"They just released you? Just like that?" I asked.
Wanika shrugged. "They decided I wasn't a threat to anyone. It was determined that I could control my abilities, and for a time, I thought they were right. Recently... that hasn't been the case..."
"I remember when we first met, you told me that you admired my own abilities..." I held up my hands and looked at my knuckles. "That you thought it was wonderful that I could control myself. Yet, some days, I feel that it's totally the opposite."
"Agreed," Wanika said. "Have you... have you been able to control Summer? I mean, completely?"
I shook my head. "And I don't know if I'll ever be able to. Summer herself is easy to keep leashed, as it were, but suddenly transforming when I get hot... well, I can only do so much."
"Did the FBI help you get your independance back? I remember seeing the news report... I felt so terrible, I had to go to the exhibition, even though I tried to tell Lexi's mom that she was meddling with you."
"She's a very enthusiastic person, isn't she?" I chuckled.
"She loves Lexi very much, and as I’ve came to know her over the past few months, it’s easy to tell why."
"How did Lexi get thrown onto the bridge beam?" I asked.
Wanika sighed and turned towards the window. "I thought you might ask that."
"I guess I just happened to be there at the right time... I'm glad she didn't get hurt. I'm just a little curious."
"Maybe I've been getting careless... maybe I can't control myself. I... feel sometimes..."
I noticed that the EKG machine began to lose power. The lights in the hallway were also dimming slightly.
"Wanika?"
"Maybe I can't control myself..." She looked towards me suddenly, and the lights in the hall seemed to return to their normal levels. "When it happens, what can you do?"
"All I can do is try to move into a better position. I can't move my head, I can't stand... all I can do is kneel to the floor and let everything happen."
"Does it hurt?"
I shook my head. "It hasn't in a long time. I'm so used to it by now, I sometimes transform in my sleep."
"Could you... change for me sometime?"
I widened my eyes. "Right now?"
"No... I guess you don't have to now..."
"There's room, but how am I to explain to the nurse why there's a car in here? You're here to recover, right?"
"Actually, I'm not even hurt. I was a little dizzy, maybe, when they first brought me here... but I guess they‘re keeping me here for observation, if nothing else. How is Greg?"
"Sleeping, but I think he'll be okay."
"Was he... electrocuted? I feel terrible about that."
"I'm not sure. Ever since he got that Neptune Pearl... if they were to hit him with the defibrillator, I don't think it would have any effect."
Wanika settled back into the bed and leaned back. “If he isn’t responding... maybe that pearl of his is more important than... than he thinks it is.”
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning forward.
Wanika put her glasses on the nightstand. “He got his power from that pearl... maybe that’s the secret to him coming around.”
“Yeah... maybe...” The idea didn’t sound too impossible. “Is there anything else we need to discuss right away?”
“No, I’d like to sleep if I could... it seems that’s usually when I’m least... charged, if you will.”
I nodded. “Would you like me to try and talk with Dr. Chase about you? There must be some way for you to better control your charges. If I can control Summer, you can control that, right?”
“I welcome any help I can... anything to feel normal again.”
I rose from the chair. “I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, I hope you can rest for awhile.”
“Thank you.”
Michelle narrates the journey to the hospital - a location you don't normally want to write about, especially if you hate hospitals.
(That's me who hates hospitals.)
I've never actually been a patient interred at one, but I've been to them enough times that I know bad stuff usually occurs there. Sure, they are meant to make people feel better, and usually that's the case. But I'd go to a hospital to watch someone die, and for that reason I've always hated them. So this was a bit tough to write. But, hopefully, since it's Michelle narrating and not Greg for a change, it'll come across as readable.
It's nice to see people commenting.
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(That's me who hates hospitals.)
I've never actually been a patient interred at one, but I've been to them enough times that I know bad stuff usually occurs there. Sure, they are meant to make people feel better, and usually that's the case. But I'd go to a hospital to watch someone die, and for that reason I've always hated them. So this was a bit tough to write. But, hopefully, since it's Michelle narrating and not Greg for a change, it'll come across as readable.
It's nice to see people commenting.
prev: agent505.deviantart.com/art/Po…
next: agent505.deviantart.com/art/Po…
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Greg is going to be okay. I just know it...
Wanika and I seem to have the same idea about his pearl. That's only part of it though. I'm almost certain that the key to waking Greg up has something to do with both Shelly and the Neptune Pearl. I'm just not certain as to what will need to be done.
Wanika and I seem to have the same idea about his pearl. That's only part of it though. I'm almost certain that the key to waking Greg up has something to do with both Shelly and the Neptune Pearl. I'm just not certain as to what will need to be done.