Chapter 29 Alive

Cheryl paced around anxiously outside the operating room. Ricky and Jonathan were seated at the chairs aligned along the wall. They were inside the night force hospital where Dixon had been rushed in for emergency.

All of a sudden, Jon looked up at the two.

"He's alive," he smiled. Cheryl breathed out with relief, sagging her shoulders while taking a seat beside her brother.

"Thankfully he didn't lose much blood because you burned the wound to stop the bleeding," Jon said to Ricky.

"So… there's one of you inside the O.R watching everything that's going on?" was Ricky's response to that.

At that moment, a doctor, followed by two nurses walked out of the operating room, pulling down their masks.

"He made it through, he's going to be alright," the doctor paused, expecting a response. The three just stared back at him eagerly, having already heard the news. He continued, "The spear you mentioned that pierced his heart, actually missed by a couple inches. While we were suctioning out the blood, the wound disappeared in front of our eyes."

The three exchanged surprised glances.

"It's possible his powers amplified the healing given how strong he'd gotten recently," Ricky commented.

"I suspected the same so I kept track. After the healing occurred, his power signature vanished completely."

"Wait what?" Cheryl blurted.

"It means his powers disappeared…" Ricky explained calmly while staring off into space as if calculating something.

"Physically, he's fine but he hasn't woken up yet. We're not sure when that will be given the circumstances."

Cheryl could feel her heart sinking once again. She glanced up at the person walking up to them. Ricky got to his feet all of a sudden as Meryl approached. She had worry lines all over her face despite the smile she tried to put out.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She… hasn't woken up yet. She wasn't even injured… I don't get it…" Meryl slightly shook her head, "How's Dixon?"

"Same as Iris. We're still waiting for him to wake up," Ricky informed her.

.

"So… what exactly are you doing here again?" I said, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the white room. There was no dark paint seeping anywhere this time.

"I was bored…" Iris said with a pout, sitting down on the tiled floor beside me.

"Whatever happened to the other person?" I asked, closing my eyes to meditate. I breathed in deeply.

"She left the minute she launched that spear at you."

"Thanks for that, by the way," I said, exhaling the breath I'd been holding.

"For what?"

"I know you flicked the spear to the left the moment you gained control. I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

"You wouldn't be dead if it weren't for me…" Iris mumbled as she looked away. "It took everything in me… just to move it a few inches. That's how strong she was…"

"But you did it anyway. That's how strong you are. And you're young. You've got your whole life ahead of you." I told her, opening my eyes to look at her. "And yet you chose to come here instead."

"I don't know how to face everyone… after…" Iris trailed off as she looked away again.

I sighed. "It's alright… take your time. I'm gonna be here a while."

.

"A summer school? And one so far away?" Cheryl burst, standing on top of her bed to reach for the blue eyed Catter that had now stolen Ricky's glasses.

"It's not that far away. It's a boarding school near Darkwood. It's a place where normal kids go, kids your age," Ricky explained, handing her a butterfly net.

"I don't see the point." Cheryl swiped the net at the Catter who just shifted to the side, dodging it.

"It's been two months since… And all you've done is raid the hospital for days. I think it's best for you to just get away from all of it for a while. It'll distract you."

Cheryl jumped up as she swiped the net, only to miss and fall back onto the bed.

"Nothing can distract me. He's all I think about all day long. I worry…"

Ricky walked over to sit down beside her.

"I know you worry about him. But you've got the best doctors, all his friends, family. Everyone is there to look out for him. I'm there and I'll let you know the minute anything changes. You've got to trust me."

Cheryl sighed deeply as she nodded.

"Fine…"