"He's in the Murphy Suite, second floor, left wing across the gift stall. You can't miss it,"
The registration lady casually spoke as she placed the usual visitor's sticker on the counter, not even looking at who she's talking to as she busily typed away at the computer; Probably doing patient records as usual. Milo rolled his eyes in amusement and took the sticker before pasting it on his sweater vest. "No need for the directions, but thanks Melanie!" The thirteen-year old heartily thanked as he walked away to take the stairs to the second floor.
The Jefferson County Hospital grounds are busy as always which doesn't surprise Milo that much considering how often he's been admitted here. The corridors smelt fresh of the usual disinfectant sprays while the strong stench of alcoholic and sterile fluids whifted out from certain rooms containing doctors tending to their sick patients.
However, that didn't last very long as Milo stopped in front of the gift stall that was not very far from the Murphy Suite where he was headed to. And surprisingly, two certain men were tending to the stall and they looked uncertain as Milo approached. The one in red and orange, Vinnie Dakota, raised a brow and looked at his dark-green wearing partner; The graying-haired Balthazar Cavendish.
"Hey didn't we see that kid at the opera house last week?" Vinnie questioned, not taking his eyes off the kid. "He's been wanting to buy some pistachios back then," Balthazar's eyes widened in shock as he adjusted his glasses. "My word! I know that good man! We did see him last week!" He laughed and bent over to whisper very softly into his partner's ear. "And perfect timing too. It's a good thing we kidnapped this stall's keeper and hid the pistachios in a safe place! Otherwise, we are dead-!"
"Excuse me?"
Milo's voice caused both men to yelp and Balthazar quickly lept into Vinnie's arms, quivering madly. Vinnie blinked and dropped the elder to the floor before grinning and doing a friendly wave. Balthazar picked himself up and dusted his clothes, shooting him a death glare. "You'll pay for that…" He hissed but paused remembering that they're not alone. "Awkward..." Balthazar quickly got to his feet and grinned at Milo politely. "Ah our customer!" He pretended to be delighted to cover up his embarrassment. "What can we get for you at this time of the evening young lad?"
Milo tilted his head and did a point. "Hey didn't I see you two before?" He gasped and slapped his forehead in exasperation. "You were gonna sell me some pistachios but instead, my condition made you end up with a huge mess! I didn't get to apologize! I'm very sorry!" Milo quickly fished out his wallet. "Lemme pay for the damage I've caused!"
To this, Balthazar quickly intervened. "Oh no! No need to pay for a past misdeed child! All's been settled and done for before you came again!" Vinnie quickly nodded in agreement. "He's right kid!" He added. "Pistachios are pretty cheap. We only spent half a quarter of our allowance on spending it!"
Milo refused to budge without resolution.
"Still I gotta pay you somehow!" Milo protested and shook his hands in gesturing. "Okay so maybe you don't want money, but there's gotta be some way I can pay you!" Vinnie and Balthazar exchanged looks before the younger shrugged. "He's not leaving till he pays us one way or another,"
Balthazar sighed in response and smiled at Milo in relent.
"You know something? You impress us, my child. You're a very good lad of your age," He praised before giving a single nod. "And if you really insist to pay, your presence as our costumer is enough payment for us considering that we had less visitors purchase anything from us lately," He leaned over the counter and rested his head in his hand. "Now where were we?"
Milo's eyes widened as he remembered the one reason he stopped by here.
"Oh right! I'd like to buy those sunflowers! Oh and some orchids to go along! Dad's favourite!" He scanned the stall's goods for a moment before pointing at a flower bouqet along with seperate plastic flowers. "Coming right up!" Vinnie collected the said items and wrapped them up in decorative wrap.
"Here you go! Hope your father gets well soon!" Vinnie kindly said to the boy as he took the flowers gratefully. "Thank you so much sir! I'll tell him that!" The two exchanged handshakes. "Again, thanks for the good customer service you two!" Vinnie chuckled as Balthazar came up. "Nah it's just part of our job. To make customers happy!" The elder man smiled at the thirteen-year old as he turned away to leave before hastily stopping him in his tracks. "Do you mind sparing an extra minute lad?" He called out to which Milo heard and returned to them.
Balthazar adjusted his glasses and looked at the boy in question. "We realised haven't got your name as much as you haven't gotten ours," He paused before continuing. "If it's alright with you to share, may we please know your name? For in case we should meet again?" Milo smiled in response. "I'm Milo, Milo Danger Murphy," He chuckled a bit. "Before anything, Danger's pronounced as 'Dohn-ge' and it was my grandmother's maiden name!"
Upon overhearing that, Vinnie looked alarmed.
"Milo Murphy?" He stressed out the last name before frowning. "As in the Murphy who created the Murphy's Law?" Milo nodded happily. "The one and only!" Both men frowned in concern before Balthazar spoke up. "I see... That basically explains why we got into that bit of a screwup when we first met," He shrugged and smiled. "But don't worry about that! You paid us enough!"
He shook Milo's hand.
"It's a big pleasure to know you Milo Murphy. I'm Cavendish, Balthazar Cavendish." He gestured to Vinnie. "And this is my most trusted companion and partner, Vinnie Dakota," Vinnie waved with a smile. "Nice to meet ya Milo!" The thirteen-year old grinned politely. "Nice names! They sound pretty futuristic!" His comment made the two sweat uncomfortably as they laughed. "I know right?" Vinnie muttered awkwardly. "We've got a lot of people saying that once they know our names."
Balthazar rolled his eyes and looked at Milo calmly. "But really, we're only common folk. Just like anyone else. Can't understand why some see otherwise," Milo reached out and sympathetically patted the man's shoulder. "Well kinda like the name Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Balthazar Cavendish and Vinnie Dakota are names we don't hear people having everyday!" He pointed out. "Unless they're names of people from out of Swamp City or something-!"
"We are from out of town Milo,"
The men's response made Milo look in awe.
"So that explains a lot!" He grinned and adjusted his backpack strap around his shoulder before looking back at the door of the Murphy Suite which is a distance behind him. The image of the injured and bandaged up Martin Murphy staying awake just to wait for him flooded back into his mind making the boy want to go there to be with him even more.
Turning with his back to the men, Milo looked back at them with a weak smile. With the few seconds of him staring at the door, Balthazar and Vinnie understood at once and quickly urged him off. "Your dad must be waiting for ya Milo," Vinnie spoke up. "Vinnie is right Milo," Balthazar added and gently shoved Milo forward. "Can't have your father waiting can we?"
"Of course, I'll be on my way!" Milo waved at them as he walked away. "See ya!" Balthazar and Vinnie waved back at the boy as he went farther ahead. "Goodbye Milo! We hope to see you again!" Balthazar waved his hat at him while Vinnie smiled and waved. With the kid gone, the red-wearing man sighed with a smile as he saw the Murphy Suite door close as Milo entered. "He's a nice kid. Very likeable," He turned to Balthazar as he put on a knowing expression. "Don't you think?"
Balthazar nodded in reply.
"He's beyond nice Vinnie, but don't forget, he almost found out our secret just now. Luckily for us, that was a close call!" His eyes narrowed. "Too close!" He inhaled and placed a hand on Vinnie's shoulder. "You know what? I believe it''s best if we don't come into contact with Milo. Instead, let him come to us wherever we turn up. No calls, no confrontations, nothing. Our mission is always the first priority and we cannot afford to have a kid involved. Understood?" Vinnie sighed in disappointment but nodded. "Yeah I get your point Zar," He saluted and then the two continued to stay at the stall waiting for more customers…
"Thank you for coming and staying for the night Milo, it's gotten pretty lonely in here with your mother and sister being at gradma's till tomorrow," Martin said to Milo with a smile as he sat beside him on the hospital bed. As a result of a construction site accident at work earlier in the day, the Murphy father ended up with broken arm and rib injuries which obviously pained him greatly.
However, Martin's had worse and both he and Milo alike are aware of it by now.
The thirteen-year old laughed as his father gave his hair a ruffle, a mode of physical affection-share he really enjoyed. "You're welcome dad!" Milo replied as Martin held one of the sunflowers he bought which are now placed in a vase along with the plastic orchids. The man chuckled lightly as he fiddled with the yellow flower in his fingers. "And thanks for the flowers, disinfectant smells get pretty dull when you have to breathe them often,"
"Well it's a good thing I got them, especially when their vendors are a pair of nice stallkeepers. They're people from out of Swamp City with really cool names and…" The young Murphy chattered on with his dad, forgetting the door where there's a glass window on the center.
Through the transparency, one can see the silhouettes of two men working at their stall; Vinnie putting up the stall's 'closed' sign with Balthazar heaving a large sack over his shoulder with a strange but high-tech looking remote in hand. Pressing a button, the remote shot out a green blast of light that formed a portal-like hole and it vanishes into thin air once the two men rushed in and out of sight….
THE END ?
Dun dun duuuuun…. None of this is canon but if his somehow predicted correctly, it is purely coincidental!