A/N: Occurs directly after Laura finds Tim, probably that night.
Phone Call
It was late and Marcy Whitten was sitting at the small table in her apartment. She was staring into space, thinking of her children, both lost to her. A bottle of gin was sitting in front of her, her glass untouched. Beside the bottle, was a family picture from before her husband had left. The four of them all smiled happily at the camera as they sat around a picnic table. It had been two days since she last heard from her daughter. Laura was off on another adventure, first she made it into university, and now she's off chasing after her brother.
I pray that they're both safe, Marcy closed her eyes in thought, Keep my babies safe Lord. And bring them back to me. They're all I have to live for.
Marcy opened her eyes. She looked at the untouched glass in front of her before reaching for it. As her fingers closed around the cold glass, the phone rang.
Marcy's head snapped around towards the ringing land line. It was too late for the diner to be calling, and there was no one else who would call her, much less at this late hour . . .
It couldn't be . . .
Marcy jumped up, her glass forgotten, and snatched up the ringing phone.
"H-hello . . ." Marcy said, trying not to get her hopes up.
"Mom?"
Relief flooded through Marcy as the sound of Laura's voice sounded over the line. She's okay!
"Young lady, where have you been!?" Marcy demanded, the mother in her taking over.
"I found Tim."
That one simple sentence washed over Marcy, making her whole body tremble. She almost didn't want to know. It had been months since Tim disappeared, and Marcy had all but given up hope that she would see him again. She hoped that Tim was alright, that he was alive. She didn't know if she could handle knowing if . . .
"Ho-how is he?" Marcy said hesitantly.
"Weeeell," Laura extended the word, uncertainly, "He's alright, I guess. I mean he's alive, sort of . . . Ehh, it's complicated."
"I-I don't understand. Laura what's going on?"
"Tim's a block head. He got himself into some crap . . . and it's gonna be awhile until he can come home."
"Drugs? Did Tim get into drugs? I thought I taught him better, tha-that he would know better, that he would—"
"No, no. Mom, Tim's not on drugs. Tim on drugs . . . that would be scary. He's messed up enough as I is. Anyways, no. No. It's not drugs. But it's not exactly something that can be treated at a hospital either."
"What do you mean? Laura you're not making any sense."
Marcy heard her daughter sigh over the phone. "Do you remember that alien invasion a while back?"
"Why? Has Tim gotten involved with aliens? But I thought they were gone!"
"Um . . . Yeah, no. Not really. But-but this isn't about that, it's about something they brought with them . . . There's nothing a doctor could do to help him, but I think I can. No, I know I can help fix Tim. But it looks like it's gonna take a while."
"Can I see him?"
"I-it—I don't think you really want to, right now. He's . . . well it's not pretty."
"Laura stop it! You're scaring me. Now tell me what's happen to my Timmy!" Marcy's voice cracked as she fought back the hot tears threatening to overflow.
The line was silent for a bit as Laura tried to find a gentle way of saying it. When she couldn't, she decided to be blunt. "He's a giant pile of guts in a jar."
". . . Sorry, what?"
"The aliens brought an elixir with them; a type of mutagen, glows green, has sparkles floating in it, usually without a lid . . . But it's dangerous and unpredictable. And, well, Tim being Tim, thought it would be a good idea to become a mutant superhero . . . It didn't turn out so good."
Marcy lost the battle with her tears. She fell to her knees and silently cried as she imagined her baby boy, trapped in a giant container. She tried to erase the image from her head, but failed.
"M. . . Mom . . . Mom!?"
Marcy realized her daughter was still on the phone, "Laura?"
"Mom, are you alright?"
"No," she sniffled, wiping her eyes, "But I'll pull through." She took a few breaths, trying to calm herself down. She had to keep it together.
"You always do. You're strong, and we'll all make it through this."
So . . . her son was now a mutant monster thing trapped in a jar, or something. Her lips trembled as she tried to talk again. "So what's going to happen to Tim?"
"Well, I met some people who know a bit about this kind of stuff. They've been taking care of Tim ever since he disappeared. And I'm gonna help them fix this."
"Where are you now? Can I come to see Tim?"
"Best you didn't. This is something best kept secret, and its better if you don't know where it's all happening."
Marcy composed herself, rising from the floor. "I don't like this Laura, but I trust you. You do what you can, and then come back home to me. Both of you, come home."
"I will. We will. I won't leave you, not like dad did."
Marcy felt a pang through her heart as Laura mentioned her husband. "Honey, he . . . No, never mind. Just stay safe. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but I just want you and your brother to stay safe."
"I love you, mom."
"I love you too, Laura."
The line went dead. Marcy placed the phone on its receiver and sat back down at the small table. She eyed her drink, still untouched.
"Why does it feel like my family is falling apart?" She asked her drink. She drained the cup in one go before placing it back in front of her. "But, it always seem to work out."
Marcy smiled at the family photo, still smiling up at her, "We'll get through this rough patch too, right Ben?"