I awoke feeling absolutely fine. I sat up and glanced at the clock. It said 12:57pm. Hm, I've been asleep for a half an hour. I yawned, stretching myself. A line tugged from my arm. Oh great. I thought to myself as I glanced at my arm. Yep. I'm tied to the frickin' IV pole again. A growl from my stomach made its presence known. Sighing, I got up from my bed, ready to go downstairs to eat something when it dawned on me.
Hm. I don't remember going to bed. Then I remembered what had happened that probably got me back onto this stupid IV again.
I passed out after the whole 'Where's Danny?' incident. I sighed, recalling the shiver that seemed to take over my body and once it had disappeared, I was utterly exhausted-thus why I had passed out.
Odd. Every time something odd has happened to me-whether I felt the tingling or cold-I would then pass out for a while. It just doesn't seem right. All these...oddities...are beginning to worry me. Yeah, I thought I was hallucinating because of my medication; but the last time something odd had happened to me, other people had realized the same thing. Something is different about me; and the fact that I'm not the only one to realize this is unnerving me. I recalled how I reacted when I became angry, a strong desire to fight overcame me. How I now seem to have two different personalities, always conflicting with each other. These weird things that keep happening to me and causing me to black out afterwards.
I stared down at the palm of my hands. A tingling feeling swelled, a coldness spreading like butter on bread. Then I began to see something different about my hands. How they seem to become...transparent...
Wait...transparent?
I held up my hands into the light, my blue eyes wide in shock. My hands were supposed to be blocking the light from my sight, definitely not letting the light pass through! I shrieked, stumbling backwards. Apparently my foot can become transparent too, for coldness seeped into it as my foot passed through the floor; causing me to fall backwards onto my butt, my IV pole following shortly after.
My mind raced as my hands and foot slowly became warm and solid again. I panted in fear; just like how I first exited from the Ghost Portal and found myself with white hair and green eyes. Wait a minute-I thought as I began to ponder. Everything seemed to dim, as if I was in a middle of a dense fog. Voices rang out, a little disoriented and thick with heat.
He shouldn't even be alive right now... Dr. Brucker's voice said faintly.
Jack! He's not breathing! My mother was screaming. I covered my ears, begging not hear her panic voice.
How did you get your IV out with so little blood loss? The nurse asked me yesterday.
Where were you?! Nate shouted at me. I was right beside you this entire time! I shouted back.
You're still not breathing like a healthy 14 year old. The other doctor said. I began to sweat, my heart racing about a hundred miles per hour.
Wh-what happened? Rachael asked me when she found me on the floor, my legs over my body.
Why don't we tie him down? Tiffany suggested as I furiously fought against the five nurses in anger, somewhat winning.
I can't believe this. I. Just. Cannot. Believe. This.
It's just too surreal. It's not even frickin' possible! My parents had drilled that into our minds; ever since I was curious enough to ask them that about. Even Jazz's curiosity died down once they dismissed my question; calling to impossible, unfathomable, a freak of nature. A scared voice was trying to reach my ears. I whined, pressing my hands even closer to my ears; trying to drone out her voice, slamming my eyes shut. I don't want to hear it. I really don't want to hear it. But all of a sudden, Sam's voice screamed into my mind.
Danny...you're-
"Danny?" I heard Nate's voice above the memory Sam's frighten voice. I opened my clenched eyes, panting as if I had just run twenty miles. Nate immediately crouched down. "Danny, are you alright?" Concern filled his voice. He quickly glanced at my arm to make sure I still had my IV in before looking back at me. I gulped of a couple breaths of air, trying to calm myself.
"I'm..." I began; still panting, still sweating cold sweat. "...fine." I could tell that Nate didn't believed me, but decided not to deny it.
"If you say so." He said, holding out his hand for me to grab. I hesitated, unsure whether or not my hands are really solid. His bright smile made my hand grab his. It's solid. He pulled me up onto my feet, then bent down to set my IV pole straight up once more. Annoyance flashed across my face. Nate saw it and only smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Danny, but we had to put it back in because you sort of fainted for no apparent reason."
No apparent reason? You two love-birds not being able to see me is 'no apparent reason'?! That's why I fainted...and that I was extremely tired.
"But now since you're up, how about we get ourselves some lunch?" Nate asked me cheerfully. I was about to refuse when my stomach growled loud enough for Nate to hear. He smiled at me as he began to walk towards the door. "Come on, slowpoke! Or else there'll be no ice cream left over!"
Mmmmm...ice cream. I thought to myself as I dragged the IV pole along with me to the cafeteria.
Just like breakfast, I couldn't seem to make up my mind, so grabbed whatever my halfs said to grab. Geez, halfs... I have an urge to give them names. But what exactly? Danny One and Danny Two? I could do that, but what that make me? Danny Three? Now that wouldn't make any sense. I shook my head in annoyance as I walked to the table where Nate was sitting. He raised an eyebrow at me once I placed my tray onto the table and began to move the annoying IV pole.
"You're gonna eat all of that?" Nate asked me, his fork pointing to my tray of food. I had: a cheeseburger, French fries, a baked potato, macaroni salad, some baby carrots, another banana, a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and some 2% milk. I shrugged as I freed my plastic silverware from its plastic wrapper.
"Of course I'm gonna eat all of it." I told him as I began to butter my baked potato.
"Man, am I stuffed!" I exclaimed as Nate and I walked around the hospital. Nate raised his eyebrows at me.
"Good thing too." He said with a playful smile on his lips. "I was beginning to worry when you had a huge bowl of ice cream with two pieces of brownies and cherries, all drowned in chocolate syrup; on top of your huge main course you had during lunch." I shrugged.
"I've just been hungry lately." I told him. Nate laughed at me.
"Yeah, hospitals tend to do that." We each gave each other smiles as Nate basically gave me a tour of the hospital.
Even though it's a children's hospital, I was jealous at how much stuff the kids could do. They had playground equipment outside with also a few basketball hoops, mini soccer goals, a few nets for volleyball or tennis (for older ones). There's a craft room for all the artistic and creative kids. A miniature arcade room with the newest gaming systems. There's two computer rooms; one for the little kids and one for the big kids. The big rule for using computers is that you're not allowed to download stuff onto the computer (in other words-no Doom). There was tons of playrooms and a couple of rooms that oddly look like classrooms. I shivered; happy that school hasn't start yet.
Inside the main lobby, there's a ton of small shops and a couple of coffee shops. It's a very spacious and open room. If you were to looked up at the ceiling, you would see many orange poles and I-beams crisscrossing each other like a grid with skylights along with florescent lights that dotted from behind the grid.
My favorite part of the main lobby is the manmade stream that runs along the curvy windows that shows one of Amity Park's busiest streets. The running water reached my ears, and I sort of fell into a trance. The noise seemed very peaceful and relaxing. I really wanted to sit there and be comforted by the music of running water for the rest of the day, but my energy level is at an all-time high-practically making me an ADHD child. I'm trying my best to contain it, but it doesn't stop me from bouncing around on my the balls of my feet. Nate realized this.
"Danny, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, still bouncing as I gazed upon the water running over the rocks.
"Do you want to go to our workout room?" He asked me. I turned towards him with mild curiosity.
"There's a workout room?"
Okay, I am so coming back here now. I know, I know. Sounds weird to have a puny, thin teenage guy like me to actually be excited about being in a workout room? Please. This is only room (other than mine of course) that doesn't have little kids running around on sugar highs and having the Barnie theme song play over and over again. Huh. Never realized that Barnie was still that popular. Either way, the workout room reminds me of the one I had back at my old middle school. There are a few stationary bikes, a couple of treadmills clustered together. A variety of muscle building devices (sorry, I only know treadmills and stationary bikes) covered the rest of the space, minus a wall of dumb bells and those yoga balls or something another. Mirrors covered the majority of the walls; a TV is conveniently placed in each corner of the room; Barnie free from each screen.
"So..." Nate began. "What do you wanna do first?" I shrugged, noticing that there's a couple of buff looking guys (each with a cast on one of their arms) while a girl was using a treadmill. Half of me wanted to do something that had nothing to do with moving my arms (which I totally agree) but the other wants to show off to the buff-looking guys and the girl running. Uh, yeah. How the heck am I supposed to show off if I got nothing to show off with? Nate glanced around, his blue eyes resting on a machine. "How about that one?" He asked me, pointing to it.
Oh. I know that one. It was a bench press.
"Uh...no." I said firmly. I have bad experiences with bench presses. Nate rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, Danny! I've heard that you did last night." He said, elbowing my side. Great. He's heard that I'm a total freak. He bend towards my ear and whispered. "I know you what to show off~!" He said it temptingly. I shook my head; choosing one side over the other; the other happened to be screaming angrily in my ear. Nate looked upset. "Oh come on, Danny! You don't like bench presses or something?"
"Exactly." I said with a frown, trying to ignore the half that's upset with my choice. "Last time I benched press, everyone was laughing at me as I struggled, trying my hardest to get that stupid pole off of me for ten minutes before the teacher finally realized what was happening."
"...I'm sorry, Danny... Which school did that happened at?"
"Amity South Junior High." I muttered the name.
"Well, don't you worry, Danny. I've got your back." He said this as he dragged me over to the bench press. I instantly felt the eyes of the buff guys, the girl, and their nurses on me and Nate as we approached the bench press. Nate began to take off weights, making it only the bar to lift up. "We'll start with just the bar first." I heard the buff guys' failed attempt to cover their laughs. Haha, very funny. At least I can do this while you'll have to wait until six weeks later. "If it's too easy for you then I'll slowly put add more weights. And Danny. I'll be right behind you, like this." Nate showed me where he was going to stand. "If it's too much, say my name and I'll grab it from you. Understand?"
Heck yeah, I understand. But that still doesn't that I'm gonna do it. The other half was still having a tantrum. Probably calling me a jerk or something another; but I don't care. It's my body. I'll do whatever I want. I glanced at the two buff guys; knowing that if they ever decided to wail on me, I would be so screwed. Sometimes I wish I was athletic and strong like some of the football players at school. An overwhelming desire to showoff flooded into my veins. I realized that really do wanted to lift weights, even if it was just the stupid bar. The other half was nodding his head, nudging me to do it. I shook my head. I'm not gonna to do it, so forget it. I kept on denying that I actually wanted to lift weights until the half, that I usually agree with, sighed and seemed to have said.
Just go do it.
I sighed, knowing that both of them were right. I glanced up at Nate.
"I-I understand." I said. Nate bobbed his head up and down.
"Good. So let's begin."
Once I had relocated my stupid IV pole, I laid on the bench. My hands grabbed the metal pole and found a comfortable position to lift. I tried my best ignore the stupid IV line.
"Okay." Nate said with some excitement. "Here we go."
I grunted slightly, lifting the pole from its resting position and slowly brought it down towards my chest, where I then brought it back up. I felt the eyes of the running girl and the two guys as I repeated what I was doing. I realized that the guys were somewhat laughing at me because all I was doing was lifting the bar up and down. I grew angry and the pole seemed to become lighter as I lift it. Then I heard one of those guys whispering to each other.
"What does he think he's doing?" One of the guys whispered to the other, causing him to chuckle.
"I believe he's trying to show off." The other said, still giggling.
"Show off what?"
"How pathetic he is." They both busted out laughing at their conversation about me.
About me.
That's it. I thought as I called on Nate-who grabbed the pole from my trembling hands. The trembling is from anger-not exhaustion. Nate saw my grumpy face. I sighed, not really sure about this.
"Can you put on more weights?" I asked him. His eyebrows rose.
"How much more?" He asked me. I glanced at the buff guys, trying to figure out how much they could bench press.
"Seventy-five more." I said, gulping. Let's see...I think the bar alone is 15 pounds plus 75 is...
"You want to lift 90 pounds?" Nate asked quizzly. I gulped, nodding my head. Nate shrugged and move the weights onto the bar, making the weights even on each side. "Ready?" Nate asked once he was done moving the weights. I nodded and my hands wrapped around the pole once more.
Okay. Maybe adding seventy-five more pounds wasn't such a great idea as I strained to just to lift the bar off of it's resting position. It rattled uselessly in its holders. I gasped for air, for I was stupid enough to hold my breath while doing this. Nate's face was full of concern. I can hear those guys snickering by the dumb bells. Anger boiled my blood, I gritted my teeth as I grabbed the bar once more.
"Danny, you don't have to do this." Nate told me, but I ignored him as I tried to lift the bar.
Yes, I do.
Ever since I could remember, I've always been picked on because of my size and thinness-along with my parents' obsession with ghosts. Jazz was lucky; simply because she was girl. She doesn't get shoved into the locker practically every single day of school. She doesn't get beat up behind the school gym, nor gets book checked (even lunch checked) occasionally.
And every single time I see the people who do this me; do you wanna know what I do? I run away to hide.
Like a frickin' coward.
Determination and power surged through my veins-my muscles-as I pushed against the 90 pound bar. Only one thought echoing in my mind as the bar rattled from its holders.
I'm so frickin' tired being a weakling-A COWARD!
I felt the bar being lifted from its holders. Nate's eyes were wide as I brought the bar down towards my chest; and up again. I couldn't believe this...I just couldn't believe this as I kept on lifting and lowering the bar; an enormous grinned stretched from corner to corner. I can feel everybody's eyes of disbelief on me as I continued to 'pump iron'. A giggle rose in my chest. Yes! Take that suckers! I thought about saying that to the buff guys over there.
A tingling sensation spread across my hands as I brought up the 90 pound bar. I eyes went wide in horror as a freezing coldness settled into my hands. I know this feeling and I know what's about to happen as the feeling in my hands completely disappears.
God... This sucks...
And it did-as the 90 pound bar slammed into the upper half of my torso in full force.
"YYYEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWW!" I shrieked from the pain that burned from my chest. Nate was in overdrive freaking out mode while the boys were at an all-out laughing spree. Nate barely lifted the bar off of me as I rolled over from the bench and fell hard onto my stomach on the somewhat foamy floor, groaning in absolute pain as my IV line tugged a bit. I glanced at the boys-who were now doubled over laughing their butts off. Rage and embarrassment burned my body, especially my face as I glared at the boys. Oh, how I wanted to punch the living daylights out of them as they continued their laughter. I growled; seeing a flash of green from the mirror. Oh great. I thought to myself as I looked towards the green. Who else has seen-
I faltered when my eyes landed on the reflective green spots in the mirror. The laughter and sounds around me dimmed as I stared numbly at the green spots; bile rising in my throat as I tried to make sense of it.
The glowing lime green spots were my eyes.
My mouth opened in disbelief as I stared into the mirror-at my glowing green eyes. I blinked, hoping that it was just my imagination. I opened my eyes, terrified of what I might see-terrified of what I have become.
Hurt blue eyes watered in the mirror.
I stared at my eyes dumbfound; blinking repeatedly just to make sure that the green doesn't come back. Nope, still blue. I breathed a sigh of relief; only to flinch when the pain from my chest that stabbed my senses.
"Danny!" Nate cried as he suddenly appeared. He was on his hands and knees as he checked my vital signs. "Are you alright?" He asked me once he had checked my pulse.
"Nnnnooooo." I groaned out slowly. My face was scrunched up as pain throbbed in my upper torso.
"Danny, I need to check your ribs, so you'll have to roll over."
"Please, don't." I whined, but Nate forcibly flipped me onto my back nether less. I gasped out in pain when he did this. "Stttooooopp!" I screamed, my eyes glued shut, when he began to feel my ribs; checking if any were broken. My hands blindingly pushed Nate off of me. Nate grunted from my force.
"Danny! Stop fighting and let me make sure that nothing's broken!" Nate yelled at me.
"I don't care!" I screamed out in pain as he pushed hard against my ribs. "Stop It!" I kicked him in his guts. Nate grunted in pain.
"Alyssa!" I could Nate call above me. "Can you come over real quick and help me?" What?! My eyes snapped opened, Nate was holding me down. I struggled, trying to get Nate off of me; but he has an iron grip.
"Get. Off!" I yelled, wiggling underneath Nate.
"I won't." Nate said in a low tone. Alyssa appeared and bent over me and Nate. Nate moved enough so that she could feel my ribs. I screamed bloody murder as the pressure of her touch pained me. She continued to feel for my ribs while I fought against Nate. At one point, the other two nurses had to help Nate hold me down.
After about five minutes of this, Alyssa told the other nurses to let me go. Once the nurses released me, I shot up into sitting position; a stabbing pain throbbing in my torso. I heard Alyssa mutter to Nate.
"He doesn't have any broken bones." She told him. He nodded.
"Thanks Alyssa. I'm so sorry for his behavior..."
"Nate, he got electrocuted. He almost died. It's understandable that the electricity messed up his brain." She told him to cheer him up; but it certainly didn't cheer me up. Nate nodded his head solemnly. He turned to the other nurses to thank them before looking back at me; his expression dark.
"I think you should go back to your room to rest." He told me. I didn't disagree.
That evening, Dr. Brucker was in my room again-along with my parents. We were doing the same exercises as yesterday night. She listened to my breathing and checked my temperature, still frowning. After she made Tiffany record all this information, she turned towards my parents.
"I'm still worried from the fact that his temperature is still reading out 79 degrees." She began to tell us. My arm began to shiver. I glanced at it, noticing that it was increasing getting colder and fainter. I gasped and hid my arm behind my back, hoping that no one had noticed. "That, and he's breathing less than a normal 14 year old-a lot less."
"And his burns?" My mother asked. Dr. Brucker looked at the bandage on my right leg.
"They're healing very fast. Almost abnormally fast." There's that word again. I thought as I winced. "As if they weren't even third degree burns. They're more like second degree now." I shuddered. Dad often comes to the hospital for his burns and this had never happened to him. "He's cleared on his shock treatment. So..." She drawled out on that word. "I don't believe we have no other choice but to release him from the hospital." I let those words sink in before I said anything. Unfortunately for me, my Mom voiced her opinion before I could even open my mouth.
"But what about his cold temperature and his weird breathing patterns?" My mom asked the doctor. "You said with a temperature that cold, he should've been dead."
"Yes, he should." She agreed as she glanced at me. I gulped, hoping that she won't ask why my arm is hidden behind my back. "But obviously he seems healthy. So I think it is safe enough for him to leave the hospital." She looked back to my parents; letting me do a quick glance to see if my arm is visible-which it was not. "As for his odd breathing patterns, that's because of the amount of electricity that had shocked him. It messed up his breathing rate. It could become dangerous, but we can't really do anything about it until we know for sure if it's harming him or not-and right now, it's not harming him at all." My mom nodded in understanding. I felt my arm stop shivering began to get warmer. "I see no use of him staying here." I noticed that Tiffany was glaring at me. I frowned, knowing that she knew what has happened to me today. "So he might as well go home and recuperate there."
"Will he be taking medication?" My mother asked. The doctor nodded.
"Yes. I will write out the form and you'll have to go downstairs on the second level to the perspiration counter to get it." She said as she pulled out a bunch of forms and began to scribble on them. "Here." She said a few seconds later, handing out the forms to my mother. "Make sure he takes this every single day. Oh, and I don't' want him to do any extraneous activities."
"Which includes gym?" My mom asked.
"Gym? Oh yes. I'll write a note for the gym teacher to excuse him." Dr. Brucker wrote the note and passed it to my mom. I did another quick glance at my arm and was relieved to see that it's visible once more. "Well, I think that's about it." The doctor said as she and Tiffany turned to leave. "Just make sure that he takes his medicine and he rests." Both of my parents nodded their heads.
"Will do." They cried out as the medics left my room. I grinned at my parents, who returned it with a smile.
"Time to go home?" I asked, hardly daring to believe it. My Dad gave me one of his famous goofy smiles.
"Yes, son. It's time to go home."
I apologize for the spelling/grammar mistakes that I had skipped or missed.
Spell check says the quizzly isn't a real word...I beg to difer.
So...yeah. I really don't know why I did this chapter other than to make it seemed like Danny has figured out what has happened to him and then only gets distracted in the end.
And I do admit that I did sort of had fun messing with Danny's emotions when he was in the weight room...especially when his powers decided to rebel against him. I just had to make to him feel embarassed and humiliated. ^^
Ain't I the evilest thing?
As for the hospital that Danny stayed at, it was based off of the Children's Hospital in Omaha Nebraska. For two long years, my youngest sister practically lived there when she got sick from an unknown illness that had almost killed her. Our mother stayed with her while me and my other little sister had to stay with our grandmother. We often visited her. As for all the rooms, I don't know if they have all that stuff like the weight room or a gaming room. All I know is the stuff I saw/heard from my sister/mother.
Can you figure out which room was my favorite?