Disclaimer: The author, who is very sorry for the long update, does not own Teen Titans. She does own this story's plot though.
False Healing
Sorry. No lyrics for this chapter.
Kid Flash flopped exhaustedly onto the couch, face down. Argent rolled her eyes as she walked over towards him and poked him in the side with the toe of her boot.
"What's your problem?" she asked. "You only did one chore and that was the dishes. Only two plates, a cup, and a few silverware. How could you be tired from something so simple?"
"Took…so…long," he mumbled while managing to flip onto his back, bright red hair plastered to his sweat covered brow, lips parted as he breathed raggedly.
Argent shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "Never seen a guy get so tired over doing dishes."
"I was moving so sloooowwww!!!" the boy moaned.
"You're a sorry excuse, you know that?" the girl asked.
"Leave me here to die," Kid Flash moaned going limp and sticking his tongue out for extra effect.
"Drama queen," Argent muttered before creating a bucket shape object with her powers and filling it with cold water before floating it back towards the couch, over Kid Flash's head.
With a loud howl and startled jump, the temporarily handicapped speedster found himself drenched once again in cold water. "What's with girls and drenching me in cold water today!" he yelled.
"Well I see you're not too tired to move," Argent pointed out at the now standing and shivering boy. "Now, since I'm so nice, I'll give you two choices."
"As long as I don't have to clean the tower without my powers I'll do anything!" West said so fast that the girl wasn't sure if all of his speed was totally gone.
"Don't you want to know what the alternative is?" Argent asked.
"I really don't care at this point. A superhero without his powers is just like Batman actually laughing at a joke or Robin actually taking a vacation for fun. Just plain wrong."
"Well since you have made your descision there is no turning back," she smirked.
"Why do I feel like I just sold my soul to the devil?" Kid Flash asked nerviously.
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Jen bit her lip. She didn't want to be here. She really didn't want to be here. If it weren't for the fact that Eric was here then she would have probably ran out of here screaming bloody Mary. Yes, Jen, a.k.a. Jinx, bad ass bad luck witch, was afraid of something. Hospitals.
It was a totally understandable fear. A good portion of things in the media that relate to hospitals were usually negative. It also didn't help when she had such bad experiences involving them. Before she had learned to control her powers she had sent numerous family members and friends here. It was always here where those intimate bonds she once had with that person were broken. Also, it seemed that doctors at hospitals, the same doctors who swore to heal and protect anyone who was in need, had a specific "No Villains" rule. In a way, she understood that reasoning. In the eyes of the police healing a villain could put you as an accessory to the crime but still…it was one more thing that had made her feel unwanted. That had made her walked further in the wrong path.
The brunette took a deep breath, getting a grip on herself as she followed Eric through the sanitized smelling hallways. They hadn't even stopped at the desk to get some visitors passes. It seemed that he obviously came here a lot when the nurses at the desk just waved them by.
They passed by countless rooms, the doors opened revealing either unsettling empty rooms or occupied ones with sickly people sitting alone in bed. The silence was unsettling. Jen had to admit, T.V. over dramatized things. The hospital was nothing like the noisy, busy ones she'd seen on shows where you would see doctors hurriedly rushing back and forth or doctors and nurses having…steamy moment within locked storage rooms. In a way it was kind of a let down. She would have preferred chaos over this unearthly silence.
"Is this weird for you?" Eric's voice asked, breaking through her thoughts.
"What? Oh! No, I'm fine," the girl said putting on a fake grin.
"You don't have to lie," the boy said stopping to face her. "I understand. Hospitals…don't really have the best connotations. You don't have to stay."
"Honestly, Eric. I'm fine. Besides, you have me intrigued. I want to meet this mystery girl now. If she's getting flowers she must be important," she said playfully.
"Very," Eric said smiling down warmly at her before leading her again down the hall. They stopped, arriving at a room with its door closed. Jen only had enough time to read this:
Amelia Scott Menville
Permanent Resident
Condition…
"Ready?" Eric asked blocking the girl's view of what the file said though the disguised hero wasn't sure if this action was totally accidental.
"Yeah," she nodded before he opened the door revealing a one person room though it was totally different from any hospital room Jinx had ever seen, either on T.V. or real life.
The otherwise dreary walls were decorated with colorful posters of various bands and inspirational phrases; there was a small bookshelf stuffed with books; hanging from the ceilings was the newest hi-tech stereo system and plasma T.V.; and on a wall vacant of any other poster or pictures hung a beautiful night skyline picture of Jump City with the Titans tower in the middle, standing proudly.
Jen was paying so much attention to the room's decorations that she didn't notice Eric leave her side to walk over to the bed. It wasn't until then that she saw the resident of the room.
Lack luster blonde hair that appeared to be coming out in clumps contrasted greatly against pale ashen skin of a small sleeping figure about the size of the child. On closer inspection Jen realized that the form was that of a girl's though it was hard to tell her age based on her current appearance.
"Lia, wake up," Eric said gently waking the girl. Despite the girl's appearance her brown eyes were bright and curious, a twinkle of naivety in them as she looked up to the boy.
"Eric!" she said happily, though Jen could hear the slight weakness that the girl was trying to hide from her voice.
"Hey, sis," the boy said gently kissing her on the forehead. "These are for you," he said handing her the flowers.
"Thank you," the girl grinned, her bony fingers wrapping around the bouquet. She took a deep breath of their scent before placing them on the desk next to her bed. It was then that she noticed that she and her brother were not alone.
"Lia," Eric smiled ushering the nervous brunette towards his sister, "I would like you to meet Jen. Jen this my sister, Amelia, but everyone calls her Lia."
"Hi!" the young girl said, obviously happy to have more company.
"Hello," Jen said slightly nervous, trying to make sure she wouldn't do anything to trigger her powers accidentally.
"Are you Eric's girlfriend?" Lia suddenly asked surprising Jen, luckily without setting off her powers, and causing her brother to chuckle.
"No, she isn't. She's just a good friend of mine," he said.
Jen nodded, looking anywhere but at the girl. Instead, she looked at the painting which seemed to captivate her once again.
"Eric did that," Lia's voice said bringing Jen out of her admiration.
Interested the bad luck witch turned towards the boy. "You did?" she asked curiously. "It's really good," she commented.
He shrugged. "I was in an artsy mood that day. Guess you can say that I was sort of inspired."
"Thought you didn't like the Titans," Jen said, keeping her voice leveled and almost uninterested.
"It's not that I don't like them. It's just that I don't like how the city constantly depends on them for the smallest of things that the police can take care of themselves," Eric explained.
"I see," Jen nodded. Lia yawned, eyes drooping slightly.
"Tired?" Eric asked softly.
"Just a little," the girl nodded.
"I guess I'll walk Jen out. I did practically just unexpectedly bring you here," he chuckled at the brunette.
"It's okay. I had nothing else to do," Jen waved him off. "It was nice meeting you Lia."
"You…too…" the younger girl yawned. "Come…back…soon…" she said before quickly drifting off to sleep.
The two teens silently exited the room before walking back down the quiet hospital's halls. The two were silent, Jen not knowing what to say. She bit her lip nervously.
"Uh…what…I mean, you don't have to answer but…what happened…" she began.
"What happened to her?" Eric said finishing her question, while keeping his eyes forward. "The doctors aren't too sure. At first she was showing signs of cancer at its earliest stages though the doctors weren't worried. They figured that since they had caught it so early they could easily treat it. With further testing they realized that it wasn't cancer but some rare disease. All the treatments that they were able to do either didn't work or made it worst."
"There's no treatment?" Jen asked.
"There is, but it's not exactly cheap," Eric said, "I been doing a couple of odd jobs to try to get some extra money. Working at the café is one of them."
"Wow, I'm- I'm so sorry," Jen said not knowing what else to say.
"Don't be. She doesn't like it when people feel sorry for her. She's a tough kid. I'm sure we'll be able to get through this somehow," he said hopefully. Jen nodded realizing that they had made it to the entrance. "Thanks for coming. I know it was kind of weird and all but-"
"It was great," the girl smiled. "I got to learn more about the elusive Eric Menville."
"Menville doesn't sound very elusive," the boy chuckled. "Besides, I bet I'm not as elusive as you."
"Well, we'll just have to find out," Jen grinned before unexpectedly she was engulfed in a large hug from the boy.
"Thanks again. It means a lot," he said softly.
"No problem," the girl said, a slight blush on her cheeks before she left.
Eric watched the girl leave. His smile melted away as soon as the girl was out of sight. He went back to his sister's room, making sure to close and lock the door behind him.
"I know you're awake," he said walking further into the room. The girl's eyes immediately shot open as a cruel smile played on her lips.
"So how did I do? Did I portray your poor sickly sister perfectly?" she asked. The boy frowned making the girl sigh dissapointedly as she swung her thin legs over the side of the bed, standing up on legs that should have been to thin to allow he to do that. "Oh, cheer up. You're doing a perfect job," the girl said, her accent getting thick.
"Just don't forget to keep your deal of the bargain," Eric said cooly.
"What? You think of me as a liar? That's very hypocritical, my dear boy."
"I'm not a liar," the dark hair boy said narrowing his eyes.
The girl laughed, her voice not sounding proportionate to her body. "As I belive you would say, that doesn't mean you don't know how to play one..."
Okay...yeah...Where to start? Alright, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. Highschool has been a little overwhelming for me but I'm getting the hang of it. I hadn't had anytime to really work on this story but I forced myself to find some time for it. What mostly took me so long was I was trying to research suitable diseases but I couldn't find one that I realy like so I kind of made up my own...probably wasn't the best idea to do but I didn't want to misinterpet a disease.
To show how sorry I am I going to give a small sneak peek for next chapter. Remeber, I might change my idea but this is what I'm planning.
"Come on Jinx. Just give me one more chance," he pleaded softly, extending his hand out that helled a beautiful red rose to her.
The girl tried to hold her resolve but she had to admit, she was slightly curious as to what he could have possibly planned to do without his powers.
"Fine," she said holding back the laugh she wanted so badly to let out when the boy began to do a little victory dance. "But it better not be anything stupid or you'll be on a one way hex out of the city."
"Have no fear, Jinxy," Kid Flash grinned. "This will be a night to remember."
"I'm sure," the bad luck witch sighed. "And don't call me Jinxy!"
So yeah. I've been giving sneak peeks for all of my stories that I haven't updated in awhile. Also, I didn't just make up Eric's last name. Big dedication and another sneak peek to anyone who can figure out where the heck I got the name Menville from. I'll give you a clue. It has something to do with our favorite masked theif.
Anyway, once again, I want to apologize for the long wait. I hope you guys forgive me. I didn't do it on purpose. I just needed to sustain my grades up, but now I have a little less to do for school so hopefully next chapter should be up soon. I hope.
Nothing more to say so...PLEASE REVIEW!!!
