Don't have much time, but I needed to put this up before I left for the dance at my school. Enjoy!
"Yes." Maddie replied, slightly confused as to where Jazz was going with this.
"It all makes sense now!" Jazz suddenly blurted. The parents gave their daughter strange looks due to her sudden outburst. Before either one could ask what she meant, Jazz continued. "Vlad must have given Danny the poison when he was forced to live with him and then Vlad made his appearance at the school to try to get Danny mad enough so that the poison would activate! Then, Danny's emotions would get strong enough to attack Vlad and he would get a bad reputation for it! And then the poison would weaken Danny and he would have to ask Vlad for the antidote, so that Vlad could make Danny do anything and if Danny didn't…he would…die." Jazz faded off a bit at the end, the possibility that her brother could die ringing in her head.
"Um, run that by me again." Jack requested in puzzlement.
"Vlad planned this all!" Jazz simplified.
"Well, why didn't you just say so?" The man asked.
Jazz felt like slapping herself in the face at her father's ignorance. Maddie broke into the discussion.
"Let's just work on finding a cure for Phantom." Maddie suggested.
And so, they set off to work.
Several hours, numerous calculations, and many attempts later, the cure was finally discovered. Maddie held up a vial of purple liquid.
"This is it." She announced, exasperation from her many attempts in her voice.
The other two occupants of the room watched intently as the woman in the blue jumpsuit walked carefully over to the comatose ghost boy, antidote at the ready. She gently lifted the boy's head and poured the liquid into his open mouth. The contents slowly poured out of the bottle. The last purple drops drained from the bottle and into Danny's mouth. Everyone waited, tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. Danny began to stir slightly and his glowing-green eyes opened a little. A wave of relief seemed to wash over the entire room as its occupants realized that he was going to be okay.
"Danny!" Jazz shouted, wrapping her little brother in a bone-crushing hug.
The boy struggled for breath. "Jazz…can't…breathe." Danny gasped.
"Sorry." She apologized, releasing him.
Danny was now in a sitting position on the flat metal table, observing the area around him with tired eyes.
"How do you feel?" A kind, motherly voice asked.
Danny's eyes wandered over to where the voice had come from. His Mom.
"Huh?" He questioned, not completely hearing her.
"Are you okay?" She repeated.
"I…think so." Danny replied unsurely. Man, he had a headache. He moved his gloved hand subconsciously toward his throbbing head.
"Danny, Vlad poisoned you while you were there. The poison was made so that it wouldn't activate unless you got really angry, which is why he ticked you off at school. Then the poison weakened you and caused all of this to happen. That way, you'd have to come to him and do what he wants to get the cure." Jazz explained once again in a rushed tone.
"Um…" Danny stuttered, showing that he was just as clueless as when Jazz explained it to their father.
Jazz sighed in irritation and exhaustion. Great, she had to use the same technique she did with her Dad. "Vlad planned this." She clarified again.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Danny questioned, sounding like his father.
This time, Jazz did slap herself in the face. Maddie almost wanted to start laughing at how similarly Jack and Phantom had just acted. Jack was slightly curious, but didn't make any comments or gestures. Danny eyes the three in confusion. What was so funny?
Danny shifted himself so that he could slide onto the floor in a standing position. He edged off of the side and his silver-boot-covered feet hit the ground with a barely audible thud. He leaned on the table at first, but then let go. As soon as he did, he started wobbling on the spot. His legs felt like Jello!
"Woah!" He exclaimed as his body swayed dangerously, threatening to fall over. He held his arms out in an attempt to regain balance.
Jazz grabbed Danny from behind right before he fell. The boy gazed up at his older sister who was supporting him.
"He, he. Thanks, Jazz." He thanked, somewhat embarrassed.
"No problem." She replied. "Think that you can manage standing this time?"
Danny nodded. The girl helped her younger sibling back up onto his feet. He stood still for a moment before his legs gave out and he crashed to the ground with a scream of surprise.
"That went well."Jazz commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She went to help the fallen ghost boy.
"No. I can do it." He assured, refusing her help.
Jazz rolled her teal eyes and crossed her arms. Her brother could be so stubborn.
Danny used his arms to lift himself upright once more. He managed about five seconds before he started to fall again. Jazz was ready this time and caught him.
"What were you saying about being able to do it?" She teased.
"Hey! I managed at least a few seconds that time." Danny argued.
Jazz giggled. "Can you fly?"
Danny smacked himself in the face for his stupidity. "Why didn't I think of that?"
The ghost boy concentrated. He managed to float a few inches off of the ground before being forced to land again, feeling worn even from the action that would usually take him very little energy.
"I'll take that as a 'no.'" Jazz responded to the boy's attempts.
"Jazz, will you help Phantom up to the guest bedroom? I don't think that he's going anywhere fast." Maddie requested. "And you might want to tell Danny what's going on."
Jazz nodded and shifted the ghost boy so that she could support him on her shoulder and help him walk-or in his case; stumble. She started moving, but Danny stopped her.
"Wait." He begged his sister.
Jazz stopped and Danny carefully turned around to face a puzzled Mr. and Mrs. Fenton.
"Thanks." He told them sincerely.
Maddie let a soft, warm smile creep onto her lips. Jack did the same, even though he was slightly confused.
"You're welcome, but just go upstairs and rest before anything else happens." The woman instructed in a motherly tone.
Danny gave her a grateful smile before Jazz gave his arm a little tug, signaling for him to move. The male teen obediently turned around as Jazz held him firm. Danny leaned on the red-head as they staggered away.
Once they were up the stairs and away from their parents, Jazz had a few things to talk to Danny about and vice versa.
"Now that you're completely conscious, mind telling me what exactly happened during the fight?" Jazz inquired with curiosity and concern bubbling inside her.
"Most of it's a vague blur. I remember using my Ghostly Wail on Vlad, then he gained his energy back and lifted me in the air. He charged his punch with an ecto-blast and then punched me in the stomach…hard. Next thing I know, everything hurts and I wake up with you looking down at me." Danny replied truthfully.
"Yeah, that punch left a nasty burn. Is it feeling any better?" The girl inquired, helping Danny up the last step on the stairway leading to the second floor.
"A little." Danny answered. "Jazz, what happened while I was unconscious?" Danny asked, his voice filled with worry and nervousness.
"Well…" She started. Danny instantly knew that he wasn't going to like this. "You remember when Vlad came and you got really mad, but at the end you collapsed?" Danny nodded. "Sam came up with the theory that Vlad might have poisoned you and then Mom tested you for poison."
Danny instantly froze. "She didn't find anything…did she?" He questioned in panic. They both knew what "anything" meant. Evidence of his half-ghost status.
They finally reached the guest bedroom and Jazz set Danny down on the bed, freeing herself.
"Um…you see…she didn't find any solid evidence that you were half-ghost, but she did notice that your DNA seemed to have a few human characteristic qualities." Jazz stammered, trying not to tip her brother over the edge.
Danny would have breathed a sigh of relief for the fact that his parents still hadn't caught on if he didn't have a feeling that there was something else that Jazz wasn't telling him. "Something else happened, didn't it?"
The usual!