Chapter Twenty-Four: Two Hours
"Danny?" Maddie breathed, stepping into the room. "Oh, Danny! My poor baby!" She moved forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and sobbing. "Mommy should've been there!"
Jazz stood by the door, pursing her lips. From what her father had told her, Danny had been attacked by a ghost – which explained all the ectoplasm on his wounds. She knew the truth, though, and wondered how he REALLY got those wounds. 'Maybe it was just a fight.' She thought. 'After all, dad would never hurt the son he's so proud of.'
"Phan…tom…" Danny murmured.
"What?" Maddie blinked, pulling back. "Did Phantom do this to you?"
"N-No…wanna see…Phantom…" Danny pleaded.
"I know you're not afraid of ghosts now, but Phantom is a dangerous ghost and I don't want him near you." Maddie said firmly.
"Please…" Danny turned his head to his father.
"You know, I heard he hasn't even been in town. Maybe he's off having another grudge match with the Wisconsin Ghost." Jack suggested. "But, once he's back in town, we'll let him know you want a visit, okay?"
"…Okay." Danny turned his head back to the ceiling again. 'Phantom…' He sent out his thoughts.
'Yeah?' He heard Phantom reply.
'…You still in that box?' Danny asked silently.
'Yeah. How long have you been gone?' Phantom asked.
"How long…has it been?" Danny looked at his father.
"Two days since we got you in here." Jack was looking grim; examining a clipboard he'd been handed.
'Two days.' Danny answered Phantom.
'How are you feeling?' Phantom asked.
'Terrible. My everything hurts, and I feel so woozy.' Danny closed his eyes.
'Hang in there. I'll be right here, talking to you.' Phantom assured him.
"Danny?" Maddie waved her hand in front of his face.
"Danny? Are you awake?" Jack asked.
Danny's eyes opened suddenly, and his heart-rate picked up for a bit before it calmed down. "Y-Yeah. I'm up."
'What just happened? I felt that spark of fear!' Phantom demanded.
'…Dad asked that question again.' Danny replied silently, then looked at his mom. "I missed you, mom."
"I missed you too, baby." She smiled and hugged him.
"The infection in his body…" He heard a doctor saying quietly to Jack. They stepped out of the room to talk then, and Danny wasn't sure what they meant. Infection? Where they talking about the ectoplasm? Or was it something else? Did he get a horrible infection from his wounds not being treated properly?
He felt so dizzy, and that sudden scare didn't help matters. He closed his eyes again, listening to Phantom say soothing words in his head that gently coaxed him to sleep.
"I guess he's tired." Maddie gently stroked his forehead, brushing his sweat-soaked bangs from his head. "We should let him sleep."
Jazz nodded, walking over and hugging him before she left the room with her mother, closing the door behind them.
Phantom sat silently in his box, banging on it repeatedly. He had to get to Danny, something was wrong! He needed to be there! "Let me out!" He screamed, body-slamming the wall repeatedly. It wouldn't give. He tried everything, even a Ghostly Wail, but that just tired him out and made it so he couldn't even fly anymore. "Let me out! Please! Let me out of here!"
Days seemed to pass, but for he knew it was just hours. It felt like when he was accidentally pulled into the Fenton Thermos, where he had no concept of time and was all alone. It wasn't so bad when Danny was there, but by himself it was just miserable. He thought of Dan, forever trapped in that Thermos at Clockwork's tower in the Ghost Zone; was this how he felt? And he'd put him there…
He pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, waiting for when Danny would wake up again and talk to him. It was just so lonely…so gloomy. His glow did nothing to soothe him, like it soothed Danny. He looked out at all the tools, at the securely closed door. He looked up at the ceiling, which looks so accessible…if he wasn't in the box.
"Danny…" He whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek. 'Danny…I miss you.'
There was only silence in reply, and then a quiet. 'I miss you, too.' was heard in his mind. 'Phantom…it's dark.'
'Dark?' Phantom started.
'Yeah. Behind my eyelids. I don't have your glow peeking through like before. They turned off the lights of my room.'
Phantom relaxed a bit. 'Well, then get up and—well, I guess you can't get up.'
'They won't let me. I have IVs and all that junk.' Danny reminded him. 'Hey, Phantom?'
'What is it?' Phantom asked.
'…Nothing. You'll yell at me for asking it.' Danny replied.
'…Then, don't ask it.' Phantom nodded.
'Mmhm. I won't.' His voice was fainter, stranger.
'Danny?' Phantom spoke sharply. 'Are you alright?'
'I'm in a bed with IVs.' Danny replied softly. 'That's usually a sign of "not alright".'
'Right.' Phantom nodded. 'Sorry, stupid question.'
'It hurts…'
'Danny?' Phantom started.
'Doctor!' He heard Danny cry, and realized he must be doing the same out-loud.
"Doctor!" Danny cried out weakly, hitting the "call nurse" button. "Doctor! P-Please!"
The nurse came in, heard what he said, and ran out to get the doctor. A bit later the Doctor was looking him over.
"This isn't good." The doctor cringed. "The infection isn't reacting well to the medication." He turned to the nurse. "Call his father. In fact, call his whole family."
That wasn't a good sign. As they all gathered in his room, he grimly told them the news: Danny had maybe two hours to live. If they'd only gotten to the infection sooner…
Jack glanced to the side guiltily while Maddie and Jazz ran to Danny's side, sobbing.
Phantom waited for any word from Danny, anything, and finally heard his name being spoken. 'Danny?'
'Phantom…' Danny's voice was horribly weak. 'Phantom…I'm sorry. I have to break…my promise.'
'What do you mean?' Phantom asked, his ghostly skin paling further.
'…I have two hours to live.' Danny said softly.
Phantom felt like a huge rock had fallen on him and he couldn't get it off. He stumbled back against the wall, his body trembling. 'Two hours?' He thought. 'Not…not two days?'
'Two hours.' Danny clarified.
'I'll never get out of here in just two hours!' Phantom cried. 'Wait for me, I'll be there! I just have to escape!' He tried to blast at the walls, but remembered that he'd used the Ghostly Wail not too long ago and his power was drained.
'Phantom…' Danny spoke again.
'Yeah?' Phantom asked.
'…Is it...painful to die? What will I turn into when I die, if not you? Will I be some horrible Danny-ghost you have to fight?'
Phantom wasn't sure how to answer him and slumped to his knees. 'I don't know. I was never alive.' He replied softly. 'And if you do become a Danny-ghost…I could never fight you. Stop you, yes. Fight you? No. Never.'
'Two hours…feels so short but so long. Sam and Tucker are gonna visit me in a little bit.'
'Danny…' Phantom bowed his head, feeling helpless.