Chapter 36
"Planeteers, you must take cover! I just saw on Planet vision that Zarm is coming!" Gaia cried out urgently as she attempted to herd her eco-activists into the Crystal Chamber's underground emergency shelter.
As the Planeteers ran, they knew that they hadn't a second to waste in calling Cap, so they pumped their fists into the air and commanded their colorful beams to converge into the blue humanoid they all looked up to as a second father figure and sometimes rescuer.
"Let our powers combine . . . Earth!"
"Fire!"
"Wind!"
"Water!"
"Heart!"
"By your powers combined . . . I am Captain Planet!"
"Go Planet!" the 'teers all called out as they continued to run to their safe place.
Unfortunately, Wheeler's pregnancy had robbed him of his speed, and he lagged behind the others, who didn't even realize he was not running along side them anymore. They had hurriedly made their way into the shelter and were supposedly waiting for their fiery friend. Before Wheeler could make it into the shelter, a group of dark thunder clouds and a flashing space ship quickly covered up the powder blue sky.
"What's the matter, Hot Stuff . . . a little out of shape?" Zarm snarled from his ship just before firing a stun ray that jolted the pregnant man to the ground.
Driven to his hands and knees by the ray, Wheeler suddenly felt an excruciating pain shooting through his middle, and he immediately knew it was labor! Within seconds, he knew that getting to the hospital was not an option; and he writhed on the floor moaning loudly as the baby squirmed, trying to free itself from his body. With one unbearable contraction, Wheeler watched as his stomach burst open, the baby finally freeing itself from its parent. He lay there for a moment, wondering why he wasn't dead given the method of delivery. It was as if he were stuck in the movie, Alien! Only upon self examination, he found his stomach to be intact, bearing no mark of what had occurred only seconds before. However, his attention was drawn to the thing he had spawned.
"What the . . . " he gasped.
Frighteningly, the baby was not human after all; instead it resembled a composite of all of the eco-villains. The life form turned out to be a freak with hard, yellow, scaly skin and ugly, hairless hands and feet. The torso bulged, reminding the Planeteer of Sludge's figure, and the face was framed by a mop of blond shoulder length hair with a strip of white hiding half the features. The Brooklynite dreaded to think what could possibly lie beneath the tresses. Cold staring eyes burned through him, showing no feeling for the mother that had carried it for all these months. Suddenly the mutant shot into the air, hovering besides Zarm and laughing maniacally as Wheeler lay in the sand covering his head against the deafening roar of a losing battle. When, at last, the horrible din had subsided, he painfully crawled to his feet and ventured out to survey the damage.
Wheeler felt his stomach lurch when he noticed that the once beautiful Hope Island now looked like a war zone, the buildings and trees lay in burned and twisted ruins! He felt his heart sink with every footstep and horrific observation; then he felt as though he would throw up when he caught sight of Gaia and Cap lying dead on the ground in a giant pool of blood. Then he looked away and caught a glimpse of Zarm heading toward what was once the Crystal Chamber. Gathering all his strength, he ran toward the debris and stood in shock as Zarm emitted a ray that collapsed the rest of the building on top of the underground shelter - burying the other four Planeteers alive!
Sweat coated the redhead's brow as he writhed and thrashed amongst the bed covers. His cries were loud enough to wake the other Planeteers, and they came running, for they were worried that labor had come early for their companion.
As he stood looking at the shell that had once been his home, mourning the loss of his friends in this battle - the final battle, Wheeler became aware that the cold, soulless eyes of his mutant baby were fixed upon him. "Your turn, daddy!" it snorted and grinned, bearing rows of fangs and swooping towards him. The American cowered, holding his hands in front of him. "Welcome to your worst nightmare!" was what the growling tone hissed in evil satisfaction.
Then the next voice turned light and friendly, and several concerned faces looked down at the horrified youth in the bed.
"Wheeler wake up!" was the worried cry as the devastation faded to nothing, and the redhead opened his eyes and found he was back within the safe confines of his bedroom.
"Wh-wh-what!" he stuttered, springing awake with a sudden start. He caught sight of Linka and immediately wrapped his arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably.
"It was just a nightmare, Wheeler. Come on, it is ok now, you are safe." The Russian cooed softly, rubbing her companion's shoulders.
Wheeler sat up, wiping his eyes that were red and puffy thanks to the salty tears that could not stop flowing from his eyes. Obviously, he was terrified by whatever had happened in the dream. Kwame and Gi left for a brief moment and returned a few minutes later with mugs of hot cocoa for everyone; and, bit by bit, they coaxed the details of the horrific dream from the terrified fire Planeteer.
On the evening of October 31st, everything was set; the Planeteers were dressed in their logoed uniforms. All they needed to do was summon Captain Planet when the time was right. The blue faced hero had been formally invited and gladly accepted the opportunity to have a little fun with Wheeler's kid cousin. Wandering into the common room, Gi found that Wheeler had fallen asleep on the sofa, and she couldn't blame him after hearing what he'd described in the frightening dream he had. Still, she couldn't resist having a little fun.
"Guys, come over here and look; I made Wheeler and integral part of Halloween!" she called after 30 minutes, sparking everyone's curiosity.
"Oh poor guy, he did not wake up when you did that?" Linka bit into her lip in order to stifle a school girl snicker.
"Nope," the Asian girl giggled quietly.
"I have to get a picture for the album; that is really cute," Ma-Ti laughed, fetching his camera.
Commander Clash had joined the rest of the youths, having finished his task of stacking firewood, and he let out a hearty laugh that awoke the slumbering artist's canvas.
"Wassa funny?" he demanded, pushing himself upright. "What the….?" he looked down at his baby bump which, having been exposed, was now painted in a brilliant orange color and decorated to look like a pumpkin.
"I decorated you for Halloween," Gi chuckled, holding up a mirror so her subject could see the handy work properly. Wheeler couldn't think what to say; he wasn't sure if he was angry, embarrassed or pleased. His emotions swirled in his head. "What do you think?" the Asian girl queried, slightly concerned by how silent the young man had gone.
"It's cool," Wheeler finally smiled, for he believed it was Halloween, time for fun.
With some resistance from the human canvas, the Planeteers managed to take a picture of Gi's artwork.
"Come on, Wheeler, you can add it to your pregnancy diary," were the words of encouragement a smiling Linka offered to her self conscious teammate.
What had started as a little project to help Wheeler accept his unusual condition had turned into a scrapbook of the experience. Regular photos charted the young mans growth, and his current diet - which seemed to comprise mostly of things that wouldn't even live in the same store cupboard, let alone be eaten together. Written entries showed how he had come to accept what was happening to him and even showed that he was enjoying it in some weird way. Perhaps if he wasn't the wrong sex, he would be someone that loved being pregnant and would have lots of children; he was certainly proving to be the most broody of the Planeteers.
"I don't wanna have a picture taken; I look gross!" the redhead protested. He might have accepted the condition, but it didn't mean he wanted to see pictures of himself in years to come; and there was the chance that the pictures could fall into the wrong hands.
"You do not look gross; your baby belly is cute," Linka chortled before pecking Wheeler's cheek.
Finally, the American relented, lifting the top up so that a photo could be taken. Soon after the photo session was over, the young man felt he had to scratch his stomach because it was itching like mad!
"Is the body paint making you itch sweetie?" the European asked, seeing his movement.
"I guess so. Sorry, Gi, the pumpkins gonna have to go." Wheeler looked apologetically at his honorary sister.
"Hey, no problem. Want me to wash it off for you? I think lotion will probably get the paint off better."
The pyro Planeteer nodded gratefully, for he had trouble reaching the front of his belly anyway.
Soon it was time to get going, and the 5 Planeteers summoned captain planet, ready for a night of trick or treating!
"Happy Halloween, Planeteers!" the blue super hero greeted, landing lightly on the floor and gazed at the familiar faces. He hadn't seen Wheeler in the flesh for a long while, and he found himself in a surprised state upon seeing the change in the youth's size. The last time he had seen Wheeler, he had been plump, only in the middle of his second trimester of pregnancy. Since then the young mans belly had gotten considerably bigger, and his face had become rounder; he'd put on weight in general. "Hey, Wheeler" the hero greeted "Have you got a baby elephant in there?" the captain quipped as he pointed out the large bulge.
"I don't think so; scan shows a human. Guess I got a little bigger since the last time you saw me huh," the redhead said with a smile, for it was good to have someone making a joke with him instead of offering him sympathy.
"I suppose we should get going, we cannot keep Joey waiting," Kwame voiced the need to make tracks once he looked at the clock.
"Yes, we said we would meet him at 5pm; so we had better start now," Ma-Ti added, mentally working out the time difference and the length of the journey.
"Are you sure you will be ok here on your own?" Linka asked Wheeler as she squeezed his shoulder.
"No sweat, I think I'll grab a movie and get some s'mores going."
"Remember not to eat too many extra calories," Gi voiced her concerns, pulling some paper bags from the cupboard; she had used some magic markers and decorated them to look like trick or treat bags, environmentally friendly ones.
"Come on, Gi, its Halloween. You guys are going to be stuffing your faces with candy; so why can't I?"
"We're not pregnant; we're not likely to put on weight by eating candy; but you are," the Asian warned, taking on a motherly tone that reminded Wheeler of when his own mom wouldn't let him eat a snack too soon before dinnertime.
"Wheeler has a point, Gi," Ma-Ti stepped in, defending his big buddy. "One night is not going to do any harm; besides, he does not eat sweets very often."
"I guess you're right, Ma-Ti. I'm sorry, Wheeler, I'm just stuck on keeping your diet healthy."
"I appreciate it, but I need a night off. I need some sugar; can't remember the last time I went on a sugar high."
The water Planeteer nodded; she knew she was being overbearing. Wheeler could manage his diet quite well without her input. With a wave, the Planeteers left, excited at the prospect of a night full of trick or treating and some good Halloween fun!
"That was fantastic" Ma-Ti charged into the common room as the clock struck 11:00; he was clearly running on a sugar high.
"Yeah, I love Halloween!" Gi chimed as she rummaged through her stash of candy for another sweet.
"Wheeler, we are back. Are you still up?" Kwame asked, seeing the room was in state of darkness.
"Yeah," was the reply the Planeteers heard as Linka switched on the light. Wheeler lay sitting on the sofa, holding a cushion to his front and watching something on the TV.
"What is on?" Linka asked, stepping closer and trying to make out the images on the tube without obscuring Wheeler's view of the program.
"Halloween V."
"You are watching a horror movie?"
"Yeah well, it's Halloween; watching scary movies is s'posed to be traditional."
"But what about nightmares? You have had some pretty bad ones recently; surely this will give you another one."
"I seriously doubt it; I mean I've seen it before, so it's not really scaring me."
The Russian shrugged and figured that they would just have to wait and see if any terrifying dreams should come up.
"Wheeler, we brought you some candy," Ma-Ti handed the extra bag to his friend, who accepted the offering with a grateful grin.
"Thanks, guys. So tell me, did you have a good time with my cuz?"
"Oh yes, it was excellent fun!" Kwame answered with a boyish smile crossing his dark lips.
"Some of the costumes were very well made; we met a little devil, a lady bug, 2 hoboes, and a witch. The little girl in the 1950's outfit was so cute. Joey went dressed as count Dracula and managed to scare some of the younger ones. By the way, did you enjoy your s'mores?" Linka asked after giving her report of some of the best costumes she had spied that night.
"Yep, they were delicious; and don't worry, Gi, turns out my stomach's so squished right now I could only eat three. The trays in the fridge if any of you guys want more sugar."
"Why don't we save it for when we pick up Commander Clash tomorrow," was Gi's suggestion as she opened the fridge door to see half a dozen s'mores sitting on the small tray. "It looks like there's enough for everyone here."
Halloween night brought an end to the month of October, and November wound its merry way through Hope Island, bringing a welcome drop in temperatures for all the inhabitants. After an eventful day, which had dragged the Planeteers and commander clash out three times, everyone had gathered in the common room for a board game. The game of Life was a favorite among the eco-heroes and the perfect way to unwind after a hard day.
"Oooof, you know someone's gonna have to help me get up every 20 minutes when I have to pee," Wheeler groaned, sliding down on the floor, where the others had gathered.
"We could set up the game on the table if you would be more comfortable," Linka offered, temporarily forgetting Wheeler wouldn't be able to sit comfortably on the floor when they had set up the game in its usual spot.
"Nah, I'm here now. So lets start playing." The redhead smiled, as he was actually comfortable for once; it made a change not to be sitting on a chair or the sofa. "I think the couch is starting to get a dent in it that looks something like my butt," he quipped with a wink.
As the game unfolded, the zany events came in rapid and funny succession. When Linka landed her little white toy car on the GET MARRIED square, Wheeler smirked as he pulled the blue peg from his playing piece and stuck it into hers, only to get a playful bop to the head with a soft fluffy pillow. Needless to say, he winked and returned the peg to its proper place and retrieved a new one to act as the blonde's pretend husband.
"Twins are born..." the expectant redhead red the square on which his little red car had landed. "Figures I would land on twins. Uh, it doesn't say if they're boys or girls or one of each, so what color pegs do I get?"
"I think it lets you decide for yourself if you want sons or daughters," Commander Clash pointed out before sipping from his beer can.
"Hmmm, guess I'll have boys," Wheeler muttered to himself as he reached for the box that contained the blue pegs, not only because he was in the mood to guess his own baby to be a son, but because he couldn't be bothered to reach across the board for the pink pegs.
"I think someone thinks he's having a boy," Gi light heartedly teased, squeezing Wheeler's shoulder and passing him a wink.
"Just wait, he will change his mind next week and guess himself to have a little girl," Ma-Ti postulated as he spun the dial and moved his yellow car. "What am I going to do with a skunk farm?" he commented, dropping the necessary money into the bank pile pur the square's instructions.
Kwame suddenly remembered a question he meant to ask the fiery father to be. "Wheeler, I was wondering, could you help me plant some trees along the south side of the island tomorrow?"
"Sure, my man, I can help you ... just don't make me bend," the redhead answered happily.
"Do not worry, I just need some help holding them while I bed them in," the African explained as he took his turn in the game. "Adopt a son and a daughter... and where will I put them; I have four children already." He indicated the plastic playing piece that held not only the pegs representing him and his pretend wife, but the four pegs that represented his 3 sons and a daughter.
"There are two empty cars left," Linka fumbled through the box to find the remaining playing pieces were dark blue and light pink. "I think you will want the blue one," she giggled as she handed the black man the blue car.
"One of my adopted children is a teenager who can drive," he joked as he set up the second car side by side with his other one, causing everybody to laugh heartily.
The game played out until around half passed 11; and everybody was ready for bed by the time Commander Clash, the only one not to have finished the game and retire, finally landed on the last square and collected his winnings. As they did on missions, they worked as a team in putting the game away before they all bid each other good night and snuggled down comfortably in their beds.
The next morning, Wheeler awoke early and dressed. There didn't seem to be much point in going back to sleep, and something was niggling in his brain. He was supposed to be doing something wasn't he? When his brain refused to give up the information under internal interrogation, the redhead gave up and switched on the computer; he may as well compose his weekly email to Trev while eating breakfast.
Kwame entered the common room at the same time Wheeler brought up his email program. "Good morning, Wheeler, are you ready to start?" he greeted happily.
"Start? Start What?" The Brooklynite looked confused.
"You said you would help me plant trees this morning, remember?" the African rendered his gentle reminder.
"Oh yeah, duh, I knew there was something I was supposed to do today. Lemme finish this email and stick my bowl in the sink, and I'll be right with you."
Checking his spelling, Wheeler sent his electronic post to his best friend. He knew the techie most likely wouldn't be up yet; after all, it was a Saturday. After putting his cereal bowl into soak, he pushed his feet in to some sandals and strolled out to where Kwame had loaded the trees into the trailer of his solar powered quad bike and was waiting to begin. Arriving at the location he had chosen Kwame quickly unloaded the half grown trees, leaving Wheeler to remove tags and check them for damage. He also allowed the redhead to connect the water supply so that the new plants could have a drink once they were settled.
"Did you really forget that we were planting trees today, my friend?" the Black man asked, using his rings power to dig holes suitable enough for his floral offspring.
"I had a feeling there was something; I mean I got up early, got dressed, and got breakfast. So there must have been something stuck in my head," the young man shrugged. He was busy supporting the tree stem while Kwame added fertilizer and filled in the hole by hand. The earth Planeteer could have used his power to help in doing the work, but he wanted time to talk to Wheeler. It seemed that the other Planeteers had precious little time to converse with their grounded companion as eco-missions increased, and it was nice to have the opportunity to spend quality time, even if the task took longer to complete. "You have been rather forgetful recently," the Swahili Planeteer observed as he did a final check to see if his tree would be all right in its hew home.
"I know, it's weird, kinda like partial amnesia. I know who I am and who you guys are; just things seem to escape me. I was always bad at dates, but now I can't be sure of the day, the month or even the time in between."
"I do not understand, my friend."
"Like when you asked me to help you with the trees last night, I remember being asked now that you nudged me, and I finally came out to help. Only problem is if you asked me when I made the promise, I couldn't tell you. In my head, I know it was last night, but it doesn't feel like it was just last night; it seems longer." The artificially inseminated Planeteer tried to explain the feelings he was having in a way his pal would understand.
"Perhaps it is to do with being on paternity leave; you know you are not as active, so time seems to stretch out more."
"You mean time slows down when your bored, great," the youth pouted, for he was fed up of being pregnant and on leave as it was without time stretching out and going at a snail's pace.
Wheelers 35th week of pregnancy found him curled up on the sofa reading a new book. As time went on, he found himself growing more and more comfortable with his role of homebody. He was able to keep the place clean and cook for his friends who were constantly tired; thanks to all the extra missions they were forced to go on. They surely appreciated the gesture even more since they knew it took Wheeler a while to prepare food now that his belly tended to get in the way. Hearing the phone ring, Wheeler reached behind him without looking up from the page and answered.
"Talk to me."
Working on the now communal computer, Linka stifled a snigger. Her redheaded companion would never win awards for his telephone manner; that was for sure and by the sounds of it, he was being reprimanded by the caller.
"Now is that any way to answer the phone, young man," Bridget lightly scolded her son before continuing with the reason for her call. "Do you remember when you wanted to come see us a couple of months ago? Well, you can come any time you want now. Your father's feeling much better now; he's complaining about the medications he has to take, but he's feeling more like himself again."
"Actually, Ma, I'm not real comfortable coming to the mainland these days. I'm so huge someone's gotta find me out and call the papers or something." It was a genuine worry, and Wheeler didn't even enjoy visiting Kristine at the moment. Despite the fact that Kristine had the best bedside manner of any doctor he had ever seen, going to doctors appointments, now that he couldn't hide or pass off his gut as too much food, made him feel very stressed and self conscious, usually resulting in a rise in blood pressure that he didn't need.
"I understand, Honey. Maybe we can get together for Thanksgiving. The tropical climate might do your father some good at the same time."
"Yeah, I can check to make sure it's cool with Gaia and everybody else."
"That sounds good to me. Well, I had better go and see how your father's doing. The meds still make him sleepy, and he started taking naps during the day."
"Ditto, my day seems to be comprised of sleep interrupted with trips to the bathroom and the need for food every few minutes," the youth quipped lightly, before he heard his mother laugh.
"Ah yes, I remember that stage as if it were yesterday. Aunt Debbie said it was like having a cat for a sister. Well it will be over soon, honey," she answered before a noise could be heard in the background. "I have to go; talk to you soon," Bridget signaled her time limit was up, and Wheeler decided not to delay her further.
"No problem, Ma. Bye."
"Bye-bye, sweetie. I love you."
"I love you too."
Wheeler hung up the cordless handset and placed it back on the base. He hated to turn down his mother's invitation, and he wanted to see something different, someone different from the regular faces and places around the island. It was fine when his friends were around, but lately, they seemed to be out almost 24/7; and the redhead found he was quickly tiring of his own company, sorely missing the ability to joke around with someone, hug them, eat a meal with friends and engage in casual dialogue at the same time. . He longed to have someone to talk to, for the loneliness was the absolute worst part of his confinement to home. Deciding he needed some fresh air, he quietly stepped outside and allowed the sunshine to flow all around him. It was when he was enjoying the toasty warmth that Gaia floated up to stand by his side.
"Is something wrong, Wheeler?" she queried in a gentle voice.
"Just had to turn down an invite to Ma's place. I'm really getting fed up with staying here and not seeing anything different day in and day out."
"What if you invited them here?"
"I was thinking Ma and Pop could come for Thanksgiving if Pop's up to it and you're cool with it." Wheeler twisted his ring around and around on his finger. It wasn't swollen at this moment, but the twisting had been a nervous twitch the redhead had developed during his weeks of isolation.
"I see no reason not to have your parents here for Thanksgiving; it would be good for them as well as you, and your father might feel better in a warmer climate while he's getting used to his new liver."
"Oh man, that would be totally awesome! Thanks, Gaia!" an excited Wheeler gleefully cried out as he threw his arms around the maternal spirit.
"You're welcome, Wheeler," Gaia said as she watched her grounded eco-activist reenter the common room with a renewed feeling of happiness. Sadly, that feeling would evaporate when the next mood swing would hit.
The other Planeteers and commander clash had not failed to notice that Wheeler was blue; he seemed to be fine when they were around him, but when they were too busy to give him any attention, Ma-Ti had said that he could sense a feeling of deep loneliness, such a sensation that he had never thought possible. As much as he tried to hide it Wheeler couldn't hide this mood from his friends, for they could tell when he had been crying. One evening he pretty much broke down in front of them for what seemed to be no reason at all.
"Wheeler, what's wrong?" "Are you in pain?" Gi asked as she and Linka rushed to the redhead's side, concern coloring her words.
"No, I'm not in pain. I don't know what it is … I just ... just… I just want to be alone." With that, the youth left as quickly as he could. heading for his room.
"We have to do something. I have never seen Wheeler like this before, he has been blue before. I mean he misses being a Planeteer and seeing people he knows, but he seems to being stuck in the doldrums since that call from his mother." Linka quickly explained how Wheeler had had to turn down the invite to stay at his parents house because he was worried about being seen, and how he really needed a change of scenery or at least some company.
"Could his parents not come here?" Kwame asked as he tugged his right earlobe.
"They're coming for Thanksgiving, but that's still three weeks away; and with us being busier than normal, he needs someone here to give him some attention," Gi commented as a pensive expression crossed her gentle features.
"That is it!" Ma-Ti cried, suddenly coming to the realization that he solved the mystery. "Wheeler is missing human company; his parents will not be here for a while; but I know someone that always lifts our pal's spirits … someone who works freelance and can take some time off…"
"Who?" the remaining Planeteers shouted in unison, not quite catching on.
"Why Trevor, of course. They talk pretty much everyday; I bet Wheeler would feel much better if his best friend were to come for a visit."
Over the next several days, everyone made an effort to make Wheeler feel more included; he wasn't capable of heavy lifting, bending, or even moving fast; but his friends included him in their chores anyway. They also made time in their schedules for talking, playing games, and walking; it seemed to work as Wheelers mood lifted slightly.
"See you in a little bit, Wheeler, we are just going to get something from the mainland!" Ma-Ti exclaimed with a wave.
Wheeler was busy trying to finish a jigsaw puzzle he'd found at the back of his wardrobe and barely acknowledged the sentence. "OK, little buddy."
It was November the 9th that day, and Wheeler carefully patted the large bump that 36 weeks of pregnancy had created. "What do you think bump? Shall I tackle the sky part next or the grass part??"
"Guess who?" shouted an unfamiliar voice, or at least unfamiliar for Hope island.
Wheeler turned to see the owner of that voice and felt his heart leap with joy! "Specky Techie, hey man how'd ya get here?"
Trevor, who stood on the other side of the room, felt his jaw drop upon seeing his now heavily pregnant best friend. "Whoa Ginger Dude look at you! I know you said you had your own solar system, but I didn't think you meant the whole nine planets and their satellites," the young brunette gushed as his face went a cheery shade of carnation pink.
"Thanks man, boost my self confidence why don't ya," Wheeler quipped, a grin threatening to split his face in two.
"Sorry, it's just a bit of a shock seeing you like this, you know…"
"Yeah I guess it must be, especially since you haven't seen me since last August. So what are you doing here?"
"I came for a visit, and so did booger." The computer geek indicated the cage that was being toted in by Linka, a container from which a dreadful din of indignant meows could be heard.
"M'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'rar'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r! How dare you shut me in here, daddy!" Wheeler put on a high pitched growling voice, pretending to be his friends pet.
"Sorry booger, but I didn't feel like having a red striped suit that would take 2 weeks to heal," the owner laughed as he took the cage from the Russian lady, who smiled and left the two best friends to catch up with each other.
"You know Hope Island's gonna be like a giant litter box with an ocean view to the animated fur ball."
Trevor grinned at his surrogate brother's choice name for the young cat. "Yeah, but apparently, he caused havoc the last time I left him alone for only a few days. Ma told me he pooped on the carpet, ripped the curtains, turned his food bowl upside down on a regular basis, and generally showed his disapproval of the baby sitter. Thought it would be safer to bring him here. With any luck he'll be too busy investigating the new surroundings to notice he has a giant litter tray at his disposal." The brunette carefully opened the travel tote to release his pet, who emerged like a shot from a gun, puffed up and claws extended. Finding his surrounding was not what he had expected, he gave his owner a disapproving look and stalked off behind the sofa to sort his hair out, leaving both young men laughing. "Guess he remembered that he only gets put in the cage to go to the vet's" Trev shook his head in disbelief before turning his attention back to his best buddy. "So how you been?"
"Oh you know, feeling a bit like a balloon and fed up of not being able to do anything. But I'm ok. It's really good to see you, buddy; now how 'bout a hug."
The computer technician nervously stepped closer to his friend of 20 years, not entirely sure how he was supposed to hug him at the moment; however, Wheeler quickly solved the problem by grabbing the Christian man in a tight bear hug. It was such a sudden move that, once he was released, Trev found he needed to straighten his glasses and catch his breath, a motion that made Wheeler break into loud laughter. Outside, the others smiled upon hearing the joyful noise, for it seemed to have been ages since Wheeler had laughed properly.
"Oh man don't make me laugh!" the Brooklynite snorted as he wiped the happy tears from his eyes, trying to control himself as Trev made a big deal of correcting the arrangement of his eyewear and getting it to fit just right.
"Why?" the visitor asked as he finally moved his glasses into a comfortable position.
"Coz it makes me wanna pee, and I don't have that much control over those muscles right now."
"You mean your gonna wet yourself?"
"Not if I can help it; be right back." The youth quickly ducked into the half bath and slammed the door shut so he could relieve himself.
"So how come you got the bladder control of an eighty year old?" the techie quipped as Wheeler emerged from the small room.
"All the muscles down there are over stretched and junior seems convinced that my bladder is a pillow. Laughing, sneezing, coughing anything like that seems to make me wanna go. Linka even had to get me some – ahem - female products in case I don't make it; it's mando embarrassing."
Trevor was unable to hold back the giggles; and he soon found himself eating a cushion sandwich, as Wheeler threw one of the soft pillows at him as a goofy form of punishment.
The arrival of Trevor Summers signaled a complete turn around in the fire Planeteer's mood. The two friends of 20 years played computer games, chatted about childhood memories, laughed about old teachers they couldn't stand, and goofed off with each other. The computer genius could happily treat Wheeler as a person rather than a vessel for a child, and Wheeler seemed to enjoy the chance to be treated without sympathy. The brunette knew how to tease Wheeler about his size, the amount he ate, or the way he was forced to walk without upsetting him; he could also push him to do stuff that the others had failed to do with there gentle encouragement.
"Come on, Ginger Dude; show me around this island paradise you call home." Trevor leapt off the sofa, the change of scenery lifting his own somber mood of recent weeks. Insomnia had begun to bug him again and was getting to be a chronic problem, and he hoped a different atmosphere would help him catch up on some of the sleep he had been losing.
"Um ok, that's the kitchen; that's the bathroom; this is the den; that's the outside; and over there is the beach and the other huts…" Wheeler started pointing without moving from his seat on the couch.
"No lazy butt, I mean get up and give me a tour of the island."
"Do I have to?"
"Yeah, you need the exercise," the youth playfully shot back and dodged as another pillow flew at him. "Missed me nanny nanny boo boo!" another pillow sailed passed him. "Is that the best you can do; come on and catch me if you can!" Trev darted outside and waited patiently; he knew his best friend couldn't resist that kind of challenge. He heard a grunt as Wheeler stood up, and as the redhead appeared at the doorway, Trevor sprang out! "Boo!" he shouted, making his best friend jump.
"Don't do that! I'm gonna give you the world's biggest noogie when I catch you!"
"Yeah, you and what army, slow poke?" Trev stuck out his tongue and jogged just ahead of his unfit companion.
The game continued for a while, until Wheeler found he simply had to stop. "Hold up, dude, I need a rest." The redhead sat down heavily on a flat rock nearby and waited for his bespectacled friend to join him.
"Whatsa matter, you outta breath?" the guest grinned, breathing a little heavily himself.
"You should talk, mate, you're half winded yourself." Wheeler smiled back with a wink. "You know its not easy carrying this thing around…" the redhead patted his stomach and watched Trev's face drop in surprise as the baby within kicked hard enough to be seen from the outside.
"Oh man, that is totally … weird!" Trev exclaimed as he found he was caught completely by surprise by what he just saw. It was true he had seen both sisters-in-law and a female cousin go through pregnancy; however, it still seemed odd to him to see it happening to a man!
"Like something outta Alien huh?" Wheeler smiled mischievously.
"Don't you dare start talking about Alien!"
"What, you mean that movie where the guy writhes about on the floor screaming in pain while something inside him fights to ge-"
"LALALALALA I'm not listening LALALA!" Trevor showed that he did not want to know about any such thing by covering his ears and making lots of noise; Wheeler resolved that he would get him later.
The reunited best friends had so much fun that day that Wheeler didn't notice the time. Normally by 4pm, he would be feeling tired and ready for a cat nap; but, today, the hour sailed by without the slightest hint of feeling sleepy. It caused both young men to do a mental double take when Linka approached them to see how they were doing and witness how happy Wheeler had become since his visitor's arrival.
"Havink fun?" she asked, quite happy to see Wheeler behaving more like the reckless teenager she had known for a major part of her life. It seemed the American men were playing a game of "catch me if you can" and allowing for the redheads reduced mobility by staying on either side of a line in the sand and dodging each others attempts to touch one another.
"Yeah, this guy's a real tonic!" the pyro-Planeteer happily declared, stopping the game and grabbing his mate around the neck in a friendly headlock.
The Russian giggled lightly before revealing the true nature of her interruption. "Dinner is to being ready," she announced as she gestured toward the common hut.
"Dinner?" Wheeler released the Christian and glanced at his watch. "Man, didn't realize it was so late!" the youth exclaimed in surprise as he realized that he felt pretty good, despite missing his afternoon siesta.
"Get it while it's hot!" Commander Clash had been left in charge of cooking that evening. He had recently commented that since he was a part of the team, even only on a temporary basis, he should help out with chores like cooking. He suggested that he would take over any of Wheelers chores that the Brooklynite could no longer do and prepare the occasional meal. Feeling more like a short term roommate instead of a long term guest, the soldier wanted to just help out, and everyone had readily agreed to put him on the duty roster.
Wheeler and Trev entered the common room as the plates were served. The dark splashes on both their fronts revealed that they couldn't even wash up for dinner without goofing on each other.
"Oh Yummola! We're havin' sloppy Joes!" the redhead happily cried out, recognizing one of his countries home favorites.
"Talk about bringing back memories … haven't had these since we were in high school," Trev responded, poking the mixture suspiciously as if it were Army food.
"Remember Mrs. Tyler?" Wheeler laughed upon seeing his friend's reaction to the eatable concoction.
"Oh man, how did she ever get the job of head chef?"
"Yeah, she needed an arrow to tell her which side of the knife to use," Wheeler added as he remembered the lunch room lady.
"That's a little mean, Wheeler," Gi scolded trying not to laugh at the image of this woman and her knives.
"I'm serious, Gi, she was about 800 years old, had glasses that would put the geo-cruisers windows to shame; they must have been at least an inch thick…"
"At least," the redhead's companion nodded inn agreement.
"We always had to check the food she gave us for extra ingredients; the more sauce there was the more likely it was that we would end up with hair, bits of nail ….. I swear I found a piece of someone's finger once," the American disclosed every detail he remembered about the high school cafeteria lady, taking a bite of his meal and immediately spilling some down his front. Another annoying side effect of pregnancy had reared its ugly head in that he could not lean over his plate as his companions could, thus making it easier for him to get spots on his clothes. "Aw snap," he commented as he wiped the mess with a piece of tissue and made the stain bigger.
"You never found any pieces of someone's finger; that was cocktail sausage," Trevor pointed out.
"In macaroni and cheese?" Wheeler argued, raising his eyebrows.
"Ok, point taken, but she never seemed to be missing any bits of fingers; and I think we'd know about it if she was. What you found coulda fallen into the wrong vat. Remember when I found a meatball in my chocolate pudding?"
Linka had gone to the kitchen for something while this conversation was unfolding; she then returned and walked behind her expectant partner, holding up the bib for everyone to see before quickly tying it around Wheelers neck
"What the …. Oh very funny," the pregnant Planeteer gave a wry smile as he noted the protective garment the blonde decided he had to wear.
"Oh you look so cute," Gi grinned, for Wheelers rounder baby face seemed to fit the cloth cover-up perfectly.
Trevor couldn't resist having fun with his best mate and picked up some of his pals dinner on a fork. "Open wide, here; comes the choo choo train, woo woo into the tunnel."
Wheeler ate the mouthful and threw his best friend a look that would have killed most, but this facial expression just made the brunette laugh loudly.
"Have you guys ever seen a show called MASH?" Clash asked, contributing to the family table conversation.
"Once, a while ago, wasn't it set in an army hospital sometime in the 1950's?" Wheeler responded, wiping the sauce from his chin where Trev had missed with the fork.
"Your description of Mrs. Tyler's cooking reminds me of one of the characters reactions to what was served up to him in the mess tent. He always used to smell it really suspiciously and then take the tiniest morsel into his mouth as if he was not quite sure it was food."
"Hawkeye, right?" Wheeler asked, snickering at the image. "I thought he was pretty cool. Somehow, if I'd gotten seriously addicted to that show, he would 'ave been my favorite."
"That's right; I have some episodes on video if you want to see them sometime."
"Sure, that would be great," Wheeler grinned enthusiastically.
The main meal was finished before long, and dessert was about to be served.
"I thought we would get something special since we have guests," Linka announced as she motioned to and opened the cardboard box, carefully removing the large fresh strawberry flan that was inside.
"Oh man, that looks yummola," Wheeler voiced, mentally savoring the taste of the fresh strawberries and cream. "Guess I'm not allowed any huh?" he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice, removing the protective bib and making a move to leave the table.
The female Planeteers had been strictly controlling the redheads sugar intake since he had become pregnant, arguing that he wasn't as active right now and that it would make it easier to get his figure back later on. For the most part, he didn't mind because he'd never really been a sugar addict till he got pregnant; however, strawberry flan was something he really liked, and he felt it would be safer to leave before he got too interested and had to know just what he had to miss.
"You can have some, Wheeler, we got it because it's your favorite," Gi smiled, resting her hand on the American's shoulder and gently pushing him back into his seat.
At that point, Trev came back from feeding booger and saw the red dessert on the table. Nervously, he sat down and started chewing his lip; he knew he had to say something, but he didn't want to be rude. From what Wheeler had told him, the Planeteers didn't eat sweet desserts very often, so this was a real treat. Hadn't they noticed his refusal to eat strawberry flavored goodies at Wheeler's birthday party? The bespectacled youth realized he couldn't rely on the Planeteers' memories of what he ate the last time he was on the island, for those days had all been so busy that they blended together until the birthday party had ended. After a few moments, it became obvious that Trevor wasn't eating his portion of the sticky pudding.
"Do you not like it, my friend?" Kwame kindly asked the loveable geek, who was clearly having difficulty in telling his hosts why he wasn't eating the decadent food item.
"Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya … Trev's allergic to strawberries," Wheeler butted in with a sudden realization. He knew the brunette so well that he hadn't thought to alert his companions to the technician's food allergy when the desert was being served.
"Oh, I'm sorry; we didn't know. Um … would you like something else? I think there's some mint chocolate chip ice-cream in the freezer," Gi sweetly offered, removing the plate from the visitor's place setting to avoid any chance of a medical emergency.
Trevor gratefully accepted the alternative dessert with a half smile and a nod, and he watched as Linka ducked into the kitchen to fetch the cold dairy pudding, gently hitting Wheeler on the top of his head as she passed.
"What was that for?" the Brooklynite asked, trying to decide if the European deserved a wayward cushion flying in her direction later that night.
"For not telling us about Trevor's allergy," the Russian scolded as she retrieved a bowl and spoon from their respective cabinet and drawer.
"And for butting in earlier; didn't your mother tell you not to interrupt people's conversations?" Gi added, giggling at the indignant expression that now spread across the expectant man's face.
"Well excuse me for breathing; I didn't even know Trev was coming!" he argued "How could I tell you not to pick up anything with strawberries in it if I wasn't supposed to know he was gonna be here?"
"Sounds like an excuse to me," Ma-Ti chuckled, enjoying the chance to rib Wheeler about something non pregnancy related.
The merriment continued through the night, with everyone deciding to make their own fun rather than search the TV for shows they wouldn't want to see. Also, the night was too chilly for outdoor activities.
"Ok guys, I'm gonna teach you a game me and Trev used to play while at summer camp," Wheeler spoke up after he went to the recycling bin to find some blank sheets of paper.
"What do we have to do?" Linka asked politely.
"It's easy. We each have a piece of paper; and, first, we all write a boys name … can be a real guy or a fictitious one. Then we fold that over and pass it one person to the right; then we right a girls name and pass it on again. Then its place to meet, what they did once they got there, what he says, what she says back to him, and what happened next. At the end, we each unfold the paper in our hand and read out the whole thing as a story," the redhead explained watching his friends nod and smile in comprehension.
"So it's a bit like a round robin story, but you're limited to the amount of information?" Gi asked as she tried to make certain she understood how the game was played.
"Yeah kinda, everyone got a pen and paper?" Wheeler answered as everyone nodded and each participant leaned over their scrap, starting off the game Trevor and Wheeler used to call Mix and Match.
As predicted, the stories created by the game proved to be hilarious. Linka unfolded her scrap first and read out the text while trying to stifle her own urge to giggle. "Indiana Jones and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman went to the deepest jungles of Africa and built castles in the sand. He said, 'If the water is too cold for the dolphins, it's too cold.' She said, 'I see you tried to go AWOL again, soldier.' They spent the rest of their lives chasing their dreams and catching fire flies." Once the Russian laid her scrap down on the table with a loud thud, the group all roared with hearty laughter
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Commander Clash loudly and happily snorted, wiping at his eyes with his hanky.
"Ridiculous but very funny!" Kwame added his own comment and clutched his aching sides.
Wheeler opened the story that he had ended up with and cleared his throat. Even this was enough to force a giggle from Gi, who was still trying to stop laughing after the last reading. She quietly bit her lip, signaling for the redhead to continue.
"Moses and that lady who used to yell out 'Where's the beef!' in the Wendy's commercial went to Moscow so they could enter the gardening contest they have every year. He said, 'You will never get what you want in life if you lose heart.' She said "you know, we haven't had a pool party in a long time; why not tomorrow afternoon?' Having no idea where to go from here, they enlisted in the Navy and got their butts whipped by the Army team during the football game."
Again, everyone burst out laughing, and Wheeler found he needed to excuse himself before the risk of wetting his pants became irreversible.
The Planeteers were having so much fun that it was quite late before they realized the time. Yawning and stretching, Wheeler got to his feet and prepared to retire for the night.
"I dunno about you guys, but as far as I'm concerned, its pumpkin time. Good night." the American youth carefully left the table and began heading for his room.
"I think I'll go too; good night everyone. Wheeler, wait up mate!" Trevor called out as he bid his own night time farewell and jogged after his friend of 20 years, who had stopped by the doorway to wait for the Christian to catch up.
"So where do I sleep?" Trevor asked as he finished unpacking the last of his things and left them in the only place he could think of – the baby's dresser in the nursery.
"Well you have a choice; you're welcome to share like last time, but you probably wont get much sleep with me tossing and turning and getting up to pee at regular intervals. Ya know there is the student's favorite, the bathtub; or the baby's crib is still free right now. Alternatively, you could just crash in the folding bed," the redhead finally gave his friend the serious option as the brunettes face twisted, for he was trying not to laugh.
"I think I'll take the fold away. Not even sure how I'd get in the crib, and I don't think holding my feet up all night would be good for my circulation."
Wheeler laughed and pointed to the roll away bed that had been placed in his room earlier that afternoon.
"Think you can set it up? I'd help but…"
"I know, you're in a delicate condition," the other youth interrupted with a smirk.
"No, I always pinch my fingers in those clasps, they're 100 evil." Wheeler grinned before slipping to the bathroom to get changed and leaving his friend to sort out his sleeping arrangements.
"All right…" the dark haired youth breathed heavily after his struggle with the reluctant bed, now where should I put it?"
Wheeler had emerged by this point and laughed when he saw his friend panting from the effort of setting up the stubborn piece of furniture. "Did it fight back?" he teased; then, turning serious, he added, "Um as long as you don't block the most direct path to the bathroom, you can put it anywhere it's willing to fit."
The New Yorker nodded and carefully shoved the piece of furniture into a convenient space. Soon both young men were settled in their respective beds and the lights were turned off.
"Good night, ginger dude," Trevor called as he absently placed his glasses on a nearby shelf and slid under the covers.
"Night, specky Techie," Wheeler answered back, rolling over to a comfortable position and allowing his eyelids to slide shut.