Chapter 21- The Sewer People
Danny sat on the ledge of his and Leo's bedroom window. He glanced over at a thin Annabelle the Second snoring softly at the foot of the bed as Leo flipped through an old book. One thing Danny would miss about Wyndemere was the view of the lake. The Gel still sat parked at the docks. He'd check on it each day with the hopes that Angelica would come to retrieve it. He thought of swimming to Kailano Island himself, but he knew that would be a death sentence.
"So, what do you think's up with Grandma and Grandpa?" Danny asked.
Leo scrunched his face. "You mean them fighting?"
"Yeah. They seem kind of off."
"Off how?"
"Well, Grandpa's kind of obsessed with being royal. And Grandma is kicking him out of Wyndemere."
Leo shrugged. "I don't know."
"You don't think it'll be weird living here without your dad?"
"No. It won't last."
"I hope not. I was surprised you chose to stay with Grandma."
"Like I said, it won't last." Leo looked down at his book and flipped a page. "I don't want to be uprooted for nothing."
Danny sighed. "Were you able to keep your breakfast down this morning?"
"Didn't even try. I wasn't hungry."
Danny frowned.
Leo dropped his book and knelt over towards Annabelle the Second who started shaking.
Danny jumped up and darted over to her. "What's wrong with her?"
The dog whimpered a little.
Leo stared at her. "Must be dreaming."
"You or the dog?"
"The dog, okay?" Leo snapped. "I'm trying to read!" He leaned back on his bed and continued reading but squinted his eyes.
Her shaking seized and she went back to sleep.
"Will you please turn out the lights? It's too bright in here," Leo mumbled.
GHGHGH
"Okay, I need to talk to you before we move," Sam said as she met Drew, Willow, Danny, and Scout in one of the common rooms. "You see, your grandpa—"
"Are we all set to go?" Julian walked in carrying a suitcase. "Your mother has the guards watching me to make sure I leave before noon."
Willow scrunched her face and looked at Danny.
"Uh, is she kicking you out?" Drew asked.
Sam sighed.
"Just until I can prove I'm the rightful heir," Julian said.
Sam's eyes grew wide. "Dad… You're not even a Cassadine by blood."
"I think I can trace the Jeromes back to uncover the truth," Julian said.
"Aren't the Jeromes British?" Sam asked.
Julian scratched his chin. "Hmm… maybe we're the rightful heirs of Buckingham Palace then. They are way more prosperous than the Cassadines. That would show your mother…"
Sam cleared her throat. "Willow, Danny, can you take Scout back to one of your rooms, please?"
"Yeah." Willow took Scout's hand.
"Back to their rooms?" Julian scrunched his face. "But we're leaving."
Sam prodded Willow and Scout out the door.
Danny set his hands on his hips. "I can stay."
Sam turned back to Julian. "Okay, you're going to see Lucas or Patrick Drake right now."
"What for?" Julian asked.
"You're either suffering from malnutrition, lack of sunlight, sewer gas inhalation, or a combination."
"I think Sam's right," Drew said. "You've been acting very off."
"Yeah, you've never been obsessed with royalty and stuff before." Danny said. "Well, not that I can remember anyways."
Julian shook his head. "You're over-exaggerating. I'm fine. If anything, something is going on with your mother. Now, it's getting close to noon, we better get moving."
"You're not moving in with us unless you get checked by a doctor first." Sam crossed her arms.
He stared at her.
"Yeah and you're not sharing a room with Danny like this," Drew added. "Not unless you're back to your old self. Though I'm sure the real you would stay here with Alexis."
"Yeah, no offense Grandpa," Danny said. "But I kind of want my own room."
What little colour Julian had in his face paled.
"Just get checked out," Sam said. "Then if the doctor gives you the okay and you and Mom still haven't worked things out, you can live with us."
Danny sighed.
"I think that sounds reasonable," Drew said.
But Julian dropped to the floor and his body began jerking.
"Dad?" Sam knelt beside him. "Dad!"
"Danny, go get help!" Drew said and dropped down on the other side of Julian.
Danny darted to the hallway and ran to Alexis' wing. "Uncle Lucas!"
Lucas peeked out from his and Spencer's bedroom. "You okay, Danny?"
"No, it's Grandpa. He's having a seizure in the south common room."
"All right, go find Alexis." Lucas took off down the hallway.
Danny ran to the chamber at the end of the hallway and pounded on the door. "Grandma! Open up!"
The door swung open. She was pale with the exception of her red and swollen eyes. She pushed away some tears with the back of her hand. "Danny… you're still here."
"Come with me. It's Grandpa…"
Alexis started sobbing. "I don't know how your grandfather could do such a thing."
Danny scrunched his face. "But Grandpa's—"
She rubbed her temples. "He knows I wanted you to live here. He always contradicts everything I do or want on purpose. Even if it means pushing you and your mom away."
"That's not why—"
"And he keeps pushing Leo to do things that aren't safe." She took Danny's arm and led him inside her chamber.
"Grandma, listen to me—"
She stumbled and held her head, but Danny held onto her arm. "Grandma? Are you okay?" He led her over to her bed.
"Oh yes." She smiled, but in a daze. "Just a bit dizzy again."
Danny gawked at her. "Do you get dizzy a lot?"
"I think if I just lay down. I'm rather sleepy."
He helped her lay down and pulled the covers over her. "Okay, you rest. I'll go find a doctor."
"No doctor…" She closed her eyes. "I just need my family here. Please tell your mom to stay."
"Uh, sure. I'll go find Mom and tell her that. You stay here and rest, okay?"
Alexis smiled and slurred her words, "You are so good to your grandma… You are a grandma's boy."
"Uh yeah, I'm just like you, Grandma."
"Definitely take after me, not your grandpa." She drifted off to sleep.
Danny zoomed out to the hallway but stopped when he saw Willow and Scout kneeling next to Kristina who was passed out in the hallway.
Willow gently shook Kristina's shoulder, then looked up at Danny. "Something's wrong. She came out of her room rubbing her head, then just dropped to the floor."
Danny's mouth dropped slightly, then he pushed Molly and TJ's door open without knocking. TJ and Molly sat watching Lexie as she was having a seizure on the bed, but both looked to be in a daze.
Danny hurried back out to the hallway. "Okay, we need to find Patrick Drake."
