"Code Blue"
By I am a good fighter
Powerpuff Girls created by Craig McCracken and all characters associated with the show are owned by Cartoon Network
LeBeau thanked Fuller and Sanchez and they thanked him, then he turned and walked down the hall toward Bubbles' room. He heard muffled explosions from outside the hospital and their televised counterparts coming from a few of the rooms. Then he heard some cheering, from the rooms on this ward, the rest of the hospital and outside, and it seemed to make the whole building tremble slightly. Everyone was seeing Mojo's robot blow up. Perhaps Buttercup was winning, but it made him feel no better. As he neared the room, he stopped. Coming from inside was a woman's voice, softly singing a children's song in a sweet soprano. He wondered who it could be. He saw her only from the back and didn't recognize the woman, but he was glad someone was there with the girl. He stood in the doorway, listening to her finish the song, then he saw her bow her head and heard her sob softly. She must have sensed someone was there, for her head turned suddenly and she looked at him.
"Oh!" She was holding one of Bubbles' hands and her other one went to her mouth, showing her surprise.
"I'm sorry, don't let me interrupt you. I can come back in a few minutes."
"Oh, no!" She turned and gently lowered the child's hand.
"Bubbles, honey, I'll be right back. I just want to talk to the doctor for a second."
She came out and quietly pulled the door almost shut. Her eyes were full of tears and she apologized for it, reaching into her purse for a tissue to dab at them. He waved aside her apology.
She put out her hand and he took it. "I'm Jennifer Keane, I'm the girls' kindergarten teacher."
Everyone knew they were kindergarteners, but somehow hearing her say it shook him. How could that possibly be, kindergarteners doing what they did? They'd always seemed older to him, but then, he'd never actually spoken to any of them. He didn't know who any of them were, knew really nothing about them, having never bothered to look at them as anything other than newsmakers. And this woman standing in front of him probably spent more time with them than anyone except their father. To her, they were just kids, real flesh-and-blood people who she had a responsibility to. And she was losing one of them. How many more people would be personally touched by that loss? That was something he'd never considered. He was suddenly sick of this whole charade, sick of himself, and wanted to get out of there. But the face looking at him was looking for him to tell her something, anything, that might offer her a glimmer of hope.
"I'm Doctor Ferrara, I'm with Blossom's surgical team."
"Oh! How is she?"
"Careful…" She wanted hope but he didn't really know how Blossom was. "It's going to be several hours yet, Ms. Keane, before we know anything, but we're very hopeful. She's in surgery now and I'm on standby in case they need me."
That last was a lie but if she believed it, that he was an extra and not needed right now, she might see that as a good sign. The rest was essentially true.
"I just stopped by to check…" He left the thought unfinished as he glanced at the door. Her expression asked the question and he shook his head no.
"No one's sorrier than I am." he said, and that WAS true, now.
After a few seconds of silently looking at each other, she said, "Do you know what really gets me mad about all of this? That family, after everything they've been through over the years, deserves to be together right now and they're not! I suppose with Blossom's situation the professor has to be with her, but Buttercup needs to be with Bubbles and she isn't because of that no good scumbag reporter!" She trembled with rage, but quickly added a somewhat embarrassed, "Pardon my French."
"It's all right." he told her. "There are a lot of people who feel the same way, and they're right."
"Oh, why do they have to be like that? Why can't they see that real people get hurt by what they do, but no, instead of just telling us what happens AFTER it happens, they have to MAKE the news and they don't care who gets in the way!" She touched his arm, chagrined. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you!"
"It's all right." he said again. "But it's tough to care about something you never bother to see. Maybe when he sees what he's done, he'll wake up, not that that changes anything." He thought for a second. "Tell me, Ms. Keane. Would Bubbles forgive him?"
"Bubbles? That dear, sweet child would forgive anyone if she believes they really mean it. Buttercup, that's another story."
That, he didn't want to find out. Her reputation was well-known. He asked, "Ms. Keane, what would YOU say to that guy if he was here right now?"
She blinked. "I…I don't think I could say anything, I'm so angry! I'd probably give him a body opening he wasn't born with!"
She was instantly shocked by what she'd just said and covered her mouth. LeBeau grinned slightly and said, "Well, at least he'd be in the right place."
She laughed in spite of herself and touched his arm again. "Oh, thank you, doctor, I feel so much better! I know Blossom is in good hands here."
"I'm just going to check on her, then I need to get back to surgery." he told her, and stepped inside and closed the door.
He pulled a chair up to the bed and sat. The numbers on the monitor had dropped slightly more except for the blood pressure, which, he knew, wasn't accurate. The BP was taken at regular intervals, every half-hour or hour, and the reading wouldn't change again for a while.
He knew Bubbles wouldn't be able to absolve him; that would have to be taken as a matter of faith based on what her teacher had just told him about her. He doubted that she would even hear him, but it was something he had to do to live with himself.
"Bubbles, my name's Matt LeBeau. I'm not really that Doctor Ferrara I've been telling everyone I am. I'm that reporter guy that everybody's so mad at, and they should be, because I did something really bad. If you've been listening, then you know that Mojo came down here because of something I said and now Buttercup is out there instead of being here with you. I'm real sorry about that. Nobody knows what's going to happen now but none of it would have happened if it wasn't for me. I'm just asking you to forgive me if you can. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I'm not really a bad guy, I'm just someone who wanted to be famous and I broke some rules to try to make that happen. One was 'be careful what you wish for because you just might get it', and now it looks like I am gonna be famous, but not in a good way. The other rule I broke was an even bigger one and I know you know this one. It's 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' and I didn't because I never stopped to think about what might happen from some of the things I did. I know the doctors are working really hard to get your sister Blossom better again and Buttercup I think is taking care of Mojo, so I hope they'll be OK. I have to apologize to them, too, and to a lot of other people. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I did and that I'm sorry I never got to know you."
He stood up. "I have to go now and take whatever punishment I've got coming. Ms. Keane is coming in again to be with you."
He wiped his eyes with a sleeve of the green scrubs and went to the door. He stepped out. "You can go in, Ms. Keane."
Professor Utonium practically flew from his chair. "What?! My Buttercup is out there all by herself?!"
He dove for the weapon on the floor and picked it up, checking the battery level. It was still good. He had blood in his eye as he strode for the door. Waldman and Johns tried to block his path.
"Professor, please, there isn't anything you can do!" Waldman pleaded with him.
"Oh yeah? I can turn that filthy ape into a speck of dust with this!"
Thankfully the intercom to the operating room had been turned off and the surgical team couldn't hear any of the exchange. Waldman and Johns looked at each other.
"That's right, you can, can't you?" Waldman grinned slightly. "You could also make Buttercup grow. That will definitely swing the odds in her favor."
"Then I'll deal with that reporter." the professor said grimly, his eyes glowing. He hated to leave Blossom but he couldn't do anything for her right now. "Take care of her, Doctor." he said, though Vora couldn't hear him.
"C'mon, Professor, I'll show you to the roof!" Johns cried and they headed for the door.
Buttercup was right, Mojo did have something under his cape, and when he pulled the laser cannon out and fired off several blasts from it, she moved. But the crafty genius had taken her own tactic and used it against her, framing her with beams. She moved directly into the path of one and it sent her into the base of the building she'd just flown down from. A shower of smashed bricks fell on her and she tried to wave away the choking dust as she crawled out of the debris.
"Sheesh! I shoulda known he'd try that!" A bomb seemed to go off in her head and she collapsed on the sidewalk. It was so bad she curled up in the fetal position."Oh, my head! Why is this happening now? They said I wouldn't get sick for a couple weeks! I'm sicker than Blossom is!"
Just when they all thought she had the upper hand, the crowd went silent as they saw her blown out of the sky. Mojo landed, his magnified voice laughing and taunting them once more through a speaker built into the wide belt he was wearing. He unfastened the parachute and pushed a button on the same belt. Two small rockets popped out on either side of the belt and he blasted off in the direction of their stunned hero. As he jetted away, they heard him laugh, "This is the Swiss Army knife of belts! I never leave home without it! Mohohohohhahahaha!!!"
Now, the crowd wouldn't be able to tell what was happening. Only the TV viewers would, and they'd get a bird's eye close up of it from the aerial cameras. The helicopters pulled in as tight as they could and there were countless gasps as the city's sole remaining hero could be seen lying there, barely moving. No one knew what had happened, and the cameras couldn't show Mojo's shocked expression, either.
"What? Surely one blast could not defeat her? I had better make certain!"
As he lowered toward her, he gave her another shot from the cannon and it hit her full in the side, pinning her to the sidewalk. He kept the beam on her a full fifteen seconds, listening to her scream. "That ought to be enough!" he thought, seeing her remaining motionless.
"So, Powerpuff!" he taunted. "You thought you had me there, but instead it is Mojo who has you instead!"
"Ohhhhhh…sick…can't get up…unnhh!" She lifted her head a few inches but let it drop. The pain inside was so bad she never felt it hitting the concrete.
He couldn't believe she wasn't getting up. He walked up to her and nudged her with his foot. No movement. He kicked her in the side. She felt it and swore to herself but didn't give him the satisfaction of crying out. Finally, he reached down with one of his long, strong arms and flipped her over onto her back. She cried out in agony from the pain of firing her eyebeams at him. It was a futile gesture that only stunned Mojo, as they were weak and fired blindly.
"Muahahaha! You are totally helpless before my greatness! I could finish you right now, but if you were to beg for mercy, perhaps I will let you all be destroyed together!"
"Never!" she managed to spit out. "You'll never get that out of me!"
He blasted her again, this time right in the chest. "Unnnhhhhh!!!" "Oh, God, it hurts! But…he's only playing with me…that's what he wants…can't think…why'm I so sick…wasn't s'posed to happen…it's like the cancer's tryin' to finish me 'fore he does…"
It seemed to her as if the stress she'd been put through had accelerated the condition to kill her as rapidly as possible. But not fast enough. The pain in her head and the throwing up were as bad as Bubbles had been only yesterday, when she still should have had weeks to live yet. Suddenly she wanted Mojo to get it over with.
"Say it, Powerpuff! Beg me to not shoot you or I will!"
"Go ahead, you creep…shoot me…I always wanted to go out like this anyway, not in some stinkin' hospital…"
"She cannot mean that! She is only bluffing! She will cave, like anyone would when facing their ultimate doom!" He raised the weapon and pointed it in her face, his evil grin growing.
"C'mon…hurry up and get it over…I just can't believe we're goin' out like this…ain't right…Professor, don't blame yourself for makin' us …nobody knew it'd end up like this."
Her eyes shot open and she had to close them against the sudden light that made the pain excruciating. She struggled to remember something someone had said…was it the professor?
"…it was me, girls. Without knowing it, I must have planted the seeds of your destruction within you when I created you..."
That was it! "Yeah, Professor…you sure planted somethin'…I just hope it finishes growin' in time…" Something else began to grow in her head, the seeds of a plan…
"Yeeessss?" Mojo snarled; seeing her eyes open had made him expect she was about to give him what he wanted. She didn't disappoint him.
"I hate doing this…I better be right." She opened her eyes again. "Oh…please Mojo…don't kill me…I don' wanna die…"
LeBeau held the door open for Ms. Keane. She thanked him and gave him a small, sad smile and he turned to leave. They heard what sounded like a rush of air come from inside, a gasping sound. He froze, not knowing what to do. Instinct told him to run.
"You coward! She thinks you're a doctor so act like one!"
It wasn't 'his' department and the nurses when they came running could do what needed to be done. He looked at Keane, then went inside. She followed. Bubbles' mouth was open, just letting out another gasp. The monitor said it all. Respiration 5, heart rate nearly unchanged at 18. She appeared to be struggling now and sucked in a breath, held it for more than ten seconds, then let it out before taking in another. He moved around to the side of the bed where the monitor was and motioned for Keane to come up. She did and picked up the child's right hand and held it. He knew many people were afraid to touch the dead and dying, but an image flashed in his head of Buttercup, clinging to her sister in an attempt to keep the Grim Reaper away. How could he be afraid? He picked up her other hand. Fuller and a different nurse burst into the room a second later. There wasn't anything they could do but it was their floor.
"Should I leave?" Ms. Keane asked.
"No." Fuller told her. LeBeau wondered if Professor Utonium had been called, certain that he had been as soon as these readings had alerted them down at the station. He only hoped the man got here in time.
Johns led the professor down the steps. Dr. Waldman was not far behind. He had taken a moment to quietly alert Vora to the situation. The two stepped out into the main hall, with Waldman standing in the open doorway, wishing the professor luck. Before he could close the door, Johns' phone went off.
"Johns."
"Doctor, pediatric oncology. It's Bubbles. If you can get hold of her father, you better hurry!"
Johns looked at him. "Professor, it's Bubbles. I'll stay here." The professor and Bubbles' treating physician broke into a run. He watched them until they were out of sight, then rested his forehead against the wall for a moment. He shook it, sighed and looked to the heavens before climbing the stairs to the observation room.
Bubbles pulled in a breath and held it. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Twenty. Then the spiking heart rhythm on the monitor flattened out and the beeping became a steady whine. Her mouth opened and the air emptied from her lungs. The other indicators zeroed out except for the BP, which would remain forever frozen at the final reading it had taken. LeBeau watched Keane's face taking on a horrified expression. Fuller was counting the time, twenty-five seconds. The little girl's chest failed to rise, her mouth fixed and open. Forty-five seconds. Afterwards, he wouldn't be able to remember exactly what he'd done in that room, but he gently laid the small hand next to the stuffed doll at her side and came around the bed. The other nurse took Bubbles' other hand from Keane and laid it down, and the teacher placed both her hands to her mouth and began to emit a low wail. The nurse led her to a chair and sat her down. He came around behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. Fuller still had one eye on her watch. A minute-fifteen. As difficult as it was, it was her duty.
"I'm calling it. Time of death, three-sixteen P.M." She stepped over to the monitor and began shutting everything off. Keane buried her face in her hands and began to sob loudly. LeBeau gripped her right shoulder and bent to touch her hand. The other nurse stood ready to act if necessary; sometimes grieving relatives and friends needed to be removed. She herself was grieving and thought how very wrong it was that none of the girl's family was there with her.
Lebeau told her quietly, "Ms. Keane, I am very sorry. I really have to go now." She looked up, surprised. "Can someone stay with her?" he asked.
"Yes, Doctor, of course." Fuller said. "Thank you."
He looked at all of them, then left the room. He ran down the hall toward the rear, taking the same stairwell down and finding the exit Buttercup had blown through wide open, a guard standing outside looking toward the front of the hospital. Someone had silenced the broken alarm. He took off toward the rear parking lot, wanting to get as far away from what he had caused as he could. He'd see it on the news soon enough. He tore off the scrubs and threw them into a dumpster, then briskly walked away, heading east. Just keep walking. Go home. Come back tomorrow to get his car, then head down to the station to clean out his desk. No thoughts about what to do with the rest of his life.