Miracles
Joan raced down the steps of her home at breakneck speed. She stumbled into the kitchen, grabbed some toast while trying to put on her coat and scarf. Luke looked up from his book and raised his brow. He smirked at her and returned to reading. He waited for the right moment.
"Going somewhere?"
"Duh! School! I'm gonna be so late!"
"It's only 7 am Joan."
"What!?!?"
Joan gawked at her brother in disbelief. She went into the living room and checked the clock. Sure enough, now only half past seven in the morning. She sighed, hung her head and traipsed back into the kitchen and took a seat.
"You set your clock back an hour .. remember? So you wouldn't be late." Luke said as he reached for his juice.
"Ugh, that's right." Joan groaned as she dropped her head to the table. Why did she have to go and do that?? She practically had a heart attack thinking she was going to be late. She turned her head and glared at her brother. Her gaze moved to the book and back again.
"Didn't you read that book last night? As in, the whole thing?" She asked as she sat up.
"Yes. And I'm reading it again. We have the lab test in AP Chem today." He said, glancing over at his sister. "Did you study?" He tried to hide his smirk, he was pretty sure she didn't even know it was today.
"Crap! That's today!?" She said, panicking. "I thought it was next week!"
"Nope. Today. Hope you remember what we learned in class the past couple weeks."
"Oh I'm sure you'll have no problem then." She snapped.
Luke just grinned at her. Joan glared, she knew he was going to pass. With flying colours no less. God how she hated it when he did that.
"I'll be just fine thank you." She said, holding her head up proudly, silently praying that Adam's photographic memory wouldn't fail her today.
Luke chuckled "Whatever you say."
"What .. you don't think I can pass?"
"Joan, you fall asleep almost every day in there. I know you won't pass."
"Wanna bet?"
"Haha no Joan. I'm not going to bet. I don't want to take your money." He grinned at her before finishing his juice.
Joan got up, grabbed her bag and started for the door. She wanted to retort so badly but knew it would just give him more ammo to go on.
"Good luck with the test Einstein" He said as she opened the door.
"Bite me dogface!" She shouted back.
"I hope you blow something up!" He yelled. The door slammed shut a moment after, though he doubt she heard him. He sighed to himself and shook his head. His sister was so fun to tease sometimes. He was pretty sure she'd barely pass though, but it was fun none the less.
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Joan walked into the classroom and walked to the back of the room where Adam and Grace sat. She waved at them as she walked up. She glanced at her brother who just smiled at her. She glared as she rounded the corner to her seat.
"Hey Jane"
"Hey Adam! Hey Grace"
"Hey"
She looked from one to the other, wondering what had gotten to Grace so quickly to put her in one of her moods. She was about to ask when Ms. Lischak came in and took roll. Joan glanced around nervously as everyone started getting their equipment out for the lab test. Joan jumped when Grace dropped the scale onto the table.
"Becareful with that Grace! That's school property."
"Annnd your point?"
Joan sighed and gathered the rest of the things, basically mirroring what the other students were doing, and then checking back with her table to make sure she got all the correct items. More now than ever did she wish that she paid attention in this class. She didn't want to admit, but Luke was right. She so wasn't going to pass.
So far the lab had gone off without a hitch. Joan looked at the ingredient chart and back to the items on the table. She matched up which ones were to go next and in what order. Carefully she put in the next item and they all watched carefully as it started to boil.
"Uh .. Jane .. is it supposed to do that?" Adam asked as he watched the steam starting to rise.
"I .. don't think so." She said, starting to get a little worried, she tried to get her brother's attention. But unfortunately Luke was too caught up in his own lab to hear her whispering his name.
"Okay Girardi, what did you do." Grace said as she started to back away from the table.
Joan looked over at the table as the medium sized beaker started to boil rapidly. She looked around for Lischak but couldn't find her. Figures, just when she needed the teacher, she left. The beaker started to hiss loudly and shake on the small heater.
Joan's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. As she backed as far away as she could get, which wasn't far, she knocked into Adam, who knocked into Grace and sent them flying to the ground like domino's.
Then without warning a small explosion rocked the classroom. Steam, liquid and glass went everywhere. The explosion sent Joan flying into the back into the tables behind them. Everyone ducked when they heard the loud noise. The room was covered with the thick steam that came from the beaker. Coughing and shuffling could be heard throughout as well as the students asking what in the world had just happened.
Once the steam started to clear, Adam and Grace looked around at the mess. Grace grinned, "Now that was sweet. Damn Girardi, what the hell did you do." She said as she turned to where Joan was just moments ago.
"Girardi? .. Joan?" Grace looked over to Adam as he walked back behind one of the tables. "Jane!" He shouted as he ducked down. Grace bolted around the table and gasped softly at what she seen. Joan was laying on her side on the floor, liquid and glass all around her body, small cuts and burn marks from the steam adorned her face and neck.
Luke peered over the table at his sister and almost went completely white. "Oh god .."
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The three sat in a set of chairs just down from Joan's hospital room. Her parents and Kevin were in front of her door talked to the doctor. They all looked over when they heard Helen gasp, her hands covering her mouth as she buried her head into Will's chest. Luke gulped and walked over to them and asked them what was wrong.
Grace and Adam watched as Will said something to Luke. Helen looked over and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Kevin said something to them and they nodded. He then moved away and wheeled himself into the lobby.
Luke told them he wanted to be the ones to tell Adam and Grace. They nodded and hugged him once more before he made his way back over to them and sat back down in the chair. He sat there for a long time, trying to think of what to say.
Adam and Grace exchanged looks. It was bad. They knew it already and he hadn't even said anything yet. Adam tentatively put his hand on Luke's shoulder.
"You can tell us, yo. Whatever it is." He said quietly, trying to reassure them all that whatever it was it would be okay.
Luke took a deep breath before speaking. "The doctor ... he said that when the explosion went off ... the steam and the glass had hit her face. He said that the glass had gotten into her eyes and .. " He swallowed hard "And damaged them."
"Whoa .. wait. What?" Grace said as she looked over at him. He couldn't mean ...
"She's blind Grace! Do you get it!?" He yelled, jumping up from his seat in anger. "She's blind! She can't see anymore!" Tears rolled down his face as he kept screaming at them. "She'll never see again! Ever! And it's all my fault!" He said, slouching back down into the chair, his hands covering his face as he cried.
"It's all my fault."
Adam stared at the ground as he waited for all this to sink in. "She .. never?" Luke shook his head. "They said they can try surgery once she's healed. But they said the chanced of that working are less than thirty percent."
"Wait a minute geekboy, how is this your fault" She said, trying to keep the tears from forming in her eyes.
Luke glanced over at her before speaking "We were arguing with each other about the test. I said I hope she blew something up in lab .. but I don't think she heard me." He said, fresh tears starting to make their way down his face.
"Dude .. it's not your fault." Grace said quietly as she reached over and grabbed his hand. "So you said it, big deal. How many times have you guys said shit to each other like that."
Luke smiled a little "All the time."
"Well, see."
"But this is different Grace. This time it happened."
Adam looked down at the ground as his expression turned sad. "She'll never tell me how great my sculptures are. She always said they were so pretty. I'll miss showing them to her.
"She'll never make that stupid giggle noise when I ask to borrow one of her scarfs." Grace said with a small sad laugh.
"She'll never see anything." Luke said quietly.
They sat there for what seemed like hours. Adam sighed quietly as he glanced up at the clock. A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked over and his gaze hardened as he recognized the young man in the tan coat, who had just walked into Joan's room.
Adam got up from his chair and started towards the door when Grace asked where he was going. He said he just wanted to see Joan. Both her and Luke nodded and let him be on his way. Slowly and quietly Adam opened the door to her room and snuck in.
The young man was standing next to Joan's bed as she slept. A sad expression crossed his face as he looked over her form. Joan laid in bed, head turned away from them, a bandage wrapped around her head and covered her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Adam asked the young man.
"Visiting a friend."
"I don't believe you." He said, his voice was hard with anger.
"Do you think I would hurt Joan?"
"I don't know, would you?"
The young man looked over and gave Adam a small smile. "No, I would never hurt Joan."
Adam thinks for a moment before asking his next question. He'd seen this boy so many times before, talking to Joan, making her laugh or yell. He remembered the last time he'd seen him. The one time he wished he could forget, was the night he saw them dance. She looked happy.
"Is it because you love her?"
He smiles a little. "I would never hurt Joan. Or anyone else for that matter. It's not in my nature to hurt."
Adam raised his brown at his answer. "You didn't answer my question." He said, starting to get annoyed, which didn't happen often for him. "Do you love her?"
"Of course"
Adam blinked at how simply he said that. He loved her. The boy smiles at him "But I don't love her the way you do."
Adam opens his mouth to reply, but doesn't. Instead he looks down at the ground. Maybe he had things figured wrong. You could love someone without being 'in' love with them.
The boy smiles and turns his attention back to Joan. He reaches out and gently brushes the hair away from her face, causing her to stir slightly and turn over. He smiles down at her and turns to leave. He brushes past Adam and opens the door.
"Oh, one more thing." He said as he turned to face Adam directly. "Could you please tell Joan that I was here, and I'll be by sometime later to talk to her. It's ... important."
Adam nodded his agreement and watched the young man leave. Sighing, Adam walked over to the chair next to the bed, dragged it up to the low railing, sat down and watched her until he was too tired to stay awake.
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Joan yawns as she sits up in bed. She scrunches her nose and reaches up to feel what's blocking her from opening her eyes. She gasps as she feels the bandage on her face. Suddenly the events of the previous day come rushing forward.
"Jane?"
Joan turned her head towards the sound of the familiar voice. "Adam?" She whispered.
"Cha, Jane. I'm here." He said as he reached out and touched her hand. She smiled and grabbed his with her own.
"Adam .. what .. what happened." She said quietly, almost afraid that what she remembered was true. But unfortunately it was. Adam relayed everything that had happened to her. From the moment of the explosion to what Luke had said the night before.
"So .. I'm never .. going to see again?" She asked, half wishing it was a lie.
"Yeah, that's what they said."
"How is everyone?"
"Everyone but me went home last night. They were going to stay but there wasn't enough chairs to sleep in." He said with a small smile.
Joan laughed a bit. Yeah, that was them alright. Adam looked up at her as she laughed. It was good to hear her laugh, especially now and with everything changing.
"Luke took it the hardest, yo. He totally broke down."
Joan frowned when she heard this. "Why?"
Adam told her what he had said, about their argument and that he thinks it was his fault that all this had happened from what he said. Joan shook her head.
"No, it's no one's fault. If anyone's it's mine. I mean, I'm the one that never studies. Maybe this is some sort of lesson" She said quietly to herself.
Adam was going to question her when he suddenly remembered something else from last night. He looked up at her, gauging whether or not to tell. But decided if she'd found out that he knew and didn't tell her, she'd be mad.
"Oh, some guy was here last night. Said he was a friend of yours" Adam said as he looked down at her hand in his.
"Oh yeah? Who?" She said, tilting her head curiously.
"I dunno his name. I've seen him with you though. The dude that you danced with at your party?" He questioned, the memory of it haunting him still.
Joan smiled as she figured out who Adam was speaking about. She wondered why he had shown up with everyone still here. Usually he'd wait till she was alone or with a minimal amount of people around.
"Did he say anything?"
"Uh yeah, just to let you know that he came by, and he'll be by some other time to talk or something." He said, adding 'or something' with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Joan smirked. "Oh okay. Yeah, he's a friend of mine, we go way back" She said with a small laugh. Adam smiled a bit, though that did little to comfort him. He was still sure there was something between them.
"Do you think I'll ever see again?" She asked suddenly, her voice calm and quiet.
"I hope so Jane." He said as reassuringly as he could. 'I hope so'
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The room was dimly lit when Joan heard the door to her room open. She tilts her head up and smiles, knowing instantly who it is. She felt that 'oleo familiar tug in the pit of her stomach whenever she realized whom she was talking to was God.
"Hi God" She said, a small smile on her lips.
"Hello Joan."
She also knew by the tone of his voice which form he was using. She started to remember which voices went to which forms. For some reason, this form was her favourite. She found it so easy to talk when he was in his, as she liked to call it, 'cute boy' form.
Joan crossed her legs and pushed herself further up on her bed. "Sit" He smiles at her and complies, sitting across from her on the bed.
"Can't sleep?" He asks
"Nah. I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep." She says "It's hard though, because I can't tell the difference. All I see is darkness."
He looks down as she says this, knowing how she's feeling doesn't sit well with him. This shouldn't have happened.
"Did .. did you do this?" She asks meekly.
He looks up at her, hurt, but he doesn't reply. She notices and quickly adds on "Not that I blame you or anything. I just wondered if this was like, part of the big plan you know? Teaching me a lesson and such."
He shakes his head, "No Joan, this was not part of the plan. I would never hurt you like this." He says quietly. He watches her as she smiles. "I didn't think so." He smiles too, knowing that no, she didn't blame him. Though it hurt him to see her like this, it helped to know.
"I'm sorry this happened Joan. I had no knowledge of this. There are something's that are beyond me. This ...event was not under my control."
She was going to ask what he meant, but got the gist of it and stayed quiet. She figured with with good came the evil. And this was the evil. She nodded instead.
"I'm sorry that you're in so much pain." He said quietly. She smiled a little, for once sensing something other than the seemingly emotionless facade he always presented her with.
"It's okay. I've learned something from this." She said with a slight laugh. "So .. what did you want to talk about?" She asks, suddenly switching subjects.
"I came to help you." He said, "I came to give you your sight back."
Joan opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came. "Under normal circumstances I wouldn't even consider it. But I need you Joan, and you can't help me if you can't see."
Joan nodded, understanding, taking in that this was just one more obstacle she had to overcome. She was ready. She wanted to be normal again. "Okay .. what do I do."
He reaches up and places his hands on each side of her head. His hands are warm and soft against her skin. "Try not to scream."
"Uh .. okay."
He closes his eyes and Joan's expression changes. It contorts into one of immense pain and hurt. It courses through her whole body as it all comes to rest in her head. A small whimper escapes her lips as she tries not to cry out. Just when she thinks she can't take it anymore, when it becomes too unbearable. He stops, removing his hands from her head.
"It's over Joan."
"That hurt."
He chuckles, "I know. Ever heard the saying 'it gets worse before it gets better'?"
She smirked, "Yeah and I just experienced it first hand."
Joan then reaches up and starts to unravel the bandage from her head. He reaches up and stops her. "I think you should wait till for the doctor Joan."
"Yeah .. I probably should. But .. " She stopped, tilting her head downward. She wanted to say it. That she wanted him to be the first person that she saw. The one who made it all better. He smiled, knowing what she was thinking, and resumed unraveling the cloth himself.
He sets the bandage aside and watches her. Joan slowly, cautiously, opens her eyes and blinks them a few times, waiting for them to focus. She smiles when her vision finally clears, and she sees him sitting across from her.
"It's good to see you."
He smiles back at her, "It's good to see you too."
She laughs a little, "Wow, I don't even know how I'm going to explain this to my family. Mom will think it's a miracle of something."
"It is Joan. They don't come very often, but they do happen on occasion." He says with a small smirk.
She grins at him and leans back against the headboard. "Now I'll finally be able to sleep knowing that when I wake up, I'll be able to open my eyes and see."
He smiles at her "Well, I think it's time for me to go then. You've got a big day ahead of you." He says as he moves off of the bed.
Joan looks up at him "Thank you God. Thank you so much." She said, the sincerity in her voice was strong and touching.
He reaches down and kisses the top of her head. "Goodnight Joan." And then he walked over to the door, opens it and leaves.
"Goodnight, God." She whispers, though knowing well that he heard her. She pulls the covers back up over her body and curls into the bed, finally falling asleep for the first time in days.
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Joan looks up and grins when the door opens and the Doctor walks in. He looks at her in disbelief, almost dropping his clipboard.
"Morning Doctor" She said brightly.
"Nurse!"
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"I don't know how it happened Mr. Girardi. I went through the charts over and over. There's no way she could of healed completely overnight."
Everyone had their eyes on Joan, who just sat there in her bed and a smile plastered on her face. She was loving every minute of this. Her mother was practically crying, as was the rest of the family. She waved to Adam, Grace and Luke, who stood near the door. They grinned and waved back, knowing now that they were right, she could see again.
Joan looked at Luke directly and smiled warmly at him and nodding slightly, giving him notice that she was indeed fine. He smiled and nodded back, knowing now that neither one blamed the other.
Helen reached over and hugged her daughter tightly, trying not to cry, though failing quite miserably. "I can't believe this ... Joan's okay?" She asked, looking over at the doctor.
"Yeah, I don't know what else to say. We ran a ton of tests and everything comes up clean and normal." The doctor said with a helpless shrug.
Helen smiled through the tears, hugging Joan once more before hugging her husband tightly. "It's a miracle, that's what it is."
Joan grinned at them, "Yeah, they happen on occasion."
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End! Holy CuteBoy!God that was long! Man, that's gotta be the longest
one I've ever written. And yes, I know it's probably impossible that God
would ever do that. But hey! This is fanfiction! Anything can happen there!
lol. Anyways, I hope you liked. This took me about two hours to type up
from the page long notes I had. Feedback would be loverly, even if you
hated it.