"And how are you today, Michael?"
The nurse's voice was overly bright and cheerful. Michael scowled. "Just fine," he said.
The nurse beamed. "I'm so glad," she said. "The doctor will be in to see you soon. He's still making the rounds. Are you ready to be fit for the prosthetics yet?"
"No,"he said flatly. The nurse was visibly deflated. He didn't want to try the prosthetics and be disappointed. He would rather die, or spend his life in his hospital bed.
Michael just stared out the window. His whole life now revolved around the doctor's visits. He didn't much care. At least there weren't any mirrors around. He didn't want to see what he looked like. He was missing an eye, both hands, both legs. When he was whole, amputees and crippled people gave him the creeps. Now he was one of them.
There was a soft chatter down the hall. A church group, he guessed. Cute little kids coming to sing for the old people. They came regular as clockwork, every Sunday at two. But nobody ever came to see him. His old teammates dropped by at first, right after the accident, and he heard they all came to his parents' funeral. But they stopped. Besides, who would want to see a freak like him?
Suddenly he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. "Who's there?" he demanded.
A slightly sheepish looking face peeked around the corner. "Me. I got a little turned around in the halls."
The visitor was a slim, pretty girl with soft auburn hair and clear blue eyes. She had the sweet, open look of an All-American cheerleader, gentle and soft and pretty.
"Well, where were you headed?" Michael asked.
"Cancer patients," she said.
"Down the hall to the left," he said.
"Thank you," she said. "What's your name?" He shrugged. The girl peeked at his charts. "Thank you, Michael."
"You're too nosy," he said.
"I know," she sighed. "It's my vice, I suppose. My name's Rory, though. It's very nice to meet you."
"Well, it's not nice to meet you. Go away," Michael snapped. Rory shrugged and slipped out the door.
He thought that was the last he'd see of her.
*****
"Hello, Michael!"
The voice was feminine, perky, and more than a little familiar. He opened his eye. "You again?" he snarled.
Rory beamed. "Yes," she said. She wasn't alone this time. Now she had a boy with her, a thin boy with blue eyes like her who was sitting in a wheelchair. "I just thought I'd pop back and visit. And I brought my brother this time."
"I'm Shawn," he said. He had a warm smile like his sister.
"What are you in for?" Michael asked.
Shawn waved his hand. "Oh, I'm just sick," he said. "Nothing contagious, not to worry. And what about you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Michael snorted.
"No," Rory said. "You seem fine to me."
"I'm missing an eye, girlfriend!" Michael snapped. "And my hands, and my legs. You think there's nothing wrong?"
"Your mouth works fine," Rory said, laughing. "Oh, look! You smiled!"
"Maybe it was just gas," Shawn said to his sister.
"Yeah, whatever, just get yourself and the Brady Bunch outta here," Michael said. "I don't feel like talking anymore."
"Suit yourself," Rory said, wheeling her brother out. "Goodbye, Michael."
He found himself looking forward to her visits. She came often, after school and on weekends. Sometimes she brought Shawn, sometimes she didn't. Then for one whole week Rory never appeared.
It was a relief when she popped into his hospital room, her rosy face smiling. "Hello, Michael!" she sang.
"Not like I care too much, but...where were you?" Michael asked.
Rory shook her head, her long auburn hair swishing against her shoulders. "We took Shawn up to a clinic in Chicago," she said.
"What's wrong with him?" he said.
"The blue banana measles," Rory said promptly. "Turns his skin the color of an overripe blueberry, and he has insane cravings for bananas." Her outlandish madeup disease made him laugh. He couldn't help it. Rory clasped her hands together. "You laughed!" she crowed in delight. "I've never heard you laugh, Michael!"
"Well, there hasn't been much to laugh about," he said.
"You can always find at least one little thing," Rory insisted. "Laughter is the best medicine, you know."
"Medicine can't fix my problem," Michael said.
Rory tapped his arm. "Can't you get prosthetics?" she asked. "There's a cybernetics whiz around this building somewhere. Heard he's a bit of a recluse, but works wonders."
"What if it doesn't work?" he shot out. "What if I get my hopes up, and it fails?"
Now Rory's laughing face had softened into a Mona Lisa smile, soft and enigmatic. "Then you can remember the feeling and hope again," she said. She bent and kissed Michael's cheek. "Learn to hope, Michael."
She left, and he thought.
*****
"Rory!" Michael called. "Guess what? They're fitting me up!"
He thought she was going to have an apoplexy right on the spot. "Are you serious?" she gasped. "Oh, Michael, I'm so happy!"
"Didn't think it would make you that happy," he grunted under the fierce strength of her hug. "Just wait. In a few weeks I'll be able to hug you back."
"Shawn will be thrilled to bits," Rory said confidently.
"What disease does he have today?" Michael asked.
"I can't think of anything today," she said. "Maybe I'll think of something tomorrow."
Michael remembered the look in her eyes when she said that. He puzzled over it for the next several days as he waited for Rory to return. But she never did.
It was Rory's friend BJ who came to visit. Michael recognized him; Rory had brought him to visit a time or two. "I got some bad news, Michael," BJ said straightaway.
"Shoot," Michael said. "I'm ready."
"Shawn died this morning."
He was ready for bad news, but this was a little much. "Of what?" Michael asked, thinking of all the funny diseases Rory had pretended.
"Leukemia. It was too advanced for them to do much but make him comfortable for his last days. He died in Rory's arms. They were twins, you know," BJ said.
"So Rory knew all this time?" Michael asked.
"The whole time," BJ said. His eyes were dark and thoughtful. "Shawn is...was my best friend."
"But why...why did she smile?" Michael whispered.
BJ turned to look at him. "Before Shawn got sick, he and Ror would always say 'You've got to die laughing' when they told a funny story. When they found out Shawn had leukemia, they made that their mantra. You've got to die laughing." BJ set a note card on the side of the bed. "Rory wants you to come to the funeral. And she wants you to walk."
"I can't," Michael said. "I've only practiced a few times."
"It would help her," BJ said. "Please. For Rory's sake."
Michael sank back. "I'll try," he promised.
*****
Nik hugged his niece tightly. "It's hard, isn't it, Rory?" he asked.
The girl nodded. "I still wake up thinking he's in the bed across from mine," she said, her voice muffled. "And then I remember."
Nik patted her hair. "I can't tell you anything except that I love you, sweetheart," he said.
"I love you too, Uncle Nik," Rory said. Suddenly she broke away. "Uncle Nik, this is my friend, the one I was telling you about! This is Michael."
Nik looked up sharply. This was the one. He was a tall, strong looking black boy, looking perfectly normal even though much of his body was covered in cybernetic prosthetics. Rory tossed his arms around his neck and burst into tears.
"Aw, come on, Rory," Michael said, embarrassed but clearly pleased. "It isn't that big, is it?"
"Yes, it is," she sniffed. "You have no idea. Shawn would be so happy if he could see you now." Michael gave her a shy little one-armed hug.
"Michael, Rory tells me you lost your parents," Nik said.
"Yes, sir," Michael said. "Last year, in a plane crash."
"Do you have anyone looking after you now?" Nik asked.
"Not really," he shrugged. "I've got a grandfather in Chicago, but he's in an old folks home."
Nik was thoughtful. "Your case is intriguing," he said. "You have no legal guardian at all?"
"No," Michael said.
"I have a proposal for you, boy."
And that was why, a month later, Michael found himself in a car with Nikolai Laren, headed towards a place that Nik called The Titans Tower.
"So what is it again?" Michael asked.
"You'll be teaming up with my ward, Robin," Nik explained. "But one thing I would like to broach to you...Robin has dropped his last name in order to remain more anonymous. Would you consider doing the same?"
"Yeah," Michael said, thinking, as they neared the little island. "I think so."
Nik led Michael to the tower's front door and knocked.
A voice crackled over the intercom. "Who is it?"
"Don't you know me, boy?" Nik laughed.
"Hold on!" A minute or so later the door swung open and a happily grinning boy of about thirteen or fourteen greeted them. "Hi, Nik!" he said. "What brings you here?"
"I've brought your first team member," Nik said. "Robin, this is-"
"Cyborg," Michael said. "My name's Cyborg."
Author's Note: I had soooo much trouble with writing Cyborg's part! I don't know why, it just wasn't coming to me. I actually finished Raven's part before Cyborg's. The deal with Rory and Shawn came from a story I wrote in Creative Writing last year. Originally there was another character, a guy friend of Shawn and Rory's, who was blind. Maybe if I find the original story I'll post it on fictionpress.com. And now on to Raven, my favorite an!!!
The nurse's voice was overly bright and cheerful. Michael scowled. "Just fine," he said.
The nurse beamed. "I'm so glad," she said. "The doctor will be in to see you soon. He's still making the rounds. Are you ready to be fit for the prosthetics yet?"
"No,"he said flatly. The nurse was visibly deflated. He didn't want to try the prosthetics and be disappointed. He would rather die, or spend his life in his hospital bed.
Michael just stared out the window. His whole life now revolved around the doctor's visits. He didn't much care. At least there weren't any mirrors around. He didn't want to see what he looked like. He was missing an eye, both hands, both legs. When he was whole, amputees and crippled people gave him the creeps. Now he was one of them.
There was a soft chatter down the hall. A church group, he guessed. Cute little kids coming to sing for the old people. They came regular as clockwork, every Sunday at two. But nobody ever came to see him. His old teammates dropped by at first, right after the accident, and he heard they all came to his parents' funeral. But they stopped. Besides, who would want to see a freak like him?
Suddenly he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. "Who's there?" he demanded.
A slightly sheepish looking face peeked around the corner. "Me. I got a little turned around in the halls."
The visitor was a slim, pretty girl with soft auburn hair and clear blue eyes. She had the sweet, open look of an All-American cheerleader, gentle and soft and pretty.
"Well, where were you headed?" Michael asked.
"Cancer patients," she said.
"Down the hall to the left," he said.
"Thank you," she said. "What's your name?" He shrugged. The girl peeked at his charts. "Thank you, Michael."
"You're too nosy," he said.
"I know," she sighed. "It's my vice, I suppose. My name's Rory, though. It's very nice to meet you."
"Well, it's not nice to meet you. Go away," Michael snapped. Rory shrugged and slipped out the door.
He thought that was the last he'd see of her.
*****
"Hello, Michael!"
The voice was feminine, perky, and more than a little familiar. He opened his eye. "You again?" he snarled.
Rory beamed. "Yes," she said. She wasn't alone this time. Now she had a boy with her, a thin boy with blue eyes like her who was sitting in a wheelchair. "I just thought I'd pop back and visit. And I brought my brother this time."
"I'm Shawn," he said. He had a warm smile like his sister.
"What are you in for?" Michael asked.
Shawn waved his hand. "Oh, I'm just sick," he said. "Nothing contagious, not to worry. And what about you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Michael snorted.
"No," Rory said. "You seem fine to me."
"I'm missing an eye, girlfriend!" Michael snapped. "And my hands, and my legs. You think there's nothing wrong?"
"Your mouth works fine," Rory said, laughing. "Oh, look! You smiled!"
"Maybe it was just gas," Shawn said to his sister.
"Yeah, whatever, just get yourself and the Brady Bunch outta here," Michael said. "I don't feel like talking anymore."
"Suit yourself," Rory said, wheeling her brother out. "Goodbye, Michael."
He found himself looking forward to her visits. She came often, after school and on weekends. Sometimes she brought Shawn, sometimes she didn't. Then for one whole week Rory never appeared.
It was a relief when she popped into his hospital room, her rosy face smiling. "Hello, Michael!" she sang.
"Not like I care too much, but...where were you?" Michael asked.
Rory shook her head, her long auburn hair swishing against her shoulders. "We took Shawn up to a clinic in Chicago," she said.
"What's wrong with him?" he said.
"The blue banana measles," Rory said promptly. "Turns his skin the color of an overripe blueberry, and he has insane cravings for bananas." Her outlandish madeup disease made him laugh. He couldn't help it. Rory clasped her hands together. "You laughed!" she crowed in delight. "I've never heard you laugh, Michael!"
"Well, there hasn't been much to laugh about," he said.
"You can always find at least one little thing," Rory insisted. "Laughter is the best medicine, you know."
"Medicine can't fix my problem," Michael said.
Rory tapped his arm. "Can't you get prosthetics?" she asked. "There's a cybernetics whiz around this building somewhere. Heard he's a bit of a recluse, but works wonders."
"What if it doesn't work?" he shot out. "What if I get my hopes up, and it fails?"
Now Rory's laughing face had softened into a Mona Lisa smile, soft and enigmatic. "Then you can remember the feeling and hope again," she said. She bent and kissed Michael's cheek. "Learn to hope, Michael."
She left, and he thought.
*****
"Rory!" Michael called. "Guess what? They're fitting me up!"
He thought she was going to have an apoplexy right on the spot. "Are you serious?" she gasped. "Oh, Michael, I'm so happy!"
"Didn't think it would make you that happy," he grunted under the fierce strength of her hug. "Just wait. In a few weeks I'll be able to hug you back."
"Shawn will be thrilled to bits," Rory said confidently.
"What disease does he have today?" Michael asked.
"I can't think of anything today," she said. "Maybe I'll think of something tomorrow."
Michael remembered the look in her eyes when she said that. He puzzled over it for the next several days as he waited for Rory to return. But she never did.
It was Rory's friend BJ who came to visit. Michael recognized him; Rory had brought him to visit a time or two. "I got some bad news, Michael," BJ said straightaway.
"Shoot," Michael said. "I'm ready."
"Shawn died this morning."
He was ready for bad news, but this was a little much. "Of what?" Michael asked, thinking of all the funny diseases Rory had pretended.
"Leukemia. It was too advanced for them to do much but make him comfortable for his last days. He died in Rory's arms. They were twins, you know," BJ said.
"So Rory knew all this time?" Michael asked.
"The whole time," BJ said. His eyes were dark and thoughtful. "Shawn is...was my best friend."
"But why...why did she smile?" Michael whispered.
BJ turned to look at him. "Before Shawn got sick, he and Ror would always say 'You've got to die laughing' when they told a funny story. When they found out Shawn had leukemia, they made that their mantra. You've got to die laughing." BJ set a note card on the side of the bed. "Rory wants you to come to the funeral. And she wants you to walk."
"I can't," Michael said. "I've only practiced a few times."
"It would help her," BJ said. "Please. For Rory's sake."
Michael sank back. "I'll try," he promised.
*****
Nik hugged his niece tightly. "It's hard, isn't it, Rory?" he asked.
The girl nodded. "I still wake up thinking he's in the bed across from mine," she said, her voice muffled. "And then I remember."
Nik patted her hair. "I can't tell you anything except that I love you, sweetheart," he said.
"I love you too, Uncle Nik," Rory said. Suddenly she broke away. "Uncle Nik, this is my friend, the one I was telling you about! This is Michael."
Nik looked up sharply. This was the one. He was a tall, strong looking black boy, looking perfectly normal even though much of his body was covered in cybernetic prosthetics. Rory tossed his arms around his neck and burst into tears.
"Aw, come on, Rory," Michael said, embarrassed but clearly pleased. "It isn't that big, is it?"
"Yes, it is," she sniffed. "You have no idea. Shawn would be so happy if he could see you now." Michael gave her a shy little one-armed hug.
"Michael, Rory tells me you lost your parents," Nik said.
"Yes, sir," Michael said. "Last year, in a plane crash."
"Do you have anyone looking after you now?" Nik asked.
"Not really," he shrugged. "I've got a grandfather in Chicago, but he's in an old folks home."
Nik was thoughtful. "Your case is intriguing," he said. "You have no legal guardian at all?"
"No," Michael said.
"I have a proposal for you, boy."
And that was why, a month later, Michael found himself in a car with Nikolai Laren, headed towards a place that Nik called The Titans Tower.
"So what is it again?" Michael asked.
"You'll be teaming up with my ward, Robin," Nik explained. "But one thing I would like to broach to you...Robin has dropped his last name in order to remain more anonymous. Would you consider doing the same?"
"Yeah," Michael said, thinking, as they neared the little island. "I think so."
Nik led Michael to the tower's front door and knocked.
A voice crackled over the intercom. "Who is it?"
"Don't you know me, boy?" Nik laughed.
"Hold on!" A minute or so later the door swung open and a happily grinning boy of about thirteen or fourteen greeted them. "Hi, Nik!" he said. "What brings you here?"
"I've brought your first team member," Nik said. "Robin, this is-"
"Cyborg," Michael said. "My name's Cyborg."
Author's Note: I had soooo much trouble with writing Cyborg's part! I don't know why, it just wasn't coming to me. I actually finished Raven's part before Cyborg's. The deal with Rory and Shawn came from a story I wrote in Creative Writing last year. Originally there was another character, a guy friend of Shawn and Rory's, who was blind. Maybe if I find the original story I'll post it on fictionpress.com. And now on to Raven, my favorite an!!!