It was only minutes when Ming arrived in a fierce hurry.
She pushed through the crowded halls of the hospital and rushed into Tyler's room.
"Is it true?" She gasped, looking at him and seeing his hair was a deep blue. She gasped the moment she saw this and whispered in shock, "It is true."
"Yeah," Tyler said with a goofy grin on his lips, "It is so totally true."
Mei giggled at his response, but silenced herself the second she caught her mum's terrified eyes.
She looked back between Tyler and Mei and Tyler's mother slowly came forward as she said with as much of a soft gentle voice she could muster.
"It's okay, but."
Ming looked at her puzzled at this response.
"I… I love my son, Panda or no panda."
"Well maybe you should all sit down for a moment,"
The whole group turned their eyes to the door as the doctor sat there with a board and clinical sheet of paper pinned to it.
"What's wrong?" Tyler asked, becoming slightly worried but Mei gently squeezed his hand again.
"This 'power'," He said with a no nonsense approach, "It's temporary."
Tyler felt his heart speed up the second this was said. Mei's own heart bet a bit irregular too, nearly in synch with Tyler's terrified one.
"Why..?" She peeped out so lost and confused. She looked at Tyler and he at her, both having the same thought in their minds. He WANTED to keep this gift.
"You see," The doctor continued and walked to the center of the room so everyone could see him, "His blood is going to absorb yours into it, as soon as it takes all the nutrients it needs."
This hurt to hear. But Tyler's mother was thrilled inside.
Not because she hated her son, but because… sigh, it would make him 'normal' again.
"How…" Tyler uttered into the conversation, afraid and sad both at once, "How long do I have with it?"
The doctor flipped through his paper hospital sheets before turning his eyes back up at Tyler and saying as professional as he could, "A week at the most, three days at the least."
"Three days..?" Tyler repeated and gulped afraid of that possible news. He felt Mei's hand still squeezing his tight, and he closed his eyes, sighing out defeated.
"You all should really be getting out of here," The doctor continued, totally not reading the room, "Visiting hours are up,"
Tyler's mother growled under her breath at this news and she slowly got to her feet, upset and annoyed that she had to leave her child there with… with basically strangers.
Mei and Tyler's hands let go of one another and she looked at him, worry and fear that he'd be here all by himself.
He gave a very weak wave and she waved sadly back.
Soon the room was empty and he was sitting up in the bed, not knowing what to do now. He looked out the window, seeing the other's walking through the parking lot, before turning his eyes to his dark hands and concentrating on them, feeling Mei's blood running through him… but not forever.
It would be gone soon, absorbed and turned into his.
But he had her in him right now… and he closed his eyes as he concentrated on his hands, blue paws poofing to sight before him.
He smiled with tears.
~x~
When Mei got home, she was honestly so surprised when she saw her girl friends waiting outside her door.
"Mei!" Miriam called, waving at her as Mei got out of the car in a slump and the girls surrounded her instantly, "Mei, what happened?!"
Mei had no smile on her mouth, just fear and worry going through her completely. The girls quickly sussed this themselves and Priya asked.
"Is he okay…?"
"Oh, he's better than okay." Mei mumbled, still looking hurt as her eyes just stared down at the ground.
The three girls looked at her lost.
"He has my power now."
The girls all gasped, amazed to hear this news.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Miriam said for them all, waving her hands each time she said that word, "Are you for real?"
Mei slowly nodded her head and the girls all squealed suddenly.
"Another RED PANDA for us to cuddle!" Abby said instantly and the girls all cheered to this. All of them, but Mei.
"Mei, what's wrong?" Miriam continued, sensing her melancholy.
"He…" She went on reluctantly as she forced a smile but was just breaking apart inside, "Only has it for week at the longest."
"What?" Miriam said, so very lost, "Why?"
Mei sighed and explained it to her group then and there.
"Even if he doesn't get to keep it," Miriam finally went on and the girls all hugged Mei in support, "You STILL saved his life."
"But did I really…?" Mei asked and they all looked into her distant upset eyes, not understanding. Mei gulped and continued in worry, "His parents said they would change… but, I'm so scared of him going back to their house and them not being what he needs."
The girls all looked at one another before back at Mei and Miriam held her cheek, making her look at her.
"They will change."
Mei had a teardrop slip down her cheek.
"After something like this happens… change is the only thing that can happen."
Mei began to cry, nodding her head, wanting top believe this.
Hoping this would become true.
"I hope," She whispered, and came into her house with her friends, but her insides were hurting from emotional torture, "I hope so badly."
~x~
That night she was just staring straight through thin air, as her head was plumped on her hand, her homework underneath her elbow.
She didn't have the energy to do the work. All her energy had been used up with the tears and worrying that had been pulsing through her the whole day.
She was so deep in her thoughts that literally a rhino wearing clown make up could pass by her eyes and she would not see it.
She jumped back startled though the second she heard her phone ring and she picked it up instantly, saying, nearly desperate to hear his voice.
"Tyler..?"
"The one and only," He said with a laugh and she helplessly laughed back, still with worrying pain inside.
"How are you finding the hospital?"
"The TV is bust, the food stale… but other than that, I love it."
"I'm sensing sarcasm?" Mei said with a timid smirk and Tyler just laughed, nodding to himself on the other end.
"You know me too well, Mei."
"I know you enough," She responded, a smile slowly growing up her mouth, "But seriously, I hope you're okay."
"I am okay," He said with truth, "Talking to you makes me feel okay."
Mei remained silent for a second when he said this, and he slowly continued with worry as he asked.
"Are you not okay?"
She bit her bottom lip and only nodded painfully to her lying self.
"I will be when I see you again and you're all healed up."
"Me too," He said with a soft smile no one could see, "Did the girls ask for me?"
"How could they not?" Mei continued, laughing at this as she said so tenderly and dear, "They love you, Ty,"
"Sorry," He said with a cheeky grin and Mei listened eagerly, "I'm already taken. You have marked me with your blood."
Mei couldn't help but burst into laughter when he announced this. She squeaked in embarrassed delight.
"Tyler!"
He snickered to himself on the other end.
"The doctor," He finally said and she stopped her giddiness, listening to him seriously again now, "He says I'll be out of here in two days."
"That long?"
"Yeah,"
"Sorry," She squeaked and he cocked an eyebrow up confused, "You wouldn't even be there now if it wasn't for me."
"Mei." He said so straight forward now and she listened with worry, "You SAVED me-"
"I didn't-"
"And I'm not just talking about today… my life… you and the girls were the only thing good in it. But now?" He said, his eyes shining from the tears that welled around them, "My parents are going to change, be better… and it's because of you,"
Mei just listened to him, and wisely kept silent about her fears over his parents.
"All I want," She said gently, but the trepidation was clear in her voice, "Is for you to be happy."
"You make me happy," He said bluntly and Mei nodded to herself in tears, "I love you, Mei."
Her heart leapt up in speed for that second he said that, so fast she poofed to her red panda self.
"You just went panda, didn't you?" Tyler asked, a joyful tone nearly present in his voice, and Mei only laughed weakly, replying.
"You still have that affect on me, Ty…"
He grinned, his eyes full of sparkles which no one could see, but Mei could feel him, his happiness and joy.
"I love you too, Ty," She said shyly, and suddenly Tyler went poof on the other end, "YOU just PANDA'D too! Didn't you?!"
"No," He said in a pathetic lie, "N-No,"
She raised her own eyebrow then, a grin sliding up her lips and he finally admitted.
"YES. Okay, I did, alright…"
She giggled to herself.
"When I get out of here, I want to go panda with you and see the city from the sky."
"If you still CAN go panda, you mean?" She asked cheekily, but saying this hurt her heart… and she could feel it hurt his as well.
Normally she couldn't feel someone's emotions from such a distance… but something about their connection had gone almost psychic like.
Tyler sat on his bed, just listening to the silence that lingered and suddenly tossed his phone in the air, surprised by his door opening and the nurse coming in.
He poofed instantly back to his human self, and whispered quickly back to Mei.
"I'll see you soon, bye!"
"Bye?" Mei replied, puzzled by his sudden goodbye, the call over. She looked at her mirror away on the wall and saw her panda self stare back at her.
She sighed heavily, poofing back to her regular teenage body and leaned her head back on both her hands now, exhaling heavily in infatuated delight.
She had never been in love before… but she, she knew for sure she was. She could just picture his face in her head, his lovely dark eyes.
She never knew she could feel this way about someone, and at such a young age herself.
It almost made her fearful.
Maybe it was just teen hormones rushing through her and making her dizzily in love.
Or maybe it was the real thing, and she just didn't know it yet.
Her heart could be heard beating in flutters and delight.
She only hoped that her love was not so one sided. She hoped Tyler felt the same as her… for now he had her blood in him. For the next week at the most. And she knew that meant something… as he had her panda gift for at least a few more days.
Maybe he would understand her more now, be able to relate.
She just didn't know. But she straightened up again when her phone buzzed announcing a text message had come through.
She looked at it nervously and saw it was from him!
She opened it up and read to herself out loud.
Luv U babe. Never change
She smirked at this, as she knew he meant her personalty… but she read it with her red panda self in mind and replied with a small smile.
U 2
It was nearly mile-seconds, his reply.
U don't change a masterpiece
She grinned wider and just sent the message.
XD
She slowly looked away from her phone and back at her work. She'd have to leave him hanging as she pulled over her books and started doing her homework.
But one more text came through and she looked at it hesitantly, seeing it was a love heart.
She smiled warmly and turned off her phone.
Tyler just sat in his hospital bed, a worrying thudding with his heart as he looked through the window to his home far away.
Things would change, he knew they would.
But he'd have to see it first, to believe it.
