The dead rise and the truth comes out.

Chapter 12: One Thing After Another


The problem with being dead is that it's a lot like sleeping. Most of the time, you don't realize you ever were asleep until you wake up. This probably isn't a problem for most people. Most people want their death to be like falling asleep. No pain, no heartache. Just a quiet drift into darkness and then—nothing. The difference is, they don't get to know they are—or were—dead. They don't get to wake up.

Danny wakes up feeling like he went a hundred rounds with Pariah Dark, sans Ecto-Skeleton. He isn't even sure he's awake, at first. The last thing he remembers was pain and popping sparks, and now he's here. In a dark, cold room, alone. Seemingly alone. He almost thinks he is dreaming until something clatters to his left. Danny shoots upright, spinning toward the noise with a glowing palm outstretched. The pale light outlines the silhouette of a person. They are standing too far away for the light to properly shine on them. Danny hesitates. This could still be a dream. He raises his palm, molding the ectoplasm into an orb of light that brightens the whole room.

A morgue. The morgue. And, the silhouette standing to his left, the doctor. Danny rips the ball of ectoplasm out of the air, snuffing it out in his bare palm, but it's too look. They made eye contact. The sight of her grinning face is burned into his mind. Danny can't remember anyone ever looking at him like that. Not just happy but ecstatic, so overjoyed that they look like they might burst. There's a soft thump as the doctor steps forward. Danny reels back. His ghost half might give him better senses, but he still needs some light to see, and the morgue is completely dark. A windowless room in a basement.

Another thump. He slides back again, searching for something to brace himself on, and his hand meets open air. He flails, tries to catch himself, but it's too late. He leans too far over. With a yelp and a loud smack, Danny falls to the floor. Something soft flutters over him, landing on his head.

More noises. A clink. A thud. A click. And then, finally, a light right on his head. Danny squints as his eyes adjust. He grabs the sheet draped over him and pulls it down. A penlight shines inches from his nose. He smacks the hand holding it, knocking the flashlight away. It hits the floor with a clatter and rolls a few inches, but the beam ends up facing them.

Above Danny, the doctor leans over the autopsy table with that same grin on her face.

"Hello, Phantom. You're early for your appointment."

Danny's stomach sinks.


William has had a lot of time to think over the past twenty-four hours. First getting the call from Dr. Alejo, his frantic drive down to the hospital, and then the bizarre experience of watching a ghost get medical treatment. The equally bizarre—and worrisome—moment of learning that ghost is alive. Now, he is here, sitting in a waiting room waiting for a dead student's parents. And that student just happens to be the local hero, Danny Phantom. William's mind reels with the revelation. Despite having plenty of time to think it over, he can't seem to absorb the idea.

A part of him thinks he's fooling himself, making leaps of logic where there are none to be found. If the incidents had happened weeks apart, or even a few days, he may not have come to that conclusion at all. But he saw the bruises. He should have checked Danny's shoulder. He could have gotten the bruises from anywhere, but if he had the same wound on his shoulder, that would cinch it. It's too late now, however. If William is wrong with his connection, then Phantom will turn up again at some point and he can try and reconnect with the ghost.

If William is right, then it doesn't matter. Because Danny is dead. That is what makes it hard to accept. William has so many questions about this but he will never get an answer to any of them. He simply can't comprehend how Danny could be alive and dead at the same time and needs someone to explain it to him. It explains so much in hindsight. The tardiness. Skipping classes. Always losing his homework and falling asleep in class. Phantom is like a thread that stitches all of Danny's troubles together into a solid picture

William is in the middle of these thoughts when the power goes out. The lights flicker and pop, and then go out all at once. A nurse at the station shouts in surprise, smacking the side of her computer monitor. Concerned whispers rise amongst those in the waiting room. Before anyone can get too panicked, however, the lights come back on. In total, they were only out for thirty seconds at most. William watches the overhead lights for a moment. They hold steady. William shrugs and goes back to watching the door.

Ever since Dr. Alejo left, he has kept his eyes on the entrance. Waiting for the Fentons. He has to leave at some point. He doesn't want to, but the school day will be over soon and there are responsibilities he has neglected. But... what if the Fentons take another hour to get here? Another two? What if they don't show up for the rest of the day? As abhorrent as William finds that possibility, it seems likely at this point. What will he do, then? He wants to stay here with Danny until they arrive, but that's the thing. There is no Danny anymore.

William drags a hand down his face. Thirty years of teaching and he has never felt so tried in his life. It's not the first time he has lost a student, but this is different. This is Danny. He scans the waiting room one last time. It's been a couple of hours since he last spoke to a staff member, barring Dr. Alejo. In practice, William shouldn't even have been told about Danny's death without his family's consent. He thinks the nurse that informed him only did it because he made such a sad sight waiting to hear something.

Judging by the subtle glances that same nurse has been giving him every time she passes, he still makes a sad sight.

William eyes the door. If he just waits for another minute, surely the Fentons will arrive. Isn't that the way things go? The second you leave, the thing you want to happen finally does. But no. William is only fooling himself. The Fentons, for whatever reason, aren't coming any time soon. With a weary sigh, he pushes himself to his feet. He doesn't have his wallet or phone, having had no time to grab them before getting in the ambulance. It's a long walk back to the school so he had better start now.

He is on his way out the door when Dr. Alejo calls for him.

"Mr. Lancer!"

A sense of déjà vu washes over him when he sees her standing by the side hall with a bundle in her arms. He thought she had gone home already. After telling her about Danny's death, Dr. Alejo quietly excused herself and disappeared. He thought wrong, apparently. William lets Dr. Alejo come to him.

"I need to talk to you," she says.

"Is it urgent?" William asks.

"It's literally a matter of life and death."

William thinks that's a bit of an exaggeration, although they are in a hospital. He indulges her anyhow. After the first turn, he realizes they are taking the same path through the hospital they took yesterday. William has no interest in seeing Danny's dead body.

"Dr. Alejo, I don't think—"

"How much do you know about Danny?" Dr. Alejo asks.

William pauses. "Which one?"

Dr. Alejo takes a deep breath. "Either one."

"That's an odd question. Why would you—" William's eyes narrow. Dr. Alejo examines the ceiling tiles while he stares at her. She plays casual, tucking her hands into her pockets and rocking back and forth on her feet. She even starts whistling a tune. Several times throughout her little charade, her gaze darts to William.

"Do you– do you know?" He lowers his voice to a whisper, wary of the other staff moving around them.

Dr. Alejo squints at him. "Do you know?"

William grabs her arm and drags her forward, finding the staff elevators off the hall. "I know what I know. But do you know what I know?"

"I can't tell you that unless you tell me what you know."

"Well, I can't tell you"—William shakes his head—"Stop that! I think we both know what we know. What did you want to talk to me about?"

The elevator door dings. William never saw her call for it. She ushers him inside and hits the button for the basement.

"The power won't go out again while we're in here, will it?" he asks. The thought of getting trapped in an elevator on top of everything else that has happened today doesn't appeal to him.

Dr. Alejo shakes her head. "It was a one-time thing. There was an electrical disturbance of some kind. You'll understand in a minute."

William finds that unlikely, but as long as the elevator will not stall on them, he doesn't care. The elevator doors open and he steps out first, immediately turning toward the morgue. He can only assume that's why Dr. Alejo is bringing him down here.

"Are you allowed to do this?" he asks.

"I've done a lot of things I'm not allowed to, today."

William takes that as a resounding "no." They pass the first morgue—the functional one, if William remembers right—and head straight for the door at the end of the hall. Phantom's morgue. William's stomach twists. Passing that first door has assured him that he at least isn't down here to see Danny's body. Still, the thought of being here, so close, unsettles him.

Dr. Alejo probably wants complete privacy, and what better way to get it than to go to a room no one uses? She stops at the door, gripping the handle. "Before we go in, I need to know. Do you really know what I know?"

They take a moment to size each other up. Realistically, William can't say yes unless she tells him what she knows. But she can't. Nor can William tell her what he knows. The secret is too big. Isn't theirs to share. That in and of itself is why he can say yes. He sees the same determination in Dr. Alejo's eyes that he feels. The desperation to hold on to this secret no matter what because they owe it to Danny. Dr. Alejo must see the same thing in him. She nods, slowly. It's more of a tilt of her head but that's all William needs. He nods back.

Dr. Alejo opens the door.

This time, William doesn't hesitate to follow her inside. What he sees makes his heart stop. Danny on the autopsy table. Danny sitting up on the autopsy table, with only a sheet draped over him and a fresh scar on his chest. Danny hasn't noticed them. He stares at the scar, touching the tender skin with gentle fingers. It looks fresh. Somewhat healed, but fresh. Bright red and puckered. He did not have that scar before when William saw his bare chest as Phantom. Nor did he have it in the ambulance.

"Am I dead?" Danny asks. It sounds rhetorical. He has yet to look up and notice them, tilting his head as he examines the rest of his body. The bruises on his chest are gone. The injury on his shoulder, which William saw Dr. Alejo stitch up, is healed as well. A dozen new scars litter his body, all in places William knows were fresh wounds only yesterday. His eyes keep going back to the incision on Danny's chest, though.

"Not anymore," Dr. Alejo declares.

Danny jerks at the sound of her voice. He spots William and shouts. "That's my teacher!" Danny scrambles, grabbing the sheet covering his lower half and pulling it up to his chest. "Oh my god, Mr. Lancer, what—what are you doing here? Why is my teacher here?" Danny drags a hand through his hair. "I died. I'm dead right now and this is some kind of chemical fever dream. That happens when you're dying, right? A last burst of endorphins or whatever. This is the worst death dream ever."

"You're not dead," William says. More of a general statement than an answer to Danny's question, but it functions just the same. He steps further into the room. Danny isn't dead. He's alive and right there and healed.

Danny clings to the blanket as William approaches.

"Doc hasn't explained anything yet," Danny says. "Did I– was I... I remember being at school. And. It hurt. A lot. And there was..." He raises his hands in front of his face, flexing his fingers. "And now I'm here. You"—Danny points at Dr. Alejo—"are a very freaky person to wake up to. And it's rude to run away from someone right after they wake up like that. You better stick with dead people because I would feel very sorry for any patients of yours."

"Good thing you're my patient, then," Dr. Alejo chirps. "Keeping with the whole 'dead people' theme."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Danny says.

"So I just hallucinated seeing ectoplasm stitch your insides back up? Not to mention the ghost heart or whatever that was. And the ball of glowing green light from your hand."

"When did you see my insides?!" Danny hugs himself tightly, leaning away from Dr. Alejo.

"Where do you think you got that scar?"

"I'm still hoping this is a shitty death dream!"

William reaches out and touches Danny's shoulder. His skin is warm. There is colour in his cheeks. Breath in his lungs. Danny Fenton is alive. He wants to throw his arms around the boy and pull him into a bone-crushing hug but thinks better of it when he remembers the sheet. William backs away and turns around.

"What happened to his clothes?" he asks.

Dr. Alejo shrugs. "You can't do an autopsy through clothes."

Danny makes a choking noise.

"Here." Dr. Alejo tosses the bundle she is holding toward Danny. "EMTs had to cut off your sweater, so that isn't here. Blood got on your sweatpants during surgery since there wasn't time to change you into a gown. That's considered a biohazard, so we have to dispose of them. That'll have to do."

Danny grumbles. Dr. Alejo also turns to face the wall. There is rustling behind them as Danny changes, accompanied by a few low groans.

"How do you feel?" Dr. Alejo asks.

"Sore all over. But just sore. Done."

William and Dr. Alejo turn back around. Danny holds out his arms, showing off the patient gown and Dr. Alejo's red jacket. "Well?"

Dr. Alejo presses a hand to her chest. "I always wanted a little sibling to play dress-up with."

"You disturb me on so many levels." Danny hops up onto the autopsy table and pulls up his legs, crossing them "Do I get to leave now?"

"Yes," William says.

"No," Dr. Alejo says. "Danny, you were dead. You were declared dead earlier today and now you're not. There's nothing legal you would have to worry about for that yet, but medically speaking, this needs to be explained. I don't think the hospital is going to just let you go. There's also one other matter we need to worry about."

"You mean like the fact that you autopsied me?"

"You were dead, it's fine. I'm more worried about you being Phantom than anything," she says.

"What? That's crazy! You're crazy! I'm not a ghost! Why would you even think that?"

"Ectoplasm. Ghost heart. The fact that you were dead and now you're not. Your revival caused a temporary blackout across the whole hospital." Dr. Alejo pauses and taps her chin. "There's also the fact that you transformed in my car the first day I met."

Danny's jaw drops open. "You– you saw that?"

"I literally could not ignore it."

"But you didn't say anything!"

"You seemed stressed enough by that point."

Danny sputters. He makes several false starts at some kind of rebuke, but his words fail him. What on Earth could he say to that? William would be just as lost in his place. As if only just remembering William's presence, Danny faces him.

"She's lying," he says. "She's crazy. A ghost must have gotten to her. Call my parents. Call the GIW. She needs help."

"Danny." William uses his best disappointed teacher voice. It works, even in a setting as strange as this.

Danny shrinks in on himself and mumbles under his breath. "She could be crazy."

"I already know," William says. He fears they are going to have a repeat of last night. Danny gives him the same horrified look as he did then, only through bright blue eyes instead of green. If Danny were in better health, William is sure he would have fled. He doesn't, though. Despite his wounds being healed, he still looks exhausted. Danny had been dying and said he was tired; William can only imagine what 'sore' must be a stand-in for.

"You do?" Danny's voice is small and quiet.

"Yes."

"How?"

"The bruises."

Danny pulls the collar of his gown back and peers at his chest. The bruises are still gone, of course.

"I was there while they were trying to revive you. I saw them when they cut off your sweater. After what I saw last night, it didn't take much to connect the dots," William says.

"You were there?"

"I've been with you all day."

Danny plays with the zipper of Dr. Alejo's jacket. William desperately wants to know what's going through the boy's mind at this moment. Is he still upset about last night? Is he upset about right now? William would not blame him.

Finally, Danny speaks. "You don't sound shocked."

"I've had some time to adjust." He will need more time, of course. Before, Danny had been dead dead. It had been shocking, but as far as William knew, it didn't matter anymore. Now, however, it matters. Now, Danny is alive. Or partially dead. Half dead? He will have to ask, later during a less stressful time, what Danny prefers to call his situation.

"What are you going to do?" Danny asks.

"Nothing you don't want me to, I suppose."

Danny's shoulders sag. William had not realized Danny was holding himself so tense until the tension bled out of him. It's sad, William thinks. What kind of life must Danny leave if this secret tears at him so much?

"Your parents," William says, coming to a realization.

"They don't know, and I don't want them to."

"About that," Dr. Alejo interrupts. She grabs a binder balanced on the edge of a sink and flips it open. Her finger drifts down the page as she reads. "The surgeons reported finding ectoplasm in your body while they were repairing your bleeds. We have protocols for stuff like this ever since ghosts started attacking."

"And?"

Dr. Alejo snaps the binder shut. She makes eye contact with each of them, her expression grim. "They called the Guys in White."