I am so so sorry that I haven't updated for months, but things really kicked off for a while. Not for the better either. But here I am with another chapter, and I have to say I was starting to miss all the characters.
I don't own the characters, but the plot is all my own x
Mikey's point of View.
We were helpless. Even with all of our efforts, nothing could help. I Know that I'm the goofball of the team, but even I can help. I can research, I can gather, but there is nothing. Bella successfully diagnosed Father, she only needed the equipment to confirm.
Bella wrote it down for us, but as we have had to do as much research as possible to help, we all know the name of his condition.
Father has a condition names bradycardia. It's when the heart rate is lowered, the beats less than 60 per minute. This can be caused by many things, but Bella found that it was caused by Myocarditis. This is the inflammation of the heart muscle. Don took blood samples to check the white and red blood cell levels, and Bella assured him that his findings were Myocarditis.
Even I can tell you that this isn't good. It can lead to heart failure. If we were human, then it could be treated with antibiotics, but human drugs don't work the same way on mutants as they do on humans.
This is why we are helpless. Father has been getting weaker and weaker. The drugs needed wouldn't work on Father, and he was getting weaker by the hour. It has been two weeks since we returned to the lair. Bella, Don, April and LH hadn't stopped working since we've got back. Dons lab has been turned into a medical bay. Father isn't allowed to leave the room, and someone has to be there at all times. I can't name half of the machines he is hooked up to. He is barely conscious anymore, mostly he sleeps all through the day.
The only thing that could help, would be an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD for short. It requires surgery. Its considered to be only a minor surgery, but we can't just follow the instructions form a text book or the internet. This is a surgery which requires practiced hands. If we didn't get this right first time, one mistake would be the end.
The only one who would have an idea how to do this, even rough, would be Bella. April, LH and Don are mechanics, not doctors or surgeons. Allot of pressure is resting on Bella's shoulders.
If she made a mistake, there would be no second chance. Father was getting weaker and more unstable. A mistake could mean heart failure. Heart failure would mean death.
If Father died, Leo would be forced to take responsibility for the family. Though he has been trained from a young age to be ready for this, his training is not complete. Leo would lose his guidance. He would fall apart, trying to deal with his own grief and taking care of us.
Raph would be out of control. Leo is able to command him to some extent, but we all know that he only really takes orders from Father. He would spend the rest of his life hating the world, as the time was ripped away from him unfairly.
Don, he is difficult to predict. He has always been the best at dealing with these kind of situations, though that didn't mean anything when it came to losing a family member. If I had to guess, he would become a shell, researching every possible outcome that could have been, trying to find what went wrong. He would become distant. Or possibly he would become closer to us, offering support and comfort. I don't know.
Bella… I hate to think what she would be like. Maybe she wouldn't change. I think she would hide it from us, all the grief and hurt. She would always blame herself, because she was the only one who could have saved him.
Me? I don't know. Cry, become dependent on the others, stop smiling? It seems too simple, but what is there to smile about when you have no one to share it with?
Strangely, Bella is the only one looking after Father, and has been the only one looking after him for a few days now. Don and the others were set to work to make some kind of serum or something. I have't been told the specifics, and the others don't know what it is for either.
Its meant to disable something strong though. Something very strong.
Things are very strained now. No one laughs, heck, its very rare to get a genuine smile from anybody anymore. We all try though, smile at each other to offer comfort. Reassuring others of things that we have no control over. If we can't save Father, everything will change. Our lives will never be the same, we will never be the same.
Its difficult to find any comfort in the long hours when everything is silent. The beeping of the heart monitor makes it just about bearable, but then we are all always waiting for the next beep, reassuring us that not all is lost just yet. Father is still alive, and that's enough to keep us fighting for him.
It's rare that I ever see Bella away from Fathers bedside. The door is always left open, and we are free to visit Father when ever we wish. Bella has always been insistent that we should be surrounded by our family if we are ever injured, as it helps to keep hope alive. It's a little different when we are ill with a cold or flue, but we are allowed to visit at least once a day. Bella never says anything when we visit Father, letting us speak to him about anything we like. I'm more prone to crying than the others. I don't see crying as a weakness, and I have never been afraid to show my emotions in front of my family. The others are more reserved with showing their emotions, but we all understand that they are there and don't pry unless we deem it necessary.
Raph and Leo have been assigned the task of keeping our home safe. Don set everything up for them, showing them how the more complicated pieces of security worked and how to maintain them on a basic level. Don has been working on the security for years, so the likely hood of anything going wrong now was slim.
Casey didn't have much to do, and he had a job he had to go to, no matter how much he protested that he wanted to help. He worked at a garage not far from out home, and when his shift was finished he picked up food for us all, and any medication he could.
I do as much as I can to help, but there isn't much that I can do. I make sure everything is kept clean, which is something I really hate doing, but I can't stand to do nothing when everyone else is doing as much as they can. I research when I have the opportunity to, even if I don't understand most of what I am reading. Occasionally I do find something of use, which I pass along to April or Don, who decide whether or not to pass it along to Bella.
Everyone is here right now, even Casey. For the first time in a long time things seem almost normal. Raph, Leo, Casey and I are all watching a film, as there is nothing else for us to be doing. Its not a very good film, something we found on the TV. Its an action film, Raph refused to watch anything but, and its plot line is the worst I have ever seen. The characters don't seem to have any personality at all, and then there's no blood when anyone gets hurt...
There's suddenly a shout from where April and the others have been working. All the work surfaces are covered in test tubes filled with bubbling and fizzing liquids. There's vials full of powders stacked on shelves everywhere, a white board cover in all sorts of strange calculations and formulas that would make any normal persons head hurt just by looking at them. Papers were piled all over the floor, each one with scribbled pieces of data that can only be read if held at an angle.
"We've done it! I think. We have nothing to test it on, but it seems to be right." April exclaimed happily. She was holding a vial of light blue liquid. There wasn't much, but behind her there are several more vials.
Bella came out of the medical bay, which used to be Dons lab, and looked at what April was holding. Don and Leather head were standing off to the side, both looking hopeful.
"We still don't know what this is for Bella." Don said. Maybe it was a cure for Father?
"You'll find out soon enough. April, I need you to stay with Father. Make sure that he is stable. Casey and Mikey, I need you to stay here with them. I'll be back in a second, I have a phone call to make." Bella looked more alive as she said this than she had been for weeks. Her head was held high, her shoulders squared. Her eyes were focused and determined. She left the room quickly, heading for her room.
Bella's Point of View.
I ran the last few paces into my room, shutting the door behind me. I hate what I'm about to do, but I have no other option. I have to save my family, no matter what the price is.
My phone is lying on the bedside table, just where I had left it. I had no reason to keep it by my side as everyone I might need to contact up until this point has been by my side for the last few weeks. Flipping the phone open, I scroll through my contacts until I find Charlie's number. It doesn't take long for him to pick up.
"Bella, I didn't think I would be hearing from you again." Charlie didn't sound unhappy to hear from me, maybe a little concerned.
"I hate to ask after everything you have done for my family and I, but I need one last favour."
"It's fine, I'll help as much as I can. What do you need?" I really do feel horrible for asking him for more after everything he has done for me, but it can't be helped. I don't have much time, and this saves time.
"I need to find Dr. Cullen. My father is ill and there is nothing I can do for him without putting his life on the line. I need his help." I close my eyes as I say this. The thought of putting my Father in the same room as any of the Cullen's makes my heart beat faster and makes me want to reach for my weapons.
"You understand that the Cullen's will try and take you away from your family whether your Fathers life is at risk or not. As far as they are concerned you are in danger and are determined to keep you safe, as twisted as that is." Charlie growled the last part of his sentence, and I am inclined to do the same. The thought of the Cullen's trying to protect me from my own family was ridiculous.
"I understand the risks, but I have no other options. My family has created something that might give us an advantage over them. If they refuse to help us then we can quickly disappear."
"Very well. I know that they moved to New York, but I'm not sure where. They will be searching for you, so I'm sure if you make your presence known, they will come to you. I honestly don't know where they are."
"I know of a way to get their attention. I needed to know whether they were in New York. It makes this a lot easier that they are. Thank you Charlie." This was most probably the last time I was ever going to speak to him, I have already asked so much of this man.
"It's no problem. I hope that you know what you are doing, and that it will all work out for you. I have to go now, I'm still on duty." He hung up the phone then.
Taking a deep breath, I started to change my clothes. I don't know how long this is going to take, but I needed to be prepared. I changed into my fighting clothes, which was tight fitting black clothing, knee pads, elbow pads, breast plates. I picked up my mask, feeling the material between my fingers. I had been given a white mask, for reasons I don't know. It had been a long time since I had worn it, unlike my brothers who wear theirs every day. I placed it back on my bedside table and tightened my french braid, making sure that there were no loose strands.
My weapons were on their stands in the corner of the room. Training had been difficult without Father, but we had managed. I wouldn't need my bow tonight, so I picked up my twin blades, securing it onto my back. The weight was comforting, and helped to ground my thoughts. Picking up my mask once more, I left the room.
Everyone was where I had left them, minus April who was tending to Father as I had asked her to. It was obvious that Leo, Raph and Don had moved though, as they all had their weapons at the ready, Don had his bag over his shoulder. A quick glance at the table he had previously been working at confirmed that he had packed the vials containing the formula.
"Bella, I need an explanation. We all need to know whats going on so we can make a plan." Leo told me, and there was no arguing with him. Leo hated to be kept in the dark, and there was no way that he was going to let this go any further without being fully informed. Leo had been given no information about what Don and the others had been working on, and though he had trusted my judgement enough to let me give the orders for a little while, he wasn't going to tolerate it any longer.
"I can't heal Father, not on my own. Don and the others are mechanics, not doctors. My knowledge only goes so far. I could attempt the surgery that Father needs, but he would most likely die as I am not confident that I could perform the surgery. Father is a mutant, which also complicates things. There is no one on this earth that I would trust your lives to, but there is someone I trust a little more than the others, who I know wouldn't kill Father." Though everyone already knew that I would not be able to treat Father, it was still difficult to say out loud like this, to admit that I needed help. " I need you to understand before I tell you, that if there was any other way I would take it in an instant. I can't take a chance though, not when Father is getting weaker every day."
"I understand that we need help Bella, I truly do. There isn't anyone left though. Who ever you are thinking of asking for help is going to put this family at risk." Leo was so obviously worried that it hurt to look. So much responsibility rested on his shoulders. Leo could stop my plan, and I could try and disobey him, but there was only a very slim chance that I would be able to carry out my plan without his full co-operation. If he chose to stop me, then he knows that it could be the end of Father if we don't find another solution.
"You know of the Cullen's." As soon as I said their name everyone tensed, I don't think anyone was breathing.
"Absolutely not! If you think for a second I am letting those vampires come close to you and the rest of our family you have another thing coming. The last time you were with them you ended up in intensive care! The only reason you were allowed to stay in Forks after that incident was because you refused to leave and at the time we couldn't come and get you. They left you Bella! They hurt you and then broke your heart!" Leo yelled at me, and I've never seen him so angry when not in a battle.
"You don't think I know that? I know! But this is for our family, and I will not let our Father die because of them! They owe me, and we have a way to fight and control them! Don has been working on a formula that weakens them. If we coat our weapons with the formula and introduce it into their system we will be able to protect ourselves!" I was shouting by now, as the others had joined in protesting.
"Enough!" Leo's voice was sharp and controlled, and there was instant quiet. Not even Raph dared to to cross Leo's orders when he used that voice. "How can they help us? I don't see how putting our family in danger is going to help Father."
"The head of their clan is a surgeon. He as impressive control over his blood lust. He has never attacked a human once, and has years of experience. He is a kind man, and possible the only one who will be able to help Father. I know that this is a huge risk, and it could backfire, but we have no other options."
No one said anything, all eyes on Leo. He was breathing deeply, deliberate breaths in order to calm his mind. Everything in his posture screamed rejection. He didn't want to trust the Cullen's because of all they have done to me, the danger that they put me in. Leo's protective instincts told him to say no, to find another way. The fact that he was calming his mind meant that he was considering my idea. He knew this was our best chance, possibly our only chance.
The others wouldn't try and stop whichever decision Leo came to. They would protest if Leo chose my idea, of course they would. Not because they don't trust his judgement, but because they want to protect our family against those who have already caused so much harm.
Leo didn't move for a few minutes, his breathing remaining deep and controlled. Eventually he opened his eyes and looked straight at me.
"Whats the plan?"
There we have it! A few of you guessed where I was going with this story, but there are a flew plot twists to come yet! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I am so sorry for the long gap, and if you are still following this story I want you to know I love all of my readers! Also, I have decided to change the weapon that Bella uses. She now uses a twin blade ( a staff with a curved blade at each end)
Please review!
Pingu xx
