I know I've said this before, but: spoilers for past episodes ahead.
"Keep the ice on for while." Charlotte held a bag of ice to her best friend's face, letting him take it. "It will help with the swelling."
They were in the Man Cave. Kid Danger fell asleep on the way back, but fortunately he didn't go into a coma or anything like that. In fact, his injuries weren't too bad, really, although he was really tired.
Barely having enough enough energy to walk to the couch, Henry was coaxed by Ray to blow a bubble and transform form back. Jasper was sitting next to him while Charlotte helped Schwoz take care of him.
"You're not in as bad shape as we thought." Charlotte sat down next to Henry and put her hand over his. "Your face looks pretty bad, but the rest of you is fine. You won't be limping or anything."
"Yeah, but how am I supposed to explain this to my parents?" Henry shifted the ice pack.
"You won't have to." Schwoz walked toward the group with a syringe that had a really (really, really) long needle in his hand. "I have the solution."
From behind him, Ray spoke up. "Uh, Schwoz, what is and what are you going to do with that?"
"It is a special injection I invented. Don't worry, it's been tested," added Schwoz, after seeing all the worries faces. "It will get rid of almost all the swelling in a short time, so Henry can go home without worrying."
"Uh…" Henry swallowed. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, it'll be fine. Turn your head."
Gulping, Henry obeyed. "Now hold still." Schwoz injected the medicine into a spot that was cold from being iced.
Henry sucked in a breath, but didn't say anything. "Actually, That didn't really- OW OW OW OW OW OW!" Henry dropped the ice pack and screamed in pain.
"Henry!" Charlotte grabbed his hand.
"Are you okay?!" Jasper picked up the bag of ice.
"Schwoz, what did you do to him?!" Ray spit in Schwoz's face a little.
"Oh, yeah," Schwoz yelled over Henry's screaming. "I forgot to mention that. It causes a great amount of pain, but it'll go away."
"When?" demanded Ray.
"Uh…" Schwoz knew he had gotten himself in trouble. "... about an hour. More or less," he added under his breath.
"Can't you give him some sort of painkiller?!" Charlotte had to raise her voice over Henry's screaming.
"No, this particular injection must not be used with any painkillers, or there would be dangerous side effects."
Ray looked about ready to kill Schwoz, but instead focused and comforting his sidekick. Charlotte let Henry squeeze her hand, and Jasper tried to hold the ice pack to his friend's face, and Ray awkwardly patted him on the back, not really sure what else to do. Schwoz quietly left the room.
After a few minutes, the pain started wearing down and Henry stopped screaming. Forty-five minutes after the injection he had a small headache, but nothing more.
Sure enough, though, the swelling was good as gone. It was almost impossible to tell he had been in a fight.
The three teens decided to go on ahead and leave. They walked toward their homes in silence for a few minutes until a Charlotte spoke up.
"You feeling okay?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah, my headache is pretty much gone."
"That's good," said Jasper. "Although I think Schwoz could stand to make that thing, hmm, I dunno, not as painful."
Henry nodded. "Yeah, he's lucky I don't hate him."
"I don't think you could ever hate Schwoz." Charlotte pointed out.
"Yeah," agreed Henry, "that's true."
No one else could think of anything to say for a minute. Then, "Do you guys remember the whole thing with Drex?"
Henry and Charlotte exchanged a look, neither of them having any idea why Jasper was bringing that up. "Yeah," Henry finally said after a minute. "I remember."
"Why? What's your point?"
Jasper looked over at Henry. "My point," he stated, "is that we found Drex-"
"I seem to recall it was me who located him."
"Whatever. But anyway, Drex was found, and you kicked his butt. Quite literally, if I remember right. And Drex was the worst."
"So?" Henry still couldn't see where this was going, although Charlotte was starting to understand.
"What I'm saying," said Jasper with a smile, "is that if you beat Drex all by yourself, you and Ray will kick Dr. Minyak's heiny back into prison so hard he won't be able to sit down for a week."
Henry smiled. (So did Charlotte.) "Thanks, Jasp." They reached the Hart house. "See you guys later!" Henry waved at his friends as he walked up to the porch and went inside.
"See you guys later!" Piper watched Henry wave at Charlotte and Jasper through her window. As soon as she got home (their parents were still out), she sat down and tried to think of a way to confess to Henry that… that she knew.
Since she couldn't come up with anything other than a speech, Piper decided to do what Jasper did: make a sign. Minus the note in the locker, as she knew she should tell him before tomorrow.
Anyway, Piper didn't actually need to make one. Back when Jasper had brought one over, she had stolen it after the whole fiasco (not that she knew all the details, of course) so she could have a dramatic way to blackmail him (if needed). Turns out, she had a new purpose for it.
"Pipes? You still here?" She heard him call up to her and left her room, stopping at the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, what?" Piper really didn't want to snap at Henry right then, but she knew it would seem weird if she didn't.
"Okay, okay, jeez." Henry turned from her and walked to the kitchen.
Piper walked back to her room to fetch the sign, then made her way to Henry's room.
She positioned herself below his little couch, opening the window to let a breeze through. Piper got on her phone, hiding it behind the sign; it wouldn't look as good if she didn't appear to have been waiting for him.
Piper hadn't been sitting there playing Octopie for more than a few minutes, however, when she heard the front door open downstairs.
Is it possible for a door to slam open instead of closed? Because that's what it sounded like.
Piper froze. All she could do- literally, her body was frozen- was listen.
Something glass smashed. There were several crashes. Something heavy- like, couch-heavy- slammed to the floor.
Piper was finally starting to realize that something horrible was happening when she heard footsteps running up the stairs.
Crystal E. Fall: So about 860 words into this chapter I thought of your review to Chapter 8 and remembered what the fourth wall joke was…
IlvNGTNSBFWFIYMHDisNickGirl: Nice!
Ciao, and Happy Reading!