Chapter Four: Pressing the Right Buttons

Mandark stared at the wall. He could have sworn that this ability was lost on him.

You…..Can hear me?...

Ben and Dexter nodded, but Green grimaced bit.

"A little loud for me…..But I'm a bit more sensitive to magical attributes and abilities than most." Mr. Green mused, scooting a bit away from the bed.

Mandark shrank back, his eyes conveying that he was infinitely sorry

Can….can you teach me to keep it down…?

Green cringed, and shook his head. "Better….and no. I don't know how to do it…So I can't teach you….."

Mandark pouted, flopping back into the pillows.

…Tired…..

Dexter smiled. "I can imagine…..But Dad wants you to try and eat, remember?"

Mandark sighed, nodding his head.

"Good!" Dexter chimed.

Utonium wasn't too far behind the chosen words, and was by the bed in minutes, a steaming bowl of soup in his hands.

"So….what's all the hull-a-baloo about?" he asked while taking a seat.

….Thank you…

Utonium nearly dropped the bowl he had in his hands, and flinched backwards comically as the soft voice chimed in his head. "What the f-!"

Mandark gave him a apologetic, lopsided grin.

…..Sorry…

Dexter helped to right his father, taking the bowl of soup to hand it to Mandark, but then remembered that Mandark could barely move now, and sat himself on the bed beside Mandark instead, opting to feeding a bit of the broth to him to help. "Well….Mandark was able to use a minor form of telepathy back when we first met…But he couldn't do it at all after third grade….."

"We think that the jolting from the pain may have jostled the knowledge back into his being…" Green finished, helping to finalize what Dexter was unable to convey.

Utonium's startled eyes roved back to the bed, where Mandark was taking obedient sips of the warm broth he was being offered. "Telepathy?"

…Not sure…But you can hear me….right?...

Utonium gaped. "That's astounding!"

Ben smirked. "Grey matter can do it to an extent as well…I think it's just mind over matter…."

Utonium nodded. "It is an excellent theory Ben…..Cognitive faculties all start in the cerebral cortex…So it would explain why a jolt like that pain he's experiencing would start firing the synapses that controlled that un-functioning chunk of nerves….."

Dexter chuckled. "Leave it to dad to find a perfect theory on a mystical ability…"

Mandark shared in the grin.

….My ability is magical…..not scientific, unfortunately….Most people….can learn…it…

Dexter watched as Mandark yawned quietly, stopping in his feeding. Thankfully, he had finished off over half of the broth.

"I think that all of this excitement is finally winding you down….." Mr. Green chuckled.

Mandark nodded, his eyes blinking slowly.

…Sleepy…..

"I can imagine….Are the pain-killers working?" Utonium asked, checking Mandark over for a fever, lightly pressing his hand onto Mandark's brow.

Mandark nodded, his eyes drooping.

"Good…..And your fever hasn't risen…..So I think you'll be fine to sleep for a good few hours…." Utonium stated, smiling as he tucked the blanket that had previously been on the floor firmly over Mandark's now slowly sinking body.

Mandark hummed in a daze as he snuggled into the blanket that Utonium had wrapped around his body. Finally, all of the wear, tear, and excitement had worn his already dwindling dregs of energy to nothing, and as he snuggled down comfortably, his eyes slowly fluttering, then shutting completely.

Dexter smiled, brushing a few sweat drenched locks back from over Mandark's eyes. "Good night, love….Try to rest easy…"

"We should all give him some peace….." Green suggested, standing up from the chair he had previously occupied.

"I concur….His fever will just keep rising if he doesn't get more sleep…."Utonium murmured, clucking his tongue in concern.

Mr. Green sighed. "I think he may start spiking those fevers more often….."

Dexter snapped his attention away from Mandark for a moment. "Why is that! He's already miserable….."

Mr. Green turned his sympathetic yellow gaze over his young pupil, offering a small grin. "I'm sure that his magic is fueling the fires of this illness….And it will only continue…"

"I was afraid you'd say that…." Utonium sighed.

"It's true, though….. I'm starting to get worried…" Kilroy fretted quietly.

"Why is that….?" Dexter asked, starting to worry himself.

"In some ways, Mandark's magic runs far deeper than my own…..and it's those underlying magics that are the key problem," Kilroy sighed.

"So…"

Green glanced over at Mandark's bed, where, already, Mandark was panting lightly. "So…the fires are constantly being stoked…Look."

Utonium and Dexter turned sharply, looking over to Mandark's bed, where they too spotted the rise of an impending fever.

Dexter sagged, sighing dramatically as if in defeat. "No….He was finally comfortable!"

Utonium turned to Ben, who had chosen to just listen and keep out of the way.

Ben perked up when he felt eyes on him. "Yes, sir….?"

Utonium smiled. "Could you do me a favor and grab a cloth, and bowl of water with a bit of ice in it?"

Ben nodded. "Sure…..The kitchen was on my left when I came in, right?"

"Precisely…" Utonium agreed with a nod.

Ben was happy to oblige, and dashed out to the living room, then over to the kitchen from there.

Back with Utonium, the elder scientist had returned to Mandark's bedside, and was tucking the blanket closer to the boy's body, causing Mandark to fret a bit.

The panting escalated, and Mandark squirmed under the blanket, the residual heat from his fever only being doubled by the blanket.

But, Utonium held it close, knowing that Mandark needed to try and sweat out most of the fever so that it would lower.

Mandark's saving grace was the return of Ben with the aforementioned ice water, and cool cloth.

Dexter was there to take the bowl gently from Benjamin's grasp, and was soon beside his father, offering him a newly soaked and wrung-out cool compress.

"Thank you boys…Why don't you two join Mr. Green….I'll join your three in a few minutes….." he stated, thanking Dexter as he took the rag.

Dexter pouted. "But-.."

Utonium tutted. "No "buts"…..Mandark's sleeping…..He'll be alright…"

Mr. Green placed one of his clawed, glove covered hands on Dexter's shoulder. "The Professor will call us back if something happens…."

Utonium nodded. "Of course I will….."

Dexter sighed, and nodded. "You're right…Ben? Want to help me start dinner?"

Ben smiled. "Sure!"

Mr. Green added to the pile by joining them as well. "What shall we create, boys?"

And, exiting the room, the trio argued over what things would be on the menu for that night, leaving the Professor alone with the heated magician that lay tossing to and fro under the blankets on the bed.

Sighing, Utonium folded the cold compress and gently laid it on Mandark's brow.

Mandark's breath hitched lightly as he arched into the cool comfort radiating from the compress. But, with a sigh, he started to relax, straightening out under the blankets.

Utonium smiled. "That's better, isn't it…?" he asked. He didn't really expect an answer, but merely waited a moment, making sure that Mandark was sleeping comfortably once again.

"Good." Utonium sighed as Mandark relaxed.

Turning to the door, he started to exit the room, intending to leave Mandark to sleep comfortingly in the dark. He switched the light off, and went to join the others in the kitchen.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

A week passes in the Villa, much the same as the past few days, except for the steady decline of health of the elder of the children staying there. Bedridden fully, and spiking dangerously high fevers, Mandark is forced to sleep most of the day, whether by his own choice or through doses of the Phenegran with Codeine.

Dexter sighed heavily, thumping his head gently against the coffee table in the living room. The girls were out on duty, but Ben was slouched over the side arm of the couch beside the distressed genius.

Utonium broke the gloom as he exited the master bedroom, alerting the two and causing them to jump at the ready.

"Did it break!"

Utonium shook his head, wiping his hands in the old cloth that he had used to try and lower Mandark's fever with yesterday. "Still too high…."

Dexter groaned, thumping his head back down on the table, whereas Ben slumped back down.

Mr. Green, who had been making brunch in the kitchen adjacent, appeared in the doorway, a frilly pink apron dawned.

"It'll break soon…Mono's worst stage is the first two weeks….It will more than likely go down within the next few hours….." Mr. Green stated, removing the apron from his person. He laid the garment on the couch, joining the boys. "Buck up….. Mandark will get better soon."

Dexter lifted his head, pouting. "I hope he gets better soon…." He mumbled.

Ben socked Dexter gently in the shoulder. "He will….you'll see….Mr. Green is right!"

Dexter growled, rubbing his arm. "Owww!"

"Sorry, dude….But don't worry. Mandark's gotta be tougher than he looks….you know?"

Dexter glared. "You have no clue….do you….?"

Ben chuckled nervously. "Nope…I've never seen him in action…."

Dexter stood up, patting his knees to straighten his pants. Eyeing Ben, he smirked. "You know how you can't defeat me and my weapons, right?"

Ben nodded, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah….But I'd whoop your ass at hand to hand…. "

Dexter smirked. "He could do it….mano-e-mano…"

Ben snorted. "What! You're joking!"

Dexter smirk grew. "He can keep up with me, WITHOUT his weapons….."

Ben balked. "YOU'RE KIDDING ME! Right!"

Dexter snorted. "You can only hope that I am…."

"I'll believe it when I see it….." Ben snorted in return.

"Suit yourself…" Dexter shrugged. Sighing, he moved to the door frame of Mandark's room, peering into the darkness beyond.

Mandark was covered up, lying silently on the bed. His breaths were short, and ragged. For the past few days, the poor boy had come up with a few new symptoms, which included extreme fatigue, light chest pain (due to his shortness of breath), an aversion to light, loss of his appetite all together, and aches and tremors that ran throughout his body.

The sensitivity to light was a particularly hard problem to work with. Utonium had decided that covering Mandark's eyes with a cool cloth would be best, as well as to dim his lights and keep the curtains drawn.

Sighing hard again, Dexter slumped against the wooden frame of the door, resigning himself to watch, seeing as the Professor and Mr. Green had made it clear about an hour prior that Mandark needed rest, especially now that the fatigue and chest pains had started with a vengeance.

"Poor Mandark…." Dexter mumbled.

The form on the bed stirred, a low groan escaping the bundle of blankets.

Dexter looked up, instantly alerted. "…Mandark…"

…D…Dexter…

Dexter would have bolted to his bedside, but he knew better than to do so. "Mandark….Try to go back to sleep love….."

…Can't sleep….

Dexter smiled lightly. "…..You have to try…..You're very sick…."

A light spark of love and affection crossed into Dexter's mind, causing the boy to smile giddily. In front of his eyes bright blue sparks started to crackle into being in the air. The light blue flecks of magic began to form into a small chrysanthemum, Dexter's favorite flower.

Tears pricked in Dexter's eyes, sensing that Mandark just wanted to show him a measure of love that also showed that he was going to be ok. "Oh…Mandark….."

…I'm alright…..

"Far from it…..But you will be…soon, I promise…" Dexter mumbled, staring lovingly at the image of the flower in front of him.

…..Then…Then I will be…..Don't worry…

"You should be sleeping…" Dexter scolded lovingly, sighing as the flower disappeared.

In the room, Mandark started to settle a bit more on the bed.

…I'll try…..my love…

Dexter smiled. "Good….I'll check on you later….Sleep, love…"

Turning away from the door, he met Ben, face to face.

Startled, Dexter skittered backwards. "B-ben!"

Ben smirked. "…See. What did I tell you…? He seems fine to me….."

Dexter, now flustered and spluttering, glared at Ben. "…..S-s-s…..Shut up!"

Ben chuckled, raising his hands. "….Fine. Fine…..So….. Chrysanthemums, huh?"

Dexter flushed pink, fiddling with his hands. "You saw that, huh?"

Ben nodded. "Yep!"

Dexter flushed. "…Y-yes…They are…and Mandark is very apt at breeding Baby Blues…..They are my favorite….."

"Seems to me he wanted to keep you sane…." Ben said, smirking at Dexter as he moved to push the flustered boy towards the couch.

"He is…" Dexter replied, smiling dopily at the sweet memory of the firework flower. "But he shouldn't be using magic…"

Ben turned, looking into the bedroom. He shrugged. "Looks to be sleeping to me."

Dexter sighed in relief, plopping himself down on the couch again. "Good….."

"Yes….Well…. Mandark still shouldn't exert himself…."

Both boys stiffened, knowing they had been caught red handed in their musings. Slowly, they turned to meet their captors yellow eyes, chuckling nervously.

"Hello, Mr. Green….." they chorused quietly.

"Hello, boys…..I had no idea that Mandark bred flowers?" Green mused, moving to sit on the couch.

"He does….You are not mad at him, are you?" Dexter asked, almost pleading with his baby blue irises.

Mr. Green chuckled. "Of course not…I'm a bit worried…But not mad."

"Worried?" Ben asked, plopping down onto the couch.

"Just a bit…Magic shouldn't be used at all if the caster is weakened….It wears a person down….. Even in small doses…." Mr. Green sighed, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back into the couch.

Dexter hummed, pressing his hands together, thinking. "Sounds like it's a blessing and a curse…."

"It is. But, it can change into something more if you work at it….I myself have worked at the dynamics of my own demonic workings for centuries….Mandark may have a good grasp, but….He's young. He has plenty of time….." Mr. Green muttered, smiling.

"Your tutelage is probably cause for his improvement," Dexter added, smirking over at his own tutor.

Mr. Green flushed, scrubbing his head in slight embarrassment. "Aw, shucks… "

…..It's true…..

Mr. Green, Ben, and Dexter all jolted as a sudden voice issued in their heads, each in turn turning to face the speaker.

Mandark stood there, wrapped tightly up in the comforter that he had currently been snuggled in on the bed. A light, yet tired grin was alight on his features, but he looked as if he had been drug through hell and back.

"Mandark!" Dexter scolded.

Mandark flinched.

…..I know….But I can't sleep…..

"Would you like to join us?" Ben suggested, trying to help out the obviously bored genius out a bit.

Mandark nodded.

…That sounds wonderful…

Dexter smiled. "….O….Ok… But only if you stay on the couch, and promise to rest!"

Mandark nodded, the tell-tale fatigue of his disease setting in as he moved over to the couch, taking the open space between his mentor and his beloved.

"Good to see you up….How are you feeling?"

Mandark smiled tiredly as the Professor returned to their pleasant company.

….Much better….But I know I'm still fairly off…..My eye still hurt a bit….

Utonium mused on this. "It's alright….. I think you still have a bit more to go through before there is a definite improvement. How is your throat?"

…

He tried to speak on his own, testing the waters, as it were.

"…..I…..I…..dun….k-k…n…"

Mandark stopped, gripping his sore throat.

"Sounds better! Maybe some soup would help…."Utonium snickered, happy in knowing that the swelling had started to go down, showing that Mandark was indeed on the mend.

Mandark smiled.

…Sounds delightful!...

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Hope you enjoy the newest chapter! All reviews and comments are loved! There is fanart for this story on at : .com/

CHECK ME OUT! XD