Chapter 2:

Doubtful Still

It had been a few days since Luigi was taken out of his care. Mario tried to think of anything besides his baby brother, but he couldn't. All his life, he had watched over him. He didn't have that life now, and with everything else going on, it was oddly freeing. But still, deep down, he worried. After all, Luigi hadn't spoken a word, and that upset him.

He decided to stop by his new room. It was odd for an ER doctor to be down that hall, but it was his lunch break. After scarfing down his food, he headed towards the new room. Toad and Toadette were scurrying out, nearly tripping over each other in their haste. Toadette was dragging Daisy behind her, who looked no better than the last time Mario saw her. He wondered if she had slept at all these past few days. The mushroom children must have been taking care of that. They were headed in his direction, taking the princess to the cafeteria, no doubt.

They barely noticed him, which surprised him, but he let it go as he approached Luigi's room. He stood outside the door and saw Princess Peach by his side. He was startled to see her, because she was dressed in a drab, dreary grey. She had a black scarf around her neck, tied at her collarbone. She was watching as Luigi slept. At least his face held less pain.

Mario soon noticed that Peach was mumbling something. "I'll make you welcome at the castle, Luigi. I'll do… something… I owe you something. I have to… I have to make sure you're okay…" She tenderly brushed back the hair from his brow. "No one will miss him as much as you…"

Mario turned from the door and leaned against the wall. He longed to be a part of his family again. He wanted to share in their sorrows and enjoy their happiness when he revealed himself. But a deal's a deal. He retraced his steps to return to the ER. Toad and Toadette were trying their best to cheer up Daisy. At least Luigi was alive. At least she didn't have to mourn a lost love.

Toadette laughed at something her brother said, then was sent off to get something else to eat. She never paid attention when she walked excitedly, and for the second time in her life, she ran straight into Mario. "Yikes!" she gasped. "I'm sorry!"

Mario looked down at her. He remembered the first time she had run into him. She had actually fallen backward and cut her wrist on the hard gravel roadway:

Tears streamed from her eyes, but she looked up at the man fearfully. "I'm so sorry, sir!" she gasped out.

Toad came quickly to her aid, reminding Mario of his similar protection over Luigi.

"Sorry, sir," Toad said for her.

Mario knelt down. "It's not a problem… here… let me help you." He produced a first aid kid and proceeded to patch the little mushroom girl up.

"Thanks, sir! Thanks so much!" Toadette grinned, and her tears were gone.

That was long before he became an official hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. It was before everyone knew his name. It was before his constant cycle of saving Peach from Bowser began and ended.

"It's alright, kid," he said, trying to create a new character for himself. He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. "You're not trying to steal any food from here, are you?"

"Oh, no sir. I'm paying."

Mario chuckled. "Good."

Toadette had always been a sweet girl. She brought joy to everyone she came near, and Doctor Mario was no exception. As hard as he tried not to be himself with her, she still brought out a very cheerful character that easily spoke to this girl as if they were as old of friends as she and Mario truly were.

She looked at him curiously, and then brightened. "You're Master Luigi's old doctor, aren't you?"

Mario inwardly winced at what he was about to say. "I am an ER doctor. I can't recall all of my cases."

"Right," she frowned slightly. "Well, still. Thank you. Even if you don't remember Luigi, I'm sure he'll remember you! And we'll all remember what you did for us!"

Those words reached beyond their intended meaning. Mario felt like Toadette was speaking right to him, even though she obviously wasn't. She had no idea that those words connected in his mind as a thanks and appreciation for the hero.

"Actually…" Toadette was still saying, glancing quickly over her shoulder at Daisy and her brother. "Do you mind coming back to his room with us? You seemed to have a magic touch of sorts and Master Luigi…" she hung her head. "Do you think you could help him… just a bit more? I know you're on your break and all, but…"

Mario noticed how fitting her conversation continued to be to the current situation. With an inward sigh, he agreed to go back with them.

When they reached Luigi's room, Peach had tears threatening to fall again. She turned to Daisy as she came in. "He still hasn't spoken a word, Daisy…" she said.

Mario approached the patient, who was wide awake, saying, "If you cannot speak, that is a bad sign, and we may need to take you in for a head scan."

"We've done the tests twice now, doctor," Mario almost jumped at the sound of the nurse behind him. "He can speak. He just chooses not to." He looked again at his brother. His eyes were locked on him.

Mario turned to Toadette. She was biting her lip nervously. Something about Luigi's appearance made the little girl nervous. She had always been about as attuned to his feelings as Daisy, even before he and Daisy had met at Peach's party. "I'll make sure he's taken care of," Mario assured them. With that, he left again.

.

Later that same night, he was on his way out when he heard Luigi's voice for the first time since Mario became a new man. It was hoarse, strained, but clear.

"Princess…" he was talking to Princess Peach. Mario recognized that formality. "Are you alright?"

"Luigi!" she sniffed. "You spoke!"

"Princess… get some rest. Stay in your castle and m…"

"It's alright," she insisted. "I'm okay. I just want to make sure you are, as well."

"Don't suffer for my sake, princess. You can m-mourn…"

"Luigi…"

"Please, don't feel responsible for me…"

"Neither of us can face this alone, Luigi." A pause. "We're in this together. Of course you can count on me to help you."

Mario watched as a nurse came in the room. "Excuse me, Your Highness… Visiting hours are over."

"Of course," Peach said with another sniff. "I'll be back tomorrow, Luigi, okay?"

Mario watched as she left the room, wiping her eyes with the tips of her gloved fingers, which were already marked up with her makeup. Seeing her like that broke his heart. He wanted to reach out and dry those tears himself. He wanted to hold her in his arms until she would never cry again.

"Anything else you need, sir?" the nurse asked inside.

Luigi did not speak.

"Good night, sir." The nurse left as well.

The hallway was dark and still. Only some machines' beeps could be heard in the eerie passage. That was, until Mario heard Luigi speak again. It was faint as a whisper, for that's all it was. He leaned closer to the door.

Luigi's voice trembled with quiet sobs as he wished, "Starlight, starbright, Luma up high yet still in sight… I wish I may, I wish I might… please hear the wish I wish tonight…" He paused, sighing. "Is it too much to wish he were still alive? Is it too much to wish he comes home to us?" His voice shook more. "I miss him. I miss him! I need him, stars… Can you hear my wish? Rosalina, Lumas, stars high above… please… Please! He can't be dead… He's… He's Mario! The greatest hero the world's ever seen! The best brother a guy could ask for. Please… We all need him… Why couldn't it have been me? They don't need me. He's the one who really matters in this world…" His voice became more of a heaving sob now. "I need him. Please, bring him back to me… Please!"

Mario stepped away from the door and made his way down the darkened hall. True, Luigi only mentioned him as a hero once… and that was his "proof" that he should be alive, not a need for his return. But he had mentioned needing him. Just as the voice had labeled him "needy," his brother's own words seemed to prove it. He continued walking down the hall, unable to ignore the nipping feeling in his heart.