Chapter 25 (The Deal)
At San Fransokyo Hospital seating in the waiting room waiting for her fiance to come back from the doctors office, Honey Lemon was worried and nervous about Tadashi.
For days he was feeling all sorts of pain in his body and lost his appetite on pretty much everything, making her and the rest of the family concerned about his health. And so she convinced him to go to the doctor to get a good check up to see if anything was wrong with him, in which Honey hoped that it wasn't serious. Preventing herself from pure worry of anxiety or thinking any bad thoughts of the outcome, she was on her phone playing Fortnite to keep busy and waited for her lover to come out and just tell her that his just needed rest and eat more healthier.
She continue playing Fortnite enjoying the relaxing game on her phone feeling relief of worry off her shoulders, that was until she glanced up to see Tadashi coming out from the door with a depressed sadness on his face. Honey Lemon quickly put her phone back into her purse, got up from her chair, and made her way to him. When she was inches from him she noticed that he had a few pamphlets in his hands, and felt the worry coming back inside her as the look on her face was sadness of worry.
"Tadashi...what did the Doctor tell you?." Honey Lemon dared herself to ask him.
"Well Honey." Tadashi took off his hat as tears were forming up in his eyes as the news that was giving to him from the doctor wasn't good at all. "What did the doctor say Tadashi?." Honey Lemon asked himhim not wanting to get the answer one word at a time. He looked into her eyes seeing the fear within them and knows he can't beat around the bush about it any longer as he looked at the pamphlets in his hand, and then looked back at his fiancee and just spill it to ease the inpatients.
"The Doctor said that I have Leukemia." Tadashi said breaking the thin ice.
"W... W... What?. N... N... N... No, No, No, No." That's all Honey can say as she broke down crying her eyes out as Tadashi brought her over to her and comfort her. "I know Honey. I know." He told her having tears coming down hard as well as the tears that he was falling for wasn't because of his condition no, he was crying on how Hiro and Vanellepe was going to take the news when he not only tells them but also the whole entire family. The thought of dying just made him said to even think about it but let's be real, he has cancer and this was a gamble on weather he was going to beat it or might as well kick the bucket. Honey whispered through his shirt as tears was soaking up his favorite Space Jam t-shirt. "You're going to beat this Tadashi...I know it." said Honey Lemon.
But sadly that can and will attitude didn't fight strong for Tadashi as the Leukemia was getting stronger by the day. The whole family can see it unfold right in front of their eyes as this was hurting them to see this happening to Tadashi of all people. He was coughing up blood like mad, not wanting to eat, and always vomiting everywhere he went just like any person who has cancer. Cornelius was sadden to hear that his older nephew has Leukemia as it was the number one disease that he has yet found a cure for, as mush as he invested all his time and energy to find it but round up having no results. Just the thought of not finding the cure just made the famous inventor mad that he can't find it so he can cure Tadashi.
Aunt Cass and the other aunts tried to make Tadashi to eat something as they tried to make him eat some vegetables or even fruit. But he refused to eat, but neither Helen or the others weren't going to stand and let Tadashi just give up and waited for death to take him out. "Tadashi honey you have to eat something." Franny told him as she set down beside him as the plate of chop steak and mix vegetables was in front of him. Tadashi looked very pale and lifeless after going through every treatment that the doctor recommended for him to take, and he felted more and more awful then ever. "Aunt Franny, I'm not hungry. Just please leave me alone." He told her holding his abdomen feeling sharp pains in every nerve and muscle.
"Tadashi...we love you and we just wanted you to give some effort to have some motivation to fight this cancer of yours." Luisa told him rubbing his back to make him feel better.
Making the attempt to at least take one bite, Tadashi picked up his fork and pick up some vegetables and put it his mouth and chewed. All the aunts were happy to see him make the effort to eat but that moment came a quick end. Not even going to swallow he spit the food out of his mouth, and put back on the plate thus getting up from the table. Feeling wetness from his nose, Tadashi grabbed the napkin off the table and went wiping the blood off as it was still running like crazy, and lifted his to keep it from running faster. Telling that his nose won't go back to spilling blood he pull his down and took the tissue away from his nose, seeing his aunts look at him in sadness and worry as nethier of them can't hold back a tear of the hard reality.
"I like I told you guys before...I'm not in the mood to eat or drink." said Tadashi leaving the dinning room before hearing another word.
"Let's face girls our nephew isn't going to last long." said Aunt Cass grabbing herself a seat while wiping the tears away.
"Unfortunately, all those treatments that he went through didn't do any good for him." Sierra said grabbing some tissue as well to blow her nose.
"Instead of the treatment helping him it's just killing him more quickly before he even considered taken it." Helen told the girls as she too was crying.
While the old female Supers were crying and can't keep quiet of doing so, neither one of them didn't realize that behind the door of the kitchen stood Miguel. After just hearing it from them it made a shocking pain feeling in his heart. He didn't want to accept the fact that Tadashi is dying as neither he not Hiro and Vanellepe wanted to believe it, especially the siblings. Miguel took his ear away from the door and then turn himself out of the kitchen through back door, and headed out to see where the Hamada siblings were.
Just the thought of losing another family member just shakes Miguel's body in a very cold bad way. It was bad enough that his Momma CoCo had passed away right before Day of Dead had came, and now his older cousin is going to join her the other dead family members. In pure honesty he didn't want it to happen as it was real too soon and most importantly what are the chances of him ever going back to the Land of Dead. The first thought came to mind was stealing his Poppa Hectors guitar from the small music museum that his family had put in the shop, so the tourist can come and looked at the beauty of it and the letters and songs that Hector wrote hanged on the wall. Miguel shake the idea out of his head as he thought on the negative part in which was if did steal it then what are the chances of going back to Land of the Dead the second time?.
"No!. I can't accept the fact and won't!." Vanellope voice can be heard in the garden center letting Miguel know he was close.
"V it's the truth!. There's nothing the Doctors can do!." Hiro voice was heard as well making Miguel stop and walk carefully and see the siblings argue, and got a good idea on what they're were arguing about too.
Vanellope was shaking her head in refusal to even accept the truth as she was seating down on the stone bench, while Hiro was standing in front of her with his hand covering his face trying to convince his baby sister about Tadashis condition, and neither one of them didn't like the results. Tears were pouring down like rain from Vanellopes eyes as she and Hiro were tearing up hard like a leaked pipes. Hiro made an effort to pull himself together to be able to speak to his baby sister, without crying in his voice.
"Vanellope we have to face the truth. The cancer is killing Tadashi like a champion and Tadashi doesn't have any strength to continue on fighting." Hiro explained to her but still refusing the truth.
"No that's a lie Hiro!. Tadashi can fight Leukemia and he will!." Vanellope shouted through her lungs making sure Hiro can hear her loud and clear.
Frustrated on how hardheaded his baby sister was as she can't just give up and accept the fact, Hiro manage himself from screaming at his sister before he makes her even more madder and might do something that she might regret doing. He tooked a quick count breathing before he spoke to relive his temper from out besting him, and finished counted to ten and looked straight into Vanellopes eyes.
"Baby sis, as we're speaking right now, Aunt Cass is already planning the arrangements for Tadashis funeral and I should know because, I over heard her one the phone talking to the Funeral Home people." said Hiro
Vanellope took a few quick second breathing before answering back to Hiro, and said in her most calm voice as she possibly can. "The Funeral Home people?." Hiro nodded and sat beside her and then put his arm around her to bring her close, so he can comfort her and both cried silently together not knowing that their conversation was heard from Miguel. The Latino boy had tears coming down as well after hearing what Hiro just said about Aunt Cass calling the Funeral Home people for arrangements for Tadashi, and walked away from the garden center and headed straight home and make shoes and sandals, hoping this will ease his mind good.
He told his mom and dad that he was going to be at the shoe shop working and running the whole thing, so they don't need to worry about the customers. All of the Rivera family were at the Robinsons house discussing the situation about how long will Tadashi have to live, as Cornelius told them from what what the Doctor have said to him that he be lucky if he lived up to the whole year. Tadashi was currently at home in his bed with a extreme high fever and strong cough, as Honey Lemon was there to take care of her sick fiance and not living his side for anything.
"Why does this have to happen to Tadashi?." Miguel asked his dog Dante who was in the shop with him to keep company that, and it was thundering raining outside as it was the perfect weather for this depression situation. "Tadashi never in his life never hurt anyone nor rob someone...so why did this happen to him of all the people in the world?." Miguel asked his dog one more time as Dante didn't have the answer to the question. Instead he had his head down mopping in sadness as well hearing the whimper coming from him. Sighing on the answering that was given, Miguel checked the time on the clock and see it was a quarter until eleven. "Closing time." Miguel said starting to close down for the day and continue going back to making more shoes.
He locked the store door, turned off the electric open sign, locked the cash register opener shut in case if theirs anyone trying to rob the place. The only thing that Miguel haven't shut and locked tight was the entrance to the shoe making section in which is where Miguel was, seating in his signature chair sewing and new boot together not worrying about any intruder since he had his spirit guide with him. In his own thoughts to himself he wished their was someway that Miguel could save Tadashi from cancer, but the question was how?. He didn't care how to save Tadashi weather it was doing somebody a big favor or even do the crazy, and that was selling his own soul for another. The last part he thought might happen tonight.
Dante perked up his ears as he heard a sound heading this way and started sniffing the air, and got up growling at the instructor as he felt a bad vibe about this person. "What's wrong boy?." Miguel asked having eyes on the boot he was making. Dante barked angrily getting Miguel's full attention as to what or who he was barking at making him turn off the sewing machine, and looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway. This figure had a strong bad supernatural vibe on him as he stepped forward to the light showing his appearance, making the young Latino stood straight up when he saw the man.
The man was a absolute complete mysterious stranger...literally, he was far from this world as his body was made of black tar and ectoplasma with green eyes and blood red skulls for pupils. That's not all that he was so mysterious and supernatural, he had on a pair of large black angel wings. His attire on his hands were black gloves while his body had on a regal black cloak covered by a conquistador army, and a sliver crown on his head with horns spouting from both sides, topped with black wax candles lit with green flames. Miguel took a good look at the man's face as it was a familiar face that he saw they belonged to the people that he and his friends saw when they made first contact with the dead last year at the graveyard. His face had a white beard and mustache letting him know that he had years of wisdom and I don't good wisdom either.
Not sure as to who he is and why he come here, Miguel manage his calmness after the tall man smiled at him. "S... S... S... Sorry sir, but we're close for the day. Please, you can come back tomorrow morning and browse through my family's best shoes, boots, and sandals at out lowest price." Miguel told him and got a chuckle from the man. He chuckled evil like as he walked around the room looking at the things in the workshop, but had his eyes on Miguel who was watching him closely while Dante growled at him still.
"Let me introduce myself." He told Miguel while still walking around in circles and managed to stop at where he originally stood. "My name is Xibalba, ruler of the Land of the Forgotten. Perhaps you heard of me?." Miguel nodded remembering what Momma Abuelita have told him and the guys about. "Yeah, I do...what do want from me?." Xibalba chuckled again at that question as it made Miguel confused by his reaction. He stopped chuckling and got right down to business as to why he had come. He snapped his fingers and brought forth a black skeleton chair and sat down comfortably. The he snapped his fingers again and brought froth a black cigar with a white wrap around the middle, and summing a black lighter and went to lit it and made the lighter disappeared from thin air, and went to smoking.
Xibalba pull the cigar out of his mouth and blew smoke out making Day of the Dead skull shapes. Miguel thought that maybe from what Momma Abuelita had told them, he should stay alert and refuse to whatever that he wants from him. "You see kid." Xibalba begin "I have come out from my little dark green cold home of mine to come meet one of the living kids, that stepped in the Land of the Dead." Miguel pulled up his chair and took a seat and felt that there was more than what he was telling him, and wanted to get the bottom of it before getting suckered into Xibalbas trickery. "Is that all...Xibalba?." He asked of the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten. He tooked another puff of his cigar and blew some normal smoke in the air and smile friendly to the young kid.
"Well actually...no. No, that's not why I have come here." Xibalba told him.
"Then what is it?." Miguel demanded to know without anger, not wanting to anger this guy.
"I am here to help you Miguel and give you the deal that you can not refuse." Xibalba told him with a grin.
"Oh a deal?." Miguel raise his eyebrow "Well sorry to disappoint you Mr. Xibalba but I know about your so called deals...they're crooked and lies." What shocked Miguel was the laugh that Xibalba was doing as he thought he made a big funny joke making the boy feel uncomfortable and yet confused. The laughter soon came to an end as Xibalba relaxed since he over heard from what Abuelita have told the kids when he was invisible to the naked eye when he made his visit to the living world. "No, No, No, No, you got me all wrong kiddo. If I was a supernatural crooked old evil backstabbing man then...how come I prevented your death when you and your friends crashed the time machine, when I believed it was Hiro who pulled the emergency brake, thus causing you fly threw the glass window and should have died when you made contact with the ground and broke your neck." Miguel open his mouth but can't say anything due to finally realizing that it was him that prevented him to survived his death and know that Ruler of the Forgotten had a good point.
Xibalba grinned seeing he had a point taking another puff of his cigar and said relighting his smoke, with one of his green flames from the candles. "Soooooo...I am right huh?. Well then that you see that I'm not all bad what people claimed of me to be." He told him smoking once more and this time and blew the smoke out on Dante to stop his ignoring growling, in which it did making the furless dog coughing from the dark smoke. "Okay, you're right so maybe my Momma Abuelita was a little bit overboard about you being a crooked person." said Miguel picking up the boots that he was finished sewing and sat them down in the box, and put them with the other box's. "That's correct my little amigo." Xibalba spoked nicely "And now I'm just wanted to you in your situation." He told him making Miguel look back immediately as he had a feeling that this was about Tadashi.
"I couldn't help but hear that poor bright young man who finally invented something that helps make people live longer and then being engaged to his fellow girlfriend, who she is beautiful by the way. And now sadly this young boy has Leukemia." Xibalba told him having a depressed look upon his face.
"Yeah." Miguel got sad to remember that "Cancer is one thing that my Uncle Cornelius can't find the cure for." He told the dead man as he smiled sincerely making Miguel look at him with curiosity as to what does he have on his mind.
"This is the part where I come in and make it all go away...with this contract." Xibalba snapped his fingers and poofed out a black half long paper that was written in green ink. He presented the contract to Miguel, but Miguel stepped back from it feeling in the tight knot in his stomach letting him know that this was a bad idea to make a deal with a complete stranger, let alone making the deal with the Ruler of the Forgotten. "Uhhhhhhh no gracias senior, Xibalba." He told him but the supernatural being wasn't going to take no for an answer as he sweet talk his way on making the boy rethink his choice.
"Ah come on kid...don't you want Tadashi to be cancer free?." He asked.
"Well um, well uh." Miguel can't find the words to say.
"I thought you people will do absolutely anything to make sure that one of the members of the family is alright or happy." said Xibalba said and added on "Tadashi has a young life ahead of him and it would be darn shame that if he joins the rest of your dead family, and leave his living family and not yet married wife?." The pressure of doing something that he might regret but on the other hand, this is a deal that he can't refuse especially it's benefits Tadashi. Seeing the look on his face telling that the boy was having second thoughts on his offer, Xibalba smirked wide and went to work on making Miguel reconsider. "Think about your girlfriend Vanellope. She'll never be the same if she have no elder brother to play, eat, or bug with and your best friend Hiro?. Ow the tragedy...he never play another game of Bot Fighting in his life again."
Giving a good second thought about it as Xibalba pointed out the truth if he didn't do what is necessary, and Miguel wanted his whole family to be happy once more and wanted Hiro and Vanellope to have and older brother to be with. To Miguel, Tadashi was his older brother too. He remembered when he was just little, Tadashi always give him a piggy back ride whenwhen he came by to do his part time job at the shoe shop after school. That, and he also remembered that Tadashi would always cook him the best snack when he came to babysit him and Rosa, and take care of the shop. "What do you say Miguel?." Xibalba asked having the contract on the wooden table. Miguel looked down at it for just a few seconds and looked back at the man, after finally made up his mind.
"Do you have a ink pin?." He asked.
"Um, I preferred for you to sign it in say...your own blood." Xibalba said as thunder was herd loud.
At that moment Miguel felt something wet in his right hand as he doesn't remember putting his hand in water. He lifted his hand to get a good look at it and see his hand was covered in blood...his blood!. Weirded about it as Miguel didn't remember cutting his hand nor remembered holding anything sharp in his hand. "That would do my boy. Go ahead and sign." Xibalba guided Miguel's hand to the paper. Putting his pointed finger on the dotted line and wrote his full name on it and took his finger back. Grinning from ear to ear again, Xibalba took the contract and said "Righteous move my boy...righteous indeed." and then snapped his fingers and before the eyes can blink, he vanished leaving huge thunder sound clapping. Miguel don't know weather he should be happy to made that deal and save Tadashi or the complete opposite.
Next morning, Hiro, Vanellope, Honey, and Aunt Cass was seating down eating together for breakfast to start the day. All four sat down eating quietly wondering how long will Tadashi be around with them before God calls him home. They ate quietly and neither one of them didn't say a word to one another, as all four have nothing positive to say at the moment. The depressed mood of the house came to an end when they heard footsteps coming down, and saw Tadashi up and looked back to normal as if cancer just went and died in his cells for good.
"Morning family!." Tadashi greeted taking a seat beside his fiancee.
"Tadashi?. Y... Y... Y... You're alright?!." Hiro said looking at his older brother in utter disbelief.
"But how?. You went through all those treatments and nothing seems to be working." Vanellope pointed out as she was happy to see him up and ready.
Tadashi pour himself some cereal and stacked himself some pancakes and said "I woke up healthy as a horse!. In...In...In...In fact the Doctor called me today and said that my Leukemia is gone!." Honey Lemon drooped her shock and exchanged with pure excitement of happiness. "It is!." She wrapped her arms around him "Ow Tadashi it's a miracle...a real deal miracle!." Honey said receiving a kiss on the lips as Tadashi made it last like a lifetime. Aunt Cass was the most happiest of the rest as tears of joy was fallen down on her cheeks, as she looked up at the ceiling and said in happiness. "Thank you God and your son Jesus Christ too."
Over at the Rivera house hold, Miguel got up from his bed stretching and smelling hot delicious coming down the dining room. He finished remaking his bed and headed to the bathroom to get washed up before eating. Lucky for him, Rosa was still in her room as this was good news for him since she does take a lot of time in the bathroom just to look pretty for Dash, and Dash love her just the way she is. Brushing his teeth clean and white, he felt something strange about himself...something but can't put his finger on it. He stopped brushing his teeth and put his toothbrush up.
After making that deal last night and after getting the call when using the toilet, Hiro said that Tardarshi was Leukemia free and see that Xibalba kelp his word but...what did he want in return?. This morning he felt funny as if his soul was taken out from his body and got replaced with a new one and the new one was odd and weird. His thoughts were cut when the door was being banged loud enough for him to hear. "Hey Miguel?. Hurry up I gotta use the toilet!." shouted Rosa hoping on one leg as she gotta go. Finish on whatever that was needed to be done, he walked out of the bathroom and got pulled out.
"Damn you take too long." Rosa said closing the door shut and locked tight.
"Dang...that attitude of hers made her the top scout girl leader to sell the most cookies in this side of Todayland." Miguel commented and headed down stairs to go eat.