Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story
Part Twenty-Eight: The New Abnormal
Wendy had been at work for around an hour when her phone began to ring. She was in the middle of cleaning up a camp site and was tempted to let the call go to voicemail, but couldn't shake the feeling that it might be important. Pulling the mobile device from her pocket, she saw that Dipper was on the other end of the line and answered. "What's up, Dip?" she said. "Mabel's on her way to the hospital... It's bad Wendy. It's real bad..." he replied in a tone that was filled with fear. "W-What happened?!" the auburn haired woman asked with disbelief. "Paz... Paz went to go wake her up for breakfast... A-And she... She saw her having a seizure in her bed" the thirty-three year old man said as the sound of his car filled the background. "Oh God. I'm on my way... I love you" Wendy said as her emerald colored eyes filled with tears. "See you soon. Love you too..." Dipper said as he ended the call. Wendy leaned up against her work truck and fought the urge to break down right then and there. The only thing that kept her from doing so was the fact that she knew she had to be there for her daughter. After taking a moment to collect herself, she got in the truck and headed back to the ranger station.
After informing her coworkers that she would be leaving for the day, Wendy set off for the Gravity Falls Regional Medical Center. The ten mile drive was a blur to the auburn haired woman, as she thought of how terrifying the experience must have been for her daughter. Over the years, the thirty-six year old had become all too familiar with the layout of the hospital and each time she entered the facility, she silently prayed to herself that it would be the last time for a long while. She walked through the front door of the Emergency Room and made her way to the receptionist's desk. "Hi! How can I help you?" a cheery young woman in aqua scrubs asked. "My daughter was admitted just a little bit ago and I wanted to go see her" Wendy replied. "I'm so sorry to hear that... And what's your daughter's name?" the dark haired woman inquired while getting her tablet ready. "Mabel Elise Pines" Wendy answered. "Well isn't that just a darling name. And if I could just get her date of birth?" the receptionist continued. "May 15th, 2020" Wendy said. "Alright, go right through that door and she'll be in room number seven" the younger woman said as the sound of the smoked glass door sliding into the wall was heard.
As Wendy made her way through the emergency department, she noted a few of Gravity Falls' finest standing outside of room number one. Inside, another officer seemed to be questioning a man who was handcuffed to the bed. "I sure don't miss shit like that a bit..." the ginger woman thought to herself as she continued on. Rounding a corner, room number seven came into view. Although the walls and door of the room were comprised of smoked glass, she could make out the familiar silhouettes of Dipper and Pacifica. She opened the door to see Mabel laying in her bed; her eyes shut as she continued to recover from the episode. "My poor girl..." Wendy said as she walked to the side of the bed and gently caressed the freckled face of her daughter. "The doctors want to run some tests, so it sounds like she'll be in here for at least a couple days..." Dipper said. "I'm telling you, if it's not one thing it's another..." the auburn haired woman remarked in a sullen tone. "I know honey, I know" Dipper agreed.
A knock was heard and the smoked glass door opened to reveal a slender blonde woman who stood about six feet tall and was adorned in a white lab coat. "Hi! I'm Doctor Cassandra Evans and I'm the director of the neurology department. We'll have to conduct more tests to confirm this, but based off the data I've already seen, it appears as though Mabel has suffered what is called a Tonic-Clonic seizure" the woman said as Wendy, Dipper and Pacifica listened intently. "Now, these types of seizures can be part of an underlying medical condition, but are also just as likely to be a one-off event caused by either physical trauma or a just simply a bad connection that was made in the nerve network inside her brain" she continued to explain. Dipper couldn't help but wonder where he had seen this woman before. Her long platinum blonde hair was swept behind her ears and a pair of simple black framed glasses resided in front of her sapphire eyes. If it weren't for the fact that she was giving the family a very important update on the condition of their daughter, the chestnut haired man would have asked her without a moment of hesitation. Instead, he tried to solve this mystery on his own.
"So... What you're saying is that she's gonna be alright?" Wendy asked in a hopeful tone. "We'll have to conduct tests to see for sure, but my professional hunch is that this was just some sort of isolated incident. Looking back at her medical history, Miss Mabel here seems fit as a fiddle. Almost as if on cue, the auburn haired girl's eyes fluttered open at the mention of her name. "Mabes!" Pacifica called out with excitement as she had been first to notice that her twin sister had begun to stir. "Ugh... I-I feel like..." the fifteen year old began to say in a raspy voice before pausing to cough. "Like I've been hit by a truck..." she completed her thought as she looked around to see that she was not in her bedroom as she had anticipated, but rather a hospital room. "Mabel!" Wendy said as she fought back the tears that filled her emerald eyes. "Hi Mommy..." the bedridden teen replied. She had no idea what had happened to her, but knew that whatever it was had caused her family great concern for her well-being. "Scared us there for a second, kiddo..." Dipper added; his face looking full of relief as he said so. "Mabel, honey, I'm Doctor Cassandra Evans, but you can call me Cassie. The reason your family was so worried about you is because you've suffered a seizure..." the blonde woman said before adjusting her glasses. "A-A seizure?! Aren't those, like, really bad?" she asked in a concerned tone. "Sometimes they can be, but it appears that yours was more on the mild side based off how you're responding right now..." the doctor replied as she hoped to assuage the fears of the young woman.
After explaining to both Mabel and her family about the barrage of tests that the young woman would have to undergo over the next several days, she fielded queries from them. They ranged from the duration of her stay to the possibility of the young woman having an underlying medical condition. After about half an hour, the doctor was about to depart the room when Dipper asked one final question. "Excuse me, but I think I know you from somewhere. The trouble is, I'm not sure where. Do you?" the hazel eyed man inquired. "You know, I was thinking the same thing..." the doctor replied before taking off her glasses to itch the side of her nose. Mabel and Pacifica looked to their mother with confusion, only to see that she displayed a similar look on her face as well. As soon as the medical professional had removed her eyewear, it clicked. "Y-You're that nurse from the roof! The one I met the night these two were born!" he said in an excited tone. "Smoking man? Oh. My. God. It's you!" she said in an elated tone. "Anyone wanna fill me in what's going on here?" Pacifica asked. "Yeah? Smoking man? What's that about?" Mabel chimed in from her bed. Wendy walked over to the white coat clad woman and removed the black framed glasses from her face. She let out a gasp as it hit her as to why Dipper had reacted the way he did.
"It's true. There really was another Northwest child out there..." Wendy said with a bit of disbelief in her voice. "Can I have my glasses back please? I'm blind as a bat without them..." Cassandra asked. "Oh! Yeah! Sorry about that!" Wendy apologized as she handed the frames back to their rightful owner. "Girls... It was a long time ago. Actually, about fifteen years ago. The night you were born I had downed about six or seven Pitt Energy drinks and was absolutely wired" Dipper began. "Weren't those banned by the government because they caused people to become permanent insomniacs?" Pacifica interjected. "Yeah... I ended up getting a seven dollar check as part of the class action settlement from that. Anyway, I went up to the roof while you and your mother slept..." Dipper continued. "And that's where he met me..." Dr. Evans remarked. "Oh great. Dad cheated on Mom with some rando skank nurse on the night we were born..." Pacifica said. "NO!" both Dipper and Cassandra shouted at the same time. "Alright, so what really happened then?" Mabel added. "Your father had come up to the roof to get some fresh air. I was up there smoking and thinking about life" Cassandra said. "We struck up a conversation and I told her about how your mother had just given birth to you two..." Dipper continued. "I kinda vented to him about how life wasn't going the way I had wanted it to go..." the white coat clad woman added.
"So, what about calling Dad "Smoking Man"?" Pacifica inquired. "Oh! That's a really funny story. I should preface it by saying that smoking is a horrible habit and that you should never take it up. It took me eight years and three tries to finally kick it myself. That being said, I used it to help cope with the fact that I was always feeling down about things. Anyway, I was up there smoking and heard your father talk about how he had just witnessed your birth. It's a tradition for the father to smoke a cigar to celebrate the occasion. Seeing how I only had cigarettes on me, I offered one to him..." the blonde woman said as she began to laugh. "I, of course, obliged. It was the first and last time I've ever smoked" Dipper added. "Sure, whatever you say, bluntman..." Wendy said to herself. "He almost coughed up a lung, but he tried to play it off like he smoked a pack a day..." Cassandra said as she began to hysterically laugh. "Hey, I was just being nice..." the brown haired man shot back. "You were nice. You saved my life that night, you know..." the doctor said in a much more serious tone. "What?" asked a confused Wendy. "Look, I'm not really proud to admit it, but I had gone up there to jump. I was gonna enjoy one last cigarette and then throw myself over the railing. Luckily, this guy showed up. I kinda blew up at him because he said that everyone has problems. That's when he gave me Dr. Bourdais' card. Like I said... He saved my life..." the blonde woman said in a humbled tone.
The room fell silent as Cassandra revealed that she had intended to end her life on the night the two had crossed paths. "Claire is pretty good, huh?" Wendy said to the white coat adorned woman. "You know her?" Cassandra asked in a somewhat surprised tone. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I'm a patient of hers. Well, that and she's my Step-Mother..." the alabaster skinned woman replied. "I'm glad you followed through on that" Dipper commented. "She helped me close a lot of old wounds that I had let fester for far too long. I realized that I was here for a reason and that while it wasn't Minnesota, I could still find a fulfilling life here in Gravity Falls" the blonde said. "There's one last thing you haven't explained..." Mabel said as she sat up in her bed. "And just what would that be?" Cassandra asked in an intrigued tone. "Mom said you were a Northwest. How?" the redhead followed up. "Oh... That's a good one. You see, my mother was a maid at Northwest Manor. It had been around a year since Preston had won the hand of Priscilla in yachting competition and while they had quite the affectionate relationship, Preston still wasn't getting his fill. He and my mother began an affair which resulted in my conception. He got scared that he'd have to pay for my upbringing and that he'd sully the reputation of the prestigious Northwest name, so he offered my mother a deal. She'd get a large sum of money to keep quiet about the whole thing, move away and carry on with her life. She took the offer and we ended up in Las Vegas. Let's just say that she wasn't good at all with money and blew through it in short order. A lot of my issues stemmed from that" the doctor informed her.
"So, I guess that explains everything..." Pacifica said as she took a look around the room. "I'd say so" Cassandra remarked. "I mean, it makes sense. I saw Aunt Pacifica last night and she looked like a younger, hotter version of you. No offense..." Mabel said. "Y-You saw Pacifica Northwest? Did I hear that right?" Cassandra asked with disbelief. She had often thought about her late half-sister and wished that she had at least gotten to know they young woman. "Yeah... And Aunt Mabel too!" the teen girl added. "What did they say?" asked Dipper as he opened the notes app on his phone. "It's kinda coming back to me... I remember waking up in this white room. It kinda looked like some sorta throne room or maybe a big church or something. I'm not quite sure. It was bright, that's for sure" Mabel said. "It might just be some sort of hallucination as a result of the seizure..." Cassandra said to Wendy in a soft tone; hoping that Mabel wouldn't overhear. "No. I've spoken to them in the past too. I know they're out there somewhere in the beyond" Wendy corrected the blonde who stood beside her with a serious tone which took the medical professional by surprise. Sure, kids could make up some tall tales, but it was odd that Wendy seemed to corroborate her story. "So, I walk for a bit and I see this absolutely gorgeous woman with long brown hair. It's the same color as Dad's and I knew immediately who it was. Aunt Mabel walked towards me. I asked her where I was. She told me that it didn't matter, but that she only had a short amount of time to tell me something important. That's when I heard the second voice. She said that Mabel should stop being so dramatic. Mabel said that she should take this more seriously. Something about how The Oracle doesn't let this happen to just anyone. That's when I saw her. A stunning blonde girl who looked to be a little older than myself. In fact, she looked sorta like you..." Mabel said before pointing to Cassie; the four other occupants in the room listening intently.
"Aunt Mabel said that the Magic Killers would stop at nothing to defeat us and take over the world. I asked her how she knew about them and she said that The Oracle had told them. I, of course, wondered who or what The Oracle was. She went on to tell me that it was eternal. It existed before existence and would remain long after it all ends. It's already seen how everything plays out in every possible dimension and timeline. Aunt Mabel said that these Magic Killers have been allowed to cause havoc for far too long and that it was time for them to be defeated once and for all. While The Oracle cannot intervene directly, it can give assistance to those deemed worthy enough. When I asked her what she meant by that, Aunt Pacifica jumped in and said to remember what The Oracle had told them. I'm not supposed to know how it's helped me out... That I'll know when the opportunity presents itself to me. Aunt Mabel begged Aunt Pacifica to give me one little hint. She eventually wore her down and they said that time was on my side. Rather cryptic if you ask me" the auburn haired teen concluded. "Huh... I've read about this Oracle being before in the journals" Dipper said. "Is it God?" Mabel asked her father. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I mean, it would explain a lot. Ford mentioned to me that every so often a human is chosen to meet with The Oracle, who is a conduit to the Axolotl. Apparently, The Oracle reveals the mysteries of the universe to the human, but leaves a lot up to interpretation. I really think that's why the major religions of the world at the end of the day have the same basic message, but the details can be wildly different" the brown haired man replied.
The occupants of the room took a moment to think about what Dipper had just said. To the rest of the Pines family, the statement seemed somewhat logical, but to Cassie it caused her to think that there may be some sort of gas leak. "Cassandra, I know this is all a lot to take in, but this is one hundred percent real. Remember when I briefly brought up Weirdmageddon on that rooftop all those years ago?" Dipper said as he turned to the white coat clad woman. "I-I think so..." she replied in an unsure tone. "Well, as much as this town tries to sweep that under the rug, it was real too. Once you go through something like that, you learn that anything is possible" the thirty-three year old man explained. "I mean, I've heard some bits and pieces of that over the years, but I kinda thought it was just some sorta joke that I wasn't in on. But, those people seemed so sure of it all, just like you. At the end of the day, I'm not a mental health professional and I won't pretend to be one, but that just seems to me like it was real" Cassandra said as a knock was heard at the door. It opened to reveal Dr. Claire Bourdais, Mabel's step-grandmother. "I couldn't help but overhear that last little bit between you all" she remarked as she entered the room. "Hi Mother..." Wendy said as the two embraced. She had decided long ago that Kathleen Corduroy would be the only woman she would ever call Mom, but Claire was always one for formalities, so her moniker suited her quite well. "Gwendolyn... I'm so sorry that you have to go through this" the dark brown haired woman said; her French accent very apparent. "Hi Grandma Claire!" Mabel said from her hospital bed. "Hello sweetheart! You gave us all quite the scare there. I'm so happy to be speaking with you though" she replied. "Me too. I have no idea what happened, but I'm glad it didn't end up messing me up too badly..." the auburn haired teenager remarked.
"If I could speak to you alone for a moment?" Doctor Evans asked. "Of course. Excuse us" Claire said as the two white coat clad women left the room. "Doctor Bourdais, I was just going over Mabel's initial vitals with her family..." Cassandra said. Taking the tablet from the younger woman, the doctor glanced over the graphics. "Good. Everything looks as it should..." the mental health professional remarked. "She did say some things that made me think about her mental well-being, however. In fact, the whole family seems to be a bit off to me. They spoke of communicating with people who have passed away and then they mentioned this whole Weirdmageddon thing..." Cassandra said in a somewhat concerned tone. "Well, I suppose that everyone in this town has to find out sooner or later. Now, what I'm about to tell you is to remain between us. Okay?" the older woman said. "O-Okay?" the blonde doctor hesitantly agreed. After taking a few minutes to summarize the events of Weirdmageddon to her colleague, the younger medical professional had revised her initial sentiment on the Pines family. "Geez... I didn't know all that. I guess that was sorta the point though..." Cassandra replied. "Exactly. And it's going to stay that way" Claire said in an authoritative tone. "Understood. So, we'll keep your Granddaughter here for a few more days to observe her and then if nothing else happens, we'll release her" Cassandra replied. "I think that would be best for her" Claire agreed as she opened the door and the two doctors once again entered the room.
The Pines family had been having a conversation about a recent episode of Ghost Harassers when the pair of white coat clad women entered the room. "After conferring with Doctor Bourdais, I think it would be in Mabel's best interests that she stays with us for a few more days so that we can keep her under observation" Cassandra said. "Aww man! I just wanna go home! Grendy and I were supposed to go to the park tomorrow and feed some totally adorable ducks the old bread that the bakery throws in their dumpster..." the auburn haired teen said in a dissapointed tone. "I know... It sucks. But, it's just to play it safe. If you had another seizure, we could be right here for you and maybe see why you're having them. If this was an isolated incident, then it will just confirm what we're already pretty sure is the case" Cassie said as she shot the bedridden young woman a hopeful smile. "Well, I guess the ducks aren't going anywhere..." Mabel replied. "Unless they decide to migrate..." Pacifica chimed in before her Mother, Father, Grandmother and the white coat clad doctor turned and shot her a barrage of ugly looks. "Just kidding, of course. I'm sure they'll be eagerly awaiting you when you get outta here, sis!" the silver haired teen quickly corrected herself. "It's okay, Paz. I know you were just being yourself. Your realist, sometimes bummer self..." Mabel said as she tried to ease the tension that had sprung up in the room. "I just can't be anyone else..." Pacifica said as she walked to the bedside of her twin and pecked her on the forehead on what had become a long morning in Gravity Falls, Oregon.
Authors Note: Okay, so I know it's been a little while, but I'm doing a whole quality over quantity thing here. Also, my life has been absolutely nuts as of late. I wanted to kinda bring this whole thing full circle with a minor character from an earlier story and I think I did a fairly decent job of it if I say so myself. So, onto the story itself. What exactly did The Oracle gift Mabel Elise Pines with? How will she learn to use it and when will it come into play? Will Cassandra be able to help keep the secret of Weirdmageddon or will she slip up? Will the ducks still be at the park when Mabel is released from the hospital? Answers to all these questions and more in the next installment of Tales Of The Flame & The Ax: A Shooting Star Falls Story. Until then... - iKLOT
My playlist for this chapter:
Kaleo - "Way Down We Go"
CVRCHES ft. Hayley Williams - "Bury It"
The Strokes - "The Adults Are Talking"
The Unlikely Candidates - "High Low"
X Ambassadors, & grandson - "Zen"
All Time Low / blackbear - "Monsters" (I know this song is about a bad relationship, but to me it reminded me of how no matter how much he tries to deny it and put it all behind him, Dipper really likes the thrill and uncertainty of paranormal)
DREAMERS / grandson - "Heat Seeker"
REZZ / Grabbitz - "Someone Else"
Muse – "Panic Station"
Muse - "Time Is Running Out" (Again, if this were a television series, I'd use this as an outro to this episode)
Sam Tinnesz ft. Yacht Money - "Play With Fire"