Waylon chuckled, "Guilty...Having Mama, and briefly of Jane, it was true in a sense, next to you, Martha, and Kel.", and Poppy nodded, "True, you wouldn't know really of an idea of what to call a son, but luckily, I do...As you know, Daddy beat the tradition of Jrs. in Gotham with Bruce and all, and I intend to continue that in case if I happen to be a single mother...Sean Jones Wayne. Is that okay?", seeing Waylon's eyes widen.
"Poppy...Sean is perfect...I will get through this, and I can change the middle name if we are still together years and years later...", Waylon proclaimed warmly, and Poppy gave a wide, bittersweet smile as her tears released, falling down her cheeks, whispering, "Kiss me, Wally, and mean it...I want to feel that even if we still don't know when to say those three words, I know I am loved by you...".
"Alright then...", Waylon said as he gently brushed Poppy's hair before leaning down to meet his lips with hers. Poppy felt her heart flutter once more upon the connection, still finding her feelings to be torn in places due to how she still felt that there was doubt between her feelings for him as just close friends, even family like, or if she genuinely loved him in the ways men and women had loved each other since time immemorial.
Waylon felt his heart flutter in the same way, tears falling on his cheeks as Poppy held into him deeply yet tenderly, making the kiss last for a minute before they had to part away to breathe.
Poppy caressed his tears away with a soft smile, "Thank you...", as Waylon did the same thing, caressing her tears away, and Waylon whispered, "I'll always be in your heart, Penelope Kel Wayne.".
Nodding, Poppy whispered, "I know...", and Waylon took a deep breath as he let go of the embrace, and then seeing Leslie waiting with a soft, neutral look, he then went to follow her, passing by the chimes, hearing the music echo in his ears, realizing that his mama and sister is wishing him all the luck and that they love him.
He gave a smile, brushing the chimes gently, and kept following Leslie to the place, the bed table with the gamma ray machine above, pristine and perhaps a bit more advanced than the last time it was when Martha came to lay here and endure the waves of gamma ray wave radiation treatment.
"So, how exactly is this going to go, doctor?", Waylon asked as he glanced around. Leslie said, "Well, for starters, I should warn you, I'll have to make sure to have you tightly secured onto the procedure table... just to keep you from trying to move and get out of the way and such...".
"That's fair...I don't want to hurt any one of you guys...", Waylon nodded. Leslie smiled, "Good. Now, let's get you to change into those...", holding up knee-high tight shorts of the same material as Martha and Kel together when they switch from human to hulk and vice versa.
Waylon sighed, "Bandages and such all off, then, huh?", as after the blood draw and all, he put back his hoodie and such on, including new bandages on his injured arm. Leslie nodded, "Indeed. We can't afford to have foreign material that has been touched by the others and the injury needs complete infusion of the gamma ray waves, to all the disease through your body without anything in the way.".
"That makes sense...", Waylon replied, and Leslie chuckled, "There's a privacy folding screen right over there. I need to make sure that the procedure table and the cuffs are inclined to your height, weight, and size.".
"Alright...", Waylon sighed as he slowly made his way to the screen; he obviously was still struggling but seemed to have been doing slightly better than before which hopefully was a decent sign of things. "So... Doctor... just... I want to ask... what's a bad situation that can come out of this, that you can think of? Short of me dying.".
Leslie replied not far from the screen as she worked on adjusting the procedure table, the bed table, "I can't lie that the disease is a whole different sort of infection compared to what Martha had, since it was blood cancer for her, but for you...There's possibly advancing the disease to the red zone where you only have a few hours to live...instead of dying within the procedure in minutes...Perhaps the gamma ray waves would reject the injured arm, and would see to erase it, leaving you with only one arm...You are good-hearted, so you could have perhaps a good gamma alter-ego like Martha with Kel...but if you focus on the pain instead of your memories and your life, for even a second, you might end up with a dangerous alter-ego identity...Like with Hyde and Jekyll...And then of course, there's the middle neutral situations where you might be more advanced into your genetic condition, or being in a coma, or sterile, but you'd be still alive all the same.".
"Jeez... way to give me the whole table of choices there...", Waylon grumbled. Honestly, out of most of them, he could deal with a bunch of them, even missing an arm, though he certainly hoped to avoid a coma or a very dangerous Hulk creature. He took a deep breath as he finished getting the shorts on. "Okay... I'm finished...", he sighed as he came back.
Leslie nodded, looking at him like a patient, "Get yourself comfortable.", and Waylon nodded, almost hopping into the table, relieved to hear no cracking sounds under his weight or anything, watching his legs and arms as they shuffled over the cuffs as he laid back.
Waylon rested his head, gazing up at the gamma ray machine as Leslie gently put the injured arm into position, cuffing the wrist, and then went to lock the other appendages into place, "Cold?", and Waylon replied, "Not really cold...maybe a bit warm...".
Leslie replied, "Alright. Waylon, you have been an amazing patient...I am pleased to have been a new friend for you...All the stories about you...No wonder why they love you...especially Alfred as a father, never thought he'd be one, but it fits him really well...and Poppy, she deserves you...This is going to probably feel like you're in hell, but don't give in to the pain or anything bad inside you, fight through, and focus on living, on your memories of everyone, and keep your heart pure. You got that?".
"Crystal clear, doc.", Waylon nodded sharply, "And thanks for being part of the family for them...You'd look after them for me, wouldn't you?", and Leslie smiled sadly yet determinedly, "Oh, believe me, I would never leave anyone behind in this incredible family. After all, who is going to keep them on their toes when I lecture them after getting hurt on patrol or in gym practice?".
Waylon gave a wry chuckle, and Leslie patted his shoulder with a nod before leaving him, heading to the protected and shielded console room.
Leslie thought about having one or two of the others join her in the room, but she thought it might be better this time for her to be alone; spare the others, especially Poppy and Alfred of the pain that was coming for sure to Waylon. She quickly went over her notes and triple checked everything. She was going to make damn sure this was going to be a success again, come Hell or high water.
With a nod at the triple checked notes and everything, she pushed the speaker button, "Everything's set. Are you ready, Waylon?", and saw Waylon taking a deep breath, and then gave a thumbs up signal.
"Good. I'll start the procedure in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.", Leslie said, and then pressed the activation button at '1', and focused on the rest of the controls, leaving the speaker button.
After a few moments of waiting, the sounds of the machines activated, and Waylon suddenly felt his whole body almost practically explode with pain as it tore right through him. He screamed out so loudly that even it could be heard by the others even from quite a few sealed chambers away.
"Wally!", Poppy cried out as Martha quickly held her back, "Poppy... that's... that's normal, as much as I hate to admit that... it's started...".
"God... is that what Thomas heard that night?", Alfred whispered. Martha replied wearily, "Unfortunately, yes...You heard how bad my voice was, barely able to speak...I was exhausted at the end of it, out cold...Waylon may be different since he's younger and stronger than me.".
Kel winced at the sound of the screams, "Not my favorite sound at all...But it means he's still alive, fighting through it...", as Bruce replied, "Now I know why Dad never dared to tell the whole thing...He must be feeling like he's just barely in hell...", with a grimace.
"Wally...", Poppy whimpered as Martha hated seeing her daughter in that sort of pain as they continued to hear his screams. "I know the way to her room... we dare not go into the chamber while it's running.", Martha said.
"Probably has it locked tightly too.", Bruce added. "Just to make sure no one could barge in or something foolish.", with a nod. "Are you suggesting that we go and watch?", Alfred asked.
Poppy replied, "We have to! He needs to know that we're there!", pleading with her mother and mama, and Kel glanced at Martha, "Thomas was there...No one left behind...".
Martha exhaled, looking at Poppy, "Okay, but do not do anything drastic to interrupt Leslie or such...even if it's hurting all of us to hear and see...He needs to finish this...".
Everyone nodded as they followed Martha to Leslie's shielded chamber, all the while Waylon's screams were getting louder as they got closer than they were to the gamma chamber.
"You're doing good, Waylon.", Leslie told him over the intercom. "Still a number of minutes... just keep hanging on, remember what I said...".
Waylon tried to listen, focusing on his memories of his mama, his baby sister, his father in Alfred, his adult friends in Martha and Kel, a brother-figure/second best friend in Bruce, and most of all, the very best friend/hopeful girlfriend in Poppy, flashing through his mind as he fought through the most agonizing pain he ever felt, and no, the croc bite barely compares to this, feeling heat steaming through his body, feeling the start of something happening.
Leslie slowly and carefully upped the rotating knob of the intensity, muttering under her breath, "30%, 40%, 50%...", praying as the gamma ray waves of the machine kept sweeping over Waylon.
The door opened as Leslie turned her head to see the others had walked in. "You decided you couldn't stay away?", she simply said; nothing along the lines of leaving her alone and just letting her completely focus.
"Sorry, Poppy and Alfred wanted to be here for support.", Martha explained. Poppy walked up closer to the glass as she watched with tears in her eyes.
"Is that not on full power?", Alfred asked as Leslie shook her head. "No; and I'm not planning on to, unless something starts to go awry.", she informed him.
Alfred exhaled, nodding, appreciating the cautious approach as Poppy was mostly watching with pain in her heart as she listened to Waylon scream, tears falling down her cheeks as deep down, a minor part of her was intrigued by the attractive muscles and scars and all.
"Would you like to give some encouragement?", Leslie asked Poppy. "Might help him keep his mind a bit more focused...". Poppy nodded as Leslie motioned over before turning it back on again.
"Wally...", Poppy spoke into the mic before Waylon actually stopped screaming all of a sudden. "Wally, we're all here for you... you're doing good... keep going... you'll beat this!".
Waylon cried visibly, nodding as he gritted his teeth, as Leslie slowly kept turning the power knob, "60%, 65%, 70%..", seeing that Poppy's words are getting to Waylon, and Alfred spoke next to Poppy, "Waylon, son, this is Dad, focus on what you have, believe that you can keep going!", as Waylon's hands clenched into the table, his claws creating marks, screaming a bit lower as he wanted to still hear his father and his beloved love of his heart's encouragement, his voice becoming hoarse and raspy.
"At least the screaming has stopped...", Bruce admitted as they continued to watch. "Better than me... I screamed the whole time... I'm surprised to this day I can even talk.", Martha admitted as Leslie continued with Alfred noticing.
"Are you going to full power? I thought you were holding back...", Alfred asked as she shook her head. "Maybe, readings... the readings I'm getting, odds are looking like I might have to go all the way. I can't be sure what the consequences will be by doing this compared to when we started...", Leslie informed as Alfred bit his lip.
"Sounds like the disease must have been worse than even you knew...", Alfred spoke worriedly. Indeed, Waylon's body was both hot and cold, with the infectious disease battling against the gamma rays, and then suddenly, his genetic condition decided to join in when his DNA code became to change, and he started to roar in pain as muscle, skin, and bone broke and rebroke, size and height starting to change within him, along with his features.
"Wait, something's happening!", Leslie suddenly shouted as everyone in the room felt their hearts sink instantly at her saying that. "What's wrong?!", Alfred quickly asked. "Please tell me this is something that you can fix from here!".
"I'm trying!", Leslie snapped. "I don't know what's happening but his readings... this is much different from Martha's treatment!", looking frantically urgent as she looked over her readings and the rest of the console.
"Is the disease still there?!", Kel worried, and Leslie replied, "Yes, it's fighting back against the gamma rays...I don't know if I should stop here or keep going! But if I stop here, he would be still sick, advanced up to only living for a few days or hours!".
Waylon's hearing was becoming far better, and he roared as he fought against the pain, focusing desperately on his memories and his heart, "I can take it, doc! Don't stop!".
Poppy sobbed as she pushed the button, "But Wally, there's something else happening, and it's hurting you!", her heart realizing that she can't lose him more than ever, not doubting herself anymore as she loves him.
"Then let it!", Waylon shouted. "We have to see this all the way... no going back, no choice!", he cried out. "AGGGHHHH!", he screamed once more as his body very violently shifted at that moment; his DNA taking a sharp turn at that exact moment as the gammas finally prevailed over the disease... but began to react violently, now combatting his condition that was now rapidly changing to a form that would result in both strength and continual survival of it.
Poppy, tears on her cheeks, turned away from the intercom speaker, and looked at Leslie silently, and Leslie nodded, biting her lip as she slowly kept going, not stopping as it was evident that Waylon demanded that he could do it, whispering as she counted every minute of the readings, "70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%.", as Waylon screamed and roared in pain.
"Come on, Waylon... come on...", Alfred whispered as Bruce got close to Leslie. "How much more is this? I don't think he'll last another minute!", Bruce loudly questioned as Leslie closed her eyes. "Just another 30 seconds...", she told him.
The light of the gamma rays, and the chamber had nearly made anyone unable to see, not blinding or anything, but it was hard to see Waylon through it as the sounds of his roars and screams was heard, and then a sudden sound of metal breaking was heard, like a table was breaking or something.
"What the hell was that?", Martha asked as Leslie moved to start shutting things down as the time was almost finally done.
"I don't know... but we'll find o-", Leslie didn't get a chance to finish what she was saying before hearing an almost inhuman roar practically come out from the chamber.
Kel blinked as she recognized that kind of roar, and replied, "I know that sound, it's a sound of confusion, fright, anger, and pain.", and Poppy widened her eyes, "Come on!", running out of the console room, to the chamber room before the others would grab her.
Leslie replied urgently, "Go get her, I'm not done shutting this down, just one or two last things!", as the others went after Poppy.
"Poppy, wait, you can't go in!", Bruce shouted as Poppy suddenly found herself against the door to the chamber. "Wally! Please! Be okay!", she cried out as she started to beat her fists against the chamber door.
"Thank goodness I had those locks sealed...", Leslie muttered to herself as she looked to her readings and started to shut things down. "Finished!", she shouted as she hit shutdown.
Poppy and the others heard the automatic lock click of the chamber door, and Poppy all but grabbed the lever, turning it and opening it in, hearing faint growls and whimpering as the ceiling lights dimmed from the energy output, flickering.
Poppy looked around, "Wally?", and the faint growls and whimpers became louder as she heard heavy footsteps, looking over to see glowing eerily beautiful golden eyes of confusion and fear with hints of anger and pain, so high above her.