The Miracle Place

14.

{Billy & Joel}

JANE WAS RUSHED to Emergency while Billy and Joel were guided to the waiting area where they were instructed to stay until further notice. Joel seated himself, knowing it could take a few hours, but Billy stayed standing, tapping his feet and occasionally pacing, catching the attention of other visitors. Joel didn't bother telling him to stop moving and sit down. He knew Billy just couldn't sit still in these situations, and it was best to let him deal with it, even if putting an end to his habits would please the people around them.

Joel watched him closely, hoping the burning sensation of two eyes on him would grab his attention and give him the hint. Billy didn't look at him, but he did sit down next to him, and Joel could finally relax. He grabbed Billy's hand gently, not sure if touching him when he was like this was the best idea, but it brought him some comfort when he received a small squeeze. "She's going to be okay," he told him.

Billy shook his head, pinching his brows together. "We don't know what's wrong with her. What if the doctors can't figure it out either?" He looked up, finally. "Joel, we've gotten this far. I didn't do all of this just for her to-" He cut himself off, huffing as his leg started to go again. "I need her to be okay. I need this to work out. Not just for her, for all of them. If I can start PAT up again, I might be able to save them."

Joel frowned sympathetically. "Billy," he whispered, "In order to start it up again, you need a team. The only people who know about people like Jane are the same guys who shut it down. How are you going to convince them to get back on the line? Especially when they're not exactly on our side - you're hiding from them, Billy."

Billy glanced around for listening ears, but everyone seemed preoccupied with their own conversations, or too far away to hear Joel's hushed voice. "I don't know," he whispered to the ground. "I'm not letting her go, Joel. We're a family now - we're a team. I'm not giving up on her, and you can't, either. Okay?"

Joel nodded without a moment of hesitation. "I promise. Whatever it takes." He squeezed Billy's hands, this time very aware of the harsh stares he received from visitors. He wouldn't let go, though. Not when Billy held on tighter. They were a family now. A strong one, and no one could tell them otherwise. Besides, no one in their right mind would approach a crying man in a leather jacket to complain about something they could only see, and nothing they understood.

That was the least of their worries and everyone else's when they heard a pair of doors burst open and rushed demands to clear a path. This time, Joel stood with Billy as they watched two children - one after the other - be wheeled down the hallway on stretchers. They were moving quickly, but the blood oozing from their noses and ears didn't go unnoticed by anyone. There was a boy and a girl. Their features were hard to make out but they could have been around Jane's age.

When they passed, a few of the nurses were whispering to each other. "What the hell."

"That's three of them, now."

"Never seen anything like it."

"Their parents must be scared to death."

Billy was the one to sit them both down again. "Do you think they're... like Jane?" he asked, somewhat hopeful.

Joel shrugged lightly. "Maybe. Three in one night, though. That can't be a coincidence."

They sat there for three hours, still wide awake well into the night, before they heard anything.

"Mr. Skelton?" The doctor announced.

Joel sat up straight and took a few seconds to gather himself before standing up and approaching the doctor with Billy. "Yes."

"I'm Dr. Shaw." He shook his hand. "Would you both follow me?"

They walked through the halls until they got to a small office. They took a seat inside as Dr. Shaw closed the door behind them. "Firstly, I'd like to inform you that Jane is doing fine. You got her here soon enough, however, she needs time to fully recover - a day or two here."

Billy sighed loudly, mumbling a thanks under his breath. Joel gave his arm a good squeeze before turning back to the doctor. "So, what was it?"

Dr. Shaw was quiet for a second. "That's the thing... we're still figuring out what caused it. I've never seen anything like it. May I ask you a few questions?" They both nodded. "Has she eaten anything strange in the last couple of days?"

"No."

"Has she complained about any pain or discomfort?"

"A few headaches. She's also been unusually tired."

"Right." He removed his glasses. "We found traces of cyanide in her bloodstream."

The room went quiet.

"Are you sure she didn't eat anything given to her, maybe by someone else?" He asked again.

"No," said Billy, "We've been eating the same things."

"There's no way she could have ingested it," said Joel. Then it hit him: maybe she never ingested it at all. He glanced at Billy as if he could read his mind, but of course he received no reaction.

Dr. Shaw went on. "It's strange because cyanide works quickly - it really is a miracle she made it out alive. She's one lucky girl."

Miracle. The word rang through Billy's head. The Miracle Place. They had to be involved. He glanced at Joel who was looking at him with tears in his eyes. Strangely enough, they weren't happy tears. "Well, thank you, doctor."

"Hey, it's what I do." He stood up and they followed. "You can see her now, room 104. If you think of anything, any way she could have ingested it, let me know."

"We will, thanks again." Joel pulled Billy through the halls, stopping abruptly. "Go see her. I'm going to go grab my stuff from the car, and we can figure this out. I've got a pretty good guess at what went on with her."

Billy nodded. "Okay. Be quick." He watched until Joel disappeared around a corner. After that, he moved as quickly as he could to get to room 104. 101...103...104. A nurse stood outside the door, and did a double take as he got closer. "Hi, uh, Dr. Shaw said I could see her?" He cringed at how shy he sounded. Billy was never comfortable in hospitals.

The nurse gave him a bright smile. "You're Mr. Skelton?"

"Uh- no, I'm his..." He squeezed his eyes shut, an old habit of collecting his words. "It's complicated." It wasn't for him, but maybe for strangers. "I'm with him, though- I came here with him. She's my daughter."

The nurse raised her hand, shaking her head with an understanding smile. "I get it. Have the same issue introducing my girlfriend. Go on in! She might be asleep for an hour or so, but you can sit with her for as long as you want. When she wakes up, let me know. I'll be right over there."

Billy shot her a grateful smile as she walked away. He took a deep breath before entering the room. Jane looked like herself again, only a little paler. She seemed to be breathing just fine by the way her breaths fogged up the mask around her nose and mouth.

He sat down in the chair on her right, reaching for her hand. For a little while, all he could do was stare at the sheets, but eventually, he said, "Hey, Janey. You're looking better already, kid. Scared the hell out of me and Joel, though. I'm glad you're okay." He glanced at the door, uncomfortable with the fact that people might've been able to hear him. Billy lowered his voice to a whisper. "We're going to figure out how this happened, okay? Then, we're going to make sure you're safe and happy for the rest of your very long life."

He watched her for a response, but just as he expected, Jane was still.
"Whatever it takes."