I've Got the Strangest Feeling This Isn't Our First Time Around

79

"When are they gonna tell us something?" Spike demands.

"When there's an actual update." Snoozemore says for the umpteenth time.

"You're absolutely sure you didn't see something?" Pauline begs Spike.

"No. They were already..." Spike shakes his head, refusing to let himself finish that sentence.

Which is fine, because Luigi says suddenly, "A cane. There was a cane lying by our table."

"Mario and Clark party?" A Toad doctor comes out to talk to them.

"Can you tell us anything?" Luigi asks hopefully.

"I won't sugar coat it; Mario's head took quite a wallop." The doctor informs him. "He might have a bump on his head and a possible concussion, but he'll make a full recovery. But he's gonna be staying with us overnight for observation."

"What about Clark?" Luigi pushes.

"They just finished her surgery, and she's on a ventilator." The doctor says grimly. "Whatever she was attacked with pierced one of her lungs. It was a miracle she was still breathing when you brought her here."

"But she's gonna live, right?" Spike pleads.

"We won't know more until tomorrow." The doctor replies. "She's in critical condition. All we can do is wait."

"What about the young man that was petrified?" Snoozemore asks.

"There's nothing we can do for him, I'm really sorry." The doctor shakes his head, then walks away.

"He could've seen something." Luigi suggests.

"Mm, yes. I'll have his petrified statue sent to the lab and begin the protocol." Snoozemore agrees. "Provided Mario feels well enough to co-pilot, we'll dreamwalk through the waiter's dreams in the morning."

"We don't have time for that!" Luigi exclaims hysterically. "Someone tried to kill both Mario and Clark. We need to act now !"

"Luigi, I know you're taking this hard." Snoozemore says kindly.

"I'm not taking anything any way." Luigi snaps, in no mood for this.

"Mario's our only co-pilot." Snoozemore informs him. "And you're not dreamwalking without backup. All of us need to go home and wait for an update."

None of them like that idea, but Spike and Pauline seem to accept it, and start to leave.

Not Luigi. Nope, he's making a beeline straight for Mario's room.

The sight of Mario asleep in a hospital bed and a nasal cannula on his face nearly does him in, and Luigi knows it's gonna be haunting his nightmares, possibly permanently.

He places one hand over Mario's, the one hooked up to a heart rate monitor, as Spike and Pauline come into the room after him.

After a moment, Luigi turns to look at them, arms crossed, as Pauline demands, "How could someone do this?"

"I wish I knew." Luigi says bitterly. "And until we're dreamwalking through the waiter's dreams, we're not gonna." Then he sighs in disgust. "How can I be so smart and still so stupid ?" He yells in frustration. "No. Fuck this. I'm done."

He pulls out the ticket, holding it up to show to them. "Molly went out of her way to hide this. I know it."

"What makes you think it has something to do with what happened?" Spike asks.

"I don't know, maybe!" Luigi's voice gets louder, showing how much this is all affecting him.

"What antique store did you get it from?" Pauline asks, which makes Luigi look at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"That's a claim ticket." Pauline gestures to it. "One of my dad's hobbies is antiquing. He gets those all the time. Even showed me how to do it."

"Doesn't look like there's a name." Spike notices. "And how many antique stores are in Brooklyn?"

"I'll be looking for the rest of my life." Luigi says despairingly, rubbing his head, until he remembers. "Unless Molly's gonna lead me right to it."

"This place is a treasure trove!" Pauline says excitedly as she puts another box on the table. "How could you not know what's in here?"

"Because he doesn't care." Spike says for Luigi, while Luigi snaps, "Less talking, more looking."

"No need. Found it." Spike hands Luigi a piece of paper.

The Brooklyn Teacup .

Mario comes through the pipe silently, and starts to walk to his station, until he's promptly grabbed.

"Mario?" Luigi exclaims, looking him up and down. "You're okay?"

"What're you doing here?" Spike demands.

"We could've brought you back ourselves!" Pauline says. " Are you okay?"

"Like I got hit in the head." Mario deadpans.

"Clark?" Luigi asks.

"It's bad." Mario says honestly.

"Tell me you remember something from the attack." Luigi begs.

"It was all a blur, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital." Mario says softly. "I can't remember anything."

"No one else did, either." Spike says with a sigh.

"Mario?" Snoozemore says to get everyone's attention. "Glad you're still with us. Excuse me, everyone." Now he addresses the entire lab, showing a young man's face on the screen. "This is our petrified waiter. Single, no family. He was only there to cover someone else's shift."

"Have you already begun the protocol?" Mario asks, taking charge.

"Mm, yes, we have." Snoozemore nods. "You're positive you can handle this?"

"Yes!" Mario says impatiently.

"Can we go back to getting justice for all of us now?" Luigi says, clearly impatient as he goes to get changed into his dreamwalking pajamas.

"Dim the lights." Mario orders, and as they do, he walks up next to the bed and starts the rounds. "Monitors?"

"Check."

"Biofeedback?"

"Check."

"Sleep Quality?"

"Check."

"Healing Pods?"

"Check."

"Communications?"

"Good!" Pauline gives the thumbs up.

"Starlow?"

"Check."

"Luigi?"

"Right here with you." Luigi says as he closes his eyes.

"You're sure you can handle it?" Snoozemore asks again.

"When am I not?" Mario replies, clearly annoyed, but then, suddenly, he looks at Spike. "Can you come over here? I need some backup."

Spike looks shocked. "Me?"

"You've been paying attention." Mario reminds him. "I know you have. Come over here."

Spike does, slowly, but he has to tell Mario, "But I'm not...certified."

"I am!" Pauline raises a hand, just as confused.

"No, I asked for Spike." Mario says. "Stay put."

"Stay the fuck out of my head, Spike." Luigi warns him. "Unless your name is Mario, you don't go in there."

"Who's the bully now?" Spike teases with a grin, but Mario speaks up before it can escalate.

"Enough! Dream a little dream for me." He says. "Inducing REM sleep in 3...2...1...GO!"