The Call (a TMNT fanfiction)

Chapter 25: Cures and Birthday Wishes

After getting a call from my desk about heading over to the science lab, excited doesn't even begin to express how I'm feeling. I smile at everyone I can on the way down, say hi to people I don't normally even look at, and probably have the widest grin on my face that anyone has ever seen. I enter the lab and quickly locate my family standing next to a tube for sea-green liquid.

"Did we find a cure?" I ask, still grinning. The head Scientist, Dr. Faulkner, shakes his head but smiles.

"Not a cure, but definitely a lead to finding a cure. We've found the elements of which the substance is made up of. If we can somehow use what we know and do the opposite, we may have a cure," Dr. Faulkner explains.

I look at the green stuff. "Is this it?"

"Yes."

"Why is it green?" I ask, peering into the glass tube.

"We needed to dye it to identify the elements," he explains, patting the tube. "But don't worry--the dye is 100% harmless."

"We've got a lead, Lexi," Rose says, linking arms with me and smiling.

~~~~~~~~~

I stand in the hospital, looking around at all the people filling the beds. I had convinced my family, and the turtles that paying the victims a visit might be a good idea. Just to let them know that we have a lead; to let them know there is hope.

I begin going from bed to bed, trying to say encouraging words to them. Although they show no sign at all that they can hear me, I know that they can. I get towards the end of the room, when a nurse bursts in and begins checking a man's heartbeat. It has ceased.

Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. Fifty. The nurses do all they can, and even wait an extra few minutes, in case of a miracle. 

A miracle. Maybe in a different world.

"He's gone," one nurse says. 

My eyes begin to tear up, and I get closer to the patient. I gasp when I see that this was the young man I'd been talking to that one time: this was the first victim. My own breath ceases as I get down next to him and swallow. I had told him it would be okay. I had told him we'd find a cure. I told him he'd see his family again.

"Bryan Potter," one of the nurses informed. "Age 22, diagnosed on Monday the 10th of April.  Pronounced dead on Wednesday the 26th."

"Since this is our first death, we're going to be taking a survey to see how long it lasts for other victims. If the result is different, then we'll find a range. But we'd like to see if we can figure out the average amount of time they can go before their heart gives up," the other nurse says, marking her clipboard.

"Don't you think...don't you think you should go out into the other room and discuss this?" Leo asks softly. "They can hear you still. I'm not exactly sure they'd want to hear you discussing when they die."

"Right. Of course." They head out into the hallway. 

I wish they could take the sickness in my stomach with them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all meet up at the turtles' place after work to eat some dinner that Mikey cooks. Although I'm tired, and I know I'll probably never wake up in the morning, I know that I need this. I need this little break from going to sleep on time, waking up early, going to online school, and then work. I want to have a little time with people I care about. We even call up Mallory and she says she can join us too.

"This is amazing, Mikey," Mallory gushed, digging into the pizza. "Better than Lexi's."

"I would take offense to that if I didn't agree with it myself," I admit. "Great job, Mikester."

He beams at us and then glares at his brothers. "At least someone knows how to appreciate a good meal."

"Hey," Raph defends. "We put up with you 24/7. You kinda owe us your food."

Mikey groans. "That's the job of a little brother! I'm supposed to tease you and be annoying!"

"Yeah," Rose agrees. "Benj is annoying, but you don't see us ordering him to make homemade sourdough bread."

"Mostly because we don't want the kitchen burned to ashes," I say.

"Thanks," my brother says, sarcasm dropping from the single word.

Rose laughs. "You know we love you."

"Do you love us?" Mikey asks.

"Of course we do!" Mallory says, glancing over at me. "Some differently than others..." The last part is said quieter. I stomp on her foot, causing her knee to bash upwards and slam into the table.

"OW!"

"There was a spider," I lie.

"So," Mom begins. "Did you guys know Lexi's birthday is next week?"

I groan and take a seat on the couch. "Mom, can you not?"

"I have to; I'm sorry," she apologizes, but she doesn't look sorry. "On May 4th, 3:11 AM, she will be eighteen years old!" I roll my eyes.

"Wait what?!" Mikey exclaims. "Sweet, what do you want? You want it, I'll buy it!" Mikey insists.  He grins. I can't help but grin back--his smile is contagious.

"You guys don't need to buy me anything..."

"We want to!" Don insists.

"Guys..."

"Sorry, Lex," Mikey says. "You can't stop us."

I let out a breath. "Okay, okay. But I'm not telling you what I want."

"How will we know what to get you?" Mikey complains.

"She wants us to listen to what she says and learn more about her, so we can know what to get her. Think of it like a scavenger hunt: you got to use your brain," Don catches on.

"Hm, a scavenger hunt and using our brains," Leo mumbles, smiling at me. "That definitely sounds like Lexi."

They all begin asking me questions. All except for Leo.

Leonardo simply stands back and smiles at me. He already knows so much about me, more than I ever expected to tell anyone. But these things that he knows about me aren't things he could buy. He knows of my strength, my emotions, and my life. And honestly, to be a good friend with me, that's all you need now. You don't need to understand my experience first-hand. You need to understand by figuring out how to handle me. How to make me happy.

I mumble a few answers to the questions the turtles ask me, and look over at Leo. I smile.

Leo knows how to make me happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~