Okay, so your tummy hurts, Davey. You can do this. It'll pass. Just a bad bit of meat or a... crumble of cheese... or whatever made Marley show up. Muppet version trumps all, followed closely by Mickey's. But we're focusing on getting out of bed. Shower is right through that door. Gooooo to the shower. But don't look at the toilet! Okay, look for that obviously, but don't look after that. Or before. Just kinda... discover the toilet and then forget it exists. Like, uh... like uh... Maybe like a viking? Discover America then wander off and ignore it? Or, well, Greenland. Does anyone live on Greenland now? There's gotta be a better example. Know what, think about it in the shower. Go to the shower. It's just a little upset tummy, nothing to worry about. It'll calm down soon. Come on. Out of bed. Up! Or over!
Okay, ow. So your tummy and your head hurts, Davey. You can do this. You walked everywhere for months-ish in October. Or November. Both. Pretty sure. Long time ago. Walking is okay. Not gonna fall through the floor or anything. Shower! That way. Wait. Clothes that way then shower that way. Is there school today? Yes. Yes? Yes. Makes clothes easy. Ow. Right, head hurts. But it's OK! Gonna be fine. Hands work just as well. Okay, no, not really, but billions... not trillions is it? No, that'd be way too many. A thousand billions. Place value! Never get to have place value lessons anymore. So much fun. But yes! Billions of people use their hands to get dressed every day, Davey. You can, too. Except the ones without hands. But they have, like, fake ones. Prosfth... Fake ones. But how do you put two fake ones on? Maybe, like, lay it out on the bed and then... roll... strategically. This is probably offensive. Sorry, to any hands-free psi! Hand-challenged? Handless. Antihand. That'd be psi who are, like, anti... hand. Hands. No hands! No hands! You're totally one of those, Davey. Gah! Shower! Cheese and rice, focus.
Okay. Now... Wow! Look! A toilet! I bet I could use this to... Okay, probably not the absolute most awkward discovery ever in forever. Definitely important. For stopping plagues. Not thinking about plagues! Not sick! Don't say sick! Think it. Whatever. Toilet and.... Okay, now it's just a... thing. Never seen it before. Not even curious. But look! Shower! I claim this tiled patch of ground for Spain! No. For uh... For... C'mon, think of it... Tip of your brain... I claim this tiled patch of ground for... Gone. Dang. Showwwwwer. Foooocus.
Hot, ow. Reverse that, sounds weird. Ow, hot. Better. And be fast today. Well, be fast every day, but today's as good a day as any to start. It's New Year's somewhere. Not on Earth, maybe. Maybe Chinese New Year. That one's close, isn't it? That or kinda far away. Which covers pretty much every possibility, so way to narrow it down. The killer is either the butler or someone who is not the butler! Sometime the butler should do it and then somehow be the absolute last person you'd suspect. Which would be hard, since the butler is always the one who did it. Who done it. So wrong. Maybe if it was a girl and, like, crying a lot. And small. Big eyes. Precious Moments eyes. Okay, now it's a horror movie. Precious Final Moments. In 3D, so the eyes really pop. The cheeriest, sunniest, most... happiest slasher movie ever. Never any horror movies with peppy soundtracks and bright lighting. Wait, did you shampoo? Commercial tag line: Do you shampoo? Woo. Too true. But really, did you? Mmmmyyyeeeaaaybe... yes. Probably. Or no. Well, it says repeat on the bottle. Never says stop, actually. That'd suck for like... really literal people with OCD. How do you get more? Just keep lathering until there's a new bottle to repeat with after you rinse. Or keep it lathered. Never says how long between steps. Guess you could rinse and then pause, then. Which is what everyone does anyway. So it'd be fine. The shampoo people must've really thought this through. Or, just floating a theory, you're being kinda weird again and should stop thinking about shampoo. Ow. Drying off hurts. Did you exercise without telling me? Sleepercising. That would kinda rock. All the benefits, none of the work. Or at least, none of the work as far as you know. Oh my goodness, where did this six pack come from? Surprise: Sleepercise! Fun infomercial. But yeah, no. Ow. Stop hurting. It hurts.
Pants. Pants are good. And on. Wait, did you... Okay, yes. Underwear and pants are good. And... and really should wear a shirt to class today. That'd be good. Know what else is good? I bet you do, since you're asking yourself the question like a crazy person. But at least it's not out loud. You're only really crazy if it's out loud. And you're only rationalizing if it you don't believe yourself when you say it to yourself. But not out loud, because that would be, well, crazy. Resting. That's what would be good. Just a little break. It was a long shower. Maybe. And a lot of shampooing. With hands. Just a little break. Bed is kinda high. Not napping! Not sleeping. No sleeping during school. Especially not in bed. Much better at a desk like a normal person. Bad person. Well, tired person. No telling good or bad. Might be having a... bad day. Or a growth spurt. Oh no, you're not having a growth spurt, are you? Pants are already hard enough to find and the jacket's almost short sleeves. It'd explain the hurting. And it's better than being No! Do. Not. Say. It. Think it. Whatever, stop nit picking it annoys people. Run on sentence. What did you just tell you?!
Okay, couch. Sitting is nice. And can.. socks. Shoes. Shirt. Have to wear a shirt to school. Dang it, forgot the socks. Ow. Okay, leave the socks over there for now. Just gonna rest. Rest up for school. Because you're going to class. Your tummy and head and arms and... everything are going to be fine. As soon as you get to class. Davey, go to class. Going to class. Aaaaand... now. Or yeah, rest a little more. Just... just blink... extended blinks. Just a few minutes. Serbia! I claim this tiled patch of ground for Serbia! Could've prevented World War I. Should tell Brodi. Right after this rest. Good joke. He'll get it. In class. Right... right after... yeah....
A Pesky Little Bug
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Wyatt Wyborn
- Member
- Posts:196
- Joined:Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:49 pm
Re: A Pesky Little Bug
Tami Martinov, aka Rogue Atom chased the self-proclaimed “Hamithyzer” all the way through Skyway City. She knew his plan – get on the train and release the poison – and she had messed up and let him slip away! The problem was she wasn’t sure which train he was planning to hit – the Yellow Line or the Green Line.
A call for assistance brought her the assurance that help would be there in mere minutes, but she wasn’t sure the passengers on one of those trains would even have seconds, let alone minutes. She had to decide.
“Get a team to the Green Line train NOW! I’m going to the Yellow Line!”
Rogue Atom teleported in the blink of an eye and found the Yellow Line about to depart – and there was the Hamithyzer stepping onto the train and the doors already closing! In his hand was the small vial that contained the xenobiotic compound! She would have to –
Too late! Even as she blinked into position right beside him, he opened the vial, its contents dispersing into the air of the passenger car. Everyone was going to die!
Unless –
It was a gambit, and could make some people sick even if she was successful, but it was one she had no choice but to try!
Rogue Atom focused her quantum powers on the train full of people, some of whom had not even noticed the commotion that threatened them. An unseen ripple of quantum displacement emanated from her, affecting all those around her, speeding up their metabolisms so that the poison they had breathed in burned away in their bodies before it could harm them. The fact that no one immediately fell dead bore witness to the success of her gamble.
Rogue Atom grabbed the eco-terrorist and teleported off of the train with him.
Some of the passengers witnessed the whole thing, and when they suffered from a momentary fever and dizziness, wondered if that young teleporter had caused it, or if they were coming down with the flu. Others of the passengers who had not noticed the entire thing suddenly felt sick and for certain were coming down with the flu because Rogue Atom’s powers had also sped up the metabolic rate of the virus. People who had only just been exposed would be sick much sooner than they normally would. Only those lucky enough to already have a resistance – or an outright immunity – to it would escape the ravages of the illness.
In the back of the train car, oblivious to the goings on near the exit, Wyatt Wyborn sat looking out the window, listening to music on headphones, the heavy box of cleaning supplies occupying the seat beside him. He hoped his powers would start to return before he had to get off the train and carry the load the long way back to Westbrook.
A call for assistance brought her the assurance that help would be there in mere minutes, but she wasn’t sure the passengers on one of those trains would even have seconds, let alone minutes. She had to decide.
“Get a team to the Green Line train NOW! I’m going to the Yellow Line!”
Rogue Atom teleported in the blink of an eye and found the Yellow Line about to depart – and there was the Hamithyzer stepping onto the train and the doors already closing! In his hand was the small vial that contained the xenobiotic compound! She would have to –
Too late! Even as she blinked into position right beside him, he opened the vial, its contents dispersing into the air of the passenger car. Everyone was going to die!
Unless –
It was a gambit, and could make some people sick even if she was successful, but it was one she had no choice but to try!
Rogue Atom focused her quantum powers on the train full of people, some of whom had not even noticed the commotion that threatened them. An unseen ripple of quantum displacement emanated from her, affecting all those around her, speeding up their metabolisms so that the poison they had breathed in burned away in their bodies before it could harm them. The fact that no one immediately fell dead bore witness to the success of her gamble.
Rogue Atom grabbed the eco-terrorist and teleported off of the train with him.
Some of the passengers witnessed the whole thing, and when they suffered from a momentary fever and dizziness, wondered if that young teleporter had caused it, or if they were coming down with the flu. Others of the passengers who had not noticed the entire thing suddenly felt sick and for certain were coming down with the flu because Rogue Atom’s powers had also sped up the metabolic rate of the virus. People who had only just been exposed would be sick much sooner than they normally would. Only those lucky enough to already have a resistance – or an outright immunity – to it would escape the ravages of the illness.
In the back of the train car, oblivious to the goings on near the exit, Wyatt Wyborn sat looking out the window, listening to music on headphones, the heavy box of cleaning supplies occupying the seat beside him. He hoped his powers would start to return before he had to get off the train and carry the load the long way back to Westbrook.
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Caleigh Stewart
- Former Member
- Posts:4
- Joined:Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:31 am
Re: A Pesky Little Bug
She tried to blame it on the patrolling. Getting knocked around by those stupid gangbangers, trying to pull her magnetic-self towards the metal she was repelling against. It made sense she’d be sore after that.
But first her hover board had slipped - after Lorne was off of it, thank goodness - and then it hurt to laugh.
It got worse from there.
Caleigh groaned as she woke up, turning on to her side and rolling into a ball. She groped for her blanket, but couldn’t find it.
“Angelicaaaaaaaaaa,” she whined. “Gimme my blanket back.”
“You kicked it away,” Angelica responded crisply. Still, the blanket reappeared on Caleigh’s bed, passed up from Angelica’s nest.
“I’m all sore.”
“I have heard others say that, too. You must have the illness being passed around.”
“It’s not fair. I helped the sick people out last night! I gave Lorne a ride to the infirmary!” Her whining irritated her throat - yes, that was why she started hacking and coughing.
“Maybe that is how you got the illness?”
Caleigh grumbled something about never helping anyone ever again. She pulled the blanket on top of her and over her head. If she could just go back to sleep maybe she could keep herself from puking her guts up. Angelica had a lot of patience for Caleigh's scrap metal collection - she would probably draw the line at having a pukey roommate though.
But first her hover board had slipped - after Lorne was off of it, thank goodness - and then it hurt to laugh.
It got worse from there.
Caleigh groaned as she woke up, turning on to her side and rolling into a ball. She groped for her blanket, but couldn’t find it.
“Angelicaaaaaaaaaa,” she whined. “Gimme my blanket back.”
“You kicked it away,” Angelica responded crisply. Still, the blanket reappeared on Caleigh’s bed, passed up from Angelica’s nest.
“I’m all sore.”
“I have heard others say that, too. You must have the illness being passed around.”
“It’s not fair. I helped the sick people out last night! I gave Lorne a ride to the infirmary!” Her whining irritated her throat - yes, that was why she started hacking and coughing.
“Maybe that is how you got the illness?”
Caleigh grumbled something about never helping anyone ever again. She pulled the blanket on top of her and over her head. If she could just go back to sleep maybe she could keep herself from puking her guts up. Angelica had a lot of patience for Caleigh's scrap metal collection - she would probably draw the line at having a pukey roommate though.
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Lauren Lombardi
- Member
- Posts:309
- Joined:Tue May 17, 2011 9:30 pm
Re: A Pesky Little Bug
The flu? Seriously? The flu? Why now, of all times?
The last thing Lauren needed right now was to get sick. Things were too tumultuous as they were, and nobody knew for sure what would happen if her temperature spiked too high. For normal people, 105 was considered potentially life threatening. She was already at 103 on a normal day. Could her weird mutation handle it on its own?
Envisioning being forced into a tub full of ice water, Lauren shivered. She remembered something daddy told her and confirmed it with a quick Internet search. There it was. She could kill two birds with one stone.
Lauren turned the thermostat in her room up to 82 degrees and allowed herself a self-satisfied smirk. At least she wouldn’t have to feel chilly in her own room for a few days. She wondered if she could milk it for a whole week.
Lauren was reading a book when the door opened, sucking half the heat out into the hallway.
“Why the hell is it so all fired hot in here?” Taylor stood in the doorway.
“Close the door! You’re letting all the warm air out.” Lauren closed her book. “I turned the heat up. It will keep the germs out.”
“It's like a sauna in here! Holy cow, there's a reason they put petri dishes in a warm place to grow bad stuff.”
“That’s mold, spores, and fungi. Not flu germs. Flu germs can't stand air over 80 degrees.”
Taylor didn’t appear the least bit convinced. “Why don't you just wash your hands a lot like all the signs in the nurses office tell you to do?”
“Because someone might pass by and leave their germs nearby!” Lauren realized she was starting to sound an awful lot like Syd. It was goofy actually, but right now, she could use a little goofy.
“This can't be healthy. You go from steamy hot to freezin' cold, that's hell on your immune system. Weak immune system means you're more like to get sick.” At least Taylor finally closed the door.
“Don't you know people go the saunas and stuff to keep from getting sick?”
“I know people who go to the saunas when they're sick because the steam clears their head. But I don't see any steam. What I feel is hot, dry air. Back in Wyoming? We'd call an alert for brush fires.”
“I can bring in a humidifier,” Lauren offered amiably.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Didn't you get your flu shot this year?”
Lauren nodded as she crossed her arms, pretending to be stubborn. “I'm not taking any chances.”
“You realize how bad this is for all my gaming gear? You want my PC to overheat?”
Taylor was switching gears. Good. Maybe she would give in. Lauren smirked a little. “It's not going to overheat. If anything when you run it, the heater won't have to work as hard.”
“Listen, I'm telling you - you're gonna get us both sick. The temperature outside is much, much colder than this.”
“Just give it a few days.” Lauren suggested. She picked her book back up. “A week tops. Until the current epidemic blows over. You'll thank me later.”
“Or curse you when we both end up sick.”
The last thing Lauren needed right now was to get sick. Things were too tumultuous as they were, and nobody knew for sure what would happen if her temperature spiked too high. For normal people, 105 was considered potentially life threatening. She was already at 103 on a normal day. Could her weird mutation handle it on its own?
Envisioning being forced into a tub full of ice water, Lauren shivered. She remembered something daddy told her and confirmed it with a quick Internet search. There it was. She could kill two birds with one stone.
Lauren turned the thermostat in her room up to 82 degrees and allowed herself a self-satisfied smirk. At least she wouldn’t have to feel chilly in her own room for a few days. She wondered if she could milk it for a whole week.
Lauren was reading a book when the door opened, sucking half the heat out into the hallway.
“Why the hell is it so all fired hot in here?” Taylor stood in the doorway.
“Close the door! You’re letting all the warm air out.” Lauren closed her book. “I turned the heat up. It will keep the germs out.”
“It's like a sauna in here! Holy cow, there's a reason they put petri dishes in a warm place to grow bad stuff.”
“That’s mold, spores, and fungi. Not flu germs. Flu germs can't stand air over 80 degrees.”
Taylor didn’t appear the least bit convinced. “Why don't you just wash your hands a lot like all the signs in the nurses office tell you to do?”
“Because someone might pass by and leave their germs nearby!” Lauren realized she was starting to sound an awful lot like Syd. It was goofy actually, but right now, she could use a little goofy.
“This can't be healthy. You go from steamy hot to freezin' cold, that's hell on your immune system. Weak immune system means you're more like to get sick.” At least Taylor finally closed the door.
“Don't you know people go the saunas and stuff to keep from getting sick?”
“I know people who go to the saunas when they're sick because the steam clears their head. But I don't see any steam. What I feel is hot, dry air. Back in Wyoming? We'd call an alert for brush fires.”
“I can bring in a humidifier,” Lauren offered amiably.
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Didn't you get your flu shot this year?”
Lauren nodded as she crossed her arms, pretending to be stubborn. “I'm not taking any chances.”
“You realize how bad this is for all my gaming gear? You want my PC to overheat?”
Taylor was switching gears. Good. Maybe she would give in. Lauren smirked a little. “It's not going to overheat. If anything when you run it, the heater won't have to work as hard.”
“Listen, I'm telling you - you're gonna get us both sick. The temperature outside is much, much colder than this.”
“Just give it a few days.” Lauren suggested. She picked her book back up. “A week tops. Until the current epidemic blows over. You'll thank me later.”
“Or curse you when we both end up sick.”
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Apprehensive
- Former Member
- Posts:2
- Joined:Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:52 pm
Re: A Pesky Little Bug
Her roommate was sick. Not just the sniffles sick. The sort of sick where you cocoon yourself in blankets and hope for the best. Angelica had been bringing Caleigh things that she thought might help. Cough syrup, asprin, tea, and more tissues as needed. Possibly bringing more things then Caleigh actually would ever use. It was good to have options when you were sick, wasn't it?
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Wyatt Wyborn
- Member
- Posts:196
- Joined:Fri Apr 08, 2011 5:49 pm
Re: A Pesky Little Bug
((This takes place the day before the Derrick Cork incident.))
The flu was worse than the time he got shot. At least then his powers had kicked in and in a few hours he was feeling better and – except for a bullet he would have to later get extracted – he was good as new the next day. This bug was robbing him of his powers and therefore of his healing factor and resistance to illness. The staff in the infirmary assured him that it would take a while for the sickness to run its course.
Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
He had done what he was told, but here it was days later and his head still hurt. His eyes still hurt. His muscles still hurt. And his stomach still… “Hurt” was far too inadequate a word for that. Ache? No. “Ache” was something that your heart did and it was bittersweet and not sour and nasty and messy in ways that made him sick to think about. His stomach was trying to escape his body by way of his throat, clawing its way up the inside of his chest, pulling the rest of his insides with it. That described it pretty well.
He had had enough. He had reached the point where he felt that if the flu was going to kill him, he wished it would hurry it up.
This afternoon Heidi had contacted him on My FacePlace and told him she could show him how to get back to full health and full power right away. Wyatt decided to take her up on the offer.
She met him at the tram station in Talos, dressed in her patrol uniform and with a Longbow jetpack on her back. Her hair was curled in tight brassy ringlets that cascaded over her shoulders. Her hero costume hugged her slender curves in a flattering way that made the most of her svelte figure. She didn’t look like someone who would go out of her way to put him in life-threatening situations.
Wyatt was dressed in a Forever Lazy with the hood up and a heavy coat on top of that. He was surprised when Heidi picked him out of the crowd so easily.
“Hi,” she said, “You haven’t called me in ages.”
“Yeah,” he replied, uncertain as to how to frame a better response.
“It’s okay. The last time we saw each other, it was pretty intense.”
“Yeah. We both nearly got killed.”
“Yeah.”
“So… you’re gonna tell me how to cure myself of the flu?”
Heidi grinned then said with a laugh, “I can’t believe you haven’t figured this out.”
“C’mon, just tell me so I can get back to my life.” Wyatt didn’t feel up to playing her games. Already he was regretting leaving the campus to meet with her.
“Why the hurry? Lauren waiting for you? Hot date tonight?”
His fever was high and his patience was low so Wyatt said without thinking, “I’m datin’ Mia Cobol now.”
The look on Heidi’s face let Wyatt know that he’d made a mistake; that sharing this information with Heidi would come back to haunt him. “Oh! Gwen! Yeah – she’s cute! She’s got great kno—“
“Shut up!” Wyatt shouted. The angry outburst made his stomach roll and before he knew it he was at the edge of the platform and spewing over the rail.
Heidi looked down at him with disgust. “Eww. Okay, okay – we’ll get on with it.”
In a split second Heidi’s hands were beneath his arms, hoisting him off of the ground and flying off. Moments (and a mid-air episode) later, she set him down on the sandy shore of Circe Island. As soon as his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled and he collapsed in a heap.
Heidi stood over him, barking like a drill sergeant, “All right, chumbucket – take off the baby jammies.”
For Wyatt, that confirmed every bad thing, every warning that his friends had told him about Heidi – that she was only using him, and not to trust her.
“Is that what you brought me out here for? Jesus effin’…” Wyatt struggled to stand. He’d rather drown trying to swim back than play boy toy for this psychopath.
“My god, Wyatt! Are you that stuck on yourself? You think I’d kiss you after what came out of your mouth while ago? I brought you out here because I thought we’d want to do this discreetly.”
Heidi shoved him down on his back and unzipped the coat and then the Forever Lazy. Beneath the fleece garment he was wearing a tee shirt and sweatpants. He grabbed hold of his pants to hold them on.
“Get over yourself! You can keep your pants, but everything else has to go.”
Wyatt looked at her dubiously. He wasn’t going to take his clothes off for her.
“Fine,” Heidi said, exasperated, “Die of influenza. I don’t care. But if you want me to help you, we have to get started. I’ve borrowed Sunpop’s solar powers and I’ve only got maybe fifteen more minutes left before they wear off.”
“Solar powers?” he asked, wondering what exactly that had to do with anything.
“Yeah. You know – solar? Sun?”
Wyatt didn’t follow.
Heidi smirked. “You really don’t have anything figured out about your powers, do you?”
“I know they work.”
“Unless you have the flu.”
“Well… yeah…”
“About fourteen minutes, if you want me to help you.”
Wyatt sat up and pulled his shirt off. The day was cloudy and the wind off of the bay was cold. Wyatt began to shiver uncontrollably.
Heidi didn’t show any sympathy, saying only, “I was hoping the sun would be out this afternoon. It would make things go easier, but…”
Heidi knelt beside him and placed her right palm on his chest and then she lit up like a thousand stadium floodlights. She was so bright it hurt to look at her. Wyatt closed his eyes and felt warmth spread from her hand, across his chest, and into his stomach, chest, arms, and legs. He could feel himself getting stronger, feeling more like he knew he should feel.
When the waves of solar radiation subsided, Wyatt sat up. No headache. No chills. No tummy trouble.
“What did you do…?” he asked.
Heidi gave him the look that his math teacher often gave him.
“You still can’t figure it out?” she said.
“Um… no?”
“Fine. Okay.” An amused look crossed Heidi’s face and then shook her head. “I’m not going to tell you exactly what just happened. Let’s just say I irradiated the flu out of you and let it go at that. All that matters is I messed you up when I borrowed your powers and now I’ve fixed you. The responsibility has been lifted. You’re on your own. Goodbye. Say hi to Gwen.”
And then Heidi was gone, her jetpack leaving a contrail in her wake.
Wyatt felt great. He put on this tee shirt and bundled his Forever Lazy in his arms. Then he took a flying leap, skipping over the islands between Circe and Talos like a stone.
The flu was worse than the time he got shot. At least then his powers had kicked in and in a few hours he was feeling better and – except for a bullet he would have to later get extracted – he was good as new the next day. This bug was robbing him of his powers and therefore of his healing factor and resistance to illness. The staff in the infirmary assured him that it would take a while for the sickness to run its course.
Rest and drink plenty of fluids.
He had done what he was told, but here it was days later and his head still hurt. His eyes still hurt. His muscles still hurt. And his stomach still… “Hurt” was far too inadequate a word for that. Ache? No. “Ache” was something that your heart did and it was bittersweet and not sour and nasty and messy in ways that made him sick to think about. His stomach was trying to escape his body by way of his throat, clawing its way up the inside of his chest, pulling the rest of his insides with it. That described it pretty well.
He had had enough. He had reached the point where he felt that if the flu was going to kill him, he wished it would hurry it up.
This afternoon Heidi had contacted him on My FacePlace and told him she could show him how to get back to full health and full power right away. Wyatt decided to take her up on the offer.
She met him at the tram station in Talos, dressed in her patrol uniform and with a Longbow jetpack on her back. Her hair was curled in tight brassy ringlets that cascaded over her shoulders. Her hero costume hugged her slender curves in a flattering way that made the most of her svelte figure. She didn’t look like someone who would go out of her way to put him in life-threatening situations.
Wyatt was dressed in a Forever Lazy with the hood up and a heavy coat on top of that. He was surprised when Heidi picked him out of the crowd so easily.
“Hi,” she said, “You haven’t called me in ages.”
“Yeah,” he replied, uncertain as to how to frame a better response.
“It’s okay. The last time we saw each other, it was pretty intense.”
“Yeah. We both nearly got killed.”
“Yeah.”
“So… you’re gonna tell me how to cure myself of the flu?”
Heidi grinned then said with a laugh, “I can’t believe you haven’t figured this out.”
“C’mon, just tell me so I can get back to my life.” Wyatt didn’t feel up to playing her games. Already he was regretting leaving the campus to meet with her.
“Why the hurry? Lauren waiting for you? Hot date tonight?”
His fever was high and his patience was low so Wyatt said without thinking, “I’m datin’ Mia Cobol now.”
The look on Heidi’s face let Wyatt know that he’d made a mistake; that sharing this information with Heidi would come back to haunt him. “Oh! Gwen! Yeah – she’s cute! She’s got great kno—“
“Shut up!” Wyatt shouted. The angry outburst made his stomach roll and before he knew it he was at the edge of the platform and spewing over the rail.
Heidi looked down at him with disgust. “Eww. Okay, okay – we’ll get on with it.”
In a split second Heidi’s hands were beneath his arms, hoisting him off of the ground and flying off. Moments (and a mid-air episode) later, she set him down on the sandy shore of Circe Island. As soon as his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled and he collapsed in a heap.
Heidi stood over him, barking like a drill sergeant, “All right, chumbucket – take off the baby jammies.”
For Wyatt, that confirmed every bad thing, every warning that his friends had told him about Heidi – that she was only using him, and not to trust her.
“Is that what you brought me out here for? Jesus effin’…” Wyatt struggled to stand. He’d rather drown trying to swim back than play boy toy for this psychopath.
“My god, Wyatt! Are you that stuck on yourself? You think I’d kiss you after what came out of your mouth while ago? I brought you out here because I thought we’d want to do this discreetly.”
Heidi shoved him down on his back and unzipped the coat and then the Forever Lazy. Beneath the fleece garment he was wearing a tee shirt and sweatpants. He grabbed hold of his pants to hold them on.
“Get over yourself! You can keep your pants, but everything else has to go.”
Wyatt looked at her dubiously. He wasn’t going to take his clothes off for her.
“Fine,” Heidi said, exasperated, “Die of influenza. I don’t care. But if you want me to help you, we have to get started. I’ve borrowed Sunpop’s solar powers and I’ve only got maybe fifteen more minutes left before they wear off.”
“Solar powers?” he asked, wondering what exactly that had to do with anything.
“Yeah. You know – solar? Sun?”
Wyatt didn’t follow.
Heidi smirked. “You really don’t have anything figured out about your powers, do you?”
“I know they work.”
“Unless you have the flu.”
“Well… yeah…”
“About fourteen minutes, if you want me to help you.”
Wyatt sat up and pulled his shirt off. The day was cloudy and the wind off of the bay was cold. Wyatt began to shiver uncontrollably.
Heidi didn’t show any sympathy, saying only, “I was hoping the sun would be out this afternoon. It would make things go easier, but…”
Heidi knelt beside him and placed her right palm on his chest and then she lit up like a thousand stadium floodlights. She was so bright it hurt to look at her. Wyatt closed his eyes and felt warmth spread from her hand, across his chest, and into his stomach, chest, arms, and legs. He could feel himself getting stronger, feeling more like he knew he should feel.
When the waves of solar radiation subsided, Wyatt sat up. No headache. No chills. No tummy trouble.
“What did you do…?” he asked.
Heidi gave him the look that his math teacher often gave him.
“You still can’t figure it out?” she said.
“Um… no?”
“Fine. Okay.” An amused look crossed Heidi’s face and then shook her head. “I’m not going to tell you exactly what just happened. Let’s just say I irradiated the flu out of you and let it go at that. All that matters is I messed you up when I borrowed your powers and now I’ve fixed you. The responsibility has been lifted. You’re on your own. Goodbye. Say hi to Gwen.”
And then Heidi was gone, her jetpack leaving a contrail in her wake.
Wyatt felt great. He put on this tee shirt and bundled his Forever Lazy in his arms. Then he took a flying leap, skipping over the islands between Circe and Talos like a stone.
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