Chapter 11: Revved up

She opened her eyes and blinked at the lights at a few faces, she nudged at the movements and almost hurled at the motion and wheezed, tears filled her eyes as they stung, it would have been better if she let the darkness overtake her but her ears rung at the voice calling her name.

She coughed up smoke and slumped, breathing felt impossible but the specialist applied care, she turned bluish and her throat clogged having trouble talking.

"Stay with me kid!"

She heard someone scream but wanted to crawl back to the mist where she found herself but the voices kept tugging and drawing her back, tears rolled down as the specialist put an oxygen mask on her face forcing air into her screaming lungs and the beeping increased while her legs kicked aimlessly, jerking on the bed.

"You have to breathe, stay strong"

Darcy found herself in the haze, she clawed herself up to the light and felt a death grip on her foot, something that seemed bigger than she was, it heaved her in relentless to let go.

Wade put his hands over his head when the vital signs were skyrocketing while she jerked on the hospital bed, it declined and she laid still and the mask clouded and lowered, the doctor's eyes ticked at the loss and his head dropped low.

This is the end

***

Edna clutched her shoes while they spoke, her breath quivered as she shyly walked to the adults talking by the ward, her eyes lowered when the medic crouched and passed her a sad smile and spoke, she let the doctor hug her with glittery eyes and tears trickled down and she glanced into the room seeing the nurses haul something away.

Her head lowered as she walked to the end of the bed where his feet were and trailed around the bed to where he laid, she pushed at his side.

"Daddy, daddy, my shoes don't fit"

She croaked and he turned his head to look at her while she climbed over a chair to kneel over him.

"Daddy's sleeping"

"I don't want you to sleep, you might die, it happens a lot"

"I'm not going to die"

"...See?"

She pulled up the ballet slippers but they were too big. She put them on his hand and watched him with misty blue eyes and he closed one eye "They're not big, you're going to grow into them"

"Okay" She lowered her head with flushed cheeks.

"You're going to love them, you'll see but until then practice by the rail, will you do that for me?"

She nodded with conviction and lightened up.

She smiled sitting on his lap as the nurse rolled him outside to the lobby, he pretended to be in agony while he lifted her and she laughed.

"You're getting heavy"

"Mitzi made me eat a lot before we got here," She said as they walked to the car where Mitzi opened the door letting them in.

Mondel watched her sleep while Mitzi drove with Fur Elise on.

"How's your training going?"

"I'm a black belt now," She said focusing on the road, he chuckled at his mistake knowing Edna would be peeking.

"But you don't take karate"

"Shush"

"We can go home, away from the chaos, Düster"

"Who's Duster? Are we going to Disneyland?"

***

The explosion caused a shockwave that reached the ends of Birch Canyon and nearly destroyed federal roads under construction, miraculously, no lives have been lost and the public servants from the fire department testify to seeing an unnatural set of tentacles and a mysterious hero swooping in to rescue them. However, the question remains, who is this hero and where does he or she come from?

She switched off the TV, the news was giving her a headache, she watched Emma put off the scented candles.

"It's probably these, they smell awful"

"How is the captain?"

"The real question is how are you?"

The new head of the scientific department held up a fine scan of her lungs. "They are perfect"

Quinn stepped in to check the light specks on them.

"What are these?"

"Glitter" The new head of the scientific department Jet Tomlinson set it back in the files and assessed her full body scan, her levels were stable.

"Not only did we get all the flecks out, the scars on her lungs are healing like crazy fast, the serum is incredibly toxic, I know Wade would get through it but she won't"

"Don't call me Wade"

Jet's smile froze "Yes sir Shadow Knight...sir"

Emma stepped back whistling and Quinn cleared his throat at the look he was giving the monitor, her rhythm was stable and her health took an upswing to 82%.

He looked at Darcy as her color returned.

-- -- --

98 hours after Darcy's system failure.

The medic stared in shock as the spikes dropped to a thin line, it felt more like expecting a chick to hatch and then dropping the egg.

"There's no pulse sir"

"Time of death_"

"Shut up," Wade said and seized the defibrillator turning up the volts, the specialists tried to stop him.

"What are you doing? that's too much for a human being"

The defibrillator charged up "My job. Clear" She jerked at the shock and plopped back. The medical team gawked at the monitor as her pulse returned and she roused coughing, it still felt like there were cinder blocks on her lungs but she was relieved.

He dumped the equipment and sat back legs crossed putting out a hand for them to do their jobs.

"I should know better" The medic paled and continued to attend to her giving a prognosis.

***

Present day

She flinched and covered her eyes when he had a move then looked down at his hand, she gulped and put her palm on it and chuckled.

Quinn could feel his gut twist when Wade stood over him. "Grey"

Emma looked like she was waiting for a treat and she got a badge from a Kelloggs' box and cackled at the kangaroo boxer.

"I'm not apologizing," She said to Quinn and he grimaced

"You just did"

"Then I take it back"

"Still apologizing"

"Uh, no it's not."

Jet shook his head turning off the equipment and hauling Darcy's chair out the door and she looked back at them arguing.

"Dog whisperer"

"Freckleface"

"Twinkle toes"

"Ruffian"

She growled and jumped at him covering his eyes as they struggled. "You're off the hook"

"Not sure that's what that means"

"Shut up and take it," She said as he carried her on his back tailing after Jet.

***