赤裸裸的滑稽故事

It took some convincing to get Peter to agree to their plan. But in the end, he did agree. Once he had, Bell left to prepare her blood for transfusion to Axel. Leaving Peter to help Myka get ready while the others kept Axel stable.

"Are you sure about this?" Peter asked as he tied off the back of Myka's surgical gown.

"Honestly," Myka began with a sigh. "I don't know."

Peter placed the cap on Myka's head and turned him around so they could face each other.

"Talk to me, Myka," he whispered. "You promised."

Myka took a deep breath.

"I don't know that I can do it," he replied honestly. "But I feel it… like… I don't know how to explain it. I just feel like there is something I can do here to help."

"Okay," Peter replied, taking a deep breath. "I'll be right beside you."

Myka nodded.

"And if I say that it's done. It's done, okay?" he added. "If I think that whatever you are trying to do is putting Axel at more risk, I get to call it, and you will listen to me."

"Of course," Myka nodded.

"All right," Peter sighed.

They both finished getting ready and then entered the surgical room. Myka looked around. Most of what he saw made no sense to him. Monitors, heat lamps, and far more equipment he had never seen before than anything he recognized.

But one thing he found quite strange was how Axel was covered. From where Myka stood, he couldn't see him at all. There was a screen blocking most of his body. Only his leg was on display.

Myka turned to Peter with a questioning glance.

"You're not a doctor," Peter replied. "You aren't here to perform surgery or exam him. So there's no reason for you to see him right now."

"Why does it matter?" Myka asked.

"Because Alice doesn't need that description either," Peter replied quietly.

"Oh," Myka whispered. Understanding Peter's intention.

"Let's get this over with," Peter said, moving toward Axel's exposed leg.

Myka gasped as he got close enough to see that the leg had large thick patchworks of ice covering the thick black veins that bulged beneath Axel's paled and blue skin.

He wasn't sure what he had expected to see. But this wasn't it. This was so much worse. He lifted his eyes toward the screen that covered the rest of Axel's body from view. Wondering, if Peter was only willing to show him this, what did the rest look like?

"Myka," Peter whispered. "Focus."

Myka swallowed and nodded. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound all around him. He recognized Peter and the others in the room. He focused on Axel, on the soft hum deep within the layers of his music.

He heard the sound of the ice, the cold, violent groans, and sharp pitches. He pushed further until he found the tiniest thread of a familiar note. A soft discordant buzz.

Myka took a deep breath and followed the note, pulling at it like a guitar string. Hearing it grow louder in his mind until he could feel it listening and searching for something. The buzz grew stronger, and Myka's stomach rolled and lurched. The sound was grotesque and hungry.

He felt as though he could almost physically touch it, he reached out, but then, he felt it notice him. In his mind, he saw it. A monstrous form. Oozing and crawling, with jaws of razored teeth opened wide, consuming everything in its path. It turned and stared at him like a starving animal.

Myka's heart dropped, and the fear of being devoured, of feeling those teeth dig into his flesh and bone once more, began to overwhelm his mind. His eyes opened wide, and he stepped back, letting the sound disappear.

But a warmth on his back stopped him from moving any further away. A warmth that spread over him, enveloping him in a protective aura. He turned to his right, looking into Peter's loving gaze.

"I'm right beside you," Peter whispered.

Myka took a deep breath and shook away his fear. He closed his eyes and stepped forward again, straightening his back to stand firm. Once more, he followed the sounds, seeking out the discordant buzz.

When he plucked the note and felt those hungry eyes on him this time, Myka held firm. He felt it moving toward him, rushing to consume him. Its attention was his. It was listening to him. Just as the ancient roots deep in the earth had listened, just as the frog creature had listened.

And just like he had with them, Myka whispered his will back to it. He demanded that it die, and it did.

Myka felt acceptance. The hunger ceased, and the buzz fell away.

Beside him, Peter gasped as the black lines faded away as though they had never been there at all.

"You did it…" he whispered.

Myka opened his eyes and started to smile as the ice on Axel's leg cracked and fell away.

"I guess I—" Myka's words were interrupted by the alarms on the monitor.

"He's flatlining!" someone shouted.

Peter quickly pushed Myka toward the door, shoving him through.

"Go!" he shouted.

"But—!"

"Go!" Peter repeated. "You did your part. Let me do mine."

Peter shut the door on Myka as he heard the others shouting instructions at each other. Myka stood staring at the door for several seconds. Then, finally, he ripped off the hat and gown Peter had put on him and ran down the hall toward the room he knew Bell was in.

"Myka?" she said as she entered the hall before he reached the door.

"Bell! Something happened! I don't know what, I got rid of the infection. But then the monitors started screaming, and everyone started shouting at each other!"

"Myka, calm down," Bell instructed him. "Breathe."

He took several deep breaths before he was finally able to tell her what had happened.

"Okay, it's okay," Bell whispered. "Listen, Peter and I knew it was a possibility. That's why we had me go ahead and get the blood ready. That's why the entire team was there while you did your thing."

Myka listened, still taking deep breaths.

"He's in good hands," Bell continued. "They are going to stabilize him. As soon as they do, he'll get my blood, and then in a few hours, we should see some real improvement."

Myka took a deep breath and turned to lean his back against the wall. He slid down to sit on the floor.

"How am I supposed to tell Alice?" he asked.

Bell got down to meet his eye.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "I'll talk to Alice. I'll give her an update and let her know the plan. Okay?"

Myka nodded.

Bell stood back up, turning to head toward Alice's room.

"I'll be there soon," he said. "I just need a minute."

Bell nodded and left around the corner.

Myka let out a deep sigh. He was terrified for Axel, for Alice. He thought that getting rid of the infection would solve everything. But there was always something else waiting around the corner.

Fiona was right. Hope was dangerous.

***

When Myka got back to the room, he found Alice already asleep. Bell told him she had given her a mild sedative after telling her the infection was gone. But decided to wait to say anything else until after she checked in with the team.

Sadie woke, and Myka sat in bed with her telling her a story until she fell asleep. Bell returned an hour later with Ren in her arms. She told him Axel had been stabilized and was receiving her blood and being closely monitored. Peter had banished her to go home and rest, but she would return in a few hours to check-in.

Myka thanked her. As she left, he looked over at Alice and then back down at Sadie. They both rested peacefully. He smiled, hugging Sadie close. As he closed his eyes, he hoped the morning would bring good news.