Chapter 15 - Hospital Beds and Breakthroughs

Art by NeverCatchMe

When I woke up the next day, I realized that there was someone that I had been ignoring. I had become so caught up in my new job and spending time with my new friends that I hadn't visited her in nearly a month. As I got ready for work, I told myself that I would ask Dad to stop by the Rose Valley Hospital on the way there. Harper needed me, especially when it was my fault that she was in the hospital in the first place.

At breakfast, Dad was busy reading the San Urbano Times, but to my surprise, it didn't mention my fight with Captain Fedora. I didn't dare to bring up the subject. Instead, I asked, "Dad, would you mind dropping me off at the hospital today? I'd like to visit Harper."

Dad, of course, agreed to take me there without any questions. On the way to the hospital, I chastised myself for forgetting about Harper. First, I had beaten up Captain Fedora, and now I was ignoring my best friend from the Academy. I was becoming worse and worse every second. At first, I thought that Dad might be right. Perhaps my new friends were making me into a real villain. Then again, Percy and Vanessa weren't evil either. If I was becoming a more wicked person, then it was my fault alone.

Dad dropped me off at the hospital, and I took the familiar path into the hospital and towards the room that Harper was in. Doctors and nurses wandered about as I headed straight towards my best friend from the Academy. Nothing could stop me at that moment. I wanted nothing more than to see Harper again, and I wasn't sure whether it was because I genuinely missed my old friend or if it was because of my need to prove that I wasn't as evil as I seemed.

When I arrived in her room, Harper was resting in bed, looking lifeless. I noticed her shallow breathing, but I wouldn't have known that she was alive otherwise. Every time I visited Harper, she looked worse and worse, but the most horrible part of the whole situation was knowing that I had done this to her.

Harper was like this because I had stolen her soul.

I clasped her hand in mine and said, "Hi Harper. It's me again. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm really sorry that I haven't visited you in the last few weeks. I've been pretty busy. I don't know if you remember Terry Black - in fact, I'm not certain that you ever met him - but I decorated his aunt's castle. You'd be so mad at me if you had your soul, Harper. I stole Terry's soul too. I didn't mean to do it to him - it was an accident, but that doesn't make it any better.

"There have been a few good things that came of it though. I have a few friends now. I think you'd really like hanging out with Vanessa and Percy. Maybe you'll get to meet them. There's a scientist that works for Ellen who is trying to figure out how to give Terry his soul back, and if she can do it for him, then she can certainly do it for you.

"Anyways, I should head off to work. I don't think I told you about this, but I have a job at the San Urbano Times now. I'll visit you again soon, Harper." I let go of her hand and took one last look at her. Harper had aged quite a bit since I stole her soul, but without her soul, those years were lost forever. I hated myself for that.

I left the hospital, still furious at myself for stealing Harper's soul. It was a mistake that I had made when I was fourteen and had no idea how to control my powers, but for me, that didn't change anything. Harper was still dying - from what I had heard, it was impressive that she had survived for this long without her soul - and it was my fault.

On the way to the San Urbano Times building, I ran into Vanessa. "Hi Jay," she said. "Are you okay? You look a little gloomy today."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "How have you been?"

Vanessa's face lit up. "I think I know where the Elixir of Immortality is," Vanessa said.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"It's in Yosemite National Park," Vanessa said, lowering her voice so that the passersby wouldn't overhear us.

"Really?" I said.

Vanessa nodded and said, "It makes sense, doesn't it? Legend has it that Theodore Roosevelt, the United States' first superhuman president, left the Elixir of Immortality somewhere in California, and it would only make sense that he would leave it in Yosemite. However, Yosemite is a big place, and I'm still not sure of the Elixir's exact location. I'll have to do a little bit more research before I go out and retrieve it."

"Well, just let me know how it goes," I said.

"I will," Vanessa said. "Actually, I might want you to tag along once I need to get the Elixir of Immortality. I don't know what sort of traps might be in place to guard the Elixir, and two superhumans are always better than one."

"I'd love to help," I said.

"Great," Vanessa said. "I'll let you know if I end up needing you."

Vanessa and I entered the San Urbano Times building together. As Vanessa tried to hide her grin, I looked around the newsroom. Everyone seemed to be hard at work already, but Declan's desk was still empty. Vanessa ran off to begin working, while I searched for Gwen so that she could give me some directions.

Just as I found her, Declan sprinted into the building. He looked unusually disheveled that morning - bruises bloomed across him skin, and a long gash ran down the side of his face. "Sorry I'm late," he said to Gwen.

Vanessa got up from her desk and walked over to Declan, Gwen, and I. "Declan!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

"I ran into a door on my way to work," Declan lied.

Vanessa quickly hugged him and said, "You're such a klutz, but I still love you."

"It doesn't really matter," Declan said as he adjusted his glasses. "I managed to get some interesting information last night."

"Tell me about it," Vanessa said, smiling.

"Apparently Captain Fedora got into a fight with the Dastardly Demon last night," Declan said. He looked in my direction, as if he was daring me to confess my secret identity. I instead backed away from Declan, Vanessa, and Gwen, and pretended to walk away. I continued to eavesdrop on the conversation from a safe distance.

"That doesn't make sense," Vanessa said. "Why didn't the Academy report it to the San Urbano Times? That's standard procedure, isn't it?"

"Captain Fedora failed to report the fight to the Academy," Declan said. "He was supposed to fight the Gadfly, and he reported that the Gadfly refused to fight him, but after the Dastardly Demon fought him and he lost, Captain Fedora didn't report that to the Academy."

"If he didn't report to the Academy, then how do you know about this?" Gwen asked.

Declan paused for a few awkward moments, making me wonder if Gwen's question might blow his cover once and for all. "My source asked to remain anonymous," Declan finally answered.

"I see," Gwen said. "Did you manage to get any pictures?"

"No," Declan said. "I wasn't there for the fight, but my source was. Captain Fedora's space-time manipulation powers made it difficult for my source to take pictures."

"Okay, Declan," Gwen said. "You can get started on that story. We'll get it published in tomorrow's paper."

"Great," Declan said. "Jay, would you mind getting me some coffee?"

I left to fetch Declan's coffee, and as I returned to his desk, I wondered how Vanessa could be so blind. How hadn't she figured out that Declan was Captain Fedora? Sometimes, it was like he wasn't even trying to hide it. Running into a door was the flimsiest possible excuse that Declan could have used to hide his injuries. Vanessa seemed pretty smart otherwise - there was no reason why she couldn't put two and two together.

Maybe that was what being in a relationship was like. Vanessa was blind to the fact that Declan was Captain Fedora because she loved him. I didn't know what it was like to be in a real relationship, so it was the best explanation that I could come up with.

I spent the rest of the day alternating between working and watching Declan and Vanessa. Declan, of course, had quite a bit of work to do on the story about our fight, but he still found the time to check his email every five minutes. Even when Vanessa complained, he stopped working to see if there were any new messages from "Parsifal Wernher."

"I can't believe that he hasn't given up yet," Vanessa commented. "You must have the world's most persistent scammer trying to steal your money, Declan."

"I'm still not entirely certain that replying to him was the best idea," Declan said. "It seems to have only made him more determined."

"He has to give up eventually," Vanessa said.

"I guess so," Declan said as he typed up another reply. A part of me wished that I could apologize to him for the events of the previous night, but I couldn't do that in the newsroom, with so many normals surrounding us, not to mention Vanessa. I would have to wait if I wanted to ask for forgiveness from my enemy.

After work, Vanessa drove me back to the castle, where I found Percy on the office computer. "What are you up to?" I asked him as I took one of his Red Vines.

To my surprise, Percy didn't use his powers to make me give it back. He barely even seemed to notice that I took it. His eyes were fixated on the computer as he said, "I'm emailing Captain Fedora."

"How's that going?" I asked. "Have you figured out his secret identity yet?"

"Not yet," Percy said. "Unfortunately, my powers don't seem to work well on him. Captain Fedora is too strong willed. I'm going to have to try some new tactics if I want to figure out his secret identity."

I looked over Percy's shoulder at his computer and read the email that he had just sent to Declan.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: PLEASE HELP A GOOD FRIEND

Dear Tony (since you keep insisting on that name),

That really is an interesting story. I've never been stuck in an elevator, and definitely not for three hours. Good thing Ellen's castle only has stairs!

I do think that you wouldn't be a bad person to be stuck in an elevator with though, Captain Fedora ;)

Parsifal Wernher

"How did you get on this topic?" I asked Percy.

Vanessa barged into the office before he could respond. "Percy, can I please use the computer?" she asked.

"I'm busy," he replied.

"I need to do some more research on the Elixir of Immortality," Vanessa said. "If you're just playing video games, then you can use your phone."

"Actually, I'm emailing Captain Fedora," Percy said.

"You can do that from your phone too," Vanessa said.

Percy sighed and handed the computer to Vanessa, who promptly started researching Yosemite National Park and superhuman lore. She occasionally asked me for help, but most of the time, she did all of the work herself. Sometimes, I was in awe of Vanessa's work ethic. However, neither she nor Percy had figured out Captain Fedora's secret identity, which I still couldn't quite figure out. My own guilt over beating up Captain Fedora and ignoring Harper also continued to nibble away at me.

In the end, none of that mattered. For now, everything was right in the castle.