Never the same - Manifest

Chapter 1: blow off steam

Note: This story takes place weeks after they solve the death date (2013) and it's as none of what happened over the past 5 and a half years never happened..
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Ben
"Hey, Cal, you ready for your appointment?"

"Yeah, Dad."Cal said.  "It's gonna be ok!" He said reassuring his father.

"I know. Let's get in the car."

Ben grabbed his keys from the key bowl, and as soon as Ben was about to open the door, he heard the footsteps of Grace.

"Don't think you're leaving me without giving me a hug!" Grace said walking down the stairs quickly.

Ben laughed. "You go say bye to you're mom buddy. I'll be in the car."

"Aren't you gonna give her a hug, too?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be waiting in the car. Can't be late!"

Cal quickly gave his mom a hug, and Cal ran super fast to the car. They drive to the hospital where he has his appointments for his cancer.

"Alright you ready?" Ben said.

"I'm a little scared, but I'm ok!"

They both head into the hospital where they get greeted and assisted to Dr Bahl's room.
Ben knocks on her room.

"Hello?"

Ben and Cal both look at eachother.

"Maybe just try pushing the door open." Cal said.

Ben pushed the door opened and it opened. Only to see Saanvi sleeping in her lab. Saanvi had been very exhausted for working late hours any night nearly getting sleep. Surviving on coffee. She was never much of a coffee girl, but she would work in her lab all day and night to find cures for Cal.

"Oh this is very um- interesting. Dr Bahl?"

"Dad, I think she's asleep."

"W- well yes I can clearly see that."

"So what should we do. Leave? She looks exhausted. We can always reschedule."

"Um okay yeah." Ben said. "Let's go home. You want ice cream?"

"Is that even a question?"

Ben laughed.

Saanvi
Saanvi was tired. Working long hours, and not seeing progress. It was super draining. She hadn't slept in 3 days. Her only resort to staying awake was coffee. She hated coffee but she would always say "sleep is for suckers"

"Just one more round." She said. "Then I'll be done. I need to make sure this treatment will officially work."

Clearly it was not one more round she got so lost in time. Her eyes were slowly drifting away. She would take a sip of coffee every now and then, but it wasn't enough.

"C'mon stay awake!" She said.

Easier said than done. She collapsed.

Saanvi had totally forgot that Cal and Ben had scheduled their appointment. She was in a deep sleep. Saanvi ends up waking up an hour later, to the sun setting. Saanvi wakes up slowly and looks at her computer.

"6.42 pm?" She yelled.

The sleep felt like 5 minutes for her.
She then remembers the appointment.

"No, no, no, no! This can't be happening."

Saanvi calls Ben.

Michaela
While Ben was getting ice cream with Cal. Aunt Mick went over to the Stones house.

"Hello? She knocks on the door.

Grace opens the door.

Mick sighs. "Hey where's uh Ben?"

"He told me he had to go to an appointment for Cal's treatments. Apparently Dr. Bahl is still testing out treatments for Cal."

"Oh yeah yeah where Olive? I wanna have a rematch in our chess game."

Grace laughs. "She right upstairs."

Mick knew Grace and Ben have had some troubles, but it seemed like they were fine. Well as far from what she knew. She knew him and Saanvi have had a past, but now they're all forced to shove it down. Things were going good for Mick and Zeke. They started to get closer, and she hoped that Zeke may have remembered her.

"So our rematch. Is it on?"

Olive gets the chess board out. "You shouldn't try that hard."

"Yeah right. You're going down, Olive."

"Before we play Auntie Mick can I ask you something?"

"Spill."

Olive really makes sure to think what she's gonna say. She wants to say it, but she doesn't want to worry Aunt Mick.

"Nevermind. I forgot."

Michaela had a lot of suspicion, but didn't want to force it out of Olive.

"That's okay. You can tell me when you're ready." Mick said.

Olive ends up playing the chess game with Mick and she wins again.

"Loser." Olive said.

"Just you wait." Aunt Mick said. "I'll get better."

Saanvi
Saanvi calls Ben because she feels awful for sleeping away their appointment. I mean she was still tired, but she knew this was so unprofessional of her.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" She said.

Ben answered the phone.

"Hey I'm getting ice cream with Cal what's up?
Well already got it but you know what I mean."

"Ben..."

"I am so so sorry. Me sleeping was so unprofessional it's just th-"

"It's okay, I get it." Ben reassured her.

"So uh how are things with you and Grace?"

"I just can't believe we've just had to shove everything down like it never happened." Ben said.

"You didn't answer my question." She said.

"It's fine." Ben sort of lied. "I gotta go."

"Oh ok."

Ben hung up. It looked like her saying that triggered something in him. She didn't worry too much about it.

Michaela
"Where's your father?" She asked Olive.

She rolled her eyes "Taking forever."

"Another round?"

"No. I'm just kinda tired."

"Alright."

Mick heard the front door slam open. She went downstairs and Cal and Ben had blank faces.

"How was the appointment."

"Yeah uh yeah. Great." Ben said.

"What about you, Cal? How was it?"

"What dad said."

Mick sensed that there was something going on. Something that they weren't telling her.

"Ok." She said. "I bet Grace would love to hear all about it."

"Yeah. I'm sure she would." Ben said. "Hey Mick can I talk to you... privately."

"I was waiting for you to say that. Come on let's go."

They decide to give Cal some screen time and play Minecraft. He then heads upstairs.

"What's up?"

"I can't stand this. I can't stand shoving all this down. I can't st-"

"But I thought you were happy? Aren't you?" Mick said with concerns.