Meanwhile, Thomas was running up a staircase that led to the roof as fast as he could. The whole time, he had an angry look on his face.
“Red Claw! You won’t get away with this!” At that moment, Red Claw was preparing to board a small helicopter. It was pouring down rain which meant the fire would soon put itself out. She looked down to see the agents desperately trying to bring all the bombs outside while not loosing sight of any of her men. She formed a sneer on her face as she stepped into the helicopter. Just before she could sit down, the door to the staircase swung open and Thomas stepped out.
“RED CLAW!!!” Red Claw turned to see him.
“Whatever is the matter, agent? Are you upset that you weren’t able to protect your friend? Are you humiliated because she ended up saving you instead of you saving her? I guess it just goes to show that you really are nothing more than a weakling who can’t protect anyone other than yourself. After all, this is the second time you’ve failed to protect someone you really cared about. Am I correct?” On hearing that, Thomas gripped his fists so hard his nails were cutting his skin.
“Red Claw! I promise you! I will be the one to bring you in no matter what it takes!” Red Claw threw her head back and laughed as she sat down.
“You fool! It doesn’t really matter what you do! There is nothing you can do to bring an end to everything! This whole dilemma has been nothing more than a minor setback! Time will pass and Red Claw will rise again!” With that said, the helicopter started to rise. Thomas reached into his gadget belt.
“No, I will never allow that to happen again.” Quickly, he pulled out a tiny missile launcher and aimed it at the top propeller.
“This is the end! It’s over!!!” Thomas shouted as he fired his launcher. The missile made a perfect bulls eye. As the missile exploded, it released a vast amount of liquid nitrogen that totally froze the propeller. At first, the chopper swerved from side to side. Then, it started to fall. Red Claw tried to get control of things, but there was nothing she could do. As soon as the chopper was close to the ground, she jumped down and rolled out of the way as the chopper crash landed. She tried to stand back up and run away, but a bunch of agents jumped her before she had the chance. Thomas let out a sigh of relief as he put his launcher away and lowered himself down with his grappling hook. Keeping his head down, he walked towards the others.
“You did very well, Thomas.” Looking up, he saw the commander standing in front of him.
“I’m sure your mother would be very proud of you.” Thomas looked down at his feet as his fellow agents lead Red Claw away.
“Yeah.” Slowly, he lifted his head.
“How is she?” The commander tilted his head to the side. Thomas looked over to see a big white truck. He walked over to it. Once there, he spotted Marcus and Yoshi. He became worried when he realized Yoshi was crying. He quickly rushed over to them.
“What happened?! What’s wrong?!” Yoshi looked up at him as she wiped her eyes.
“Oh...Thomas...”
“What is it?! Why are you crying?! Is... is Marisa!” Yoshi shook her head.
“No, her injuries aren’t life threatening. We used the first aid kit Miki and Minnie gave us to treat her wounds. Then the medical team arrived so we turned her over to them.”
“And...what did they say? If her injuries aren’t life threatening, than there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.”
“Yes but...but...” Yoshi couldn’t bring herself to finish as she struggled not to burst out crying. Marcus came up and slowly put his arms around her as she buried her face into his shoulder. He had a sad look on his face.
“We just spoke with the head of the medical team. Like Yoshi said, her life isn’t in any danger. But...” Thomas formed a worried look on his face.
“They say the damage to her head was pretty intense. And...they also say there’s a strong chance that...she may never regain consciousness again.” As soon as he heard that, Thomas felt as if he had just been stabbed through the heart. His whole body froze as he could hardly breathe.
“That...can’t...” He couldn’t even bring himself to finish speaking. Looking over at the white truck, he peered through the window. There were a few men in there still working on Marisa. He couldn’t see her face, but he could see her hand. It was just laying there completely motionless. Unable to hold himself up, Thomas dropped to the ground on his knees as Red Claw’s words continued to ring in his ears.
“I guess it goes to show that you really are a weakling who can’t protect anyone other than yourself.” Filled with anger and frustration, he slammed his hands against the road.
“She’s right. I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t able to protect Marisa just like I wasn’t able to protect my mother. Why?! Why couldn’t I do it?! Why couldn’t I protect her?! Just what is it?! What is it that I’m suppose to do?! Please! Please tell me!” At that moment, Thomas raised his head and cried out as loud as he could as rain rolled down his face covering his tears.
“MOTHER!!!”
After the fire was put out and all the bombs were gathered, everyone headed out. Thomas was still on his knees just letting the rain pour over him. Finally, Marcus and Yoshi came up. Marcus held an umbrella over his head while Yoshi wrapped a warm dry towel around him.
“Come on, Thomas. We should get going. They’ve taken Marisa to W.O.O.H.P.’s infirmary where she can receive the best treatment available. I’m sure everything will turn out.” Yoshi said as she helped him to his feet.
“Yeah, right.” Letting Marcus and Yoshi lead him, Thomas got back into his car. Yoshi sat is the back while Marcus drove. As they drove away, Thomas just watched the rain.
“Nothing. There was nothing I could do. Nothing at all.” After taking the short drive, they arrived back at W.O.O.H.P. and headed over to the infirmary. There, they met a couple of nurses who happened to be Yoshi’s good friends.
“Yoshi! Thank goodness you’re alright!”
“We heard about what happened and were worried about you.”
“Yeah, stop scaring us like that. If you keep this up, you’re gonna put all of us in early graves.”
“Sorry, Arianna, Alexis, Rachel, things got a little out of hand. How’s Marisa doing? Any change?” Arianna shook her head.
“I’m afraid not. The doctors just finished stitching her head up and did all they could to make her more comfortable. But...” Yoshi lowered her head.
“I understand.” She looked at Thomas. He had a look on his face as though all the life had been drained out of his eyes. Sadly, she walked up to him and took hold of his arm.
“Come on, Thomas. You’ve been through enough for one night and should get some sleep.” Unable to answer, Thomas let Yoshi lead him down the hall. Everyone just watched them go.
“Poor Thomas.” Arianna stated.
“I feel almost as bad for him as I do for Marisa.” Alexis mentioned.
“He’s really taking it hard. I hope he’s not blaming himself for what happened to her.” Rachel said. Marcus let out a sigh.
“I’m afraid he is. In more ways than one.” The girls looked at him.
“Why? It’s not like he was the one responsible.” Alexis stated.
“That’s just it. He feels he is responsible.”
“Huh?”
“He feels that the whole reason this happened is because he got her involved in all of this. The truth is, he’s beating himself up over it so much, he wishes he could go back and erase the day they ever met. That way, he’d know for sure she wouldn’t have had such a horrible thing happen to her.” The girls gasped. Marcus raised his head as he watched Yoshi lead him around the corner.
“Thomas, what can I say to you? How can I possibly think of a way to get your spirit back up? You lost your mother and now this.” Marcus gripped his fists and struggled not to cry.
“Thomas, you aren’t the only one to blame for all of this. I’m just as responsible as you are. Because, I just stood by and watched as someone dear to all of us risked her very life to save everyone. For that, I have no right to console you. If only I could take all your pain and transfer it to me. That would be the only thing I could possibly do for you right now. Yet, I am unable to. In the end, there’s nothing I can do.” Meanwhile, Yoshi was making Thomas lay down in a bed in one of the resting rooms.
“Now you get some rest, Thomas. And try not to worry. I’m sure Marisa will wake up soon.” Thomas didn’t respond. He just laid his head on a pillow. Yoshi gently stroke his head trying to help him relax. Finally, he fell asleep. Yoshi quietly tiptoed out of the room and shut the door. Unable to go any further, she leaned against the wall. For a while, she just stood there. Tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“I hate this. Two very dear friends of mine are in so much pain and I’m not able to help them at all. How? How could I allow myself to be so helpless at a time like this? There just has to be something I can do. But what? What can I possibly do?! Someone...please...tell me!” With that, she dropped down to the floor and wept. At that time, Miki and Minnie were watching over Marisa as she laid in her bed resting peacefully. As they squeezed her hands, all they could do was cry.
“Why Miki?” Miki looked up at Minnie.
“I thought the day we solved this case would be a joyful one. Something we would all be able to laugh and cheer about. So than why? Why is it that all I want to do now is cry my eyes out?! Red Claw has been caught and her empire lays in ruins! Yet instead of laughing, everyone is crying! Why did things have to turn out this way?!” Minnie screamed as she pressed Marisa’s hand tightly against her face. Miki just sat there trying not to shed tears.
“I...I don’t know, Minnie. I just don’t know.” Minnie just wept as Miki snapped her eyes shut. Up at the command center, Commander Sampson was just standing in front of his desk alone. As he looked around at the quiet room, he remembered how it was once filled with the smiling faces of his agents. Smiles that made his heart feel at ease. He remembered how they smiled even bigger smiles when Marisa was there and how her smile was the biggest and brightest of all. Without saying a word, he just squeezed his fists as he stood there silently.
Before anyone knew what had happened, 3 whole days had come and gone. That whole time, Thomas didn’t wake up. Finally, he opened his eyes. As he got out of bed and walked out of the room, he just started walking randomly.
“Marisa...where are you...why can’t I find you?” Just then, he heard someone call out to him.
“Thomas?!” Thomas turned to see it was Coby. Coby rushed up to him.
“Thomas! What are you doing?! You shouldn’t be out of bed yet! You’re still very weak!” Thomas just stood there in a daze.
“Marisa”
“Huh?”
“Where...where is she...I have to see her.” Coby hesitated at first. Then, he let out a sigh.
“Alright. I’ll take you to her.” For a while, they just walked down the hall. Finally, they came to a door which read ‘Recovery Room.’ Coby turned the doorknob.
“She’s in here. Should be the only one in right now.” Thomas looked at the door as Coby slowly opened it. Looking into the room, all he was able to see was the end of a bed. Slowly, he walked into the room and walked over to it. The closer he got, the more he was able to see. Finally, he was able to see Marisa’s face which still had an oxygen mask over it. She was just laying there fast asleep. Her head was tightly bandaged up. She also had a few bandages on her arms and neck. Sitting down in the seat next to her, Thomas just stared at her face. As he looked at her hand, he longed to reach out and squeeze it. But he just couldn’t allow himself to. Looking at his hand, he remembered when it was wet with her blood on it. Unable to say or do anything, all he could do was sit and watch over her as she slept. As the days rolled by, everyone took turns watching over Marisa as she slept. Realizing they couldn’t keep the truth from them, Yoshi and Marcus told her family and friends what happened. At first, they didn’t want to believe it. After getting permission from the commander, Marcus and Yoshi brought them all to W.O.O.H.P. to see for themselves. Realizing that it was the truth, they all wept bitterly. Thomas was too ashamed to show himself in front of them, so he remained hidden during their visits. In fact, Thomas was so crushed about the whole thing, he almost didn’t visit Marisa at all. He just couldn’t allow himself to see her after what had happened. For a while, he thought about resigning his position as an agent. Eventually, he realized that would be the cowardly thing to do and the exact opposite of what Marisa would want. Instead, he just buried himself in his work and tried to forget about the whole thing. Though it did help take his mind off of things, it didn’t stop him from seeing her in his dreams. The more Thomas tried to forget about Marisa, the harder it became. Yoshi and Marcus watched Thomas tearing himself apart and wished there was something they could do for him. But they realized there wasn’t anything they could do. This was something Thomas had to resolve on his own.
As time went on, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Before anyone knew it, 8 whole months had come and gone. Still, despite everyone’s hopes and wishes, Marisa just wouldn’t wake up. One day, her family and Maggie paid her a visit. Conner cried as he squeezed his sister’s hand.
“Why? Why won’t sis wake up? It’s been months since that day. So why? Why won’t she wake up?!” He cried. Donna and Graham just sat there.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have let him come with us.” Donna whispered with a sad look on her face. Graham shook his head.
“No, this is what Marisa would want. She wouldn’t want us to keep him away from her. It would only hurt them both more.” Donna lowered her head as she looked at her daughter’s sleeping face. Maggie just sat in the chair next to her best friend with a broken heart look on her face.
“How much longer are you going to have to go through this? You have your whole life ahead of you, Macy. It’s just not fair for this to be happening to you of all people. You’ve dedicated your life to helping others, so why isn’t there anything we can do to help you?” Just then, Yoshi, and Marcus came in. Yoshi was carrying a tray with steaming cups on it.
“We heard you were here so we thought we’d come say hello.” Marcus stated. Yoshi picked up one of the cups and handed it to Donna.
“Here, I thought you might like something warm to drink.” Donna smiled.
“Thank you.” For a while, no one said a word. Conner just kept crying as he squeezed his sister’s hand. Everyone lowered their heads and formed sad looks on their faces. Unable to take it any longer, Conner burst out.
“I can’t take this!” He cried. Everyone looked at him surprised. Conner jumped out of his chair and started shaking Marisa’s shoulders.
“Sis! Come on please! You have to wake up! You can’t leave like this! You have to open your eyes!” He screamed to the top of his voice.
“Conner! Stop that!” Donna took a step forward but Graham pulled her back.
“Let him get it out of his system.” Donna formed a sad look on her face as she just stood there watching her son go crazy.
“Sis! Please say something! I know I can drive you crazy at times and I can act like a big baby! I know I act like I know everything and that I’m all grown up! But...I’m not! I’m not grown up at all! You’ve always been there to protect and look out for me! Even when times seemed hopeless, you were always there when I needed you! And I still need you! You’re the best big sister in the world! I need you to keep protecting me like you have been! I need you to be there to tell me when I’m wrong and what I should be doing to be right! I need you to teach me and guide me when I’ve lost my way! Please...Sis...wake up!!!” Despite Conner’s pleas, Marisa just laid there not moving an inch. Everyone formed tears in their eyes as all seemed truly hopeless. Conner dropped on his knees and grabbed her hand. Yoshi gently put her hands on his shoulders as he wept in the sheets. For a moment, everyone just stood there with tears in their eyes. Suddenly, Conner thought he felt something move in his hand. At first, he thought he was just imagining it. Then, he felt it again. This time, the feeling was a little stronger. Conner shot his head up just in time to see one of the fingers on Marisa’s hand flinch.
“Sis?” He asked quietly. Keeping an eye on her hand, Conner’s eyes shot open when he felt her gently gripping his hand.
“Mom! Dad!” Donna and Graham looked at him.
“It’s moving! Her hand’s moving!” Everyone’s heads shot up and looked at it. Nothing was happening. Just then, they heard a low beeping sound. They looked at the green screen over her head. The long green line was starting to form little squiggles every few seconds. Yoshi’s eyes widened.
“That’s!” Marcus looked at her.
“What?! What is it?!”
“It’s the brain wave indicator! Those marks mean her brain is starting to function!” Everyone gasped.
“But...that means!” Conner looked at his sister’s hand. Once again, it slowly moved gripping his hand a little tighter.
“She moved! She’s waking up!” Maggie gasped. Marcus rushed to the door.
“I’ll go get the doctor!” Conner gripped her hand as tight as he could.
“Sis! Please! Wake up! SIS!!!”
At that time, deep within her consciousness, Marisa was slowly starting to open her eyes.
“Huh...what...where am I?” She raised her head to find herself floating in a cloud of darkness.
“What is this? There’s nothing here.” Looking around, she couldn’t see a thing. Suddenly, she spotted a small light.
“What’s that?” The light just flickered off in the distance. As if being drawn, Marisa started walking towards it. The closer she got to it, the bigger it became. It was getting much brighter too. Soon, Marisa wasn’t able to see and had to cover her eyes. Just then, the light died down. She opened her eyes to find herself in some kind of room. Though, it seemed to have a familiar feeling to it.
“I...I know this place.”
“Grandpa please!” A voice spoke up from behind her. Marisa turned to see an old man resting comfortably in a bed. There was a young girl at his bedside squeezing his hand. Marisa stared at the old man and couldn’t believe who it was.
“Gr...grandfather?!” She tried to reach out for him but couldn’t.
“Grandpa, you have to hang on! You just have to!” The young girl cried out. Marisa looked at the girl.
“If that’s really grandfather, than that girl is...me? What’s going on? I must be dreaming. This... this is the day my grandfather...” Just then, the old man opened his eyes.
“Mar...isa?”
“I’m right here, Grandpa. Don’t worry. You’re gonna be okay now.” The old man smiled as he rubbed the girl’s cheek with his hand.
“No, little one. I fear I will not be able to make it this time.”
“Yes you can! Just you wait! Soon I’ll become a doctor and take care of you myself! You won’t have to stay here anymore! I’ll take you home and cure your disease myself!” The old man let out a laugh.
“You have a kind heart, my child. I truly am grateful to have had such a wonderful granddaughter like you. I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more.” Just then, the man closed his eyes and groaned in pain.
“Grandpa!” The girl cried.
“Help! Help! Somebody please help!” She cried as loudly as she could. Just then, the old man squeezed her hand.
“Marisa, listen to me. Whatever happens to me, you mustn’t allow yourself to be sad. You must go on with your life wearing a smile on your face. Even if you go through troubled times, as long as you keep smiling good things will come your way. Just remember to always smile and everything will be alright.” The girl squeezed his hand as tears rolled down her face.
“No! Don’t talk like that, Grandpa! You can’t go away! I need you! Without you, I’ll be all alone!” The man chuckled.
“It’s alright, my dear. No matter what happens, you will never be alone. You will always have your family and friends right there with you. They will always need you, just as much as you need them. Their strength will be your guide, their encouragement will show you the path, their hearts will be your protection. When you feel lost, their hands will reach out to lead you. When you feel afraid, their voices will rise up to comfort you. No matter what gets thrown your way, you will never have to face it alone. They will always be with you.” At that moment, Marisa’s whole body lit up. She gasped as everything suddenly disappeared and she found herself surrounded by darkness again. For a while, she just stood there.
“Grandfather...the day you died, you spoke those words to me. I didn’t really understand you at the time. But now...I finally understand what you were trying to tell me. All those times I thought I was alone, I really wasn’t. I had my family and friends. It was just like you said, their strength became my guide. It was because of them I was able to make it this far. It’s because of them that I...I was able to smile through it all. I was able to enjoy my life and have reasons to go on living. You kept on repeating those words to me until your dying breath.” Just then, tears started to fall from her eyes.
“And now...now I understand. After all this time, I finally understand...I...I’m sorry grandpa.” Marisa just dropped to her knees and cried. For a while, nothing happened. Marisa didn’t even notice a light shining down over her head.
“Sis...” Marisa thought she heard a voice. She rose her head.
“Sis...”
“That...that voice...” Marisa rose to her feet and saw the light as it gradually got bigger.
“SIS!!!”
“Conner?!” Just then, the light dropped down completely surrounding her. Marisa found herself in darkness again. Only this time, she felt like something was squeezing her hand. Gathering what little strength she could, she gripped her hand.
“Sis?! Please wake up! Open your eyes!” She could hear her brother calling out to her. Finally, she started to open her eyes. Gradually, she was able to make out visions of someone standing over her. It was Conner. His eyes were full of tears.
“Con...ner?” She slowly spoke up. At that moment, she felt him throw his arms around her.
“Sis! Thank goodness! You’re back!” Unable to move, Marisa slowly raised her head. She could see lots of people standing over her. They all had tears in their eyes.
“Mom...Dad...” Donna and Graham bent down next to her.
“We’re right here, dear.”
“Don’t you worry. You’re gonna be just fine now.”
“Macy! Thank goodness! You’ve finally come to!” Marisa heard a voice next to her. She turned her head to see her friends.
“May May...Marcus...Yoshi...”
“Who did you expect?” Marcus teased. Marisa looked up.
“Where?”
“Your in W.O.O.H.P.’s top infirmary. You’ve been taken very good care of.” Marisa looked around.
“How are you feeling, dear?” Donna asked.
“I’ve been better. I feel like I can’t move a muscle and my head’s spinning like crazy.”
“Well, try not to worry. I’m sure you’ll be back on your feet in no time.” Graham stated with a big smile. Marisa looked up at the ceiling as Conner just wept on her chest.
“I...I was dreaming.”
“Oh? What was your dream about?” Yoshi asked. Marisa hesitated for a minute.
“It was...about the day grandpa died.” Everyone gasped.
“I remember...he told me that...no matter what happened...I would never be alone. I would always have my friends and family there by my side...I didn’t really think about it at the time. But now...I realize he was right. I’m not alone at all. I do have all of you here with me.” Just then, a tear rolled down her cheek. Slowly, she struggled to lift her arm and wrap it around Conner as he just cried. Everyone just smiled as they all wiped the tears from their eyes. At long last, everything was going to be okay. Marisa opened her eyes and looked around.
“Thomas?” Marcus and Yoshi looked at her.
“Where...where is Thomas?” Forming sad looks on their faces, they looked at each other.
“Thomas is...well...let’s just say he’s been keeping himself very busy lately.” Marisa looked at the ceiling.
“I...I want to see him.” Yoshi looked at Marcus. All he could do was nod. Yoshi nodded back.
“Alright, I’ll go see if I can find him.”
It took a while, but Yoshi finally found Thomas and told him everything. Thomas’s face brightened.
“She’s...awake?!” Yoshi nodded.
“Yeah, and she’s asking for you. She says she wants to see you.” Thomas lowered his head and turned around. For a while, he didn’t say anything.
“I can’t. I can’t possibly face her. It would only bring more harm than good.” Yoshi sighed.
“Isn’t that for her to decide?” Thomas raised his head. Just then, Yoshi grabbed his arm and started pulling him. Thomas could have fought her, but just couldn’t bring himself to. Yoshi dragged Thomas back to the infirmary. When they got there, she was surprised to see everyone outside.
“We thought we’d give them some time to themselves.” Maggie stated. Yoshi smiled as she pulled Thomas up to the door. At first, he just stood there. Finally, he opened the door. As he walked in, Marisa had her eyes closed. As soon as she heard the door close, she opened them. Thomas could hardly believe it. She really was awake. For a moment, the two of them just stood there not saying a word. Finally, Marisa raised her hand and reached out for him. Thomas just stood there with a surprised look on his face. Finally, he walked over to her and took her hand.
“Marisa...I...”
“I’m so happy, Thomas.”
“Huh?”
“I’m so happy. We can be together like this again.” Thomas’s face brightened. Seeing her smile once again was enough to push out any doubts remaining in his head. Loosing himself, he gripped her hand tightly and wept.