Ethan Knox - March 2121
"Are you sure about this?" I ask for what must be the hundredth time.
Noah swings around in his chair, holding a metal tray containing the syringe and the rest of the medical equipment they'll need. He looks completely composed, which I suppose is a good thing considering he's the one about to inject Kai with an experimental cure.
"I am positive," he says with complete confidence. "We've worked closely on this new formulation, and all the evidence shows that it will be successful."
I look down at the syringe again, trying to remind myself that it is only a small amount of liquid inside a piece of glass, but knowing what it could do to Kai makes it difficult to see it that way. I watch as Thomas pulls Kai's arm towards him and ties the band around his upper arm, tightening it until the veins become more visible.
I can't stop myself from pacing.
When we came back from our holiday, Edmund and Thomas told us they'd finally made progress on a cure that could help stabilise Kai's episodes. With Noah's input, they'd gone through the formulation repeatedly, checking every possible reaction and reducing the risks as much as they could. They've spent days working on it, and everyone seems confident that they've finally got it right.
Everyone except me.
I keep thinking about the last time they cured Kai's burnout. Everything had gone according to plan until his heart stopped, and for several terrifying minutes we had no idea if we were going to get him back. I remember standing there and watching the monitors, convinced that I was about to lose him. I remember how helpless I felt, knowing that even with my ability, I hadn't been able to see it coming.
Those memories haven't exactly made me enthusiastic about watching another treatment.
As I pace across the room again, a hand reaches out and catches mine, bringing me to a stop. I look down to find Kai sitting comfortably in the chair, his arm still held by Thomas while his other hand wraps gently around mine.
"Ethan, it's fine," he says, looking up at me with an almost irritating amount of calm. "I trust Noah. I'll be fine."
I glance towards Noah and catch the brief change in his expression. His confidence falters for only a second at Kai's words, as though the trust his brother has placed in him carries more weight than he expected. He clears his throat and turns his attention back to the equipment.
"I know," I say, bringing my other hand over Kai's. "I'm just... scared."
Kai's expression softens. He lifts his now free hand and gently strokes the side of my face, and I instinctively lean into his touch. "Everything will be fine," he says quietly.
I want to believe him. I want to believe Noah, Edmund and Thomas have finally found something that will help him without putting his life at risk. More than anything, I want to believe that this time won't end the way the last treatment did.
Still, something nags at the back of my mind.
I let my ability take hold.
The familiar blue light flashes across my vision as I search through the near future. Possibilities unfold around me, one after another, each branching from the smallest movement. I see Noah giving Kai the injection. I see the monitors responding. I see Kai experiencing pain, but I don't see his heart stopping. I search further, looking for any sign that something is going to go horribly wrong, but there is nothing.
No collapse.
No death.
No future where I lose him.
I pull myself back into the present, but instead of feeling reassured, I find myself questioning my own ability. Perhaps I'm missing something. Perhaps the future is simply hiding it from me. I've spent enough time seeing possibilities to know that just because I don't see something doesn't mean it can't happen.
"Ethan?"
Kai's voice brings me back again.
"I'm okay," I tell him, although I'm not entirely sure that's true.
Before either of us can say anything else, Edmund steps forward. "Are we ready?"
Noah checks the equipment one final time before nodding. "Ready."
Edmund approaches Kai and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You've got this, my boy. We're going to make you better."
Kai gives him a slow nod, and I reluctantly release his hand before stepping back to give them room. Finn moves beside me and pats my back reassuringly.
"He's going to be fine," he says.
I glance at him. "You sound very confident."
"Someone has to and I trust in Noah."
Despite everything, I manage a small smile.
Thomas begins attaching the monitoring devices to Kai's temples while Sophie settles behind the screen to monitor the readings. She sits close enough to Kai that she can reach him immediately if anything changes, her eyes already moving between the different numbers appearing across the screen.
Noah rolls his chair closer to Kai until they are sitting directly opposite each other. For a moment, neither of them says anything. They simply look at each other, and I can almost imagine them having an entire conversation without speaking. They're twins, and sometimes they don't need words to understand what the other is thinking.
I notice Noah swallow hard before he looks down at the syringe and removes the cap.
"You've got this, Noah," Kai says quietly.
Noah looks back at him and gives a small nod. "Yeah."
He takes a deep breath before bringing the needle towards Kai's arm. For a moment, it hovers just above his skin, and I find myself holding my breath without realising it. Then Noah pushes the needle into Kai's vein and slowly injects the cure.
Once the syringe is empty, Noah removes the needle and immediately presses gauze against the injection site.
Nobody speaks, we all just wait.
The only sound in the room is the steady beeping of the monitor beside Kai. I keep my eyes fixed on him, watching every movement, every breath, every slight change in his expression. I tell myself that everything is fine, but I'm already preparing myself for something to go wrong.
Then the monitor begins to increase.
At first it's only a slight change, barely noticeable, but everyone catches it.
Noah leans forward. "Kai? How are you feeling?"
Kai takes a deeper breath, his chest rising slowly as he tries to steady himself. "I'm fine. My chest just feels heavy."
"It's okay," Edmund says gently. "That's expected. The cure should be stabilising the blood cells, so your heart is probably working a little harder to circulate it through your body."
Kai nods, but I notice the sweat beginning to form across his forehead. Another bead rolls down his temple, and then he suddenly leans forward, clutching his chest.
"Kai!"
I move towards him before I even realise I've started walking.
His breathing becomes heavier, and the monitor begins to beep faster. Sophie immediately moves beside him and places a hand against his back, using her ability to ease some of the pain while Noah watches the readings.
"It's almost over," Noah says, leaning down so he can look directly into Kai's face. "You're almost there."
Kai nods, but his fingers remain tightly pressed against his chest. I stand beside him, watching the monitor with my heart pounding, unable to stop myself from imagining the worst.
For a moment, I'm back there again.
The last treatment.
The monitor going silent.
Kai's body becoming completely still.
But I force the memory away. This isn't the same... It can't be.
Slowly, the numbers on the monitor begin to fall. The frantic beeping becomes steadier, and Kai's breathing gradually returns to normal. His shoulders relax as Sophie continues easing the remaining pain.
I don't realise how tightly I've been clenching my hands until I finally let them relax.
Thomas carefully takes a blood sample from Kai and immediately begins analysing it. We all wait as he studies the results, nobody wanting to celebrate too early.
Then he starts laughing and we all turn towards him.
"It worked!" he says, his face breaking into a huge smile. "There's no sign of deviation in the blood cells. We did it."
For a moment, nobody says anything.
Then the tension that has filled the room finally breaks.
Thomas and Edmund pat each other on the back, Noah lets out a relieved laugh, and Finn releases a breath that sounds as though he's been holding it for the entire procedure. They've spent days working tirelessly on this, barely giving themselves time to rest, and now all of that work has finally paid off.
I barely hear any of it, I'm already beside Kai.
I reach down and pull him into a tight hug, wrapping my arms around him as though I need to physically reassure myself that he's really here.
"I'm so glad you're okay," I whisper.
Kai laughs softly and wraps his arms around me. "I told you it would be fine."
I close my eyes against his shoulder, listening to the lightness in his voice. He's relaxed. He's calm. He's alive.
For once, there isn't a vision waiting behind my eyes. There isn't blood or the sound of a monitor going silent. There isn't a future where I lose him.
There is only Kai, warm in my arms and breathing steadily against me, and for the first time since we started this treatment, I allow myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, we're finally going to be okay.
The door leading into the lab slowly opens, and Monica's head appears through the gap. She looks around the room, her eyes immediately searching for an answer.
"So?"
"It worked!" Thomas says, practically beaming with excitement. "It actually worked."
Monica tries to contain her smile, but she doesn't stand a chance. Her entire face lights up as she pulls her head back through the doorway, and for a second, I wonder what she's doing. Then her voice echoes outside.
"IT WORKED!"
A roar of cheering immediately follows.
Kai looks towards the door with a confused expression, clearly trying to figure out what is happening. I can't help but smile as I reach over and begin removing the monitoring devices from his temples.
"What are they doing?" he asks.
"Come on," I say, holding out my hand. "You'll find out."
Kai looks at me suspiciously before taking my hand and allowing me to pull him to his feet. I help him steady himself for a moment, making sure he's not dizzy after everything he's just been through.
"And everyone else," I add, looking towards Noah, Thomas, Edmund, Sophie and Finn.
They don't need any more encouragement. Everyone follows us towards the main entrance, and the moment the doors open, cold air rushes inside.
I stop just outside.
The entire school is standing there.
Dozens of people are gathered across the grounds despite the cold, wrapped in coats and blankets, some holding mugs of hot drinks as they wait. Their breath hangs visibly in the air, and the snow beneath their feet has been trampled into a mixture of footprints and slush.
For a moment, nobody says anything, then they see Kai and the reaction is immediate.
The crowd erupts into cheers.
Kai barely has time to react before people begin rushing towards him. Someone pulls him into a hug, another pats him enthusiastically on the shoulder, and several people start congratulating him at once.
I watch as Kai laughs, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden attention but unable to hide his happiness.
The celebration quickly spreads to Noah, Edmund and Thomas. People surround them, congratulating them for their work, shaking their hands and patting them on the back. Thomas looks as though he's still trying to process the fact that their weeks of work have actually paid off, while Noah is doing his best to maintain his usual composure despite the smile that keeps creeping across his face.
Edmund seems to be enjoying every second of it.
I hang back slightly, watching everything unfold.
Gerald and Monica eventually come to stand on either side of me, both of us watching Kai disappear beneath a sea of people.
"I am glad to see he is okay," Gerald says.
I nod, keeping my eyes on Kai. "So am I."
Monica leans closer and rests her arm across my shoulder.
"So..." she says, glancing towards Kai. "Does this mean he's now the perfect specimen?"
I turn towards her.
"What do you mean?"
She gestures towards Kai, who is currently laughing as Finn throws an arm around his shoulders.
"Well, he can't burnout anymore, and he shouldn't have any more episodes," she says. "So nothing can really stop him now."
I pause.
I'd never thought of it that way.
My eyes return to Kai.
For years, his abilities have always come with a cost. Every time he pushed himself too far, there was always the possibility that his body would simply give out beneath him. His powers were something he had to fear as much as anyone else did.
But now that's changed.
If the cure has worked the way we believe it has, Kai can finally use his abilities without constantly worrying about what they might do to him.
He can fight, he can protect people, he can push himself further without that same fear hanging over him.
More importantly, he is safer.
"I guess you're right," I say.
Monica gives me a knowing smile. "You sound surprised."
"I've spent so long worrying about what could happen to him that I haven't really stopped to think about what this means for him."
She looks back towards Kai.
"Maybe now he can actually enjoy being ridiculously powerful."
I laugh quietly.
"That might be the part we need to worry about."
Before Monica can respond, Edmund begins making his way through the crowd. His voice carries across the grounds, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"Thank you all for your praise, and thank you to Thomas and Noah, who have worked tirelessly to achieve this."
The crowd quiets as Edmund continues.
"But most importantly, I want to thank Kai, who has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today."
The cheers return almost immediately, louder than before.
Kai looks embarrassed by the attention, ducking his head as Finn gives him another playful shove.
I smile as I watch him.
He deserves this.
After everything he's been through, after every episode, every injury and every time he's been forced to wonder whether his own abilities will eventually destroy him, he deserves to stand here surrounded by people who are celebrating the fact that he's still with us.
Edmund raises his voice again.
"And, of course, to celebrate this achievement, I believe it's time for a celebration!"
The response is deafening.
Everyone erupts into cheers, laughter and applause. Someone whistles loudly from somewhere in the crowd, and within seconds people are already talking about food, drinks and where they're going to set up the tables.
Kai looks towards me through the crowd.
Our eyes meet, He smiles and I smile back.
For once, when I look at him, I don't see a hundred possible futures competing for my attention. I don't see blood, blackouts or the possibility of losing him.
I just see Kai standing in the middle of everyone we care about, laughing and smiling as though the weight he's carried for so long has finally been lifted from his shoulders.
And for once, I let myself enjoy the moment without wondering what comes next.