The hospital room feels like a pressure cooker of awkward silence after my lengthy explanation. I'm standing between two identical women who look ready to either hug or murder each other, and honestly, I'm not sure which would be worse.
Piper stares at me, her hazel eyes narrowing behind her thick-rimmed glasses. "You expect me to believe all that because you 'had a dream'?" she asks, her voice dripping with skepticism.
I shrug, trying to appear more confident than I feel. "Yeah, I mean, you know me well enough to see I'm a straight shooter, don't you?"
Piper lets out a sigh so deep and exhausted it seems to come from the very core of her being. The sound echoes against the sterile hospital walls, punctuated by the steady beeping of Uncle May's monitors.
"Fine," she concedes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But I'm not going to trust Ms. Blonde Me over there so easily."
Brynn crosses her arms over her chest, her posture a mirror image of Piper's defensive stance but somehow sharper, more aggressive. "Well, I'm still not exactly over being thrown into a smoke stack," she says, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
"I thought you were dead," Piper fires back, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "And I couldn't exactly have two Piper Parkers around. What if the cops found my body and asked questions?"
Ellie snorts beside me, her fingers drumming against my hip where she's still holding me possessively. "That's cold, Parker," she mutters, sounding almost impressed.
"Look," I interject, stepping between them before this gets any more heated, "maybe we should focus on why Uncle May is in the hospital in the first place? That seems more important than rehashing old murder attempts."
Piper's shoulders slump as she glances at her uncle's still form. "You're right," she admits reluctantly. "Enough of this. We need to find the Jackal." She turns to me, her expression suddenly intense. "Do you know who she's working with? From your... dreams?"
I scratch the back of my neck, searching my memory for comic book details that might be useful. "I don't remember exactly," I admit with a helpless shrug. "But it's probably the Green Goblin."
The moment those words leave my mouth, something incredible happens. Uncle May's eyes snap open wide, his body arching upward as he gasps violently for air like a drowning man breaking the surface. The monitors around him go crazy, beeping frantically as his vitals spike.
My eyes widen as I stare at the now-conscious old man. "This certainly didn't happen last time..." I mutter in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure..."
Piper and Brynn rush to Uncle May's side, both reaching for his hand simultaneously before awkwardly pulling back from each other. The old man's eyes dart frantically around the room, unfocused and wild with fear.
Uncle May's gaze locks onto Piper, then shifts to Brynn. His weathered face contorts in confusion as he looks back and forth between the identical women. The frantic beeping of the heart monitor gradually slows as his initial panic subsides.
"I'm seeing double, Piper..." he says, his voice raspy and weak. Then, unexpectedly, he lets out a wheezing laugh that seems to take what little strength he has. "Always knew this day would come... when I'd finally lose my marbles."
The tension in the room breaks as the door bursts open. A doctor in a pristine white coat rushes in, stethoscope bouncing against her chest.
"He's awake?" she asks, eyes widening as she takes in the scene. She pushes past me to check the monitors. "We need to start tests pronto."
She hurries back to the doorway and waves her hand down the corridor. "Nurses! Room 0451!" she calls out, her voice carrying the urgency of someone used to being obeyed instantly.
The doctor turns back to us, her expression leaving no room for argument. "Everyone out," she commands, already pulling a penlight from her pocket. "This might take a while."
Ellie's hand finds mine, tugging me toward the door. "Alright," I say, backing away from the bed. Ellie says nothing, but the pressure of her fingers against mine speaks volumes.
Piper and Brynn follow us into the hallway as nurses rush past, wheeling equipment into the room. The door closes behind them with a soft click that somehow feels final.
"Thanks," Piper says, looking between Ellie and me. Her face is a complex mix of emotions, relief, confusion, and something that might be gratitude. "For being here, I mean."
"Sure, anytime," I respond with a shrug, trying to act like this level of superhero drama is totally normal for me.
Ellie remains silent beside me, her face carefully blank. I can feel the symbiote shifting beneath her skin, reacting to her carefully controlled emotions.
Piper glances at Brynn, who's standing awkwardly a few feet away, then back to us. "I guess Brynn and I have it covered for now, though."
I nod, understanding the dismissal for what it is. "Alright. Well, let me know if it all works out." I hesitate, then add with a grin, "Oh, and Brynn, don't forget you owe me a photo."
Brynn's eyes narrow slightly, her mouth twisting into something between a smile and a grimace. "Alright," she says, but her tone suggests she's not entirely comfortable with the idea. There's distrust written all over her face, which is fair, considering I know way too much about her.
I take one last glance at Piper and Brynn standing side by side in the hallway.
"Come on," Ellie murmurs, her fingers tightening around mine. "Let's get out of here."