Being a Banner [ 1 of JA ]

36

"Thanks for letting me come to the lab, Dad," I say as we sit in his car. It's three o'clock on a Saturday, the first day of October, and we're heading to the lab to run some of Dad's DNA, just to see what's up with the Other Guy. I'm hoping to see if there may be some similarities in Dad and the Other Guy.
"No problem, I thought you'd like to tag along." He chuckled. "Also, I've been thinking. If what you said is true, that Hulk listens to you and you can 'see' me, then I trust to to help."
"Hulk?" I ask. "Is that what you call him?" I remembered the little jar back at the lab that got crushed along with the metal table. Cleaning that up was torture.
       Dad nervously chuckled and looked over at me.
      "Well, it's what the media called him when he made his debut." he shrugged.
      I laughed, "That's cool. Hey! Since he's the Hulk, can I be Hulkling?"
      Dad stared at me as he came to a red light. He raised his brow and chuckled.
      "No."
      "Why not?"
      "Because I'm not sure you are a Hulk, and I don't want to jinx it, but if it's true, the name doesn't fit you." he chuckles. I roll my eyes with a smile as Dad laughs.

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      When we arrive at the lab, we're greeted by Dalia who's also getting out of her car. We walk to the alley and go the secret way.
      We enter the lab and immediately Dad and Dalia walk towards a table with large and tall metal machines. Dalia picks up a little pricker and Dad holds out his hand. I walk over and watch as Dalia puts some disinfectant on Dad's finger. Then she picks up a very small rectangular glass. Dalia pricks Dad's finger and squeezes blood on the slide. Then he takes it over to a computer and something that looks like a cross between a printer and a bread covered.
Dalia opens the front, slides the slide inside and closes it. She presses a button and the machine lights up. As Dad turned on a computer, his red blood cells appear on screen.
"Radiate them," he looked to Dalia.
Dalia turned a small knob on the machine. I looked over at the computer, which attached to a microscope. In a blink of an eye the cells turn a sickly shade of green as they look like they beat themselves up changing colors. Suddenly, the glass on the microscope cracks due to the blood gaining strength and size.
"Wow. . ." I stare at the screen. "That was. . .awesome!"
"It's also collecting some data from the Other Guy, sending to print right. . .now." Dad mutters as the printer starts to hum. Dalia approaches the printer and takes the paper once it's printed.
"His stress levels are high—"
"They always are," Dad sighs.
"You can tell from only that?" I ask, pointing to the machinery and blood sample behind me. Dalia nods with a big smile. I was so fascinated with everything it only sparked my interest as a scientist even more.
"Wait. . ." Dalia mumbles as she flips the paper over. "My bad!"
Dad and I begin laughing as Dalia rereads the paper.
"Wait, he's not stressed," she says, taking a follower look. "He's calm," Dalia's head shoots to Bruce. "Whenever you've tested him was he always stressed?"
Dad had to shake his head from the amount of shock he was in. "Whatever I am, he is,"
"You've both have been calm for some time—oof, big decrease here, probably the other night at the lab—"
"But he's fine?" Dad asks. "He's not growing or—"
"Nothing!" Dalia smiles. "Nothing but good!"
Dad looks at me, a smile of belief and relief. "He likes you!" He exclaims.
"It's working!" I shout as I hug him and bounce up and down.
Our celebration hug was ended when my phone rang. I let go of Dad and pull my phone from my pocket. On the screen was Jax's name and his profile picture I have of him. We were both being goofs on a pole, and Levi snapped a picture of us. It was one of my favorite pictures.
      "Are you going to get that?" Dad chuckles. I never told him about what happened last night. I only came home upset and confused. If Jax liked me why didn't he tell me? If his uncle knew, then that meant Levi knew, and so did his mother. I felt so oblivious and embarrassed because we've been friends so long. I don't know if I want to risk it.
      I turned my phone off, which also denied the call.
      "Who was that?" Dalia asks.
      "Her lover boy," Dad laughs. I feel my face grow red and heart start to pound.
      "He is not!" I exclaim.
      Dad and Dalia both jump at the sound of my voice. Nevertheless, Dad chuckles.
      "Guess you've made that clear,"
      "She once told me they've been friends for years, and that she thinks he doesn't like her." Dalia says as her eyes roll to me. I sigh and cover my face.
      "How could I have missed it?" I ask, "Is it really that obvious?"
      Not even looking at each other, Dad and Dalia both reply, "Yes!"
      I groan and fall into a rolling chair, sinking deep down until my back lays on the seat.
      "I just never felt like I needed a boyfriend, and I never saw it in Jax—I'm not saying he's a bad guy or is ugly, but—"
      "Why'd you bring up ugly?" Dalia asks.
      "Well, my first boyfriend has to be cute, Dalia, isn't that how dating goes?" I meant it as a joke, but Dad took it somewhat seriously.
      "It's not if they're cute, it's if they have a good personality, meaning kindness and loyalty. Furthermore—"
      "You're like forty and you were a teenager in the eighteen hundreds, your dating advice is going to be 'wait until he gives you ten horses' type." I explain jokingly.
      Dalia bursts into laughter as Dad smiles and shakes his head.
      "How old do you think I am?" He asks.
      "Old enough that you voted for Lincoln." I retort. Dad chuckles and rolls his eyes, but Dalia is still in a laughing fit.

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fixed another one!!