Take Care of My Heart

Chapter 15 - The Beginning of the End

The feeling that overcame Miles Morales and his mother as they proceeded through the doors of the organ donor center was a mixture of elation and unease; this was almost too good to be true, yet here they were.

He was finally going to be healthy again.

New York would finally have their Spider-Man back.

And he was going to be a burden no longer.

They sat in the waiting room, their hands laced tightly together, while the minutes passed like hours. He allowed his mother to rest her head on his shoulder; her eyes looked tired, but they were also awake with life, glimmering with hope.

When they were eventually called in to answer some standard questions about their health and background, they were led deeper into this small facility to see the heart. Both mother and son stooped over and ogled it like it was some long-lost treasure illuminating their faces in gold.

This heart, red and greased like raw meat, was encased in this special machine that kept it pumping with tubes to regulate its blood flow; such a sight would have normally disgusted the teen boy, but in this case... it was beautiful. Until recently, Miles had always taken for granted what a healthy heart looked like.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," he said with glistening eyes, "but that has to be the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." The first, of course, was Gwen.

His mom didn't have as many words to spare; she simply hummed in tearful delight. Though it was subtle, her son could feel her overflowing joy of relief, and it made him want to hug her, to comfort her, to shower her with more love and happiness... both her and his dad.

"If you're satisfied, we can go ahead and sign some final documents."

Following their healthcare assistant, they proceeded away from the organ regulator, making it only a few meters when a cold chill down the would-be transplantee's neck iced the air around him. Everyone inside all raised their heads at what they believed to be a low-passing jet engine, which was soon followed by a demonic laugh.

"GET DOWN!" screamed Miles as he tackled his mother to the floor.

Everyone else followed suit, ducking for cover.

With an earsplitting BANG, the building shook violently as the ceiling behind them collapsed in a hail of concrete and steel, a flash of fire, and a hanging veil of smoke and dust. Pieces of debris flew everywhere, scattering across the floor.

Having shielded his mother, Miles raised his head, squinting through the bubbling chaos to see everyone clearing out in droves, some injured and having to limp out with others... within a second, this charitable place had turned into a war-torn apocalypse.

"No... NO!" His mother, still under his arm, was reaching out behind him... her face was stretched thin in horror and despair. "NO!" she shrieked like a tortured animal.

When Miles looked over his shoulder, he realized why... the small area where they had been was now engulfed by a bonfire... the same area that had his new heart...

It was buried under there...

Crushed...

Incinerated...

Gone... just like their hopes.

But there was no time to despair; they had to get out of here.

When Miles attempted to lift his mother, she fought out of his grip.

"Mom, come on!" He tried again. "We gotta get outta here!"