Spider-Man: A New Spiral

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***

The next morning.

Oh, I slept so well. I can feel the energy overflowing from every cell. I couldn't resist jumping up to the ceiling.

- Great, I'm back in shape.

I'm coming down.

- Morning!

Hmm. It's strange, Mei's usually up at six in the morning on a Saturday, probably still sleeping with her uncle.

I see the red light on the answering machine and switch it on.

I open the fridge. A message from my uncle's employer. I take out the milk and eggs. I think I'll make pancakes. Message ends, the next one begins.

- Hello, Mr Parker? We have to inform you that your aunt and uncle were in a car accident a few hours ago, please come to Central City Hospital as soon as you get this message.

The juice glass shatters on the tiles. And the guy standing in the kitchen turns disbelievingly towards the phone.

What?

Frantically, I run over and press the record repeat button.

But the message doesn't change. And I'm finding it hard to breathe.

I try to gulp in air and realise I'm shaking.

I press my face with both hands.

Now's not the time.

I run upstairs and start getting dressed. Without thinking, I put on the Spider costume and jump out of my window, heading towards the hospital.

***

Mary Jane Watson.

It was an...early morning for MJ. Inexplicably, Aunt Anna ran out of the house at 5:30 in the morning. Sure, she was often disrupted by work, but never this early.

After lying down for a bit, the girl realised that falling asleep wasn't working again, so Mary decided to open the window. And what she saw in the next second changed her life forever.

Out of the window of her boyfriend Peter Parker's room flew none other than Spider-Man. She'd seen him in pictures in Bugle issues and occasionally flying around the city centre.

The photos... Peter sells those photos.

Does he...

***

Peter.

Hurry up.

I've always enjoyed flying like the air full of ozone after a thunderstorm. But now I wanted to fly the distance as fast as possible.

Faster!

I flew over Queens and the bridge in ten minutes.

Central Hospital, I could already see its outline.

Mindlessly, letting go of the web ten metres above the surface, I land on the roof, in a roll. Hiding behind a stairwell, I put on my civilian clothes.

Bursting into the stairwell, I run down, almost knocking down every person I meet.

There are curses flying in my wake, but I don't care.

Once on the ground floor, I rush to the reception desk.

- Ben and May Parker, what room, urgent!

- Young man, you look out of breath. You need to catch your breath first.

- I said urgent! - I tore off a piece of desk in anger.

- Ward 104, 4th floor, surgery," the nurse said, nervously squinting at my arm.

- Thank you.

Once again I run towards the stairs and, during this marathon, memories pop up in my head:

Birthdays, trips to the park, warm family dinners. Moments when Uncle Ben caught me falling off the roof. Moments when Aunt May sang me lullabies and I couldn't sleep because of the thunderstorm.

And then memories of my parents' funeral.

Tears start to flow from my eyes, but I don't feel it.

4th floor.

I'm running into the surgical ward.

- Peter!

I look in the direction of the voice and I see Mrs Watson.

A woman runs up and starts hugging me, sobbing.

And I feel like I can't move.

- Mrs Watson, what are you doing here?

- I got a call from the hospital, too. I thought you were already here, so I didn't come in.

- Mr Parker? - the doctor came round.

- Yes.

- I can tell you the prognosis is bleak. Your aunt suffered a head injury. We're trying to stabilise her, but so far she's not regaining consciousness. Your uncle, on the other hand.

- Doctor? - I'm trying to gather my composure.

- Mr Parker's seat was the hardest hit. He was probably trying to steer the car away to minimise the damage to Mrs Parker, so... we're sorry.

- Is he alive? - I can feel the shaking starting again.

- He's not gonna make it much longer, I'm sorry.

- Can I go in and see him?

- I'm not sure.

- Doctor, please! - I can't help shouting.

- Only one visitor. You have ten minutes.

A crying Anna Watson lets me go and I enter the room.

 The first thing I smell when the door closes is the pungent odour of medicine. Too strong even for a hospital.

I walk over to the bed and pull back the curtain.

What I saw was imprinted on my memory forever.

Uncle Ben, a sturdy and always smiling old man was a wreck.

His entire body was rewound and fixed. Dozens of metal spokes were jammed into his torso. And, by no other than a miracle, only his face was distorted by only a few shallow scratches.

I don't know how, but I could feel that at least a dozen of his bones had been ground to dust, and he was only kept alive by drugs.

- Hey, champ.

Suddenly I realise Ben's been conscious all this time.

- Hey, Uncle.

- I'm not looking my best, am I? - Ben's light chuckle is interrupted by a sharp cough.

I'm not answering anything. I just can't.

- Remember when we used to go fishing when we were kids? You couldn't hook a fish and you said you were unlucky. What did I say to you?

- "Luck-unlucky, not everything in our world is determined by luck. "I know you can do it, because I believe in you," I said with tears in my eyes.

- That's right. And then you managed to hook the fish," my uncle smiles slightly.

- Only with your help.

- I'm proud of the man you've become, Peter. Your scientific talent, just like Richard, even more capable, I'm sure you'll surpass him. Your job, you're helping me and my aunt, even though you could concentrate on your studies, your friends, your girlfriend. A real champion," Ben smiled at me.

Despite my condition, I can't help but smile back.

- And don't even think about blaming yourself," my uncle became more serious, "it's impossible to save everyone.... Spider-Man.

- W-what? - I react in shock.

- Ha, gotcha. At first I only guessed: late returns, wonderfully taken pictures that no one else could manage but you. But now you've confirmed it. I'm almost not offended that you didn't trust us with your secret.

- I didn't want to worry you," I said, holding back a sob.

- Take care of your aunt. I don't care what the doctors say, she'll pull through, she's tough. And Peter, you can't keep this secret to yourself, you k-h-h-h-h... have to f-k-h-h-h-h trust....

There was a dragging beep from the life support machine.

- Uncle Ben? UNCLE BEN!

Doctors rushed into the room and pushed me off the bed.

- No heartbeat!

- Prepare the defibrillator.

- Adrenaline, stat!

I just slid helplessly down the wall of the room to the floor and, sinking to my knees, felt tears dripping onto the hospital tile.