The Ultimate Test

Cye awoke and slowly sat up in bed. He still felt miserable, but felt a little better than before. He slipped into his slippers and climbed out of bed. He went downstairs just as Ryo and White Blaze came in. Ryo was soaking wet, and White Blaze was clean.

Caige stared at the tiger, positive that the tiger was smirking as it trotted into the living room and sat in the middle of the floor, licking its paw as if nothing had happened.

Ryo shut the door. "Stupid tiger," he grumbled as he shut the door. Mia looked at him. "Ryo, go take a hot bath and get dry clothes on.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ryo said. He headed for the stairs and stopped when he saw Cye coming down.

"Hey, Cye, how you feeling?"

Cye sneezed before he answered. "Better than I was."

Ryo nodded and went up past him. Cye came off the last step, just as Mia came over to him. She placed her hand on his forehead. "Hm. I'm going to take your temperature, Cye. Go and lie down on the couch while I get your medicine and the thermometer."

Cye nodded and laid down. He looked toward Rowen and Caige. "Who's winning?"

"Rowen is," Caige said.

Cye nodded, then crinkled his eyebrows. "Um, exactly how are you playing, Caige?"

Caige laughed. "I tell Rowen where I want my piece and he moves it there for me. I can move to a point, but my hands are stuck like this."

Cye nodded and coughed. He covered his mouth and coughed seven times just as Mia came back out. She handed him two pills and a glass of water. Cye took the pills, and Mia held out the thermometer, and stuck it under his tongue.

Caige glanced at Cye, feeling pity for him. He looked at Rowen. "How long has he been sick?"

"Two days at the most." Rowen said. "He got caught in the rain last week. We think that's how he got sick."

The thermometer beeped, and Mia took it out of Cye's mouth. She read it, then smiled. "Well, your fever went down some. You should be feeling well by tomorrow or day after."

Cye sneezed. "I'm hungry. Are we eating soon?"

"Kento told me that supper is about done. Do you want a blanket?"

"It isn't too much trouble is it?" Cye asked.

Rowen stood up. "I'll go get one. I need to stretch my legs anyway."

Caige laughed. "I wish I could stretch my legs too!"

Rowen grimaced. "Uh, sorry."

Caige shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Rowen."

Rowen left to get Cye his blanket. He returned and covered the younger boy up. "There you go, buddy."

"Thanks, Rowen. Achoo!"

"Bless you!"

"Arigatou." Cye sniffled and reached for a tissue on the stand and blew his nose. "Stupid bloody cold!"

Rowen smiled and went back to his game.

Ryo stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of loose fitting red sweatpants. His chest was bare. He walked down the hall, and stopped by Sage's door. He felt something. Sage was hurt, not physically, but mentally. He tapped on the door. "Sage?"

"What, Ryo?"

"Can I come in?"

A sigh. "I guess."

Ryo stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Are you OK?"

Sage let out another sigh. "I've been better," he admitted.

Ryo came closer and sat on Rowen's bed. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," Sage said. "Now that Caige is living with us, I have to take care of him. Don't get me wrong, Ryo, I love my brother and everything, it's just that it's hard on me. I'm just a teenager, but I have a responsibility. I love Caige so much it hurts me seeing him like this. And I know he curses his life."

"Sage, there was nothing you could have done." He laughed. "But you and Caige got something in common. You're both blaming yourselves. That ain't healthy. Trust me I know. The best thing to do is just support your brother the best you can, and know the rest of us will back you up when you need it." Ryo suddenly brightened. "Hey, I just remembered something!"

Sage looked at him strangely. "What?"

"They were advertising it on TV last week. There's a new type of surgery out that fixes paralyzed limbs. It might work for Caige."

Sage thought about it carefully. His brother had told him last night that he would give almost anything to be able to be a normal person again. This might be his only chance. He sat up. "Did you get the name of the place or the phone number?"

"Missed the number, but the place was called A New Hope, Paralyzation Correction Center."

Sage flew off his bed, gave Ryo a quick hug, "Thanks, Ryo!" And was out the door.

Ryo watched him go and shook his head. "Sage must be sick. He never hugs anybody!"

Caige listened carefully to what Sage was telling him. The others were silent as he spoke. Kento came out and was about to speak, when he realized that everyone was quiet and watching Sage and Caige. Kento wondered what they were talking about. Ryo came downstairs, and Kento used the mind talk.

'Ryo, do you know what they're talking about?'

'I told Sage about a place that does surgery on people who are paralyzed. He's telling his brother about it.'

Kento nodded.

Sage finished speaking and asked, "So what do you think?"

Caige thought about it carefully. "I would love to be able to do all the things I've done before. I miss jogging and mountain climbing. How much would it cost though?"

Sage shook his head. "I don't know. Since mom's a doctor, she might be able to get you in for half price. We'll need her consent. I can look up the number to the place, and then call Mom and tell her about it, and then we'll go from there. What do you say?"

Caige smiled. "Let's go for it!"

Kento cleared his throat. "Uh, before you make any calls, you all might want to eat. Supper's ready."

All of them went into the kitchen to eat, even Cye. Kento had cooked a good meal, not as great as Cye could, but it was still quite good. After everyone ate, Mia ushered Cye back upstairs, Ryo went to watch TV, while White Blaze sucked up to him. Rowen grabbed one of his books and sat on the recliner to read, while Sage rolled his brother by the side of the couch, near the phone. Sage looked through the phonebook. He found the number to the place he was searching for.

The two phone calls didn't take long. Sage called New Hope first, getting all the information from them. He listened very carefully, then thanked them, and hung up. He called their mom next.

Mrs. Date listened to what her son was telling her. He told her everything he had been told by one of the specialists from New Hope.

Everyone listened to the conversation. They couldn't hear what Mrs. Date was saying, but judging from Sage's happy face, they knew it had to be something good.

Sage looked at his brother. "She wants to talk to you." Caige nodded, and Sage placed the phone by his ear.

"Hi, Mom. I'm fine. Yeah, Sage and his friends have been taking care of me. Yeah, I know. I want to do it. So you'll call them? OK, great! When are you going to call them? As soon as you hang up? OK, then Mom. Call me back after you do. Love you, Mom. Bye."

He hung the phone up, and smiled. "Mom's going to call them, and try to get me in. If all goes well, I'll get the surgery, and be back to normal!"

"That's great, Caige!" Mia said with a big smile.

Everyone nodded their agreement. A few minutes later the phone rang, and Sage answered it. He spoke for several minutes, said good-bye, and smiled at his brother. "You have an appointment with Dr. Luchu at New Hope tomorrow afternoon. If all goes well, you'll be set up for surgery within a few days!"

"Alright!" Caige cheered.

Talpa was extremely angry. His Warlords were all in their rooms, having failed against the Ronin Warriors. He couldn't figure it out. There were only four of them! Plus a helpless kid! How could they have failed so miserably? But then again, it was interesting to know that Halo had a twin, one that couldn't take care of himself. It might play right into his hands. But first, his Warlords would need to heal up some. As soon as they were able he was sending them back out again. He would have the Ronin Armors in his grasp once and for all.

It was the next day. Cye watched miserably as his friends were getting ready to leave for school. He looked mournfully at Mia. "Why can't I go? I feel fine."

"Cye, you heard the doctor. You can't go back until he declares you officially well," Mia said firmly. "The others can bring back your homework for you, and since you feel so well, you can do what makeup work you've got now. You don't want to get behind."

Cye let out a long sigh. "OK."

Ryo pulled on his jacket. "Well, we're off, guys. See you later!"

Cye and Mia said good-bye when they all left. As Mia went about the house, cleaning, Cye did his makeup homework. But still he wished deep inside he could be in school with the others.

After school, Mrs. Date picked up her two boys and took them to Caige's appointment. Sage promised the others they would let them know everything as soon as they could.

Ryo watched them drive off. "Well, I guess all we have to do is wait." He unlocked the jeep, and he, Rowen, and Kento climbed in.

"I hope it goes OK for him," Kento said worriedly."

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Kento," Rowen said as Ryo started the jeep and began driving. "All of them doctors have high degrees. They can't perform surgery if they don't know what they're doing."

Kento nodded, and looked out the window, watching as the scenery went by.

At home, as the four Ronins did their homework, all of them waited anxiously for Sage and Caige to come home and tell them the news.

Even Mia was nervous. She kept cleaning the same exact spot for several minutes. Rowen gave her a strange look. "Neurotic?"

Mia stopped and glanced weirdly at him. "What?"

"Nervous?" he translated. She nodded, then looked down at her wiping cloth. The phone rang, and everyone jumped. Ryo answered it. The phone call was brief. He hung up and looked at Cye. "That was your doctor. Your strep test came back negative."

"I could have bloody told him that!"

Kento just smiled. He stood up. "Man, all this waiting's making me hungry!" He went off to the kitchen.

Mia sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

The door opened, and Sage wheeled his brother in. Everyone looked at them, expectedly as Sage closed the door. Kento came out with a sandwich, and looked toward the twins.

"Well?" Ryo asked.

Both of them smiled. "I'm scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning at 11:00." Caige informed them. "If all goes well, I'll be back to normal before long!"

Everyone smiled and wished him alot of luck. And Sage was happy. Before long his brother's dream would come true.