Pete nods to Bella. “Show him.”
Bella rips off her gloves. Her tiny fingers reveal the pink tint of new skin where her open sores once were. A hush falls as we stare, astonished at her nearly perfect hands. “Less than an hour ago I was dying. My fingers hurt so bad I thought they were going to fall off. Pete gave me that antidote and now look!” She wiggles her fingers.
“But … how?” my mother says. “Even when we developed the antidote years ago, it never had the ability to heal that quickly. Some trials took years to show improvement.”
“Two things,” Doc says, with raised brows. “Stem cells and lizards.”
My mother stares at Doc, bewildered.
Doc grins. “I’ve always been interested in the study of stem cells, mainly in the area of epimorphic regeneration.”
“What is that?” Mikey asks.
“Good question, Lost Boy. You know how lizards can lose a tail and grow it back?” Doc asks.
Mikey nods.
“Same thing. If lizards can regenerate their tails, why can’t people regrow body parts? In Bella’s case, I created a solution combining Bella’s cells with the protein that allows lizards to regrow their tails. Antibodies from the Lost Boys in the mixture helped Bella maintain her health, but did not cure the virus. It was too virulent. Something about Gwen’s antibodies not only appears to heal, but is reacting to the original solution to accelerate the healing process.”
Hook grabs Bella’s hand and examines her pale pink fingers. He whips his head toward my mother. “Is what he says possible? Could this be done?”
My mother shrugs. “I suppose, but stem cell study is not my area of expertise. And even though my partners and I came up with an antidote, it took us years to develop. It was never as effective as that,” she says, pointing to Bella’s hands.
Hook’s eyes dart toward the glass vial. Pete grins, still gripping either end of the container. “You ready to cut a deal, Hook?” Pete says with a victorious smile.
Hook doesn’t respond.
“I developed what’s curing Bella,” Doc says, pointing at the vial. “I’m the only one who knows what is in it. You could take Gwen and the Professor, but the Professor does not know what I mixed in with Gwen’s antibodies. It will take her months, maybe years, to discover the solution.”
“What do you propose?” Hook growls.
Stepping in front of Hook, blocking his view of the Lost Boys, Bella, and my family, I take in a breath. “Let everyone go. In exchange, you can have the cure,” I say.
“The cure will do me no good without someone to help reproduce it,” he says.
“I’ll go with you to develop it,” Doc says, stepping next to me.
“What?” I say, my heart skipping a beat. “You can’t mean that.”
Doc smiles weakly and winks at Bella. “I’d do just about anything for a Lost Girl.”
Pete joins us and laces his fingers through mine. “We all would.”
“But you never said that your plan would include giving Doc up to Hook,” I say, shaking my head.
“And you never said that your plan would include giving yourself up,” Pete says. He stares at me with intense eyes. He says nothing, but his steadfast and determined expression speaks a thousand words. He knew I’d sacrifice myself to save my mother.
“Have you lost your marbles, Doc?” Jack says.
Pete shoots Jack a dirty look. “Interesting choice of words coming from the Lost Boy turned Marauder.”
Jack scowls.
“So what do you say, Hook?” Pete asks. “Do we have ourselves a deal?”
Hook rubs his chin in contemplation. He holds a palm out. “Deal. Give me the vial.”
“Let them go first,” Pete says, gesturing toward my mother, Bella, Joanna, and Mikey.
Hook turns his gun on me, pulling back the hammer. I gasp, my breath catching. “Fine, but the Immune stays.”
“You won’t shoot her,” Pete says with a wide smile. “And even if you did, I’d crush this vial so fast you wouldn’t have a chance to retrieve it. Then you’d have nothing.”
“Valid point, boy,” Hook says, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me into him, the barrel digging into my temple. “However, even you said we needed just a small sample of the Immune’s blood. I shoot her, take a sample, and Doc still comes with me. Meanwhile, your girlfriend lies dying on the cold, wet bricks.”
“Pete!” I say, writhing in the crook of Hook’s arm.
Pete’s gaze hardens as he takes slow, steady steps toward me. No, this isn’t right. Pete would never allow Doc to join Hook. In fact, Pete would never let Hook have the cure. Curious, I glance at Pete. He winks. As fast as his wink, his expression returns to that of reluctance, defeat. He’s up to something. He has to be.