chapter sixteen:

Despite being subjected to bedrest for the next few weeks, and giving as minimal movement as possible, Caelum tried his hardest to get as much schoolwork done so he wouldn’t get behind on his work. It was hard since he couldn’t exactly twist or move without causing extreme pains in his side. But, Caelum worked anyway, stubbornly ignoring the pains that burned and ached in his sides for hours afterwards.

Melissa realized and tried to get him to stop doing the work, but Caelum refused. It would be a cold day in hell when he put off doing schoolwork for some petty reason like ‘pain’ ― even though he was in a lot of it. She tried to get Peter get to him to stop, but there was nothing Peter could do either.

Peter didn’t visit very much after his first visit. Caelum assumed he had homework and school to deal with ― it was reasonable. And, the decathlon team would be going to districts soon, he would unfortunately have to miss out on it due to his condition. Peter was under a bit of pressure and Caelum was sympathetic ― he could relate to pressure.

His mother had yet to visit as well, despite Caelum trying to contact her and his brothers. Nobody responded ― which was beginning to scare him. He didn’t know what was going on with his father. He knew they could only keep him in custody for 48 hours, Caelum also knew they might be reluctant to get a lawyer. Caelum didn’t blame them ― he repeatedly expressed that he wasn’t planning on pressing charges at all. And yet, there were no updates.

Caelum got bored easily, wasting away in the hospital room for hours. After a few days, he finally succumbed to temptation and turned on the television. He wasn’t lying when he told Peter that nearly all he watched was the news. Luckily, that was the first thing that came on when he pressed the on button.

Unluckily, it also happened to be the Daily Bugle. “If we continue to tolerate webbed imbeciles flying around our city, we’ll end up being no better than the sicko who destroyed it!” J. Jonah Jameson raved on, and Caelum rolled his eyes.

All the Daily Bugle seemed to be talking about what Spider-Man this and Spider-Man that. Caelum suspected that they were using the so called ‘Webbed Imbecile’ to distract their viewers from other important news ― like Sokovia, which only happened a few months before. The Avengers were doing all they could to help rebuild the city ― and by that, Caelum meant that Tony Stark, the infamous Iron Man sent out a few ‘not-so-bloodthirsty’ suits to go clean up their messes while they went to celebrate.

Caelum vaguely wondered if they were all up in that Tower in the City. He wondered what they were thinking, if they even cared for the thousands of lives lost and even more affected by the catastrophe?

Caelum shook his head, this was why he didn’t watch the Daily Bugle, most of it was crap and it only made him angry. The only thing that did seem to be vaguely interesting was Spider-Man, who was back at it again, helping the little people and doing good.

Caelum wondered what it had to be like. He had a peculiarity now, too. He could use it for good ― albeit, he didn’t know how he would. But, to put himself out there, to go through the trouble of adopting a mask and fighting crime on a daily? Well, Caelum already had enough on his plate. Besides, if he wasn’t getting any money from it, he wouldn’t put himself out there to do it.

He sighed, leaning back in his bed. Sitting here was going to kill him with bored-ness ― but leaving would probably kill him too. Melissa would, at least, and Peter, if he found out what Caelum attempted.

He sighed, closing his eyes. He wasn’t tired, and all of his dreams ― when he dreamed ― always was filled with his father’s rage and anger displayed on his face or Principal Davis. Caelum didn’t like it at all, and he didn’t fancy nightmares either.

Caelum frowned again, and the door opened. He expected Peter to walk in, he usually did around this time if he came. He would bring his schoolwork and they talk for a few hours.

He didn’t expect Doctor Waine to step in. Or, at least, he didn’t expect the two police officers behind him.

Caelum sat up ― as best as he could, at least ― but Doctor Waine waved a hand. “Lay back down,” he scolded, and Caelum did as he was told, breathing a little. “I just wanted to bring Officer Black here. They wanted to personally thank you for the statement you gave.” Caelum frowned, his eyebrows furrowing.

“I know it had to have been difficult for you,” the man who Caelum assumed was Officer Black ― at least from his nametag, and introduction. “You were very adamant about keeping your father in a good light. Nobody else was speaking up, so with this, we can finally put him away―”

“What are you talking about?” Caelum asked, looking between the three men. “I never gave a statement. I clearly stated that my father was innocent.”

The police man beside Officer Black frowned. He had a name tag that said ‘Murphy’. “You friend said otherwise, son. He brought in an audio recording of your testimony.” Caelum stared, his jaw dropped, his eyes wide.

“It’s a fake!” He snarled, “You can’t use it!”

“It’s too late, it’s already been sent off as evidence and your father admitted that that was what happened,” Officer Black said. Caelum looked down at his bed, his hands on his head. Peter wouldn’t ― Caelum told him what would happen if his father wasn’t let out of jail! Peter wouldn’t! He knew! Caelum trusted him and he knew!!

“Caelum, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down,” Doctor Waine said, coming up to him. Caelum turned his head towards him and in a fit of rage and frustration, he snapped.

“Get away from me!” He screamed, feeling the back of his neck burn. Caelum was possessing the doctor without him even realizing. When he noticed that he was in the man’s body and not his own, he immediately reacted.

He went off, throwing things off the counter in Doctor Waine’s body, sliding down the wall and screaming. He trusted Peter! He let his annoying, stupid, insignificant, shitty feelings get in the way of rational thought!

“Doctor. . .?” Both men were looking at him, at Caelum’s sudden breakdown in Doctor Waine’s body. Caelum looked up at Officer Black, and blinked, possessing him.

He turned Officer Black’s partner, his face drawn into a snarled. “Don’t worry about it.” His partner drew his eyes from Doctor Waine to him, confused and shocked.

Caelum possessed him, and waited, glaring at the two other dazed-looking men, not quite away but not quite here either. This was Peter’s fault. Peter, the boy he trusted, the boy he loved, had caused this. He’d have to drop out of school ― Principal Davis would not be happy at all, but at this point, Caelum didn’t care. He needed to make sure his mother and brothers would be okay. He needed a new place to live ― he’d ask Mr. Hills if he could crash in the rooms above his bar. Usually, drunk customers spent the night there, or Mr. Hills stayed when he was too tired to drive home.

He would need to pay for rent for himself and his mother. Whatever money his father had would probably go towards that ― if he was allowed to manage it. He could always do it in his mother’s name.

Caelum felt the back of his neck burn, and looked back at his body, blinking. In the same second he was comfortably back in his own mind, the three bodies of the men he was inhabiting fell to the ground, Officer Murphy had been foaming a bit at the mouth.

The door opened and Caelum dazedly turned to her, his head was hurting a little after inhabiting someone for so long. “What going―whoa!” The nurse standing at the door exclaimed, shocked.

“They just fell,” Caelum said, trying to sound sincere, but all that came out was that monotone comment. The nurse was calling for back-up, but Caelum wasn’t listening. He was too busy mentally preparing himself for when Peter came again ― if he did at all. He had a lot to say to him.

° · ° · ° · °

A half of a week later, Caelum was released on crutches with the distinct orders to not do any ‘heavy lifting’. Doctor Waine and the two officers were fine. His morphine had burst and seeped into the air, causing the reaction of all three men to faint. Nobody remembered that Caelum was still conscious and well during it, they didn’t need to.

Caelum went back to his apartment, packing whatever he needed into one of the suitcases. The boys stood at his door the entire time ― it was MLK Day apparently. “Where are you going?” Pollux asked.

“Why are you packing your stuff?”

“Does Mommy know?”

“Can we come too?”

“When’s Dad coming home?”

“How’d you get back from the hospital?”

“Are you going to―?”

“Quiet!” Caelum snapped, and both boys went quiet, but looked at him pointedly, waiting for answers to their several questions. “I’m heading out for a while. Tell mom to use whatever’s left in Dad’s account to pay for rent and necessities. I’m going to work―”

“You still have a job!?” They both said in unison.

“I said, be quiet,” he narrowed his eyes at them. Caelum sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’ll be back,” that was a lie. “Don’t worry.” Caelum glanced at the desk, remembering the plastic bag of christmas presents. He completely neglected giving them out on Christmas in lieu of doing homework. He didn’t receive anything this year, he realized. He didn’t care, but he forgot about his brother’s presents. He also forgot to wrap them.

Caelum stepped over to the desk, taking the bag out and fishing through it to find the matching transformers. He handed them to Castor and Pollux separately. “This was for Christmas.”

“It’s January,” Castor commented dryly.

“Do they go together?” Pollux asked, excited. He grabbed Castor’s toy ― who gave a shout of alarm before the two were wrestling for the toys.

Caelum shook his head, and finished packing his suitcase. He packed the necessities, money, clothes, layers for the snow, a few books, and Peter’s lego spaceship.

Caelum was about to leave, when he noticed something sticking out of the plastic bag. He stopped, glancing at it, before absent-mindedly grabbing it and leaving the room. He shooed the two boys out of his cleaned, emptied room, closing the door behind them.

Caelum walked out of the house, leaving behind him a blue, teddy bear for the ghost at the kitchen table, and a note for his mother beside it.

° · ° · ° · °

Caelum went to Mr. Hill’s bar first. He explained his situation to the man, who nodded along in earnest. “Ya see,” He murmured, scratching at his chin. “Ya can crash ‘ere for a few days, but the rent’s $150 a week, $25 a night.” Caelum winced, wavering a little on his crutches. Mr. Hill sighed, “But. . . you can do $100 a week, $15 a night ― at least, until you can. . . get back on your feet.”

“I can still work,” Caelum said. If he didn’t, he would be losing a significant amount of money, he had to do something, he needed to make money.

“Not in tha’ condition, boy,” Mr. Hills frowned. Caelum, for his part, tried to stand a bit taller on his crutches. “It’d be a sin to put ya to work when ya lookin’ tha’ pitiful.” Caelum tried not to show his humiliation on his face. Instead, he breathed, taking assessment of the situation. He would be able to work in a few days. He would be able to make money and send it back to his mom.

He agreed to resting, and paid Mr. Hills whatever he had on hand for the night. When he finally managed to get up the steps, he sat down on the rickety bed. The room was bare, with the exception of the bed and a radiator on the wall. It smelt vaguely of body odour and sex ― two very unsavoury combinations. Several stains of questionable fluids were on the covers and a few on the walls. The door’s lock was also shoddy, he could have pushed on it and it would break.

Caelum tried not to notice, he tried not to care. This was his life now. He dug himself in this shitty. . . Lice-ridden-sex-bed-hole, and now he was going to dig himself out.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his face. First things first, financials. Caelum would have to redo everything in order to allocate him not spending his time and money at the school. Hopefully, if Mr. Goldson and Mr. Hills paid him properly, he’d be making a little under a thousand every other week. The rent was $1,500 per month and he knew the bills averaged around $300. The boys had things they needed to be paid for, and there was also the case of food for them as well.

Caelum worked on this for a few hours, mapping out each paycheck for the next several months. Whatever remained of his father’s money would cover his medical bills, and they would need to put away money to pay for his father’s bail, if he got bail.

This was going to be tight. Caelum bit the nails of his fingers, staring at the numbers before him. He couldn’t take breaks, he couldn’t get ‘hurt’ anymore. Caelum couldn’t afford it ― his family couldn’t afford it. And, Caelum couldn’t afford Peter ― or at least, the temptation of him. Caelum didn’t have time for it, he didn’t have time for him.

Now, if Peter could take a hint, he would be set.