A WolfPack's Epilogue

I nodded, only a little reluctantly, and he took his hand away with a satisfied smile.

"Harrison? HARRISON?" That was Melissa...!

I was at her bedside in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"I... um... " She looked uncertain. "LaTonya, can you call Doctor Yang? Please? I... I think I felt something MOVE."

Thankfully, Dr. Yang had already been on his way down, so two minutes later, we all moved out into the hall while the good Doctor talked with Melissa and did a very thorough examination. Through the door, I heard Melissa talking. "...And so I made a joke about that kiss really curling my toes, you know, like the old expression... but when I said it, I thought about curling my toes, but not really thinking they actually really WOULD... but I think they did!"

We all looked at each other in amazement, but no one said a word.

Shortly afterwards, Doctor Yang invited us all back into the room. "I have to say... this is unprecedented. We'll need to do some very, very thorough and careful tests over the next few days. It wasn't long ago that Melissa reported some renewed, but very faint, touch-sensation in her fingertips, which was excellent, but this...!" He lifted up the sheets over Melissa's feet... and sure enough, some of her toes were wriggling. Not a lot, but... I reached out, and touched her foot, very very carefully.

"I felt that, Harrison! Just a little, but I FELT it! Oh my good lord!"

Doctor Yang wiped at his eyes. "It appears that your D-Flux-granted cellular regeneration rate is accelerating, my dear! My previous models suggested that you might have this degree of healing within another year, which was already a huge miracle. But this... well... I haven't the words." He held up a hand. "I won't make any rash promises, but I will say that this is a far better sign than anyone could have hoped for. You're winning your fight, Melissa, inch by inch. Whatever you're doing, whatever is inspiring you -- please continue doing exactly that."

Naginata put her hand in mine, and reached out to caress Melissa's golden hair. "We all will, Doctor. All of us."

I reached out to Melissa's foot again, and on a whim, lightly tickled her toe. She let out an involuntary giggle, and then a cry of joy, and I knew then, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that everything was going to be alright.