You’re My Hero

Chapter 1

Radio Show Superstar

My name is Morgan Stephenson.  Before, well, my current situation, I was a well-respected, perfectly normal college student at CNU.  However, on a seemingly normal autumn day, my life was changed forever.

I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was carrying on my talk show on the school radio station, Booking Ambitiously with Mad Morgan, a show in which I reviewed and fantasy booked shows from my favorite professional wrestling promotions.  

I was a pro-wrestling superfan.  I had even considered training to wrestle at a local wrestling school as a teenager.  At 5’10” and weighing 145lbs I would have been unlikely to succeed in that line of physical work.  Therefore, I decided to become a reviewer, which delivered me into becoming very popular and well-liked by most everyone at the college.

As I was wrapping up my fantasy booking for the day one of my friends, Emma, who lived in the dormitory which housed the broadcast station, came into the room and sat on the guest couch.  Her afternoon class let out at 1:45, my block of time ended at 2:00pm, which showed me my hour-long block of time was nearly over.  I began to wrap up my show.

“That is my take on it,” I spit out my closing line, “I’m Mad Morgan Stephenson and I can book it better!”

With that I plugged in the auxiliary cable to the broadcaster and began playing Green Day’s American Idiot.  I sent a text message to the next DJ telling him I was finished with my block, then stood up from the chair and stretched my back.  

*Clap Clap Clap* “Very good show today Morgan,” Emma said giving me a playful slow clap as she stood up from the couch and crossed the room toward me.

I had a thing for Emma, call it a friendship or call it a crush, she was my best female friend in the entire school.  She had beautiful, curious blue eyes that reminded me of lakes of tranquil water.  Her eyes complimented her hazelnut slightly longer-than shoulder-length hair streaked with blonde highlights.

Emma was absolutely adorable as well.  She stood at 5’0” and had a very petite, athletic body.  She honestly reminded me of a short fashion model, and her playful spirit made her that much more endearing to me.

I let out a chuckle.  “Shut up Emma,” I said as this had become a routine that happened whenever I finished up a show, good or bad.  

The show the day of the happening went very well, maybe even one of my best shows that I had ever put on.  I was feeling very confident.

“Do you want to head to the food court and get some coffee,” Emma asked.

“Absolutely,” I enthusiastically retorted, “I could use something to soothe my aching vocal chords,” I said jokingly followed by opening wide, sticking out my tongue, and waving into my mouth as if a midwestern housewife fanning herself on a hot day.

“Okay let’s go Bill O’Reilly,” she said jokingly as we began moving in tandem toward the heavy glass door leading out to the hallway.

“Maybe I should change the show name to the Stephenson factor,” I jokingly inquired as I held the door open for my diminutive friend.

“Thank you superstar,” Emma cooed back.

Our banter continued as we headed out of the dormitory onto the main lawn.  It began to drizzle as soon as we got outside.  Rain was typical on the campus as the school is located very close the the beaches of the Eastern Seaboard.  

“Of course it would start to rain as soon as we get outside,” Emma joked up to me.

“Yeah,” I said, “we got lucky didn’t we?”

“Maybe I should play the lottery,” she said with a sarcastic smile.

Our banter continued as we walked along the foot trail from the lawn to the main entrance of the food court.  Emma began to race forward.

“Oh no you don’t,” I yelled ahead to her as I also started running toward the door.

I sprinted passed the little girl and raced forward to the door.  I grabbed the door handle and looked back to her as I pulled the door open.  She slowed her run to a casual walk and I waited a couple of seconds until she entered the building.  

“You’re my hero,” she joked.

I didn’t know how important those words would become to me for just as she walked through the door I felt a huge jolt course rapidly throughout my body, then everything went dark.

Chapter 2

The Purple Lightning

I felt myself coming to.  I opened my eyes and was greeted by the concerned face of Emma and a terrified crowd onlookers.  I sat up and heard a murmur echo off the cold, hard tile floor of the food court’s main hall.  It seemed as if everyone was talking all at once.

“Oh my god,” Emma said caringly, “are you okay Morgan?”

“Yeah I feel fine,” I replied, “what happened?”

“You had just finished the show and we were coming for coffee,” Emma began to explain.

“You’re relaying old information,” I stated bluntly, “you’d be the perfect anchorwoman.”

“Thanks,” she said rolling her eyes, “anyway, you were holding the door for me and just as I came in I looked back to say something to you, and just as I did a bolt of purple lightning struck you right on the top of your head!  It was terrifying!”

“Damn,” I yelled, “do you know what this means Emma?!”

“What,” she inquired still recovering from her panic.

“I am going to be a superhero,” I wisecracked.

“Haha,” Emma said sarcastically.

“Watch,” I excitedly shouted, “tomorrow I will be shooting lasers out of my eyes!”

Emma reached down a hand and helped me up from my sitting position.

“So, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital,” she inquired apprehensively, “because I can drive you over there.”

“Let me tell you,” I gave my best impression of a drunk uncle at a family reunion, “the last thing I need is more medical bills.”

“Hilarious,” Emma remarked sarcastically.

“Honest,” I reassured, “I feel fine!  Great even!”

“Good to hear from a real life superhuman,” Emma was back to her normal joking mood.

“Let’s get some coffee,” I reminded her of the goal, “I am parched!”

“Eyes on the prize,” Emma enthusiastically stated.

I placed my hand on the small of Emma’s back and gave her an encouraging push forward.  She looked back over her shoulder as the corners of her bright pink lips began to curve upwards into a smile.  

“Lead the way,” I said as I began to follow after her.

We turned toward the main marble staircase leading to the second floor.  The stairway consisted of two identical sets of 13 stairs before reaching the second floor of the dining hall.  I stepped up to the first set of steps and began to climb upwards following Emma’s guidance.

I had conquered the first eight steps before I began to feel weak and woozy.  As I reached the top of the first 13 steps I had to turn and sit down on the top stair.

“Emma,” I called up breathing heavily, “hey Emma, wait a minute.”

I looked behind me toward the top of the stairwell.  Emma was at the second floor landing staring down in my direction.

“Is everything okay Morgan,” she called down.

“Please come here,” I yelled in reply.

I turned back and rested my head on my knees.  Behind me, amongst the clamor of the food court, I heard the sound of Emma’s fast, rhythmic steps coming toward me.  I felt a hand on my left shoulder as Emma sat down next to me.

“Like I offered,” Emma frantically restated, “I can take you to the hospital.”

“I will take you up on that offer,” I replied.

“I’ll pull my car up to the door,” she said, “do you need help getting back down.”

“No,” I refused her help, “I think I can do it.”

I stood up and began moving down the stairwell slowly.  About six steps down, my knees began to feel wobbly.  Then, my legs just gave out.

I began tumbling down the hard marble stairs.  I could feel my body bruising as I continued to plummet.  I slammed onto the tile floor of the main hall and rolled over onto my back.  I rubbed the back of my now throbbing head where a welt was already beginning to erupt from my scalp.

“Holy shit,” Emma exclaimed as an employee rushed over to my side.

Emma and the employee helped me to my feet.

“Are you okay sir,” the worker asked compassionately.

“Yeah,” I replied, “Emma here was about to drive me to the hospital.”

“Where is your car,” the worker asked.

“In the eastern student lot,” Emma replied.

With that the two helped me along to Emma’s car.  Emma, opened the car door and the helpful employee lowered me gently into the passenger’s seat.  Emma closed the door and exchanged some unheard words with the man who had just helped with our ordeal.  Then she got into the car and we were off to the hospital.

Chapter 3

Entranced

I sat in the passenger’s seat of Emma’s Honda Civic for several minutes as she rushed me to the hospital.  She obviously wasn’t in the talking mood at the moment, so I was not going to attempt to start up a conversation with her.  I just sat...silent.

Those last words before I was struck by the bolt of purple lightning rang out in my head.  “You’re my hero!  You’re my hero!  You’re my hero,” the phrase just repeated over and over.  Why?  What had I done to deserve such a punishment?

My temples began to throb.  I leaned my head weakly back against the headrest and the next thing I knew Emma was ripping the car through the parking lot in front of the main entrance to the Emergency Room.  She spotted a space directly outside the main door and turned the wheel, guiding the small sedan quickly into the opening.

Emma ripped the keys hastily from the ignition.  She pushed her door open and tore around the front end to my door.  As Emma opened my door, I reached to unbuckle my seatbelt.

“Let’s get you inside,” Emma coaxed as she put her arms under my armpits and hoisted me up from my seat.  

After lifting me out of the vehicle, Emma repositioned herself wrapping my left arm across her shoulders while simultaneously wrapping her right arm across my middle back as if helping a wounded hiker with a sprained ankle.  As she reached to close the door I gave a request to my small friend.

“Emma,” I started, “can you let go?”

My demand must’ve caught her off guard as her face began to morph into a mask of utter confusion.

“Why would you want me to do that,” she retorted.

“Because I may have been struck by purple lightning and fallen down a flight of stairs, but that doesn’t mean that I forgot how to walk,” I stated in a sarcastic, but straightforward tone.

“Okay,” Emma let go of me apprehensively.

I stood under my own power as if nothing had happened.  I felt fine again, almost the same as I did before the ordeal on the food court stairs, however, something seemed a little different, I could not quite put my finger on what was the problem.  It was almost as if my clothes were slightly looser than they were previously on my standing body, peculiar.

“Let’s go,” Emma shouted from the doorway, “Morgan, snap out of it!”

“What,” I asked confused.

“I let go of you and you just stood there like you were in a trance,” Emma responded.

“Guess I zoned out,” I stated, “maybe that is my superpower!  I can be ZoneMan!”

“Okay Zoneman,” Emma said rolling her eyes at me, “let’s get you checked out.”

“No need to fear,” I shouted heroically as I walked toward the entrance following Emma, “random citizen, ZoneMan is here!”

“If I see the Do-Nothing Goblin I’ll be sure to let you know,” she said playfully creating a new supervillain.

Emma and I walked through the doors to the ER Waiting Room that slid open as we approached.  I followed Emma to the front desk.

“What seems to be the problem,” said the young blonde nurse standing behind the counter.

The counter could’ve passed as not being manned.  The woman working reception stood no higher than 4’10”.  A very small woman, maybe in her mid-twenties.

“Well, you see, it is kind of a long story,” I responded, telling the woman truthfully what I thought, “you probably won’t believe it.”

“I can’t let you in if you don’t give me a reason for the visit,” the woman stated bluntly.

“Emma,” I addressed my friend, “take it away.”

The nurse looked behind her thin box-framed glasses at Emma.

“Well,” Emma began, “you see, me and Morgan here were going to get some coffee at the food court at CNU.”

“Spare her the details,” I snapped.

“Wow, rude,” Emma retorted, “anyway, he was holding the door for me, and as soon as I got in the doorway, I turned back to see him get struck on the top of the head by a bolt of purple lightning.”

“Purple lightning,” the nurse inquired.

“Like I said, you probably won’t believe it, but it is the truth,” I added.

The woman looked at me.  She pushed her glasses down on her nose and looked me over from top to bottom.

“Is there anything else,” the woman asked looking back to Emma.

“After he got struck he said he felt fine,” Emma continued, “so we started to go to the coffee shop on the second floor of the food court.”

“When we were going up the stairs,” I cut Emma off, “I began to feel weak and wobbly, so I sat down.  Then I decided to call Emma to me and go back down the stairs.  When I stood up my knees gave way and I took a nasty fall.”

“Okay,” the woman confirmed, “I’ll need to take your information before I admit you.”

She slid a clipboard and pen across the counter to me.  I grabbed the clipboard and filled out my information.  When I was finished, I handed the clipboard back to the woman who smiled.

“Good news,” she beamed up at me, “we can take you now.”

Just then a petite nurse with chestnut brown hair and freckles entered the waiting room through a door right behind me.  I could see medical equipment on the other side.

“Are you Morgan,” she asked for verification.

“Yes ma’am,” I responded.

“Right this way,” she beckoned me to follow her.