Nephew and His Mother–Always Need a Plan

Lucas stares at the Petri dishes lined up on his desk, pushing his thick-framed glasses up his nose for the hundredth time today. The dishes contain the bacteria cultures his science teacher helped him grow—harmless ones from doorknobs and water fountains around school. His bedroom floor is covered in poster board, markers, and printed articles about how germs spread.

"Major Falcon would know exactly how to explain this," he says, reaching for the worn copy of Earth Saviors Issue #47. The comic's pages fall open to his favorite scene, where Major Falcon explains complex quantum physics to the president. Lucas traces Major Falcon's outline with his finger. He straightens his shoulders, practices the stance, and slumps back down in his chair when his reflection in the window doesn't match up.

The familiar mix of sandalwood and flowers drifts into his room. Lucas perks up as he knows his mother's coming by the smell of her perfume. Nicole's curly hair peeks around his doorframe, followed by her grinning face and the jingle of her silver bangles.

"Doctor Frankenstein, I presume?" She sweeps into the room in her flowing tie-dye dress, pretending to cower from the Petri dishes. "Should I be worried about these experiments taking over the house? Because I swear, I saw one of your bacteria monsters in the kitchen, eating all our cheese."

Lucas's gap-toothed smile breaks through his serious expression. "Mom, bacteria can't eat all the cheese. They're in sealed dishes." He holds one up to show her. "See? They're just colonies we swabbed from different places at school. They show how germs spread everywhere."

"Oh, that's why there's a BIOHAZARD sign in front of our house?" Nicole taps her chin thoughtfully. "And here I thought the neighbors just didn't like my gardening."

"Mom!" Lucas laughs, but he's already back to arranging his presentation materials, his tiny fingers careful with each petri dish. "You always say the weirdest things."

"Weird is just another word for interesting, kiddo." Nicole perches on the edge of his bed, picking up the comic book. "Taking presentation tips from the Major?"

"You always need a plan," Lucas says, adjusting his glasses again.

"Speaking of plans," Nicole says, fiddling with one of her bangles, "I've got that blood test at St. Mary's in an hour."

Lucas's hand freezes over the petri dishes. He pushes his glasses up, but they slide right back down. "I'm coming with you."

"You sure? These bacteria colonies might stage a revolt while you're gone." Nicole wiggles her fingers at the dishes.

"They can wait." Lucas is already moving, gathering a few other comic books from his shelf that are full of them. The latest Earth Saviors comic slides carefully into his backpack, between two folders to prevent bent corners. "Besides, what if they discover you have superpowers? Someone needs to document it."

Nicole strikes a heroic pose in the doorway. "You might be right. Dr. Martinez did say my blood cells looked peculiar last time. It could be heat vision developing. Or maybe," she lowers her voice, "I'm finally becoming magnetic. That would explain why all these bracelets keep sticking to me."

But Lucas catches the slight tremor in her hands as she adjusts her flowing sleeve. He grabs his backpack and takes her hand. "You always need a plan," he says, "and my plan is to come with you."

"Well then," Nicole squeezes his hand, her real smile returning, "lead the way, Captain Science Fair."

---

The waiting room at St. Mary's Cancer Center smells like hand sanitizer and old magazines. Lucas sits cross-legged in a chair too big for him, Earth Saviors open in his lap, but his eyes keep drifting to his mom. Nicole leafs through a magazine, humming softly to herself.

A woman in a wheelchair catches his attention. Her head is wrapped in a bright purple scarf, her face gaunt and pale. She looks worse than Mom ever did, even during the worst of her treatments. Lucas's stomach tightens. Across the room, a man coughs into his sleeve, his wife rubbing slow circles on his back. A teenager about half Nicole's age sits alone, scrolling through her phone with shaking hands.

"Nicole Campbell?" The nurse appears with her clipboard, and Mom stands up, her magazine sliding to the floor.

"That's me!" She does a little twirl that makes her dress swish. "Time to see if those superpowers have kicked in yet."

Lucas watches her follow the nurse through the heavy doors. His fingers grip the comic's pages, and he forces himself to loosen his hold before he creases Major Falcon's face.

"You always need a plan," he whispers, pushing his glasses up. He studies the page without really seeing it. He mentally lists what he'd do if Mom got dizzy again like last time. Water fountain location: by the bathroom. Nurse station: straight ahead. Emergency call button: on the wall behind him. Mom's juice box: in her rainbow-patterned purse next to his chair.

The purple-scarfed woman catches him looking around and gives him a gentle smile. Lucas smiles and then looks back to his comic, where Major Falcon always knows exactly what to do.

---

The clinic doors swing open. Nicole stumbles through, her skin ashen against her tie-dye dress. Her feet scuff against the linoleum, and her bangles hang limply on her trembling wrist.

"Mom?" Lucas drops his comic on the chair and hurries towards her.

"I'm okay, just a little..." Nicole sways, reaching for the wall. "I should sit for a minute.

Lucas's mind snaps into focus, like when Major Falcon faces a crisis. Step one: assess the situation. Mom's pale, dizzy, probably needs sugar. Step two: gather resources.

"Nurse Martinez!" he shouts. The nurse at the station looks up. "My mom needs help!"

While the nurse hurries over, Lucas digs through Nicole's rainbow purse, finding the juice box exactly where she always keeps it. His hands shake a little as he punches the straw through.

"Here, Mom. Small sips, like last time." He holds the juice steady for her while Nurse Martinez checks her pulse.

"You've got yourself quite the helper there," the nurse says, smiling at Lucas.

"He's my own personal superhero," Nicole says, taking another sip. Some color is returning to her cheeks.

"Hey, Mom, want to hear what happened to Comet Joe in the new issue?" Lucas adjusts his glasses. "He tried to stop a runaway train but forgot he was wearing magnetic boots. Ended up stuck to the side of the train for twenty miles, screaming the whole way while Major Falcon flew alongside, taking pictures for the Earth Saviors' newsletter."

Nicole spills a bit of her juice, and she laughs. "That sounds like something I would do."

"Except you'd probably be wearing all your bangles," Lucas says. "And end up collecting every metal thing along the tracks."

"Now that would make for some interesting jewelry," she says, squeezing his hand.

"Ma'am, your blood pressure is fine. Pulse and oxygen are perfect." The nurse takes a blanket and puts it over her legs. "Stay here as long as you need to."

Lucas feels the tight knot in his chest begin to loosen. Crisis management steps complete: situation handled. Though he's sure even Major Falcon never had to fish a juice box out of a purse covered in rainbow peace signs.

---

The afternoon sun streams through the window in Lucas's room, catching dust and dancing over his science project. Nicole sits cross-legged on his bed, her color restored, sipping chamomile tea while Lucas adds a new section to his display board.

"See, the white blood cells are like a cleanup crew," Lucas says, sketching careful circles on the poster board. "They zoom around looking for bad guys—bacteria and viruses." His glasses slide down as he leans in to draw arrows connecting the cells.

"And what's this part?" Nicole points with her tea mug at a blank corner.

"That's where I'm putting the immune system diagram." Lucas reaches for another marker. "Because everyone should know how their body fights off invaders. It's important."

Nicole sets down her mug, watching him draw lines with a ruler and add detailed notes to the edge of the board.

"Hey, scientist," she says softly. "Think you could take a break? I heard a rumor that someone in this house makes the best grilled cheese in the universe."

Lucas caps his marker. "With tomato soup?"

"Obviously. Though maybe you should check those Petri dishes first - make sure the bacteria haven't eaten all our cheese."

"Mom!" But he's already heading for the kitchen, Nicole following close behind. He pulls out the ingredients as Nicole watches from the doorway.

"I'll handle the hot stuff," she says, moving to the stove. "You're the prep chef."

Lucas nods, already assembling the sandwiches. Butter was spread to every corner, cheese was layered, and there was a sprinkle of the secret spice mix they invented together. The afternoon sun warms the kitchen, and Nicole's bangles chime as she tends the pan.

"You know what, Lucas?" She flips a perfectly golden sandwich. "I think Major Falcon would be pretty impressed with his newest recruit."

Lucas smiles and arranges potato chips on the sides of two plates. "Thanks, mom. It's all about preparation. You never know what's coming."