Devon awoke to sterile white walls and the steady beep of machines. Blinking groggily, he recognized the environment of a hospital room. An IV stand and monitor flanked the bed where he lay. The itchy pain of mosquito bites dotted his arms.
"Oh thank God, you're awake!"
Devon turned his head to see his mother, Norissa rushing to his bedside. She gripped his hand tightly while her eyes dripped.
"Yuh had me so worried. Wasn't sure if you would pull through," she said, dabbing at tears. "The bite fever almost kill yuh. You've been unconscious for days now."
Devon nodded weakly, his memory of the attack on the track was still fuzzy. His throat felt raw. "Water..." he croaked.
Norissa grabbed a cup and helped him take small sips until his voice returned.
"What...happened? We got swarmed bad," Devon shared, trying to sit up. He still felt weak as a newborn calf.
Norissa adjusted the bed so he could lean upright. "Was an outbreak of them Coco Mosquitos on yuh school grounds. They had to close the school and call the JCPRO (Jamaica Coco Power Research Organization) to contain it."
"How long have I been here?" Devon asked.
"Five days. You got bit plenty of times and nearly died from the shock and fever. Some students..." Norissa trailed off, choking up.
Devon's chest clenched. "Who? Tell me."
Norissa wiped her eyes. "Kamau and Rayon are both gone. Few others too." She sighed heavily. "Doctors said you incredibly lucky to survive so much venom. You were always strong and healthy though, thank God."
Grief gripped Devon's heart learning his two best friends hadn't made it. They'd joked and competed every day at track practice, like brothers. Now, just like that, they were gone.
Devon stared blankly, grappling with this harsh new reality. He resolved to honour them by being twice as fast. Their friendship and rivalry had pushed him to his limits on the track. He would have to dig deeper now and be strong enough for them both.
Tap!
A soft knock at the door drew their attention. A woman in a suit entered, holding a badge that read 'Jamaica Hero Association'. She gave a polite smile.
"Good to see you awake, Mr. Johnson. I'm Agent McKoy with the JHA. Just need to ask you some quick questions about the mosquito incident for our registry database, and check a few vitals. Routine post-bite procedure."
Devon nodded, wincing as she shined a penlight into his eyes one by one, then took his pulse and blood pressure.
"Any unusual symptoms or reactions since regaining consciousness?" McKoy asked while jotting notes on a tablet.
"No ma'am. Just feel weak and sore all over."
McKoy paused her exam, gazing at Devon intently. "Son, you survived a swarm attack that killed two dozen healthy teenagers. By all accounts, you should have perished or suffered severe brain damage from that amount of Coco venom. Yet here you are, awake and talking just a week later."
She arched an eyebrow. "So I ask again, any unusual symptoms or abilities manifesting?"
Devon glanced at his mother uneasily. "No, nothing weird at all. I feel totally normal."
McKoy studied him a moment longer before returning to her notes. "Well, you'll need to check in with us if anything changes. Don't be afraid or ashamed, many develop powers from the Coco bite. Better to know now than be surprised later."
She handed Norissa a business card. "Call me anytime if he exhibits talents or odd behaviours. We'll send a mentor to help guide him." McKoy collected her things and headed for the door. "Oh, and Mr. Johnson? Your friends may be gone, but Jamaica still needs good heroes. Consider it." With that cryptic sentiment, she departed.
Norissa shook her head. "Don't mind she, you just focus on getting better."
But Devon's thoughts lingered on the agent's words. Heroes with real powers did amazing things - saving lives, fighting evil, protecting the weak. Could he also have some special gift now?
For his late friends, Devon vowed to push past this tragedy and discover if he had the potential to honour their memory as a hero. He had survived for a reason. It was time to run faster and reach farther than ever imagined.