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Steven and Connie warped back in from the Sky Arena "I gotta say, you've been getting better with that sword" said Steven. "Pearl really put us through the wringer today" said Connie "but it's worth it to see the triumphant return of your six pack again."

"Yeah, it actually does feel good to be back to it" said Steven. "I'll say...I wanna get lost in those abs" Connie muttered. "What was that?" "Erm, nothing..." "Don't think I didn't hear you, Connie" Steven teased. 

"Ste-ven!" Connie giggled. "Hey, don't be embarrassed. If you like the six pack that much, then I'll work to keep it" said Steven. "Shh! Steven! Don't flirt here, your Dad might hear!" said Connie.

Greg was sprawled out on a chair next to Joshua with a book in his hand. "Daddy? Grandpa keeps falling asleep" said Rebecca.

Greg had been getting tired a lot lately, it wasn't unusual for someone his age, but something was off. "Dad? Dad!" Steven called out. "Oh! Steven! Sorry, Rebecca, did I fall asleep again?" asked Greg. 

Rebecca nodded her head. "Hoo boy, I've been getting tired a lot recently...more so than usual" said Greg. " Okay, that does not sound good, even for a man your age" said Connie "Greg, do you think you might want to go to a hospital." 

"What, hey, it's drowsiness, all I need to cure that is a nice rest" said Greg...but suddenly he started feeling off "hold that thought!" Greg rushed over the bathroom and shut the door. Greg could be heard vomiting in there. 

"Uh, actually, I change my mind...let's go" said Greg. Connie escorted Greg into the car, and Steven gave him a bucket in case he felt the urge to vomit again and they drove him to the hospital.

Luckily, Connie's mother was available today and agreed to examine him. Connie gave Greg a very stern reminder to be upfront and honest about his symptoms otherwise he'll never get a clear diagnosis. 

At the end of the examination Priyanka sat across from Greg "Well, Greg, I'm afraid you have Chronic Kidney Disease caused by high blood pressure." "What? Oh no, what do I do?" Greg responded.

"There are two ways of treating it, dialysis or kidney transplant, personally I would recommend the latter. Typically the people who choose the transplant over dialysis tend to have a better quality of life" Priyanka recommended.

"B-but, isn't waiting list for a donor long?" asked Greg. "Yes, typically the waiting list for a kidney is three to ten years" said Priyanka "however, if you could get a blood relative of yours to let you have one of theirs, you can bypass the waiting list."

"Well, my father's passed away, possibly my mom too, and I can't ask my little sister, I just met her a few months ago..." Greg pondered. "There's also another person you can ask" said Priyanka. "Who?"

"Steven, your son. Quite honestly I think he'd be perfect for this, his DNA is an exact copy of yours, since gems don't have DNA themselves, at least, not in the sense we humans do"

"How do you know that? He doesn't have any medical records, I've never taken him to the hospital!" said Greg. "Yes, I know, that's why I conducted a medical examination on him myself" said Priyanka.

"You what!? You performed a medical examination on my son without me knowing about it?!" Greg exclaimed.

"Yes, Greg, I, a licensed medical professional, performed a medical examination on your, fully grown, adult, son, who, of sound mind, gave me the consent to do so" Priyanka pointed out "thus creating his medical records, important information he should have just in case of emergency."

"Well, you got me there. But he's only half-human, are you sure this would be okay?" asked Greg.

"Yes, we do run the risk of unintended results due to his heritage, however, he still has a human body, more importantly, a human body with your DNA, he might be the best chance you got" said Priyanka.    

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Steven looked into the door into his Mother In-Law's office with worry. "It's gonna be okay, Steven" said Connie "if anyone can figure out and treat what's wrong with your dad, it's my mom!" 

Suddenly, the door creaked open ajar and Priyanka leaned out of the door "Steven, may you come in for a moment?" "Uh, sure..." said Steven, he then crossed his fingers and mutter "please not something serious, please not something serious!" 

Steven sat down next to his father who was looking at him with a concerned and awkward look on his face. "It's something serious, isn't it?" Steven said worriedly. "I wish I could I tell you no" said Priyanka.

Priyanka looked Steven in the eye and carefully told him everything she had discussed with Greg. "Chronic Kidney Disease!? That's terrible! H-how long has he got!? No, I-I don't want to hear it!" Steven reacted in shock.

"Well, the good news is that what your grandfather has is treatable, and one treatment can allow him to continue living a normal life" said Priyanka "it's called a Kidney Transplant."

"A kidney transplant? What's that?" "It involves giving your father one of your kidneys" said Priyanka. "Giving him one of my...you're talking about surgery, aren't you? Where they cut you open and fiddle around with your insides?"

"A somewhat bastardized explanation of that the practice is, but functionally, yes" said Priyanka. "It's not so bad Shtu-ball, they put you under so you won't feel a thing" said Greg.

"Oh...great, cutting me open, fiddling around with my insides while I'm drugged and unconscious" Steven said nervously. "It's okay if you can't do it" said Priyanka "you can put him on a waiting list if you'd rather have that and there's also dialysis, although it wouldn't be as effective as a kidney transplant and he'd lose some independence."

"And, um, how long is the waiting list usually?" asked Steven. "It can take up to three to five years, and your father's condition could worsen over that time" said Priyanka "but keep in mind, I am not trying to coerce you, I am merely stating facts here, you do get a say in whether or not your father can have your kidney." 

"It really is okay, Steven, if you're not comfortable with this, I understand, pal" said Greg "besides, have your healing powers come back yet? We can try that?" "Sorry Dad, but no" Steven admitted. 

"Healing powers? What?" Priyanka said in surprise. "Well, for a while, I had inherited my mother's healing powers. She had those, apparently" said Steven "but they went away..." 

"You had powers that can heal, and Connie's eyes...I thought she had started using contacts! This...Steven, this is incredible...but how did you lose that ability?" asked Priyanka. Greg squirmed a bit in his chair. 

"What?" Priyanka asked Greg. "Well, I sorta broke my leg about a year ago or so, and he did heal my leg...but I faked it not working just so I could spend more time with him!" Greg admitted "ever since then, he couldn't do that healing magic."

"So, you created some sort of placebo effected on him?" Priyanka said in shock. "I found out later that he was lying, but still, my healing powers didn't work, so I think it's a bit more complicated than a placebo effect" said Steven.

"Gregory, I am summoning up all my willpower to hold myself back from breaking my vow to never harm a patient" said Priyanka "please, keep that in mind."

"U-understood, ma'am!" Greg squirmed. "Well, hey, at least with my healing powers not working, you won't be losing any business" said Steven.

"Oh please, I'm not that kind of doctor, Steven. I became a doctor to save lives" said Priyanka "in fact, I've been a strong advocate for socialized medicine in this country. We were so close fifteen years ago...in this state at least."

"What happened?" asked Steven. Greg darted his eyes back and fourth.

*Fifteen year ago*

Greg was in front of the state capital building with several protestors chanting "No new taxes! No new taxes!"

"We'll probably never know" said Greg. "In any case, considering all the options, I guess I can spare a kidney" said Steven. "Only if you want to, Steven. Are you SURE this is what you want to do?" asked Priyanka.

"Yeah, if...if it'll help my Dad...I...I'll do it" said Steven "that is...can you...can you live normally on just one kidney?" "Yes, well, you may have to make a few dietary changes" said Priyanka "your one kidney will have to do the work of two, I can give you some good recipes that coincide with said changes. Also, you will have to cut out alcohol completely."

"Sure, thanks, and I think I can live without alcohol" said Steven "and besides, I think I'll be fine if it's you doing the surgery." Priyanka gave Steven a rather awkward look. 

"Well, the thing is, you know how I told you that I accept you as family?" "Um, yes?" "Well, here's the downside, considering you're family to me" said Priyanka "there's a rule against surgeons operating on family." 

"What? Why?" "Steven, surgery is nerve wracking for everyone involved" Priyanka explained "it takes nerves and a gut of steel to conduct it, but when performing it on a patient you have a deep connection to, maintaining it is much harder because of the emotional factor." 

"I...I suppose that makes sense" said Steven. "However, I do understand that as I was the first doctor you've ever been to, you trust me more than any other" said Priyanka "So, I will be referring you to a surgeon that I can vouch for, when he served a residency in this hospital, I was the one in charge of him. Trust me, he's very good with his patients, he's around your age, I think you'll like him."

"Well, if you trust him, I suppose it's okay" said Steven "what's his name?" "Doctor Sam Fenwick, I will send him all your medical information along with information concerning your...unique heritage"

"I'd better have a word with Connie about this..." said Steven. "Yes, I think that's best, it's important that you take some rest and take it all in" said Priyanka "as for you, Greg, you'll have to stay here, understood?"

"Yes'm..." said Greg "hey, could you at least let me have a room on a floor overseen by a cute nurse?"

One hour later "Alright Greg, you're all settled in to your new room?" asked Priyanka. "Yes, thank you, this room is great, thank goodness for that royalty cheque my old manager gave me" said Greg.  

"Now, as per your request, I made sure the cutest nurse here will be overseeing you" said Priyanka "Nurse Leslie, your patient is ready for you!" "Ooooh, Leslie, she sounds beautiful" said Greg.

"Actually, it's "he", Mr. Universe" said a man's voice. "A male nurse?! Well played, Priyanka" Greg thought to himself. The nurse than came in, his body was very muscular, his biceps and abs clinging to his scrubs. 

"Although I don't blame you for thinking I'm a woman, most people make that mistake" Leslie continued "although my name is gender-neutral, it is pretty feminine sounding anyway."

Greg was blushing heavily "Uh, yeah...I'll be in your capable hands." Leslie nodded "we'll I've got other patients on my watch, but if you need anything, just press that little red button next to you and I'll be with you shortly." 

As Leslie left, Greg took a look at his firm buttocks. "Oh my gosh...Am I questioning my heterosexuality? Have I been bisexual all along?" said Greg "although, given how most male rockstars wore revealing clothing when I was a kid, that would explain why my Dad didn't want me having any albums..."

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Steven explained everything to Connie of what happened and how he was going to give his father his kidney.

"Steven, this is...I know you've never had any surgery or, any kind of medical treatment for that matter, so this is a huge first time, are you sure you're okay with this?" asked Connie.

"Yeah, I mean, I can live without one kidney" said Steven "at least, that's what your mother said." "You sure you're not hiding anything?" asked Connie. "No...no...I...I'll be fine" said Steven.

"If you say so, but just you know, it's okay to if you're to afraid to go through with this" said Connie "but it is pretty brave of you if you are okay with it." 

"Of course, It's to save my Dad, he raised me, taught me a lot of things, what's a kidney between father and son" said Steven, trying to hid his developing fear. 

Steven and Connie decided to check up on Greg before leaving for home. "Steven, I just want to say that I can't thank you enough for what you're doing" said Greg "I know I haven't been the picture perfect father you'd see in a Norman Rockwell painting, but seeing as how you're willing to literally give up a piece of yourself to save my life, well, maybe there's something I did right?"

"Come on, Dad, look, I know I've scolded you for a few things but, it wasn't all bad" said Steven "I mean, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even exist so, you deserve credit for that too!"

"Aw, thanks, son" said Greg "Oh! Dr. Maheswaran got in touch with the doctor she recommended, he still lives in the area and says he'll be ready to operate tomorrow. She's speaking with him right now!"

"Oh! Steven, Connie, there you are, I have Dr. Fenwick on Zoom, he'd like to speak with you" said Priyanka coming by Greg's room, holding a tablet device "he likes to have small one on one chats with his patients before he operates, to make them feel more at ease about the operation."

She turned the screen towards him, on the screen was a man around Steven's age, wearing a polo shirt with a trans flag on the breast pocket "Hello, Steven, I'm Doctor Samuel Fenwick."

"Nice to meet you" said Steven. "Priyanka here sent me all your medical records including everything regarding your...unusual background, now, I don't know anything about gems, but I know a lot about the human body, and it seems the only gem part of you is...your gem, so there shouldn't be any complications."

"Well, that's good to hear" said Steven. "I've done more organ transplants than I can count throughout my career" Dr. Fenwick explained "I want you to know that you will be in good hands with both me and an equally skilled team of nurses." 

"Why nurses?" asked Steven. "Right, Priyanka did tell me you've never been to a hospital. Nurses provide backup for surgeons for the operation, they make sure all the machines are operational, help keep the patient stable, Nurses do a lot more in the hospital than you think."

"It's true, Steven" said Connie "in fact, Nurses are in high demand, higher demand than doctors." "Anyways, since this is your first surgery, I just want to make sure you're okay" Dr. Fenwick.

"Okay how?" "Surgery can be a very uncomfortable procedure, especially for first time patients" said Dr. Fenwick "so, if you are feeling any form of fear or discomfort, let me know, alright."

"I'm feeling fine. Everything's fine, I mean it" said Steven. "Well, if you say so, but if you change your mind, you can reach my office number on my business card" said Dr. Fenwick.

Later, Steven and Greg signed the consent forms for the operation and they drove home. They explained what happened to the gems. "Thanks again for looking after the kids, Garnet, sorry for such short notice" said Connie.

"It was too problem at all" said Garnet, wearing a huge T-shirt that read "I love my godkids" but the word love was replaced with a heart.

"Don't worry, Steven, human surgical technology is nowhere near as barbaric as it used to be" said Pearl "the modern scalpel just glides across the flesh as it cuts open-"

"Pearl! There are children present, more importantly, MY children" said Steven. "Oh, right, I suppose it's inappropriate to discuss with children as young as Rebecca and Joshua" said Pearl "my apologies." 

"Daddy and Grandpa Greg are gonna be okay, right?" asked Rebecca. "They'll be fine, Rebecca" said Connie "you just need to trust the doctor my mom recommended, both your father and your grandpa are going to be okay."

"Listen to her, Rebecca" added Garnet "they'll both be fine, especially your grandfather." 

Later that night Steven dreamed himself in an operating room, not a fancy modern one, but a bleak victorian era one. A creepy looking Doctor came in, he resembled Dr. Bruno Weird, from Steven's Ratman comics. 

"Wh-where's Doctor Fenwick?" Steven asked. "Oh, he had an..."accident" on the way over here, I'll be taking over" The creepy doctor responded "by the way, there's a shortage of the medicine to put a patient under, so I'll have to conduct the operation with you awake and no anesthetic, there's a shortage on that, too!" 

The Doctor took out a rusty looking buzzsaw "Just think happy thoughts, Steven!" Underneath The Creepy Doctor's goggles, the iris's of his eyes turned red and the pupils morphed into a diamond shape.

The ceiling lights flickered and the Doctor, in the instant of the flash had changed into the very same gem he had a nightmare of during his sleepover with Rebecca where he made contact with Lapis in his dreams. 

Steven burst awake, looked to his side to make sure Connie was sleeping and tip-toed to the bathroom and started breathing heavily. He then saw Connie come in from the reflection in the mirror.

"Oh! C-Connie, what are you doing here!?" "Steven, is everything okay?" asked Connie. "Y-yeah, wh-what are you talking about?" "Steven...I know when you're hiding something" said Connie.

Steven almost immediately burst into tears "Alright...Y-you got me, I-I'm scared Connie! I'm scared of this operation! But...but I don't want my Dad to die either...but I'm so scared for my own life! I...I feel like a coward!"

"Steven...this is why my Mom, your dad, and Dr. Fenwick kept asking you if you were okay with this operation" said Connie "these feelings your feeling, they're normal."

"But, I feel so horrible for fearing for my own life when my dad's is in danger!" said Steven. "That doesn't make you a coward, you're moving forward with this even though your afraid, that doesn't sound like a coward to me" said Connie.

"You...you really think so?" asked Steven. "I know so, come here" said Connie, offering a consoling hug, which Steven accepted. Unbeknownst to them, Rebecca heard everything "Daddy..."  

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It was morning, and Steven was to arrive several hours before the operation, he was still feeling a bit jittery to drive so Connie was going to drive them. "You don't mind watching the kids, right Garnet?" asked Connie.

Garnet was holding up Joshua to eye level "If you don't stop smiling at me, I'm gonna kiss you!" and then kissing the toddler on the cheek several times as he giggled. Connie couldn't help giggling herself. 

Steven was taking deep breaths as the car drove off out of town and towards the hospital. "It's going to be okay, Steven, alright?" said Connie. 

"I...I hope so...I just...I just feel awful for being so afraid" Steven confessed. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid of surgery, Steven. The fact that you're willing to go through with this for the sake of your father is pretty brave to me." 

"You really think so?" asked Steven. "Of course, you know, in one the books in my YA collection, the father figure of the protagonist once said that courage isn't the absence of fear, it is doing what must be done despite it" 

When they got to the hospital parking lot, they heard a rustling in the back of the car. "That's odd, I don't remember a bunch of coats in the back seat" said Connie, she unfurled them to reveal "Rebecca!?" 

"What are you doing in the back of the car!?" Steven added. "And without a seatbelt on, I might add" said Connie. "I'm sorry...I just, I heard you two talking last night and...I'm worried about Daddy and Grandpa!" Rebecca confessed on the verge of tears.

Steven and Connie looked at each other with concern. "Oh, Rebecca, you poor thing, come here" said Steven. Rebecca was still crying.

"Aw, honey, I'm sorry for worrying you like that, but, I'll be fine, Mommy says so, and you know how smart she is" said Steven "and...and Garnet, she said both me and my dad will be fine." 

"But...but you said you were scared!" said Rebecca. "You're right, Rebecca, I am scared. But do you know what will make me feel better?" asked Steven. "Wh-what?"

"A great big hug from you, huh? Think you can spare one for Daddy?" Rebecca climbed over to the front seat and hugged Steven tighter than she ever had before "Well, what do you know? I feel better already" said Steven. 

"You promise?" asked Rebecca. "Yes, sweetheart, I promise" said Steven. "But we're still gonna talk about you sneaking into the back of the car without a seatbelt, that's very dangerous" said Connie. 

As Steven was taken into the Pre-operation prep room, Connie was speaking to her mother about why Rebecca was with them.

"Is that all? Reminds me of when you were six and your father was given the night shift and you were so scared of bad guys getting him" Priyanka commented "I'm on break so, I don't mind looking after this little stowaway for you." 

"Thanks mom, Rebecca, you be good for grandma, okay?" asked Connie. "But I wanna be in there to make sure Daddy's okay" said Rebecca. "Trust me, no you don't" said Connie "surgery is not something for little girls to see." 

The operating room had a cameras wirelessly connected to live feed screens in an adjacent room for viewing primarily by medical students, but are accessible to people who are related to the patient. 

Rebecca looked back towards the entrance to the preparation room in worry. "Rebecca, I know your worried about your father and grandfather, but trust me, if Dr. Fenwick was bad at his job, I wouldn't have recommended him" said Priyanka. 

Priyanka took Rebecca to the hospital cafeteria and bought her a chocolate chunk cookie, not the healthiest thing, but it kept her distracted from the operation. Not once had she ever had some alone time with her granddaughter.

She was usually with her husband, Connie, Steven and the gems whenever she was with her granddaughter, it was nice to be alone with her. After sitting in the cafeteria, Priyanka showed Rebecca to her office. 

Hanging on the wall was a bunch of family photos, along with a couple of photos of Rebecca Connie sent to Priyanka. "Hey, that's me!" said Rebecca looking at one of the pictures.

"It is, your mother sent me that last year, next to that is a picture of your brother" said Priyanka. "Oh yeah, there he is!" "And this one, is when I held you for the first time" said Priyanka took down a picture.

"Hee hee! I was so tiny!" Rebecca giggled. "Actually, you were a pretty healthy size and weight for a newborn" said Priyanka "but compared to your current height, yes, you were rather small." 

"You're very smart, Grandma, is that why Mommy's smart?" asked Rebecca. "I guess you can say that?" "You think I could be like that too?"

"Well, considering you've been learning to read at an earlier age than most children, you very well might" said Priyanka "you just need to remember to apply yourself every and now and again." 

Later, it was evening and Steven was called in by the doctor "Alright, Mr. Universe, everything's ready for the transplant" said Dr. Fenwick "now, as a doctor, here's what it will be like after the operation, you will feel some internal discomfort, due to the missing kidney, but with time that will fade. I'm sure Dr. Maheswaran already told you this, but you will have to make rather significant dietary changes as your one remaining kidney will be doing twice the work." 

"Alright, I...I'm ready" said Steven. He reluctantly placed himself on gurney and wheeled him into the operating room, Greg was right next to him. Steven was visibly shaking, Greg extended his hand to Steven.

"It's going to be okay, son. We're gonna be okay" said Greg. "Dad, it's supposed to be me who's comforting you in this moment" said Steven. Greg laughed slightly "Hey, you're never too old for your dad to comfort ya."

One of the nurses came holding a mask for administering the propofol gas "Okay, Mr. Universe and Mr. Universe, The Doctor's getting ready, just relax and count back from 10 and it'll all be over before you know it." 

At this time of the evening, in Priyanka's office, Rebecca was napping, using Priyanka's coat as a blanket. Priyanka took her phone out and sent a picture to Connie, hoping it'd keep her calm if viewing the surgery from the viewing room became too much for her. 

Priyanka's phone ringed, waking up Rebecca, unbeknownst to her. "Yes, yes, I'm still here" said Priyanka "oh, alright, I'll go check." Priyanka, still thinking Rebecca was sleeping, grabbed her spare coat and went out the door.

Rebecca, out of curiosity followed her stealthily, she has had numerous experiences with being stealthy in the past, some of which got her in trouble, but Rebecca was worried what Priyanka was being called in to do had something to do with her father or Grandpa Greg. 

She saw Priyanka go into a patient's room. In there she was next to a patient, under a blanket, hoping it wasn't either her father or grandfather. 

"Where did you say you found them? On the side of the road?" Priyanka asked the doctor on the other end of the phone. "I'm not sure just yet" she continued "I haven't had a look for myself." 

She peered under the blanket over the mysterious patient "Wh-this doesn't look like a car accident! You didn't find an ID?" The Patient began moaning and breathing heavily. "Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to startle you" Priyanka apologized. 

"Listen, I'll call back when or if I have an answer, goodbye" said Priyanka, hanging up her phone and placing her stethoscope and placing it over the patient's wrist. She was checking her vitals, Rebecca's mother taught her that. 

The patient kept making rough breathing noises while Priyanka listened for a heartbeat. "No heartbeat, ugh, cheap hospital budgets!" Priyanka grumbled storming out of the room. Rebecca hid against the wall next to the door.

She hoped her grandmother didn't have peripheral vision, otherwise she could see her and get in trouble. Luckily enough, she didn't, instead she saw her go into a supply room. 

Rebecca wanted to go back to her grandmother's office, but there was something about that patient, something odd, and she couldn't quite figure it out and something deep inside made her want to find out.

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Rebecca sneaked in to the room where the mysterious patient was sleeping. The patent began shrieking and convulsing from beneath the blankets, startling Rebecca, letting out a minor yelp.

"Rebecca!?" Priyanka reacted coming out of the supply closet, dropping the new stethoscope. "What are you doing in here, sweetie? You're not supposed to be in here" asked Priyanka. 

"Sorry, I was just wondering where you were going" said Rebecca. "Oh dear, work just came up, and I thought you were still sleeping" said Priyanka. "Your phone sort of waked me up" Rebecca admitted.

"Aw, I didn't mean to wake you, sweetheart, but you really shouldn't be here" Priyanka kneeled down to speak to Rebecca at eye level "this room is for patients and their friends & family, now come on, dearie, back to my office." 

"Okay, Grandma" said Rebecca. She looked back at the weird patient one last time and continued down the hallway. "Is Daddy and Grandpa Greg's op...oper..." "Operation?" "Yeah! Is that done yet?" asked Rebecca.

"Not yet, your mother said she'd call as soon as it was done" said Priyanka "but I'm sure everything's going smoothly, I've seen Dr. Fenwick work, his movements are very precise, he makes no room for error."

"If you say so...but, Daddy seemed very scared" said Rebecca. "Well, it's his first time getting surgery, it can be scary for many people" said Priyanka. A sudden noise interrupted them.

"Grandma, what was that?" asked Rebecca. Dr. Maheswaran looked behind them and saw a shadow limping in the hallway. "Sir? Ma'am? Dr. West?" Priyanka called out "Ugh! Can't take a day off, can he?"

She shined her flashlight down the dark hallway and saw a hulking figure covered in a hospital gown. Rebecca hid behind her grandmother. "It's okay, Rebecca, it's just one of my patients" Priyanka whispered.

"What are you doing out of bed?!" Priyanka called out "aren't you supposed to be at Dr. Stromberg's?" upon closer inspection, Rebecca noticed that it wasn't human, it reminded her of what Garnet and Steven were talking about.

"Peridot's gem monsters!" She whispered "Grandma! That's not a patient, it's not even a person!" "Rebecca! I thought your parents raised you better than to judge someone by their appearance!" said Priyanka.

Before Rebecca could argue, the chimera gem roared and charged towards Priyanka and Rebecca. Priyanka quickly led Rebecca back into the patient's room they had just came out of.

Priyanka knew many protocols for when patients are particularly violent, like, dangerously violent. If security is far away and won't get there in time, the best thing to do is put yourself in a place where they couldn't harm you.

Priyanka was holding back the door as the gem monster was ramming into it. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!" said Priyanka.

"I already know what it is, I heard Daddy and Garnet talking about it" said Rebecca. "You mean this has something to do with those Crystal Gem people who live with you!?" asked Priyanka.

"Yeah...there are some bad gems who want to do bad things to the world, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl want to stop them from doing bad things" said Rebecca "and I think that patient is one of those bad things the bad gems have been doing!"

"So, you weren't being mean when you said...but this isn't the only patient like this the hospital had admitted..." Priyanka realized. The very other "patient" Priyanka was talking suddenly jerked out of bed.

It started to lumber its way towards them. "Rebecca! Get somewhere where it won't get you!" Priyanka warned. "Don't hurt my grandma!" Rebecca shouted at the monster, as her body flashed pink for merely a second.

"Dorarararararararararararararararararararararararara!" Priyanka was in amazement as a strange figure suddenly appeared, punching the Gem mutant several times with that strange battlecry that filled the room.

"You! Sir...ma'am, who are you!?" Priyanka asked Security Blankette. Rebecca then suddenly remembered, her mother told her explicitly to not tell Grandpa Doug and Grandma Priyanka about her blank.

"Uh...they're my imaginary friend?" Rebecca lied. "But I can see it! I can hear it! I saw it defend us!" Priyanka argued. "I...have a very good imagination?" Rebecca lied again. 

Despite the situation Priyanka was giving Rebecca a look that suggested she wasn't buying what Rebecca was selling her. "Okay, this is Security Blankette, they're my power" Rebecca admitted. 

It was then Priyanka noticed the strange wire like objects connecting this strange figure to her granddaughter and Priyanka couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"You...you have some strange gem abilities!? But...that's impossible...or...well, unless the gem enhancements to his body's biological makeup also affected Steven's...no, not appropriate to talk about in front of her."

The Gem monster rose up, ready to strike again, but "DORA!" Security Blankette was one step ahead of it, poofing it. Security Blankette lifted up the mix matched gemstone and bubbled it, sending it to home base. 

"There's just one more left, Grandma, I know I have explaining to do, but let the other one in, I can stop it, please Grandma?" Rebecca requested. "I...I suppose I have no choice, do I?" said Priyanka.

Priyanka reluctantly opened the door. The monster charged in, grabbing Security Blankette by the arms, but it responded quickly by kicking it hard enough to make it let go "Dorarararara!" it poofed and Security Blankette sent it back to Home base.

Relieved that it was all over, Priyanka came over and hugged her Granddaughter out of relief. "Of course you realize I've got to talk about this with your parents, do they know about this?" 

"Yeah, but Mommy didn't want me telling you because she was worried about how you'd react..." said Rebecca. Before she could say anything, Priyanka got a call from Connie.

"Hello, Mom? The transplant's over, they're moving Greg and Steven into the recovery room" said Connie "the operation was a success...but there's a few things that were unusual...nothing bad, but unusual." 

Chapter Text

Steven counted back from ten as the propofol entered his airways...suddenly, he found himself in a different room, feeling all disoriented. "See? Told you it would be over before you knew it" said The Nurse who administered the gas.

"Huh? Wait, didn't you just put administer the gas?" asked Steven, still in a state of delirium. "Well, being put under is a lot different from sleeping" said The Nurse "it feels like your mind automatically skips to when you regain consciousness."

"Wait! The operation, how did it go?" asked Steven. "It was a success, your father's body has responded rather well to your kidney...unusually well" said Dr. Fenwick. "Unusual? What do you mean?" asked Steven.

"You're not gonna believe this" said Connie. "Connie! You're here too!" said Steven. "Yeah, How you doing, big guy" Connie gave Steven a consoling hug. "Wait, what am I not gonna believe?" asked Steven.

"It happened when we extracted your kidney, I was prepping to transplant it into your father when the nurse caught my attention" Dr. Fenwick explained "something had started growing where your kidney was."

"Wh-what!?" "It's alright! It's alright" Dr. Fenwick calmed him down "when I went to check it out, it had begun to resemble a kidney, no it was a kidney. Mr. Universe, you regenerated a kidney! That...that's never happened!"

"So...I still have two kidneys?" asked Steven. "Yes, you do! We didn't know what to make of it, but it didn't seem to be causing any harm and your vital signs were stable, so we decided to do nothing about it. When we went to sew up where we got the kidney, the skin and flesh repaired itself too!"

"It did?" asked Steven. "You mean, there's no stitches?" asked Connie. "Yes, it was nothing we've ever seen before! It was as if we never even made the first incision! Like your body understood it was undergoing surgery and waited until we were finished with it!" said Dr. Fenwick. 

"So, what about my Dad!? He's okay?" asked Steven. "Well, I think he might actually be better than okay, he woke a little bit before you did...you should see for yourself" Dr. Fenwick pulled back a curtain, revealing Greg.

But there was something different about Greg, his wrinkles were all gone, his hair had colour to it, and his bald spot was completely gone, he had a full head of hair! 

"Dad! You...you're..." "I feel thirty years younger!" said Greg "heck, what am I saying, I AM thirty years younger! There must have been some gem stuff in your blood or something" said Greg. 

"Dad...this...this is amazing!" "YOU think this is amazing! I can live long enough to see my great-grandkids grow up!" said Greg "once we check out, we should celebrate!" 

"And you will, after we keep you overnight for observation, and not because of these unusual circumstances but rather it's a part of post-surgical policy. We need to make sure there is no adverse aftermath to the surgery. There probably won't be, but it's important that we make sure." said one of the nurses.

"And, as a doctor, I recommend you take advantage of your newfound youth, Mr. Universe and try living a more healthier lifestyle and eating better" said Dr. Fenwick "not many people get a second youth." 

Just then, the door to the post-surgery recovery room burst open "Daddy!" said Rebecca. "Hey, Rebecca! Boy, am I glad to see you!" said Steven "everything's okay! Me and Grandpa Greg are okay!" 

"Really? Is Grandpa in here too?" asked Rebecca. "I sure am, but I look a little different than you remember" said Greg. Rebecca turned her gaze to Greg and was taken aback "You're...you're not old anymore!"

"Yup! That means I'll be able to keep up with ya, slugger!" said Greg. "Connie, I'd like a word with you, if I may" said Priyanka, beckoning Connie over. 

Priyanka told Connie everything about what she had seen. "So...you know of her blank, huh?" said Connie. "If that's what that puppet thing is called, then yes" Priyanka admitted "you have some explaining to do." 

Connie explained everything about hw Rebecca's powers work and how she was able to control them. "You mean to say you've been allowing Rebecca to go on those dangerous missions?" 

"Only the ones with the lowest threat level, and only if Steven can go with her, and you saw for yourself, Rebecca is quite capable of protecting herself" said Connie.

"Yes, that is true, but she hasn't used her powers with other kids, has she?" asked Priyanka. "Of course not, if she did, her teacher would have called us, we even told her as much" said Connie. 

"Well, I guess I can trust your judgement" said Priyanka "so, has Rebecca gone on a mission involving those things we saw on my office's floor?" asked Priyanka.

Connie explained everything Steven had told her "So that's why they had no pulse...gem experiments...what are they experimenting for?" "They're still looking into that" said Connie. 

"And Rebecca doesn't go on any missions involving them?" "No, Steven wouldn't allow it, he believes it's too dangerous" said Connie "like I said, we only 

Meanwhile Dr. Fenwick walked back into the operating room with a nurse. "Earl, The blood sample, is it safely stowed away?" asked Dr. Fenwick. "Yeah, I got it right here" said the male nurse holding up a special cooler designed for carrying blood samples.

"But I gotta be honest, Doctor" said "I don't feel too comfortable about taking a blood sample without a patient's consent, and it's a miracle I did it in secret."

"Yes, I understand we're going against ethical boundaries here, but we all saw what happened during that operation! Regenerating a kidney, an organ recipient reversing in physical age, this never happens!" said Dr. Fenwick.

"So, what do we need this blood sample for?" asked Nurse Earl.

"We're gonna find out what gives this Steven Universe's blood its healing and restorative properties and isolate it, once we do that, we can use it to make a vaccine for every illness and medical condition known to humanity!"

"But if someone finds out what we're doing, we'd be in trouble!" said Nurse Earl. "I understand, the consequences will be dire, but if caught, I will take the full blame, if I can accomplish even something minuscule with my hypothesis, I will be happy. I became a doctor to save lives! Let the fakers who have TV shows have all the fame, I just want my actions to make a difference!"

"What you're doing may be illegal, but at least your heart's in the right place" said Nurse Earl.

"Yes, now quickly, take this to my quarters in the medical lab, and make sure you're not followed" said Dr. Fenwick "if one of the major pharmaceutical companies catch wind of this...think of how much they'd charge for a miracle vaccine like that, only the super rich could afford it, and we can't have that."

"Yes, understood..." said Nurse Earl, as he shook hands with Dr. Fenwick, Dr. Fenwick felt a prick in the palm of his hand. He got all woozy as he saw the smug look on the nurse's face.

The nurse then picked up the phone "Hey, boss, I've got something you may be interested in..."