6 Chapter 6 - A Mother's Love

Location: Oscorp Tower

Norman's POV

Another two-month time skip (Five Months into Peter's coma, October for those wondering)

I hold another paper report on the Oz serum's progress. It's back on track since Mary has come back. After the fourth month into the boy's coma, she came back.

I was confused at first on why she would rather spend time on that than by Peter's side like her actions beforehand showed. But I could also understand that she needed something to focus her mind on other than her son's condition.

Thinking of Peter, it's like nothing is being shown in the tests they run even after five months. From what is seen it may take years for the boy to wake up. So much time wasted on a bed sleeping.

But there's also a possibility that he may never wake up. That is a much scarier prospect to imagine for me and probably a frightening idea for Mary. Everyone knows how much she loves and values her son.

I release a sigh into the air and look around my office taking in the black obsidian like walls. Turning my chair around to look at the glass reinforced wall behind me. Don't want any accidents happening.

It's raining again in this city. Just like it was when the accident happened. Mary will probably never look at the rain the same again. Just a bad reminder for her.

I look at my bottle of alcohol on the table when turning around again. But just ignore the need to drink. Don't need to turn out like Stark, alcoholic is gonna run his company into the ground one day with the path he is going.

Only really staying afloat with his deals to the government. Stark industries haven't made an actual technological contribution to the city or the world since the time Tony's father was around. Now that was a man to admire.

My company has risen with time and will only continue to do so. I had troubles with Stromm but after pointing his attention in the right direction he just became another one of my employees. A genius working in the robotics division.

Making great headway in prosthetics with Octavius. Both men with great minds, but their personalities definitely leave more to be wanted. Stromm is a nut job when it comes to his work, almost obsessive with his behavior. And Octavius has an ego bigger than this tower.

Yet, they still get the job done and that's what matters. I turn my thoughts to how Mary has been working.

She seems hyper focused into the project. Constantly jotting down notes onto a notebook and writing out chemical equations into the board next to her when I entered to observe. Her face set into an emotionless mask as she works, lips spread into a thin line.

First time I've seen her looking like this ever. She usually has a casual smile on her face, since she enjoys her work. She often tells me about her ideas in her free time, it's refreshing to have an employee who isn't obsessive or an egoist.

It's why I like Mary as a friend since she and Emily both are quite expressive with themselves. What she looks like now is a woman with only one thing in her mind. I just can't think of what it is other than Peter.

Change to Mary's POV

Another frustrated sigh is released from my mouth. Curling my hand around the pen in the tight grip.

I look over the status of the Oz serum and study the effects it keeps having on the test subjects. It's always the same. I need to find a way to fix this problem.

Then I can help him.

Just what is there to do though. It has been shown to give boosted effects already, but it always affects the behaviors. Is it because the subjects just aren't strong enough to resist or does it have to do with their bodies.

But.... what if I tried to give it another foundation to build on that is already stable in conditions.

A modified version of the Oz serum to integrate with the patient's body and build upon it in a steady rate. Instead of the original version I'm working on which gives benefits right away, this can take a slower process.

This could negate the automatic increase in aggression that comes with the chemical imbalances in the brain when the Oz serum is administered. I'm so stupid for not thinking of this earlier.

I just need the blood work and samples of him and then I can mold the Oz serum around it, giving it the foundation it could use.

Don't worry Peter, if you can't help yourself, than I will find a way for you to come back home.

One last two month time skip (Seven months into Peter's Coma; December)

Mary's POV

Ever since getting blood samples from Peter, I've tried to modify the Oz serum specifically around his blood as the foundation. Two months of time relentlessly testing and changing the formula to give it a synchronization.

Yet, it's finally happened. A perfect blend and enhancement of the blood cells. If I give this to Peter then it's regenerative properties should restore any damages he sustained to the brain, while also helping his mental thought process recover.

Since the serum acts as an intelligence enhancer and physical enhancer.

The strange thing was I tried the same with my own blood, but it didn't have similar effects to how it worked with Peter's.

If anything it was more negative in the process and gave off a state of deterioration. Whereas Peter's blood with the Oz serum was able to give off forms of restoration in the blood cells. The white blood cell count even increasing to higher levels than a grown adult.

I tried thinking around why. Sure we are different people, but if it worked on Peter wouldn't it work on someone with familiar blood.

The original test subjects were all animals and different insects. Yet no signs of deterioration was spotted in there blood cells. Only on a human subject's blood does it really start to show after an extended period of time. Except Peter's....

But there's still something else I don't know about.

If Peter...no when Peter wakes up, will he exhibit signs of aggression? The logical side of me wonders if this is safe enough yet to use, but the emotional side of me. The mother in me just wants to do this already so that he can come back.

I'll never know what effects it has on the human mind since we haven't used human subjects ever. Peter will essentially act as the patient zero for this personal modified serum.

Will it heal his brain, most likely. Will it enhance his physiology in a positive manner, I'm sure of it. Will it have long term effects on his mind?

I stay still in my lab with notes scattered around and holding the only physical sample left for Peter, while thinking of this question.

If it does, then I'll be there to help him. Create something if I have to when the time comes.

I just want my son back.

Steeling myself, I gather all the notes in the lab and put them in a folder. Scraping off the jotted down chemicals on the white board I have made for this specific formula and writing down the original version.

Norman knows I've been working tirelessly on the Oz, but he let's me have full control over it. I'll just tell him that this path hit a dead end and I need to go back to basics again.

I don't know what Norman's thoughts would be if he knew I was using a modified version of the Oz on my son. Would he be angered at my carelessness of company property or would he support my decision to help my son.

Still holding the last vial I put it safely into a protected container and then that into my brown messenger bag along with the notes. If something ever does happen to Peter, these notes would be a good refresher and way to solve any possible problems with the serum.

Time skip to a little later

Switch Location: Hospital

3rd Person POV

The room is silent except of for the noise of the machines working. A rhythmic beat from the heart monitor and the humming of the breathing tubes filling the silence of the room. A room of white walls and a window closed covered by curtains.

Breathing tubes connected to a slumbering boy. A boy of nine years old, named Peter Fitzpatrick. His form still, except from the movements in his chest. The atmosphere of the room is calm and mostly quiet.

Except for when the door opens to welcome in a woman. Mary Fitzpatrick the mother of the boy, Peter. Her form is disheveled and her posture radiates exhaustion. Yet, her eyes show a different story. Filled with warmth and a sadness as she gazes upon her son.

On her shoulder is a strap connecting a messenger bag, her hand reaches into the bag. Carefully pulling a container out after a moment. She comes to her son's side and leans into to give him a kiss on his cheek.

"Moms here now Peter, I'm sorry I haven't been here for longer durations," She apologizes to her son with guilt leaking into her voice.

"But I have a way of making it up to you," Mary continues as her eyes start to fill with a determination. Opening the container and pulling out a vial, filled with a dark green liquid. Looking like some form of poison rather than the cure for this sleeping child's eternal sleep.

Mary stills looking at the vial debating one last time in her mind whether this is the right decision. The possible danger it could have or the numerous benefits it can give. Another look at her son gives her the answer and courage to go through with this.

She reaches back into her pack and pulls out a covered syringe. She uses the syringe in a proper method and extracts all of the serum into the syringe. The dark green liquid filling up the syringe and finally she finishes extracting all of the Oz.

She grabs her son's arm before choosing the right area to administer the Oz. Plunging the needle down into the skin, the boy feeling nothing since he is asleep. Pushing in the liquid into his veins, the Oz flowing through his veins with his blood. Attaching and synchronizing itself with his blood cells. Finally reaching his heart and the beeping of the monitor increases slightly for a moment.

Mary quickly puts the vial and syringe back into her bag and pulls a chair up to Peter's side. Just waiting for anything to happen. Unknown to her that the Oz has already start the process of healing his body from his long slumber and rejuvenating his brain once more into a working condition.

The Oz becoming one with Peter and leaves his no sign of anything truly changed on the outside. Mary lays her head down to rest as she watches Peter's face before succumbing to sleep herself.

Her love for her son powering her through the months to create something capable of helping him. Everything finally catching up with her now that she knows she has done something to help him in a way.

A gift from his mother, that would eventually become his curse.

Author's note: Bet nobody saw that coming. I hope I was able to subvert expectations with this turn in the story.

When I was outlining this story way back, I thought of ways to give Peter a good reason to be smarter than most people. The Oz basically does that as shown in the comics when Harry uses it after his dad isn't the Green Goblin anymore. It gave Harry intellect rivaling both Peter and his father combined. Scary stuff right there.

Because in the original story it didn't make sense for him to inherit typical parker intelligence like that. Just felt stupid writing that in hindsight. So what better way to make him one of the smartest people on the planet than with a literal intelligence enhancer.

Plus there will be perks with the physical enhancements when he grows up. So that will be some fun to show with subtle hints here and there.

Just remember this though. This modified Oz enhances the person at a moderate pace compared to the original version which basically was instant enhancements. So don't expect him to lift tons right when he wakes up. It will take time for the true effects to take place physically wise. The mental enhancements will be coming quicker though.

Ok, now to Mary most of you probably think she was stupid for doing this, but a mother will do what she has to do for her son regardless of the consequences. That and she isn't in a stable place mentally after knowing her son has been in this coma for seven months with no sign of recovery at all.

How far would you go for your loved ones is what I'm basically saying. Mary would go the extra mile and the whole damn universe if it meant Peter was ok.

Now I won't spoil what is coming other than that final line of this chapter. But I'm sure most know not everything will be sunshine and rainbows after this major moment.