While Mary Jane sleeps on a chair in Aunt May's hospital room, Peter sits at the bedside of his comatose aunt and talks to her, as if she was lucid. He tells her about how he and MJ transfused some of his blood into her system, hoping that it will give her a fighting chance. They should know if it worked by morning. Peter is convinced that it will.
The next morning, of the nurses comes in to take a blood sample from Aunt May. She tells MJ that it doesn't seem like anything changed in her condition; however, she won't know for sure until she sees the results of the blood test.
A lab tech analyzes Aunt May's blood sample and delivers the results to the nurse that checked on Aunt May earlier. In the middle of a phone conversation, the nurse is unaware that the file disappears off her desk. The culprit? Peter Parker, clinging to the wall outside the window. As he flips through the file, he comes to the unfortunate realization that the blood transfusion did not help whatsoever.
Minutes later, back in Aunt May's room, Peter conveys the results to Mary Jane. As they ponder what should be their next step, there is a knock on the door and the hospital chaplain enters, offering his services. MJ explains that they are not big believers in the power of prayers and the reverend replies that he wishes only to know if Aunt May would be requiring last rites or if she would want the presence of a representative of her denomination. As well, he would like to know if, despite hoping for a miracle, they have made funeral arrangements.
Miles away, at a police precinct, Detective Delint, receives orders from his lieutenant to check out a case about an old lady (i.e. Aunt May) that was admitted to County Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound from an apparent drive-by shooting (a story made-up by MJ upon having Aunt May admitted to the hospital). Since there was no 911 call or no police report, the hospital called it in per policy on gunshots. All they know is that her niece (i.e. MJ) brought her in and that they are paying cash for everything. The lieutenant deduces that they are definitely hiding something and asks Delint to figure out what it is.
Back at the hospital, Peter is ticked that the reverend showed up in their room. MJ tries to calm him down and somewhat sides with the chaplain, explaining that they should at least prepare themselves to the possibility that Aunt May might die and that they will need to have some kind of funeral arrangements. MJ asks Peter what he thinks she would want them to do, what she believed in. Grabbing hold of his aunt's hand, Peter replies that Aunt May believed in him and that belief may have cost her her life; this he cannot bear to think about.
Detective Delint shows up at County Memorial Hospital and talks to the nurse that's been assigned to Aunt May's room. She confirms some of the information about Aunt May being logged in and mentions that she found some irregularities in her vitals since being admitted. She goes on explaining that traces of radiation were detected in her system in the last 48 hours that were not there when she first arrived at the hospital. The lab has also identified the presence of a variant of spider venom in her blood. The nurse surmises that maybe her niece (i.e. MJ pretending to be Aunt May's niece) had something to do with that, as well as the niece's husband, who hasn't been seen once. Before Detective Delint can comment on her suspicions, the nurse gives her account of what she thought happened. She guesses that Aunt May was accidentally shot by the niece's husband (i.e. Peter). While the niece and her husband figured out what to do next – thinking that Aunt May was dead – Aunt May somehow got herself to the hospital. But she was not alone and they – meaning the niece and her husband – tracked her down and tried to finish the job but the gun went off, breaking a window, and scared them into fleeing. The hospital staff then found Aunt May lying on a bed. Delint admits that it could be possible. The nurse explains that the niece is lying about filing a report with the police on the supposed drive-by shooting and that she is paying cash for everything. If the drive-by story were true, then any insurance carrier would want proof of if, so they would contact the police for confirmation, which means that her full current last name would have to be provided. The nurse thinks that Aunt May would ruin the whole thing, should she come out of it alive, which is why the niece has been sitting at her bedside the whole time to make sure she doesn't talk. She also thinks that the husband may have slipped in to finish the job with some kind of toxin that remains to be identified. She is sure they are up to something. Delint admits that it makes sense and explains that the fact the niece did not file a police report and lied about it on the admission form is grounds for suspicion and probable cause, and also a felony by itself. After asking the nurse for Aunt May's room number, Delint takes off in a hurry.
Inside Aunt May's room, Peter's pondering about what to do next when he's interrupted by the buzzing of his spider-sense, warning him that someone is about to enter the room. Within seconds, he's gone into hiding and MJ answers the door, coming face-to-face with Detective Delint. Delint introduces himself and tells MJ that he wants to ask her a few questions about Aunt May. Stalling, MJ replies that it isn't a good time and that she needs to stay with Aunt May. Delint explains that he cannot allow her to stay and proceeds to explain that she broke the law when she lied about the drive-by shooting and gave false information to the hospital. MJ claims not to know what he is talking about but Delint wants none of it and orders her to come with him. MJ refuses to go, prompting Delint to threaten to use handcuffs on her. Just then, the lights go off in the room. Realizing that something is up, Delint tells MJ to stay put and handcuffs her to the door. As he does that, a voice cuts through the darkness and tells him to let her go. Delint turns around and comes face-to-face with Peter, whose face is hidden by the shadows. Delint instructs Peter to get on the floor but Peter refuses to do so. When Delint asks again, Peter leaps toward Delint in a flash, disarms him and knocks him out, while MJ watches in horror. Peter releases MJ from her handcuffs, reassuring her that Delint is only unconscious, and realizes that he's just assaulted a police officer and that he could go to jail for that. Hastily thinking, Peter tells MJ that they need to move Aunt May out of there pronto. He tells MJ to get downstairs and outside, and to wait for his call when they’re ready to move. As MJ hurries downstairs, Peter ties Delint up and heads out the window.
Next, Peter proceeds to steal an ambulance from a nearby dinner (the EMS guys are having lunch, unaware that their ambulance is being stolen) and calls MJ back to ask if she's ready. MJ replies that she is and asks what needs to be done (The reader does not get to see what Peter tells MJ). Peter breaks into one of the hospital storage closets where they keep spare nurses' clothing and steals himself a pair of scrubs. Putting them on, he tells MJ that he’s ready and instructs her to "go". Having received her cue, MJ comes racing down the hall toward the nurses' station, screaming that someone needs help in the lobby. The nurse present at the station hurries down the hall toward the lobby, deserting her post. As per Peter's plan, MJ jumps behind the nurses' station desk and steals a patient transfer authorization form from a file cabinet.
Peter, meanwhile, dressed as a male nurse, slowly walks down the hall pushing a gurney toward his aunt's room. When he gets there, he grabs hold of her frail and comatose body and lays her down on the "borrowed" gurney. Then, to prevent anybody from asking questions, he drapes a sheet over her body, so as to make it seem like he is transporting a dead body. He then takes off down the hall with the gurney and luckily makes it all the way into the back of the ambulance he stole earlier, where MJ joins him. While MJ stays with Aunt May in the back, Peter jumps in the driver's seat and takes them out of there.
A few minutes later, they arrive at a more rundown hospital, where Peter delivers the patient transfer authorization form to the nurse at the front desk. The nurse tells Peter that the transfer was not cleared and that she did not get a call. Lying through his teeth, Peter replies that they were too busy to make the call. The nurse answers that they too are busy but nonetheless tells Peter to put Aunt May in Room 12B until they can find something long-term. Peter goes back to the ambulance where a worried MJ has been waiting. He lets her know that the plan has worked and the two of them proceed to transport Aunt May into her new temporary room. Along the way, the hospital is shown as being in a more dilapidated shape than County Memorial. The hospital seems to cater to people of lower classes.
Leaving Aunt May so she can get her rest, Peter and MJ stumble down the hall, arms in arms. MJ reveals to Peter that she is scared of what will happen to them. She also wonders when it will all end. Peter replies that they cannot stop fighting, not for her, not for the, not now, not ever. With that said, he tells MJ that he has to go drop off the ambulance somewhere on the other side of town so no one can track its' theft back to them. MJ asks what they are going to do next. Peter replies that they will think of something else and hurries off to take care of the ambulance. As he makes his way out of the hospital, he realizes that he's committed a total of nine (9) crimes to get Aunt May transferred to the new hospital, which, if convicted, would equal to a ninety-year prison term (life imprisonment). Spider-Man did not commit those crimes. Peter Parker did. He has become a criminal; the one thing he has set out to fight in the first place. All his life, Peter has had nightmares about being accused of a crime and being sent to jail. Only this time, it is real. Peter is lost and implores God to help him.
To be continued.
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