Chapter 2 *Underdog Falls*

When the movie had ended and Danny had left, Tucker was sure something was bothering his best bud. You didn't have to be an expert to realize that.

Right as Danny left, Tucker turned to Sam. "What do you think is wrong?"

"Whaddya mean?" Sam turned around to head back to the movie room. Tucker matched her stride and followed.

"I mean, haven't you noticed? Danny isn't his usual self. More quiet, reserved. He didn't even make a comment when I cried at Rue's death!"

Sam slowed down a little, but otherwise acted as if she hadn't heard him.

When he was going to repeat himself, she finally said, "Yeah, I've noticed. How couldn't I have? I just decided not to comment on it. Didn't want to make him mad or something."

Tucker considered this and saw she was right. "Well, what do we do? We are going to do something, right?"
Sam hesitated again, but didn't answer this time.

"Come on, Sam! You're just gonna let it slide?" Tucker exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. How could she not care? Before he could have another outburst, though, he was so caught up in his rambling that he tripped on a step and fell forward. Sam reached out to steady him, but was too late. He was already crashing down the stairs. He could hardly register what was happening as his head hit the first step, then he went rolling down on his side the rest of the way. He couldn't even recognize pain at the time, it all happened so fast.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he met the carpeted ground. At the very least he was thankful it was carpet and not cement. He was still conscious and didn't feel the pain until he tried to move. It was like there were living flames in his leg. He took a sharp intake of breath and ceased trying to get up. But the gasp had started another pain on his left side.

"Tucker!" Sam took three steps at a time, only to trip, but luckily caught herself before they could have a repeat of Tucker's incident.

When she reached the bottom she dropped to the ground on her knees. "Tucker! Tucker? Are you alright? Answer!" They had been on the top steps when he'd fallen.

"Settle. It's okay. Just. . . call your parents or something," Tucker said weakly. He didn't want to talk from the flaring pain, and his vision wavered, like he was underwater. Everything Sam said sounded muffled and faraway.

"Okay. I'll be right back, just wait!" Sam flashed up the stairs and left Tucker to try and fight to keep consciousness. He heard her pounding footsteps on the staircase and then the hollow patters as she raced around upstairs. He heard her shout her parents' names.

Then she came running back downstairs with a phone in her hand as she dialed a number. She dropped down next to him again and groaned frustratingly as she pressed the "end" button to restart dialing because she'd messed up in her haste.

Tucker laughed. Sam gave him an incredulous stare. "What in the world are you laughing about?" she shrieked, pausing only a few seconds before dialing again.

"This. It's ironic," he muttered. The pain was as fresh and burning as ever, but he couldn't do anything about it. Talking kept him from closing his eyes and kept his mind from wandering back to the sharp pangs in his leg. And now that he was lying there, breathing felt a bit difficult, too. His left side ribs hurt tremendously, but not as much as his leg, he supposed.

"What's ironic?" Sam spat angrily. She wasn't angry at him, but at her clumsy fingers as she redialed the same repetitive number over and over until she could get it right. She must have seen the pain on his face if she was in this big of a hurry.

"It's ironic that something as normal and everyday as falling down the stairs injured me. What with all the ghost hunting and fights we're involved in. And we don't even have ghost powers! It just goes to show we aren't always prepared for everything. . ."

"Tucker? Stop talking gibberish and shut up! Just- don't say anything! I'm getting help."

He didn't want to stop talking, but he obeyed. He was getting really tired anyway, and maybe sleep would make the pain fade away, like it had never been there.

"Oh, man! You're bleeding!" Sam said, her hand hovering slightly just above his eye. Tucker was glad when he brought his hand up that it didn't cause any more extra pain, but when he touched the cut just above his eye, he flinched. Pulling his hand back, he saw blood on his fingers.

"Huh. I guess I am," he said as if it was of no consequence. His words slurred and he began closing his eyes.

"Tucker, do not fall asleep! Wake up!" Sam shook him lightly by the shoulder.

"Ow. Stop. That hurts," Tucker mumbled incomprehensibly.

Not able to go to sleep with the help of Sam's pestering, Tucker was on the verge of consciousness, only so much that he heard the door upstairs slam open and more footsteps stampeding down the stairs. When he peeked open one eye he saw a woman and a man, both blonde. Sam's parents.

"Oh, dear! Samikins, whatever in blazes happened?" Mrs. Manson declared.

"He fell! I said that over the phone, so please, do something!" Sam practically shouted. Tucker had never seen her this worked up.

"I'll be right back," Mr. Manson said firmly. He sounded authoritative and in charge, like the man in the situation usually did. Tucker saw through between his eyelids that Jeremy Manson had fled upstairs, but for what was more than Tucker wanted to think about. He'd rather lay here on the nice, comfortable ground and take a nap.

"Tucker, your parents are on the way. Can you hear me?" Pamela Manson said loudly, as if Tucker were a deaf. Tucker lifted his hand in a thumbs-up.
Then he heard her say, "See, Samantha? I told you he wasn't dead yet."

"Not helping matters, mother!" Sam retorted rather snippily. Pamela merely huffed and stood by her daughter's side. Now, Tucker was never one for getting in good with the folks, but he knew for a fact Mrs. Manson wasn't one of the most compassionate people, so he didn't take her rude comment to heart.

Mr. Manson came thundering back down the stairs. "Don't worry, they're on their way."

And although he didn't say who was on their way, Tucker had a pretty good idea. And he didn't like it one bit.