Fix The Cracks

by DarkHououmon

Sequel to Fall Far Below. "Ms. Bouffant, I hate you. I hate what you did to me. You are a despicable woman. But I also feel sorry for you. Because you were so insecure and caught up in your delusions that you resorted to kidnapping and blackmailing. And now you are going to pay the price for that."

2. Trial

Friday Afternoon:

This was it. This was the day Rudy had been anticipating all week. The day he had been dreading. The day he had hoped would be over with soon.

It was the day of Terry's trial, when she would be convicted and sent to jail based on the charges put against her.

He felt his body being filled with all kinds of emotions. Fear, happiness, anxiety, nervousness, all just swimming inside of him, making one confusing emotional mess. He found it hard to keep still. He kept wanting to get up and walk around. He found it hard to just stay in one place. Every minute that passed by felt like an hour.

He and his family were walking down the hallways of the local justice building, where the trial would take place. He had never been in here before. He looked all around, taking in the design of the place. Pretty modern-looking, with a few hints of old-fashionedness. He looked out ahead. He could see two large doors that he and his friends and family were being led to. The doors slowly opened as they approached, revealing the huge room the trial would take place in.

Rudy was amazed at the size of the courtroom. He had never been in one before. He couldn't believe how large it was. So many rows of chairs for people to sit in and pay witness to the trial. He could see the stand that he would be called to, and he noticed how tall it was. Then he took notice of the tables in front of the rows of seats, many of which already had people seated in them. He knew that he would be sitting at one of these desks, while Terry, the other one...

The people in the 'audience' watched as Rudy and his family headed towards the front. Rudy took a seat in one of the desks in front of the rows of chairs. His family sat just behind him, except for Snap. Since he, too, was a victim, he sat down next to Rudy. This did make him feel safer, having one of his friends by his side for when the trial started. He would have felt exposed and vulnerable if he had been alone up front with Terry.

He looked up and he could see the judge. A middle-aged man holding the mallet in his hand. He stared down at him with intense, brown eyes. He surveyed the courtroom, looking around. Rudy guessed he was trying to find Terry. It was almost time for the trial to start.

Then he heard footsteps. He looked around and he finally found the source. Walking down another pathway were two policemen. They weren't the same as the ones who arrested Terry. They looked larger and more muscular. They walked on either side of someone else, whom Rudy recognized as Terry herself.

From what Rudy heard, Terry didn't bother with any lawyer. She was going to try to defend herself. How she was going to do that, he wasn't certain. He guessed the policemen were there to make sure she didn't try to do anything. Even as she came close to the desk, they never left her side. For a moment, she locked eyes onto him. His heart skipped a beat and he froze. Terry glared straight at him for a second, before she shifted her gaze away. She sat down, the two policemen still by her side.

Rudy turned his head away, trying to look anywhere except at Terry. He felt his heart start to race. This was it. It was almost time. The trial would start any minute. He took in a shuddering breath. He had to be ready. Any minute now, the trial would start.

And this nightmare would finally be over.

The pounding of the hammer came, and Rudy knew that it signified the court was now in session. Everyone turned their attention to the judge. After he sat down the mallet at his side. He gazed down at everyone below him.

"The court is now in session." He spoke, his voice booming and authoritive. "The case of Tabootie VS Bouffant will now begin."

sss

Rudy was glad when he realized he wasn't the first one to be called to the stand. Instead, it was Reggie. He was a little surprised, but he didn't complain. He didn't mind waiting a little longer before he said anything against Terry. He didn't like the looks she was giving him from the other desk. She looked like she was about to pounce on him, and he felt very scared.

He watched as Reggie went up to the stand, made the promise that everything he would say was the truth, and then sat down. He made himself comfortable and stared at the audience in front of him. The judge looked down at the large boy, then he turned away.

Another man, the one managing the court case, came up to Reggie to ask him a question. "Reggie Bullnerd. Can you explain to the court what you had seen?"

Reggie nodded his head. "I sure can." He took a moment to look at Rudy before he continued, "I was on garbage duty last week, on the day of the festival. I heard a noise coming from Mr. Smittington's yard. I went over to investigate. I hid behind the house, and I saw Ms. Bouffant knocking Rudy out with some strange smelling stuff and dragging him away."

Rudy gave a small smile. He was glad that someone had seen what happened. He was glad that Reggie, instead of being a jerk about it, was willing to help him through this. It was a side of Reggie he rarely ever saw.

"After she knocked him out, she picked him up in her arms and ran off with him. I tried to tell my dad about it, but he didn't believe me. He said that Ms. Bouffant wouldn't risk kidnapping a child."

"Why haven't you tried telling anyone else about what happened?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"My dad wouldn't let me. He said he didn't want me spreading rumors about Ms. Bouffant." Reggie said regretfully. "So I had to wait until Monday before I could tell anyone. I told Penny Sanchez about what I had seen, then I told the principal."

At this, Rudy spotted Reggie's father. He had a saddened look on his face. It was obvious he felt guilty about the whole thing. Rudy didn't blame him, though. He had no reason to think Terry was a kidnapper. To him, she was just a reporter.

As Reggie continued to talk, Rudy wondered if he would be ready for when he was called up to the stand. He was dreading the moment. He tried his best to remain brave. He had been so hopeful the other day. Why was he getting so nervous now? Because it was happening for real now. It was one thing to mentally prepare himself, to imagine what the trial might be like and act accordingly. But it was a whole other ballpark actually being here and experiencing it for himself.

He just hoped he was able to keep his cool for when it was his turn to talk at the stand.

sss

Snap was the next one to be called up. He gave Rudy a reassurring smile before walking up to the stand, doing what Reggie did before and promising to tell the truth. He sat down, and waited for the man in front of him to ask the question.

The man said, "Snap White...that's your name right?"

Snap nodded his head. "That's correct."

"Okay, Snap White. You claim that Rudy is not the only person Terry Bouffant kidnapped. Is that right?" The man asked.

Snap narrowed his eyes. "That is right. He wasn't. She had kidnapped someone before."

The man nodded his head. "Who is the other person?"

Snap made a gesture towards myself. "It was me."

"Oh?" The man said. He took a step back. "Then would you mind explaining to the court what happened?"

"Gladly." Snap said.

He straightened himself up and looked at the people in the courtroom. If this wasn't a serious event, Rudy had a feeling that Snap would want to put on a show for everyone. But he didn't, because he knew that Snap knew that this wasn't the time or place for it.

Snap started to explain what happened to him.

"I was visiting Rudy Tabootie at school. Since the student exchange program, he and I have become close friends. I wanted to stop by and say hello to him. While we were talking, Ms. Bouffant had come in. She wanted me for some reason. I didn't know why. She ripped off the school's map and tossed it at Rudy before she came after me."

Rudy knew that part of what Snap said was a lie. But he had to lie. If he told the truth, it would mean exposing ChalkZone. He was glad that Snap was able to come up with a story on the fly, without pause for breath or to think about what he was going to say. That made his story seem all the more convincing.

He turned his head to the side to look at Terry. She had her teeth clenched. She looked visibly unhappy at what Snap was saying. It was because she knew that he was lying. But after the court finds out exactly what she had done to him, would they even believe anything she tried to say?

"I tried to leave, but she had her thug grab me. They dragged me out of the school and took off in a van. I was taken to a news studio where they wanted to force me to go on stage and talk about this fabled 'world of chalk' nonsense she continues to blab about."

"Objection!" Terry hissed, slamming her hands on the desk. "It's not a fable! You're from that world, you walking chalk drawing! And I can prove it too!"

"Order!" The judge slammed his mallet down. "Ms. Bouffant, you will have your turn to speak. I don't want to hear another outburst from you, or I will put a strike against you. Do you understand?"

Terry grumbled. "Yes, your honor..."

"Now then...continue." The judge said, making a gesture towards Snap to continue his story.

sss

Rudy was now at the stand. He was nervous. His heart was racing. He wasn't sure if he was ready. He couldn't stop his body from shaking, his breathing quickening.

His parents and friend Penny, as well as Mr. Wilter and Principal Stringet, had all got to say something. They all told the court pretty much the same thing. They told them about how they had seen Terry slap Rudy into the ground. They told the court how they had seen Terry try to punch Rudy while he was on the ground, and how Rudy had pleaded for mercy when she attempted to do so.

Now it all came to this. He was the main victim of this 'story'. He was the one who had been the most tormented by this woman. He was not the only one who had been stalked by her, but he was the one she had focused her attention on. He swallowed hard, preparing himself for this moment. Soon, he would spill out everything that happened to him, and soon the conviction would come.

The man walked up in front of him. Rudy swallowed again. It was almost time. As the man's mouth opened to speak, Rudy felt his heart clench tightly. It was time.

"Rudy Tabootie. Would you care to explain to the court what you are accusing Terry Bouffant of doing to you?"

Rudy stared at the courtroom. All eyes were on him. The random people he didn't know where watching him curiously, waiting for him to continue. His eyes slowly moved to where Terry was sitting. He stifted a whimper when he saw her staring at him in hatred, a look that told him she was going to get him for this. He then looked down at his friends and family. They smiled at him and nodded their heads slowly. And he knew, they were going to be there for him.

Rudy sucked in a breath. Yes, he was ready to speak now. He could do this.

"I was taking a walk around my neighborhood on the day of the city festival. I was passing Mr. Smittington's yard when someone grabbed me from behind. They put something over my mouth and I realized it was chloroform. Before I could get free, I succumbed to the chloroform. When I woke up, I was in some building I didn't recognize and I was strapped down in a chair. Ms. Bouffant came in and started to tell me about how she had been stalking me for months, how she had so much information on me, Penny, and Snap that she could make me do anything she wanted."

He paused to take a breather. He looked around at the 'audience'. Some people were staring at him in surprise. Others were whispering to each other. Rudy didn't pause for long. He continued the story.

"She began to threaten me. She told me that if I didn't do exactly what she said, she would ruin Penny's life. She also tried to force me to kidnap my friend Snap, and she said how she would delight in ruining the friendship I had with him and Penny. She wanted me to suffer. She hates me for ruining her career and she wants me to pay the price for that. She assumed control over me, even going as far as putting in a tracking device in my neck so she could see exactly where I would go."

This caused a few people to glare at Terry and shake their heads disapprovingly.

"She had forced me to meet with her twice, and both times, she started to touch me. She treated me like some pet, like a dog or cat. She would run her hands all over my hair, my face, my shoulders, and my arms. She wouldn't stop doing it. She did it to mess with me, and to show me how much control she had over me. If I tried to resist, she would slap me. She...hit me three times, and then tried to punch me. If my mom hadn't intervened, she would have done so."

The man and judge both looked visibly disturbed by this. And so did the audience. Striking a child was frowned upon. And just like Rudy thought, it was causing a reaction among the audience. Many of them were glaring at the woman. Terry glared back at them, but said not a word. She instead glared at him, her dark brown eyes boring into his green eyes.

"When she was being dragged away, she threatened me again. She said she was going to get me. She would have hurt me again if the policemen didn't have a grip on her." Rudy said, his voice growing softer as he spoke. He still spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

After a few moments of silence, the man said, "Thank you, Tabootie. You may sit down."

sss

It was getting to the homestretch now. The court was soon coming to a close, Rudy knew. Terry Bouffant already had her chance to testify. But she was unable to come up with a sensible explanation for her actions. She kept trying to convince the audience about the 'world of chalk' and how she had only been trying to get him to help her reveal it to the world.

But of course, no one believed her. A few people in the 'audience' called her crazy. Terry was visibly miffed that no one was taking her seriously. And it was no wonder they didn't believe her. Not only did the idea of a 'world of chalk' sound crazy to everyone, but her horrific actions against him, a little boy, already swayed them to his side. Anyone who hurt a child was immediately shunned and frowned upon. To the audience, Terry was nothing more than a child abuser and control freak. No way would they believe anything she said.

And now the court was going to be finished soon. The judge had called the jurors in the back so they could decide on Terry's fate, using the evidence presented for them. They stayed in the back for a while. Rudy looked at the clock on the wall with great anticipation. He wanted to hear what was going to happen. He had to know. His friends and family had to know. And when the jurors finally came back, they all stared at them intently, waiting for them to speak.

"What is your verdict?" The judge asked.

One of the jurors, a tall thin man with blonde hair, stood up. "Your honor, we find Terry Bouffant..."

There was a dramatic pause. Everyone stared at the man, waiting for him to finish. Rudy's heart started to race. He hoped, he prayed, that Terry was going to get what she deserved.

"..guilty of all charges."

A smile never spread across Rudy's face this fast before. He turned to Snap and gave him a hug, a few tears of happiness flowing down his face. He looked over at his family. They smiled at him, too, looking as immensively relieved as him. His parents put their hands on his shoulders reassuringly, and Penny gave him a thumbs up.

Terry, on the other hand, was a different story. Rudy could see her out of the corner of his eye. She clenched her teeth so tightly he thought they would pop out of her jaws. Her eyes were filled with anger. She stared at the jury and the judge with hatred. She looked like she had been wronged. And when the police came over to grab her, she started to resist.

"Terry Bouffant, you will be sent to the city prison, where you will serve your time. There will be a restraining order placed on you. You are not to come within ten feet of Rudy Tabootie. Doing so will violate the order and you will be fined. You will also be stripped of your title and you will not be allowed to work in the news again. All this 'evidence' you gathered during your stalking of this boy and his friends will be destroyed."

"No!" Terry shouted. She ripped herself away from the policemen. "You can't do this to me! You can't!" Her voice rose in volume, emotion swallowing it up. Her eyes were wide, almost glowing with hate. "You are not going to destroy all my hard-earned work! I am not finished! If you just listen to me, then you would..."

"Order!" The judge slammed his mallet down. "That's quite enough, Ms. Bouffant. Case dismissed!"

Terry struggled as the policemen grabbed her. They started to drag her away. "No! Let me go!"

Rudy watched as Terry was being dragged away. His friends and family watched as well. They glared hatefully at the woman. He could sense that they were all satisfied that she was being taken away, where she won't be able to hurt him ever again. As Terry continued to be dragged away, he started to feel a little safe again. Soon, Terry would disappear out of the doors, and he wouldn't see her again for a very long time.

Rudy spoke in a soft voice, glaring in Terry's direction. "Ms. Bouffant, I hate you. I hate what you did to me. You are a despicable woman. But I also feel sorry for you. Because you were so insecure and caught up in your delusions that you resorted to kidnapping and blackmailing. And now you are going to pay the price for that."

His voice was so low, he thought only Snap would hear him. He looked down at his friend, who gave him a nod of agreement. The two of them looked back towards Terry to watch her get dragged away where she will get what she deserved. But to Rudy's surprise, Terry was now looking at him. His eyes widened a little. Had she heard what he said?

Terry's eyes narrowed, her teeth bared menacingly. The boy shuddered. Her glare was like ice. His muscles froze, unable to move. The way she was looking at him...he could see the intent behind her eyes. She looked like she was about to explode. Her pupils were so tiny, her eyes so intense. Her face turned red from anger.

"You...! You are going to pay for this, Tabootie!" Terry shouted threateningly. She started to struggle harder against the policemen. And soon, she got free. She made her way towards Rudy, uncaring of his friends and family being there. "This is all your fault!"

"Someone grab her!" The judge ordered.

"I will make sure you regret ever turning me in!" With that, Terry grabbed Snap and threw him aside. Then she grabbed Rudy and threw him in the opposite direction.

By now, more policemen were running up to Terry, but she ignored them. She moved swiftly towards Rudy. She knew she didn't have much time to do what she wanted. So she was not going to waste any time. Rudy got back to his feet and looked at Terry in fear. What was she going to do? Punch him?

He saw Terry reach for something she had hidden in her pocket. A creepy smile spread across her face. She looked so evil, so insane. Her eyes...the way they looked, Terry had truly snapped.

"Goodbye, you little brat!" Terry said, laughing insanely.

Rudy's eyes widened in horror when Terry pulled a handgun out. Before the policemen could get to her, before Snap could yank her back, Terry pulled the trigger.

Rudy let out a bloodcurdling scream as the bullet struck through his chest. Blood squirted everywhere, pouring rapidly from the gaping wound. Pain shot through every part of his body. His eyes widened in pain, tears dripping from his face. He started to cough up blood. He fell to the ground, a pool of the red liquid forming around him.

He was barely aware of Terry being dragged away. He was hardly aware of his friends and family rushing towards him, crying out his name, pleading that he would be okay. He barely felt his mother stroking his hair, begging him to get up. Penny, Snap, they both tried to shake him to get him to stand up. Rudy looked at his loved ones. His eyes began to gloss over. He wasn't going to be able to stay awake for much longer.

The world around him started to blur. He heard the panicked cries of the people in the courtroom. Many of them shouted to call 911. But after that, he could barely understand anything. The world then started to darken. The pain was getting more and more intense, making it hard for him to move or breathe.

His dad was holding his hand. He could barely register that. Then, as darkness overcame him, Rudy felt his hand slip from his father's and hit the ground in a thud. Rudy closed his eyes, losing all touch of reality.

sss

All there was around Rudy was darkness. He couldn't see or hear anything. It was just blackness, and he was floating in it. A great void, with a lot of nothingness. It felt peaceful here. He didn't know how he got here. He said nothing, did nothing, just kept still.

"Rudy.."

A voice caught his attention. He looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Something about it seemed familiar to him.

"Rudy..please...wake up..."

The voice sounded distressed. Was that sobbing he heard? Rudy soon saw a light. It started out small, then it grew much larger. Soon his whole field of vision was enveloped by it. He shielded his eyes, clenching his teeth at the intense light. Soon, everything was white instead of black. Then, suddenly, he became aware of much more than just a void.

Rudy's eyes fluttered open. He looked around at his surroundings. Everything was a blur at first. Soon everything came into focus. He didn't remember how he got here. Just where was he? He could see his friends and family but..why were they looking at him all sad like that? What had happened to him?

Rudy let out a soft groan. He tried to move, but he found that it hurt too much. His eyes widened just a tad. Why was he in so much pain? His chest felt like it was on fire. He let out another groan as he turned his head from left to right, trying to make sense of where he was. This...this wasn't his room. It was too white, too clean. This didn't feel like his bed either. It was too low to the ground.

Soon, he became aware of something clinging to his face. He tried shake it off, but he soon found it was attached to his face. It looked like a sunction cup at first. Then, as his groggy mind came more into focus, he realized it was a breathing mask, pumping oxygen into him.

"Oh Rudy...!" He heard his mother cry. She rushed over to him and looked like she was about to hug him. Instead, as if she knew what kind of pain he was in, she opted instead to stroke his hair lightly. Rudy tried to move his arm, and this was when he became aware of the IV tubes. "I'm so glad you're awake!"

"H-How long was I out..?" Rudy groaned painfully. Oh how much it hurt to talk.

Penny bit her lip. "For five days."

Rudy's eyes widened. "F-Five days..? What..what happened...?"

"Ms. Bouffant shot you." Snap said, his voice filled with anger. "She just pulled out a gun and shot you...like it was nothing..."

Rudy's eyes widened weakly at this. Terry had shot him? Suddenly his mind was flooded with flashback images. Yes, now he remembered. The court had just convicted Terry, declaring her guilty. She was being dragged off. Then she broke free. She threw him to the side, pulled out a gun and shot him.

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his chest where he was shot. He started to squirm, whimpering helplessly as he tried to get away from the pain. There was no escaping it. He shook his head from side to side, his eyes shut tightly, teeth clenched. He could hear the heart monitor beeping rapidly, indicating that he was panicking.

"Rudy no..." His father said. "Please calm down. Your heart is in no condition to race like that."

"Please calm down." His mother said, stroking his hear some more.

He could feel Penny and Snap take his hands and hold them gently. They all looked at him worriedly, tears filling their eyes. Rudy, slowly, began to calm down. The pain slowly subsided and he began to relax. Soon his heart rate returned to normal. He just laid there for a few minutes before he turned to his father.

"How long will I be here?" Rudy managed to ask, his voice sounding scratchy.

"They don't know. It could be another month or so before they will let you go." His father said regretfully.

"The important thing is you woke up." Penny said, giving him a tear-filled smile. "They were worried you were going to slip into a coma for a long time. Now that you're awake, your prognosis should be much better."

"Yeah. Before you know it, you'll be back at home, romping around and having a great time." Snap said. He was trying to sound happy, but Rudy could detect a crack in his voice. Snap was clearly upset about what had happened to him. "Just..just hang in there, okay?"

Rudy smiled weakly at his friend. "I..I will try.." He winced in pain before looking back up towards the ceiling. "What happened to Ms. Bouffant?"

Mrs. Tabootie answered, her voice laced in venom. "That witch got an even tougher sentence for shooting you. Serves her right. She will be in jail for a much longer time now."

"Yeah. Don't worry, Bucko. She got what she deserved." Snap said.

Mr. Tabootie gently patted Rudy on the head. "You don't have to worry about her anymore, son. She won't be able to get at you ever again. You're safe now."

Penny's grip on Rudy's hand tightened a little. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. She's going to be locked up for a very long time. And we will be here to support you." At this, Snap and Rudy's parents nodded in affirmative agreement. "Now just relax. You need plenty of rest. It will take a while for you to recover. You were lucky to have survived that bullet."

At the mention of the bullet, Rudy felt another pang in his chest. An uncomfortable sensation. The bullet had hit square on his chest, right where his heart was. He could see why he had been so lucky. At the moment, his chest was heavily bandaged up. He could feel the thick cloth through his hospital gown. A part of him was a tad curious and wanted to see the bandages, but another part didn't want to, afraid to see what kind of damage had been dealt to him.

Rudy wondered just how much damage there was. He knew he was shot in the heart, and heart injuries take a long time to heal, or so he's heard. But he wondered what the full extent of the damage was. He wanted to know if there was a chance he would indeed fully heal. He wondered if there would be possible complications after this. After all, he is a small boy; a bullet through the heart would do more damage to him compared to an adult. Smaller space means more room for massive damage.

Maybe the doctor would tell him. Yeah, he'd act him, or her, whenever they came in to get him his prognosis. He didn't know when that would be, and honestly, he could wait. Right now, he just wanted to be with his family. Being shot in the chest was a very scary and painful ordeal. Some time with his loved ones would help him feel better. Feeling his friends' and parents' hands on him, whether it be his hands or his hair, helped keep his heart rate steady. He dreaded what it would be like when they would have to leave. He didn't want them to go away. He didn't want to be all alone...

Just then, another thought came to his mind. One that filled his damaged heart with dread. What about the magic chalk? He had given Ms. Bouffant a piece of it. And it was never recovered, far as he could tell. It didn't roll out of her pocket when she was arrested. And he could have sworn she had it with her when she was at the trial. Ms. Bouffant still had the magic chalk. In a way, she still won.

Of course, in jail, there wasn't really any place she could use the magic chalk. So for the moment she wasn't a threat. But then, what if she breaks out? She could do so at any time if she was clever enough. Or what if she loses the magic chalk and some other prisoner finds it? What if this prisoner was worse than Terry, and they get into ChalkZone and cause all sorts of problems? What if she told the story of ChalkZone to everyone in prison and got some of them to believe her, and work with her to expose ChalkZone?

This was a very real concern. He needed a way to get that magic chalk back as soon as possible. But now? He could feel his heart start to race again, but this time he caught it and did his best to calm down before his parents and friends could say anything. They looked at him worriedly. As much as he hated to, he would have to worry about the magic chalk thing later. There was nothing he could do about it now. In his state, he couldn't afford to let his heart work too hard. He had to relax, both physically and mentally.

A few minutes later, the door to the hospital room opened up. They all turned their heads to see Dr. Starla walking in. A dark-skinned tall woman who was holding a clipboard. Rudy guessed that she was going to tell him about his condition.

Dr. Starla stopped next to Rudy. She glanced down at him for a moment, and then fumbled through her paperwork. "Rudy Tabootie, am I right?" Rudy nodded weakly as a response. "I see you are finally awake. That's good. We were worried you wouldn't wake up for a long time. You took quite a hit."

"How is he going to be, now that he is awake?" Mrs. Tabootie asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Is he going to be okay?" Penny asked.

Dr. Starla glanced over the papers. Rudy guessed that they held data gathered form his heart monitor and whatever else they used on him. She frowned slightly. "At the moment, it is hard to tell." She turned to Rudy. "The bullet ripped through your sternum and sliced right through the center of your heart. When you were brought in, you were in critical condition. We weren't sure if we could save you. But by some miracle you survived. We were able to close the holes left behind by the bullet."

"D-Did anything else..." Rudy tried to say. But he felt a pain in his chest, forcing him to stop.

"It would be best not to talk to much, kid." Dr. Starla said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You had a major heart surgery. Best not to move around too much or try to talk a lot." Rudy gave a nod of understanding. "Now, there was some damage to other areas besides your heart. A cut in your lung, which caused you to cough up some blood. That's been taken care of. There were some broken bones. A rib in the back where the bullet exited, and your sternum, where the bullet entered. But the other damage is mostly torn vessels and muscle, thankfully none that would cause a lot of bleeding. No hitting the aorta, which is good. So the healing in these areas should be fine. The only big concern we have with you is your heart."

Rudy did feel relieved that there wasn't much more major damage done to him. Heart damage was frightening and not something he would want or ever wish upon anyone. But knowing that only his heart suffered this much damage meant that the doctors could focus on that one area. They could treat it and he would be all better. Eventually. It would take time.

...unless there was something else he wasn't thinking of. He realized he couldn't get his hopes up yet. There was still that chance that something else would or had gone wrong. He stared the doctor expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"I will say that your prognosis will be better now that you're awake. Had you been asleep still, we would be worried about a coma, which could have lasted for who knows how long." Dr. Starla said. Then a concerned expression came onto her face. Rudy knew that wasn't a good sign. "However, there are still some concerns..."

"Concerns?" Snap said, gulping. "Wh-what concerns?"

Dr. Starla gave a regretful sigh. Rudy looked at her, his expression becoming more horrified by the second. His parents and friends looked at the doctor, all with pleading expressions. They wanted her to say everything will be fine. But the doctor, judging from the way she looked at them, was not able to provide such a happy answer.

She flipped to another page. She quickly read what it said. Probably data gathered from another doctor regarding his condition. And whatever data it was, it wasn't anything too promising.

Dr. Starla said, "Due to his small size, a lot more damage was done to him compared to what would have happened to an adult shot in the same area. As I said, we were able to close the holes. But the damage is still there. The holes are patched up, but that doesn't change the fact that Rudy's heart is much weaker now. It is possible it might regain its strength as time goes on. But there is also a chance that his natural pacemaker has been damaged. We must keep him here under careful observation and see how he progresses. If his heart recovers just fine, we won't have to do anything."

"And what if...what if it doesn't?" Mr. Tabootie asked hesitantly.

"What would happen if his heart doesn't recover at an acceptable rate?" Penny asked, her voice shaky. "Would he...would he..." Tears flowed. She couldn't ask the question.

"No...he'll be fine...won't he?" Mrs. Tabootie asked. Her eyes were watery as she stared at Dr. Starla, silently begging her to assure her and the others that Rudy had a chance at a full recovery.

"If his heart is unable to recover, if it shows clear signs of..." Dr. Starla paused, biting her lip. "...permanent damage..." The way she said it, she really regretted having to let those words out of her mouth. She stared at Rudy for a moment, then she looked at his worried loved ones. It looked like she was having a hard time coming up with the words. A minute later, she responded. "If his heart shows signs of permanent damage, if his heart is unable to beat regularly because of the damage caused by the bullet, then the only thing I can recommend is installing a pacemaker."

Rudy's eyes widened at that. "A...a p-pacemaker...?"

Dr. Starla nodded, looking at Rudy sadly. "We are hoping we won't have to resort to that. It all depends on you, kid. We need to monitor you for a month. If your heart's condition improves well enough, we won't have to use a pacemaker. But if we find your heart has trouble pumping due to the damage, then...we have no choice."

Rudy couldn't believe it. He felt the doctor's words crash in all around him like heavy bricks. It wasn't possible. No... this couldn't be happening to him...

He was only 10 years old. He hadn't reached his teen years yet. He couldn't be made to wear a pacemaker... Pacemakers were something he most often seen with adults, usually the elderly. Not that he had anything against the elderly but, he was just too young for a pacemaker. He would feel very old if he wore one. A 10 year old with an artificial pacemaker...

Rudy would feel very vulnerable with a pacemaker. With one installed, he knew that he would have to rely on it soley for a healthy life. If it malfunctioned, if something went wrong...he would be in big trouble. He could even die from it. And what if there was some kind of electrical interference? What if it screwed with the pacemaker? No, he couldn't wear one. Not at such a young age. No...he would get better. He had to get better. This couldn't be happening to him. No..it couldn't...

He looked over at his parents and friends His vision of them was blurred by the tears that now streamed down his face. Emotion began to overwhelm him. His body shook, sobs escaping his mouth. He couldn't stop. The idea of his heart being permanently damaged all because of...her...that evil woman, Terry...it was too much to bear. He was so young...he had always helped others... He didn't nothing to deserve this kind of fate. Why did this have to happen to him? Why?

His parents and friends looked down at him sadly. They were feeling the same thing as him. They were devastated that he might never fully recover from this. They knew it was serious, but hearing that it might be permanent from the doctor's own mouth...it sent them all into a depression. They were crying as well. Not bothering holding back, they showed Rudy exactly how they were feeling.

"I'm sorry to bring you such horrible news." Dr. Starla said regretfully.

"Is there anything else that can be done?" Mrs. Tabootie asked. "Anything else that can help him?"

Dr. Starla shook her head. "I'm sorry, there isn't. I know a pacemaker isn't the most ideal solution, but if his heart doesn't recover, it's a better option than just letting it go. Without the pacemaker, if your son's heart doesn't get much better, then he could suffer a cardiac arrest."

Mr. Tabootie's eyes widened in horror. "Y-You mean he could..." He paused. The word he spoke next, it was a word that he never wanted to say. "...die..?"

Dr. Starla stared at Mr. Tabootie. She glanced at Mrs. Tabootie, Snap, and Penny, noting their worried expressions. She looked down at Rudy. He stared at her with wide eyes, silently begging her to tell him it wouldn't be so. She let out a sigh and, much to everyone's horror, she nodded. "Yes. If his heart is unable to recover effectively, then if he is not given a pacemaker, then yes, he could die. Any activity he does that requires extra work from the heart would be fatal. Even something like being scared by a sudden sound, anything that causes his heart to pump faster, without that pacemaker to control it, he would go into cardiac arrest and die."

The woman closed her eyes, a grim expression covering her face. She glanced down at her paperwork. She looked back at the group. "I wish I could have given you better news." She looked down at Rudy and then back at his parents. "Right now it is too early to tell if he'll need a pacemaker or not. Only time will tell. Your son will be kept here for a month, maybe longer, to monitor his heart's recovery. If all goes well, and if his heart heals just fine, then we won't need a pacemaker. However..." She frowned a little. "..even if he does recover, he will still need to come and get several checkups to make sure everything is fine. This will go on for at least a year to make sure everything is fine."

Rudy let that all sink in. The idea of permanent damage... He didn't want to think about it. This one day, it may have changed the rest of his life forever. All because of Terry... It was because of her that he was like this. It was because of her that he was in this hospital bed. It was because of her that his heart was so horribly damaged. And it was she who had made his life a living hell the past few days. It was her who had made him afraid of being alone, terrified of his own shadow. She had done this to him.

Yet, despite his hatred for the woman, he would not seek revenge. No, he would be the bigger person here. He wouldn't go after her. He wouldn't try to make her pay for what she did. She was already serving her time in jail. That was good enough for him. If he tried to do more harm to her, then he would be just as bad as her.

For now, all he wanted was just to spend time with his family and friends. He was in for a long road to recovery. The last thing he needed on his mind was anger and hate. He flushed those thoughts out of his mind. What mattered now was that she was locked up, he was alive, and he was with his loved ones. And they would do what they could to help him feel better.

He tried his best to remain hopeful. Though there was still a chance that his heart suffered permanent damage, there was still hope that he would recover. He held onto that hope and believed that, in time, he would truly return to normal.

He just had to believe.

He heard the doctor take her leave, having said all she could. She was giving them time to let what she said sink in. His parents came in closer to him, putting an arm around him while being very gentle. Penny and Snap held onto his hands, squeezing them gently. They were going to be here for him. He could tell. They were going to be with him all the way.

"Don't worry, son. We'll..get through this." Mr. Tabootie said.

"Yeah you'll see..." Snap's shaky voice came. "Everything will be okay.."

Rudy nodded his head. "I'm sure it will..." He turned his gaze upwards for a moment. Then he looked back at his parents and friends. "I love you guys..."

At this, tears filled their eyes, strolling down their faces.

"And we love you too..." Mrs. Tabootie whispered, stroking her son's hair gently.

"Get better soon." Penny pleaded with him, wiping away a tear.

Rudy gave the best smile he could to his parents and friends. A smile that he was sure would give them some kind of hope. "Don't worry...I will..." He closed his eyes. He was getting so very tired. He needed his rest. Before he drifted off into sleep, he whispered one more thing. "I promise..."