Here it is, i present to you the newer, much easier to read version of chapter one. please read and reveiw. also anyone who is more familiar with New York and DC, please tell me if i get anything incorrect at any time. I'm a Zoni, and my knowledge lies more with in my home state and California than the east coast, so any help is much appreciated. enough of that, here's what you came here for.

"Well, that was a pretty intense musical, but man was it cool." Harper states as she walks out of the theater lobby and onto the street.

"I thought it was gonna be all "We're off to see the Wizard", but that was way better. It was EPIC!"

"That's because it's based off the book "Wicked", not the "Wizard of Oz" movie. Wicked's about the Wicked Witch of the West, jeez Alex just read the book; or a book." Harper half-sarcastically states to her best friend.

"Whatever, it was still good, I've got "No one Mourns the Wicked" stuck in my head." Alex replies, off handedly adding "that'd make a good marching band show."

Harper doesn't hear the comment and starts talking about something else. "I still can't believe that your parents let us come down to Broadway and see "Wicked" I mean your grades aren't the greatest, you don't have a lot of respect for authority, you…"

"All right, all right, I get it already; I'm not exactly going to get the Nobel Peace prize, yeesh. Rub it in why don't you?" Alex sarcastically replies, "But mom and dad let me go 'cause it's my birthday, and well, you know, Justin got to see "Phantom of the Opera last year for his birthday. So it only seemed fair."

"Well, yeah, but what about Max? Doesn't he get to see a Broadway play for his birthday too?"

"Nah, after he found out that "Cats" didn't have actual cats in it and the "Lion King" doesn't use real animals, mom and dad decided that Coney Island is more up his alley. Heh, alley, cats. Get it? Alley Cats. Oh, forget it." Alex gives up trying to explain, seeing the confused look on Harper's face.

"Yeah, Okay then. Well I can understand that, Max is, how do I say this gently, WEIRD. Any chance he was dropped on his head as a baby?"

"Probably, that would explain so much. Well I'm gonna call my parents, tell em to pick us up at the laser tag." Alex says, pulling out her cell phone and going to lean against the building. While Alex is on the phone, Harper looks around Times Square. Oddly enough, very few people around for a pedestrian only area and central hub of a lot of music and food. She should know, being a life long New Yorker.

"That's really weird." Harper mutters to herself.

"Huh? What's weird Harper?" Alex asks as she puts her phone away and comes up next to Harper.

Harper notices Alex and replies "Oh, uh, nothing. Just muttering to myself."

"Okay then." Alex replies, giving her friend a "WTF" look, then continues. "Well let's get over to the laser tag; I wanna get a couple of games in before mom and dad get here." Alex starts across the street, and by the time Harper notices Alex is in the middle of the street.

"Alex, wait up!" Harper yells, jogging to catch up. When she almost catches up to Alex she hears a car horn blaring.

"What the…?" Harper stops and looks up the street. She sees a car speeding straight towards her. "Oh my god!"

"HARPER!" Alex yells as she sprints over and basically tackles Harper just as the car speeds by. Then the car speeds out of Times Square like nothing happened.

"What the HELL was that about?" Harper asks as she stands up. "Geezus Alex, maybe you should go join the football team, you've got a meaner tackle than that wimp Davis. God, I think you wrecked my arm."

"I have no idea what that was all about, and you know me, I'm not a big sports person. But yeah, I'll admit that even I could take out Davis, hell I could take out half the team. Why does our football team suck so much?" Alex replies, trying to sit up. "Oh shit."

"What Alex?" Harper asks, looking over at her best friend. "Holy mother of…"

"How bad?" Alex asks, interrupting Harper, and still oblivious to most of the pain because she's still running on adrenalin. And can't sit up, so she can't see the damage herself.

"Bad, really bad. Um, weird question, can you feel this?" Harper pinches Alex's leg a bit.

"Feel what?"

"Oh man. Hey, has anyone called 911?" Harper yells out to the gathering crowd, trying to hide just how much she's freaking out. several people nod their heads as they hold their phones, talking to the operators.

"Yes, but I'm afraid they won't be here for a few minutes." An elderly gentleman with a slight Scottish accent replies as he comes over to them. "And your friend won't make it till then unless we stop the bleeding."

"Okay. Are you a doctor?" Harper asks, trying to keep calm, and not succeeding.

"Yes, Doctor Donald Mallard at your service." The man says, looking over Alex's injuries.

"Uh, Doctor Mallard…,"

"Please, call me Ducky, everyone does."

"Um, okay, Ducky, is she gonna be okay?"

"Yes, if we can get some of this bleeding under control. You wouldn't happen to mind parting with one of those t- shirts you have in your bag would you?"

"No." Harper replies, grabbing one out of the bag and handing it to Ducky, who expertly begins tearing it and treating the wounds.

"That'd better not be one of the new shirts we got, if it is I'll be really mad." Alex jokes to Harper, obviously trying to hide how much pain she's in now that the adrenalin's worn off.

"Don't worry Alex, it's not. It's the one I was wearing before I changed into the new one." Harper replies, if only to keep Alex from thinking about her injuries.

"Ducky?" Alex asks the elderly gentleman.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Why are you called Ducky?"

"Because of my name, Donald Mallard, a rather unfortunate nickname I earned in school. What is your name?"

"Alex… Russo. And why'd your mom name you Donald? Your name sounds almost like Donald Duck." Alex states, in a lot more pain.

"I do not know, and I can't ask, you see my mother died sometime ago." Ducky seems to get a little sad.

"How old was she?" Harper asks.

"She was 98, bless her soul."

"Wow, she lived just about a century." Harper looks impressed.

"Yes, now Miss Russo…"

"Call me Alex, please."

"I am sorry; it's a force of habit, the gentleman in me. Now, Alex tell me about your family." Ducky says, gently moving Alex onto her side a bit so that he can get at her back.

"Why?" Harper asks.

"To keep her from going into shock my dear." Ducky gently replies, putting pressure on Alex's back.

"Oh." Harper looks and feels embarrassed.

"No offense, but I kinda don't feel comfortable talking about my family to a perfect stranger."

"None taken, how about why you are here instead." Ducky says, applying a tad more pressure to Alex's back. Alex lets out a small moan and doesn't reply, she looks very pale and shaky.

"Oh, we went and saw "Wicked". Isn't that right Alex?" Harper states, trying to help out the doctor in anyway she can.

"Yeah, "No one Mourns the Wicked" was cool." Alex says through clenched teeth. "What does it mean if I can't feel my legs?" She asks a little short on breath.

"My dear, it means that you possibly have damage to your spinal cord. But let's not focus on that; tell me about why you went to see Wicked."

"Well my… parents let me and… Harper go see "Wicked" for my… birthday. My older brother got to see… Phantom of the Opera last year… and they figured, why not." Alex replies, getting weaker and short on breath.

"When's the ambulance getting here?" Harper asks, starting to panic more as Alex looks worse and worse.

"Soon. Now, Harper is it?" Ducky asks, and Harper nods to confirm. "Now Harper, do you have anyway of contacting your friend's family? I believe telling them what has happened will help."

"How? How can it help?"

"Because, my dear, you are the person that needs to." Ducky answers, sounding all the world like a psychologist.

"Harper… you can do it. I really don't… feel like calling them and… telling them myself." Alex jokes, with a sort-of grin on her face, but it's more out of pain than anything. "Plus, if I'm gonna die… I want you to be the one to tell them. You're my best friend."

"Oh my god, you really are dieing, you're being nice. But thanks, no matter what happens, we're always gonna be best friends."

"Thanks… you rock Harper." Alex says, and then passes out.

"Oh my, Harper is the ambulance here yet?" Ducky asks.

"Yeah, yeah, it's uh pulling up now." Harper replies, trying to maintain some semblance of being calm.

"If you don't mind my dear, I will join you in the ambulance. You look like you need someone to talk to, even if I am a stranger to you."

"Thanks." Harper says, watching as the EMT's load Alex into the ambulance.

"Here, I believe you need this to make that phone call." Ducky hands Harper Alex's cell phone. Harper just looks at him. "Its better you tell them first rather than them finding out because the hospital calls them." He tells her as he climbs into the ambulance.

Harper climbs in after him, sits down and opens the phone, then takes a deep breath before hitting speed dial. "Hello? Oh uh hey Mrs. Russo, yeah I'm great. Well it's about Alex; you see she kinda got into an accident. They're taking her to the hospital, the one that's closest to Times Square. What happened? Well, I can try, but I won't tell you everything over the phone. Okay, well Alex and I…"