Welcome To The Secrets of the Museum
AN: Chapter three of "McPhee Knows." Let's get right into it, shall we? And remember, I don't own anything you recognize.
SJS
Previously
Meanwhile, in the main entrance, Doctor McPhee was waiting for Larry to return in order to really fire him when a swift kick causes him to gasp in shock and pain. He turns, and his eyes nearly bulge out of his head.
Behind him, a grinning Theodore Roosevelt on his back was Teddy. Only, he wasn't made of wax and standing very still. Instead, he was as real and life-like as an actual horse. And everything around him was alive.
Unable to cope with the sudden shock of it all, the Doctor slumped to the ground, unconscious.
The 26th president of the United States of America, who had once charged up San Juan Hill, looked down in puzzlement at the unconscious museum curator, wondering who the lad was. He wasn't a night guard, of that he was absolutely certain.
But, there were important things to worry about, such as reviving the young man, and making sure that he didn't have a nasty concussion. He was just about to bend down and examine him when a young woman holding a lamp in one hand and a medical bag in her other rushed over to them.
"My word," Florence Nightengale exclaimed. "Is the young fellow alright?"
Teddy was about to answer her, when she pushed him gently to one side, before getting down on her knees and opening her medical bag.
"Leave him to me," she said and pulled out a small blue jar of what looked a bit like bath salts inside. She unscrewed the cap and began waving the jar under the nose of the unconscious man.
She and the former president smiled in relief when the man's eyes began to flutter, and eventually opened.
"Is that vanilla and peppermint? It's quite strong," He said, and Florence nodded.
"Yes, are you alright, young man?" She asked.
"Fine, thank you. I just had the craziest hallucination that everything in the museum came to life, that's all," He said, and Florence shook her head.
"It's not a hallucination, I'm Florence Nightengale, and everything in this museum is alive, Mr?"
"McPhee, and how on earth is that possible?" He asked, bewildered.
Page Break
Whilst McPhee was being tended to downstairs, upstairs the old night guards were advancing towards Nicky and Larry.
"Nick, run," his father ordered, and Nick took to his heels, the tablet tucked under his arm
"Get back here, Kid!" Gus yelled, Larry gritting his teeth and tried to pull him back, whilst Cecil was doing the same to him.
Pulling Larry back with a surge of strength that couldn't have been normal for an elderly man, Cecil flung him hard, causing Larry to fall on his stomach.
"Bad idea, Larry," he said with a manic grin, as Larry got unsteadily to his feet.
"You wanna dance, hot dog?" Gus asked. "You wanna dance?"
"Gus, you're an old man, I don't wanna hurt you," Larry said, followed by an "OW!" as Gus punched him.
As Gus hit him again, Cecil said, "You see Larry, a few years into the job, the three of us realized that... like everything else in this museum, we got new life at night. Sundown to sunrise, we felt young again." He suddenly spun around and kicked Larry in the face, this time causing him to fall on his back.
"Okay. Did not see that one coming," He said, dazed.
Reginald smiled. "Gave us an energy boost," he said, whacking his walking stick in his hand.
Cecil crouched down beside Larry, and said, "We love the nightlife, Larry. So when we found out that they were gonna fire us we had to steal the tablet."
Reginald looked down at Larry, and added, "Everyone knows you need the money."
Cecil added, "Add the stuff we planted in your place, pretty obvious that you committed the crime. Take care of that cut. Come on, guys, let's go find that kid."
Gus made to jump on Larry, yelling "Sweet dreams, cupcake!"
"No!" Larry cried out.
"Pile Driver!" He said, landing on him, before running out of the room.
The three former night guards chased after Nicky, who ran into the exhibit of King Akmenrah.
Meanwhile, Dexter had opened the door to the loading dock, and a great number of the animals headed out into the deep snow.
Nicky kept on running... right into Cecil, who took the tablet from him. "Thank you very much. We'll take it from here."
"Nicky!" Called Larry, who was once again thrown onto his back by Cecil.
"Argh!" He grunted in pain.
"Just in time, Larry. We were just locking up," Cecil said and locked the gates to the Pharaoh's exhibit.
"Sleep tight, hotshot," Gus called, before bursting into rough laughter.
As the three former night guards walked away, Cecil said, "Let's seize everything we can fence. I don't know about you, but I'm planning on a long retirement," and then he laughs too.
As the animals trooped out further into the snow, Larry grasped the bars, and called out, "Teddy! Teddy, if you're out there, I need you, pal!"
Texas, with Teddy and McPhee on his back, approached, with a neigh from the aforementioned horse.
"Someone call my name?" Teddy asked, and McPhee stared at them, astonished.
"Mr. Daley, how on earth did you get in there?" He asked.
"Whoa," Nicky said, awestruck at seeing the former president.
"Theodore Roosevelt, at your service," Teddy introduced himself, touching his hat, causing Nicky's smile to transform into a full-on grin.
"Can either of you get us out of here?" Larry asked.
"Haven't got any keys," McPhee stated, as Teddy shook his head.
"Can't do it, man. This is your moment," He said.
"Will you save the lectures, please? I'm not you, okay?" Larry asked. "I didn't build the Panama Canal, I wasn't President of the United States! I need some help! Come on!"
Teddy smiled sadly. "Actually," he began, removing his glasses, "I never did any of those things. Teddy Roosevelt did. I was made in a mannequin factory in Poughkeepsie. I never shot a wild beast. I'm not even brave enough to tell that beautiful woman I love her."
McPhee smiled; he would have to ask Teddy about that later.
"But you... You've gotta finish the job this time. You can't quit," The president told him. "I'm made of wax, Larry. What are you made of?" He asked, as McPhee swung his legs over and clambered off the horse's back.
"Wait! That's all you've got for me!?" Larry yelled as Teddy rode away on his own.
"That's it!" Teddy called back.
"Well, you are in a right pickle, the both of you," McPhee said, and then added, "He didn't say you had to do it on your own."
AN: That took me a while to write this. I'm not sure if they had a Florence Nightengale at the museum, but I figured, Why Not?