Okay...I apologize for the lack of updates for this one. I've been battling writers block on it, but I've apparently slightly cleared that up. I'm thinking there will probably be only two to three more chapters...and an epilogue.
Chapter Four
Emily sat, tears in her eyes, as her hand once again wondered to Zack and Kelly's foreheads. She cursed slightly, the half tablet of Advil did nothing for they're fevers, that seemed to be getting worse instead of better.
Emily's tear-filled eyes met the nurse's, as she carefully stood up, and walked back over to the woman, and her five small children.
"Let me take they're temperatures again," The nurse said.
She stuck the small device into Zack's ear, causing him to cry out in pain. The nurse placed a comforting hand on Zack's shoulder, as she awaited for the small device to beep.
Once it beeped, she pulled it out to indeed see that Zack's temperature had gone up a few more degrees, and was dangerously close to the 104 degree mark.
She repeated her actions with Kelly, who also cried out in pain when she stuck the thermometer into her ear. Her fever was slightly worse than Zack's and was just over the 104 mark.
The nurse's eyes met Emily's again, showing a great deal of concern.
"Excuse me," The nurse called out.
"What in the hell could you possibly want?" the masked man asked.
"These children are very ill, they need medical treatment, and they need it soon," The nurse said, trying to plead with the masked man.
"Nope, sorry, not gonna happen," he said, as the phone started to ring again.
In The Bus
"How is everyone holding up?" Temple asked.
"Uh...the little brats are getting sicker. I'd hurry up with them demands if I was you," the man said.
"Look we have the go ahead for the money. The other things are gonna be harder to come by. Before we can get you the money though, we're going to need you to release some hostages," Temple said.
"I ain't releasing no one," the man said.
"I cannot clear the money for you unless you release some of those people," Temple said, trying to get him to understand the circumstance.
"Fine, but I ain't releasing that FBI lady," the man said.
"Well, we're going to need a good faith number, so I'm thinking 12. That's half of the hostages," Temple said.
"I'll give you 12, without the two sick ones, or you can have 8 with the sick ones," the man said.
Temple looked at Cheryl, praying she'd take eight with Zack and Kelly. She shook her head, and held up a white board that said twelve on it.
Matt choose this time to walk back into the bus, and saw the look of hopelessness on Temple's face, and the look of sheer sadness on Cheryl's.
Frank pulled Matt aside, praying he wouldn't be stupid enough to get involved.
"Cheryl, what the hell?" Matt asked.
In the Clinic
He stood there listening to an irate sounding man, bickering with a woman named Cheryl. Which he assumed to be the woman in charge. Then he got a most wicked idea.
"Hey...uh...Brian right?" the man asked.
"Huh...oh yeah," Temple said, completely forgetting that he was on the phone still.
"I'll give you twelve, with the sick ones...if you send in the daddy to take they're place," the man said.
Temple's eyes widen at what the man said. As Matt's head whipped around, toward Temple, shaking his head in agreement to the demand.
He knew Emily would kill him, but he had to at least get Kelly and Zack out of there. Cheryl held up the white board again, with a new message on it.
"We'll let him go in for all five of his children, plus twelve hostages," Temple said, shaking his head at the sheer idiocy of it all.
"Deal," the man said, hanging up the phone.
At the Bus
Matt stripped off the vest he had put on, along with his gun and cell phone. Even if he didn't make it out of this alive, at least he would die, knowing he saved his children. His heart still felt torn over not getting Emily out to, but maybe once inside he could work a deal.
Matt got ready to start walking for the building when he heard someone calling his name. His head whipped around, making eye contact with Eryn.
"Matt...are..they," Eryn started to ask, but couldn't even fathom those kids and Emily being anything but healthy and alive.
"I'm glad your here, I'm trading myself for the kids. Zack and Kelly are very very ill...I need you to get them to a hospital as soon as they're released," Matt's eyes pleading with her.
"Of course, but Matt..." Eryn paused. "Be careful."
"I will," he said, before turning back toward the building and making his way for it.
He saw women and they're children fleeing the small building, before making eye contact with a very exhausted looking nurse. She held Zack and Kelly in her arms, with Matty, Gracie and Daniel alongside her.
He tilted his head toward her, in a thanking gesture.
"Daddy," Matty screamed, as Matt started to pass by.
"Daddy loves you guys," Matt said, before disappearing into the building.
Inside the Clinic
Matt made his way through the hallway, before entering the family specialist's waiting area.
Emily's eyes immediately glued to the man who joined the remaining hostages. The man had said that he had traded himself for the children and twelve other people. She just hadn't believed it, until she saw him looking at her.
Not caring what the crazy masked man did, she jumped up from the floor and sped off toward Matt, not stopping until she was in his arms. Tears streaming down her cheeks, as he whispered promises, even he wasn't sure he could keep.
"Sit the hell down, and shut up," the man said, pointing his gun at Emily and then at Matt.
They walked back to the place against the wall that Emily had been claiming. Emily now sitting next to Matt, her head laying on his shoulder, as his hand rubbed her knee, in a claiming fashion.