Disclaimer: I don't own Sonny With a Chance…sure wish I did, though!
After checking three different stages for a first-aid kit that contained a thermometer, Sonny was finally successful at her own stage. Go figure. A little annoyed at the waste of time but determined not to let it get the best of her, she walked briskly over to Mackenzie Falls, where she found Chad walking around and giving people bottles of water stamped with the Mackenzie Falls logo. Chad looked up when he heard the heavy door slam closed and smiled when he saw Sonny. He made his way through the cots and met Sonny by the doors.
"Did you find whatever you were looking for?" Chad asked. Sonny nodded and held up a glass thermometer.
"That's all you could find? I mean, isn't that kinda old?" Chad asked.
"Yeah, it's kinda old but it's all I could find."
"And what are we supposed to do with it?"
"It's a thermometer Chad." Sonny said in a flat voice.
"I know that. I mean, we're supposed to use one thermometer on every person here?" Chad looked around to emphasize how many people that would be.
"Well…" Sonny thought for a moment. "We'll find some disinfectant wipes. I know that's not the most sterile thing there is but they're all sick with the same thing anyways."
"Are you sure?" Chad asked. He may not know a lot about medicine but that didn't seem like the smartest thing to do.
"Of course I'm sure." Sonny looked less certain than she sounded.
"Okay then." Chad said.
"I'll go find some wipes." Sonny said, handing the thermometer to Chad. Chad watched Sonny leave and then turned around and took in the scene in front of him. He saw his cast mates and the male Randoms, along with a bunch of people who were from other shows and weren't even worthy of knowing his name. Some camp cots, plus the inflatable raft, were empty, blankets and pillows strewn as their occupant had gotten up quickly. The rest of the camp cots were occupied by sweaty, pale looking boys. Chad started walking back to where he had stopped handing out water bottles.
In one quick instant, three things happened. Someone leaned over the edge of their bed to throw up but missed the bucket. Chad, in turn, slipped in the mess, sending the thermometer flying. And Sonny opened the door just in time to see it all happen.
***
Everyone and everything fell silent for a second after Chad hit the floor. Sonny's mouth dropped open. The silence was broken the sound of the thermometer hitting the tile floor and it shattered into a million pieces. However, it was quickly forgotten.
"Chad! Are you okay?" Sonny quickly rushed over to Chad and helped him up, being careful not to step in the mess herself.
"Ew." Was all Chad could say.
"Are you okay?" Sonny asked again.
"I'm fine." Chad said, jerking his arm from Sonny.
"You're bleeding." Sonny said, looking at the hole in Chad's elbow.
Chad looked at his elbow as best he could and finally relented to letting Sonny lead him to a chair and carefully peeling the ripped, blood-stained fabric off. Chad tried not to show that it hurt but at Sonny's careful tugs, he often let an "Ow!" escape.
"I'm sorry." Sonny said after her first pull.
"The fabric's already clotting the blood. I'm almost done."
"I hope so."
However, while Sonny was saying this, she knew that it would be awhile before she got the cloth off the 1-inch circular gash in Chad's arm. So without telling him, Sonny took a deep breath, counted to three silently and then gave a quick pull.
"OW!" Chad's screamed, grabbing his arm, which was now gushing blood.
"I'm sorry." Sonny said, applying pressure with some Kleenex. "It's off now."
After a few minutes of silence, Sonny pulled the Kleenex away and was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"How bad is it?" Chad asked, being overly dramatic.
"It's fine. Won't even need stitches."
"Oh, goody." Chad said sarcastically.
Sonny just rolled her eyes and, after finding some big gauze pads, covered up Chad's wound.
"There." Sonny said, quite pleased with her accomplishment.
"Thanks." Chad said, actually sounding grateful to Sonny.
"No problem. Why don't you go change and I'll clean up the mess on the floor."
"What's the matter, Munroe? Are you turned on by my half-shirted…ness?" Chad stumbled over the last little bit and Sonny laughed.
"Only in your dreams, Chad."
Sonny then left Chad standing there to go clean up the mess. She was just about finished when Chad walked in. He started to make his was to Sonny but stopped when he saw the broken thermometer and the puddle of liquid mercury.
"Um, Sonny?"
"What is it, Chad?" Sonny asked, without looking up.
"Um, isn't mercury poisonous?"
"Yeah, why?" Sonny called back.
"Then we've got a BIG problem."
"What are you talking about Chad?" Sonny finally turned around and found Chad looking down at the puddle of mercury.
A/N: Thanks to all you readers! Even though there's not tons of reviews, there's still a lot of readers, which makes me happy. I really like this chapter…probably one of the best ones I've written for the story. Please read and remember that reviews make me want to keep writing!
