Chapter 9: Come With Me If You Want To Live
August 12th, 1995
9:37 P.M.
Pescadero State Hospital for the Criminally Insane
Pescadero, California
—
Sarah turned another corner, feeling her heart pound faster with each step. She could see gates closing and hear guards scurrying to get her and knew she didn't have long. She turned a sharp corner and ran toward the elevator so she could get to the staircase. Sarah looked behind her quickly before she looked back to see the elevator doors open. She gasped with fear and lost her footing, sliding onto the floor.
Sarah's heart stopped instantly and her mind sent brutal flashbacks to her mind. Car chases, Kyle's death, and the red beady eyes of the Terminator. She shouted and felt her adrenaline kick in as she stared at the familiar machine.
"No, no, no!"
She scrambled to get off of the floor and ran back the way she came, willing to fight the hospital's guards rather than face that Terminator. She shook her head slightly with disbelief. How could that machine be here? How did it find her? All thoughts of her personal safety instantly faded once she realized how the Terminator must have found her… John. Anger filled her as she continued to run, afraid of what the machine might have done to her son.
—
John watched his mother run and shouted with surprise.
"MOM!"
He moved as if to run after her but the Terminator gripped his forearm, pulling him back.
"What are you doing!? Let me go!"
"No."
John stared at the Terminator with disbelief, unsure of what to think about the situation. John's eyes widened slowly as he pulled against the Terminator's grip.
"You lied to me. You're going to kill me in front of my mother, aren't you!?"
John grit his teeth in anger and fear and continued to pull away as the Terminator looked John straight in the eyes.
"I am not here to kill you. It is against my programming."
"Then let go of me!"
The Terminator released John and the boy shook his head slowly before he took off running down the hallway after his mother.
"Mom!"
Sarah stopped and turned around quickly, breathing heavily.
"John?"
John stopped, thinking that she didn't recognize him. He continued to walk toward her slowly but she shook her head, backing away from him.
"You're not here, John. Get out of my head."
"Mom, I'm really here."
"John…"
Sarah turned to see guards coming down the hallway and turned quickly back to her son and shouted.
"Run, John, run!"
She began to run again and John followed right behind her, begging her to stop. Sarah turned a corner and let out a cry of pain as a guard body slammed her into the ground. Her left shoulder exploded with pain and she screamed as the guard tried to restrain her.
"No! Get off of me! GET OFF!"
John's heart sank at his mother's cry and went to turn the corner but the Terminator grabbed his arm and pulled him back once more. John stamped his foot in frustration and stared at the machine angrily.
"What the hell!?"
The Terminator ignored the boy's response and let go of him, cocking its shotgun.
"You can't kill them."
The machine turned to John and spoke briskly.
"Trust me. Stay here."
"She's my mother. I need to help her!"
John moved as if to go forward again and the machine grabbed the boy and shoved him into the wall. John gasped in pain and held his aching head, staring at the machine with shock. He could still hear his mother's cries and watched as the Terminator turned the corner, saying one last thing.
"Stay here, John."
John hesitated to obey the machine's orders but his head ached so he stayed behind the corner.
—
"No! Don't you get it!? It's here! The machine… IT'S HERE!"
Sarah struggled against the two guards pinning her down on the floor, shouting with fear and anger. Sarah kicked the approaching doctor in the stomach and he stumbled back, gasping. She wriggled from side to side, not wanting to stay still for a second, gritting her teeth through the pain.
"It will kill all of us! Let me go!"
A gunshot went off and the guards went still, turning to see the Terminator with its shotgun aimed at the ceiling. Sarah gasped with fear and watched as one of the guards rushed toward the machine. It punched the machine's face, knocking its sunglasses off, and the machine replied by tossing him into the window. The second one got out its gun but the Terminator placed its hand over the barrel quickly and twisted his arm so he wouldn't shoot. The guard cried out in pain and the machine tossed him aside.
The Terminator then bent down toward Sarah, extending its hand.
"Come with me if you want to live."
Sarah's panicked breaths escalated as she stared at the machine with wide, fearful eyes.
"Mom!"
Her face quickly molded to disbelief as she watched her son run up to the machine.
"Did you kill them!?"
"No."
John then knelt next to his mother opening his arms to hug her but Sarah recoiled from him, afraid. John leaned forward and forced his way into her arms, squeezing her tight. Tears filled his green eyes as he hugged her, finally feeling that they could live their old lives again. Sarah quickly recognized he was real and began to gasp with relief, squeezing him so tight he could barely breathe. He drew away slowly and Sarah ruffled his hair, looking over him tenderly.
"Mom, it's okay. The Terminator isn't here to kill us. Well… not this one, at least."
"What do you mean 'not this one'? Is there another one?"
Sarah hesitantly took the Terminator's hand and he lifted her to her feet.
"Affirmative. A T-1000 was sent to kill John Connor."
Sarah instantly gripped her son's shoulders, pulling him closer to her to protect him. She quickly glanced at the hallways and nodded toward the hallway that would lead to the elevator.
"This way."
Sarah began to run again, tugging John behind her and didn't slow down until they reached the elevator. She drew in a deep breath as she slammed her hand down in the button just as a cop turned a corner. Sarah stared at it with confusion and gasped as the Terminator quickly shot the officer. John jumped into the elevator as soon as it opened and gripped his mother's wrists, pulling her in with him.
"That's the T-1000, mom!"
Sarah stared with horror as the Terminator continued to shoot the T-1000. But instead of the bullets hitting a metal endoskeleton, it created silver holes in its body that quickly healed themselves. The Terminator backed into the elevator just as the T-1000 walked through an iron prison gate. John pushed his mother back as he slammed his hand on the button to close the doors to the elevators several times.
"Come on! Come on!"
The Terminator stepped inside just before the doors closed. But as the elevator began to descend, a long metal knife came bursting through the steel door, aimed right at John. John jumped back letting out a scream of shock and Sarah slammed him back against the wall away from the knife with fear. The Terminator shot the knife and it disappeared through the crack. The Terminator backed up and took the pistol out of its back pocket, handing it to John discreetly.
The elevator reached the ground floor and the moment the doors opened, Sarah and John rushed out. The T-1000 morphed through the ceiling and reformed to fight the Terminator. While Sarah continued running, John cocked the pistol and shot the T-1000 in the head. Sarah scurried back and ripped the gun out of his hands and shot the T-1000 several times in the chest.
"Run, John!"
Sarah nodded at the Terminator and the two Connors ran away from the fight toward the parking lot. They ran toward a doctor running to his car and stopped him. Sarah pointed the gun at the man and shouted at him to hand her the keys. He did and backed away, fearful. Sarah kept the gun trained on the man as she handed the keys to John, shoving him into the car as soon as she could. He quickly crawled to the backseat and she jumped into the driver's seat.
She started the car quickly and slammed on the gas pedal, driving straight for the Terminator. She stopped a few feet from the machine and slid into the passenger's seat. The Terminator put the car in reverse and sped backwards just as the T-1000 began to pursue them. Sarah grit her teeth as she rolled down the window and hung out of it, shooting the machine four times, knowing it was useless. She shot until she felt the Terminator pull her back inside the car just as it took a sharp right, headed straight for a metal gate. John shouted from the backseat.
"It's gaining on us! Hurry!"
The Terminator sped away from the hospital and out on the open road with the T-1000 close behind. John watched from the back window as the T-1000's arms grew into long metal hooks, jumping forward and latching onto the trunk of the car. The Terminator swerved the car from side to side, dragging the T-1000 with it. John ducked once he saw the T-1000 release one of its arms and heard the glass shatter seconds later. He kept his head down as the T-1000 swung its blade back and forth, trying to hit him blindly.
"Drive."
Sarah slapped her hands on the wheel and ducked as the Terminator turned; firing several shots at the T-1000's hook arms until they broke off. John sat up once the machine was gone and gasped with relief. He noticed a piece of the hook was still there and leaned forward, throwing it off of the car. John sat back against the seat and let out a long sigh, trying to calm his racing heart.
