Note: before this chapter begins, a cautionary statement. This chapter will involve the events that took place on September 11, 2001. Reader discretion is advised just for this chapter. Thank you.
A day after Tim was born, everyone in the zoo is sleeping soundly until a loud bang resounds throughout the zoo. Young Alex is jarred awake by the noise. "What was that?" he asks. The other animals had been jarred awake, too. Little Tim was wailing his head off. Marty's mother was trying to calm the infant with "oh, it's okay. Mama's got you. That was probably a car backfiring." She then sees the North Tower of The World Trade Center with smoke pouring out of the top section. "OH GOD!" she yells.
An employee asks "Frank, what's going on?" Frank replies "the Trade Center's been hit by a plane!" After a little while, Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, the two mothers, and little Tim were gazing in agony at the North Tower. Suddenly, a jet plane buzzes right over the zoo. They watch as the jet plane continues past and goes right to the South Tower with a loud bang. Alex says "this can't be an accident! I hope they can get those fires out in time." Gloria's mother replies "they're the people; they'll know what to do."
A zoo employee comes over the P.A. with "may we have your attention please. Due to the apparent safety threat, the Central Park Zoo will be closing immediately. Please proceed to the exits. If you are in the gift shop, please make your way to the checkout area immediately. Repeating- due to a threat to our safety, the Central Park Zoo will be closing immediately."
Later, Alex says "those fires are still not out. What's going on?" Gloria's mother replies "don't worry, Alex. The people had built redundant safety features. Those buildings are made of steel, and steel is fireproofed. So, for the last time, those buildings will not--."
Right then, the South Tower falls. Within a minute, the zoo becomes engulfed in white dust and everyone is fighting for their breath. Marty yells "oh, no. Tim!" As the dust clears and settles, Marty's mother, young Marty, and the zoo personnel are with Tim. Melman is hollering "GOOD GOD, I'VE NEVER SEEN HIVES BREAK OUT SO FAST!!!"
After a while, Tim was stabilized. An employee states "he's lucky we made it to him when we did. It'll take a while for the allergic reaction to fully subside. I've devised a special filter helmet he can wear for this residual dust." He puts the specially shaped helmet on Tim and states "okay. That should keep his allergies under control until we can get this dust--."
Before he finishes his sentence, the North Tower falls. "GET HIM OUTTA HERE! NOW!!!" he yells. The staff rushes to get Tim into a nearby building, only to be overtaken at the zoo's entrance. The allergic reaction flares up far more severely. Marty's mom is running for Gloria's pool only to be hit by the cloud plume and get disoriented. Alex manages to duck behind a wall facing away from the wayward dust plume, minimizing its effects. After some coughing, he hollers "Tim! Marty! Mrs. 'M'!" only to start coughing again. Marty's mother, whom was unseen in dust cloud, was heard weakly yelling for Alex. Alex calls for her, only to hear her yell for him again. The dust cloud clears, and Alex sees that Gloria, Gloria's mother, and Marty are nowhere to be seen.
In Gloria's pool, all of them are holding their breath underwater. Melman's head was pulled into the water as well. Back at the surface, Alex finds Marty's mother and goes to her. Alex says "oh, Mrs. 'M'! MRS. 'M'! Are you all right?" Marty's mother is on her side, having inhaled a little too much dust. She turns to young Alex and weakly asks "Where's Marty and Tim?" Alex states "I haven't seen them, yet." Marty's mother tells him to find them saying "when you do, I'll ask...that...you--." She then falls limp at Alex's side. Alex yells "Mrs. 'M'. Mrs. 'M'! NOT AGAIN!!!" He goes in search of the others, checking the zoo entrance first. Back at the pool, everyone except Tim comes back up. Melman says "that's the longest time I've ever been able to hold my breath underwater." Marty asks "where's Alex?"
At the entrance, Alex arrives. He sees that the extreme amount of dust from the North Tower had simply overwhelmed the helmet's filter. He sees poor Tim laying there; practically covered in hives, with his pupils dilated and not responding. "Oh, no!" he says. He starts toward another area of the zoo, when Marty is heard calling for him. "OVER HERE, GUYS! HURRY!" Alex yells.
They come over, and Marty presses his face onto Alex's shoulder and starts crying. "My mom's gone, too. Choked to death on that dust" he says and continues crying. Alex comforts Marty with "I know how it feels. Everything will be okay."
Two weeks thereafter, everything is able to lighten up, as Marty spins a mystery spinner. "Okay, our first move is left foot-Golden Gate Bridge." He says. Alex, Melman, Gloria, and Gloria's mother adjust accordingly on the Landmark Twister mat. Marty says "you know, Alex, I think you were right about 'everything will be okay'. Yeah, sure, they've got airport-ish security checkpoints at the zoo's entrances, but at least we can still have fun." Alex replies "exactly. So, what's the next move?" At that reminder, Marty says "oh, right, yeah" and spins the spinner. "Right hand-Empire State Building" he states, as the rest of them readjust accordingly. The current Alex is heard saying "so Marty wasn't doing any of the things I did when my mother passed on, but things eventually turned out to be okay." The flashback ends, and Melman says "what an interesting past. I'd tell you my past, but it is boring. You'd be lulled into a coma before I even finished the first sentence." The cabana door opens, and Gloria and Marty come in with a lot of fruit. "That ought to get us a decent breakfast tomorrow" she says.