Began Typing: 5:07 PM 10/7/2008
Posted: 7:00 PM 10/7/2008
Murder Among Us: Chapter Twelve (Rushing)
She burst into the clocktower, livid with rage, her face a deep beat red, probably from anger. Snake faced her with a wide smile, opening his arms as if to give her a hug. "Samus! You're late! We thought you'd never make it!"
She stormed over to him, wagging her finger in his face as if she were scolding a bad puppy. "Don't give me that, you dirty rotten spy! You tried to run me over!"
"I missed too." He tsked. "What a shame."
Samus slapped him roughly as Link walked over, stepping over the imploded gargoyles from before. "Samus! How did you find us? The jeep outside or the GIANT EXPLOSIONS!? No wait, maybe the SCREAMS OF TERROR!? Snake, what the hell's wrong with you!?"
Snake rolled his eyes. "We're alive, aren't we?"
Link huffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, only thanks to mine and Pit's shields. I swear, look at this dent! You know how many rupees it'll cost me to..."
Samus had, fortunately for her, tuned Link out, gazing around the misfit group of victims. "Wait," she interrupted just as Snake had his hands around Link's neck, "where IS Pit?"
"Here I am!" The angel called, erupting from a far corner of the room, dragging a black clothed hand behind him. "And look what I found!"
Samus gaped as Pit showed the civilian off like he'd caught a giant fish. "Pit!" She cried, prying the two apart. "Sir, I am so sorry about him, he doesn't really-!"
"Samus!" Pit pouted. "I found him first!"
Samus gave Pit a deep glare. "F-found him FIRST!? Pit, he's a civilian!"
Snake frowned. Pit wouldn't randomly chose to chase someone down... "Samus," Snake interrupted, "let him speak. Pit, why did you capture this man?"
Samus crossed his arms as Link pulled the man over to him, looking him over for weapons. Pit pointed up. "I saw him come down the stairs where Ike-san went up!"
"Ike!?" Samus exclaimed. "Up there!?"
"Yep." Pit nodded. "He wasn't running like he was scared either. He looked guilty."
"I'm telling you," the man interrupted brutally. "I didn't do anything."
"Then why did you run when I chased you!?"
"Because you were chasing me."
"Because you were running!!"
"You're crazy man!"
Pit growled. "Liar! Liar, liar, pants on fire!"
"Whoa, Pit." Link interrupted sarcastically. "No reason for such harsh language."
"He deserves it!" Pit argued. "He wants to hurt Marth!"
The rest of the group's words were lost on the angel. His eyes had met the man's and he felt like his mother had just left him in the park with no ice-cream. Satisfaction. That was all Pit could read. He didn't WANT to hurt Marth...he HAD hurt Marth. "You son of a-!" Pit cut himself off, turning on his heel and speeding off up the wooden stairs.
The noise was like a clap of thunder. A scream pierced from the elevated area where Pit headed. "Ike!?" Snake called.
Samus sped past him, headed after Pit. Snake frowned and faced Link. "Link, stay here with the man. We need to question him."
Link sighed. "Sure, sure...what if I wanted to run blindly up the stairs too?"
"Link!"
"Okay, okay! No need to yell..."
Snake rolled his eyes and ran after Samus and Pit. Link held the man by his arm and pulled his collar up. "Cch," he began, "and...the race is on! Coming in first is yours truly from above, Pit, followed closely by the adorable Samus and the not-so-sober Snake!"
"I heard that!" Snake roared from a level or two up. "And I am SO sober! I'm just out of shape!"
Link rolled his eyes. "Sure...sure..."
Pit's heart beat wildly against his ribcage, the top nearing. He had heard Ike scream but now, a new horror came to his sight. He could see the bottom of the final landing and a strand of blood that continually fell from one area of the blood-stained boards. He rounded the corner. It was worse then he had thought.
Ike knelt in an ankle deep pool of blood that had formed around Marth, the prince bleeding out. The mercenary's hands clutched clumsily at the makeshift tourniquets on Marth's body, making sure they were secure. "Ike-san! Marth-sama!" Pit cried.
Ike's head shot Pit's direction. This must be scaring for an angel to see, a fair creation of God lying in his own fluids with another thoroughly soaked up to the elbows with it. "Pit!" Ike exclaimed. "No, look away!"
But it was too late. The angel had collapsed fainting gracelessly onto the female who had just appeared behind him. She held him up by under his armpits, eyes widening when she saw Ike. "Ike, what did you do!?"
Ike picked the unconscious Marth up in his arms, his legs dangling over his arms. The blood was slowing, but Marth's skin was visibly more pale, probably clammy in the mercenary's arms. He did not appear to be awake. "We need to get back to Smash Manor!" Ike yelled. "He needs to go into surgery as soon as possible!"
"How do you know that!?" Samus demanded, struggling to keep Pit up.
"He told me!"
"So you were planning it!?"
Snake shoved Samus aside, looking to the blood drenched blue-haired boys. Marth was obviously suffering from blood loss...he could tell, even at a distance, that he had lost 20 percent of it already. Ike's face could be described as cold, indifferent even. Then again, he would have to be to effectively ensure Marth's life. Snake nodded to Ike. "Good job, Ike. Get to the jeep, we'll get going as soon as possible."
Ike darted down the steps, Samus about to chase, but Snake stopped her with his hand. "Give him a break." He stated cooly.
"I'm sorry?" Samus glared at him.
"Our priority is to get Marth back. We'll sort out the rest of the later."
Samus punched him in the gut, running off as he doubled over. "Thanks for understanding." He wheezed out. He realized another sad thing. He had to go back DOWN the stairs. "Aw, you've got to be kidding me..."
The atmosphere in the jeep was generally tense. Snake drove down the dirt road with expertise and slightly over the speed limit. Ike sat next to him in the passenger's seat, his arms cradling the injured Marth. Samus sat in the back, but kept her head poked between the front seats. "I called ahead." She informed them. "Dr.Mario will be outside the front doors when we get there..." She fell silent as Ike pulled the blanket up to Marth's chin He was making it obvious he was ignoring her.
She shook her head, sitting back where Link, the new man, and a collapsed Pit sat next to her. Pikachu, Yoshi, and an injured Lucas sat crammed on the floor infront of her. "...absurd..." she muttered.
"It's alright." The man reassured. "He'll confess eventually."
Samus sighed, facing the man. "I just don't understand it. Why would he attack Marth? He cares so much about him..."
"Maybe that's why." He instigated. "Did Marth ever discourage him?"
Samus shrugged. "I try not to be too nosy."
Link interjected. "Are you two trying to say Marth and Ike are gay?"
"Yeah." Samus stated. "Are you saying they're not?"
"Well...maybe Marth, but Ike? I don't think so..."
Samus rolled her eyes. "Ike's so quiet..."
The deep voice from up front amde them all jump. "Ike is getting a little pissy, too. Tabuu, have some respect for the man you just sliced like mince-meat, will you? And stop trying to wrap Samus's mind. She already thinks I did your crimes, anyways..."
A weak whisper was heard. "Here..."
"Ssh..." Ike felt his eyes leak tears again. Marth was awake again. "Just sleep, Marth...I won't let him get you again..."
Snake staed at the prince in amazement. He must've lost over thirty percent of his blood by now, but still managed to blip in and out of consciousness. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was capable of speech. "Marth?" Samus asked. "Are you able to testify?"
Ike glared daggers at her over his shoulder. "No. Marth needs rest. Just keep your new friend away from him."
Ike's eyes mentally tore off Tabuu's limbs, watching him squirm and scream in agony. He let a creepy smile present itself on his face. The face made Tabuu shiver. "Y-you're crazy!" Tabuu cried.
"Wait," Samus caught the man's attention, "your name's Tabuu?"
"No, no, no. Your friend must have me confused with someone else. No, my name's George."
Ike sneered. "Yeah, okay "George". By the way, no one's buying the load of bs."
Snake slammed on the breaks, Dr.Mario running up to the passenger's side as Ike's door opened. The doctor pressed his finger's to Marth's neck, feeling for a pulse. He looked at Ike alarmed. "We need to move quickly. Can you carry him?"
Ike nodded, throwing his legs out of the car door and proceeding to follow Dr.Mario into the building. Their shoes clunked loudly on the tile as they sprinted to the tramua center. Eventually, doctor Mario looked over his shoulder to Ike, asking, "How long has he been like this?"
"A-about midnight!" Ike panted as a response.
Luckily, a pack of familiar nurses had already preparred a stretcher at the end of the hall. Ike lay Marth down on it gently, eyes widening in surprise as he realized that Marth's hand held his own. Ike looked into the weak, half-lidded eyes of the poor boy. He HAD to help. "Doc!" Ike called. "Can I help somehow?"
"Ike, I can't let just anyone come into-!"
"Please, doc?! I won't be any trouble, I promise!"
Dr.Mario sighed, but finally nodded. "Alright. You put the tourniquets on, yes?"
Ike nodded. "Thank you, and yes."
"Good job. Now, let's get him into the emergency room. I want him up to a cardiac monitor, stat! Let's move people!"
The nurses moved quickly, wheeling Marth into a completely clean, white room full of, hopefully, fully operational equipment. Dr.Mario turned to Ike as several nurses tended to Marth's wounds and inserted intravenous hook ups. "First thing's first," he began, "the little blood flowing through him had just as little oxygen content. I want you to take this airway adjunct to open his airway. I'm going to hold his togue forward with this tongue depressor, and I want you to insert it right side up."
Now, Ike wasn't sure which side was the right side, but nodded, realizing the cardiac monitor was not revealing anything good. "Systolic is at 60!" A nurse called.
Dr.Mario nodded. "We need some O neg here, hurry!"
A nurse ran off and Ike scooted forward. Dr.Mario was already holding down the prince's tongue, waiting for Ike to insert the oropharyngeal airway. Ike slowly inserted it, wincing as Marth gagged as it squeezed past the epiglottus. Ike bit his bottom lip, relaxing as Marth's breathing deepened. "It's in." Dr.Mario stated. Ike glanced up. When did those tubes get up his nose...? "Ike, go put on some gloves. We'll make sure he's stable. When you get back, we're going to begin stitching."
Ike nodded, pulling out latex gloves and slipping them out. Some nurses were washing out the six wounds on Marth's mutilated body. The other nurses were filling several syringes with codine. Ike was actually handed one of these vials full of pain killing medication, instructed to insert it, frowning as he inserted the fluid into the boy. "We need a saline drip in here!" The doctor called.
For the next hour, the nurses walked with Ike among their ranks, stitching back together Marth's wounds. Ike smiled as Marth slept peacefully in the general hospital area, sleeping with the assistance of morphine. He had drips of blood and sodium dripping into his system, but still seemed to be able to relax. The hospital was dark, as it was now two in the morning, and no one else seemed to be around. Ike put his hands on the handrails of the bed, staring at Marth. "Goodnight...Marth..."
When he turned, he found himself face-to-face with Samus, the bounty-hunter staring at him. "Why?" She asked.
Ike blinked. "Why...what?"
She shook her head. "Why WHAT? Are you kidding me?! Marth! He...he like you...a lot."
"Samus, believe me when I say this. I didn't do this! Tabuu did!"
"Tabuu's name is George, Ike! We can't arrest him until we have a witness."
"We do!" Ike cried. "I've seen him and-!"
"But you're already a suspect!" Samus argued. "We need someone else's views on this! We...we can't..."
Ike frowned, looking away. "You can't trust me, huh?"
"I'm sorry, Ike...but I have to take you in..."
"But i'm innocent!"
"Ike, we found you knee-deep in his blood! I'm sorry but...I have to ask you to come quietly."
Ike frowned, looking to Marth. His eyes lit up. "Marth!" He exclaimed. "Marth saw him too!"
"Ike, Marth's not even conscious to testify! Come on!"
Ike sighed, allowing Samus to cuff his hands behind his back and usher him from the hospital and down the hall. He sighed, looking over his shoulder at her. "Hey...Samus?"
The hunter blinked, pushing him from the empty room. "Yes?"
"Can you tell Marth if he wakes up...that I've always kinda thought he was cute?"
Samus nodded, shutting the door.
Complete: 6:56 PM 10/7/2008
Author's Note: Aren't you guys proud of me? I finally posted! Yay! Hopefully, I'll continue to post sooner from now on, but lately things have been crazy! Enjoy! I hope it takes you guys half as long to read this as it did to write it! p
Disclaiming...
