May 6, 2010.

A/N: Hey, SfS readers!

Sorry about the late update for this fic. I think I'll generally update my stories weekly; on Monday morning for me, so Sunday night for you :) Keep your eyes posted!

Anyway, here's the next chapter! Now y'all can find out what Daniel's plan is ;)

Thanks for reviewing!

Searching for Solace

- ELEVEN -

March 15 – 17:44

"Where are we going?" Morgan asked. She winced as the ambulance jolted around violently. The contents rattled loudly as Daniel hurtled along, the accelerator pressed all the way to the floor. They were probably travelling at about a hundred kilometres an hour. She grabbed Max's bed as they hit a bump and glared into the cab. "Do you mind? According to you, people are dying in this ambulance! Slow down or you'll kill us all!"

"Shut up," Daniel snapped, his fists curled tensely around the wheel. "You think I drive these things all the time? It's a fucking ambulance!"

"Take your foot off the accelerator!" Morgan shot back. "If you lose control of the wheel, none of us will survive the crash."

Matt, the blonde boy, sat beside his brother Terence's limp form, watching him jerk around anxiously. He was quiet; Morgan had hardly heard him say a word since they'd stolen the ambulance. It hadn't been difficult. There had been so much going on – so many doctors and nurses running around hectically – that convincing one of the paramedics they'd been instructed to transfer Mackenzie wasn't difficult at all. He'd taken one look at the stretcher and rushed off to prepare an ambulance. Hijacking it while he'd gone off to find the supervisor had been too easy. The keys were already in the ignition; Daniel had simply had to hit the accelerator and drive away.

But now, hurtling like a rocket down the road, Morgan was more than a little concerned. What was the use in their brilliant plan to find another hospital if they weren't even going to make it there? They'd need a coroner at this rate.

"For fuck's sake!" Morgan cried angrily. "Slow down!"

Astonishingly, Daniel obeyed. He lifted his foot from the accelerator and the ambulance immediately cut speed. Morgan's heart returned to her chest, and she turned to look at Mackenzie. She looked terrible. Clearly, moving her around wasn't doing her quickly deteriorating health much good.

"Do you really think they're going to die?" Matt asked, looking around for a moment. Morgan said nothing.

"I only told you what I heard," Daniel replied shortly, though it wasn't much of an answer. Matt turned back to gaze forlornly at his brother. They didn't speak again for a long while.

March 15 – 18:18

Morgan stared out the window in frustration. They were stuck on Batman Avenue in the outskirts of the city, in bumper-to-bumper traffic. They'd been crawling along for the last twenty minutes. Daniel had managed to fiddle around with the ambulance gadgets and had discovered a radio that gave details about other ambulances and hospitals.

Since conversation between the trio had dried up, listening to what was happening elsewhere in the eastern suburbs was a relieving break of tension. Plus, they'd discovered that Box Hill Hospital hadn't been the only hospital attacked. According to the most recent updates, Monash, Maroondah, Austin and Casey had all been hit hard. The Angliss and St. John of God hadn't been forgotten either.

But, oddly, the Alfred had been skipped. It was the biggest hospital, located in central Melbourne, with top-rate doctors and surgeons, and excellent facilities. Why it had been left out was nothing short of suspicious, but considering they were running out of options, the wayward ambulance hijackers had set course for it.

And now they were stuck in a messy traffic jam that seemed to go on for miles.

Daniel grumbled and drilled his fingers against the steering wheel. Matt gazed gloomily at the golden orbs drifting by. Right now, the Chimera Anima were floating faster than they were driving.

"If there was an attack right now," Morgan said, for lack of anything else to say, "we'd be fucked."

"Shut the fuck up!" Daniel snapped. "It's not my fault we're stuck in this bullshit. Whose decision was it to go the Alfred? Every man and his fucking dog is obviously trying to get to the Alfred!"

"You didn't have to drive us there," Morgan pointed out. "You're the one behind the wheel. Ultimately, it was your decision where we went. You chose the Alfred. Besides, asshole, these people aren't trying to get to the hospital. Use your fucking eyes."

Daniel examined a few of the closest cars more carefully. Most of them were packed to the windows with stuff. Some had cases and bags strapped to the roof.

"They're trying to get out of Melbourne," Morgan explained. "They're heading for the freeway."

"We just got off the freeway!" Daniel moaned. "They're fucking idiots!"

"The freeway was packed, too, remember?" Morgan replied. "Maybe they thought it would be faster this way."

"Well it's not, is it?" Daniel growled irrationally.

"Getting angry won't solve anything," Morgan scolded. "Just drive. We'll get there when we get there."

"We're not ever gonna fucking get there if these fucking cars don't move!" he bellowed out the window.

"HEY!" Morgan yelled. He'd gone way too far. "If you wanna make something happen, use your fucking brain. We've got resources, idiot! Turn on the lights and sirens! We're in a goddamn ambulance, for God's sake! Ambulances have priority!"

Seconds later, lights and sirens blaring, the stolen ambulance crept slowly along, half on the footpath and half on the road. Cars edged out of the way to give them room. Daniel drove silently, staring stonily ahead and refusing to acknowledge Morgan's presence. But Morgan didn't care. At least they were moving. And Daniel didn't even make her list of things to be concerned about. As soon as they got to the hospital, she was splitting and taking care of Max. The others could go do whatever the fuck they wanted, for all she cared.

March 15 – 19:01

Holy shit. There were so many ambulances shoved around the emergency department entrance it was going to be more than impossible to try and squeeze their way in. Morgan was already thinking of alternatives.

"Park on the street," she commanded. "We'll sneak in."

It took a bit of effort and a lot of bickering to get Max's stretcher out of the ambulance and onto sturdy ground without her accidentally tumbling out of it. Matt stood by, watching anxiously with Terry in his arms as Morgan and Daniel snapped hotly at each other. Morgan resisted the strong urge to furiously swat at the Chimera hovering around like bobbing lanterns and focused on wheeling Max towards the ED entrance.

Once again, lying their way inside was no trouble.

"We've been sent from Box Hill," Morgan said in her most hopeful voice. "Please, we really need help. These two are really sick."

They looked around, impressed, as they were admitted and led down a nicely furnished corridor. It was nice and warm inside, and smelled of fresh flowers. Calming music was playing softly in the background. A receptionist smiled at them as they walked past. Max and Terry were set up in a room with two other kids in similar conditions, and Morgan, Daniel and Matt were shown to the cafeteria; a big, comfortably stuff room that smelled beyond delicious. Immediately, the three realised how starving they were, and sat down to fill their rumbling stomachs.

"What happens now?" Matt asked, sipping a can of Coke. Morgan didn't reply. How could she tell them she was ditching them now and didn't need their help anymore? It was hardly a way to thank them. Not that Matt had really done much, and Daniel was such an ass that he really didn't deserve thanks anyway...

"We wait for them to help Mac and Terry, and when they're better, we get the hell outta here and find somewhere safe to hide," Daniel replied, almost savagely. Morgan glanced at him. He'd thought that far ahead already?

"Where are we supposed to go?" she asked, for curiosity's sake.

"I've got cousins out near Ballarat. We can crash with them until it's safe to come home. Everyone says the country's safest right now."

Not a bad plan, Morgan thought, considering it. But it wasn't happening. Max hated Daniel Palmer; he'd been bullying her since primary school. Morgan was enough of a considerate friend to not put her through her personal hell. Especially since she was – fingers crossed – about to come out of medical hell. She probably wouldn't be able to cope with going from one hell straight to another.

They finished their meals and headed back to the room, but had only been there for a short time when a nurse came in behind them and promptly ushered them out.

"Visiting hours are over," she told them firmly, frowning as they tried to argue their way back in. None of them had factored being kicked out into their plans. "Come back tomorrow morning. You can see patients between ten and twelve, and six and eight."

"But–" Morgan tried, but she was quickly shut down.

"Out," the nurse said, shutting the door and locking it behind them. She stared them down until they conceded defeat and walked out of the ward.

"Fucking bitch," Daniel muttered angrily. "Where are we supposed to go?"

"We could find a hotel nearby," Morgan suggested doubtfully.

"Have you got three hundred bucks to pay for that?" Daniel asked smartly. "Otherwise, we're fucked."

"My auntie used to live in an apartment block not far from here," Matt offered, before Morgan could retort. "She doesn't live there anymore, but I remember where it is."

Morgan wasn't exactly sure what he was getting at, but she glanced at Daniel and imagined her expression mirrored his. Considering, brainstorming, scheming…

"Okay," she said, shrugging. "Lead on."

March 15 – 19:37

"It's locked, guys," Morgan said, sighing from her seat on the low brick wall. Daniel and Matt were examining the electric door to see if they could force it open. She rolled her eyes. "It's getting dark. Let's just try somewhere else."

Matt glanced at her and said nothing. Daniel completely ignored her. Morgan sighed huffily through her nose and got up. Boys. They could be so idiotically stubborn sometimes. Turning her back on the pair, she stalked off to circle the apartment block. May as well stretch her legs; she'd been sitting there for fifteen minutes, and she was getting itchy feet.

She smacked at a mosquito that tried to land on her arm, scratching her itchy bites irritably. For some reason, mosquitoes loved her. They always bit her more than other people. She was allergic, too, so if she scratched, her skin would blow up. If she didn't get inside soon, she could get bitten so much that she'd get sick. It had happened before. She slapped at another, successfully squishing it against her skin, and looked up in savage victory, at whom, she would never know. But she was glad she did, because she caught sight of something very rewarding.

"Give up, guys. There's an emergency exit 'round the back."

The trio climbed the metal staircase in silence; Daniel annoyed that Morgan had found a way in, Morgan smug, and Matt tired. All three of them were exhausted, but they dragged themselves up the few floor of stairs anyway, the thought of somewhere warm and dry to sleep urging them on.

At last they reached the door at the top, and Daniel pushed it open. Inside, the landing was dark and gloomy; concrete floor and brick walls, with a sole elevator shaft. They were on the fifth and top floor. Their footsteps, although quiet as possible, echoed around the cavernous space. There were six doors.

Daniel and Morgan glanced at each other and simultaneously took out their pendants, just in case there were Chimera Anima anywhere, and the pair led the checking of the apartments. All were locked and silent. They descended to the fourth floor, taking the stairs at the end of the wide hall. Two were completely empty; four were, like the others, locked and silent.

It was on the third floor that they found a silent apartment with an unlocked door. Glancing between each other, they passed the unspoken agreement to open it. Morgan stepped back, her fist closed tightly around her pendant. Daniel gripped the handle, took a deep breath, and–

Something heavy hit the back of Morgan's head without warning, and she barely had time to register the splitting pain and cry out before she crumpled, pitched abruptly into blind unconsciousness.

CULTURE NOTE

Batman Avenue - a busy, well-known street leading into Melbourne; the city. No, i'ts not named after the DC Batman XD

Ballarat - a rural town in country Victoria. It's a few hours (maybe three?) from the city.

NOTES

Note! All the hospitals listed are actual medical centres in Victoria. Go me and my having-worked-in-medical-for-three-years knowledge! :D

A/N: Oh no! What's happened to Morgan? Is she going to be okay? D:

Well, you'll just have to wait and see, ne?

Reviews are love!

Until the next update!

Love,

Cherrie xx