Chapter 46
Back on Earth, the group of Houston felons were driving through the roads of San Antonio in a new dark green Subaru van. With a group as big as them, they had to stick with the vans, despite how easily they could be caught with such a simple vehicle. It was starting to get late due to how long it took them to just get out of Houston and get everything that they had done. A few stomachs in the vehicle were also starting to growl, but nobody said anything, unsure what to even say about it. Besides, they've gone without eating before, for days at most.
It wasn't long until they left San Antonio and found themselves in the roads of Boerne. By then, the sun had set and Daniel had to turn on his headlights. Suddenly, he drove off of I-10 and onto the 10 West Frontage Road, before ultimately pulling into a Best Western Boerne Inn Suite. Dr. Milldred blinked in confusion as Daniel parked the car and turned off the ignition.
"Daniel, what are you doing?" She asked him.
He sighed and looked at her. "Look, Millie. I know you wanna get these guys back home as quick as you can, but it's late and everybody is tired and starving. I told you getting to Palo Alto may take longer than a day and this is why. We need to rest, and we need to eat. We've been running around all day. We won't be able to function properly without it."
Dr. Milldred sighed and nodded. "You're right. You're right." She sighed again and laid back. "I didn't think this was going to be so hard."
"Things like this are never easy." Daniel said to her. "Not everything is going to go right, Millie, and you can't expect it too."
The woman sighed and nodded. "Alright. Let's get inside and rent a room." She turned back to her sister and the Gelflings. "Best behavior, everybody. This place doesn't allow pets so I'm afraid Fritz and Baffi will have to stay in the car."
"I'll leave the windows down a bit so that they don't overheat." Daniel promised.
"We're stopping here?" Rian asked, looking at the big white building with the red roof.
"Just for the night." Dr. Milldred assured him. "We all need rest and food. We'll hit the road again in the morning after breakfast."
"Come on now, everything will be fine." Daniel said as he rolled the windows down a bit before turning the car back off and exiting. Everybody else quickly followed suit, with Dr. Milldred grabbing Deet's makeup, before they all went inside. Once they were in, Daniel and Dr. Milldred went over to the receptionist, while Penelope and the Gelflings waited around in the chairs in the lobby. Not long after, the adults came back, each one holding a keycard.
"We got two rooms." Dr. Milldred explained. "We'll split up into two groups of three and four. One group will go with Daniel, while the other comes with me. Penelope, you're obviously with me. Now, which Gelfling wants to go with who?"
"Brea and I will go with Daniel." Seladon decided, turning to Rian and Deet. "Do either of you want to come with us?"
"I think I'll stick with Dr. Milldred." Deet decided.
"And I'll go with them." Rian nodded.
"Alright, looks like we have our groups." Dr. Milldred nodded before quickly addressing the Gelflings. "And one more thing. We're on the run so don't call us by our names. Use the fake names we gave ourselves back at the salon."
The Gelflings all nodded in understanding. "Got it… Sarah."
Dr. Milldred nodded and they all took the elevator upstairs to their rooms, which were right next to each other.
"I've ordered us all some sandwiches from room service." Daniel told them. "It'll be delivered to my room, so guys, once you're settled, come next door so we all can eat."
"Got it." Dr. Milldred's group nodded, before the human woman used her keycard to unlock the door and get them inside.
Once they were in the room they all looked around in awe. The room was absolutely gorgeous, with light grey and white walls, and two large beds with a black backboard and black and white sheets. The window was adorned with silk brown curtains, and across the beds was a black dresser with a large flat screen tv. Down the hall from when they walk in, over to the left was a door leading into the bathroom, with a full tub and shower, granite sink, and a sparkling white toilet. The towel bars were already holding the hotel's bleached white towels, and the toilet tissue holder already had a roll in it.
"This is actually pretty nice." Dr. Milldred said as she looked around.
"Indeed." Rian nodded. "Earth buildings are so interesting."
"And pretty." Deet agreed.
"Alright," Dr. Milldred said as she walked up to one of the beds, placing Deet's bag of makeup down. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a syringe. She turned to Deet and sighed. "Deet, it's time for your weekly dose."
Deet nodded and walked over to her. She hopped up onto the bed and held her arm out. Dr. Milldred pulled the cap off of the needle to the syringe and flicked it a bit, getting the air bubbles out of it. She then gently took Deet's arm and lowered the syringe down to it, gently pushing the needling into her vein just above the pit in her elbow. She pushed the plunger and the purple liquid traveled into the Grotton's veins. Rian watched the procedure with interest, watching as Dr. Milldred pulled the needle back out and wiped the tiny bit of blood away. He looked up at the Grotton Gelfling.
"Does it hurt?" He asked her.
"It just pinches a bit." Deet assured him. "But it's worth it for the help it's giving me. I've gotten better control over the lightning the Darkening has given me."
Rian nodded and looked up to Dr. Milldred. "Dr. Milldred, do you think Deet's medicine will help stop the Darkening on our planet?" He asked her.
"… I honestly don't know." She answered. "The medicine has been made specifically for Deet's blood type. Who knows what it will do if it's used on someone else. It might have a negative effect on it." She looked at the Stonewood. "Is it really worth the risk?"
Rian sighed and shook his head. "You're right. It's not worth it. We'll just have to stop the Darkening some other way."
"You'll figure it out." Dr. Milldred nodded as she threw the syringe away. "Now then. Daniel said that he ordered us all some food. Let's head over to his and the girls' room so that we all can eat and silence those growling bellies."
Penelope and the two Gelflings chuckled as they left the room and went next door to Daniel's. Dr. Milldred knocked on the door and it was opened by Brea.
"You guys are just in time." She said. "The sandwiches just got here, and they're pretty good."
"That's wonderful, Brea." Dr. Milldred nodded as they were let in.
The room that Daniel and the two Vapras were in weren't much different from theirs. Everything was the same, an almost perfect replica. The only difference was that the bathroom door was next to the bed closest to the door. Brea led them into the room and sat on the bed closest to the window next to her sister, picking up her plate and eating her sandwich again. Seladon was already eating one of the club sandwiches that Daniel had ordered, said human was at the food table, dishing out the sandwiches onto little plates that came with them. He handed one to Penelope, who took it eagerly and sat down and started eating. Rian and Deet weren't too far behind as Daniel gave them each a plate, and then gave a plate to Dr. Milldred.
"Thank you, Daniel." She said to him. "It's very kind of you to do this. I know this place is pretty expensive, but I'm sure we're all grateful for it."
"Hey, don't worry about it." He smiled at her. "After all, it's only for a night."
"But still, even a single night in this place cost you $162."
"Ah, that's barely a dent in my wallet." He easily lied. "Besides, it's the least I can do, after you paid for our disguises and the new car. Are you sure you yourself aren't in any debt?"
"Of course not." Dr. Milldred chuckled as she sat down on the empty bed and started eating. Daniel grabbed his sandwich and joined her. "Working for NASA, it's hard to be in debt. Of course, I didn't work there just for the money, but I enjoyed it too."
"What are you going to do now? Surely, after this stunt, you would be fired."
"… I honestly don't know." Dr. Milldred sighed. "I've worked for NASA for so long, I don't think I could do anything else. Working for NASA has been my dream ever since the first day dad brought me into work with him. Being a scientist… there's just some sort of thrill to it… but it's not so fun when I have to question my own morals."
Daniel looked at Dr. Milldred sadly and gently took her hand. She looked up at him, her eyes a bit glassy.
"A place where you have to question your own morals is not a place where you should be working." He said to her. "You're doing the right thing by getting these guys back home." He looked at the four Gelflings in the room, who weren't paying any attention to them, engrossed with each other and the good food given to them. "And if NASA can't see it that way, then obviously it's not the place for you. You're too kind hearted for such a place."
Dr. Milldred smiled and gently kissed him on the cheek. The man looked at her in a bit of shock. "Thank you, Daniel. For everything."
He smiled at her. "No problem."
And for the rest of the night, the group of seven rested, recharging themselves for whatever they had to face the next day.