Hi again! Sorry, I was busy this morning and I haven't posted it yet, but it's out now! This chapter is exciting, and finishes off a few ideas. Okay, enough typing, please enjoy, and I hope you have a good spring break - if you have it - or I hope you have a good rest of your week!
Chapter Six
Hospitality
Capital Regional Medical Center
Tallahassee, Florida
April 21
9000 hours
"Do you see this?" Erica waved her hand around the hospital room, indicating to all the people in the beds.
"I do. And I wish I didn't." I replied.
We had left the forest, and spent the rest of the day walking down streets. Erica had memorised the way to the medical center when she had brought Cyrus the first time.
We tried to stay obscured in the plants to the side of the roads until we reached the human populated streets, as not to conjure attention. We were both covered in dirt, and in the middle of crowds filled with people all going to work or coming back from work in nice outfits, we stood out. Erica insisted we put on new outfits. She stopped by a clothing store, and got new clothes for both of us.
"Thank you Clarice." She had said, pocketing the stack of bills she held in her hands. She had clearly stolen some from the battle in the forest.
We spent the night taking turns watching, while the other slept on the hard ground. We had found a somewhat hidden place in an abandoned sketchy part of the town.
Then in the morning we had gone straight to the hospital.
A nurse popped up beside us, with a smile so wide that it practically touched her ears on both sides.
"How may I help you today?" she asked in a chipper voice.
"My Grandfather's here, and I was wondering if I could see him." Erica said. A flicker of worry settled in her eyes.
"Of course! My name is Sophie, and I am a nurse in training at this hospital. Come right this way if you please." She stepped into a side room, and closed the door behind us. It was a dark room, and it didn't look like a place sick people would go. Instead, it looked like a surgery room. Sophie walked to the back of the room, and picked up something on a table. With her back to us, I couldn't see what it was. And I wouldn't have been prepared for what it was if I hadn't seen the sparkly pink scrunchie in her hair under her nair net. I turned to tell Erica, but by the look on her face, I could tell she had already noticed. And she was already on the move. Before I'd even finished turning my head to look at her, she had grabbed a syringe from the shelf over her head, and crept up behind the nurse.I stayed rooted to the ground where I was, knowing that if I got into the fight, something bad would happen.
"Hello Ashley Sparks." Erica said tauntingly. She was now hovering over Ashley, who looked like a 6 year old from her height and size. Ashley froze, as if deciding what to do next. Then she turned around on her heel, with a super confused look upon her face.
"I-I'm sorry. I told you my name is Sophie. You can look at my ID card for proof. I swear I have no idea who Ashley Sprinkles is, and I don't want to be punished for it."
At this point I was laughing. Ashley's eyes fell to mine, and a frown appeared on her face.
"Why are you laughing?" She demanded in a high pitched squeak. It reminded me somewhat of Dolores Umbridges's voice.
"SPYDER may have taught you how to do gymnastics karate, but they didn't teach you how to lie. And if they did, you suck at it." I replied, still laughing. And that was what pulled the trigger.
"That's it!" She cried, lunging herself at me. Erica caught her in mid-air, and then pushed against the back wall. Through barred teeth, Ashley continued yelling.
"I hate you Benjamin Ripley! You and your stupid CIA opperatives, all of whom can't leave my life in peace!"
"And you wont leave ours in peace either so there's that." I replied, crossing my arms, and taking a step towards them.
"Hey Ben." Erica said casually, despite the fact that she was currently wrestling an enemy agent. "Grab that syringe I dropped on the floor a second ago."
Ashley instantly stopped fighting, and instead started pleading.
"Ben, do you remember when we first met?"
I stopped in mid-stride, and looked her in the eyes. She nodded her approval.
"Remember when I said I would go to Disneyland with you? And when you agreed?"
I nodded sadly.
"Do you remember when we were once friends, and once team players?"
I was puzzled as to why she was asking me these questions. But I nodded again.
"Hey Ben? Remember when I asked you to pick up the syringe bottle? The one that will mean life or death?" Erica interjected.
I looked between both the girls, trying to figure out which one to listen to. The answer should have been obvious. Of course, Erica was right, and she was on my side. But what was her intention with the needle? Was she going to harm the girl she had pinned to the wall, or was she simply wanting to put it in her utility belt? The former seemed most likely. So, I stepped over to the syringe, picked it up, and pocketed it.
"Ashley, you know I'm not your friend, and stop trying to convince yourself that I am. Now tell us, what do you know about this new evil organization Xorvat? If you don't answer, I will hand the syringe in my pocket to Erica, who is allowed to use it freely."
Ashley gulped, but didn't say anything.
"Don't make me put my hand in my pocket." I said calmly. I was surprisingly calm considering we were enclosed in a room with an enemy agent.
Ashley took a deep breath and spoke.
"What's the easiest way to destroy all people without the use of weapons?"
"Don't play smart with us. Just tell us." Erica snarled, pushing her harder into the wall.
"Okay. But it's not easy to explain."
"Just tell us." I said, putting my hand in my pocket, but did not take out the syringe.
"I don't work for this organisation. I don't know the whole plan. I want to stop it, and do it myself. They want to take control of the world's economy, and they want to do it in a way we can't solve without scientists and doctors."
Erica and I listened intently, and we were both surprised to hear she didn't work for them. And I had an idea as to what she meant. Erica however, had a look of annoyance on her face.
"I said don't play sm-"
"Erica I know what she means." I interrupted.
"You do?" Ashley looked excited, as if I had said I was going to Disneyland with her.
"Yes. But I can't say." Both of the girls rolled their eyes.
"Just say it." Erica said.
"For the first and last time in my life, I agree with this jidiot." Ashley said, trying to kick Erica.
Ashley liked mixing words like jerk and idiot, which is what she meant in this scenario.
"What you say is what you are." Erica muttered under her breath.
"What did you just say?" Ashley asked angrily.
I was surprised myself.
"What's in the needle?" I asked Erica.
"Sedative." She replied.
"Are you telling the absolute truth?" I asked her, taking the syringe out of my pocket.
"I swear." she said.
Ashley looked between us, confused. Which was exactly what I had wanted.
"I remember all those times with you, Ashley. They were wonderful. Now stop listening to Erica, because she's being stupid. Keep in mind that life is always what you wanted. I'm on your side."
And then I pushed the needle into her arm. Erica dropped her to the floor, and kicked her for safe measures.
She rounded on me, looking furious.
"I was lying. Duh." I said, thinking that's why she was mad.
"I realise you were lying. But you only lied because we came here in the first place. It was all your idea, and I told you it wasn't going to work! Next time, listen to me!"
I sighed before replying.
"They are making a virus."
Erica snapped out of her reverie, and stared at me.
"They want to destroy the world without violence. Something doctors and scientists can solve, but nobody else. Doesn't it fit?"
"Oh my god Ben. It does!" She hugged me quickly, and then she walked across the room and opened the door.
We left, but I turned around quickly before we did, making sure Ashley was out for sure.
"She'll be fine." I said. Then thought again. "She'll be fine right?"
"What do you care?" Erica asked. "Now let's go find Grandpa."
? ゚メᆪ?
Cyrus was asleep in one of the beds upstairs. He was hooked up to many machines, but other than that he looked fine. Erica's face fell into relief when she saw him.
We sat by his bed talking for about an hour before he woke up. Three times the nurse had come back, saying that he wasn't going to wake up soon and we should come back later. But Erica had ignored him.
We didn't talk about anything in particular. I told her about my vacation, she told me about her spring break, and at some point we were both drifting off to sleep. But then Cyrus woke up and we talked to him instead. At first he was quite groggy.
"Why am I here still?" He asked, annoyed.
"Grandpa!" Erica exclaimed.
"Erica? Who do you have with you?"
"It's Ben! We've come to tell you something!"
"Ben? Ben Ripley?"
"That's me." I said.
"Heavens! You came all the way from Mexico to see me?"
"He's out of it." Erica muttered to me.
"Well? What do you have to tell me?" He asked.
"It's about Vi-1 and Va-1. Remember those?" Erica replied.
"Well it's not likely that I'd forget them." Cyrus responded coldly, which was a good sign.
"Well we know what they are. Ben? Care to explain?"
"Sure. Some organization is creating a vi-"
That's when the nurse popped back up.
"Oh! Mr. Hale you're up! I'm sorry you are being dist-"
"I don't need you. I'd like to talk to them." He gave the nurse a dangerous look, warning not to try anything funny. So the nurse backed off. Even though I had seen him walk over to another bed, I lowered my voice. You never know who might be listening.
"They are creating a virus."
"A virus? What type of virus?" he demanded.
"We don't know. We only found out an hour or so ago." Erica said before I could get into the scene.
"Well then do research. And leave me be until you find out."
I glanced at Erica, knowing that it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. Erica shrugged, indication that although she was Cyrus's favorite, she wouldn't be able to tell him.
"We'll try Grandpa." Erica said, lying a comforting hand on his.
"No. You are going to. You aren't going to try. You are going to."
"Okay. We will. We'll be back in a few days."
Erica and I then left Cyrus in peace and walked back to the front door. There she gave the front desk "her number" - which really was some random number since she doesn't give out her number - and then we left the building entirely.
"What's your plan now?" I asked, once we were a good kilometre away.
"We go back to school, go back to regular classes and routines, and we seek help from people. If we are lucky, we can get ahead of the enemies, and stop the virus production before it gets high."
"What about Cyrus?"
"He'll contact me. I left him a note."
"When?"
"A spy's secret." She said with a grin at me. "Now go call my mother and ask her to come pick us up in Tallahassee at 6000 hours sharp tomorrow."
So I did. I walked over to the closest phone booth, inserted a coin, and then dialed Catherine's number.
"Hey Catherine!" I said after a few rings. "I have a favor to ask of you."
Also, one last note, I am somewhat stuck with ideas for the part of the story I'm writing now, so, if anybody has any ideas they want me to put in, please type it in the comments, and I will add it in somehow!
