Chapter 3: Trust
A/N: Oops! SORRY! My bad. When uploading this chapter before, I forgot I hadn't saved it and it only did half. So so so sorry! I had to rewrite the end, but I think I got most of it. So sorry!
Elizabeth sighed, looking at the man sleeping peacefully before her.
"Isn't it lovely, Mark?" she asked, "Did you see them?"
"They thought he was going to die," Mark nodded, "But it happens sometimes."
"I know," Elizabeth replied, "But I can't get rid of that good feeling. This has been a great day for me! How's your day been?" she smiled, eyes still on the sleeping man. But Mark didn't answer. She frowned, "Mark?" no answer. She turned and noticed he was leaning out the doorway, yelling at something.
"I don't care what you think it is, Malucci, just get rid of it!" he snapped. Elizabeth stood up and walked over to them.
"What's going on?"
"This thing tried to crawl up your leg!" Mark answered, annoyed.
"Dr. Greene, it's not mine, honest! I didn't bring the things in here! Hell, you think I wanted these things?!" Dave asked, shaking the brown and white thing roughly in his hands. It was later, around 8:00, "Listen, we have four hours to get rid of them before-"
"Before what, Dave?" Mark asked, "Before they attack the world with giant mutants?"
"No, before they become adults!"
"Mark, they are kind of cute..." Elizabeth tried to calm her husband, "Give him a break. He's doing the best he can."
"Damn straight!" Dave agreed.
"Let's go back inside," Elizabeth tried to bring Mark inside, but he stayed.
"How many of these things are there?" Mark demanded, noticing the thing shying away from the light, for the repairman had come and gone.
"I don't know. At least a dozen?"
"This is the only one I've seen!"
"That's because they're hiding in the vents or something! It's too bright for them out in the open! Their waiting for midnight!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Whatever fantasy world you're living in, Dave, leave the rest of us out of it! Wait, what time is it?"
"Eight," Dave shrugged. Mark nodded and turned to Elizabeth.
"OK, I was off fifteen minutes ago. I'm going to pick up Ella and I'll see you later, OK?"
"All right," Elizabeth nodded. She was looking at the fuzzy thing that was struggling in Dave's clutches, ears over its eyes, hiding from the light. Why did this seem familiar to her? Mark kissed her goodbye and left.
"Dave..." she said, "What is that thing?"
"Maguay. And they'll turn into something less cute if they eat after midnight. They might try to chew through the lighting cords again. They're smarter than you may think."
"They don't like light?"
"No."
"They can't eat after midnight? Why?"
"Uh... Wait, do you think I'm crazy or something?" Dave asked, realizing she was the first person who seemed rational with him other than Carter.
"No, Dave, I can promise you that. Now why can't they eat after midnight?" This seemed all too familiar to her.
"Well, they will turn into cocoons, big ugly sticky ones."
"And?"
"And then they hatch!" Dave shrugged.
"Into what, Dave?" the word was on the tip of her tongue.
"Into Gremlins," Dave answered. Elizabeth then remembered.
"I once met a young girl... She'd come to the hospital all alone. She kept speaking about Gremlins and such. She said it was the thing that had created the gash on her right arm."
"They do that," Dave nodded.
"And then I asked her where her mother was, and she came up with the strangest answer..." Elizabeth frowned.
"What?" and Elizabeth remembered the young nine-year-old child with long brown hair.
"My mother?" she had asked, "She's breeding them."
"Her mother was breeding them." Elizabeth told Dave who stumbled backwards.
"Her mother's crazy!"
"I know, her daughter thinks so too," Elizabeth agreed, "She told me what they could do."
"Did she tell you why her mother was doing this?"
"Well, I was smiling and listening, but this girl seemed to be the creative type. I thought- and maybe she was, but- I thought she was weaving a fictional story! But she said something about her father..."
"What was her name?"
"Angela."
"Angela..."
"Angela Winters."
"So... You believe me?"
"Not entirely."
"But sort of?"
"I suppose."
"Great!" Dave grinned and it made Elizabeth feel good. She realized that Dave was probably yelled at a lot that day, not only by Mark, and probably even a little teased because of what he'd been telling them. And she also realized that she was probably the first to believe him, even if it only was just slightly.
"Dr. Corday!" Abby cried, running towards them, "Have you seen Dr. Greene?"
"He just left," she told her.
"Oh... Then Dr. Weaver?" Abby tried.
"I think she yelled at me about five minutes ago," Dave whispered. Abby looked at him, just noticing him.
"Again?" she asked, then shook her head, "I mean... sorry."
"It's OK."
"Dave!" her eyes lit up, just realizing something, "You can help!"
"Huh? With what?" but Abby had already grabbed him by the hand and was dragging him down the hall.
"Abby, where are we going?" but Abby didn't answer, "What's wrong?" Abby just thrust him into the lounge.
"Them," she told him. Dave stared. Gathered around the coffee maker were at least six Maguay, gulping the warm brown liquid down. Three more were jumping on the sofa while four others ripped up some charts. Abby shook her head.
"And you wanted to tell Weaver about this because..."
"Actually, I thought Dr. Greene might have been more... understanding," Abby told him and pointed at the four ripping charts, "That's the third chart they've destroyed." Dave was counting them with his finger.
"Seven, eight, nine...twelve, thirteen?"
"Fourteen," Abby told them, and pulled the Maguay off of the lamp. She looked at him seriously, "Dave, what are these?" she demanded.
"I told you, they're Maguay." Abby sighed, exasperated.
"Dave, it may have been a little funny before, but it's losing it's humor now, now really, what kind of mammal are these creatures?"
"I DIDN'T MAKE IT UP!" Dave screamed, "They really are Maguay! I am totally and utterly serious!" Abby looked at him, curiously and slightly shocked.
"You really believe that, don't you?" Dave nodded, eyes wide and earnest. Abby bit her lip and nodded. She held out her hand, "Then I trust you." For a moment, Dave stared, shocked. He didn't know what he'd expected, maybe for her to burst out laughing again or to smile, nod and call a psych. consult, but not that.
"Really?" he said, just to make sure.
"Really," Abby said, sincerely. Then, he broke out into a grin, like he'd done for Elizabeth. He had gotten two people to believe him. He was on a role. They weren't laughing anymore, and he knew with people such as Elizabeth and Abby on his side, he could convince others. And he took Abby's offered hand and shook it.
A/N: Oops! SORRY! My bad. When uploading this chapter before, I forgot I hadn't saved it and it only did half. So so so sorry! I had to rewrite the end, but I think I got most of it. So sorry!
Elizabeth sighed, looking at the man sleeping peacefully before her.
"Isn't it lovely, Mark?" she asked, "Did you see them?"
"They thought he was going to die," Mark nodded, "But it happens sometimes."
"I know," Elizabeth replied, "But I can't get rid of that good feeling. This has been a great day for me! How's your day been?" she smiled, eyes still on the sleeping man. But Mark didn't answer. She frowned, "Mark?" no answer. She turned and noticed he was leaning out the doorway, yelling at something.
"I don't care what you think it is, Malucci, just get rid of it!" he snapped. Elizabeth stood up and walked over to them.
"What's going on?"
"This thing tried to crawl up your leg!" Mark answered, annoyed.
"Dr. Greene, it's not mine, honest! I didn't bring the things in here! Hell, you think I wanted these things?!" Dave asked, shaking the brown and white thing roughly in his hands. It was later, around 8:00, "Listen, we have four hours to get rid of them before-"
"Before what, Dave?" Mark asked, "Before they attack the world with giant mutants?"
"No, before they become adults!"
"Mark, they are kind of cute..." Elizabeth tried to calm her husband, "Give him a break. He's doing the best he can."
"Damn straight!" Dave agreed.
"Let's go back inside," Elizabeth tried to bring Mark inside, but he stayed.
"How many of these things are there?" Mark demanded, noticing the thing shying away from the light, for the repairman had come and gone.
"I don't know. At least a dozen?"
"This is the only one I've seen!"
"That's because they're hiding in the vents or something! It's too bright for them out in the open! Their waiting for midnight!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Whatever fantasy world you're living in, Dave, leave the rest of us out of it! Wait, what time is it?"
"Eight," Dave shrugged. Mark nodded and turned to Elizabeth.
"OK, I was off fifteen minutes ago. I'm going to pick up Ella and I'll see you later, OK?"
"All right," Elizabeth nodded. She was looking at the fuzzy thing that was struggling in Dave's clutches, ears over its eyes, hiding from the light. Why did this seem familiar to her? Mark kissed her goodbye and left.
"Dave..." she said, "What is that thing?"
"Maguay. And they'll turn into something less cute if they eat after midnight. They might try to chew through the lighting cords again. They're smarter than you may think."
"They don't like light?"
"No."
"They can't eat after midnight? Why?"
"Uh... Wait, do you think I'm crazy or something?" Dave asked, realizing she was the first person who seemed rational with him other than Carter.
"No, Dave, I can promise you that. Now why can't they eat after midnight?" This seemed all too familiar to her.
"Well, they will turn into cocoons, big ugly sticky ones."
"And?"
"And then they hatch!" Dave shrugged.
"Into what, Dave?" the word was on the tip of her tongue.
"Into Gremlins," Dave answered. Elizabeth then remembered.
"I once met a young girl... She'd come to the hospital all alone. She kept speaking about Gremlins and such. She said it was the thing that had created the gash on her right arm."
"They do that," Dave nodded.
"And then I asked her where her mother was, and she came up with the strangest answer..." Elizabeth frowned.
"What?" and Elizabeth remembered the young nine-year-old child with long brown hair.
"My mother?" she had asked, "She's breeding them."
"Her mother was breeding them." Elizabeth told Dave who stumbled backwards.
"Her mother's crazy!"
"I know, her daughter thinks so too," Elizabeth agreed, "She told me what they could do."
"Did she tell you why her mother was doing this?"
"Well, I was smiling and listening, but this girl seemed to be the creative type. I thought- and maybe she was, but- I thought she was weaving a fictional story! But she said something about her father..."
"What was her name?"
"Angela."
"Angela..."
"Angela Winters."
"So... You believe me?"
"Not entirely."
"But sort of?"
"I suppose."
"Great!" Dave grinned and it made Elizabeth feel good. She realized that Dave was probably yelled at a lot that day, not only by Mark, and probably even a little teased because of what he'd been telling them. And she also realized that she was probably the first to believe him, even if it only was just slightly.
"Dr. Corday!" Abby cried, running towards them, "Have you seen Dr. Greene?"
"He just left," she told her.
"Oh... Then Dr. Weaver?" Abby tried.
"I think she yelled at me about five minutes ago," Dave whispered. Abby looked at him, just noticing him.
"Again?" she asked, then shook her head, "I mean... sorry."
"It's OK."
"Dave!" her eyes lit up, just realizing something, "You can help!"
"Huh? With what?" but Abby had already grabbed him by the hand and was dragging him down the hall.
"Abby, where are we going?" but Abby didn't answer, "What's wrong?" Abby just thrust him into the lounge.
"Them," she told him. Dave stared. Gathered around the coffee maker were at least six Maguay, gulping the warm brown liquid down. Three more were jumping on the sofa while four others ripped up some charts. Abby shook her head.
"And you wanted to tell Weaver about this because..."
"Actually, I thought Dr. Greene might have been more... understanding," Abby told him and pointed at the four ripping charts, "That's the third chart they've destroyed." Dave was counting them with his finger.
"Seven, eight, nine...twelve, thirteen?"
"Fourteen," Abby told them, and pulled the Maguay off of the lamp. She looked at him seriously, "Dave, what are these?" she demanded.
"I told you, they're Maguay." Abby sighed, exasperated.
"Dave, it may have been a little funny before, but it's losing it's humor now, now really, what kind of mammal are these creatures?"
"I DIDN'T MAKE IT UP!" Dave screamed, "They really are Maguay! I am totally and utterly serious!" Abby looked at him, curiously and slightly shocked.
"You really believe that, don't you?" Dave nodded, eyes wide and earnest. Abby bit her lip and nodded. She held out her hand, "Then I trust you." For a moment, Dave stared, shocked. He didn't know what he'd expected, maybe for her to burst out laughing again or to smile, nod and call a psych. consult, but not that.
"Really?" he said, just to make sure.
"Really," Abby said, sincerely. Then, he broke out into a grin, like he'd done for Elizabeth. He had gotten two people to believe him. He was on a role. They weren't laughing anymore, and he knew with people such as Elizabeth and Abby on his side, he could convince others. And he took Abby's offered hand and shook it.