"I'm real sorry govner, I didn't see him in this rain. There ain't usually
no one on the streets at this hour. I'm really sorry. Want I should go
fetch a doctor?" The driver of the milk truck nervously wrung his hat.
"Yes go and get a doctor fast." Marguerite said as she moved to
cradle Challengers head.
"George, can you hear me?" Roxton shouted over the rain.
"Roxton, please.we have to do something. We need to get him out of
the rain."
"Marguerite we can't move him. He may be hurt inside. We have to
wait for the doctor. But we can find something to keep the rain off him."
Roxton rummages around in the milk truck and he came back with an umbrella
which he handed to Marguerite who opened it and held it above Challenger.
Within minutes they heard the sound of the ambulance thundering down
the street. The door opened and two men jumped out with the stretcher.
The doctor jumped out of the front of the ambulance and knelt beside
Challenger.
"Oh my God, George."
"You know him doctor?" Roxton asked.
"George and I went to school together. What happened here?"
Marguerite filled him in on the days events.
"Damn, I wish I had known he was back. I could have helped him deal
with this. I tried to tell Jess to wait but Montclair was too insistent.
To tell you the truth Lord Roxton I do not like that man. I have never
trusted him and I am positive that he is up to no good."
"What do you mean?" Roxton asked.
"Well now is not the time to discuss this but I would like to talk to
you further. After we get George to hospital. I really must get him x-
rayed. I don't like the looks of those bruises."
"Can we come with you?" Marguerite asked.
"Yes you may come."
"You go with Challenger I will go and tell Jess." Roxton said as he
scooped up his hat.
"Roxton you're bleeding." Marguerite took his hand.
"It's nothing I scraped it on the ground. I promise I'll have the
doctor look at it when I get to hospital." Roxton jumped up and ran in the
direction of Challenger's house before Marguerite could protest further.
Marguerite grew impatient as the ambulance lumbered through the streets on its way to the hospital. How long can it take to get to the hospital? These things always seem to go slower when they are carrying someone. She asked the driver if he could go any faster and he told her she was welcomed to get out and push if she liked but the ambulance could go no faster. Marguerite merely glared at him. The ride seemed endless when the driver announced that they had arrived at the hospital. He backed the ambulance up to the emergency entrance and jumped out Marguerite close on his heels. Challenger was carefully placed on a gurney and wheeled into the emergency room. When Marguerite tried to follow a nurse appeared out of nowhere and stopped her. She was shown to the waiting room and asked to wait and the doctor would come and talk to her as soon as he had any news. Marguerite could only sit and wait for Roxton or the doctor secretly hoping Roxton came in first. Roxton didn't even bother to knock instead he burst through the door of Challenger's home and nearly tripped in his efforts to find Jess. He stumbled into the parlor and breathlessly collapsed into a chair. Jess rushed to him and helped him out of his very wet jacket. "Lord Roxton, what is it? Have you found George? Is he all right?" "Yes I've seen George. Jess you need to come with me." Roxton said between breaths. "Jess is not going out in this downpour, Lord Roxton." Montclair spoke sternly. "I will not have you getting pneumonia." He said to Jess. "Sorry Jackson the choice is not yours to make. George is still very important to me and if he needs me I will go." "Jess, please." Montclair began. "Jackson I have made my choice. I have seen what George has become and I know in my heart that he has made his choice as well and I am not it. But I will not desert him in his hour of need. I was about to suggest that you come with me if you would like to." Jess replied as she grabbed her wrap. "Yes, yes I'll go with you. Let me pull the car around front we can all go together." Montclair left to get the car. "Lord Roxton you're bleeding." Jess took Roxton's hand. "It's nothing Jess. We need to get going. I'll have it looked at when we get to hospital and I find out how George is." Roxton grabbed his jacket and winced as he tried to pull his right hand through the sleeve. He gave up and just pulled the jacket over his shoulder. They arrived in the emergency room to see Marguerite launching into a tirade at a poor nurse. Roxton went to her and grabbed her arm and tried to stop her. Marguerite just pulled away. "Don't John. It's been almost an hour and this lousy excuse for a nurse won't tell me anything." Marguerite shouted. "OK calm down. Maybe she's not telling you anything because there is nothing to tell yet." Roxton looked at the nurse and gave her a reassuring smile. "As I tried to tell the miss, Professor Challenger is still in surgery and there has been no word." "Surgery? I didn't think that his injuries were that bad." Roxton said. "The x-rays showed that he had several broken ribs and one of them had punctured his lung. The doctor is doing everything he can to fix the Professor." "See? I told you if you just ask people nicely you'll get the answers you're looking for." Roxton hugged her tight and winced at the pain in his hand. "Yes, I suppose you're right. John your hand." The nurse quickly called a doctor over to the desk. "Let me see that hand sir." The doctor gently took Roxton's hand turned it over. "It's nothing I just scraped it on the ground." Roxton winced. "No I think it's a bit more than that. I believe that you have broken it. Let's get you into the exam room." The doctor pulled Roxton into the exam room amid his protests. Marguerite turned and looked at Jess and only glared at Montclair. "Jess come sit down we can talk. I'm sure there is much you want to know about George's time on the plateau." "Yes I would like to know what happened to him. Going on that expedition changed him and I would like to know what brought about such a change." Marguerite and Jess sat engrossed in conversation with Marguerite purposely ignoring Montclair. He became agitated and walked out of the hospital to wait in the car. Jess listened intently as Marguerite told her about the cannibals and the ape-men, the Zangas and even Tribune. When Marguerite told Jess about Tribune Jess leaned in close and listened wide- eyed. Jess became especially interested when she was told about Challenger's elixir and its effects that it had on him. Jess nearly cried when Marguerite told her that Challenger had seen her and promised that he would come back to her. Marguerite put a comforting hand one her shoulder and told her it was not her fault, that George didn't blame her but himself. "But why? What earthy reason could George have to blaming himself? I told him I would wait for him no matter how long it took and I didn't." Jess wiped her eyes. "Jess, a big part of that is my fault. Maybe I pushed you into a marriage you didn't really want." Montclair spoke from the doorway. "No Jackson, I knew what I was doing when I married you despite what others told me. I was certain in my heart that George was gone and I was wrong. It was my fault not his." "Then why don't you tell him." Roxton said as he emerged from the examining room with a large cast on his wrist. "John!" Marguerite called as she went to him. "See I told you I was fine." He smiled. "Jess," he said, "as soon as George is out of surgery and awake I think you should tell him everything." Jess glanced at Montclair. ""Lord Roxton, I don't think." "You don't need to think Jess. Just tell him what is in your heart George will understand. And like I told you before, I will be with him. I made him a promise and I intend to keep it." "Lord Roxton is right Jess. George has changed he is a different man than he was three years ago. George has been to hell and back many times over and he has survived. I believe he will survive this as well." Marguerite said. The discussion ended when the doctor came up the hallway with a tired look on his face. "Doctor?" Jess questioned. "Mrs. Challenger.uh Mrs. Montclair. George made it through the surgery and is resting comfortably. It will be some time yet before he can have visitors. Why don't you go home and get some rest. I will send a car for you is the need arises." "Come Jess," Montclair said as he grabbed her arm, "I'll take you home. We can come back tomorrow." "Jess you go home now, I'll be staying here with Challenger and I promise to get you if anything changes." Roxton said gently. "Lord Roxton I really don't see the need for you to stay either." "Maybe you don't but I do. I am staying and that is all there is to it. Now lead me to Professor Challenger's room." "Is he always like this Miss Krux?" "No this is one of his good days." Marguerite said as she smiled at him. "Funny Marguerite, don't you have somewhere to go?" Roxton said as he poked her in the ribs. "To tell you the truth no." "Marguerite you must come back to my house." Jess stated. "Jess, I really don't think." Marguerite began. "I will not take no for an answer you are coming home with us and that is that. Doctor we will be back in the morning. Please see to it that George has anything he needs." Jess grabbed Marguerite and headed out of the hospital
Marguerite grew impatient as the ambulance lumbered through the streets on its way to the hospital. How long can it take to get to the hospital? These things always seem to go slower when they are carrying someone. She asked the driver if he could go any faster and he told her she was welcomed to get out and push if she liked but the ambulance could go no faster. Marguerite merely glared at him. The ride seemed endless when the driver announced that they had arrived at the hospital. He backed the ambulance up to the emergency entrance and jumped out Marguerite close on his heels. Challenger was carefully placed on a gurney and wheeled into the emergency room. When Marguerite tried to follow a nurse appeared out of nowhere and stopped her. She was shown to the waiting room and asked to wait and the doctor would come and talk to her as soon as he had any news. Marguerite could only sit and wait for Roxton or the doctor secretly hoping Roxton came in first. Roxton didn't even bother to knock instead he burst through the door of Challenger's home and nearly tripped in his efforts to find Jess. He stumbled into the parlor and breathlessly collapsed into a chair. Jess rushed to him and helped him out of his very wet jacket. "Lord Roxton, what is it? Have you found George? Is he all right?" "Yes I've seen George. Jess you need to come with me." Roxton said between breaths. "Jess is not going out in this downpour, Lord Roxton." Montclair spoke sternly. "I will not have you getting pneumonia." He said to Jess. "Sorry Jackson the choice is not yours to make. George is still very important to me and if he needs me I will go." "Jess, please." Montclair began. "Jackson I have made my choice. I have seen what George has become and I know in my heart that he has made his choice as well and I am not it. But I will not desert him in his hour of need. I was about to suggest that you come with me if you would like to." Jess replied as she grabbed her wrap. "Yes, yes I'll go with you. Let me pull the car around front we can all go together." Montclair left to get the car. "Lord Roxton you're bleeding." Jess took Roxton's hand. "It's nothing Jess. We need to get going. I'll have it looked at when we get to hospital and I find out how George is." Roxton grabbed his jacket and winced as he tried to pull his right hand through the sleeve. He gave up and just pulled the jacket over his shoulder. They arrived in the emergency room to see Marguerite launching into a tirade at a poor nurse. Roxton went to her and grabbed her arm and tried to stop her. Marguerite just pulled away. "Don't John. It's been almost an hour and this lousy excuse for a nurse won't tell me anything." Marguerite shouted. "OK calm down. Maybe she's not telling you anything because there is nothing to tell yet." Roxton looked at the nurse and gave her a reassuring smile. "As I tried to tell the miss, Professor Challenger is still in surgery and there has been no word." "Surgery? I didn't think that his injuries were that bad." Roxton said. "The x-rays showed that he had several broken ribs and one of them had punctured his lung. The doctor is doing everything he can to fix the Professor." "See? I told you if you just ask people nicely you'll get the answers you're looking for." Roxton hugged her tight and winced at the pain in his hand. "Yes, I suppose you're right. John your hand." The nurse quickly called a doctor over to the desk. "Let me see that hand sir." The doctor gently took Roxton's hand turned it over. "It's nothing I just scraped it on the ground." Roxton winced. "No I think it's a bit more than that. I believe that you have broken it. Let's get you into the exam room." The doctor pulled Roxton into the exam room amid his protests. Marguerite turned and looked at Jess and only glared at Montclair. "Jess come sit down we can talk. I'm sure there is much you want to know about George's time on the plateau." "Yes I would like to know what happened to him. Going on that expedition changed him and I would like to know what brought about such a change." Marguerite and Jess sat engrossed in conversation with Marguerite purposely ignoring Montclair. He became agitated and walked out of the hospital to wait in the car. Jess listened intently as Marguerite told her about the cannibals and the ape-men, the Zangas and even Tribune. When Marguerite told Jess about Tribune Jess leaned in close and listened wide- eyed. Jess became especially interested when she was told about Challenger's elixir and its effects that it had on him. Jess nearly cried when Marguerite told her that Challenger had seen her and promised that he would come back to her. Marguerite put a comforting hand one her shoulder and told her it was not her fault, that George didn't blame her but himself. "But why? What earthy reason could George have to blaming himself? I told him I would wait for him no matter how long it took and I didn't." Jess wiped her eyes. "Jess, a big part of that is my fault. Maybe I pushed you into a marriage you didn't really want." Montclair spoke from the doorway. "No Jackson, I knew what I was doing when I married you despite what others told me. I was certain in my heart that George was gone and I was wrong. It was my fault not his." "Then why don't you tell him." Roxton said as he emerged from the examining room with a large cast on his wrist. "John!" Marguerite called as she went to him. "See I told you I was fine." He smiled. "Jess," he said, "as soon as George is out of surgery and awake I think you should tell him everything." Jess glanced at Montclair. ""Lord Roxton, I don't think." "You don't need to think Jess. Just tell him what is in your heart George will understand. And like I told you before, I will be with him. I made him a promise and I intend to keep it." "Lord Roxton is right Jess. George has changed he is a different man than he was three years ago. George has been to hell and back many times over and he has survived. I believe he will survive this as well." Marguerite said. The discussion ended when the doctor came up the hallway with a tired look on his face. "Doctor?" Jess questioned. "Mrs. Challenger.uh Mrs. Montclair. George made it through the surgery and is resting comfortably. It will be some time yet before he can have visitors. Why don't you go home and get some rest. I will send a car for you is the need arises." "Come Jess," Montclair said as he grabbed her arm, "I'll take you home. We can come back tomorrow." "Jess you go home now, I'll be staying here with Challenger and I promise to get you if anything changes." Roxton said gently. "Lord Roxton I really don't see the need for you to stay either." "Maybe you don't but I do. I am staying and that is all there is to it. Now lead me to Professor Challenger's room." "Is he always like this Miss Krux?" "No this is one of his good days." Marguerite said as she smiled at him. "Funny Marguerite, don't you have somewhere to go?" Roxton said as he poked her in the ribs. "To tell you the truth no." "Marguerite you must come back to my house." Jess stated. "Jess, I really don't think." Marguerite began. "I will not take no for an answer you are coming home with us and that is that. Doctor we will be back in the morning. Please see to it that George has anything he needs." Jess grabbed Marguerite and headed out of the hospital