Matt, Letty and Jackie walked into the room and up the bed Nick was
situated in, Patrick sitting in teh chair beside him. He looked over at
theem with a small smile.
"So how're you feeling Nick?" wondered Jackie.
"I'll be fine Jackie. Just leave me alone, please. For one day," he pleaded.
"Tell us, what exactly happened?" Letty told him, ignoring Jackie, who was a bit upset.
Nick raised his good arm to his face and sighed as Rae hurried into the room.
"Well, we just arrived in the house and talked to Patrick before we heard voices outside. We went to investigate. There were several men standing out in front, demanding something before they shot out the window and a piece of glass got lodged in me," explained Nick as he turned his head away.
"It looks like someone's after the 'Troublesome Two' again," sighed Matt.
Nick turned and stared at him.
"What did you just call them?" asked the surgeon, not believing what he just heard from Matt.
"The 'Troublesome Two'. We call them that here because of all the trouble they seem to get themselves into. They've been in a lot of it with their parents and those other men," explained Letty, allowing Matt to give a sigh.
Nick rolled his eyes as Sarah hurried into the room as Alex and Rick stood in the doorway, the Spire in hand.
"Although this time, they weren't after those two, they were after us and this thing here," Rick told them.
The doctors turned to look at the newly clother travelers. Sarah did manage to find some old clothes of Patrick's. Rick still held onto the Spire although now, it was covered with cloth.
"That thing? Why would they go after a snake stick?" wondered Rae.
"It's because this is no ordinary stick. In my time, there's three separate occasions where the Spire was sought after. And all times, they were enemies of Ardeth and Catlanda. Maybe these men are the same way," Rick explained to them.
"So when they saw it here, they went after it. That means they'll be back to get it until they have it," Matt said.
"No doubt they will. We all have to be careful. For everyone here for we won't know when they'll come back and who'll they'll target," Letty agreed.
"They'll target Alex and I more than you but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down so you're right," Rick said as the two walked out of the room.
They started down the hall. Alex looked up at his father.
"Dad, how will we get back to our own time and place again?" the young boy asked.
"I don't know Alex. I just hope Evie, Ardeth and Catlanda find a way to get us back. I want to go home as much as you do," Rick replied.
***
Patrick looked at Nick.
"So Nick, looks like youve gotten injured again. I bet you're getting tired of it all," he said.
"Patrick, this isn't as bad as the other injuries that I've suffered," Nick replied.
He attempted to adjust his position and hissed from the pain in his shoulder.
"Only it still hurts, just like those other times," Sarah told him with a laugh.
Nick rolled his eyes at the statement as he laid there in the bed. He put his head back on the pillow as the two teenagers began to laugh.
"I honestly don't know how I can put up with this torment," he sighed to himself.
***
Ardeth watched the two women stare at the stone wall before them. Both were becoming tired as was he sat there. He put his hand up to his face, oblivious to all that was around him.
He stayed that way for several minutes until he heard his name being called out in the distance.
"Ardeth? Ardeth! Are you alright?" came Evie's voice.
He blankly looked at her as if he didn't know her.
"Something's wrong. He's never been like this, even when injured or sick," Evie said as Catlanda hurried over to them.
"You're right, he doesn't look well. Maybe there's something we missed. If I had te Spire, I would be able to tell," Catlanda said with a sigh.
Evie looked at her confused.
"I thought you couldn't help anyone with injuries with the help of the Spire," she said.
"I can't! But I can use the Spire to determine unknown and hidden injuries. I've done it before!" Catlanda replied as she knelt by the two.
Ardeth glanced between them before his eyes filled with recognition.
"Catlanda? Evelyn? What happened?" he asked, shaking his head a bit.
"That's what we'd like to know. You seemed to be somewhere else at the moment," Evie replied.
"Could you stay here with him for a few minutes? I can continue to find the incantation by myself," Catlanda asked her.
Evie nodded as she sat by the Medjai leader.
"I'll join you when I feel he's better," she told the female Medjai as she hurried off.
Catlanda hurried back to the wall in her search.
***
Nick slept soundly in his bed. They were going to keep him overnight to make sure he was fit. Sarah and Patrick sat in chairs next to him.
"Think they'll come back Pat?" she asked her older brother.
"Probably will. No doubt about it. They're after that thing that those two have and they still have it. It looked like those men are willing to do anything to get it," Patrick replied.
"I hope they get back to their own time. I really do," she said with a sigh.
"So do I," Patrick said.
Little did they know, Rick and Alex were standing by the door and heard the entire conversation. Alex started to open his mouth but Rick shushed him and started away from the room.
"What's wrong Dad?" asked the ever curious Alex.
Rick couldn't answer that.
"I don't know Alex. We shouldn't be here and we should get back home but how? We wouldn't know if those three even know a way to get us back or not. I'm thinking we be prepared for the fact that...we may not be leaving this place," Rick replied as he sighed.
Alex appeared shocked.
"You can't mean that Dad! Surely they'll find a way to bring us home!" Alex protested.
"Tell me Alex, how? We've got the only Spire in existence. No wait, maybe there's two Spires since these people might have it here in their time," Rick said to him as they sat down.
Suddenly, a shouting came from Nick's room. The two hurried to see that the man from earlier was pointing a handgun at Nick and the two teens. He turned his head and snickered once he saw the father and son.
"You're here after all. I was thinking you were," the man said as he glanced at Rick's hand. "And I see you have the Spire with you. Good thinking. That makes it much easier for us to take it from you."
Rick shook his head.
"You're not getting it from us. Not now, not ever. A friend asked me to hang onto it for bit while she went on a trip. You're going to have to take it up with her and I doubt she's going to let you have it either," Rick explained.
The man nodded his head and his finger on the triggor pulled on it ever so slightly.
"If you don't give it me, I'll shoot you all and take it from your dead hands," the man threatened him.
TBC...
"So how're you feeling Nick?" wondered Jackie.
"I'll be fine Jackie. Just leave me alone, please. For one day," he pleaded.
"Tell us, what exactly happened?" Letty told him, ignoring Jackie, who was a bit upset.
Nick raised his good arm to his face and sighed as Rae hurried into the room.
"Well, we just arrived in the house and talked to Patrick before we heard voices outside. We went to investigate. There were several men standing out in front, demanding something before they shot out the window and a piece of glass got lodged in me," explained Nick as he turned his head away.
"It looks like someone's after the 'Troublesome Two' again," sighed Matt.
Nick turned and stared at him.
"What did you just call them?" asked the surgeon, not believing what he just heard from Matt.
"The 'Troublesome Two'. We call them that here because of all the trouble they seem to get themselves into. They've been in a lot of it with their parents and those other men," explained Letty, allowing Matt to give a sigh.
Nick rolled his eyes as Sarah hurried into the room as Alex and Rick stood in the doorway, the Spire in hand.
"Although this time, they weren't after those two, they were after us and this thing here," Rick told them.
The doctors turned to look at the newly clother travelers. Sarah did manage to find some old clothes of Patrick's. Rick still held onto the Spire although now, it was covered with cloth.
"That thing? Why would they go after a snake stick?" wondered Rae.
"It's because this is no ordinary stick. In my time, there's three separate occasions where the Spire was sought after. And all times, they were enemies of Ardeth and Catlanda. Maybe these men are the same way," Rick explained to them.
"So when they saw it here, they went after it. That means they'll be back to get it until they have it," Matt said.
"No doubt they will. We all have to be careful. For everyone here for we won't know when they'll come back and who'll they'll target," Letty agreed.
"They'll target Alex and I more than you but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down so you're right," Rick said as the two walked out of the room.
They started down the hall. Alex looked up at his father.
"Dad, how will we get back to our own time and place again?" the young boy asked.
"I don't know Alex. I just hope Evie, Ardeth and Catlanda find a way to get us back. I want to go home as much as you do," Rick replied.
***
Patrick looked at Nick.
"So Nick, looks like youve gotten injured again. I bet you're getting tired of it all," he said.
"Patrick, this isn't as bad as the other injuries that I've suffered," Nick replied.
He attempted to adjust his position and hissed from the pain in his shoulder.
"Only it still hurts, just like those other times," Sarah told him with a laugh.
Nick rolled his eyes at the statement as he laid there in the bed. He put his head back on the pillow as the two teenagers began to laugh.
"I honestly don't know how I can put up with this torment," he sighed to himself.
***
Ardeth watched the two women stare at the stone wall before them. Both were becoming tired as was he sat there. He put his hand up to his face, oblivious to all that was around him.
He stayed that way for several minutes until he heard his name being called out in the distance.
"Ardeth? Ardeth! Are you alright?" came Evie's voice.
He blankly looked at her as if he didn't know her.
"Something's wrong. He's never been like this, even when injured or sick," Evie said as Catlanda hurried over to them.
"You're right, he doesn't look well. Maybe there's something we missed. If I had te Spire, I would be able to tell," Catlanda said with a sigh.
Evie looked at her confused.
"I thought you couldn't help anyone with injuries with the help of the Spire," she said.
"I can't! But I can use the Spire to determine unknown and hidden injuries. I've done it before!" Catlanda replied as she knelt by the two.
Ardeth glanced between them before his eyes filled with recognition.
"Catlanda? Evelyn? What happened?" he asked, shaking his head a bit.
"That's what we'd like to know. You seemed to be somewhere else at the moment," Evie replied.
"Could you stay here with him for a few minutes? I can continue to find the incantation by myself," Catlanda asked her.
Evie nodded as she sat by the Medjai leader.
"I'll join you when I feel he's better," she told the female Medjai as she hurried off.
Catlanda hurried back to the wall in her search.
***
Nick slept soundly in his bed. They were going to keep him overnight to make sure he was fit. Sarah and Patrick sat in chairs next to him.
"Think they'll come back Pat?" she asked her older brother.
"Probably will. No doubt about it. They're after that thing that those two have and they still have it. It looked like those men are willing to do anything to get it," Patrick replied.
"I hope they get back to their own time. I really do," she said with a sigh.
"So do I," Patrick said.
Little did they know, Rick and Alex were standing by the door and heard the entire conversation. Alex started to open his mouth but Rick shushed him and started away from the room.
"What's wrong Dad?" asked the ever curious Alex.
Rick couldn't answer that.
"I don't know Alex. We shouldn't be here and we should get back home but how? We wouldn't know if those three even know a way to get us back or not. I'm thinking we be prepared for the fact that...we may not be leaving this place," Rick replied as he sighed.
Alex appeared shocked.
"You can't mean that Dad! Surely they'll find a way to bring us home!" Alex protested.
"Tell me Alex, how? We've got the only Spire in existence. No wait, maybe there's two Spires since these people might have it here in their time," Rick said to him as they sat down.
Suddenly, a shouting came from Nick's room. The two hurried to see that the man from earlier was pointing a handgun at Nick and the two teens. He turned his head and snickered once he saw the father and son.
"You're here after all. I was thinking you were," the man said as he glanced at Rick's hand. "And I see you have the Spire with you. Good thinking. That makes it much easier for us to take it from you."
Rick shook his head.
"You're not getting it from us. Not now, not ever. A friend asked me to hang onto it for bit while she went on a trip. You're going to have to take it up with her and I doubt she's going to let you have it either," Rick explained.
The man nodded his head and his finger on the triggor pulled on it ever so slightly.
"If you don't give it me, I'll shoot you all and take it from your dead hands," the man threatened him.
TBC...
