Chapter 3
It was 4:30am. Pendanski came through the tent flap, beaming his fake smile around the room. He stopped as he saw the boys huddled around Magnet's bed. Caveman was the only one still asleep, and of course, so was ZigZag.
"What's all this?" Pendanski asked suspiciously, eyeing the boys whispering to one another anxiously. He stepped closer to the mattress.
"We think Zig's sick, Mom. Could he miss digging holes for one day? I'll dig his for him!" Magnet pleaded. Pendanski laughed.
"Ricky miss digging?" he chuckled. "Sorry Jose, no one misses digging. Warden's rules. Now get dressed. A new day awaits!"
He turned to leave but was stopped by X-Ray. "Please Mom, he can't dig in his condition! Just one day! Please?"
Pendanski shook his head. "I don't care if he has leukemia. Everyone digs. Every day." He walked through the tent flap, despite the protests from the boys. Armpit sighed.
"We better wake him up then. Mom ain't moved so easily." The others nodded. Magnet shook Zig's shoulder gently. ZigZag's blue eyes opened blearily.
"Wha-?" He felt Magnet's foot beneath the sheet. "Why aren't I on my own mattress?"
Magnet blushed. "You fell asleep here last night." he said in a hushed tone. ZigZag's eyes widened.
"I fell asleep? For the first time in four days?" he asked, amazed. Magnet smiled, then nodded.
"Thanks Magnet!" Despite his few hours of rest, the dark circles under his eyes deepened. Then, he paused. "I feel horrible..."
"We think you have a fever," X-Ray chimed in. "Mom won't let you take a day off."
ZigZag snorted. "You expected him to?"
Squid laughed from his mattress as he pulled on his orange suit. "I never did! I tried that once months ago, same results!"
X-Ray rolled his eyes, "You weren't sick Squid. Ziggy is."
ZigZag shrugged. "It might not be that bad. Maybe once I eat breakfast I'll feel better."
Magnet shook his head sadly. "That stuff'll only make ya worse." Armpit nodded. Caveman still lay in his bed motionless. X-Ray hollered to the other side of the tent.
"Hey Yelnats! Outta bed! Mom wants you up and ready to build some character!"
Squid chewed the toothpick between his lips. "I ain't gotta build no character. Already have some. Society don't seem to appreciate it is all."
***Digging-9:30am.***
ZigZag's stomach growled with such vigor that he actually jolted and looked around frantically for any sort of threat. His acute paranoia was really irritating at times.
Magnet checked up on Zig for what seemed like every five minutes, offering extra water or offering a hand in digging. Zig, though politely, refused it all but thanked him and steadily grew more faint as the dirt was tossed.
"Hey Ziggy." It was Magnet again, peering down into the two foot hole of ZigZag's.
"Hi Magnet." Zig wheezed. He blinked the dust from his tired eyes.
"Dude, what's with your voice? It's screwed up. Are you sure you're alright?"
ZigZag sighed. He knew he wasn't, but it would only worry Magnet more. "Yeah, man, I'm good. It's just all this dust, is all."
Magnet eyed him suspiciously. "You sure?"
"Positive."
A distant voice called out, "Lunch!" Magnet smiled at Zig and offered a him a hand. Zig shook his head.
"Naw, man, I'm just gonna finish up another foot here. You all are so much more ahead of me. If I stop to eat, I'll lose time for my shower." Zig panted as he shovelled another load of dirt.
"C'mon Zig, you gotta eat. Tell you what, I'll bring you your lunch alright? You gotta eat it. But you can dig for a awhile longer if you're sure you're okay." Magnet informed him. ZigZag smiled. He was a good guy, Magnet.
"Sure. Thanks." Zig answered with a breathless edge. Magnet didn't seem to notice though, as he nodded and walked away to get their lunch.
Black blots stained Zig's vision. He felt the entire world spin crazily, as he stumbled in his shallow hole. A rush of blood pulsed through his head, and through his veins on his neck. He softly closed his eyes.
And when ZigZag finally fell to the ground, unconscious, there was an uproar from the lunch line. Magnet was the first one to reach the passed out ZigZag, and frantically felt for his heartbeat.
It was 4:30am. Pendanski came through the tent flap, beaming his fake smile around the room. He stopped as he saw the boys huddled around Magnet's bed. Caveman was the only one still asleep, and of course, so was ZigZag.
"What's all this?" Pendanski asked suspiciously, eyeing the boys whispering to one another anxiously. He stepped closer to the mattress.
"We think Zig's sick, Mom. Could he miss digging holes for one day? I'll dig his for him!" Magnet pleaded. Pendanski laughed.
"Ricky miss digging?" he chuckled. "Sorry Jose, no one misses digging. Warden's rules. Now get dressed. A new day awaits!"
He turned to leave but was stopped by X-Ray. "Please Mom, he can't dig in his condition! Just one day! Please?"
Pendanski shook his head. "I don't care if he has leukemia. Everyone digs. Every day." He walked through the tent flap, despite the protests from the boys. Armpit sighed.
"We better wake him up then. Mom ain't moved so easily." The others nodded. Magnet shook Zig's shoulder gently. ZigZag's blue eyes opened blearily.
"Wha-?" He felt Magnet's foot beneath the sheet. "Why aren't I on my own mattress?"
Magnet blushed. "You fell asleep here last night." he said in a hushed tone. ZigZag's eyes widened.
"I fell asleep? For the first time in four days?" he asked, amazed. Magnet smiled, then nodded.
"Thanks Magnet!" Despite his few hours of rest, the dark circles under his eyes deepened. Then, he paused. "I feel horrible..."
"We think you have a fever," X-Ray chimed in. "Mom won't let you take a day off."
ZigZag snorted. "You expected him to?"
Squid laughed from his mattress as he pulled on his orange suit. "I never did! I tried that once months ago, same results!"
X-Ray rolled his eyes, "You weren't sick Squid. Ziggy is."
ZigZag shrugged. "It might not be that bad. Maybe once I eat breakfast I'll feel better."
Magnet shook his head sadly. "That stuff'll only make ya worse." Armpit nodded. Caveman still lay in his bed motionless. X-Ray hollered to the other side of the tent.
"Hey Yelnats! Outta bed! Mom wants you up and ready to build some character!"
Squid chewed the toothpick between his lips. "I ain't gotta build no character. Already have some. Society don't seem to appreciate it is all."
***Digging-9:30am.***
ZigZag's stomach growled with such vigor that he actually jolted and looked around frantically for any sort of threat. His acute paranoia was really irritating at times.
Magnet checked up on Zig for what seemed like every five minutes, offering extra water or offering a hand in digging. Zig, though politely, refused it all but thanked him and steadily grew more faint as the dirt was tossed.
"Hey Ziggy." It was Magnet again, peering down into the two foot hole of ZigZag's.
"Hi Magnet." Zig wheezed. He blinked the dust from his tired eyes.
"Dude, what's with your voice? It's screwed up. Are you sure you're alright?"
ZigZag sighed. He knew he wasn't, but it would only worry Magnet more. "Yeah, man, I'm good. It's just all this dust, is all."
Magnet eyed him suspiciously. "You sure?"
"Positive."
A distant voice called out, "Lunch!" Magnet smiled at Zig and offered a him a hand. Zig shook his head.
"Naw, man, I'm just gonna finish up another foot here. You all are so much more ahead of me. If I stop to eat, I'll lose time for my shower." Zig panted as he shovelled another load of dirt.
"C'mon Zig, you gotta eat. Tell you what, I'll bring you your lunch alright? You gotta eat it. But you can dig for a awhile longer if you're sure you're okay." Magnet informed him. ZigZag smiled. He was a good guy, Magnet.
"Sure. Thanks." Zig answered with a breathless edge. Magnet didn't seem to notice though, as he nodded and walked away to get their lunch.
Black blots stained Zig's vision. He felt the entire world spin crazily, as he stumbled in his shallow hole. A rush of blood pulsed through his head, and through his veins on his neck. He softly closed his eyes.
And when ZigZag finally fell to the ground, unconscious, there was an uproar from the lunch line. Magnet was the first one to reach the passed out ZigZag, and frantically felt for his heartbeat.