Author's Notes: Ahhh! I exist! Really! Okay, sorry for the -major-
delay. I'm so freaking busy right now it's not even remotely funny.
Okay, so maybe remotely.
Anyway, I want to get this posted, so the A/Ns are going to be really quick, and I'll do all the review-answering for this chapter in the next one, okay? Sorry, I just really want to get this posted. Hope you don't mind the wait for the responses!
Dislclaimer: I don't own Holes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Squid's eyes widened as Thlump pushed Stanley to the ground and started beating him mercilessly. He was stunned into not being able to move. A million things rushed through Squid's head. He should never have let him go along. Never let him keep his pride at the sake of his physical well being. Never should have let Tlump within five feet of him. And the main thought running through Squids head was: He had to get the jerk off Caveman.
Squid lunged and took a flying leap across the Wreck Room and tackled Thlump to the ground. Squid reached back and slammed his fist across the bigger boy's face again and again.
"SQUID! We need your help over here, man!" X-Ray yelled.
Squid looked up and saw the rest of D-Tent kneeling around Stanley. He looked down and saw Thlump had passed out. Getting up off the unconscious boy, Squid fell to his knees next to X-Ray.
As soon as he saw Stanley, Squid cursed under his breath. His head snapped up, and he yelled for Zigzag to go get Mom.
Zigzag looked up at him, worry in his eyes. The same kind of worry Squid had seen when they had all been in a similar state and position. When Barf Bag had been bitten by a rattle snake. They had all silently wondered if the member of D-Tent was going to die.
They wondered the same thing now.
"What can Mom do?" Armpit asked. "You saw him, he ain't helpin'."
"Well, somebody has too, we can't just leave him here!" Magnet argued.
Zigzag was looking intently at Squid, his face pale.
"Dammit, Zig, just go get him." Squid grunted, and looked down once more at Stanley.
Stanley's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eye's were closed, and his forehead was smooth of the pain and worry lines that were there when he was awake lately. A thin line of blood slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth. He was very pale, the whiteness only marked by dirt and smudges of dark red blood. His breathing was slow and shallow, his chest barely moving up and down as he inhaled and exhaled. But what drew most eyes to the teen, was the gash in his abdomen.
About eight inches wide, the long cut was just above his belly button. Blood streamed out from the deep cut to pool around him on the floor. The cut was obviously infected, Squid's bandana having had falling off when he was first pushed down, dirt and dust had gotten in the wound. Squid wouldn't have been surprised if it was infected.
"Where is he?"
Squid's inspection, and pressure on the wound was cut short when Pendanski's hard words came from the door. Soon the councillor had literally ran over to where D-Tent was crowded around one of its members. Zigzag jogged behind him.
After a careful observation, and paling on Pendanski's part, the father-figure to the tent finally caught his voice again after murmuring silent obscenities under his breath.
"A-Armpit, take him back to the tent. I'll be there in a minute, I just have to get some...supplies."
Armpit nodded, and reaching down, gently lifted Stanley up. His dark skin make a startling contrast to the pale whiteness of Stanley's skin. D- Tent quickly filed out on the Wreck Room, towards their tent, and the rest of the tents watched silently as they left. There was no noise, until everyone was sure they were gone. Then hushed mutterings broke out, but were unheard to the offending ears.
Pendanski sprinted back to the Warden's cabin. His hat fell to the back of his neck, but was held on his shoulders by the string hanging under his chin. He didn't replace it. He knocked frantically on the door, her last words ringing in his ears. 'Do not let him die.'
The door swung open, revealing the Warden standing there in a white undershirt, her red curls flying around her head like a dark halo. She leaned against the side of the doorframe and shielded her eyes against the harsh brightness of the sun.
"What do YOU want?" She snapped, inspecting her nails, just in case.
Pendanski fiddled nervously with the frayed hem of his plaid shirt. He unconsciously tapped his foot, and the Warden's eyes narrowed.
"Pendanski..." Her voice rang in his ears with warning.
"Uh, well, it's like this Ma'am..."
Her eyes narrowed even more.
"Spit it out. Now."
"Stanely'sgottenbeatupbyEric-Thlump,Btent- andisnowinverybadcondition." He said this all very quickly, in the time it would take a normal person to say the boy's name. Pendanski winced, automatically curling his shoulders and knees inwards in a defensive posture. He knew what was coming.
"EXCUSE ME?!?"
The Warden grasped the front of Pendanski's shirt, and yanked him cruelly inside her cabin. Slamming the door shut, she pressed the little man up against it so his head banged the wooden planks of the entrance. His hat dug into his back uncomfortably, causing him to have his back arched against the wall, pressed on the hat.
"You go...fix him." She whispered, her face so close to his that miniscule drops of spittle landed on his overly-sunblocked nose. "I don't care what you do, but MAKE-SURE-HE-GETS-BETTER!"
"Yes'mm." He murmured so quickly he bit his tongue in the process.
The door suddenly opened, and Pendanski fell backwards with his momentum off the porch and down the steps. A roll of thread with a needle stuck into it bounced against his head.
**************
Back in D-Tent, Squid had his hand on Stanley's forehead.
X-Ray glanced up at Squid's eyes, and Squid shook his head. "Dude, you're burnin' up!" He crouched down next to Stanley and used his pocket knife to cut off Stanley's orange jumpsuit down to his waist. It was messed up enough anyway that it didn't matter, what with the large cut on the stomach.
"Now what?" Magnet blurted out, before he could stop himself. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting from one member of Dtent to another.
Stanley lay on his cot, eyes staring at the canvas above him, and own hands pressed to his wound. Zero sat next to him, and offered what comfort he could. The rest were scattered around Stanley, some crouching, some standing. All with worried looks on their faces.
Stanley's eyes started to droop, but Squid immediately leaped to attention.
"No! Don't sleep, man. That's not good, 'specially since you got a concussion, probably. You sleep now, it's likely you 'ain't ever going to wake up.
Stanley's next words surprised them all, more then the fact that he could even talk at all.
"Does it matter?"
Zero's eyes widened. He suddenly broke into a quick, but halting speech that startled most of the rest of the tent.
"Of course it matters! YOU matter! What about your parents? Don't you still write to your mother? Doesn't she write back? And your dad? Where would they be without you? They could barely stand for you to be sent here! If they found out you weren't coming back- they, they, they wouldn't be able to stand it! And what about us? You're the only friend I've ever had! You matter to all of us here, you're like a brother now." Zero said, his quiet voice picking up and dropping in velocity as he spoke.
"Yeah man, don't think like that. Of course you're gunna come outa this okay!" Zigzag added, braking the sudden silence that had followed Zero.
Stanley nodded, but his eyelids started to fall again. He was tired...so tired. Couldn't they leave him alone? For five minutes, at least?
"Quick, someone talk!" Squid shouted. Everyone looked at each other, not able of anything to say. They all looked back at Squid, defeated.
"Fine, I'll decide...X-Ray, how'd you get sent here?" Squid said urgently, aware of how X-ray's eyes widened in shock.
No one had ever asked him that, in all the time he'd been at Camp Green Lake. X-Ray asked them, but they'd never, ever asked him. But he found the awkwardness of the subject he'd first experienced after he'd first been awarded his sentence had dimmed. He actually didn't mind telling his 'brothers' how he got here in the first place.
"I sold drugs."
This got everyone's attention. Even Stanley looked more alert. Squid raised his eyebrows, and then grinned at X-Ray. He knew there would be more to the story then just that. Armpit crossed his arms and waited, his face slightly amused. Zigzag's eyes were wide and staring. Magnet had his head propped on his arm, but looked interested. Zero's eyes flickered up to X-Ray, but soon returned to watching Stanley for fear he would suddenly cease to exist, or the like.
"Well, not really, or else I'd be in a much worse place then this. Lets just say I sold my customers what they thought was cocaine." The edge of his mouth quirked up into a smile. "Actually, it was smashed-up mild painkillers, like advil. But they couldn't tell the difference. Burned on the way up, and gave them a 'quick fix'. Actually, it did practically nothing. But they thought it did. Anyway, I sold bags of the stuff to a few guys. Was a way of getting a little extra money. Besides, if they didn't get it from me, they would have gotten it from someone else, right?" There were a few scattered nods. "So, my life went on. Fairly well, I might add, with a bit more pocket cash, until some idiot told the cops on me. I was arrested on the charges of selling cocaine, until they were smart enough to figure out it was just bags of advil. They felt stupid at having arrested me, and probably wanted to tell their superiors they caught some big 'drug-supplier', but told the judge I was arrested for selling the painkillers without a pharmaceutical licence. Apparently that's illegal. I mean, who knew, right?"
More scattered nods. "Right," He finished.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a shout from Zero.
"He's not breathing!"
***********
Author's Notes: Ack! Another cliffy! I'm so sorry! Oh well, bare with me, I'll get another chapter up soon, I'm slowly getting used to my hectic lifestyle.
The key word in that statement was hectic.
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!
I swear it will get the chapter out faster! I'm not kidding, seriously, it will. Motivation people, it's what drives us author-like peoples.
Okay, well, I've got to go see what's happenin' with da Posse..... So later!
Your fairly frantic authoress,
~Eh, Man
[SHOUTOUTS TO THE HOLES POSSE: Lani- You're my hero. I dunno why, ya just are. Live with it. Luv ya hun! Shyz: You're my OC buddeh! Lol! YEAH ADAM! Lol. A fork? What, like RA? Hahahah. Metzy: Hiya hun, did I tell you how much I missed you when you were grounded? Your such a major part of the Posse! Like, an original! ^_^ Heather: Yo, get your butt over to the Posse Board, hunnie! Aly: Ya too! Go! Now! Why am I telling you to go to your own board? Lol, oh well. Sorry Wheeler. Relina: Oy vay. Our youngest and wisest member! *bows* Go you! Hahhaha. Alexa: Helloooo! Greetings from ahoy! Mango: Don't worry, I didn't forget ya! ^_^ You're my favourite fruit, hahaha. GCFreak: Er, I forget your name! A million apologies, madam! Hello from the other side! Shea: Hello my sploosh obsessed friend? How be things? .....And most of all, Insane Guest Scaring Hugging Holes Posse Members, how be the poodles?]
Okay, so maybe remotely.
Anyway, I want to get this posted, so the A/Ns are going to be really quick, and I'll do all the review-answering for this chapter in the next one, okay? Sorry, I just really want to get this posted. Hope you don't mind the wait for the responses!
Dislclaimer: I don't own Holes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Squid's eyes widened as Thlump pushed Stanley to the ground and started beating him mercilessly. He was stunned into not being able to move. A million things rushed through Squid's head. He should never have let him go along. Never let him keep his pride at the sake of his physical well being. Never should have let Tlump within five feet of him. And the main thought running through Squids head was: He had to get the jerk off Caveman.
Squid lunged and took a flying leap across the Wreck Room and tackled Thlump to the ground. Squid reached back and slammed his fist across the bigger boy's face again and again.
"SQUID! We need your help over here, man!" X-Ray yelled.
Squid looked up and saw the rest of D-Tent kneeling around Stanley. He looked down and saw Thlump had passed out. Getting up off the unconscious boy, Squid fell to his knees next to X-Ray.
As soon as he saw Stanley, Squid cursed under his breath. His head snapped up, and he yelled for Zigzag to go get Mom.
Zigzag looked up at him, worry in his eyes. The same kind of worry Squid had seen when they had all been in a similar state and position. When Barf Bag had been bitten by a rattle snake. They had all silently wondered if the member of D-Tent was going to die.
They wondered the same thing now.
"What can Mom do?" Armpit asked. "You saw him, he ain't helpin'."
"Well, somebody has too, we can't just leave him here!" Magnet argued.
Zigzag was looking intently at Squid, his face pale.
"Dammit, Zig, just go get him." Squid grunted, and looked down once more at Stanley.
Stanley's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eye's were closed, and his forehead was smooth of the pain and worry lines that were there when he was awake lately. A thin line of blood slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth. He was very pale, the whiteness only marked by dirt and smudges of dark red blood. His breathing was slow and shallow, his chest barely moving up and down as he inhaled and exhaled. But what drew most eyes to the teen, was the gash in his abdomen.
About eight inches wide, the long cut was just above his belly button. Blood streamed out from the deep cut to pool around him on the floor. The cut was obviously infected, Squid's bandana having had falling off when he was first pushed down, dirt and dust had gotten in the wound. Squid wouldn't have been surprised if it was infected.
"Where is he?"
Squid's inspection, and pressure on the wound was cut short when Pendanski's hard words came from the door. Soon the councillor had literally ran over to where D-Tent was crowded around one of its members. Zigzag jogged behind him.
After a careful observation, and paling on Pendanski's part, the father-figure to the tent finally caught his voice again after murmuring silent obscenities under his breath.
"A-Armpit, take him back to the tent. I'll be there in a minute, I just have to get some...supplies."
Armpit nodded, and reaching down, gently lifted Stanley up. His dark skin make a startling contrast to the pale whiteness of Stanley's skin. D- Tent quickly filed out on the Wreck Room, towards their tent, and the rest of the tents watched silently as they left. There was no noise, until everyone was sure they were gone. Then hushed mutterings broke out, but were unheard to the offending ears.
Pendanski sprinted back to the Warden's cabin. His hat fell to the back of his neck, but was held on his shoulders by the string hanging under his chin. He didn't replace it. He knocked frantically on the door, her last words ringing in his ears. 'Do not let him die.'
The door swung open, revealing the Warden standing there in a white undershirt, her red curls flying around her head like a dark halo. She leaned against the side of the doorframe and shielded her eyes against the harsh brightness of the sun.
"What do YOU want?" She snapped, inspecting her nails, just in case.
Pendanski fiddled nervously with the frayed hem of his plaid shirt. He unconsciously tapped his foot, and the Warden's eyes narrowed.
"Pendanski..." Her voice rang in his ears with warning.
"Uh, well, it's like this Ma'am..."
Her eyes narrowed even more.
"Spit it out. Now."
"Stanely'sgottenbeatupbyEric-Thlump,Btent- andisnowinverybadcondition." He said this all very quickly, in the time it would take a normal person to say the boy's name. Pendanski winced, automatically curling his shoulders and knees inwards in a defensive posture. He knew what was coming.
"EXCUSE ME?!?"
The Warden grasped the front of Pendanski's shirt, and yanked him cruelly inside her cabin. Slamming the door shut, she pressed the little man up against it so his head banged the wooden planks of the entrance. His hat dug into his back uncomfortably, causing him to have his back arched against the wall, pressed on the hat.
"You go...fix him." She whispered, her face so close to his that miniscule drops of spittle landed on his overly-sunblocked nose. "I don't care what you do, but MAKE-SURE-HE-GETS-BETTER!"
"Yes'mm." He murmured so quickly he bit his tongue in the process.
The door suddenly opened, and Pendanski fell backwards with his momentum off the porch and down the steps. A roll of thread with a needle stuck into it bounced against his head.
**************
Back in D-Tent, Squid had his hand on Stanley's forehead.
X-Ray glanced up at Squid's eyes, and Squid shook his head. "Dude, you're burnin' up!" He crouched down next to Stanley and used his pocket knife to cut off Stanley's orange jumpsuit down to his waist. It was messed up enough anyway that it didn't matter, what with the large cut on the stomach.
"Now what?" Magnet blurted out, before he could stop himself. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting from one member of Dtent to another.
Stanley lay on his cot, eyes staring at the canvas above him, and own hands pressed to his wound. Zero sat next to him, and offered what comfort he could. The rest were scattered around Stanley, some crouching, some standing. All with worried looks on their faces.
Stanley's eyes started to droop, but Squid immediately leaped to attention.
"No! Don't sleep, man. That's not good, 'specially since you got a concussion, probably. You sleep now, it's likely you 'ain't ever going to wake up.
Stanley's next words surprised them all, more then the fact that he could even talk at all.
"Does it matter?"
Zero's eyes widened. He suddenly broke into a quick, but halting speech that startled most of the rest of the tent.
"Of course it matters! YOU matter! What about your parents? Don't you still write to your mother? Doesn't she write back? And your dad? Where would they be without you? They could barely stand for you to be sent here! If they found out you weren't coming back- they, they, they wouldn't be able to stand it! And what about us? You're the only friend I've ever had! You matter to all of us here, you're like a brother now." Zero said, his quiet voice picking up and dropping in velocity as he spoke.
"Yeah man, don't think like that. Of course you're gunna come outa this okay!" Zigzag added, braking the sudden silence that had followed Zero.
Stanley nodded, but his eyelids started to fall again. He was tired...so tired. Couldn't they leave him alone? For five minutes, at least?
"Quick, someone talk!" Squid shouted. Everyone looked at each other, not able of anything to say. They all looked back at Squid, defeated.
"Fine, I'll decide...X-Ray, how'd you get sent here?" Squid said urgently, aware of how X-ray's eyes widened in shock.
No one had ever asked him that, in all the time he'd been at Camp Green Lake. X-Ray asked them, but they'd never, ever asked him. But he found the awkwardness of the subject he'd first experienced after he'd first been awarded his sentence had dimmed. He actually didn't mind telling his 'brothers' how he got here in the first place.
"I sold drugs."
This got everyone's attention. Even Stanley looked more alert. Squid raised his eyebrows, and then grinned at X-Ray. He knew there would be more to the story then just that. Armpit crossed his arms and waited, his face slightly amused. Zigzag's eyes were wide and staring. Magnet had his head propped on his arm, but looked interested. Zero's eyes flickered up to X-Ray, but soon returned to watching Stanley for fear he would suddenly cease to exist, or the like.
"Well, not really, or else I'd be in a much worse place then this. Lets just say I sold my customers what they thought was cocaine." The edge of his mouth quirked up into a smile. "Actually, it was smashed-up mild painkillers, like advil. But they couldn't tell the difference. Burned on the way up, and gave them a 'quick fix'. Actually, it did practically nothing. But they thought it did. Anyway, I sold bags of the stuff to a few guys. Was a way of getting a little extra money. Besides, if they didn't get it from me, they would have gotten it from someone else, right?" There were a few scattered nods. "So, my life went on. Fairly well, I might add, with a bit more pocket cash, until some idiot told the cops on me. I was arrested on the charges of selling cocaine, until they were smart enough to figure out it was just bags of advil. They felt stupid at having arrested me, and probably wanted to tell their superiors they caught some big 'drug-supplier', but told the judge I was arrested for selling the painkillers without a pharmaceutical licence. Apparently that's illegal. I mean, who knew, right?"
More scattered nods. "Right," He finished.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a shout from Zero.
"He's not breathing!"
***********
Author's Notes: Ack! Another cliffy! I'm so sorry! Oh well, bare with me, I'll get another chapter up soon, I'm slowly getting used to my hectic lifestyle.
The key word in that statement was hectic.
Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!
I swear it will get the chapter out faster! I'm not kidding, seriously, it will. Motivation people, it's what drives us author-like peoples.
Okay, well, I've got to go see what's happenin' with da Posse..... So later!
Your fairly frantic authoress,
~Eh, Man
[SHOUTOUTS TO THE HOLES POSSE: Lani- You're my hero. I dunno why, ya just are. Live with it. Luv ya hun! Shyz: You're my OC buddeh! Lol! YEAH ADAM! Lol. A fork? What, like RA? Hahahah. Metzy: Hiya hun, did I tell you how much I missed you when you were grounded? Your such a major part of the Posse! Like, an original! ^_^ Heather: Yo, get your butt over to the Posse Board, hunnie! Aly: Ya too! Go! Now! Why am I telling you to go to your own board? Lol, oh well. Sorry Wheeler. Relina: Oy vay. Our youngest and wisest member! *bows* Go you! Hahhaha. Alexa: Helloooo! Greetings from ahoy! Mango: Don't worry, I didn't forget ya! ^_^ You're my favourite fruit, hahaha. GCFreak: Er, I forget your name! A million apologies, madam! Hello from the other side! Shea: Hello my sploosh obsessed friend? How be things? .....And most of all, Insane Guest Scaring Hugging Holes Posse Members, how be the poodles?]