Author's Notes: Yupp, I'm back again! ^_^ * lil' Zero waves happily
from his place sitting comfortably on Eh, Man's lap and sucking his thumb
while still managing to hold on to Jaffy*
Now, I know you're all anxious for this chapter, what with the state in how I last left our poor friend Stanley. So I'll get right on to answering my lovely reviews!
122 reviews?!? Somehow, I feel guilty! ^_^ Thanks, you guys, I might've stopped this story a long time ago and moved on to new 'meat' if it wasn't for your wonderful support!
Okay, I have a lot of reviews to answer, since I procrastinated on the last chapter! So this counts as for chapter seven and eight.
~~~
Eldalie Lavinia: *joins in poking Thlump * Ohh, I hope I don't get you in trouble with your mom, those five sheets each time can stack up! Yes, Zero's hair is VERY soft. *falls asleep in lil' Zero's hair, and he doesn't notice, until her muses Kate and Lynne run out of the Outsiders section and wake her up to finish the chapter* Oh! Sorry about that!! ^_~ And for the record, YES, hectic lives DO suck. Muchly. Eeep. Talk about putting stress on a paperclip...^_~
Queen Seta/Remmy the Insane: Go free those cows! ^_^ ...And Chickens! O_o
Metza: Hey hunnie! Wowie, you read it! ^_^ Go you!
Sixstars: Mmmm. Trust me, the one think Stanley defiantly doesn't need right now is more blood. Unless it's a transfusion. Which he needs very badly. ^_~ Here's your update!
Shae Elven Heart: Er. *confiscates shovel* Not that I want to spar Mr. Sir or anything, but you know, the 'riding the general population of unneeded violence' thing...
Celestra: I think this deserves one good "I TOLD YOU SO!". Ahem. Ah thank you! Lol. *hugs her lil' Zero*
Burnin': You know, you COULD just go watch the music video on the official website, it's there, I think. Heh. Don't get in trouble using the library computer to write me long reviews! ^_^ Yes, I think you write VERY well, Zero! Now, you just shut up there Stan my Man! Dilirium? Hmmm, I think you just gave me inspiration for the next chapter....Thank you! ^____^ I think medical attention is what he needs, but there isn't exactly a lot of that and Camp Greenlake, so..Uhm. Sorry. O_o Yeah, I always thought of there being a sorta like link between Zero and Stanley, like brothers, ya know? Hahaha, don't feel guilty! In the long run, at least you reviewed! ^_^ Slightly delayed, but you did in the end! I don't mind, I'm just happy you did! *banishes guilt-beings* Muah. The power vested in me...Wait, isn't that what the priest dude says when he marrys someone? Gagh. Scary thought. Yeah. Celestra did the CPR thing already. Poor Stanley, good thing you guys aren't in charge of his medical care!!! Er...Sorry? Sorry for making you cry, and sorry for, uh, being good? :S Apperantly. Lol. I'm confused. Don't worry, you weren't boring me, I enjoy your reviews! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *collapses to the ground and writhes around in searing agony with the occasional seizure as mental castle is overrun by chocolate chip snickerdoodles and D-Tent plushies* Gee, thanks. O_o No, seriously, thanks for the reveiew(S)! ^_____^
Karbon14: I'm a stickler for canon. All my fics are as close as can be, and I detest Mary Sues. Thanks!
Celestra: Do you know how much the CPR thing made me laugh? Haha. Uhm. Although, I think for future reference I should pass along to you some of the little medical knowledge I have. CPR is for when your heart stops. Mouth to mouth, aka rescue breathing is for when someone stops breathing. O_o I hope you never have to give first aid to me...lol. Well, you see, I did a first aid course thingmagiggy, and I can do CPR, Rescue Breathing, and the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Well, I think I do, anyway. I don't know, I've never tried them out in real life on anyone. Yes, *sigh* We've been through this. You're my hero. Deal with it.
Artemis-Chan of Redwing: Yeah! We need all the new readers/reviewers we can get that stick to canon! Have fun in the 'wonderful' world of fanfiction!
Twopigsforonedaughter: Nice screen name! Thanks so much! About your question, I thought I remembered Stanley saying the bus ride took six hours to get to Camp Green Lake. Zigzag was exaggerating. The fact they had a helicopter didn't even enter my mind. But even if it had, for the sake of the story, lets just say the helicopter broke down, okay? ^_~
Shyz: Thanks hunnie! Yeah, *scratches head* Hmm, we should get around to that in about...three years? Lol. ^_~
Karebear: Thank you! That's the point of the story, unprecedented circumstances bringing out the best characteristics, and the true nature of D-Tent.
Griffenfox: Uhm. Sorry? O_o Here's the update!
Tears of Blood From my Eyes: To tell the truth, your review actually spurred me on to update again. I was just unable to find the time, but after getting the shock of how truly long it had been, it helped me to get up off my butt and work at it! Thank you!
Legofodopip: Thank you for reading and reviewing all the chapters! I know how hard it is to do sometimes, from being an avid reviewer myself, so I very much appreciate it! One thing though: I don't ever want to get on your bad side...
Get_it_on65: I know. Seriously, I know. I'm quite amazed actually, that no one else brought it up. It IS amazing Stanley isn't dead yet. Yes, in all honest truth he should be dead. That's also why it's slightly AU though, because for the sake of this fiction, I wanted to see how far I could push the characters before they would give in, or how far they could go and still 'bounce back'. Don't worry, I've been paying attention. Trust me!
~*~
THE HOLES POSSE: You guys are awesome! Aly, Heather, Lani, Shyz, Relle, Alexa, Metza, Seny, Mango, Shea, Grab Bag, Hannah, and all you other newcomers I've forgotten, rock on you guys, rock on. Keep on spreading the Holes love, and do not forget the eternal question: "How be the poodles?"
Alright, before I start the chapter (okay, I know you all are getting impatient, but bare with me here) I would just like to say how difficult this chapter was to write. Go easy on me, okay people? This story is slowly coming to a close, and I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends as best I can. The last thing I want for this story is for it to be dragged out past its prime.
I hope you like it.
Enjoy.
~*~*~*~
"He's not breathing!" Zero repeated, his eyes wide and full of desperate fear. Fear of death. Not for himself, but for his best friend. His voice rose as he whispered the sentence once more to himself, cracking near the end, then suddenly leaped up and desperately tried to shake Stanley.
Squid cursed under his breath, and literally vaulted over the nearest cot, the rest of D-Tent close behind. He fell to his knees beside Stanley's cot, pushing Zero out of the way with little force. Zero moved aside willingly, his eyes caught staring vividly at his friend's deathly pale face.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn..." Squid muttered to himself. He bent over, and put his ear to Stanley's mouth and nose, carefully watching his 'patient's' chest. It didn't move. Squid closed his eyes and listened carefully. No sound of breathing could he hear. He didn't feel any breath on his ear.
Stanley wasn't breathing. Zero was right.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn..."
"Squiddily? He gunna be okay?" Zigzag asked nervously, his normally interesting appearance even more frazzled, giving him the look of a recently electrocuted teen.
Armpit turned irately to Zigzag. "What do YOU think?" He asked, his normally calm temper blown by his own anxiousness. Zigzag turned to him, startled.
"I, uh, don't know! Look at him! Does he look to you like he's going to make a sudden perfect recovery-" Zigzag stuttered.
He was cut off as Armpit shoved him, the bigger boy's temper flaring as his hands shook.
"Shut up! He's going to be fine, he's going to be okay..." Armpit said quickly. Zigzag shook his head, wide eyes filled with uncertainty.
"Don't lie to yourself, Thee-o-dore!" He muttered anxiously. This time, Armpit pushed him harder. The lanky Zigzag tripped over a cot and fell against the harsh canvas of the tent, his limbs flailing.
Suddenly, X-Ray was there, grabbing the front of Armpit's orange jumpsuit, staring up into the bigger boy's eyes.
"Armpit! Don't-do-that-again! What the frik do you think your playing at?!? We already have one D-Tenter down, we don't need another one!" He released a sheepish but frantic looking Armpit, and reached down to give Zigzag a hand up. "Look, Armpit, we're all worried. Chill, man, okay? We got enough on our minds."
Armpit nodded, and the three's gazes turned back to Stanley and Squid.
Squid was worried. Okay, he was past worried. Far past worried. Scared. Stanley wasn't breathing. He needed to fix that, and quick. But he didn't know if he could. Hell, he'd never done rescue breathing before! In the corner of his mind he heard Armpit, Zigzag, and X-Ray yelling at each other, then them become quiet and turn to look at him. Back to the problem. He'd only taken a few first aid classes! He never thought he'd have to use some of the skills he learned...
Suddenly, Squid realized what he had to do.
"Magnet. Go get Mom. Now." Squid said abruptly.
"No, I gotta stay here-"
"DAMN IT MAGNET, JUST GO!"
Magnet stared at him for a second, and then nodded his assent. "Si."
He got up, and ran out the door.
Squid took a deep breath, and looked at Stanley. He didn't have much time, Stanley's lips were turning blue, and his face was the colour of the sheets. In reality, Stanley had only not been breathing for just over a minute, but it seemed like hours for everyone present.
Squid wiped his sweaty palms on the thighs of his orange jumpsuit, and tilted back Stanley's head to open his air passageway- it was supposed to make the person breath easier, but as far as Squid could tell it didn't help much if the person wasn't breathing at all. Oh yeah, he was competent.
As far as Squid could tell, Stanley wasn't choking; he didn't think there was anything blocking his throat. Crap. Stanley didn't have much longer. He needed to hurry. The seconds were passing, feeling like minutes, even hours.
But, hell, he really didn't want to go ahead with this. He ran a hand anxiously through his hair. Oh well, there was nothing for it. Stanley would DIE if Squid didn't do it, and Squid knew he would never forgive himself if Stanley died.
No, he wasn't going to die.
Exhaling shakily, Squid got up off his knees and leaned over Stanley. He glanced up, and saw D-Tent crowded around. Turning back to Stanley, he gave a humourless smile.
"Sorry, man, I don't usually do this on a first date, but..." His lame attempt at humour was lost on his unconscious charge. Well, tough crowd. On with it! Stop stalling!
Squid pinched Stanley's nose, and took a deep breath. "Sorry man," He thought, then closed his mouth over Stanley's, and blew two full breaths. He looked sideways, and saw Stanley's chest rise slightly. Good, he was doing it right. Thank god. One breath of air for Stanley. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be enough.
One, two, three, four, and five...Deep breath, breathe. Inhale, exhale. One, two, three, four, five. You know, this would be so much more amusing if it was on a hot blonde. One, two, three four, five. Deep breath, breathe. Inhale, exhale.
The rest of the tent watched. It was obvious at the look of disgust on Squid's face, that he wasn't exactly enjoying it. Hell, he looked like he was going to throw up. But they knew that, if anything, Squid was loyal. He wouldn't just let Stanley die, he would do whatever it took to save his friend. Squid's face shone with determination.
Suddenly, Squid felt Stanley's chest quiver, then rise and fall. On it's own. Rise and fall. Rise and fall. Breathing. Then it shook, as Stanley erupted into coughing. But his eyes snapped open, and he was breathing. Squid wiped his mouth, and watched as Zero helped Stanley lean up a little bit.
X-Ray patted Squid on the back.
"Good job, man." He said, looking surprisingly proud as he grinned temporarily at Squid. "Gross, huh?"
"Got that right." Squid winced, but he smiled in relief back at X-Ray. Stanley was still alive, and that's what mattered. But for how long?
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!?" Pendanski literally squealed as he bounded into the tent with Magnet close on his heels.
D-Tent rounded on its councillor.
"Mom, do something to help Caveman, he's barely alive!" X-Ray shouted, glaring at Pendanski. Armpit crossed his arms, and stood dangerously close to the councillor. Squid glowered at him. Zigzag's eyes were narrowed dangerously. Magnet shoved Pendanski out of the way, and entered the tent himself, taking one look at Stanley, then joining the rest of the tent in glaring at Pendanski.
Pendanski laughed nervously, sweat forming on his brow.
"I'm here to help! I AM a doctor after all!" He squeaked. He bounced on his heels, clutching a small cloth bag to his chest with a crudely made red cross on the front created by red tape.
X-Ray rolled his eyes, but pushed Pendanski towards Stanley. "Yeah, whatever. Just do something."
Pendanski shook X-Ray off him, looking surprisingly like a ruffled hen. Leaning down over Stanley, he smiled into the tired boy's face. Stanley's drifting eyes snapped open, and his mind jerked into wakefulness. Pendanski. No, he'd make him worse...And he was tired, so tired...
"Well, hey there, Stanley! How are you feeling?" Pendanski asked brightly, smiling like a child in school. A drip of sweat fell from beneath his short, curly black hair. He bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet unconsciously, making Stanley dizzy as he tried to concentrate at the weird smiling little dwarf man above him.
"Like...crap." Stanley whispered, surprising everyone in the room by talking. His voice was harsh and cracked, but D-Tent was just relieved he was still able to talk.
"S'oky, you're doing good man," Magnet said reassuringly to Stanley. Stanley smiled weakly back at him, his words of thanks dying at his lips and going unsaid, but Magnet understood.
"Don't worry, you'll feel much better soon!" Pendanski opened the small bag, and pulled out a needle and thread. "Now, this will just hurt a tiny bit..."
"Wait, hold up a minute there, Mom." X-Ray said suddenly. His eyes were wide with shock and dawning horror. "Your going to give him stitches NOW? With no anaesthetic? Are you crazy?"
"Of course, Rex. All right, Stanley. Just relax, and it'll be over soon!" Pendanski said nervously, wiping sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. He clumsily tried a few times to thread the needle, but each time fell short of his minuscule goal. "Er, Ricky, you wouldn't mind simply putting the thread in the little hole, would you? There's a good kid."
Zigzag nodded, and easily threaded the needle on his first try. Now D-Tent had absolutely no faith in their councillor's medical skills. And they were trusting him with their friend's life?
"Okay, Stanley, I'll just..." Pendanski stopped talking as the boy stared at him with wide eyes, and shook his head. Stanley tried to back away, but Pendanski put a firm hand on his shoulder. His voice for the fist time changed from it's usual bright and cheeriness to a much darker, deeper tone. "Don't worry. This won't be TOO painful."
"No...you're not touching me..." Stanley murmured, his breath coming and gasps, and his face deathly pale except for the occasional smear of dirt or blood. His hands scrabbled against the bed, trying to push himself away.
"It'll be okay, Caveman," Armpit said, trying to smile but failing miserably. Zero said nothing, but grabbed Stanley's hand, silently telling him that he would remain by his side. The rest of the boys nodded, showing their support.
"Good, come to your senses, I see!" Pendanski said, his voice returning to the fake positive-councillor of the usual. Stanley just stared back at him. Pendanski laughed uneasily, and tore away at the bloody clothing over the boy's abdomen. His face blanched slightly as he saw the complete length of the damage, and then the mask came over once again. As his fingers touched Stanley's skin, Stanley flinched away, but after a harsh glare from Pendaski, making him resemble and angry little dwarf, he submitted.
The first thing Pendanski did, was to try to push the two sides of the gash together with his hands. Stanley cried out in pain, and squeezed Zero's hand so hard the small boy emitted a small yelp.
"Oh, er, sorry." The 'doctor' muttered.
"Waaay, professional." Zigzag whispered to Squid. Squid nodded. "This is so bullshit."
"Hey, man, you're hurting him!" Armpit shouted as Pendanski prodded some more.
"Relax, Theodore, this is how this is supposed to work."
"No, it ain't." Squid muttered.
Pendanski readied the needle over Stanley's flesh. Stanley closed his eyes. Zero secured his hold on his hand. The boys around the cot tensed.
Stanley screamed. His body jerked away from Pendanski, but the councillor forced it back, and did another incision. Again, Stanley jerked, crying out in pain.
The boys watched him, their hearts going out to the poor boy that had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Oh, come on Stanley! Suck it up!"
Another stitch. Another gut-wrenching cry of pain.
"Stop being such a girl!"
More screams of agony, as the needle was thrust crudely into the skin, pulled out again, and tugged mercilessly tight. Stanley flailed his arms, trying to push Pendanski away. His back arched with pain, and he twisted and turned against the councillor.
"Boys, come hold him down!!!"
Zero kept hold of his hand, but the rest of the boys crouched around Stanley and held down his arms and legs.
"It'll be over soon," Zero whispered to Stanley, doubtful if the boy even heard him.
More harsh pulls and tugs on the thread, tearing skin, and causing fresh blood to stream out.
After a few heart-crushing moments, Pendanski gave one last hard pull on the thread, tugging the stitches tight. Stanley's back arched in pain, his eyes squeezed shut in agony, with tears rushing down the sides of his face uncontrollably.
"YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!" He screamed. The boys, stunned, let go of their charge temporarily. Stanley took the time to strike Pendanski across the face with his wrist. Then the rest of D-Tent got over its initial shock at quiet, morally-correct Stanley the Caveman swearing at the councillor, and they grabbed his arms again. That was so strange, so out of character for Stanley, that it was just proof of exactly how much pain he was in.
Pendanski glared at Stanley, and tied the thread, giving a needlessly hard pull, which caused Stanley to gasp. Stanley's eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he fell back against the cot.
~*~
Author's Notes: Mwahahaha! Alright, only one more chapter. I have half of it written, so it shouldn't take TOO long for me to get up!
Please oh please review! It only takes a few seconds, and means the world to me! Also, I'll get the new chapter up faster...nothing inspires a writer like a good review...^_~
Your writingful authoress,
~Eh, Man
]--------D
Now, I know you're all anxious for this chapter, what with the state in how I last left our poor friend Stanley. So I'll get right on to answering my lovely reviews!
122 reviews?!? Somehow, I feel guilty! ^_^ Thanks, you guys, I might've stopped this story a long time ago and moved on to new 'meat' if it wasn't for your wonderful support!
Okay, I have a lot of reviews to answer, since I procrastinated on the last chapter! So this counts as for chapter seven and eight.
~~~
Eldalie Lavinia: *joins in poking Thlump * Ohh, I hope I don't get you in trouble with your mom, those five sheets each time can stack up! Yes, Zero's hair is VERY soft. *falls asleep in lil' Zero's hair, and he doesn't notice, until her muses Kate and Lynne run out of the Outsiders section and wake her up to finish the chapter* Oh! Sorry about that!! ^_~ And for the record, YES, hectic lives DO suck. Muchly. Eeep. Talk about putting stress on a paperclip...^_~
Queen Seta/Remmy the Insane: Go free those cows! ^_^ ...And Chickens! O_o
Metza: Hey hunnie! Wowie, you read it! ^_^ Go you!
Sixstars: Mmmm. Trust me, the one think Stanley defiantly doesn't need right now is more blood. Unless it's a transfusion. Which he needs very badly. ^_~ Here's your update!
Shae Elven Heart: Er. *confiscates shovel* Not that I want to spar Mr. Sir or anything, but you know, the 'riding the general population of unneeded violence' thing...
Celestra: I think this deserves one good "I TOLD YOU SO!". Ahem. Ah thank you! Lol. *hugs her lil' Zero*
Burnin': You know, you COULD just go watch the music video on the official website, it's there, I think. Heh. Don't get in trouble using the library computer to write me long reviews! ^_^ Yes, I think you write VERY well, Zero! Now, you just shut up there Stan my Man! Dilirium? Hmmm, I think you just gave me inspiration for the next chapter....Thank you! ^____^ I think medical attention is what he needs, but there isn't exactly a lot of that and Camp Greenlake, so..Uhm. Sorry. O_o Yeah, I always thought of there being a sorta like link between Zero and Stanley, like brothers, ya know? Hahaha, don't feel guilty! In the long run, at least you reviewed! ^_^ Slightly delayed, but you did in the end! I don't mind, I'm just happy you did! *banishes guilt-beings* Muah. The power vested in me...Wait, isn't that what the priest dude says when he marrys someone? Gagh. Scary thought. Yeah. Celestra did the CPR thing already. Poor Stanley, good thing you guys aren't in charge of his medical care!!! Er...Sorry? Sorry for making you cry, and sorry for, uh, being good? :S Apperantly. Lol. I'm confused. Don't worry, you weren't boring me, I enjoy your reviews! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *collapses to the ground and writhes around in searing agony with the occasional seizure as mental castle is overrun by chocolate chip snickerdoodles and D-Tent plushies* Gee, thanks. O_o No, seriously, thanks for the reveiew(S)! ^_____^
Karbon14: I'm a stickler for canon. All my fics are as close as can be, and I detest Mary Sues. Thanks!
Celestra: Do you know how much the CPR thing made me laugh? Haha. Uhm. Although, I think for future reference I should pass along to you some of the little medical knowledge I have. CPR is for when your heart stops. Mouth to mouth, aka rescue breathing is for when someone stops breathing. O_o I hope you never have to give first aid to me...lol. Well, you see, I did a first aid course thingmagiggy, and I can do CPR, Rescue Breathing, and the Heimlich Manoeuvre. Well, I think I do, anyway. I don't know, I've never tried them out in real life on anyone. Yes, *sigh* We've been through this. You're my hero. Deal with it.
Artemis-Chan of Redwing: Yeah! We need all the new readers/reviewers we can get that stick to canon! Have fun in the 'wonderful' world of fanfiction!
Twopigsforonedaughter: Nice screen name! Thanks so much! About your question, I thought I remembered Stanley saying the bus ride took six hours to get to Camp Green Lake. Zigzag was exaggerating. The fact they had a helicopter didn't even enter my mind. But even if it had, for the sake of the story, lets just say the helicopter broke down, okay? ^_~
Shyz: Thanks hunnie! Yeah, *scratches head* Hmm, we should get around to that in about...three years? Lol. ^_~
Karebear: Thank you! That's the point of the story, unprecedented circumstances bringing out the best characteristics, and the true nature of D-Tent.
Griffenfox: Uhm. Sorry? O_o Here's the update!
Tears of Blood From my Eyes: To tell the truth, your review actually spurred me on to update again. I was just unable to find the time, but after getting the shock of how truly long it had been, it helped me to get up off my butt and work at it! Thank you!
Legofodopip: Thank you for reading and reviewing all the chapters! I know how hard it is to do sometimes, from being an avid reviewer myself, so I very much appreciate it! One thing though: I don't ever want to get on your bad side...
Get_it_on65: I know. Seriously, I know. I'm quite amazed actually, that no one else brought it up. It IS amazing Stanley isn't dead yet. Yes, in all honest truth he should be dead. That's also why it's slightly AU though, because for the sake of this fiction, I wanted to see how far I could push the characters before they would give in, or how far they could go and still 'bounce back'. Don't worry, I've been paying attention. Trust me!
~*~
THE HOLES POSSE: You guys are awesome! Aly, Heather, Lani, Shyz, Relle, Alexa, Metza, Seny, Mango, Shea, Grab Bag, Hannah, and all you other newcomers I've forgotten, rock on you guys, rock on. Keep on spreading the Holes love, and do not forget the eternal question: "How be the poodles?"
Alright, before I start the chapter (okay, I know you all are getting impatient, but bare with me here) I would just like to say how difficult this chapter was to write. Go easy on me, okay people? This story is slowly coming to a close, and I'm trying to tie up all the loose ends as best I can. The last thing I want for this story is for it to be dragged out past its prime.
I hope you like it.
Enjoy.
~*~*~*~
"He's not breathing!" Zero repeated, his eyes wide and full of desperate fear. Fear of death. Not for himself, but for his best friend. His voice rose as he whispered the sentence once more to himself, cracking near the end, then suddenly leaped up and desperately tried to shake Stanley.
Squid cursed under his breath, and literally vaulted over the nearest cot, the rest of D-Tent close behind. He fell to his knees beside Stanley's cot, pushing Zero out of the way with little force. Zero moved aside willingly, his eyes caught staring vividly at his friend's deathly pale face.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn..." Squid muttered to himself. He bent over, and put his ear to Stanley's mouth and nose, carefully watching his 'patient's' chest. It didn't move. Squid closed his eyes and listened carefully. No sound of breathing could he hear. He didn't feel any breath on his ear.
Stanley wasn't breathing. Zero was right.
"Damn, damn, damn, damn..."
"Squiddily? He gunna be okay?" Zigzag asked nervously, his normally interesting appearance even more frazzled, giving him the look of a recently electrocuted teen.
Armpit turned irately to Zigzag. "What do YOU think?" He asked, his normally calm temper blown by his own anxiousness. Zigzag turned to him, startled.
"I, uh, don't know! Look at him! Does he look to you like he's going to make a sudden perfect recovery-" Zigzag stuttered.
He was cut off as Armpit shoved him, the bigger boy's temper flaring as his hands shook.
"Shut up! He's going to be fine, he's going to be okay..." Armpit said quickly. Zigzag shook his head, wide eyes filled with uncertainty.
"Don't lie to yourself, Thee-o-dore!" He muttered anxiously. This time, Armpit pushed him harder. The lanky Zigzag tripped over a cot and fell against the harsh canvas of the tent, his limbs flailing.
Suddenly, X-Ray was there, grabbing the front of Armpit's orange jumpsuit, staring up into the bigger boy's eyes.
"Armpit! Don't-do-that-again! What the frik do you think your playing at?!? We already have one D-Tenter down, we don't need another one!" He released a sheepish but frantic looking Armpit, and reached down to give Zigzag a hand up. "Look, Armpit, we're all worried. Chill, man, okay? We got enough on our minds."
Armpit nodded, and the three's gazes turned back to Stanley and Squid.
Squid was worried. Okay, he was past worried. Far past worried. Scared. Stanley wasn't breathing. He needed to fix that, and quick. But he didn't know if he could. Hell, he'd never done rescue breathing before! In the corner of his mind he heard Armpit, Zigzag, and X-Ray yelling at each other, then them become quiet and turn to look at him. Back to the problem. He'd only taken a few first aid classes! He never thought he'd have to use some of the skills he learned...
Suddenly, Squid realized what he had to do.
"Magnet. Go get Mom. Now." Squid said abruptly.
"No, I gotta stay here-"
"DAMN IT MAGNET, JUST GO!"
Magnet stared at him for a second, and then nodded his assent. "Si."
He got up, and ran out the door.
Squid took a deep breath, and looked at Stanley. He didn't have much time, Stanley's lips were turning blue, and his face was the colour of the sheets. In reality, Stanley had only not been breathing for just over a minute, but it seemed like hours for everyone present.
Squid wiped his sweaty palms on the thighs of his orange jumpsuit, and tilted back Stanley's head to open his air passageway- it was supposed to make the person breath easier, but as far as Squid could tell it didn't help much if the person wasn't breathing at all. Oh yeah, he was competent.
As far as Squid could tell, Stanley wasn't choking; he didn't think there was anything blocking his throat. Crap. Stanley didn't have much longer. He needed to hurry. The seconds were passing, feeling like minutes, even hours.
But, hell, he really didn't want to go ahead with this. He ran a hand anxiously through his hair. Oh well, there was nothing for it. Stanley would DIE if Squid didn't do it, and Squid knew he would never forgive himself if Stanley died.
No, he wasn't going to die.
Exhaling shakily, Squid got up off his knees and leaned over Stanley. He glanced up, and saw D-Tent crowded around. Turning back to Stanley, he gave a humourless smile.
"Sorry, man, I don't usually do this on a first date, but..." His lame attempt at humour was lost on his unconscious charge. Well, tough crowd. On with it! Stop stalling!
Squid pinched Stanley's nose, and took a deep breath. "Sorry man," He thought, then closed his mouth over Stanley's, and blew two full breaths. He looked sideways, and saw Stanley's chest rise slightly. Good, he was doing it right. Thank god. One breath of air for Stanley. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be enough.
One, two, three, four, and five...Deep breath, breathe. Inhale, exhale. One, two, three, four, five. You know, this would be so much more amusing if it was on a hot blonde. One, two, three four, five. Deep breath, breathe. Inhale, exhale.
The rest of the tent watched. It was obvious at the look of disgust on Squid's face, that he wasn't exactly enjoying it. Hell, he looked like he was going to throw up. But they knew that, if anything, Squid was loyal. He wouldn't just let Stanley die, he would do whatever it took to save his friend. Squid's face shone with determination.
Suddenly, Squid felt Stanley's chest quiver, then rise and fall. On it's own. Rise and fall. Rise and fall. Breathing. Then it shook, as Stanley erupted into coughing. But his eyes snapped open, and he was breathing. Squid wiped his mouth, and watched as Zero helped Stanley lean up a little bit.
X-Ray patted Squid on the back.
"Good job, man." He said, looking surprisingly proud as he grinned temporarily at Squid. "Gross, huh?"
"Got that right." Squid winced, but he smiled in relief back at X-Ray. Stanley was still alive, and that's what mattered. But for how long?
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!?" Pendanski literally squealed as he bounded into the tent with Magnet close on his heels.
D-Tent rounded on its councillor.
"Mom, do something to help Caveman, he's barely alive!" X-Ray shouted, glaring at Pendanski. Armpit crossed his arms, and stood dangerously close to the councillor. Squid glowered at him. Zigzag's eyes were narrowed dangerously. Magnet shoved Pendanski out of the way, and entered the tent himself, taking one look at Stanley, then joining the rest of the tent in glaring at Pendanski.
Pendanski laughed nervously, sweat forming on his brow.
"I'm here to help! I AM a doctor after all!" He squeaked. He bounced on his heels, clutching a small cloth bag to his chest with a crudely made red cross on the front created by red tape.
X-Ray rolled his eyes, but pushed Pendanski towards Stanley. "Yeah, whatever. Just do something."
Pendanski shook X-Ray off him, looking surprisingly like a ruffled hen. Leaning down over Stanley, he smiled into the tired boy's face. Stanley's drifting eyes snapped open, and his mind jerked into wakefulness. Pendanski. No, he'd make him worse...And he was tired, so tired...
"Well, hey there, Stanley! How are you feeling?" Pendanski asked brightly, smiling like a child in school. A drip of sweat fell from beneath his short, curly black hair. He bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet unconsciously, making Stanley dizzy as he tried to concentrate at the weird smiling little dwarf man above him.
"Like...crap." Stanley whispered, surprising everyone in the room by talking. His voice was harsh and cracked, but D-Tent was just relieved he was still able to talk.
"S'oky, you're doing good man," Magnet said reassuringly to Stanley. Stanley smiled weakly back at him, his words of thanks dying at his lips and going unsaid, but Magnet understood.
"Don't worry, you'll feel much better soon!" Pendanski opened the small bag, and pulled out a needle and thread. "Now, this will just hurt a tiny bit..."
"Wait, hold up a minute there, Mom." X-Ray said suddenly. His eyes were wide with shock and dawning horror. "Your going to give him stitches NOW? With no anaesthetic? Are you crazy?"
"Of course, Rex. All right, Stanley. Just relax, and it'll be over soon!" Pendanski said nervously, wiping sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. He clumsily tried a few times to thread the needle, but each time fell short of his minuscule goal. "Er, Ricky, you wouldn't mind simply putting the thread in the little hole, would you? There's a good kid."
Zigzag nodded, and easily threaded the needle on his first try. Now D-Tent had absolutely no faith in their councillor's medical skills. And they were trusting him with their friend's life?
"Okay, Stanley, I'll just..." Pendanski stopped talking as the boy stared at him with wide eyes, and shook his head. Stanley tried to back away, but Pendanski put a firm hand on his shoulder. His voice for the fist time changed from it's usual bright and cheeriness to a much darker, deeper tone. "Don't worry. This won't be TOO painful."
"No...you're not touching me..." Stanley murmured, his breath coming and gasps, and his face deathly pale except for the occasional smear of dirt or blood. His hands scrabbled against the bed, trying to push himself away.
"It'll be okay, Caveman," Armpit said, trying to smile but failing miserably. Zero said nothing, but grabbed Stanley's hand, silently telling him that he would remain by his side. The rest of the boys nodded, showing their support.
"Good, come to your senses, I see!" Pendanski said, his voice returning to the fake positive-councillor of the usual. Stanley just stared back at him. Pendanski laughed uneasily, and tore away at the bloody clothing over the boy's abdomen. His face blanched slightly as he saw the complete length of the damage, and then the mask came over once again. As his fingers touched Stanley's skin, Stanley flinched away, but after a harsh glare from Pendaski, making him resemble and angry little dwarf, he submitted.
The first thing Pendanski did, was to try to push the two sides of the gash together with his hands. Stanley cried out in pain, and squeezed Zero's hand so hard the small boy emitted a small yelp.
"Oh, er, sorry." The 'doctor' muttered.
"Waaay, professional." Zigzag whispered to Squid. Squid nodded. "This is so bullshit."
"Hey, man, you're hurting him!" Armpit shouted as Pendanski prodded some more.
"Relax, Theodore, this is how this is supposed to work."
"No, it ain't." Squid muttered.
Pendanski readied the needle over Stanley's flesh. Stanley closed his eyes. Zero secured his hold on his hand. The boys around the cot tensed.
Stanley screamed. His body jerked away from Pendanski, but the councillor forced it back, and did another incision. Again, Stanley jerked, crying out in pain.
The boys watched him, their hearts going out to the poor boy that had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Oh, come on Stanley! Suck it up!"
Another stitch. Another gut-wrenching cry of pain.
"Stop being such a girl!"
More screams of agony, as the needle was thrust crudely into the skin, pulled out again, and tugged mercilessly tight. Stanley flailed his arms, trying to push Pendanski away. His back arched with pain, and he twisted and turned against the councillor.
"Boys, come hold him down!!!"
Zero kept hold of his hand, but the rest of the boys crouched around Stanley and held down his arms and legs.
"It'll be over soon," Zero whispered to Stanley, doubtful if the boy even heard him.
More harsh pulls and tugs on the thread, tearing skin, and causing fresh blood to stream out.
After a few heart-crushing moments, Pendanski gave one last hard pull on the thread, tugging the stitches tight. Stanley's back arched in pain, his eyes squeezed shut in agony, with tears rushing down the sides of his face uncontrollably.
"YOU SADISTIC BASTARD!" He screamed. The boys, stunned, let go of their charge temporarily. Stanley took the time to strike Pendanski across the face with his wrist. Then the rest of D-Tent got over its initial shock at quiet, morally-correct Stanley the Caveman swearing at the councillor, and they grabbed his arms again. That was so strange, so out of character for Stanley, that it was just proof of exactly how much pain he was in.
Pendanski glared at Stanley, and tied the thread, giving a needlessly hard pull, which caused Stanley to gasp. Stanley's eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he fell back against the cot.
~*~
Author's Notes: Mwahahaha! Alright, only one more chapter. I have half of it written, so it shouldn't take TOO long for me to get up!
Please oh please review! It only takes a few seconds, and means the world to me! Also, I'll get the new chapter up faster...nothing inspires a writer like a good review...^_~
Your writingful authoress,
~Eh, Man
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