"Dr. Stantz, this is highly unadvised. You could actually cause more harm
than good. We have finally managed to get them stabilized and anything you
might do could create unneeded setbacks in their recovery."
"They won't recover unless we go in there, Dr. Gray," Ray replied firmly. "What you're dealing with is something you may never be able to comprehend. Supernatural influences caused this and only supernatural influences can bring them back. I have just as much right to use my parapsychology as you do your psychology."
"By using improperly tested equipment?" Dr. Gray responded. "You must be mad."
"You got that right," Dani agreed as she and Janine came into the office bringing in a machine. "To do what we do you'd have to be."
"What is that?" Dr. Gray inquired.
"Our secret weapon," Janine answered.
"Are you going to let us do this or not?" Ray asked. The psychologist sitting behind the desk looked at the determined face of Dr. Stantz than at the two women standing wearing the same looks.
"Very well, Dr. Stantz, but I want you to know I don't believe in the supernatural nor in the study of parapsychology," Dr. Gray answered. "If you can't get your friends back you are to cease your efforts and allow me to continue."
"Fine," Ray said. "Can we get started now?" The man in the lab coat gave Dr. Stantz a look than gestured them to another door. Ray grabbed his cane as Janine and Dani dealt with the machine they had brought in. The three followed Dr. Gray down the hall through a few more doors until they reached a wing the three Ghostbusters had been put in.
"I suspect you won't want to be leaving any time soon," Dr. Gray said. Ray, Janine and Dani took a moment to look at the men strapped to their beds looking distant and pained.
"No," Dani told him distractedly.
"I'll talk to Nurse Harraway," Dr. Gray replied. "We'll try to get you anything else you all might need. Just push the button next to the door to contact me."
"Thanks," Janine said quietly. They heard the door close behind them. Dani looked at Ray who was leaning not only on his cane, but the pane of a window next to him.
"Do you need to sit down, Ray?" He quickly straightened up.
"No. It just hurts a bit."
"Hitting a stair railing at any speed hurts," Dani replied. "Maybe you should sit. Take a few minutes to rest." He nodded and she grabbed a chair from next to Dr. Venkman's bed.
"I'm sorry, Ray," Peter cried out. Janine, Dani, and Ray looked at Peter who was shaking. The blonde set the chair down. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I never wanted to hurt you. Egon, stop blaming me. I never meant for it to happen." Dani walked up to the edge of his bed and Peter looked at her. "You have to forgive me, Dani."
"Peter, I do," she whispered. "You just need to realize all of that isn't real." Dr. Venkman looked away and stared at the ceiling. He began crying.
"It's my fault," Peter replied. "I did it. I killed them." Ray walked up next to Dani and she turned to him tears in her own eyes.
"I know what he's talking about, Ray," Egon's cousin told him quietly. "I know what all of them are going through right now." She looked at her cousin who lay in the middle bed. "I saw it all."
"You don't have to talk about it you don't want to," Dr. Stantz responded gently.
"Maybe we should get started," Janine suggested. "Dani and I didn't drag this thing all the way out here to just let it collect dust." Ray pulled his girlfriend away from Peter and led her over to the machine.
"I'll need to calibrate it," Dr. Stantz said. He looked at his friends. "We'll start with Peter."
"You know he's going to hate that," Janine told him. Ray turned back at to the secretary. "He would want you to do Egon and Winston first."
"You're right," Ray replied. He let out a little laugh. The two women gave him a look. "People who don't know Peter would think he's a real jerk, but he'd put himself in the line of fire just to save a little puppy or some guy who had just given him the finger."
"He'd never let you forget it though," Janine responded with a small smile. "As much trouble as Dr. V. has given me I'd never give up all the memories we've shared."
"Stop talking about him like he's dead," Dani told the two. "He's not. They're just stuck in nightmares that nearly killed them. If we don't get started now than we might as well let them die." Ray looked down a moment.
"Let's start with Egon," Dr. Stantz said quietly. Janine pushed the machine over next to Dr. Spengler and Ray started pushing some buttons and turning knobs. She looked at the man lying on the bed breathing deeply. The woman gently touched his hand and he looked at her.
"I'm sorry, Janine," Egon whispered. "I never wanted it to happen." He looked at the ceiling than started to spout incoherent words.
"Egon," Janine said quietly. "It's okay." She watched the auburn-haired Ghostbuster as he attached a few wires to Dr. Spengler's head. The blonde haired man shook his head and made a few noises indicating he wasn't liking what Ray was doing to him. The young man backed up a bit and looked at Janine than at Dani.
"Here goes," Ray announced. He flipped another switch and they heard the machine start whirring. Egon suddenly became very stiff and clenched his fists. Janine glanced at Ray who gave her the best reassuring look he could. "We just have to wait and see."
*****
Ray sat in the almost completely dark room with his friends on one of the cots Nurse Harraway and Dr. Gray had loaned him, Dani, and Janine. There was a dim light outside the door that came through the one observation window and focused on the other three Ghostbusters. He looked at Dani and Janine who had somehow managed to go to sleep. The young man wanted to sleep as well, but the pain in his back and nagging thoughts kept him from doing so. He listened as the machine that was Egon's converted dream machine continued to hum loudly. Ray didn't know if it would work. He had simply created something that had positive energy flow through a person's head and he hoped that's all his friends needed to combat the negative valence created by the nightmare ghost. He knew without even talking to Dani how horrible their nightmares were. Only they had been in them longer than him. Dani had managed to save him within hours, but for Egon, Winston, and Peter it had almost been three days.
"You have to sleep sometime." Ray slightly jumped at the voice. He saw the outline of Janine sitting in her cot, but not the expression the secretary held. "You already pulled one all-nighter making your do-hickey."
"I can't," Ray replied. "It doesn't feel right."
"I know what you mean," Janine responded. "We got out. We didn't have serious injuries. We aren't strapped to beds still living nightmares that aren't real or don't exist anymore."
"Yeah," Dr. Stantz whispered.
"But you can't create new ones, Ray," Janine said. "The guys don't need you blaming yourself for this. You let that happen too often. They'll understand if this doesn't work. The bottom is that you care and you aren't alone in this. Dani and I are still here. We both need you to get through this."
"What'll happen if this doesn't work?" Ray asked.
"We'll cross that road when we get there," Janine told him. "It's important to think positive right now."
"I'm trying," Dr. Stantz said. The two friends were quiet a moment. "You know he loves you, Janine."
"I know."
"He just still has a hard time showing it even though you two are together. Dani's been working with him. He wants it to work." He could hear the woman let out a small sob. "Oh, God. Janine, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you do that." Ray grabbed his cane and quickly made his way over to the red- head's cot. He sat down next to her and pulled her close to him. "I'm so sorry."
"I just remember the wedding Dani told me about when she first came to the firehouse. It sounded so nice and I really hoped that day would happen." Ray squeezed the woman tighter and she continued to cry.
"Janine?" A familiar bass voice said quietly. "Janine, is that you?" The red-head pulled away from Ray. She stood up as did Dr. Stantz. They looked at Dr. Spengler and saw the awareness in his eyes.
"Egon," the woman breathed. She went over to his side and wiped away the tears from her face. "It's really you." Ray joined the woman and Egon looked at his friend.
"Hey, Spengs," Ray greeted. "How do you feel?"
"Like the floor of a taxi cab," Dr. Spengler answered. "Would you do me a favor and put my glasses on? I don't seem to be able to." He pulled at the restraints holding his wrists. Janine took his red-framed glasses out of a drawer and set them on his face.
"I'd remove the restraints, but Dr. Gray insisted we didn't," Ray told his friend. "He wanted to be sure."
"I see," Egon responded. "Where's Dani?"
"I'm right here," his cousin responded coming around the other side of his bed. She rubbed her eyes. "People apparently don't wake other people to tell them someone is back from Planet Bye-Bye." The others gave her a look. "Hey, I just woke up. Give me some slack."
"Sorry," Ray apologized. "Egon, how much do you remember?" Dr. Spengler's face became taunt and unemotional.
"I'd rather not discuss it, Raymond," Egon said. "I suggest you help Winston and Peter now." Ray nodded and started removing the wires he had attached to Egon's head than rolled the machine over next to Winston and did the same thing.
"It's good to have you back, Egon," Janine told the man. "I was really scared."
"As was I," Egon replied. "I didn't think I would make it." He looked at his cousin. "I'm sorry, Dani."
"Don't," she responded. "Not now. I just want to be happy for a little bit longer before I think about that stuff again." Egon nodded in understanding. "Let's just get you guys out of here and go home."
"They won't recover unless we go in there, Dr. Gray," Ray replied firmly. "What you're dealing with is something you may never be able to comprehend. Supernatural influences caused this and only supernatural influences can bring them back. I have just as much right to use my parapsychology as you do your psychology."
"By using improperly tested equipment?" Dr. Gray responded. "You must be mad."
"You got that right," Dani agreed as she and Janine came into the office bringing in a machine. "To do what we do you'd have to be."
"What is that?" Dr. Gray inquired.
"Our secret weapon," Janine answered.
"Are you going to let us do this or not?" Ray asked. The psychologist sitting behind the desk looked at the determined face of Dr. Stantz than at the two women standing wearing the same looks.
"Very well, Dr. Stantz, but I want you to know I don't believe in the supernatural nor in the study of parapsychology," Dr. Gray answered. "If you can't get your friends back you are to cease your efforts and allow me to continue."
"Fine," Ray said. "Can we get started now?" The man in the lab coat gave Dr. Stantz a look than gestured them to another door. Ray grabbed his cane as Janine and Dani dealt with the machine they had brought in. The three followed Dr. Gray down the hall through a few more doors until they reached a wing the three Ghostbusters had been put in.
"I suspect you won't want to be leaving any time soon," Dr. Gray said. Ray, Janine and Dani took a moment to look at the men strapped to their beds looking distant and pained.
"No," Dani told him distractedly.
"I'll talk to Nurse Harraway," Dr. Gray replied. "We'll try to get you anything else you all might need. Just push the button next to the door to contact me."
"Thanks," Janine said quietly. They heard the door close behind them. Dani looked at Ray who was leaning not only on his cane, but the pane of a window next to him.
"Do you need to sit down, Ray?" He quickly straightened up.
"No. It just hurts a bit."
"Hitting a stair railing at any speed hurts," Dani replied. "Maybe you should sit. Take a few minutes to rest." He nodded and she grabbed a chair from next to Dr. Venkman's bed.
"I'm sorry, Ray," Peter cried out. Janine, Dani, and Ray looked at Peter who was shaking. The blonde set the chair down. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I never wanted to hurt you. Egon, stop blaming me. I never meant for it to happen." Dani walked up to the edge of his bed and Peter looked at her. "You have to forgive me, Dani."
"Peter, I do," she whispered. "You just need to realize all of that isn't real." Dr. Venkman looked away and stared at the ceiling. He began crying.
"It's my fault," Peter replied. "I did it. I killed them." Ray walked up next to Dani and she turned to him tears in her own eyes.
"I know what he's talking about, Ray," Egon's cousin told him quietly. "I know what all of them are going through right now." She looked at her cousin who lay in the middle bed. "I saw it all."
"You don't have to talk about it you don't want to," Dr. Stantz responded gently.
"Maybe we should get started," Janine suggested. "Dani and I didn't drag this thing all the way out here to just let it collect dust." Ray pulled his girlfriend away from Peter and led her over to the machine.
"I'll need to calibrate it," Dr. Stantz said. He looked at his friends. "We'll start with Peter."
"You know he's going to hate that," Janine told him. Ray turned back at to the secretary. "He would want you to do Egon and Winston first."
"You're right," Ray replied. He let out a little laugh. The two women gave him a look. "People who don't know Peter would think he's a real jerk, but he'd put himself in the line of fire just to save a little puppy or some guy who had just given him the finger."
"He'd never let you forget it though," Janine responded with a small smile. "As much trouble as Dr. V. has given me I'd never give up all the memories we've shared."
"Stop talking about him like he's dead," Dani told the two. "He's not. They're just stuck in nightmares that nearly killed them. If we don't get started now than we might as well let them die." Ray looked down a moment.
"Let's start with Egon," Dr. Stantz said quietly. Janine pushed the machine over next to Dr. Spengler and Ray started pushing some buttons and turning knobs. She looked at the man lying on the bed breathing deeply. The woman gently touched his hand and he looked at her.
"I'm sorry, Janine," Egon whispered. "I never wanted it to happen." He looked at the ceiling than started to spout incoherent words.
"Egon," Janine said quietly. "It's okay." She watched the auburn-haired Ghostbuster as he attached a few wires to Dr. Spengler's head. The blonde haired man shook his head and made a few noises indicating he wasn't liking what Ray was doing to him. The young man backed up a bit and looked at Janine than at Dani.
"Here goes," Ray announced. He flipped another switch and they heard the machine start whirring. Egon suddenly became very stiff and clenched his fists. Janine glanced at Ray who gave her the best reassuring look he could. "We just have to wait and see."
*****
Ray sat in the almost completely dark room with his friends on one of the cots Nurse Harraway and Dr. Gray had loaned him, Dani, and Janine. There was a dim light outside the door that came through the one observation window and focused on the other three Ghostbusters. He looked at Dani and Janine who had somehow managed to go to sleep. The young man wanted to sleep as well, but the pain in his back and nagging thoughts kept him from doing so. He listened as the machine that was Egon's converted dream machine continued to hum loudly. Ray didn't know if it would work. He had simply created something that had positive energy flow through a person's head and he hoped that's all his friends needed to combat the negative valence created by the nightmare ghost. He knew without even talking to Dani how horrible their nightmares were. Only they had been in them longer than him. Dani had managed to save him within hours, but for Egon, Winston, and Peter it had almost been three days.
"You have to sleep sometime." Ray slightly jumped at the voice. He saw the outline of Janine sitting in her cot, but not the expression the secretary held. "You already pulled one all-nighter making your do-hickey."
"I can't," Ray replied. "It doesn't feel right."
"I know what you mean," Janine responded. "We got out. We didn't have serious injuries. We aren't strapped to beds still living nightmares that aren't real or don't exist anymore."
"Yeah," Dr. Stantz whispered.
"But you can't create new ones, Ray," Janine said. "The guys don't need you blaming yourself for this. You let that happen too often. They'll understand if this doesn't work. The bottom is that you care and you aren't alone in this. Dani and I are still here. We both need you to get through this."
"What'll happen if this doesn't work?" Ray asked.
"We'll cross that road when we get there," Janine told him. "It's important to think positive right now."
"I'm trying," Dr. Stantz said. The two friends were quiet a moment. "You know he loves you, Janine."
"I know."
"He just still has a hard time showing it even though you two are together. Dani's been working with him. He wants it to work." He could hear the woman let out a small sob. "Oh, God. Janine, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you do that." Ray grabbed his cane and quickly made his way over to the red- head's cot. He sat down next to her and pulled her close to him. "I'm so sorry."
"I just remember the wedding Dani told me about when she first came to the firehouse. It sounded so nice and I really hoped that day would happen." Ray squeezed the woman tighter and she continued to cry.
"Janine?" A familiar bass voice said quietly. "Janine, is that you?" The red-head pulled away from Ray. She stood up as did Dr. Stantz. They looked at Dr. Spengler and saw the awareness in his eyes.
"Egon," the woman breathed. She went over to his side and wiped away the tears from her face. "It's really you." Ray joined the woman and Egon looked at his friend.
"Hey, Spengs," Ray greeted. "How do you feel?"
"Like the floor of a taxi cab," Dr. Spengler answered. "Would you do me a favor and put my glasses on? I don't seem to be able to." He pulled at the restraints holding his wrists. Janine took his red-framed glasses out of a drawer and set them on his face.
"I'd remove the restraints, but Dr. Gray insisted we didn't," Ray told his friend. "He wanted to be sure."
"I see," Egon responded. "Where's Dani?"
"I'm right here," his cousin responded coming around the other side of his bed. She rubbed her eyes. "People apparently don't wake other people to tell them someone is back from Planet Bye-Bye." The others gave her a look. "Hey, I just woke up. Give me some slack."
"Sorry," Ray apologized. "Egon, how much do you remember?" Dr. Spengler's face became taunt and unemotional.
"I'd rather not discuss it, Raymond," Egon said. "I suggest you help Winston and Peter now." Ray nodded and started removing the wires he had attached to Egon's head than rolled the machine over next to Winston and did the same thing.
"It's good to have you back, Egon," Janine told the man. "I was really scared."
"As was I," Egon replied. "I didn't think I would make it." He looked at his cousin. "I'm sorry, Dani."
"Don't," she responded. "Not now. I just want to be happy for a little bit longer before I think about that stuff again." Egon nodded in understanding. "Let's just get you guys out of here and go home."