Chapter Four
"No! Don't touch them! GET AWAY!" Peter screamed suddenly sitting up right in his bed. Looking around he was all too aware of the two empty beds on the other side of the room. The Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man staring at him.
"Peter?" Came the soft voice, the friendly voice, but it wasn't the voice Peter needed or wanted to hear. He wanted to scream, yell throw things. Crying wasn't his way of dealing with things when one of his friends was hurt or missing. He either searched for them or yelled at everyone in a five mile radius until they were found or better.
The problem was until now, he had always known his friends or friend would be found, would be fine. This time he wasn't so sure. That scared him, he was afraid that if he looked for Austin he would find his friends dead, one or both of them, that thought terrified him. Caused a chill down to the soul, part of him thought maybe they were already dead.
"They're alive Pete," came the voice again, a hand touched his shoulder, causing Peter to turn around and glare at Winston. The black man looking stronger than ever.
"How would you know!" Bit Peter, fear finally getting the better of him. Winston sighed.
"I just know Peter, trust me."
"I can't do that Winston, you know that better than anyone, I can't know until I see them, touch them, hold them," Peter bit.
"Peter, looking inside yourself, do you feel empty?"
"What?"
"Let me ask you a question, Peter. You, Egon and Ray you guys have been friends for how many years, nearly fourteen or so, well, you guys are like brothers, you have a bond, just like brothers, and any friends, you have a bond formed that most people don't have. Does it feel like they're gone?" Winston asked looking into Peter's broken emerald eyes.
"I'm not sure I understand," Peter whispered.
"Well I mean, don't you think you'd feel something if they were dead? Right now you're just assuming, because you can't touch them, hold them and see them. You're assuming that they're dead because Austin is a brutal man, but we don't know that. Look into your soul, Pete, deep inside and tell me does it feel like they died? Do you feel empty inside? Like you've lost something deep inside that you shared with both your two best friends, your brothers? Is there a hollowness there that you've never felt before?" Peter opened his mouth to answer, then closed it, realizing he wanted an honest answer, so Peter sat for a second, letting the rain fall on the building sheltering them. He closed his eyes and trying to imagine how he really felt deep inside right now.
"No," was the only word he said, a tear falling from his eyes to his cheek. Winston smiled gently and clasped Peter's shoulder, he knew it wasn't over, that he and Peter would have a few more conversations like this, none as calm, but he was ready. In his heart Winston did believe his friends were alive, and wouldn't stop looking until they were found.
"I believe in my heart that they will survive, just like I believe that we will find them. Now I think you need to believe too," He whispered.
"I'm afraid Winston, I don't handle fear well," whispered Peter.
"I know m'man, neither do I, but trust me, Egon is one strong man, and so is Ray. We don't give that kid enough credit for some of the shit he's been through, he's no wimp. He can handle what is thrown at him."
"I'm sorry if I woke you up," muttered Peter.
"You didn't," Winston stated plainly and then headed back to his own bed, as he lay there, quiet, listening to the rain fall he heard Peter's soft prayer.
"Please God, if you're really there, let them be alive and okay please," Peter muttered, another tear trailing down his cheek, the same prayer echoing in Winston's mind. ****
Nothing really made sense, just random shapes in space as Ray tried to get a good glimpse of the room, he felt arms around his shoulders, and for a moment he thought he just had a bad case of the flu and Peter was holding him to make him feel better.
Peter had a way of doing that, when Ray was sick, he always spoke of how his mother had done the same thing for him when he was just a little boy sick with something. Peter would gently wipe Ray's forehead with a cloth and cool water, and sit with him, talking to him while Ray drifted in and out of awareness. Peter was always there for Ray when he needed him. So was Egon, and Winston. Ray was so lucky to have three wonderful friends who cared about him.
However, Ray quickly discovered that it wasn't Peter, but Egon holding him up, and his vertigo was not the flu, but something else. He couldn't remember anything from the past few days. He didn't know how long he had been sitting here. His mind began to wander, wondering why he was so cold.
His stomach was painfully churning, having to keep himself from vomiting was something that was quickly zapping his energy. He felt hot, yet he was shivering, he wanted to hide within the arms that held him so tightly, so lovingly.
"Ray, I'm here," came the bass voice, all too familiar, but seemingly so distant. He tried to move, and felt the arms wrap tighter around his shoulders and chest.
"Mmphlf," came the murmured reply from Ray, unable to form words, which instantly angered him, he couldn't feel his arms and legs. He only felt a slightly tingling feeling.
"Ray, don't move, you've got a couple cracked ribs," Egon's voice sounded in his left ear, making Ray very nervous for some reason. Had this been the first time he was actually with it, enough to understand people. He felt the long fingers work their way through his auburn sweat plastered hair.
"Mmm, 'Gon, feelsssss gooddd," Ray voiced, finding his words slurring.
"Shh, it's okay Ray, just hold still, I've got you now."
"Hurtsss, stopppp it 'gon," murmured Ray.
"I know it does Ray, and I wish I could Raymond, I really wish I could," whispered Egon, as a tear made its way down his dirty cheeks. He pulled Ray closer to him, the two huddling for the warmth, Ray was barely aware of it, but somewhere inside he knew the love and warmth was there and being offered. The two seemed to draw strength from each other as they clung to one another. ****
"Peter, we cannot go search the entire Manhattan area, do you have any idea how long that would take, and by the time we even got close to finding them, they'd be dead, and we'd probably die of old age!" Winston hadn't meant to be so harsh, but he had the feeling that currently that's what Peter was in need of, the harsh realities, "It would be like looking for a thimble sized needle, in a hay stack the size of the jolly green giant." Winston wasn't angry at Pete, but he was quickly getting frustrated with Peter's gung ho attitude.
"We've gotta try!" Yelled Peter, he was scared, and Winston knew it, but Winston also knew he was about an inch away from killing the man. Going into every house, warehouse, and apartment would be a waste of time and energy on their parts, as well as Egon and Rays. It would take years to comb that entire area, and they would still come up empty.
"No, we need to narrow the options, before we go off half cocked trying to find them. You're the psychologist Peter, get into that guy's head, and find out what he's most likely to do, or most unlikely to do. Come on Peter, you're smarter than that, use your head, not your heart. Don't let your rage towards him cloud your genius you have. You're scared, I know that, I am too, but we need to pull it together," Peter said nothing, but slowly and finally nodded, showing Winston he understood and agreed.
"He's been planning this for ten years..Come on Winston, we're running outta time!" Peter said suddenly hurrying towards the Ecto.
"Where are we going!?"
"To the cops, I have an idea."
"No! Don't touch them! GET AWAY!" Peter screamed suddenly sitting up right in his bed. Looking around he was all too aware of the two empty beds on the other side of the room. The Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man staring at him.
"Peter?" Came the soft voice, the friendly voice, but it wasn't the voice Peter needed or wanted to hear. He wanted to scream, yell throw things. Crying wasn't his way of dealing with things when one of his friends was hurt or missing. He either searched for them or yelled at everyone in a five mile radius until they were found or better.
The problem was until now, he had always known his friends or friend would be found, would be fine. This time he wasn't so sure. That scared him, he was afraid that if he looked for Austin he would find his friends dead, one or both of them, that thought terrified him. Caused a chill down to the soul, part of him thought maybe they were already dead.
"They're alive Pete," came the voice again, a hand touched his shoulder, causing Peter to turn around and glare at Winston. The black man looking stronger than ever.
"How would you know!" Bit Peter, fear finally getting the better of him. Winston sighed.
"I just know Peter, trust me."
"I can't do that Winston, you know that better than anyone, I can't know until I see them, touch them, hold them," Peter bit.
"Peter, looking inside yourself, do you feel empty?"
"What?"
"Let me ask you a question, Peter. You, Egon and Ray you guys have been friends for how many years, nearly fourteen or so, well, you guys are like brothers, you have a bond, just like brothers, and any friends, you have a bond formed that most people don't have. Does it feel like they're gone?" Winston asked looking into Peter's broken emerald eyes.
"I'm not sure I understand," Peter whispered.
"Well I mean, don't you think you'd feel something if they were dead? Right now you're just assuming, because you can't touch them, hold them and see them. You're assuming that they're dead because Austin is a brutal man, but we don't know that. Look into your soul, Pete, deep inside and tell me does it feel like they died? Do you feel empty inside? Like you've lost something deep inside that you shared with both your two best friends, your brothers? Is there a hollowness there that you've never felt before?" Peter opened his mouth to answer, then closed it, realizing he wanted an honest answer, so Peter sat for a second, letting the rain fall on the building sheltering them. He closed his eyes and trying to imagine how he really felt deep inside right now.
"No," was the only word he said, a tear falling from his eyes to his cheek. Winston smiled gently and clasped Peter's shoulder, he knew it wasn't over, that he and Peter would have a few more conversations like this, none as calm, but he was ready. In his heart Winston did believe his friends were alive, and wouldn't stop looking until they were found.
"I believe in my heart that they will survive, just like I believe that we will find them. Now I think you need to believe too," He whispered.
"I'm afraid Winston, I don't handle fear well," whispered Peter.
"I know m'man, neither do I, but trust me, Egon is one strong man, and so is Ray. We don't give that kid enough credit for some of the shit he's been through, he's no wimp. He can handle what is thrown at him."
"I'm sorry if I woke you up," muttered Peter.
"You didn't," Winston stated plainly and then headed back to his own bed, as he lay there, quiet, listening to the rain fall he heard Peter's soft prayer.
"Please God, if you're really there, let them be alive and okay please," Peter muttered, another tear trailing down his cheek, the same prayer echoing in Winston's mind. ****
Nothing really made sense, just random shapes in space as Ray tried to get a good glimpse of the room, he felt arms around his shoulders, and for a moment he thought he just had a bad case of the flu and Peter was holding him to make him feel better.
Peter had a way of doing that, when Ray was sick, he always spoke of how his mother had done the same thing for him when he was just a little boy sick with something. Peter would gently wipe Ray's forehead with a cloth and cool water, and sit with him, talking to him while Ray drifted in and out of awareness. Peter was always there for Ray when he needed him. So was Egon, and Winston. Ray was so lucky to have three wonderful friends who cared about him.
However, Ray quickly discovered that it wasn't Peter, but Egon holding him up, and his vertigo was not the flu, but something else. He couldn't remember anything from the past few days. He didn't know how long he had been sitting here. His mind began to wander, wondering why he was so cold.
His stomach was painfully churning, having to keep himself from vomiting was something that was quickly zapping his energy. He felt hot, yet he was shivering, he wanted to hide within the arms that held him so tightly, so lovingly.
"Ray, I'm here," came the bass voice, all too familiar, but seemingly so distant. He tried to move, and felt the arms wrap tighter around his shoulders and chest.
"Mmphlf," came the murmured reply from Ray, unable to form words, which instantly angered him, he couldn't feel his arms and legs. He only felt a slightly tingling feeling.
"Ray, don't move, you've got a couple cracked ribs," Egon's voice sounded in his left ear, making Ray very nervous for some reason. Had this been the first time he was actually with it, enough to understand people. He felt the long fingers work their way through his auburn sweat plastered hair.
"Mmm, 'Gon, feelsssss gooddd," Ray voiced, finding his words slurring.
"Shh, it's okay Ray, just hold still, I've got you now."
"Hurtsss, stopppp it 'gon," murmured Ray.
"I know it does Ray, and I wish I could Raymond, I really wish I could," whispered Egon, as a tear made its way down his dirty cheeks. He pulled Ray closer to him, the two huddling for the warmth, Ray was barely aware of it, but somewhere inside he knew the love and warmth was there and being offered. The two seemed to draw strength from each other as they clung to one another. ****
"Peter, we cannot go search the entire Manhattan area, do you have any idea how long that would take, and by the time we even got close to finding them, they'd be dead, and we'd probably die of old age!" Winston hadn't meant to be so harsh, but he had the feeling that currently that's what Peter was in need of, the harsh realities, "It would be like looking for a thimble sized needle, in a hay stack the size of the jolly green giant." Winston wasn't angry at Pete, but he was quickly getting frustrated with Peter's gung ho attitude.
"We've gotta try!" Yelled Peter, he was scared, and Winston knew it, but Winston also knew he was about an inch away from killing the man. Going into every house, warehouse, and apartment would be a waste of time and energy on their parts, as well as Egon and Rays. It would take years to comb that entire area, and they would still come up empty.
"No, we need to narrow the options, before we go off half cocked trying to find them. You're the psychologist Peter, get into that guy's head, and find out what he's most likely to do, or most unlikely to do. Come on Peter, you're smarter than that, use your head, not your heart. Don't let your rage towards him cloud your genius you have. You're scared, I know that, I am too, but we need to pull it together," Peter said nothing, but slowly and finally nodded, showing Winston he understood and agreed.
"He's been planning this for ten years..Come on Winston, we're running outta time!" Peter said suddenly hurrying towards the Ecto.
"Where are we going!?"
"To the cops, I have an idea."