"Shit," Winston muttered when he heard the shot from upstairs. Peter was
dangerous now and there was no telling what happened. He pulled at the
ropes that bound his wrists to the railing in front of the containment
unit, but they wouldn't give. Peter obviously knew how to tie knots. "I
shouldn't have left them alone."
"Winston, you don't think--," Janine trailed off. The Ghostbuster looked at the secretary that sat bound on the other side of an unconscious Egon. The blonde man's head hung forward and his glasses were gone.
"I don't know," Winston replied. "Ray and Dani went upstairs to fix the antidote."
"Antidote," Egon murmured. "I have to find it." His head shot up and he looked around. His vision was blurred, but he could feel something holding his hands up over his head. He pulled at the ropes as well, but found the short fight futile.
"Egon, are you okay?" Janine asked. She had remembered when Dr. Venkman had dragged the physicist's limp body into the basement. The secretary had cried to herself because the lanky man looked like a rag doll. Egon turned his head toward her and squinted to focus better on her. This only made the headache he received from the blow to the head a bit worse.
"I'm fine," Dr. Spengler answered. "We must get out of here."
"Egon, do you really think Peter's gonna let us stroll out of here?" Winston asked. "He's gone crazy. You may not have heard the shot, but no telling what happened. Ray or Dani could be hurt. Or worse." None of them wanted to think that either of the two younger people was dying or dead.
Dr. Spengler thought a moment about his young cousin whom he loved and cared for deeply. And his friend who he loved and cared for just as much. Dani was still adjusting to her new life and Ray was helping every moment he could when it seemed everyone else was at a loss. She often joined Egon in his lab and watched him work as well as play with some of his inventions. Egon would often think this annoying, but the young woman just wanted her cousin to pay attention. Something that reminded him much of Dr. Stantz who despite being over thirty years old would often do the most childish things at odd times. The physicist understood why she had taken to Ray. They were able to relate to each other on another level. Egon couldn't imagine life without either of them and guessed that at this point in their relationship they wouldn't be able to either.
"Egon," Janine said. The Ghostbuster looked at the secretary with the thoughts still lingering. He saw the fear and concern in her eyes. Egon loved her as well and hated the fact this could be the last moments for the both of them. He hadn't had the chance to tell her he did love her. "Egon, there's something I've been meaning to say."
"Me too," Egon replied. They stared at each other for a long time. "You go first, Janine."
"Well, I just --" She was cut off as the door at the top of the stairs slammed open and Ray stumbled in. The young man looked distraught as Peter pushed him toward the stairs. The occultist plodded down the stairs with the gun shoved in the small of his back.
"Ray!" Winston shouted. His friend barely looked up and Zeddemore knew something had happened to Dani. Something evidently bad or Dr. Stantz wouldn't be looking like an abandoned puppy. Peter had the young man sit between Egon and Janine. They both looked at him and he put his head in his bound hands silently sobbing. "What did you do to Dani, Peter?"
"I got rid of her," Dr. Venkman answered. "She wasn't real. She was just one part of my problem."
"You what!?!" Egon exclaimed angrily. "How could you?" The Ghostbuster pulled at the ropes again only to chafe his wrists.
"Your problem is that you're crazy," Winston replied. "Pete, this is real life. Face it, man. You're stuck here."
"No!" Peter shouted. "This is not real!" He found himself back in the hospital room sitting in the corner banging his head against the wall. "Mom, I can't do it. It's too hard. The pain. The memories."
"Those memories aren't real, sweetheart," his mother told him. "You have to forget them. You can do it, son."
"I'm not stuck here," Peter told Winston. "I just have to do this and I'm free."
"Peter, think through this," Egon said sternly and angrily. "Ask yourself why. Why would you create a world like this? Why would you send us to Hell with a miniscule change of returning? Why would you constantly create situations where the end of the world was only one slip of the hand away? You wouldn't do that, Peter." Egon shook his head. "No, instead you killed an innocent person. Someone who never hurt you."
"How do you know what I wouldn't do?" Peter shot back. "You died."
"I did not. I'm right here. I always have been."
"Why?" Dr. Venkman repeated to himself. Peter had never thought about the why. The doctor said he created it to keep his friends alive. Why would he subject his friends to torture like Hell? That wasn't life. That was sending them to their death beds, but they managed to get out of it every time as if by miracle. As if someone was watching them. He had sometimes doubted at those times he and his friends would actually make it out. If there was a chance of doubt than maybe this was real. Maybe he had just killed an innocent person.
"Peter, are you alright?" His mother asked. He looked at her.
"Mom, it isn't right," Peter whispered.
"No, it isn't," his mother agreed. "You know what the right thing is. Your father and I believe you'll do the best thing. We love you, Peter. You're a strong person. I believe in you. Just do what you feel you should do." Peter leaned his head against the hard wall and saw his friends. Winston wore an angry expression, Egon looked deeply hurt, Ray was still crying, and Janine seemed to be lost in her own world of utter confusion as she looked at the broken man sitting next to her.
"I hurt them," Dr. Venkman said quietly. "You don't hurt people who are real. Especially your friends."
"Sweetheart, what are you talking about?" His mother asked. Peter turned back to his mom and gave her a small smile.
"I know what to do now," he told her. He gave her a hug. "Thanks, mom. I love you."
"I love you too, Peter." She watched as her son leaned back against the wall. His face suddenly became blank and his eyes held a far away look. "Peter?" His mother touched him and there was no reaction. "Peter!"
Dr. Venkman dropped the gun in his hands and stared at his friends. Peter felt like that ten year old kid again where all he wanted to do was run upstairs and hide under the covers. He had betrayed his friends and now he would have to amend for it. Even if it took the rest of his life. From the looks he was receiving it might just take that long. He had shot Dani.
"Peter," a voice wheezed behind him. He turned around and saw Dani standing at the top of the stairs. She was leaning against the railing looking as though she would drop. Her shirt was covered in blood. "Peter, don't do it." Peter felt his heart fall in his chest like a piece of lead. He hadn't killed her, but she was close.
"Dani," Ray said. He shot up when he saw the young woman. "Oh, God, Dani." He sprinted past the statued Peter and up the stairs. Dr. Stantz managed to catch her with his bound hands as she started to fall. He gently laid her down and pressed both hands against her wound. "I thought you were dead."
"Can't keep me down," Dani replied with a grin. She winced. "Than again I might really like this position."
"Peter, untie us," Winston ordered the out-of-it Ghostbuster. Peter turned back around still in his daze and walked over to the man. He undid the knots that held Zeddemore's hands. Winston went over to Egon and untied the physicist who in turn released Janine. The secretary threw her arms around Dr. Spengler and he returned the squeeze tightly. Than they abruptly broke apart.
"Dani," Janine said. The young woman had to be helped before they could carry on. Egon nodded than he, Janine and Winston went up the stairs joining Ray around the bleeding young woman. Peter leaned against the railing next to the containment unit.
"I'll call an ambulance," Winston said. He left the basement, but not without glancing down at Dr. Venkman who was now sitting on the floor with his arms wrapped around himself. The black man felt sorry for his friend, but right now he needed to help Dani than he would help Peter. They'd all have to help him. Sometimes though a gunshot wound took precedent over a confused mind.
"Winston, you don't think--," Janine trailed off. The Ghostbuster looked at the secretary that sat bound on the other side of an unconscious Egon. The blonde man's head hung forward and his glasses were gone.
"I don't know," Winston replied. "Ray and Dani went upstairs to fix the antidote."
"Antidote," Egon murmured. "I have to find it." His head shot up and he looked around. His vision was blurred, but he could feel something holding his hands up over his head. He pulled at the ropes as well, but found the short fight futile.
"Egon, are you okay?" Janine asked. She had remembered when Dr. Venkman had dragged the physicist's limp body into the basement. The secretary had cried to herself because the lanky man looked like a rag doll. Egon turned his head toward her and squinted to focus better on her. This only made the headache he received from the blow to the head a bit worse.
"I'm fine," Dr. Spengler answered. "We must get out of here."
"Egon, do you really think Peter's gonna let us stroll out of here?" Winston asked. "He's gone crazy. You may not have heard the shot, but no telling what happened. Ray or Dani could be hurt. Or worse." None of them wanted to think that either of the two younger people was dying or dead.
Dr. Spengler thought a moment about his young cousin whom he loved and cared for deeply. And his friend who he loved and cared for just as much. Dani was still adjusting to her new life and Ray was helping every moment he could when it seemed everyone else was at a loss. She often joined Egon in his lab and watched him work as well as play with some of his inventions. Egon would often think this annoying, but the young woman just wanted her cousin to pay attention. Something that reminded him much of Dr. Stantz who despite being over thirty years old would often do the most childish things at odd times. The physicist understood why she had taken to Ray. They were able to relate to each other on another level. Egon couldn't imagine life without either of them and guessed that at this point in their relationship they wouldn't be able to either.
"Egon," Janine said. The Ghostbuster looked at the secretary with the thoughts still lingering. He saw the fear and concern in her eyes. Egon loved her as well and hated the fact this could be the last moments for the both of them. He hadn't had the chance to tell her he did love her. "Egon, there's something I've been meaning to say."
"Me too," Egon replied. They stared at each other for a long time. "You go first, Janine."
"Well, I just --" She was cut off as the door at the top of the stairs slammed open and Ray stumbled in. The young man looked distraught as Peter pushed him toward the stairs. The occultist plodded down the stairs with the gun shoved in the small of his back.
"Ray!" Winston shouted. His friend barely looked up and Zeddemore knew something had happened to Dani. Something evidently bad or Dr. Stantz wouldn't be looking like an abandoned puppy. Peter had the young man sit between Egon and Janine. They both looked at him and he put his head in his bound hands silently sobbing. "What did you do to Dani, Peter?"
"I got rid of her," Dr. Venkman answered. "She wasn't real. She was just one part of my problem."
"You what!?!" Egon exclaimed angrily. "How could you?" The Ghostbuster pulled at the ropes again only to chafe his wrists.
"Your problem is that you're crazy," Winston replied. "Pete, this is real life. Face it, man. You're stuck here."
"No!" Peter shouted. "This is not real!" He found himself back in the hospital room sitting in the corner banging his head against the wall. "Mom, I can't do it. It's too hard. The pain. The memories."
"Those memories aren't real, sweetheart," his mother told him. "You have to forget them. You can do it, son."
"I'm not stuck here," Peter told Winston. "I just have to do this and I'm free."
"Peter, think through this," Egon said sternly and angrily. "Ask yourself why. Why would you create a world like this? Why would you send us to Hell with a miniscule change of returning? Why would you constantly create situations where the end of the world was only one slip of the hand away? You wouldn't do that, Peter." Egon shook his head. "No, instead you killed an innocent person. Someone who never hurt you."
"How do you know what I wouldn't do?" Peter shot back. "You died."
"I did not. I'm right here. I always have been."
"Why?" Dr. Venkman repeated to himself. Peter had never thought about the why. The doctor said he created it to keep his friends alive. Why would he subject his friends to torture like Hell? That wasn't life. That was sending them to their death beds, but they managed to get out of it every time as if by miracle. As if someone was watching them. He had sometimes doubted at those times he and his friends would actually make it out. If there was a chance of doubt than maybe this was real. Maybe he had just killed an innocent person.
"Peter, are you alright?" His mother asked. He looked at her.
"Mom, it isn't right," Peter whispered.
"No, it isn't," his mother agreed. "You know what the right thing is. Your father and I believe you'll do the best thing. We love you, Peter. You're a strong person. I believe in you. Just do what you feel you should do." Peter leaned his head against the hard wall and saw his friends. Winston wore an angry expression, Egon looked deeply hurt, Ray was still crying, and Janine seemed to be lost in her own world of utter confusion as she looked at the broken man sitting next to her.
"I hurt them," Dr. Venkman said quietly. "You don't hurt people who are real. Especially your friends."
"Sweetheart, what are you talking about?" His mother asked. Peter turned back to his mom and gave her a small smile.
"I know what to do now," he told her. He gave her a hug. "Thanks, mom. I love you."
"I love you too, Peter." She watched as her son leaned back against the wall. His face suddenly became blank and his eyes held a far away look. "Peter?" His mother touched him and there was no reaction. "Peter!"
Dr. Venkman dropped the gun in his hands and stared at his friends. Peter felt like that ten year old kid again where all he wanted to do was run upstairs and hide under the covers. He had betrayed his friends and now he would have to amend for it. Even if it took the rest of his life. From the looks he was receiving it might just take that long. He had shot Dani.
"Peter," a voice wheezed behind him. He turned around and saw Dani standing at the top of the stairs. She was leaning against the railing looking as though she would drop. Her shirt was covered in blood. "Peter, don't do it." Peter felt his heart fall in his chest like a piece of lead. He hadn't killed her, but she was close.
"Dani," Ray said. He shot up when he saw the young woman. "Oh, God, Dani." He sprinted past the statued Peter and up the stairs. Dr. Stantz managed to catch her with his bound hands as she started to fall. He gently laid her down and pressed both hands against her wound. "I thought you were dead."
"Can't keep me down," Dani replied with a grin. She winced. "Than again I might really like this position."
"Peter, untie us," Winston ordered the out-of-it Ghostbuster. Peter turned back around still in his daze and walked over to the man. He undid the knots that held Zeddemore's hands. Winston went over to Egon and untied the physicist who in turn released Janine. The secretary threw her arms around Dr. Spengler and he returned the squeeze tightly. Than they abruptly broke apart.
"Dani," Janine said. The young woman had to be helped before they could carry on. Egon nodded than he, Janine and Winston went up the stairs joining Ray around the bleeding young woman. Peter leaned against the railing next to the containment unit.
"I'll call an ambulance," Winston said. He left the basement, but not without glancing down at Dr. Venkman who was now sitting on the floor with his arms wrapped around himself. The black man felt sorry for his friend, but right now he needed to help Dani than he would help Peter. They'd all have to help him. Sometimes though a gunshot wound took precedent over a confused mind.