I do not own anything in this story, so far, except for Lauren and Mike.
But if ya wanna use either of them, which is doubtful, then ya have ta ask
me first!
Note: Wow, Dooly read my mind!! How freaky!! I was actually planning on doing another Fuzzy fic sometime in the near future about him finding a girl. Don't ask me what form of species she will be, 'cos I don't even know! I was thinking about doing it in this one, but I don't know now. What do you, the readers, think about that? I mean, it wouldn't be a bad kind of romance, but ya know one of those cute "beauty that tamed the beast" sort of things. She'd be more of a friend than... ya know... a, "girl friend".
Well... on with the show!!! :P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lost Promises, Found Friendships
By Dramaqueen-8.0
Chapter5: Introductions
[SCENE: The camera now shows the lab of Professor Hardley, only instead of it being filled with scientists running back and fourth in a rush; it is now occupied with a few people at their desks, getting ready to go home, seeing as how it is late at night]
[It is later that same day]
[The camera pans across the room until we come to a shot of Lauren Hardley, standing in front of a large one way mirror. She is wearing a long sleeved, light blue shirt with 'CUTIE' written on the front in bold blue letters. For blue jeans, she is wearing her hip huggers with faded white tennis shoes. Her hair is back in a high ponytail]
[Her face shows an express of concern as she looks through the window at what appears to be a medical room. The small room is unoccupied except for the unconscious figure on the bed, hooked up to several pieces of machinery. There are also restraints holding down his arms, legs and torso, which are all covered in pink fur]
[The figure is obviously Fuzzy Lumpkins]
[The sound of a sliding door is heard and we see Mike Atwood come inside of the room from behind her. He is now dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans. He has a set of keys in one hand and an access card to the lab in the other]
[However, her gaze remains upon the medical room. He sees her standing there, knowing that she has had that same distant look ever since her father had brought her down into the lower levels of the lab to see his latest "experiment"]
[He shakes his head, putting down his keys and access card on a near by computer monitor. He walks up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder]
MIKE: Hey, you okay?
[She jumps a bit at his hand resting on her shoulder. She turns, responding with a forced smile]
LAUREN: (Quietly) Yeah...yeah, I'm fine...why?
MIKE: Um...well, I haven't known you for very long, but, you just don't seem like the kind of person that gets depressed about something very often.
LAUREN: (Surprised) Oh, uh, well, I guess that this whole thing kind of freaked me out a bit at first. No biggie. (She laughs nervously, turning back to the window)
MIKE: (After a short pause) Actually...I meant just now. You looked more concerned than freaked out.
[She looks back at him in silence, before dropping the calm act, finally glad to have someone to talk to about all this...besides her father, that is. And she had given up on getting any answers out of him just yesterday]
LAUREN: Well, who wouldn't! I mean, just look at him! (Gestures toward window) He looks so...pathetic in there. Doesn't he?
MIKE: (Looks through window) Yeah, I know what ya' mean.
[There is a long pause as both of them watch Fuzzy in silence. She sighs after a moment. Mike looks at her again]
MIKE: Look, I don't mean to pry, but...why do you care?
LAUREN: (Turns toward him again, shocked) What!?
MIKE: (Struggling) Ya' know, with him being...what he is...it just seems kinda weird that someone like you would show concern for...well, someone like...that. (This time he gestures toward window)
[Lauren is still taken aback by Mike's question. She is about to respond, but is interrupted by a beeping noise coming from one of the monitors below the one-way mirror. The two of them both look down at it]
[Mike reads what is on the screen, which causes his eyes to widen slightly]
MIKE: (Exasperated sigh) Not again...
[He goes to the monitor where he put his keys down earlier and picks up the access card. He then heads toward another sliding door, leading into the small medical room]
[Lauren follows his actions with her gaze, once again confused]
LAUREN: What? What is it, what's wrong?
MIKE: It's the Lumpkin. His condition has been unstable for the past few-
LAUREN: (Surprised) Unstable!? Whadda ya' mean by unstable?
[Mike stops in front of the door, fumbling with the card]
MIKE: Well, uh, when we first brought him hear, he was still heavily sedated from the tranquilizers-
LAUREN: Whoa, whoa, whoa! (Putting hands up angrily) Tranquilizers? Heavily sedated? (Walks up behind him) What kind of experiment is my father working on here!?
[Mike turns toward her, a bit taken aback]
MIKE: You mean...he didn't explain all of this? (Points at equipment through window)
LAUREN: Well, his research has always been a little...over the top, so I never bother asking-
[The beeping begins to increase in pace. Mike turns back towards the door, sliding his card into the coded lock. He then proceeds to punch in a few numbers causing the small light above it to flash from red to green, after which the door slides open quickly]
[Lauren has been watching him carefully throughout this process]
[He then proceeds into the room, heading straight for a small table in the corner of the room. He picks up a syringe and a bottle filled with a clear liquid. He inserts the needle into the top, extracting some of the liquid]
[He then approaches Fuzzy, who is breathing heavily, injecting his arm with the needle, causing him to flinch a little]
[Lauren has noticed this. Not to mention the expression on his face ever since she had entered the room without thinking]
[After a few seconds, the beeping begins to return to the steady beat it had been earlier. Fuzzy's breathing also begins to slow, instead he is now wheezing quietly, but he seems to be in less pain]
[This causes Lauren to look away from him, seeing as how she hates to see any living thing suffer]
[Mike breathes a sigh of relief, though to Lauren it sounded more annoyed than relieved]
[Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Mike's key card on the small table next to the bottle of clear liquid. She continues to stare at it until Mike says something, causing her to look back at him]
MIKE: (To Fuzzy) Well, that oughtta hold ya' for a while, anyway.
[He then turns to face her. This time it's his turn to force a smile in order to show confidence where there isn't any. Naturally, she sees right through it]
MIKE: He'll be okay, now. This is normal, so it might happen again, but not for the rest of the night...
[He looks back down at the slowly breathing Fuzzy]
MIKE: (To himself, aloud)...I hope.
[Lauren looks back down at the unconscious creature. He really was pathetic. She just wished that there was something she could do for him...]
[Her attention is once again on the small table. She is eyeing the key card again]
[Mike sighs, heading back to the door. He is in deep thought, causing him to forget all about the syringe in his hand and the key card on the table]
[Lauren is about to follow him, but before she does so, she grabs the card and pockets it, hoping that he didn't notice]
[She walks behind him and out the door. But before he is all the way through, he stops, turning back around and walking past her. He goes to the small table, placing the syringe down slowly without thinking. He then heads back through the door, pressing a button on his way out, causing it to slide shut behind him]
[Lauren is holding her breath, hoping he doesn't remember the card. Once the door is shut, she exhales]
[He turns back to face her. Once again he looks exhausted]
MIKE: Well, it's getting kind of late. You should probably turn in. It's my turn on the graveyard shift tonight, so I'll be here all night. (Turns, facing a monitor)
[Lauren's thoughts are all on her new possession, concealed within her back pocket. She eyes Mike in silence, thinking. After a moment, she grins slyly]
LAUREN: Ya' know, Mike... (Gets closer to him, concerned) You look exhausted. Why don't you go on home? I can watch him. Besides, if anything does go wrong, then I can just call Dad. (Pats him on the back lovingly) You need your rest.
[Mike has turned to face her while she speaks]
[He is about to protest, but it's hard to say no to her when she keeps looking up at him like that with those deep green eyes]
[After a short pause, he sighs in defeat]
MIKE: Well,...(still a bit hesitant)...I, I guess it would be alright if you're here. Like you said, help isn't that far off if something does go wrong, and it's not likely to.
LAUREN: (Grinning) You are exactly right, Michael! (Pats him on the back again) I can handle things, you go on home and get some sleep.
MIKE: Alright, I, uh, guess I'll see ya' tomorrow...are you sure that-
LAUREN: Positive. Now go home. And don't worry, you won't get in trouble. I guarantee it.
[She pushes him toward the exit]
MIKE: Well, if you're sure-
LAUREN: I'm sure. Trust me...
[She opens the door for him and pushes him onto the other side of it]
LAUREN: Bye, Mike.
MIKE: Yeah, but-
LAUREN: Bye, Mike!
[Before he can respond again, she closes the door behind him. He stands there in silence for a moment or two, until finally just shrugs and makes his way through the empty lower levels, towards the elevator doors]
[Cut back to Lauren as she pulls the card out of her back pocket, humming to herself. She turns back around, facing the medical room door. This stops her humming]
[She slowly approaches the door, key card in hand. She looks back and fourth from the one-way mirror, to the door, and finally down at the card. She chews on her bottom lip, wondering if this is really a good idea]
[She is silent for a moment, until finally she speaks aloud to herself]
LAUREN: (Takes a deep breath) Okay, Lauren...let's just, get this over with...
[She repeats all of the steps that she had observed from Mike; first she slides the card into the small coded lock, next she punches in the four numbers, 7-3-6-8, on the keypad, waiting for the light to change green. It does, so she walks, with great hesitance, through the open door]
[The camera is now on Fuzzy Lumpkins, from Lauren's POV. He is no longer dressed in his blue overalls, but instead he is wearing what appears to be a set of white scrubs. His forehead is drenched with sweat and his antennae twitch every so often. At the same time, he grits his teeth harder and shuts his eyes even tighter. He is definitely still in pain]
[Slowly, but surely, she approaches the bed, keeping a watchful eye on the villain while doing so. By the time she reaches the bedside, she realizes something...]
[...she is less than a foot away from a dangerous criminal, and she has no idea when or how she got there]
[The thought of him being a threat to her soon leaves her mind as she observes him laying there, being held down by the thick restraints. But for some reason, it appears that they aren't even necessary. This makes her wonder why they're there at all]
[This gives her a sudden urge to reach out and undo them...just a little. But her hand freezes in midair, knowing that deep down it wouldn't be very smart]
[Her hand instead goes up to the Lumpkin's face. She pauses, looking around her. Her glance falls upon a dry wash clothe on another small table right next to her. She picks it up, folds it and uses it to lightly dab his drenched forehead]
[At first, she was still very hesitant in doing this, but something told her that she had to stay there, by his side. Not sitting in front of a computer screen, waiting for something to go wrong]
[She felt like she was in a hospital and she had to wait for someone to tell her what was going on and if the person was going to be okay. She didn't like hospitals, mainly for that reason. The waiting. Hospitals are meant to help people, not keep them in the dark...then again, she was used to being left in the dark...]
[While she is deep in thought, Fuzzy stirs, causing her to jump in surprise]
[She stares down at him wide-eyed, as he struggles under the restraints]
FUZZY: Oooohhh...(Coughs feebly a few times)
LAUREN: (Through clenched teeth)...uh-uh...
[Her legs kept sending a message to her brain, telling her to leave, now. But she couldn't move, out of fear or courage, she didn't know. But she felt that she just had to stay there]
FUZZY: (Opens eyes slowly) Wha...whas goin on...(looks around room) Where am I?
[Lauren swallows hard, trying to think of something to say]
[She moves closer to him, speaking quietly so as not to irritate him]
LAUREN: Y-your in my fa- I mean, Professor Hardley's laboratory...that's, all I can tell you, really.
[Fuzzy turns his head in order to face her. She notices a far off look in his eyes]
[She sighs]
LAUREN: (Thinking) Good. He's still heavily sedated. He has no idea what's going on or where he is...he's not going to hurt me.
FUZZY: Well, what in tarnashin' am I doin' 'ere? (Coughs) Last I 'member I was in the forest, yellin' at...(thinks, confused) someone...
[He tries to gather up enough strength to sit up, but Lauren, not wanting him to discover his restraints, immediately stops him by putting her hands over his shoulders]
LAUREN: No! No, don't try to get up...it'd be, uh, bad...for you.
[Normally, in a situation like this, Fuzzy would just ignore her and get up. But he was still very weak, and he didn't know why. Plus, even though she wasn't trying very hard to force him back down, he still felt that there was no way to overpower her while in this condition]
[In other words, for once, he had no choice but to take orders...from a girl...]
[So he decides to play it smart and do as she says for now, leaning back on the bed]
[They both remain silent, one trying to decide how to phrase into words what they want to ask]
[Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Fuzzy speaks up first]
FUZZY: So, um, can ya' at leas' tell me why I'm 'ere...or, is that one a dem' thangs ya' can't tell me?
LAUREN: Well, uh, ya' see...I'm sort of new to all of this, so, I pretty much know about as much as you do at this point. (Laughs nervously) Sorry.
FUZZY: Oh... (Casts gaze downward)
[Lauren observes him in silence, feeling bad that she can't give him any more information]
[After a moment, she sighs deeply]
LAUREN: Look...there is something else that I can tell you... (Pauses)...In order to bring you here...a group of people had to inject you with...tranquilizer darts.
FUZZY: (Confused) Tranquilizer...Oh yeah! Now I 'member!
[Lauren jumps at his response, thinking that he's angry at the memory]
FUZZY: (Chuckles) So that's what those thangs were. I was wonderin' why it didn't really hurt when they was shootin' at me!
[Lauren is surprised at his reaction]
LAUREN: (Thinking) Wow!! He must REALLY be out of it!!
[Fuzzy looks down at his arms and torso, noticing the restraints]
FUZZY: So...what're these 'ere doohickeys for?
LAUREN: Oh! Well, um, they're to make sure you don't hurt yourself...Yeah! Anyone heavily sedated like you were, or are, always tends to do things to hurt his or herself without really meaning to...at least, I think so...
[She looks at him hopefully, praying that he's buying this]
FUZZY: Wait a minute... (Looks at her, suspicious)...Is this one a them crazy houses?
LAUREN: What!? No! I told you, you're in a laboratory! You're an... (looks at floor)...experiment.
[Fuzzy looks on at her blankly for a short time]
FUZZY: Oh... (Casual) Well, as long as ya'll don't thank I'm crazy, that's fine! (Laughs dumbly) I may have a bad temper, but that sure as heck don't mean I'm crazy!
[Fuzzy continues to laugh at himself, while Lauren looks on at him in silence, bewildered]
[She glances at the small table where the syringe and bottle of liquid are, right where Mike left them]
LAUREN: (Thinking) What in the world did you GIVE this guy, Mike!?
[Fuzzy has stopped laughing and is now observing her in silence, until he finally says something]
FUZZY: Yeah, I know what yer thinkin'?
[She looks back at him, still in amazement, unable to respond]
FUZZY: Ya must be thinkin' that...well, ya know...with my reputation n' all...yer thinkin' that I might hurt ya, er somethin'...ainchya'?
[Lauren, who was not expecting that at all, (then again, who expects anything coming out of this chapter) is snapped back to reality]
LAUREN: Well, yeah, I guess so...but not really. I mean, if you weren't in your, uh, condition, then I'd have a reason to fear you. (Pauses, takes a step closer) Um...you're not...going to...are you?
FUZZY: (Grins, shakes his head) Nah! I ain't got no reason to. If you were trespasin' on ma property, then...yeah, I'd probably shoot ya!
[Lauren giggles, which surprises even her]
FUZZY: But, seein' as how I'm on yer property, well, I'm kinda waitin' ta get shot at, ma self! (Pauses) Oh wait...I guess I already have been, huh? (Laughs again)
[They both laugh for a bit, until Fuzzy coughs a few times again]
LAUREN: (Gasps) Are you alright? (Places hand on his shoulder)
FUZZY: (Stops coughing) Yeah...yeah, I'll live.
[They sit there in silence, until Fuzzy decides to speak up after a minute]
FUZZY: So...what, what's yer name?
[Knowing that he's not going to hurt her, while being drugged up, anyway, she wonders if it would be safe to give him her FULL name, seeing as how it was her father responsible for the Lumpkin being here in the first place]
LAUREN: (After a short pause) Atwood...Lauren Atwood...
[Fuzzy, although his arms are strapped down to the bed, holds up his hand, offering a hand shake]
[She takes it in hers with a smile]
FUZZY: (Grins) Nice ta' meetchya, Ms Lauren. The name's Fuzzy...Fuzzy Lumpkins.
LAUREN: (Nods, chuckles nervously) Yeah...I know...
[The last thing we see is the two of them still shaking hands. Fuzzy, with a dopey grin on his face, and Lauren, who, although feeling guilty about lying, is forcing a smile]
[The camera then fades to black, ending the scene]
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Woah!! What was THAT chapter all about!? Well, I know it was messed up, but I guess I was satisfied enough with it to actually post it! Plus, the idea of Fuzzy being so pumped full of some kinda drug sounded funny...I'm weird, I know...Go figure! I kinda made this one quite a bit longer than my previous ones, but it might be a while before I get the next one up. So it's all good! Please review and keep reading!! :D
TTFN ;)
Note: Wow, Dooly read my mind!! How freaky!! I was actually planning on doing another Fuzzy fic sometime in the near future about him finding a girl. Don't ask me what form of species she will be, 'cos I don't even know! I was thinking about doing it in this one, but I don't know now. What do you, the readers, think about that? I mean, it wouldn't be a bad kind of romance, but ya know one of those cute "beauty that tamed the beast" sort of things. She'd be more of a friend than... ya know... a, "girl friend".
Well... on with the show!!! :P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lost Promises, Found Friendships
By Dramaqueen-8.0
Chapter5: Introductions
[SCENE: The camera now shows the lab of Professor Hardley, only instead of it being filled with scientists running back and fourth in a rush; it is now occupied with a few people at their desks, getting ready to go home, seeing as how it is late at night]
[It is later that same day]
[The camera pans across the room until we come to a shot of Lauren Hardley, standing in front of a large one way mirror. She is wearing a long sleeved, light blue shirt with 'CUTIE' written on the front in bold blue letters. For blue jeans, she is wearing her hip huggers with faded white tennis shoes. Her hair is back in a high ponytail]
[Her face shows an express of concern as she looks through the window at what appears to be a medical room. The small room is unoccupied except for the unconscious figure on the bed, hooked up to several pieces of machinery. There are also restraints holding down his arms, legs and torso, which are all covered in pink fur]
[The figure is obviously Fuzzy Lumpkins]
[The sound of a sliding door is heard and we see Mike Atwood come inside of the room from behind her. He is now dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans. He has a set of keys in one hand and an access card to the lab in the other]
[However, her gaze remains upon the medical room. He sees her standing there, knowing that she has had that same distant look ever since her father had brought her down into the lower levels of the lab to see his latest "experiment"]
[He shakes his head, putting down his keys and access card on a near by computer monitor. He walks up beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder]
MIKE: Hey, you okay?
[She jumps a bit at his hand resting on her shoulder. She turns, responding with a forced smile]
LAUREN: (Quietly) Yeah...yeah, I'm fine...why?
MIKE: Um...well, I haven't known you for very long, but, you just don't seem like the kind of person that gets depressed about something very often.
LAUREN: (Surprised) Oh, uh, well, I guess that this whole thing kind of freaked me out a bit at first. No biggie. (She laughs nervously, turning back to the window)
MIKE: (After a short pause) Actually...I meant just now. You looked more concerned than freaked out.
[She looks back at him in silence, before dropping the calm act, finally glad to have someone to talk to about all this...besides her father, that is. And she had given up on getting any answers out of him just yesterday]
LAUREN: Well, who wouldn't! I mean, just look at him! (Gestures toward window) He looks so...pathetic in there. Doesn't he?
MIKE: (Looks through window) Yeah, I know what ya' mean.
[There is a long pause as both of them watch Fuzzy in silence. She sighs after a moment. Mike looks at her again]
MIKE: Look, I don't mean to pry, but...why do you care?
LAUREN: (Turns toward him again, shocked) What!?
MIKE: (Struggling) Ya' know, with him being...what he is...it just seems kinda weird that someone like you would show concern for...well, someone like...that. (This time he gestures toward window)
[Lauren is still taken aback by Mike's question. She is about to respond, but is interrupted by a beeping noise coming from one of the monitors below the one-way mirror. The two of them both look down at it]
[Mike reads what is on the screen, which causes his eyes to widen slightly]
MIKE: (Exasperated sigh) Not again...
[He goes to the monitor where he put his keys down earlier and picks up the access card. He then heads toward another sliding door, leading into the small medical room]
[Lauren follows his actions with her gaze, once again confused]
LAUREN: What? What is it, what's wrong?
MIKE: It's the Lumpkin. His condition has been unstable for the past few-
LAUREN: (Surprised) Unstable!? Whadda ya' mean by unstable?
[Mike stops in front of the door, fumbling with the card]
MIKE: Well, uh, when we first brought him hear, he was still heavily sedated from the tranquilizers-
LAUREN: Whoa, whoa, whoa! (Putting hands up angrily) Tranquilizers? Heavily sedated? (Walks up behind him) What kind of experiment is my father working on here!?
[Mike turns toward her, a bit taken aback]
MIKE: You mean...he didn't explain all of this? (Points at equipment through window)
LAUREN: Well, his research has always been a little...over the top, so I never bother asking-
[The beeping begins to increase in pace. Mike turns back towards the door, sliding his card into the coded lock. He then proceeds to punch in a few numbers causing the small light above it to flash from red to green, after which the door slides open quickly]
[Lauren has been watching him carefully throughout this process]
[He then proceeds into the room, heading straight for a small table in the corner of the room. He picks up a syringe and a bottle filled with a clear liquid. He inserts the needle into the top, extracting some of the liquid]
[He then approaches Fuzzy, who is breathing heavily, injecting his arm with the needle, causing him to flinch a little]
[Lauren has noticed this. Not to mention the expression on his face ever since she had entered the room without thinking]
[After a few seconds, the beeping begins to return to the steady beat it had been earlier. Fuzzy's breathing also begins to slow, instead he is now wheezing quietly, but he seems to be in less pain]
[This causes Lauren to look away from him, seeing as how she hates to see any living thing suffer]
[Mike breathes a sigh of relief, though to Lauren it sounded more annoyed than relieved]
[Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Mike's key card on the small table next to the bottle of clear liquid. She continues to stare at it until Mike says something, causing her to look back at him]
MIKE: (To Fuzzy) Well, that oughtta hold ya' for a while, anyway.
[He then turns to face her. This time it's his turn to force a smile in order to show confidence where there isn't any. Naturally, she sees right through it]
MIKE: He'll be okay, now. This is normal, so it might happen again, but not for the rest of the night...
[He looks back down at the slowly breathing Fuzzy]
MIKE: (To himself, aloud)...I hope.
[Lauren looks back down at the unconscious creature. He really was pathetic. She just wished that there was something she could do for him...]
[Her attention is once again on the small table. She is eyeing the key card again]
[Mike sighs, heading back to the door. He is in deep thought, causing him to forget all about the syringe in his hand and the key card on the table]
[Lauren is about to follow him, but before she does so, she grabs the card and pockets it, hoping that he didn't notice]
[She walks behind him and out the door. But before he is all the way through, he stops, turning back around and walking past her. He goes to the small table, placing the syringe down slowly without thinking. He then heads back through the door, pressing a button on his way out, causing it to slide shut behind him]
[Lauren is holding her breath, hoping he doesn't remember the card. Once the door is shut, she exhales]
[He turns back to face her. Once again he looks exhausted]
MIKE: Well, it's getting kind of late. You should probably turn in. It's my turn on the graveyard shift tonight, so I'll be here all night. (Turns, facing a monitor)
[Lauren's thoughts are all on her new possession, concealed within her back pocket. She eyes Mike in silence, thinking. After a moment, she grins slyly]
LAUREN: Ya' know, Mike... (Gets closer to him, concerned) You look exhausted. Why don't you go on home? I can watch him. Besides, if anything does go wrong, then I can just call Dad. (Pats him on the back lovingly) You need your rest.
[Mike has turned to face her while she speaks]
[He is about to protest, but it's hard to say no to her when she keeps looking up at him like that with those deep green eyes]
[After a short pause, he sighs in defeat]
MIKE: Well,...(still a bit hesitant)...I, I guess it would be alright if you're here. Like you said, help isn't that far off if something does go wrong, and it's not likely to.
LAUREN: (Grinning) You are exactly right, Michael! (Pats him on the back again) I can handle things, you go on home and get some sleep.
MIKE: Alright, I, uh, guess I'll see ya' tomorrow...are you sure that-
LAUREN: Positive. Now go home. And don't worry, you won't get in trouble. I guarantee it.
[She pushes him toward the exit]
MIKE: Well, if you're sure-
LAUREN: I'm sure. Trust me...
[She opens the door for him and pushes him onto the other side of it]
LAUREN: Bye, Mike.
MIKE: Yeah, but-
LAUREN: Bye, Mike!
[Before he can respond again, she closes the door behind him. He stands there in silence for a moment or two, until finally just shrugs and makes his way through the empty lower levels, towards the elevator doors]
[Cut back to Lauren as she pulls the card out of her back pocket, humming to herself. She turns back around, facing the medical room door. This stops her humming]
[She slowly approaches the door, key card in hand. She looks back and fourth from the one-way mirror, to the door, and finally down at the card. She chews on her bottom lip, wondering if this is really a good idea]
[She is silent for a moment, until finally she speaks aloud to herself]
LAUREN: (Takes a deep breath) Okay, Lauren...let's just, get this over with...
[She repeats all of the steps that she had observed from Mike; first she slides the card into the small coded lock, next she punches in the four numbers, 7-3-6-8, on the keypad, waiting for the light to change green. It does, so she walks, with great hesitance, through the open door]
[The camera is now on Fuzzy Lumpkins, from Lauren's POV. He is no longer dressed in his blue overalls, but instead he is wearing what appears to be a set of white scrubs. His forehead is drenched with sweat and his antennae twitch every so often. At the same time, he grits his teeth harder and shuts his eyes even tighter. He is definitely still in pain]
[Slowly, but surely, she approaches the bed, keeping a watchful eye on the villain while doing so. By the time she reaches the bedside, she realizes something...]
[...she is less than a foot away from a dangerous criminal, and she has no idea when or how she got there]
[The thought of him being a threat to her soon leaves her mind as she observes him laying there, being held down by the thick restraints. But for some reason, it appears that they aren't even necessary. This makes her wonder why they're there at all]
[This gives her a sudden urge to reach out and undo them...just a little. But her hand freezes in midair, knowing that deep down it wouldn't be very smart]
[Her hand instead goes up to the Lumpkin's face. She pauses, looking around her. Her glance falls upon a dry wash clothe on another small table right next to her. She picks it up, folds it and uses it to lightly dab his drenched forehead]
[At first, she was still very hesitant in doing this, but something told her that she had to stay there, by his side. Not sitting in front of a computer screen, waiting for something to go wrong]
[She felt like she was in a hospital and she had to wait for someone to tell her what was going on and if the person was going to be okay. She didn't like hospitals, mainly for that reason. The waiting. Hospitals are meant to help people, not keep them in the dark...then again, she was used to being left in the dark...]
[While she is deep in thought, Fuzzy stirs, causing her to jump in surprise]
[She stares down at him wide-eyed, as he struggles under the restraints]
FUZZY: Oooohhh...(Coughs feebly a few times)
LAUREN: (Through clenched teeth)...uh-uh...
[Her legs kept sending a message to her brain, telling her to leave, now. But she couldn't move, out of fear or courage, she didn't know. But she felt that she just had to stay there]
FUZZY: (Opens eyes slowly) Wha...whas goin on...(looks around room) Where am I?
[Lauren swallows hard, trying to think of something to say]
[She moves closer to him, speaking quietly so as not to irritate him]
LAUREN: Y-your in my fa- I mean, Professor Hardley's laboratory...that's, all I can tell you, really.
[Fuzzy turns his head in order to face her. She notices a far off look in his eyes]
[She sighs]
LAUREN: (Thinking) Good. He's still heavily sedated. He has no idea what's going on or where he is...he's not going to hurt me.
FUZZY: Well, what in tarnashin' am I doin' 'ere? (Coughs) Last I 'member I was in the forest, yellin' at...(thinks, confused) someone...
[He tries to gather up enough strength to sit up, but Lauren, not wanting him to discover his restraints, immediately stops him by putting her hands over his shoulders]
LAUREN: No! No, don't try to get up...it'd be, uh, bad...for you.
[Normally, in a situation like this, Fuzzy would just ignore her and get up. But he was still very weak, and he didn't know why. Plus, even though she wasn't trying very hard to force him back down, he still felt that there was no way to overpower her while in this condition]
[In other words, for once, he had no choice but to take orders...from a girl...]
[So he decides to play it smart and do as she says for now, leaning back on the bed]
[They both remain silent, one trying to decide how to phrase into words what they want to ask]
[Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Fuzzy speaks up first]
FUZZY: So, um, can ya' at leas' tell me why I'm 'ere...or, is that one a dem' thangs ya' can't tell me?
LAUREN: Well, uh, ya' see...I'm sort of new to all of this, so, I pretty much know about as much as you do at this point. (Laughs nervously) Sorry.
FUZZY: Oh... (Casts gaze downward)
[Lauren observes him in silence, feeling bad that she can't give him any more information]
[After a moment, she sighs deeply]
LAUREN: Look...there is something else that I can tell you... (Pauses)...In order to bring you here...a group of people had to inject you with...tranquilizer darts.
FUZZY: (Confused) Tranquilizer...Oh yeah! Now I 'member!
[Lauren jumps at his response, thinking that he's angry at the memory]
FUZZY: (Chuckles) So that's what those thangs were. I was wonderin' why it didn't really hurt when they was shootin' at me!
[Lauren is surprised at his reaction]
LAUREN: (Thinking) Wow!! He must REALLY be out of it!!
[Fuzzy looks down at his arms and torso, noticing the restraints]
FUZZY: So...what're these 'ere doohickeys for?
LAUREN: Oh! Well, um, they're to make sure you don't hurt yourself...Yeah! Anyone heavily sedated like you were, or are, always tends to do things to hurt his or herself without really meaning to...at least, I think so...
[She looks at him hopefully, praying that he's buying this]
FUZZY: Wait a minute... (Looks at her, suspicious)...Is this one a them crazy houses?
LAUREN: What!? No! I told you, you're in a laboratory! You're an... (looks at floor)...experiment.
[Fuzzy looks on at her blankly for a short time]
FUZZY: Oh... (Casual) Well, as long as ya'll don't thank I'm crazy, that's fine! (Laughs dumbly) I may have a bad temper, but that sure as heck don't mean I'm crazy!
[Fuzzy continues to laugh at himself, while Lauren looks on at him in silence, bewildered]
[She glances at the small table where the syringe and bottle of liquid are, right where Mike left them]
LAUREN: (Thinking) What in the world did you GIVE this guy, Mike!?
[Fuzzy has stopped laughing and is now observing her in silence, until he finally says something]
FUZZY: Yeah, I know what yer thinkin'?
[She looks back at him, still in amazement, unable to respond]
FUZZY: Ya must be thinkin' that...well, ya know...with my reputation n' all...yer thinkin' that I might hurt ya, er somethin'...ainchya'?
[Lauren, who was not expecting that at all, (then again, who expects anything coming out of this chapter) is snapped back to reality]
LAUREN: Well, yeah, I guess so...but not really. I mean, if you weren't in your, uh, condition, then I'd have a reason to fear you. (Pauses, takes a step closer) Um...you're not...going to...are you?
FUZZY: (Grins, shakes his head) Nah! I ain't got no reason to. If you were trespasin' on ma property, then...yeah, I'd probably shoot ya!
[Lauren giggles, which surprises even her]
FUZZY: But, seein' as how I'm on yer property, well, I'm kinda waitin' ta get shot at, ma self! (Pauses) Oh wait...I guess I already have been, huh? (Laughs again)
[They both laugh for a bit, until Fuzzy coughs a few times again]
LAUREN: (Gasps) Are you alright? (Places hand on his shoulder)
FUZZY: (Stops coughing) Yeah...yeah, I'll live.
[They sit there in silence, until Fuzzy decides to speak up after a minute]
FUZZY: So...what, what's yer name?
[Knowing that he's not going to hurt her, while being drugged up, anyway, she wonders if it would be safe to give him her FULL name, seeing as how it was her father responsible for the Lumpkin being here in the first place]
LAUREN: (After a short pause) Atwood...Lauren Atwood...
[Fuzzy, although his arms are strapped down to the bed, holds up his hand, offering a hand shake]
[She takes it in hers with a smile]
FUZZY: (Grins) Nice ta' meetchya, Ms Lauren. The name's Fuzzy...Fuzzy Lumpkins.
LAUREN: (Nods, chuckles nervously) Yeah...I know...
[The last thing we see is the two of them still shaking hands. Fuzzy, with a dopey grin on his face, and Lauren, who, although feeling guilty about lying, is forcing a smile]
[The camera then fades to black, ending the scene]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Woah!! What was THAT chapter all about!? Well, I know it was messed up, but I guess I was satisfied enough with it to actually post it! Plus, the idea of Fuzzy being so pumped full of some kinda drug sounded funny...I'm weird, I know...Go figure! I kinda made this one quite a bit longer than my previous ones, but it might be a while before I get the next one up. So it's all good! Please review and keep reading!! :D
TTFN ;)