Eight

Cat and Mouse


Michael looked up as the door to Laurie's hospital room opened, her small cold hand still clasped in his. Loomis sighed as he witnessed the sight, and shook his head. "This kills me Michael, but visiting hours are over, we have to leave."

Regretfully he looked at his younger sister, breathing through an oxygen mask, several IV's in her fragile white arms. He fought back tears and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow Bumblebee."

Painfully he left, an instinct implanted in him told him he shouldn't, but he ignored it. It had to do with Wynn, he wanted nothing to do with Wynn any more. Loomis and Michael walked past three dead nurses blindly, thought nothing of the man ransacking files. They left the building, and the cold grin on the strangers face widened as he came across the file he wanted. "Strode, Laurie. Age-17, room 123."


Laurie's eyes fluttered open at the slight pinch of pain in her arm, and she looked at the young nurse removing an IV. "Hello Laurie! How are you feeling?"

She shifted. "Achy."

The nurse nodded. "You cracked a bone falling, we had to fix up your scull again, we've had you on morphine all tonight. I'm going to give you some more. It'll put you to sleep again." The nurse turned to her cart.

"No!" The nurse turned back, confused. "Please, don't put me to sleep." The nurse smiled, shaking her head as she readied her syringe.

"Oh, I know you're afraid, but it's ok! A little rest wont kill you."

A tear rolled down Laurie's cheek as the needle penetrated her flesh. "You don't know that."

The nurse smiled. "Good night Laurie." She took her cart out and pushed it behind the nurse's station, and proceeded to walk down the hall, unaware of her stalker. She couldn't scream when he stabbed her with a needle marked, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, and died almost instantly when he released it's occupant. He looked around and smiled, he had killed an entire hospital's personnel in less than an hour. Soundless. Now he just had to kill his target.

He knew she had just been given her morphine, so she was probably sleeping like a baby. Too bad though, she'll never wake up. He approached the door just across from the nurses station stealthily, 123, yes, this was it. He opened the door, and proceeded to go to the lump under the covers, and he stabbed ferociously with his scalpel. Throwing open the bedding, he discovered she wasn't there, just some pillows, and several bloody IV's.

Meanwhile Laurie limped down the hall as quickly as possible, running into one room and shielding her mouth from screaming. Mrs. Alves, the head nurse, was strapped to a table, an IV letting her blood drip onto the floor in a huge, scarlet puddle. She ran from that room, to the hall she had just come from, and screamed to find her stalker there, the man who had been with Wynn!

She ran to the stairwell, pushed a stretcher to block the hallway, then ran down the stairs, her leg hurt wildly, despite the numbing power of the morphine, which was beginning to take it's tole. She backed away from the stairs, trying to think of something when she felt someone behind her, she turned to find Mr. Garret, the security guard dead. "Oh God."

The man emerged from the stairs and she cried out, climbing up some piping to a window, where she climbed into another room, his scalpel swinging at her bare legs. She knocked over some boxes coming down, but ran on to an elevator, that was on the 2nd floor. She pressed the button fervently, and it slowly came down, the man approaching her now. It opened and she ran in, pressing floor 1, come on 1! She leaned her back against the elevator, and it slowly closed, his hand with scalpel trying to keep it open, but eventually giving up. The back door opened and she ran out and to the hospital entrance/exit. All of the cars had flat tires.

"Shit." She cursed, becoming tired. She curled up next to a car, maybe someone would pull in before she fell asleep, or maybe she would die tonight. Why hadn't Michael stayed with her?

Her eyes shot open at the sound of a car, and she tried to drag herself away from the car. Michael and Loomis exited it and she felt her heart quicken.

"I just have to check things out."

"Michael this is ridiculous."

"Dr. Loomis." She mumbled, unable to yell. "Michael."

She dragged herself closer, but they went in. She tried her damndest to stand, and succeeded, running to the door as best as she could. The doors wouldn't open. She slammed on them violently. "Help me! Somebody please!" She could see the man coming toward her from the back of the hospital. "Michael! Dr. Loomis! Please help me! Open up! Help meeeeeee!"

The doors opened and Michael helped her in, just as the man neared the door. She stared in horror as he broke through it. Loomis handed her a gun. "I'm sorry we left you. Here, you'll need this."

Michael held her as Loomis shot the man. He fell to the ground, but stood again, revealing to them his bullet proof vest. They all ran into the room containing the gas tanks, and Loomis whispered his plan to the siblings. The man strode in, and Laurie shot him in the eyes, blinding him. Loomis and Michael worked on opening the tanks, and then ushered Laurie out. They closed the doors, and Loomis lit a lighter, using some tape to hold it down, Michael broke the window of the door, and they ran several feet, Loomis threw it through the window and they continued to run. An explosion hit, and Laurie screamed.

All uninjured they ran outside, Loomis called the police with his car phone, as well as an ambulance from another hospital. Michael comforted his weeping sister until the paramedics arrived.


"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the class, of 1979!"

Applause sounded and Laurie awkwardly smiled, adjusting her cap. Annie and Lynda both nudged her to pose and the three were photographed by Bob and Paul. Afterwards Laurie changed her clothes and Michael gave her a ride to the Doyle house, where they were watching Tommy that night.

Tommy ran to the door when the bell rang and was jumping up and down to see them. "Hi Laurie! Hi Michael! Guess what? The Thing is on!" He ran back to the TV and the two smiled at each other. Mr. And Mrs Doyle gave their instructions and left, the three watched the movie together. After it, Tommy turned to his sitters. You guys know something?"

Laurie smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "What?"

"We're kind of like brothers and sister!"

Michael smiled at both of them. "Yeah, we are."


Ok, be prepared for a sequel. This was sooooo fun to write! I think I'll go write the next story just for kicks.

But I have to properly close this out first.

End of A Little Understanding.