Disclaimer: See first chapter
Rating: PG-15
Chapter Two: Professor Zachary
The school was in chaos. Despite the fact that the ambulances had dispersed and taken with them the numerous victims of the shooting, there were still lots of teenagers and faculty around in the hallways and out in front of the school, crying or talking to police or just sitting quietly in shock, letting the horror of the ordeal sink in.
Professor Zachary hadn't been near the shooting when it had happened. He'd been in his office grading papers when he heard the gunfire and the screaming... As soon as he'd heard it he had called the police and rushed to see what was going on, but when he'd hit the stairs, a security guard had stopped him and yelled at him to stay where he was. Not long after, it was all over, and he was allowed to come down, but he couldn't get near the cafeteria until after the paramedics had departed. The police had arrived and ushered all those who weren't directly involved into another room to be questioned as a whole and informed of the situation.
The shooting had started in the first floor hallway near the entrance, where some students commonly hung out or ate during the lunch period. Chris had then proceeded down the hall toward the cafeteria, where most of the students were at lunch time and, after holding the room hostage for awhile, he had shot himself in the head.
That was all the teachers had been told. Either nothing else was known, or the police thought they didn't need to know yet. During the entire questioning ordeal, the professor had been observing the other faculty, Principal Durst in particular. Durst was calm and collected when nothing was going on at Blake Holsey High – and admittedly, that didn't happen often – but even in the paranormal crises she was forced to endure, she kept a relatively level head and didn't do anything drastic... But now she looked... she just looked lost, to say the least. This was too much for her. In the past she'd been able to avoid having the police come to Blake Holsey and Zachary and the kids had been able to solve the problems, but now... Now he didn't know what to do. Nobody did, and it was driving Durst crazy to be so helpless, Zachary knew. She didn't like having situations be out of her control. It was an emotion she fought to deal with every day, and Zachary sympathized with her every time, this time especially because he was on the same boat...
When the police had finished their briefing and allowed them to disperse, Durst had risen slowly and began to walk toward the door, but Zachary stopped her, grabbing her elbow gently. "Principal Durst—"
The older woman looked dazed for a moment, then turned and looked into Zachary's eyes. "Oh, Professor Zachary... how are you? Thank you for calling the police by the way. It was very helpful."
"It's all right." I just wanted to see how you're doing." Zachary told her sympathetically.
"Me? Oh, I'm fine... Honest, I am. It's those poor children we have to worry about. They've been through Hell today. It's terrible, what's happened, isn't it? I never would have thought at Blake Holsey High... that something like this— Oh I can't talk about it right now. We should really be making some rounds, calling parents and, oh my I've never had to deal with this before."
"It's alright, we'll get through it somehow." Zachary told her. "We've just got to deal with the situation as we go along – like we always do."
Durst nodded. "Yes, well, I must be going now. Don't let any of the students leave the grounds, Professor. If you need me, I'll be in my office." Zachary watched her walk off in the direction of her office then slowly turned toward the epicenter of the chaos.
Grieving students were all over the place. All of the phones were occupied with students calling their parents. Zachary took a deep breath, searching the faces in the crowd and it was then that he realized he hadn't seen any of "his students" since before the shooting had occurred.
A sick feeling lingered in his stomach and he moved forward cautiously, searching the hallway for any sign of the five members of the science club, secretly his five favorite students in the entire school. He wasn't about to believe that all of them could be... No, he wouldn't think it.
He had a hard time getting to the cafeteria undisturbed. Zachary kept getting stopped by students or staff asking if he'd seen anyone in particular, and the professor had to shake his head. As he continued on his way, he passed dark red stains on the hardwood floors, evidence that someone's life had been threatened there, or possibly taken... It was all too much to bear, much less comprehend.
Zachary arrived to find the cafeteria an even bigger mess than the hallway. Everywhere he looked, it seemed, there was blood, or someone crying or overturned tables and food everywhere. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach and turned to the nearest trash can, throwing up the contents of his stomach. When he was positive he was finished, he stood up, wiping his brow with his sleeve, and that was when he saw the girls.
They were on the other side of the room, talking to a police officer. Well, Corrine Baxter was talking to a police officer. Zachary noticed that she was standing and wrapping her arms around her waist in a gesture of discomfort while she spoke to him. She kept searching the room as if she hoped to find something – or someone.
Josie Trent on the other hand, was sitting on the desk, legs pulled in to her chest with her arms encircling them. She had a blank look on her face and was staring at some indiscriminate point. Zachary followed her gaze and saw the large blood stain in the middle of the floor that no one had bothered to clean up yet and hoped vainly that she wasn't looking at that, but he knew that she was.
The police officer seemed to have finished talking with Corrine and he walked away from the two girls, leaving them looking alone and lost. Professor Zachary approached them cautiously, and as he did so, Corrine looked up, opening her mouth to speak, but ultimately not finding the words. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained and Zachary could tell right away she'd been crying. When he reached her, neither could speak and he ended up pulling her into a hug instead.
Corrine sobbed into her teacher's shoulder, embracing him as she cried. Josie remained unmoving, staring still at the floor apathetically.
After a minute, the two pulled apart. "You two aren't hurt are you?" Zachary asked them.
"No." Corrine answered for them both. "We hid...in the bathroom. We were too afraid to come out until—until we heard the police get here. We hid in a stall until they came in and got us and we didn't see much. They wouldn't let us look in the cafeteria, Z'. They told us to wait in the auditorium with the other students and we don't know what's going on and no one will tell us." She choked.
"Shh, shh, it's OK, Corrine." he comforted her. "We'll find out soon enough. They'll tell us... the police – when they find out. Not even the faculty knows everything yet."
Corrine sniffed and rubbed her already swollen eyes. "I'm sorry." She apologized to her teacher.
"What for?" Zachary had been observing the still-silent Josie, concerned for the redhead's state of mind, but he focused his attention of the other teenager when she apologized. "Corrine, you have nothing to be sorry for."
"I know, I just... I don't know what's going on. And I hate that no one's telling us, like we wouldn't understand. And I can't find the boys. I don't even think Lucas was in the cafeteria before the... before... and I don't know where Vaughn is, Professor Z, and..." she let out a sob, "Z'"
"What is it?" He asked her.
"Someone said that they took—that they took Marshall to the hospital." A tear slid unheeded down Corrine's cheek. Zachary felt that sinking feeling return and he sighed.
"I wish I could tell you more, Corrine, but there's nothing I can do."
"Nothing?" Corrine asked fearfully. Zachary nodded remorsefully. "Can't you..." She halted mid-conversation and pulled the professor aside so they were out of hearing range of the rest of the room – Josie included. "Can't you take us to the hospital? So we can see, if Marshall or Vaughn or Lucas is there? I'm worried, Z'."
Zachary shook his head. "Corrine, I can't do that. I'm not allowed to let any of you leave the grounds without permission. They want to make sure they keep track of everyone."
Corrine was exasperated. "We can tell someone we're leaving, can't we? I really need to get to the hospital, Z'. I have to see if they're there. I can't take the waiting. Besides—"She lowed her voice, "I'm kind of worried about Josie. She's barely said five words since it's happened. It's like she can't believe that it happened, any of it."
"Well... none of us can," Zachary gave his pupil a concerned look, suddenly fearful for the way she was handling the crisis herself, then relented when she continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. "Although, I can tell just by looking that your concern for Josie is warranted." He sighed, turning to look at the police officers. "I'll see what I can do, Corrine."
A faint smile appeared on the girl's lips. "Thanks, Z'. You're the best."
After nearly ten minutes of arguing and pleading on professor Zachary's behalf, the police officer stationed closest to the door reluctantly allowed him to leave with the two girls, as long as they signed out on a sheet and promised to call their parents.
Zachary, surprised at his own success, walked back over to Corrine and Josie and said, "Alright, you guys can come with me in my car... I told the officer that Corrine's brother might be at the hospital and she wanted to go check and see if he was there."
"Oh, thank you so much, Z'. That's great."
"Not quite. I just lied to a police officer in the middle of a crisis, Corrine. Let's just hope he doesn't find out there is no Dean Baxter in the school. And you two have to promise to behave yourselves—" Corrine nodded vigorously, "—And—and call your parents too!"
"OK, Z', we will. Come on Josie." Corrine was already heading for the door. Josie stirred on the table, but did not move from her spot yet. Zachary walked over until he was facing her and looked her in the eyes, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Josie, are you OK?" He asked her sympathetically.
Josie blinked once, as if snapping out of a reverie and glanced upwards slightly. "Huh? Oh, yeah... yeah, Z', I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"I can't help it. I always worry about my students. Now, with all that's happened today... Well, I have good reason to worry. I'm allowed to worry... especially when one of my most talkative students hasn't said a word in almost twenty minutes.
"I'm sorry, Z'. I don't mean to make anyone concerned. I'm just... thinking, is all. I'm alright, honestly." Josie looked at her teacher with a fairly bold expression, given her current situation. She smiled slightly then picked up her sweater, which she's lain on a chair and hopped off the table. "Let's go."
Cautiously sighing, Zachary followed the girls out through the hall and past the officer who had released them. His car – a navy blue Focus – was parked in the usual parking spot in the teacher's lot, and he opened the door for Josie to get into the back seat while Corrine climbed in the front.
Offering one last lingering glance at the front doors to Blake Holsey High, through which various staff, officers and firemen had poured, professor Zachary opened the driver's side door, got in, and pulled out of the parking lot in the direction of Mercy Hospital.
Rating: PG-15
Chapter Two: Professor Zachary
The school was in chaos. Despite the fact that the ambulances had dispersed and taken with them the numerous victims of the shooting, there were still lots of teenagers and faculty around in the hallways and out in front of the school, crying or talking to police or just sitting quietly in shock, letting the horror of the ordeal sink in.
Professor Zachary hadn't been near the shooting when it had happened. He'd been in his office grading papers when he heard the gunfire and the screaming... As soon as he'd heard it he had called the police and rushed to see what was going on, but when he'd hit the stairs, a security guard had stopped him and yelled at him to stay where he was. Not long after, it was all over, and he was allowed to come down, but he couldn't get near the cafeteria until after the paramedics had departed. The police had arrived and ushered all those who weren't directly involved into another room to be questioned as a whole and informed of the situation.
The shooting had started in the first floor hallway near the entrance, where some students commonly hung out or ate during the lunch period. Chris had then proceeded down the hall toward the cafeteria, where most of the students were at lunch time and, after holding the room hostage for awhile, he had shot himself in the head.
That was all the teachers had been told. Either nothing else was known, or the police thought they didn't need to know yet. During the entire questioning ordeal, the professor had been observing the other faculty, Principal Durst in particular. Durst was calm and collected when nothing was going on at Blake Holsey High – and admittedly, that didn't happen often – but even in the paranormal crises she was forced to endure, she kept a relatively level head and didn't do anything drastic... But now she looked... she just looked lost, to say the least. This was too much for her. In the past she'd been able to avoid having the police come to Blake Holsey and Zachary and the kids had been able to solve the problems, but now... Now he didn't know what to do. Nobody did, and it was driving Durst crazy to be so helpless, Zachary knew. She didn't like having situations be out of her control. It was an emotion she fought to deal with every day, and Zachary sympathized with her every time, this time especially because he was on the same boat...
When the police had finished their briefing and allowed them to disperse, Durst had risen slowly and began to walk toward the door, but Zachary stopped her, grabbing her elbow gently. "Principal Durst—"
The older woman looked dazed for a moment, then turned and looked into Zachary's eyes. "Oh, Professor Zachary... how are you? Thank you for calling the police by the way. It was very helpful."
"It's all right." I just wanted to see how you're doing." Zachary told her sympathetically.
"Me? Oh, I'm fine... Honest, I am. It's those poor children we have to worry about. They've been through Hell today. It's terrible, what's happened, isn't it? I never would have thought at Blake Holsey High... that something like this— Oh I can't talk about it right now. We should really be making some rounds, calling parents and, oh my I've never had to deal with this before."
"It's alright, we'll get through it somehow." Zachary told her. "We've just got to deal with the situation as we go along – like we always do."
Durst nodded. "Yes, well, I must be going now. Don't let any of the students leave the grounds, Professor. If you need me, I'll be in my office." Zachary watched her walk off in the direction of her office then slowly turned toward the epicenter of the chaos.
Grieving students were all over the place. All of the phones were occupied with students calling their parents. Zachary took a deep breath, searching the faces in the crowd and it was then that he realized he hadn't seen any of "his students" since before the shooting had occurred.
A sick feeling lingered in his stomach and he moved forward cautiously, searching the hallway for any sign of the five members of the science club, secretly his five favorite students in the entire school. He wasn't about to believe that all of them could be... No, he wouldn't think it.
He had a hard time getting to the cafeteria undisturbed. Zachary kept getting stopped by students or staff asking if he'd seen anyone in particular, and the professor had to shake his head. As he continued on his way, he passed dark red stains on the hardwood floors, evidence that someone's life had been threatened there, or possibly taken... It was all too much to bear, much less comprehend.
Zachary arrived to find the cafeteria an even bigger mess than the hallway. Everywhere he looked, it seemed, there was blood, or someone crying or overturned tables and food everywhere. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach and turned to the nearest trash can, throwing up the contents of his stomach. When he was positive he was finished, he stood up, wiping his brow with his sleeve, and that was when he saw the girls.
They were on the other side of the room, talking to a police officer. Well, Corrine Baxter was talking to a police officer. Zachary noticed that she was standing and wrapping her arms around her waist in a gesture of discomfort while she spoke to him. She kept searching the room as if she hoped to find something – or someone.
Josie Trent on the other hand, was sitting on the desk, legs pulled in to her chest with her arms encircling them. She had a blank look on her face and was staring at some indiscriminate point. Zachary followed her gaze and saw the large blood stain in the middle of the floor that no one had bothered to clean up yet and hoped vainly that she wasn't looking at that, but he knew that she was.
The police officer seemed to have finished talking with Corrine and he walked away from the two girls, leaving them looking alone and lost. Professor Zachary approached them cautiously, and as he did so, Corrine looked up, opening her mouth to speak, but ultimately not finding the words. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained and Zachary could tell right away she'd been crying. When he reached her, neither could speak and he ended up pulling her into a hug instead.
Corrine sobbed into her teacher's shoulder, embracing him as she cried. Josie remained unmoving, staring still at the floor apathetically.
After a minute, the two pulled apart. "You two aren't hurt are you?" Zachary asked them.
"No." Corrine answered for them both. "We hid...in the bathroom. We were too afraid to come out until—until we heard the police get here. We hid in a stall until they came in and got us and we didn't see much. They wouldn't let us look in the cafeteria, Z'. They told us to wait in the auditorium with the other students and we don't know what's going on and no one will tell us." She choked.
"Shh, shh, it's OK, Corrine." he comforted her. "We'll find out soon enough. They'll tell us... the police – when they find out. Not even the faculty knows everything yet."
Corrine sniffed and rubbed her already swollen eyes. "I'm sorry." She apologized to her teacher.
"What for?" Zachary had been observing the still-silent Josie, concerned for the redhead's state of mind, but he focused his attention of the other teenager when she apologized. "Corrine, you have nothing to be sorry for."
"I know, I just... I don't know what's going on. And I hate that no one's telling us, like we wouldn't understand. And I can't find the boys. I don't even think Lucas was in the cafeteria before the... before... and I don't know where Vaughn is, Professor Z, and..." she let out a sob, "Z'"
"What is it?" He asked her.
"Someone said that they took—that they took Marshall to the hospital." A tear slid unheeded down Corrine's cheek. Zachary felt that sinking feeling return and he sighed.
"I wish I could tell you more, Corrine, but there's nothing I can do."
"Nothing?" Corrine asked fearfully. Zachary nodded remorsefully. "Can't you..." She halted mid-conversation and pulled the professor aside so they were out of hearing range of the rest of the room – Josie included. "Can't you take us to the hospital? So we can see, if Marshall or Vaughn or Lucas is there? I'm worried, Z'."
Zachary shook his head. "Corrine, I can't do that. I'm not allowed to let any of you leave the grounds without permission. They want to make sure they keep track of everyone."
Corrine was exasperated. "We can tell someone we're leaving, can't we? I really need to get to the hospital, Z'. I have to see if they're there. I can't take the waiting. Besides—"She lowed her voice, "I'm kind of worried about Josie. She's barely said five words since it's happened. It's like she can't believe that it happened, any of it."
"Well... none of us can," Zachary gave his pupil a concerned look, suddenly fearful for the way she was handling the crisis herself, then relented when she continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. "Although, I can tell just by looking that your concern for Josie is warranted." He sighed, turning to look at the police officers. "I'll see what I can do, Corrine."
A faint smile appeared on the girl's lips. "Thanks, Z'. You're the best."
After nearly ten minutes of arguing and pleading on professor Zachary's behalf, the police officer stationed closest to the door reluctantly allowed him to leave with the two girls, as long as they signed out on a sheet and promised to call their parents.
Zachary, surprised at his own success, walked back over to Corrine and Josie and said, "Alright, you guys can come with me in my car... I told the officer that Corrine's brother might be at the hospital and she wanted to go check and see if he was there."
"Oh, thank you so much, Z'. That's great."
"Not quite. I just lied to a police officer in the middle of a crisis, Corrine. Let's just hope he doesn't find out there is no Dean Baxter in the school. And you two have to promise to behave yourselves—" Corrine nodded vigorously, "—And—and call your parents too!"
"OK, Z', we will. Come on Josie." Corrine was already heading for the door. Josie stirred on the table, but did not move from her spot yet. Zachary walked over until he was facing her and looked her in the eyes, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Josie, are you OK?" He asked her sympathetically.
Josie blinked once, as if snapping out of a reverie and glanced upwards slightly. "Huh? Oh, yeah... yeah, Z', I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"I can't help it. I always worry about my students. Now, with all that's happened today... Well, I have good reason to worry. I'm allowed to worry... especially when one of my most talkative students hasn't said a word in almost twenty minutes.
"I'm sorry, Z'. I don't mean to make anyone concerned. I'm just... thinking, is all. I'm alright, honestly." Josie looked at her teacher with a fairly bold expression, given her current situation. She smiled slightly then picked up her sweater, which she's lain on a chair and hopped off the table. "Let's go."
Cautiously sighing, Zachary followed the girls out through the hall and past the officer who had released them. His car – a navy blue Focus – was parked in the usual parking spot in the teacher's lot, and he opened the door for Josie to get into the back seat while Corrine climbed in the front.
Offering one last lingering glance at the front doors to Blake Holsey High, through which various staff, officers and firemen had poured, professor Zachary opened the driver's side door, got in, and pulled out of the parking lot in the direction of Mercy Hospital.