Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Trust me, I should know.
Nancy tentatively opened the supply closet and turned on the light. She looked around. She immediately spotted several large cleared spaces on the shelves. Whoever had robbed the closet had made no attempt to hide the theft. Nancy carefully moved the bottles of chemicals around, making sure that she didn't mess up any fingerprints. She spotted a dark object lying on the back of the shelf. Yes! She thought. The dark object was a navy blue leather glove. Nancy picked it up and put it in a plastic bag. She glanced at her watch. It was almost time to meet the others. She carefully arranged the bottles back as they were.
"Don't bother," said a voice from behind her. "Don't you think I already checked for fingerprints?" Nancy whirled around to find a pretty blonde girl in a nurse's uniform glaring at her. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you'd better explain right now." she snarled.
Nancy thought fast. "I'm a friend of Dr. Greene's. He sent me down here to find a box of tongue depressors." What a stupid lie, she thought, but I'd better stick to it. "But," she said aloud, "I don't see any, so I'll just go find him and, uh, tell him."
The girl glowered at her. "Let's go. I'm right behind you." Nancy was relieved. She stuffed the bag with the glove in her pocket, glad that the girl hadn't seen it. She walked towards Dr. Greene's office. The girl followed. Oh well. She was supposed to meet Frank, Joe, and George now, but it looked like she was going to be late.
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Frank and George were sitting in the lobby when Nancy arrived. They stood up in unison. "Where have you been?" George demanded. "We were starting to get worried!"
"Sorry." Nancy replied. "I kind of got sidetracked." She explained about her encounter with the blonde girl. "Oh!" she said excitedly. "I almost forgot!" She dug the bag with the glove out of her pocket and handed it to Frank. Then she looked around. "Where's Joe?"
Frank sighed, and, without looking away from the glove which he was carefully examining, said, "I don't know. We should probably go look for him." He looked at Nancy. His expression was concerned.
"I bet Joe met a blonde girl too." George joked.
Nancy smiled. "Probably, but we should still go look for him."
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Joe opened his eyes and a wave of pain swept over him. "Oww." He moaned. It was dark. He tried to sit up, but failed. How long had he been lying there?
"Joe?"
That was Nancy. "Nan?" he called weakly. The door opened and a stream of light blinded Joe. "Nan?" he called again.
Nancy's eyes widened when she saw Joe sprawled out on the floor. She took the steps two at a time and kneeled next to Joe. She gently took his pulse. "Joe, what happened? Are you okay?"
"I've been better." Joe cracked.
Nancy stood up and ran to the door. "He's down here! He's hurt!" she called.
Joe sat up, successfully this time. "Nan, I'm fine, except when you yell like that!" he exclaimed. He felt the bump on his head. "I look like a conehead, don't I?"
Frank's head appeared in the doorway as Nancy retorted, "I don't believe you! You just got knocked unconscious, and all you can do is make jokes?"
"It wasn't a joke." Joe said. "It hurts."
Frank looked at his head. "I'll bet it does! You should get this looked at. You might have a concussion."
"I just need some Tylenol. I'll survive."
Nancy was staring at the far wall. "Let's get out of here. Now." she said insistently. She was staring at the ventilator, which was spewing out green smoke. "That can't be good."
Frank glanced at the ventilator and tried to help Joe get to his feet. Before he could do so, the steel basement door slammed shut and the three were left in total darkness. They heard the grating of the bolt as it slid into place.
"Guys," Nancy said, her voice urgent. "If we don't get out of here, we'll be breathing that green smoke! I think its chlorine. If it is, it's poisonous!"
Joe gave an involuntary shudder. "Nancy's right. It did look like chlorine. It kills within minutes. We learned about it in chem. lab."
Nancy broke into his thoughts. "Uh, Joe, could you save the science lecture for later? We've got to get out of here!" she hissed. She pulled out her penlight. "Can you stand?" she asked Joe.
Joe gingerly picked himself up. As he followed Nancy toward the door, he heard his brother mutter in astonishment, "When were you paying attention in chemistry?"
Joe shrugged, even though it was too dark to be seen. "Just because I choose not to pay attention doesn't mean I can't!" He had a flash of dizziness and leaned against the wall for support. He felt a cool metal plate under his fingers. A switch plate! He flicked the switch and light flooded the room. He gasped when he saw that the room was over half filled with the chlorine gas.
Nancy had been examining the door with her penlight, but when the lights turned on; she quickly realized that there would be no breaking this door down. Then she realized that the hinges were on the inside of the door. She could pry the pins out of the hinges! Nancy looked around for something to use as a lever.
Frank's voice caught her attention. "Try this." he said, tossing her his Swiss army knife. Nancy looked at him gratefully. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. She pulled out the thickest attachment on Frank's knife and wedged it under the pin. The pin didn't move. She tried again, and this time it moved only slightly. The Hardys were watching her tensely. "One of you want to give this a try?" she suggested. "It's not working for me."
Joe took Nancy's place at the door frame and Nancy joined Frank at the bottom of the steps. Frank looked in dismay at the green smoke that was silently but quickly filling the room. He glanced at Joe, then shook his head. "There must be another way out. This is too slow! By the time Joe gets the first pin out, we'll be dead!" Frank perceived the room in silent frustration. Everything he saw was enclosed in green haze. The gas was practically lapping his feet.
Nancy reached for his hand and pulled him up several steps, as far from the gas as they could get without stepping on Joe, who was working frantically at the hinge. "We have five minutes, tops." she stated flatly, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She was still clutching Frank's hand.
Frank pulled her into a tight hug. Nancy relaxed for a moment, then jerked away abruptly. "George!" she exclaimed. "George will be looking for us!" She spun towards the wall and started yelling, "George! George! We're in the basement! "Help!" Frank joined her.
Joe was industriously prying at the hinge, but he saw the smoke surrounding them and knew there wouldn't be time. He stood next to Frank and Nancy. "George! Help!" he called.
Nancy was short of breath from screaming. She knew that there was very little oxygen left in the room. "George!" she shouted "Help!" Her shout ended as a whisper. Nancy coughed.
Frank turned to see Nancy coughing violently. She had tears in her eyes. He grabbed her arm to steady her. She passed out in his arms.
Nancy tentatively opened the supply closet and turned on the light. She looked around. She immediately spotted several large cleared spaces on the shelves. Whoever had robbed the closet had made no attempt to hide the theft. Nancy carefully moved the bottles of chemicals around, making sure that she didn't mess up any fingerprints. She spotted a dark object lying on the back of the shelf. Yes! She thought. The dark object was a navy blue leather glove. Nancy picked it up and put it in a plastic bag. She glanced at her watch. It was almost time to meet the others. She carefully arranged the bottles back as they were.
"Don't bother," said a voice from behind her. "Don't you think I already checked for fingerprints?" Nancy whirled around to find a pretty blonde girl in a nurse's uniform glaring at her. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you'd better explain right now." she snarled.
Nancy thought fast. "I'm a friend of Dr. Greene's. He sent me down here to find a box of tongue depressors." What a stupid lie, she thought, but I'd better stick to it. "But," she said aloud, "I don't see any, so I'll just go find him and, uh, tell him."
The girl glowered at her. "Let's go. I'm right behind you." Nancy was relieved. She stuffed the bag with the glove in her pocket, glad that the girl hadn't seen it. She walked towards Dr. Greene's office. The girl followed. Oh well. She was supposed to meet Frank, Joe, and George now, but it looked like she was going to be late.
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Frank and George were sitting in the lobby when Nancy arrived. They stood up in unison. "Where have you been?" George demanded. "We were starting to get worried!"
"Sorry." Nancy replied. "I kind of got sidetracked." She explained about her encounter with the blonde girl. "Oh!" she said excitedly. "I almost forgot!" She dug the bag with the glove out of her pocket and handed it to Frank. Then she looked around. "Where's Joe?"
Frank sighed, and, without looking away from the glove which he was carefully examining, said, "I don't know. We should probably go look for him." He looked at Nancy. His expression was concerned.
"I bet Joe met a blonde girl too." George joked.
Nancy smiled. "Probably, but we should still go look for him."
************************************************************************
Joe opened his eyes and a wave of pain swept over him. "Oww." He moaned. It was dark. He tried to sit up, but failed. How long had he been lying there?
"Joe?"
That was Nancy. "Nan?" he called weakly. The door opened and a stream of light blinded Joe. "Nan?" he called again.
Nancy's eyes widened when she saw Joe sprawled out on the floor. She took the steps two at a time and kneeled next to Joe. She gently took his pulse. "Joe, what happened? Are you okay?"
"I've been better." Joe cracked.
Nancy stood up and ran to the door. "He's down here! He's hurt!" she called.
Joe sat up, successfully this time. "Nan, I'm fine, except when you yell like that!" he exclaimed. He felt the bump on his head. "I look like a conehead, don't I?"
Frank's head appeared in the doorway as Nancy retorted, "I don't believe you! You just got knocked unconscious, and all you can do is make jokes?"
"It wasn't a joke." Joe said. "It hurts."
Frank looked at his head. "I'll bet it does! You should get this looked at. You might have a concussion."
"I just need some Tylenol. I'll survive."
Nancy was staring at the far wall. "Let's get out of here. Now." she said insistently. She was staring at the ventilator, which was spewing out green smoke. "That can't be good."
Frank glanced at the ventilator and tried to help Joe get to his feet. Before he could do so, the steel basement door slammed shut and the three were left in total darkness. They heard the grating of the bolt as it slid into place.
"Guys," Nancy said, her voice urgent. "If we don't get out of here, we'll be breathing that green smoke! I think its chlorine. If it is, it's poisonous!"
Joe gave an involuntary shudder. "Nancy's right. It did look like chlorine. It kills within minutes. We learned about it in chem. lab."
Nancy broke into his thoughts. "Uh, Joe, could you save the science lecture for later? We've got to get out of here!" she hissed. She pulled out her penlight. "Can you stand?" she asked Joe.
Joe gingerly picked himself up. As he followed Nancy toward the door, he heard his brother mutter in astonishment, "When were you paying attention in chemistry?"
Joe shrugged, even though it was too dark to be seen. "Just because I choose not to pay attention doesn't mean I can't!" He had a flash of dizziness and leaned against the wall for support. He felt a cool metal plate under his fingers. A switch plate! He flicked the switch and light flooded the room. He gasped when he saw that the room was over half filled with the chlorine gas.
Nancy had been examining the door with her penlight, but when the lights turned on; she quickly realized that there would be no breaking this door down. Then she realized that the hinges were on the inside of the door. She could pry the pins out of the hinges! Nancy looked around for something to use as a lever.
Frank's voice caught her attention. "Try this." he said, tossing her his Swiss army knife. Nancy looked at him gratefully. He always seemed to know what she was thinking. She pulled out the thickest attachment on Frank's knife and wedged it under the pin. The pin didn't move. She tried again, and this time it moved only slightly. The Hardys were watching her tensely. "One of you want to give this a try?" she suggested. "It's not working for me."
Joe took Nancy's place at the door frame and Nancy joined Frank at the bottom of the steps. Frank looked in dismay at the green smoke that was silently but quickly filling the room. He glanced at Joe, then shook his head. "There must be another way out. This is too slow! By the time Joe gets the first pin out, we'll be dead!" Frank perceived the room in silent frustration. Everything he saw was enclosed in green haze. The gas was practically lapping his feet.
Nancy reached for his hand and pulled him up several steps, as far from the gas as they could get without stepping on Joe, who was working frantically at the hinge. "We have five minutes, tops." she stated flatly, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She was still clutching Frank's hand.
Frank pulled her into a tight hug. Nancy relaxed for a moment, then jerked away abruptly. "George!" she exclaimed. "George will be looking for us!" She spun towards the wall and started yelling, "George! George! We're in the basement! "Help!" Frank joined her.
Joe was industriously prying at the hinge, but he saw the smoke surrounding them and knew there wouldn't be time. He stood next to Frank and Nancy. "George! Help!" he called.
Nancy was short of breath from screaming. She knew that there was very little oxygen left in the room. "George!" she shouted "Help!" Her shout ended as a whisper. Nancy coughed.
Frank turned to see Nancy coughing violently. She had tears in her eyes. He grabbed her arm to steady her. She passed out in his arms.