Daddy's Girls Chapter 20:
Author's Note: You all get a two chapter update today, one for each week I'll be on vacation. Will Roxanne and Annie be rescued? Will the MASK team save the day? Find out in the next chapter(s)! Keep reading and reviewing!
Matt Trakker padded carefully toward the hallway junction, having already heard footsteps from that direction. He flattened himself against the wall as he heard the sound of something hitting the ground, pausing only momentarily before taking a few more tentative steps forward. When no other sounds issued forth, he continued walking and cautiously stepped out into the next corridor.
Suddenly he ducked as a long knife sailed through the air unerringly toward where his left shoulder would have been if he hadn't moved. It instead clanged harmlessly to the ground as Matt rolled to his hands and knees to get a good look at his assailant. Shock set in first, followed quickly by surprise and then relief as he saw the redheaded girl leaning against the wall across from him, arm still extended from her throw.
"Annie!" Matt shouted as he leapt to his feet and ran toward her. Apparently I startled her just as much as she surprised me. He yelled her name again when she didn't give him any sort of acknowledgment.
"ANNIE!"
Annie became convinced her hearing was gone too when she thought she heard someone saying her name. Her other senses had long since deserted her, turning everything a grayish-white that bordered on black as everything started to fade, except for that voice. Only sheer stubborn force of will kept her on her feet until a pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders. She caught a blurry glimpse of red on gray as she finally looked up and realized who was in front of her.
"M—Matt?"
He nodded, eyes widening behind his Spectrum mask as he noticed the blood covering her sweater, as well as the reason behind it. "My god, Annie, you're bleeding...you've been shot! What happened?! Where's Roanne?!"
"Th—They infected Ro—Roxy..." Annie's pulled one of Matt's arms off her shoulders and pushed the cloth wrapped vials into his outstretched hand. "H—He shot me when I s—stole the virus and...an—antidote. You...you have to g-get those to...to her...in the in—infirm...infirmary..."
Her legs simply wouldn't support her anymore, but Matt easily caught her falling body in his free arm and held her tightly as her eyes fluttered closed.
"Annie..." he shook her gently, hoping to try to keep her awake.
Her eyes opened halfway as she looked up at him and made one final request. "Tell my dad that I love him..."
From the opposite corridor, Matt caught a glimpse of yellow and pink out of the corner of his eye. "You'll be able to tell him yourself in just a moment..."
Annie knew she wasn't going to last that long, but she had one more thing she needed to say. "...Tell Scott I love him too..."
As soon as they had infiltrated the base, Brad and Matt had split up in the hopes of at least one of them finding the girls. Brad hoped Matt had better luck, because so far he hadn't seen anyone but the very occasional soldier. Brad stopped and listened as he heard someone approaching from the other hallway and breathed a sigh of relief as Matt's voice carried over to him. He headed toward the sound of his friend's voice, then broke into an all out run as his ears picked up the sound of an oh so familiar female voice. He sprinted down the hall and turned sharply, just in time to see his little girl collapse into Matt's arms.
Brad stood at Matt's side within two more heartbeats. Without hesitation, Matt gently transferred Annie into her father's arms before Brad could utter a word. Brad's face turned pale beneath Hocus Pocus as he examined Annie's bullet wound and immediately felt for her pulse. It beat slow and steady, but that could change if they didn't do something about the blood loss and resulting shock.
"She told me Roxanne was infected by the virus," Matt offered by way of short explanation, again before Brad could open his mouth to speak. "Apparently Annie took it upon herself to steal the virus and antidote back from Contra World and took a bullet for the effort."
Brad's grip tightened protectively around his daughter as he cussed inwardly. "Damn that stubborn streak..."
"Brad," Matt warned calmly and urgently, "we don't have time to debate this. It looks like we're already outside the infirmary, let's just hurry up and get the girls out of here."
"That's assuming we can...get out of here, that is," Brad intoned ominously.
Matt ignored his commentary and the two men wasted no more time on conversation. As they entered the infirmary, Matt immediately rushed over to Roxanne's bedside. His heart felt weak the moment he glanced at his fragile daughter trembling like a stroke victim. Her eyes were closed, but Matt knew she wasn't sleeping. She was clearly suffering from the inside and was trying not to cry any further. "Roxanne, daddy's here to take you home," He calmly remarked as he put a gentle reassuring hand on her arm.
"Daddy?" Her eyes half crack open to a blur in front of her, as sweat dripped down her face, "Water..."
"Alright," Matt reached over for a water bottle and placed it to her lips.
Roxanne knocked it away, "Water's bad...kill people." She starts to whine, "I'm sorry.... so sorry"
Brad could hear bits and pieces of their conversation, but rather than interrupt, he decided to use the opportunity to quickly bandage Annie's wound with the supplies he found lying around. After laying her gently on one of the nearby beds, he carefully ripped off the sleeve to her sweater and placed some gauze pads over the entry and exit point. He took some comfort that the bullet wasn't lodged in her shoulder as he tightly wrapped the gauze in place. Finally, he ripped up a pillowcase and immobilized her right arm in a makeshift sling to help insure no other damage would be caused. As an afterthought, he grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped her in it to hopefully help ease the shock. He then lifted her head up to rest against his shoulder as he sat down on the bed beside her.
"I swear, Annie," Brad muttered softly as he pushed a piece of hair away from her cheek, "you've given me more gray hairs in six months than you have in almost seventeen years." He almost hoped she might reply, but when he didn't get one, he simply sighed and stroked her hair as he looked over toward Matt and Roxanne. "Stay with me, baby..."
"What are you talking about?" Matt looked into Roxanne glassy eyes unable to make heads or tails of her nonsense. My god she's delusional.
Roxanne was trying to warn her father, but she couldn't think straight. The words just wouldn't come out of her mouth, instead she groaned out in pain and frustration.
Matt took off his glove and ran his hand over her head, "I'm sorry honey...I know your trying to tell me something." Worry continued to spread over his face as his hand felt like it was on fire just by contacting her skin. It's just as bad as the readings I'm getting from Spectrum. She has a high fever, no wonder she's disorientated. He pulled out the vials Annie had given him. One of these is the antidote, but which one? I can't risk making a mistake. If I pick the wrong one it could kill her. "Roxy...I have the antidote, but I don't know which one. So I'm not going to be able to give it to you, until Alex determine which one...you understand?"
Her bandage left hand rose towards the vials, "Virus..."
Matt gently grabbed her hand, "Yes I know your infected, but..."
"In...Water...People....Sick...uhhh....Die...Die....marrow...." Tears fell down her face, as she slowly muttered out each word.
Her father still starred down at her puzzled; in fact he looked to Brad who also couldn't decipher what she was saying. Roxanne grew more agitated with frustration and started to breath harder as thought she was having difficulty breathing.
"Calm down," He order in a soft soothing voice, "Your saying the water going to make people sick." She nods. "They'll die from it...marrow...tomorrow?"
"I think she's saying the virus is in some sort of water supply?" Brad interrupted wanting the guessing game to end.
"I was just gonna say that," Matt smirked, then turned back to his daughter, "Alright I understand, but we have to get you out of here first." Matt looked over to Brad, "How's Annie doing?"
"The sooner we leave the better. I've managed to stop the blood loss."
"Good then lets get going, we've wasted enough time here." Matt threw back the covers on the bed and slowly pulled Roxanne's zombie body upwards. She groaned slightly as her father forced her to sit upright. "I know your in pain...but try to do your best not to make any noise, hopefully we'll get out without being notice." Roxanne dazedly nodded as she locked her arms around her father's neck, he then swooped his hands under her back and legs and lifted her up. Matt could feel the moisture already soaking through his uniform, and he was having second thoughts about moving her.
"What's on your mind?" Brad asked noticing Matt starring long and hard at his daughter.
"She has a fever of 109 and it isn't going down anytime soon. Maybe it's best if you escape alone."
"What are you out of your mind Trakker? What are you going to do wait for VENOM to come back capture you and let you both die together?"
"I can't help her Brad. I could very well kill her by taking her out of this room. It won't take much in her condition. For once I don't have all the answer, I don't know what to do."
"Dad..." Roxanne voice cracked, "I want to go home."
Brad smiled lightly as he picked up Annie in his arms, "I think you just got your answer."
