"Okay, right in here." Natalie said as she led Mona into Peter's
hospital room. She had been terrified the entire time that they had been
quietly climbing the stairway that those doctors would think to check there
and catch them. She still wasn't sure exactly what in the world was going
on but she definitely felt that they had something very unpleasant in mind
for Mona if they had caught her. Why would someone want to hurt a child,
though? Mona seemed perfectly harmless to her.
Natalie shook her head when she saw that he was laying slumped back on the pillows again. "I wish I knew what he was doing when that happens."
She said with another shake of her head as she led Mona to a chair and settled the little girl in, gently stroking the child's hair for a moment to reassure her. "Okay, sweetie, my husband's apparently otherwise occupied at the moment so it looks like we'll have to wait a little bit to find out what in the world is going on here."
Although Mona looked perfectly content to sit in the chair, swaying back and forth, Natalie looked around for something that might better occupy the child anyway. She reached out, snagging a pencil and some of Peter's paper. She was sure that he wouldn't mind sharing. "Here. Would you like to try to draw something, sweetie?" She pressed the pencil into Mona's hand and settled the pad of paper onto her lap. Okay, considering the blank look on the little girl's face, Natalie wasn't sure how well this would work but she saw no harm in trying. She reached out, picking up Peter's drawing of Mary, hoping it might give Mona an idea. "Here,
sweetie. My husband drew this. Is it of your friend?"
Mona reached out, touching the picture, something changing slightly as she did so. Natalie wasn't sure what in the world was going on as she watched in silence as the child stared at the picture before gripping the pencil and starting to move her hand across the piece of paper. "What is that?" She whispered softly as she watched Mona draw. This was all starting to remind her of the condition that her husband was currently in.
What in the world was wrong with this little girl? Could it be that she was experiencing the same thing that Peter was only she had no one to help her? "We'll help you, sweetie. I promise."
Suddenly Mona stopped drawing and looked up with a slight smile,
starring at something that Natalie couldn't see as Peter sat up in bed once more. "Is Mary here?" Natalie asked quietly. She could feel something slightly, now, like someone that she couldn't see, could only feel was moving across the room.
"I told you she was smart, Mary," Peter said as he looked over at the little girl. "Is your friend okay?"
Mary nodded as she approached Mona, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the half done drawing on her friend's lap. She had tried and tried to get through to Mona but it had never quite worked. "Mona, what is that?" Mary said quietly as she peered over her friend's shoulder at the drawing. She could see a figure that looked like a small child with something around its neck but.... She slowly shook her head as she recalled the problem down in the basement. Mona was safe for now and she could figure out the puzzle of the picture later. Dr. Hook and the others were definitely not safe.
"Peter, we have to help them somehow." Mary said, the urgency clear in her voice. "There's been an accident in the basement, Mona." she explained to her friend. "An earthquake trapped Dr. Hook, Dr. Chris, Dr.
Louis, Dr. Lona and Elmer. Dr. Lona's hurt really bad and if she doesn't get help soon...." Mary stopped not wanting to go on and frighten her friend. "We have to help them, Peter. Dr. Stegman's just going to leave them down there and let them die!"
"I know." From what they had seen down in the basement, the situation was definitely going downhill rapidly. If could just think of the right clues to give Natalie, he was sure that she could figure things out, though. Suddenly he felt something being pressed between his fingers as he looked down slightly to see Mona handing the pencil and pad back to him.
"Peter? What are you drawing now?" Natalie asked as she stood so she could better view what her husband was sketching. Her brow furrowed for a several minutes before the image took shape enough that she was able to recognize it. "Dr. Hook? That's Dr. Hook, right?" She watched for a moment before Peter nodded. "Do you want me to call Dr. Hook?" Would he even be here at this time of the night?
'He lives here. Of course he would be.' Antubis said with a chuckle as he lumbered towards the door. 'He must really love his work is all that I can say. Mary, I'm going to go downstairs and try to help Blondi make his human get up and do his job for a change. Having five doctors trapped in the basement really doesn't seem very secure especially since they're the competent ones. Well, the competent ones and Elmer. I hope no one needs medical attention tonight.'
Suddenly Natalie felt a tug on her arm and she looked down to find that Mona had taken her cell phone out of her purse. The little girl held out the phone and slowly touched the buttons, 9 then 1 and then 1 again.
"911?" Natalie said in a puzzled tone as she reached out and took the phone. They were in a hospital. Why would Mona want her to call.
Suddenly it hit her. "You're trying to help too, aren't you? Peter, is Dr. Hook in some sort of trouble? Does he need our help?"
Mary reached out, nodding Peter's head for him as Mona scrambled to sit on the side of the bed.
"Okay." Natalie said as she looked from the picture to the phone.
Dr. Hook had been so good to them, had gone out of his way to try and help her husband. If there was anything that she could do to help him, she would. It was just a matter of figuring out how. "Okay. Is Dr. Hook hurt, Peter?"
Natalie watched. Peter shook his head no but he had hesitated slightly. Did that mean something? "Is Dr. Hook okay but someone with him is hurt?" Okay, that was it. But now what did she do? She bit her lip for a moment as she tried to think. If Dr. Hook was with someone that was injured and yet he still needed their help then.... "Is Dr. Hook still in the hospital, Honey?" She asked Peter. He nodded as his fingers begin to move over the pad of paper, rapidly drawing a doorway, five letters embossed upon it.
"The morgue? Why would Dr. Hook be down there?" Natalie said softly, before something suddenly hit her. "The earthquake. The earthquake has them trapped in the basement, doesn't it? And if someone's hurt, then the morgue would be where they would have to go for supplies.
Peter, is that right? Is that what happened?" Natalie said, a rush of excitement running over her now that she thought she might have been able to figure out what was going on herself for a change without depending of Mrs. Druse for guidance.
Peter was drawing again, even as Mary nodded his head for him,
sketching out the scene that the two of them had seen on their return to the basement.
Natalie's eyes widened slightly as she watched the drawing take shape. She could recognize Dr. Hook, of course, and the female doctor working with him, Dr. Draper, she thought. The others in the picture were vaguely familiar as well. Maybe she had seen them in the hallway or something. "If it's bad enough that they're trying to do surgery though...." She said quietly. They definitely needed help and fast.
"Mona, sweetie, hand me my phone."
"Hello?" She said when the 911 operator answered after several rings. "I'm calling to report an emergency over at Kingdom Hospital, as odd as that might sound to you.' She shook her head slightly as she listened to the reply, a soft laugh slipping out. So it wasn't the first time they had gotten a call from there. She wasn't sure if that was something she should worry about or not. "Okay, we have a problem with an earthquake over here. It did some damage to the hospital basement and there are five doctors trapped down there." Peter was writing on the sketch now, adding names. "Yes, a Dr. Hook, Dr. Chris Draper, Dr. Louis Traff, Dr. Elmer Traff and Dr. Lona Massingale. They definitely need the fire department or something over here to get them out as soon as possible.
Dr. Massingale looks to be pretty seriously injured."
Natalie nodded as she listened to the operator's response. "No,
I'm not sure exactly what's wrong but they're down in the morgue area of the basement. It looks fairly serious to me. Something internal, maybe?"
She looked over at Peter for a clue and was pleased when he nodded. "Yes,
definitely some sort of internal injuries. Could you please get someone over here quickly?" She hesitated at the operator's next question. "No, I don't think I can give you my name." All that that would do would be to draw attention to them she had a feeling that that was the last thing that she should do at this point. "Just please, get here as fast as you can."
"Well, I did my best," Natalie whispered as she reached out and took her husband's hand. "I just hope that it was good enough."
though? Mona seemed perfectly harmless to her.
Natalie shook her head when she saw that he was laying slumped back on the pillows again. "I wish I knew what he was doing when that happens."
She said with another shake of her head as she led Mona to a chair and settled the little girl in, gently stroking the child's hair for a moment to reassure her. "Okay, sweetie, my husband's apparently otherwise occupied at the moment so it looks like we'll have to wait a little bit to find out what in the world is going on here."
Although Mona looked perfectly content to sit in the chair, swaying back and forth, Natalie looked around for something that might better occupy the child anyway. She reached out, snagging a pencil and some of Peter's paper. She was sure that he wouldn't mind sharing. "Here. Would you like to try to draw something, sweetie?" She pressed the pencil into Mona's hand and settled the pad of paper onto her lap. Okay, considering the blank look on the little girl's face, Natalie wasn't sure how well this would work but she saw no harm in trying. She reached out, picking up Peter's drawing of Mary, hoping it might give Mona an idea. "Here,
sweetie. My husband drew this. Is it of your friend?"
Mona reached out, touching the picture, something changing slightly as she did so. Natalie wasn't sure what in the world was going on as she watched in silence as the child stared at the picture before gripping the pencil and starting to move her hand across the piece of paper. "What is that?" She whispered softly as she watched Mona draw. This was all starting to remind her of the condition that her husband was currently in.
What in the world was wrong with this little girl? Could it be that she was experiencing the same thing that Peter was only she had no one to help her? "We'll help you, sweetie. I promise."
Suddenly Mona stopped drawing and looked up with a slight smile,
starring at something that Natalie couldn't see as Peter sat up in bed once more. "Is Mary here?" Natalie asked quietly. She could feel something slightly, now, like someone that she couldn't see, could only feel was moving across the room.
"I told you she was smart, Mary," Peter said as he looked over at the little girl. "Is your friend okay?"
Mary nodded as she approached Mona, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the half done drawing on her friend's lap. She had tried and tried to get through to Mona but it had never quite worked. "Mona, what is that?" Mary said quietly as she peered over her friend's shoulder at the drawing. She could see a figure that looked like a small child with something around its neck but.... She slowly shook her head as she recalled the problem down in the basement. Mona was safe for now and she could figure out the puzzle of the picture later. Dr. Hook and the others were definitely not safe.
"Peter, we have to help them somehow." Mary said, the urgency clear in her voice. "There's been an accident in the basement, Mona." she explained to her friend. "An earthquake trapped Dr. Hook, Dr. Chris, Dr.
Louis, Dr. Lona and Elmer. Dr. Lona's hurt really bad and if she doesn't get help soon...." Mary stopped not wanting to go on and frighten her friend. "We have to help them, Peter. Dr. Stegman's just going to leave them down there and let them die!"
"I know." From what they had seen down in the basement, the situation was definitely going downhill rapidly. If could just think of the right clues to give Natalie, he was sure that she could figure things out, though. Suddenly he felt something being pressed between his fingers as he looked down slightly to see Mona handing the pencil and pad back to him.
"Peter? What are you drawing now?" Natalie asked as she stood so she could better view what her husband was sketching. Her brow furrowed for a several minutes before the image took shape enough that she was able to recognize it. "Dr. Hook? That's Dr. Hook, right?" She watched for a moment before Peter nodded. "Do you want me to call Dr. Hook?" Would he even be here at this time of the night?
'He lives here. Of course he would be.' Antubis said with a chuckle as he lumbered towards the door. 'He must really love his work is all that I can say. Mary, I'm going to go downstairs and try to help Blondi make his human get up and do his job for a change. Having five doctors trapped in the basement really doesn't seem very secure especially since they're the competent ones. Well, the competent ones and Elmer. I hope no one needs medical attention tonight.'
Suddenly Natalie felt a tug on her arm and she looked down to find that Mona had taken her cell phone out of her purse. The little girl held out the phone and slowly touched the buttons, 9 then 1 and then 1 again.
"911?" Natalie said in a puzzled tone as she reached out and took the phone. They were in a hospital. Why would Mona want her to call.
Suddenly it hit her. "You're trying to help too, aren't you? Peter, is Dr. Hook in some sort of trouble? Does he need our help?"
Mary reached out, nodding Peter's head for him as Mona scrambled to sit on the side of the bed.
"Okay." Natalie said as she looked from the picture to the phone.
Dr. Hook had been so good to them, had gone out of his way to try and help her husband. If there was anything that she could do to help him, she would. It was just a matter of figuring out how. "Okay. Is Dr. Hook hurt, Peter?"
Natalie watched. Peter shook his head no but he had hesitated slightly. Did that mean something? "Is Dr. Hook okay but someone with him is hurt?" Okay, that was it. But now what did she do? She bit her lip for a moment as she tried to think. If Dr. Hook was with someone that was injured and yet he still needed their help then.... "Is Dr. Hook still in the hospital, Honey?" She asked Peter. He nodded as his fingers begin to move over the pad of paper, rapidly drawing a doorway, five letters embossed upon it.
"The morgue? Why would Dr. Hook be down there?" Natalie said softly, before something suddenly hit her. "The earthquake. The earthquake has them trapped in the basement, doesn't it? And if someone's hurt, then the morgue would be where they would have to go for supplies.
Peter, is that right? Is that what happened?" Natalie said, a rush of excitement running over her now that she thought she might have been able to figure out what was going on herself for a change without depending of Mrs. Druse for guidance.
Peter was drawing again, even as Mary nodded his head for him,
sketching out the scene that the two of them had seen on their return to the basement.
Natalie's eyes widened slightly as she watched the drawing take shape. She could recognize Dr. Hook, of course, and the female doctor working with him, Dr. Draper, she thought. The others in the picture were vaguely familiar as well. Maybe she had seen them in the hallway or something. "If it's bad enough that they're trying to do surgery though...." She said quietly. They definitely needed help and fast.
"Mona, sweetie, hand me my phone."
"Hello?" She said when the 911 operator answered after several rings. "I'm calling to report an emergency over at Kingdom Hospital, as odd as that might sound to you.' She shook her head slightly as she listened to the reply, a soft laugh slipping out. So it wasn't the first time they had gotten a call from there. She wasn't sure if that was something she should worry about or not. "Okay, we have a problem with an earthquake over here. It did some damage to the hospital basement and there are five doctors trapped down there." Peter was writing on the sketch now, adding names. "Yes, a Dr. Hook, Dr. Chris Draper, Dr. Louis Traff, Dr. Elmer Traff and Dr. Lona Massingale. They definitely need the fire department or something over here to get them out as soon as possible.
Dr. Massingale looks to be pretty seriously injured."
Natalie nodded as she listened to the operator's response. "No,
I'm not sure exactly what's wrong but they're down in the morgue area of the basement. It looks fairly serious to me. Something internal, maybe?"
She looked over at Peter for a clue and was pleased when he nodded. "Yes,
definitely some sort of internal injuries. Could you please get someone over here quickly?" She hesitated at the operator's next question. "No, I don't think I can give you my name." All that that would do would be to draw attention to them she had a feeling that that was the last thing that she should do at this point. "Just please, get here as fast as you can."
"Well, I did my best," Natalie whispered as she reached out and took her husband's hand. "I just hope that it was good enough."