Robbie wasn't deeply asleep, but he was just aware enough to know something wasn't right. Shifting slightly he felt a heavy weight against his shoulder. Opening his eyes he worked hard not to jerk back, wondering why the hell the elf was asleep on him,he took in his surrounding.
Oh that's right, the snow, the kiss, Pinkie and Ziggle... Shit! Pinkie!Scrambling up quickly, making Sportacus wake with a start, he rushed over towards the children, Ziggy had curled himself against Stephanie and was sleeping peacefully but Robbie knew that Pinkie had gotten worse during the night. Her forehead was covered in a cold sweat, her face was pale and her lips looked as if they were losing colour. Knowing she needed a hospital and quickly, He looked up at Sportacus who had crawled over aswell. He saw the worry and fear in his eyes and knew he was way out of his depth here. He was a hero, but he'd never been in a situation where a child was dying right in front of his eyes, he'd always gotten there fast enough to prevent it.
Taking charge Robbie gently shook Ziggy awake.
'Ziggy, Ziggy wake up we need to leave.' Ziggy groggily woke, glad he had been wearing trousers and a long shirt to school yesterday he sat up and yawned.
'You called me Ziggy.'
'Yes yes, but no time for that. Come on, we need to get home so we can get Pinkie to a hospital.'
Nodding Ziggy helped pack up their little camp, putting the flashlights into his bag and crawled out of the hole. Doing as he did so last night, Robbie clamped Stephanie's legs round his waist and shuffled out after him. Sportacus bringing up the rear.
Robbie was worried, Stephanie's head lolled on his shoulder like a rag doll, he knew if she didnt get medical attention soon she would die, I won't let that happen, not again!Knowing he wouldn't be able to carry her all the way home be helped to place her on Sportacus's back. Once she was situated he put his coat round her to keep her warm. Sportacus shivered, she felt like ice against his thermal shirt. He had insisted on Ziggy wearing his jacket to keep him warm as they went home. Walking slowly he started to treck through the snow towards the direction of Lazy Town.
Robbie knelt down on the snow, knowing that he didnt exactly have the best track record.
'Ziggy, I'm going to need to to trust me okay? Put your bag onto your back and climb onto mine, I'll carry you back to Town. I swear I'm not going to do anything to hurt you okay?' Ziggy stared at him for a minute and then nodded, doing as he was told and scrambling onto Robbies back he clasped his hands underneath Robbies chin. As they started walking he whispered into Robbies ear. 'I trust you Robbie, I always have, you may have pulled tricks on us but you've never hurt us. And you helped Stephanie last night.'
Robbie let out a smile and picked up the pace a little, watching Sportacus ahead of him.
About 20 minutes later he noticed Sportacus starting to tremble slightly, He frowned, surely he wouldn't be tired yet? They'd only walked for less than half hour and granted its harder in the snow, but Pinkie isn't that heavy. He was about to call out when Sportacus fell to one knee, Stephanie rolling off his back and landing in the snow.
'Sportacus! Stephanie!'Ziggy cried. Quick as a flash he'd slid off Robbies back and was rushing towards his friends. Trying to decide who to see to first Robbie rushed to Pinkie, the elf wasn't dying, at least not yet. Seeing she was relatively unharmed except for a small cut to her head, Still breathing but her lips turning very blue he turned to his elf. Sportacus was concious, but not fully. A little disorientated he looked into the concerned faces of Ziggy and Robbie.
'wha.. what happened?'
'you fainted, when was the last time you ate?'Thinking back Sportacus tried to remember.
' erm, lunchtime, before I came to yours yesterday.' Robbie sighed.
'That's why then, you're low on energy.'
Ziggy piped up.
'but, but why haven't we fainted? we haven't eaten either?'
'Because our bodies can regulate sugar properly, having had sugar in our bodies gives us that little bit more for our bodies to break down, therefore keeping us warm. But because the blue elf only east sportscandy he's used up all his reserves, during the night. I'm not entirely sure what to do. I can't carry both of them home and you're too small to carry Stephanie on your back.'He stood up and started pacing, staring at the river beside them.
' Wait! I have some sportscandy in my backpack! Sportacus and eat that so he can still carry Stephanie!
Robbie grinned, picked Ziggy up and swung him round.
'You're a genius Ziggle! grab it quickly, we have a way to go and I don't like the look of Pinkies skin.'
Shaking his head at the Name but grinning all the same, Ziggy pulled out an apple from his lunchbox , He also found 2 pieces of taffy and grabbed those aswell. Handing one off to Robbie, who took it looking surprised and mumbling a thanks, he passed the apple over the Sportacus. As soon as the blue elf bit into the apple his crystal glowed and energy flowed back into him.
'Thanks Ziggy! thats much better! Once again you've saved the day!' Grinning and eating his own taffy, Ziggy scrambled back onto Robbies back, pointed his arm forward and shouted
' FORWARD! MARCH! ' Giggling as he did so. Rolling his eyes, Robbie trudged forward, trying not to smile. If he had to choose out of the brats he had to admit he liked Pinkie and Ziggle the most.
It took another 40 minutes for them to reach the edge of town, The snow having made them slow. They could see many people gathered in the distance when..
'Ziggy! Everybody they're over there!'
Several things happened at once, people were surrounding them, each of them being pulled towards the 4 ambulances parked in front of the wood entrance. People were panicked. Ziggys mother had practically ripped him from Robbies back and was now smothering him in kisses while he tried to fight her off. All the other children were gathered and talking a mile a minute. The paramedics had moved Stephanie off of Sportacus's back and onto a stretcher, covering her with blankets and putting an oxygen mask over her face. And Sportacus and Robbie were both being hugged by little people and shuffled along to more waiting ambulances. As Robbie lay down on the stretcher, having been bullied onto it by Bessie he closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep exhausted sleep, thinking to himself Maybe being a good guy isn't so bad after all...
Waking in the hospital was a strange experience for Robbie, He'd never been here except for the day his daughter was born, and even then he wasnt the one laying in a bed. Sitting up he looked round the room, Stephanie was placed into a bed of her own on his left side, the Mayor was asleep on the couch by the door and Sportacus was dozing in the chair between the two beds, both hands holding each occupants. Squeezing the one holding his own, Robbie started to stroke Sportacus's knuckles. For the second time Sportacus jerked awake, saw Robbie looking at him and shot out of bed. Gathering Robbie into a hug and holding his face be kissed him gently but firmly.
'I'm so glad your okay.'He murmured into Robbies lips. Feeling a little confused Robbie pulled back, What's he talking about? I was only sleeping.
Not quite sure what was going on but knowing he would get an explanation soon, he melted into the embrace, This felt good, he was starting to enjoy the physical contact.
Hearing a clearing of the throat both men looked up to find the Mayor smirking at them, Blushing scarlet Sportacus released Robbie and sat back down on his chair but didn't let go of his hand.
' Don't worry you two, I've known this would happen for weeks.' Robbie and Sportacus looked at each other.
'But.. But Mayor, how? we didnt even know until last night..'
'You don't honestly think I haven't seen you sneaking off to his lair every night do you Sportacus? Come on, I am the Mayor of Lazy Town. I knew it was only a matter of time until you admitted your feelings for each other, you've always had a cat and mouse type relationship.'Chuckling for a moment, he then turned serious.
' I want to thank you for everything you have done, not only on behalf of Lazy Town but also from an uncle who was scared to death he had lost his niece forever. ' Robbie had never seen him like this. This was the second time he'd been thanked in a matter of months and he wasn't quite sure how it take it. It felt good, don't get him wrong, it was just a bit surreal.
Sportacus stood up and walked over to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder.
'Mayor, I would do anything for Lazy Town, and especially that little girl, She is very dear to me.'
'Where's Ziggle? H e's okay right?' Sportacus turned back to Robbie, retook his seat and held his hand again.
' Ziggys fine, he was discharged the same time as me.'
' Why haven't I been discharged?'
'Because you've been asleep almost 72 hours.' The Mayor piped up.
72 hours? Holy Cow, that's a long time, even for meFeeling confused, Sportacus explained.
'The doctors said you had practically been running on adrenaline the entire time but your body temperature was also extremely low, not quite as low and Stephanie's but much lower than my own and Ziggys. I had my thermals on but you had removed your coat practically from the time we found the children to the time we got back apart from a brief time during the night..'
'And Pinkie? how is she?' Sportacus and the Mayor both sighed and looked at the sleeping girl. She still had an oxygen mask on.
'She had hyperthermia by the time we got here, Her temperature had dropped dramatically and they said its a miracle she didn't die out there.' Robbie sat staring at the little girl who was actually starting to worm her way into his own heart. Just then the Mayor spoke softly.
'They say she didn't die because of you Robbie, If you hadn't thought to change her clothes she would have been dead before morning. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am in eternal debt to you.'
' Er, um, your welcome, but um, you don't er owe me anything.' Robbie ruffled up his hair, uncomfortable with how intently the Mayor was staring at him. Sportacus stroked his hand.
'Shes going to be okay.'