"What was that?" Cora cried. She looked out the window and saw the five animals running toward the taxi cab.
Cora flung open the door and jumped out. She galloped to Gloria, "What happened? What's going on? Where's Marty? And Alex?"
Gloria's eyes opened wide. She spun around, "Oh, no!"
The three cabby penguins and the two squirrels joined them.
"What?" Cora demanded.
"There was a train wreck," Melman said shakily, "it made the building start to collapse." Melman's eyes filled up with water.
Cora's mouth dropped open. "And?" she said hesitantly.
"And," Gloria gasped quietly, "It looks like we all didn't make it out in time."
Cora's entire soul dropped through the snow-covered ground. She suddenly felt chilled, despite her winter coat. She tearfully closed her eyes, "Oh, no. No."
"Kaboom?" Rico said sadly.
Skipper gave him a solemn look.
"Mimi," Mitchell said gently to his wife, who appeared to be in shock, "Dear, remember our agreement? We're going home now."
Mimi nodded silently and followed her husband.
The penguins, Cora, Melman, and Gloria stared tearfully at the dust rising from the station opening.
Frusturated tears filled Gloria's eyes. "We did not come all this way for this!"
Cora and the penguins looked at the hippo as though she'd sprouted horns.
Melman blew his nose, "Maybe she has a point. It's possible they're still alive."
The animals looked at each other.
They all ran to the stairs.
"Marty!" Gloria cried, seeing the distraught zebra at the bottom of the stairs.
"Glo." Marty looked up at the hippo. She could see that his eyes were red and watery. But instead of sad, his gaze looked determined.
She walked down the stairs.
"We've got to move this concrete!" Marty said.
"Marty…" Gloria eyed the endless urbanite rubble doubtfully.
The zebra looked pleadingly into Gloria's face, "He could still be alive! Come on, guys!"
The others had gathered around the top of the stairs. They all looked sadly at Marty.
Melman sniffed and glanced into the concrete cavern, "Marty, we don't know where he is in there! We might have to move every single piece!"
Marty nodded, "Then let's get started! We don't have much time!"
"Marty…" Gloria said again. She looked sadly at the determined zebra.
Marty saw that the others weren't rushing down to help him. His eyes looked betrayed. He turned and began trying to move the rubble himself.
Cora walked down and stepped to the determined zebra, "Marty, he's gone."
"No!" Marty yelled, "No! He's not!"
Gloria touched Cora's shoulder. Cora understood. She gave Marty some space.
The zebra was going through rubble like a striped, black-and-white bulldozer.
His friends watched silently.
Kowalski suddenly spoke up, "Sir! The sun is going down. We're running out of time."
The squirrels, who had been silent the entire time, looked curiously at Kowalski.
"Running out of time?" Robert asked, "Kindly elaborate."
"Guys! I found him!" Marty yelled from the darkness. Everyone rushed down the stairs. Gloria carefully stepped inside. "Marty?" She saw the zebra, not far from the stairway, holding something."Don't worry, Alex." Marty held the paw he'd found tightly, "We're going to get you out of here! Just hang on!"
Gloria's silhouette came closer, "Where is he?"
She felt around, finding the limp paw that Marty was holding. She followed it down to a particularly huge piece of concrete.
"Marty, honey, it doesn't look good," she said.
Marty's eyes glowed green in the flickering light of the dying flames, "Glo, I've got to try." Desperation and dedication chased the hopelessness across his face.
Gloria nodded, "Okay, Marty. I'm going to try to move it." She managed to get a grip on it, then lifted with all her strength. Marty helped. So did Melman, the penguins, and Cora, whom Marty hadn't noticed enter the station.
The slab flipped out of the way. Alex's battered body lay barely visible in the red shadows.
Marty was the first one to Alex's side, "Alex? Talk to me, man! Please." Marty pleaded with the lifeless form of his friend.
Cora closed her eyes and shuddered. Melman's ears drooped as he sniffled. The penguins stood like four small statues. Tears slipped down Gloria's grayish-pink cheeks.
"Alex? Please, Alex!" Marty whispered.
There was no response from the lion.
"No! You can't die! You never told us why the zebra crossed the road!" Marty cried, "I never finished building your house on Madagascar!"
Gloria moved next to the upset Marty. "Marty, we've got to go," she said with a shaking voice.
Marty cried desperately to Alex, "We're a team! I can't go back without you! I finally found you again! And there's so much left to do together!"
The penguins looked questioningly at Gloria. She made motions with her hands. They nodded and began making their way toward the stairs.
"Cora? Melman?" Gloria said, "You two go ahead, we'll catch up."
Reluctantly, the horse and the giraffe left.
"Marty," Gloria turned to him, "We've got to go back to the boat before we're found by the people."
"You go on." Marty said, "I don't want to go anymore."
Gloria answered, "Yes, you do, Marty. I know it seems like the world is ending, but it's not! What do you think Alex would want you to do?"
Marty sighed. He looked at Alex, then back at Gloria.
Gloria hated the lost, disheartened look that was in Marty's normally bright and happy eyes. She knew that this was very hard for him; it was hard for her as well.
"Okay." Marty said, "you're right, Glo."
Gloria tried to smile at Marty. She was proud of him.
"But could I have a few moments, you know…" Marty gulped.
Gloria patted Marty's shoulder, "Of course. But come soon, okay?"
"Yeah." Marty said.
Gloria left.
Marty sat for a while in silence. Heart heavy, he stared at the lion through the dust. Marty's mind drifted away from the collapsed subway station in New York. He lost himself in memories of Alex.
"Start spreading the news," Marty murmured, "I'm leaving today. We are a great big part of it…" his voice choked.
"Marty?" a weak voice asked.
"Alex?" Marty looked at the form on the ground in surprise. He saw the glint of blue cat eyes shining like sapphire flames. "Al! You're alive!"
Alex tried to move and winced, "I am?"
Marty heard sounds like something was falling from the now-dirt ceiling. "Come on, we've got to get you out of here. Can you get up?"
Alex sat up and looked into the face of his friend. "Marty, I thought I'd never see you again!" the lion cried.
Marty smiled, "Alex, I…" A large dirt clod smacked the zebra on the nose, "Uh oh, we'd better go! Come on, I'll help you!"
Leaning on Marty, Alex stood up. The two made their way to the stairs. Marty helped Alex up the steps.
"Almost there!" Marty gasped. The nap he'd had in the car hadn't made up for the two days he'd spent walking and running, without stopping to eat or rest.
Marty and Alex sat on a step for a second to catch their breaths.
"I hope he comes soon." Cora said, watching the sun sink towards the buildings on the western horizon. She stood beside the cab, glancing toward the station.
"He will." Gloria said, standing next to the mare.
Melman sat quietly in the open trunk at the back of the car. His eyes were red and his nose was runny, but for once it wasn't because he had a cold.
"Look!" Cora cried.
Everyone looked. They saw Marty helping Alex toward the taxicab.
Alex was alive.
"Alex!"
Once again, the car was vacated. Everyone rushed to Alex's side. They helped the injured lion into the backseat of the cab.
Gloria hugged Marty happily, "I didn't know you could bring the dead back to life!" She teased him, "You go, Marty!"
"I think it was that crazy New York song!" Alex said weakly. He smiled, "I know I've said this before, but thanks for not giving up on me, Marty."
Marty grinned, "You're welcome!"
"Ouch!" Alex winced, trying to position himself in the cab.
Robert and Gwendolyn glanced back from the front seat. Gwendolyn shook her head, "He needs to see a doctor."
"My dad's a doctor." Melman said, "Sort of."
"What?" Gloria, Alex, Marty, and Cora exclaimed.
"Really," Melman nodded, "How do you think I survived childhood?"
"Great," Alex moaned, "I'll bet they went back to the zoo."
"I'll go get them!" Marty took off running for the zoo. Gloria caught his tail before he got too far, "Uh, uh. You are not going anywhere! You're limping." She pointed to the leg that had gotten stuck under the sign, "Let Melman go."
"It's nothing!" Marty protested, "Really, it's-" His hoof twisted under him.
Gloria caught Marty, "Melman, go before we need your dad even more!"
"Okay!" Melman galloped off to the zoo.
Marty started shaking violently. His legs tensed. "Glo, the people! They're coming!" he said.
Gloria put him into the cab with Alex, "You sit tight, okay? I'll deal with the people."
Alex eyed Marty worriedly, "Are you okay?"
"Compared to you, I'm fine." Marty said, rubbing his leg.
"I just had a subway station land on my head!" Alex explained, "But what happened to you?" He pointed to the bandages on Marty's hind legs.
Marty looked at them, "They just got scraped on some ice. I'm fine, Alex. Really!" Marty cocked his ear, "What's that sound?"
"Uh, oh." Alex glanced out his window.
A crowd of people was heading for the station!
Melman walked through the mess of twisted metal and blackened concrete that used to be the Asia Gate. Zookeepers gasped at the giraffe entering the zoo. He was the third one that day! Melman calmly passed them.
Down the path, Melman strolled quickly. His long legs enabled him to cover a lot of distance at a slow gait. He was afraid of going any faster; he might twist an ankle, and then what would his friends do? No, he was on an important mission! And he must not fail! Marty's and Alex's lives might be depending on it!
"Mom! Dad!" Melman called to the two giraffes in the giraffe yard. They looked up. Mimi smiled a little, "Oh, Melman, I'm so happy you've changed your mind!"
Mitchell shook his head, "Those animals you call your friends are too reckless!"
"And we've been so worried about you!" Mimi added.
Melman held up his front hooves, "I didn't come back so I could live here."
"Well," Mitchell eyed his son, "then why did you?"
Melman swayed a little, "I came back because my friends are hurt, and I know you could help them…"
"You expect me to go help them after what just happened?" Mitchell looked amazed, "Two of them were killed!"
"They actually weren't" Melman said, "They survived. But they need your help, now."
"They need my help." Mitchell looked far away, "Someone actually needs me…"
"Mitch?" Mimi looked questioningly at her husband.
Mitchell snapped back to reality, "What seems to be the problem, son?" he asked importantly.
Melman sighed, "Well, um, Alex seems to be the worst off, but that's to be expected since he was the one that the ceiling fell on, and he probably has a concussion and multiple fractures. Marty doesn't seem to be as bad off, but he might have internal injuries that we don't know about…he doesn't tend to complain even when he's hurting, but he was limping when he got out of the station…"
"Say no more! Mitchell Mankowitz will take the case! Cases, that is!" Mitchell announced. He walked toward Melman, then turned back, "Are you coming Mimi, my lovely assistant?"
Mimi nodded and followed him.
Together, to the further astonishment of the zookeepers, the three giraffes marched out of the zoo.
"Yikes!" Cora jumped into the back of the cab with Alex and Marty as the crowd engulfed the car. The squirrels hopped onto the dashboard. Gloria got into the front seat on the passenger side.
Strangely enough, the crowd didn't seem to notice the cab full of animals. They headed straight for the subway station.
Sirens were heard. Cora peeked out the rear windshield, "Black and whites!" she exclaimed as four police cars arrived, followed by fire trucks and ambulances. The sound of helicopter rotors could be heard over head.
Policemen taped off the stairway to the subway station. Other policemen performed crowd control. News reporters thrust microphones at people.
"This is extremely exciting!" Robert remarked. Gwendolyn nodded.
Gloria eyed the policemen. She glanced at the rapidly setting sun, "As soon as Melman gets back, we're leaving!"
No sooner had she spoken than three giraffe heads appeared over the crowd. The people parted as the three giraffes walked quickly through. None of the people paid any attention to what they were parting for, however. Their attention was on the rescue teams who were searching the subway station rubble.
Gloria rolled down her window as Skipper started the taxi's engine. "Melman! Follow us!" she called to him.
The giraffe nodded.
"Hit the gas, Rico!" Skipper ordered. The cab's tires spun as it sped off; three giraffes were in hot pursuit.
Robert read a sign as it flashed by, "Oh, I doubt very much that we are doing the speed limit."
Alex looked like he might pass out, "I think I'm going to be sick!"
"Hang in there, Alex!" Marty told his best friend.
Cora was still looking out the rear windshield, "Good thing there's a doctor chasing us!"
"Look out!" Gloria cried as a lamppost grazed the rear-view mirror on her side.
"Sorry, Doll," Skipper apologized, "but the cab's more loaded down than it was last time."
"Oh, my." Alex closed his eyes, "Will someone please tranquilize me?"
The car went over a huge bump.
Cora turned around, "We're at the river already?"
"What's Melman saying?" Gloria peered at her scratched rear-view mirror.
Cora went back to watching out the rear windshield. She watched the giraffe's lips move. Whatever he was saying, it was urgent, judging from the look on his face. Cora tried to make it out, "It looks like…two? No, burn…wait…turn! Yes, that's it! Turn!" She turned around and glanced out the front windshield. "Ahhh! Turn!" she yelled.
Gloria, Marty, and the squirrels looked. They all screamed as the bank of the Harlem River rapidly approached them.