*Ah! I haven't updated in a week! No sleep and a small health scare is the cause, but I'm good now!*
It seemed like hours since Buzz and the gang had left the house. They stopped to rest at a park. Across street was a clock tower and it started to ring. It ran a total of twelve times indicating it was midnight.
"You've got to be kidding me. It's only been two hours since we left?" Rex asked.
"Yeah. It feels like we've been walking for days! Potato Head shouted.
"Hey Buzz, how much farther?" Hamm asked. Buzz looked at the map.
"It looks like we've got another twenty miles to go." He said. They all groaned.
"That's another two hours!" Hamm said.
"You know what, it's late. We've been walking for a while. Let's rest here for the night and we can start again in the morning." Jessie said. They all plopped down on the grass under a tree. Jessie and Buzz went and sat down on a flat stone. Owen came over and cleared his throat.
"Hey guys, can I sit with you?" He asked.
"Sure Owen. Buzz said. Thank you again for coming with us."
"Oh its nothing. Owen said. Woody has done so much for me these last two years and has made me feel like I'm already part of the family."
"You are part of the family, Owen." Jessie laughed.
"Well, I mean, I will be officially after Rose and I are married."
"Are you nervous?" Owen shook his head.
"No. I love Rosetta. She is the first real thing that I've been sure of in a long time. I've never met anyone like her. I do wish I stayed to comfort her, but I wanted to help in any way I could to get Woody well again."
"That's sweet of you, Owen. I'm sure he appreciates that." Jessie said. Owen smiled and turned to Buzz.
"Have you two really known each other for over twenty years?"
"Oh, longer than that. We've been friends ever since our run in with Sid." Buzz said.
"Woody told me about Sid. Man that kid was crazy. Did he really blow up toys?"
"He did that and worse. He had strapped a rocket to my back and was ready to blast me into space, but Woody got us out of there. He's gotten us out a few bad spots over the years. Yeah, sometimes we argue, but in the end, we always see eye to eye."
"He loves you, Buzz. You two definitely have that brotherly relationship." Buzz laughed.
"Yeah. I guess we do." He sighed. They all looked up at the night sky.
"What if we don't find the flower or get it back in time?" Jessie finally said.
"We will, Jess. Get some sleep, okay?" She rested her head against his shoulder and fell asleep. Owen got up and moved to a spot on the grass, lied down, and fell asleep. Buzz sighed, said a silent prayer for his friend and soon fell asleep as well. The next morning, when the sun rose at 6:30, they walked three more hours more found themselves at the gates of the gardens.
"Alright, the garden just opened, so it shouldn't be too crowded. We just need to slip through the fence and then find the exhibit. Try to stay hidden, do not be seen. Let's go!" Buzz said. Back at the house, Bonnie had decided to stay at Mason's for the weekend, so Dolly moved him onto Bonnie's bed so he was more comfortable. She had been monitoring the cowboy since they left. His breathing was still fast and labored that it almost sounded like he was wheezing. She sighed again and wandered over to the edge of the bed as Buttercup came up.
"How is he doing, Doll?" He asked.
"No change. His breathing is getting worse, but that's to be expected. He's also getting chills, which is another symptom. Dolly said. I'm worried about the paralysis. I would have thought it would have started already but…" Before she could finish, Woody suddenly screamed. The two toys rushed over to him. Bo and Rosetta were there too.
"Woody, what is it? What's wrong?" Buttercup asked.
"Ah! Pain, in my feet! Stabbing pain. Ah, it hurts!" He yelled. Dolly uncovered his feet.
"Try to move your foot for me." She said. Woody tried, but it didn't move. "Now try the other foot." The other foot lay still.
"I'm, I'm sorry, Dolly, I'm trying, but I can't. It hurts so much, almost like a thousand needles are stabbing me. Ah! Ow!"
"I know it hurts, cowboy, but unfortunately that's probably what it will feel like with the rest of your limbs." Woody coughed and rolled his head to the side as he passed out from exhaustion. She covered him with the blanket.
"Was that the start of the paralysis?" Rosetta asked.
"Yes. When it started with Justin, it started almost immediately. Dolly said. I figured it was going to do the same for Woody, but it obviously came on later. Now that it has started, every time a part of his body becomes frozen, he will scream and feel pain. The others need to find that flower soon and get back soon, otherwise he is going to lose a limb every other hour."
*Will have the next chapter up on Thursday, hopefully. I had previously written this story without Bo and Owen, so it just needs to be tweaked. Till then, partners!*