Voyagers!: Asylum

Chapter 2: The syrupy road trip

Phineas materialized atop the collapsed roof of a building and was blown over by the stench of molasses. He staggered and caught his balance as a brown, gooey substance licked at his boot. The scene around him was horrific. A river of molasses coursed through the streets, devouring anyone and anything in its path. Vehicles, wagons and buildings were crushed and smashed, melding into indistinguishable lumps of broken steel, brick and wood. Adults and children wailed as the syrup continued its destructive flow through the town. Phineas held his mouth in complete shock. He felt completely helpless realizing that this freak accident was as much a part of history as the Titanic sinking.

He spotted Lilly. She clung for life to a support beam of what looked like a schoolhouse. She desperately tried to stay afloat and held a young boy in her free arm. Phineas climbed down the side of the building and without hesitation jumped into the surge. The wave had slowed down, but the pressure nearly forced him under and lapped as high as his chest. He had to be careful not to hit anything swarming below. He couldn't make out differences between man and beast.

He called out her. "Lilly! I'm here! Hold on!"

Lilly struggled to turn her head at the sound of his voice. Phineas Bogg had come for her. She struggled to retain her grip on the creaking beam, it was about to give way. The unconscious boy in her arms weighed her down. She had to get him to dry land. When Lilly ran from the wave, she'd spotted a group of dark-haired children walking in her direction from the schoolhouse. The wave separated all of them. Both she and the boy rode the wave as if on a surfboard. Lilly saw him go under and she grappled for him when the wave grounded. They were rolled under the molasses like a rock but Lilly managed to surface without losing him. As they shot past the schoolhouse she reached out and held on. She gasped for air. The syrup smothered her and she could barely call out to Phineas.

Walking through the mess was taking too long and Phineas dove forward. The goo gave him an unexpected boost. He made it within two feet of her and threw out his arms.

"Lilly, you have to grab me! The syrup tapers off here, we can make it!"

Lilly swallowed down the molasses and finally found her voice. "Phineas…I can't! Take the little boy! Please! He's drank too much of the syrup, if I let him go he'll sink!"

"Lilly, I got you both! Come on!"

Lilly shook her head and thrust the boy forward. "Help him!"

Phineas grabbed him. "Okay, I got him!"

Phineas looked concerned at his little, round face and quickly cleared his nostrils of the syrup. He couldn't tell if the child was still alive. He ran his fingers through his mouth to remove the excess gunk and clear a breathing passage. He slapped the boy's back hard and heard a small wheezing sound, but then nothing.

"Go Phineas! Go!" She cried out.

Phineas waded forward, holding the boy high in his arms. He stumbled to the drier part of the land where rescue crews from the Red Cross and ambulances bravely descended into the muck to search for survivors. They were also attempting to release the dead from their gelatinous graves. He rushed the boy over to one of the workers and put him in his arms.

"Please, I have to go back for my…my wife! Take care of him, he's still breathing!"

~Oo~

The beam cracked as the entire schoolhouse crumbled under the mess and dragged Lilly with it. Phineas saw her submerge, her hands waved frantically as she sank.

"No! Lilly!"

Lilly squeezed her eyes and mouth shut as her body drifted to the ground. She was practically in a sitting position near the steps. Her dress was caught on rusted nails. She tried to wrench it, but it was too heavy to rip. Panic set in and she thrashed around. She couldn't see him, but felt Phineas grab her waist. Lilly gripped her dress and shook it, alerting him that she was caught. He dropped lower, feeling down the length of the fabric. He grabbed the cracked beam for support and pulled hard. The dress tore off on the second yank. Phineas held her arm and they propelled upward, bursting through the molasses with heaving gasps.

Lilly's entire body shuddered and she cried, wrapping herself around Phineas. The syrup matted their hair across their faces and it took a few moments for them to even open their eyes.

"I…I…hate…wearing…dresses!" She moaned and sank her head onto his shoulder.

"I understand! Are you okay?"

Lilly opened one eye and another wave washed over her. A wave of loving emotions for the man who saved her life. She nodded and choked out more syrup. Phineas wiped her mouth and pulled her hair away from her eyes as best he could.

"I'm glad I came…I'm so glad." Phineas cradled her. He was finally able to trudge through the molasses on foot. The ambulance worker who took the boy rushed over to help them.

"Are you hurt, ma'am? That was a miraculous rescue you and your husband made!" He beamed, trying to find rays of hope through the tragedy.

"My…my…husband?" Phineas nudged her gently and she nodded fast. "Yes, yes, Phineas is my hero…always." She sighed and gave them both a reassuring smile. "I think my hands are a little scraped, but that's not important! Phineas, where's the boy? What happened?"

Phineas was about to answer when the ambulance worker removed his hat and shook his head saddened. "I'm sorry, he didn't make it. We put him in that pile of the dead victims."

Lilly let out a soft cry and Phineas set her down. She ran to find him. There were too many little bodies lain out with white sheets draped over them. Phineas and the ambulance worker rushed over and the worker reluctantly drew the cover off the boy. His dusky skin was pallid. Phineas lowered his head in complete heartache. Lilly knelt down and clutched his tiny hand, trying to warm it. She stroked his chubby cheeks and matted down curls.

"I'm so sorry little guy! I tried! I really tried." Her words trailed off into wails and Phineas gently pulled her away from the death scene.

She cried on his chest. Their bodies stuck together, but he hugged her even closer. Phineas was in as much despair as she was. First he lost the soldier, and then he lost Jeffrey, and now the child. He wept along with her, the tears washed away the stinging syrup in his eyes.

"Phineas, I'm a failure! I should have brought him to land, but I was scared! I killed him!" She sobbed.

Phineas grabbed her shoulders. His eyes widened somberly. "Listen to me, Lillia Morgan! you did not kill him! You gave him a chance to live, he might've been trapped under the molasses if you hadn't held him afloat. You did your best and that's what counts!"

Lilly wiped her nose and fell into his arms again. He stroked her back soothingly. He stared at the dead and noticed a mother and two young girls weeping over the boy. Suddenly, a miracle occurred. One of the girls dropped to the ground with an ecstatic cry.

"Anthony! You're alive!"

The boy shifted and groaned, choking on the last of the syrup that had been clogged in his throat. The relief workers ran over amazed and began to administer aid to him.

"Mama! No more school…it broke." He cried weakly.

While his mother and sisters embraced him, Phineas' tears of sadness turned to joy. He lifted Lilly's chin up and smiled.

"Lilly, look over there! He made it! They made a mistake! He wasn't dead! I knew it, I knew he was still breathing when I got him out!" Phineas exclaimed.

Lilly almost couldn't believe him. Her heart lifted and she let out a shout of happiness.

"Phineas, you did it!"

"No, you did it, Lilly!"

Lilly dug into her dress pocket, the omni clung to her thigh. She wiped it off and opened it, thankful the inside was still dry and undamaged. The light had never turned red.

"History hasn't changed, he was supposed to live. Phineas, thank you for coming for me!"

Lilly hugged him all smiles and a small feeling of regret struck him. He was sorry he'd raved about her being a klutzy hare-brain. Lilly was truly one of a kind. He twirled her around, forgetting the stickiness and pains in his beaten body. When he lowered her, they both laughed, much to the surprise of onlookers and mourners. Phineas leaned his face to hers and kissed her lips. She grabbed his neck, falling intensely into it, the ultra sweetness of his mouth was impossible to resist. It was a challenge to pull away, and neither wanted to.

Loud noises broke the embrace. Fire trucks and ambulances from other parts of Boston were coming in. The rescue workers milled around, shouting directions. They parted and Lilly sheepishly wrung out her clothes. At a makeshift aid station they gratefully accepted buckets of water to wash off the gunk.

"Wooh! Well, looks like we did it again! I…wait a minute…Phineas,where's Jeffrey?" She demanded.

Phineas grabbed his head and pulled his hair up, his fingers were getting fixed within the waves and it created a wacky hairstyle. His expression turned anxious.

"Lilly, Jeffrey's been kidnapped. I need your help, I lost him somewhere in London, in a countryside. I have no idea where…" He rambled.

Lilly put a hand on his chest. "Okay, let's not panic. We'll go there now and start looking as soon as we get cleaned up. Oh jeesh, I lost my bag!"

"So did I, and the guidebook!"

"Me too! Oh no! Was it a green light?"

"Yes it was, as soon as the wagon drove off with Jeffrey, it turned red."

Phineas readjusted his omni to the exact date, June 15th 1835.

Lilly toohis hand and squeezed it. "We're going to find him, no matter how long it takes, we'll find him."

~Oo~

Phineas and Lilly appeared on the road where Jeffrey had dropped the bag. Phineas picked it up and dusted it off.

"I found mine again, Lilly, we have to get to a village." He pointed out the direction Jeffrey was taken.

"It looks like that path is more countryside, we may not find a place to rest for miles. You really look like you need it."

"And you look like you took a swim in molasses." Phineas joked.

"Let's go before I bake in the sun, it's pretty hot out here."

"Okay, but we're going the same way as Jeff, I can't afford to waste time, who knows what could have happened to him."

"All right, I'm sure we'll find somewhere to freshen up."

As they lumbered up the road, Phineas explained how he and Jeffrey separated. Lilly couldn't believe the turn of events.

"Wow! You seriously need to take a breather, Phineas. It won't do Jeffrey any good to have you exhausted and pass out trying to save him. So, this stagecoach was filled with screaming kids? Did you see them?"

"No, I heard them. It was surreal. I don't know where it was going, but it wasn't Disneyland that's for sure." He said, remembering how Jeffrey explained the modern theme park that wasn't a country.

Lilly pulled at her hair frustrated. "Definitely not. This is Victorian England, we have to think Dickens! Orphans, orphanage, Oliver Twist…oooh…Oliver Reed." She blushed, thinking of his portrayal as Bill Sykes in the musical, Oliver!

Phineas looked at her confused. "Now Dickens I know, met him a while back. Jeffrey and I had our own Oliver Twist adventure when they stole the omni, but who's Oliver Reed?"

Lilly found a tree stump to rest on. She needed to empty her boots and she started to unlace them.

"He was a good British actor from the 1960's, real handsome. Brilliant blue eyes, like yours. He was tough, moody, funny, drunk, sexy…I really want to omni meet him." Her thoughts wandered off and Phineas snapped his fingers in her face.

"Glad to know where your mind is. Here, let me give you a hand with these banana boats."

Phineas got on his knees and pulled off her granny boots, whacking the molasses out of them. Lilly crossed her arms and eyed him upset.

"Will you quit picking on my feet? Just like last time. I can't help my genes. They're big! Here! See, big!"

She put her foot near his face and wriggled her toes. "Why don't I just go to ancient China and have them bound. Would that make you happy?" She huffed.

"Don't you dare! That was one of the cruelest beauty tricks I've ever seen."

Her toes stuck out of torn, black stockings and Phineas grabbed her heel to examine them.

"Nice, I like the shiny pink polish, what's with that little white strip across the top?"

Lilly squirmed her foot from his hand. "It's called a French Pedicure."

"Why? What makes it French?"

Lilly pulled her boots back on and held her feet up again so he could tie the laces. "Would you, please?" She batted her eyes.

"Of course."

"I don't know what, it's just a style. Maybe they invented it."

Phineas lifted her up from the stump and took her place. He was about to remove his own boots when Lilly got down and yanked on them.

"Ughh! These must be made of lead! I can't…" The boot at last slid from his calf and Lilly tumbled into the grass.

She got up and composed herself while Phineas laughed. She removed his other boot with the same results and he still laughed. She drained both of them. She looked at his feet and noticed the socks.

"Hey! Where did you get these? They're athletic socks."

"My last visit to VHQ, they had this great Swap meet and Jeffrey and I stocked up on them; they're really comfortable."

Lilly laughed. "Oh cool! Last time I went they were 6 pairs for a dollar!"

"Wouldn't pay a cent more. Voyager discount!"

Lilly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a fresh pair, but Phineas stopped her. "Don't worry about it, I wanna get completely cleaned up first, why ruin another pair?"

"I guess that's true, but, can I have a pair to wear now? Please?"

Phineas sighed and agreed. Lilly stood up and scooted him off the stump and held out her feet again. Phineas grunted impatiently, then removed her boots again. He tore off the foot part of her stockings and and put the socks on for her. When he finished he helped her up and she pranced ahead of him.

"That was so interesting! Boy, I think I have you whipped." She grinned.

Phineas caught up and grabbed her elbow. "What did you just say?"

"Umm, I said…" She started looking at her boots and pretended to stumble. "I said, I think I almost tripped! This place is full of loose stones, be careful."

Phineas' eyes narrowed. "Yeah, that's what I thought you said. Now let's quit wasting time, no more rest stops unless you gotta do some business. Jeffrey needs us!"

~Oo~

The next hour dragged on as the Voyagers continued trekking the countryside while staying on course of the river. Phineas was fiercely silent and Lilly was afraid to ask if they could stop to wash off more of the syrup. The insects were having a feast and buzzed around them. Phineas barely noticed and just slapped them away. Lilly's feet and legs were giving out and she had to rest again. She leaned against a tree.

"What's wrong? Come on! We have to keep moving." Phineas demanded.

Lilly glanced at him pitifully. "Can I just get a break for a minute? I'm exhausted too. I haven't slept in days! Taking care of soldiers, running back and forth…"

"Mud fighting over Thomas." Phineas added, slowing down.

Lilly did a double take. "What? How did you know that?"

"The battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, 1863. I met Thomas and I nursed him too, but, he didn't make it, a lot of those boys didn't make it." Phineas sighed.

Lilly banged on the tree. "That pompous…of course, in his dying breath he's bragging about women. Did he mention me?"

"All he could talk about was you. How you looked like a goddess, with your shapely figure and autumn leaf hair and how you nursed him to health." Phineas was surprised at the jealousy in his tone. "He died saying your name."

Lilly crossed her arms and stared at him sadly. "Wow, that's…I guess I really made an impression."

"I'm sorry. I guess you and him were…"

Lilly quickly changed the subject. "The mud fighting was not my fault, Eliza started it. She liked him, but he was only using her to get to her father's battle plans. He turned out to be a big sneak and a two-timer."

"He was handsome, you weren't taken at all?" Phineas asked wryly.

"Umm, nahh, not really. Okay…" Lilly twirled her hair and scratched her neck, swatting at the insects. "He and I…"

Phineas moved closer. "He and I, I mean, you and he, what?"

"We kissed a little, nothing too serious, because I'd realized what he was up to, I saw the plans sticking out of his bag. The only way he could've gotten them was through Eliza and she wouldn't have given them up that easily if you catch my drift."

Phineas put his hand against the tree and stood over her. "So, had you not seen the plans…"

"Will you quit it? We were in the middle of a busy camp. I have decency, you know. Hey, you don't see me questioning all your excursions, Phineas Bogg. I would probably be here all day."

Phineas laughed for the first time that hour and pulled a few leaves from her hair. "Okay, that's fair. Let's not go there."

"Yes, let's not!" Lilly looked away jealous.

She felt Phineas staring and refused to look into his eyes. She knew the expression on his face; it was the clincher, the look that could make anyone weak in the knees. She heard a clopping on the road and saw an open back wagon with pigs milling around inside. Phineas was about to kiss her when she ducked and he banged into the tree.

"Oh look! We can get a ride into the city!" She ran away.

Phineas rubbed his forehead. What was he trying to pull? This was no time for his amorous conquests. He caught up to her.

"Excuse me, sir, but we are a bit lost, would you be able to give us a ride into the village?" She curtsied with a smile and phony British accent.

The old man scratched his head and returned the smile. "Well, you be a might pretty lass. I guess I can spot ya a ride, but try not to disturb my porkers, say, you two smell like breakfast! What happened?"

"We…umm, we had an accident with our wagon, we were delivering molasses and it fell everywhere, it was quite a mess." Phineas answered, attempting an accent. Lilly eyed him and shook her head. He elbowed her slightly.

"Oooh! I see that! Well, ya might arouse my porkers, but they're harmless. Hop on then!"

"Thank you, sir!" Lilly ran to the back of the wagon. Phineas hoisted her up and leaped on.

"All set!"

The old farmer whipped his reins and they rumbled down the road. Lilly curled up nervously in the corner opposite Phineas. The pigs circled them, smelling their clothes and skin.

"Oooh…Phineas, eww!" Lilly whispered. She shut her eyes as the pig sniffed her face and licked her cheeks.

"I think he likes ya!"

"He's not my type."

"I'm curious to know what is?"

Lilly glared at him and scooted to his side. "Two are stronger than one, they're not bothering you."

"Oh great, now they will." He mumbled.

"Phineas, am I that annoying to be around?" She asked pointedly.

Phineas looked at her. "No, I just don't want pigs smecking me, is that so wrong?"

Lilly grinned and flicked her hair. "I would think you'd be used to that."

Phineas wanted to casually remind her that he kissed her not too long ago, but held his tongue. "I have a very good taste in women, Lilly. I don't kiss pigs!"

Lilly kept looking at the roadside. "That's not what I heard, but you can lie with dogs." She said in a singsong voice.

"Stop believing everything you hear about me. I'm a gentleman."

"So was Casanova and Don Juan, but that didn't stop them either."

"You're really asking for it, ya know that, Lilly?"

"Gentlemen don't hit ladies."

Phineas growled and crossed his arms indignantly. "Where do you hear all this nonsense? What do those jerks know? They're all the way at VHQ holed up in stuffy offices and I'm out here doing my job!"

"Don't you know I read the Voyager Enquirer every week? You're in it most of the time. The last juicy tidbit was your rendezvous with an older woman of the English courts, you'd starred in a play with her and…"

Phineas held his head. "Are you for real? What are you talking about? There's no Voyager newspaper. That did not happen!"

Lilly laughed gaily. "I'm teasing you, Phineas! Just imagine if you were a Hollywood star, the fodder that people would make up about you."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people have nothing better to do."

"I'm sorry to get your goat, I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"It's not working, try something else."

"Why don't you try something else? You think I feel any good?"

"I don't wanna! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not in the mood to be a clown."

"I bet you'd be a cute one with a red nose on a unicycle and…"

Phineas threw his hands up, startling the pigs. "You are ridiculous. Grow up, Lilly!"

Lilly sat back and bit her lip, deciding now was a good time to quit the jokes. She was just as worried about Jeffrey but goofy humor was often her way of covering her distress. They remained silent for a few minutes and she inched closer and put her head on his shoulder. Phineas wanted to shrug her off, but she glanced up at him with wan, apologetic eyes and his temper softened.

"Phineas, I'm sorry. I know this is no joking matter. Jeffrey's life is in danger. I just don't want to freak out on you."

Phineas made himself more comfortable and leaned his head against hers. Sleep was overtaking him. "Thank you, apology accepted. I don't mean to be crabby, but it's been a very rough few days."

Lilly closed her eyes. "I know. We'll get through this. Jeffrey knows you won't give out on him."

Phineas suddenly remembered the river. "Oh no! The last thing Jeffrey saw was me getting knocked underwater because I hit a rock. I hope he doesn't think I'm dead!"

"I hope not! Either way, you're here and you won't let him down."

"That's right. Hey get some sleep, will ya? It looks like we have a couple more miles to go, even the pigs are resting."

Lilly had already drifted off and Phineas sighed, drawing her nearer for more comfort. He could only imagine what was happening to Jeffrey and it was nightmarish. He forced the thoughts from his mind and closed his eyes.