I hope everyone likes this next chapter, and I really hope I showed what the characters were feeling. Well, Read and Review, tell me what you think!
Hospital Visits
" Come on, we have to go through the private entrance, nobody else goes through it." Gear walked in front of the two worried family members, trying to keep calm while he led the way. He had gotten lucky when he found out that they could go through a secret entrance, and wouldn't have to deal with anyone. In about ten minutes, they were inside the room, and both Mr. Hawkins and Sharon were standing beside Static.
" Can we take his mask off?" Asked Mr. Hawkins.
Richie nodded before joining them. Mr. Hawkins slowly removed the mask the reveal his son's face. But this time, his son wasn't laughing, or yelling, or anything, he just lay there, almost as if he were dead.
" What happened?"
Richie gulped; he really didn't want to tell them it was his fault that his child was dying. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, tried to stop his insides from twisting into a knot.
" The leader, he wanted me to crack the password for the bank, but said I wouldn't, so he shot Virgil. Then he said that I couldn't help him until I finished with the password, or else he would shoot someone else, or shoot Static again. So I cracked it, but it took over three hours. I..I'm really sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. We were both scared of going in there, but, we couldn't just leave all those people in the bank with that guy.... I'm sorry." Richie bowed his head, suddenly finding the floor very interesting
"It's not you're fault." Mr. Hawkins squeezed the young man's shoulder reassuringly to make sure he understood. His eyes never left his son's face, and he just realized how pale he looked. He then looked over at Sharon, who was sitting next to her brother, holding his hand as if to show everything was going to be okay. But right now, they didn't know if anything was going to be okay.
" I just heard." Said Adam, as he stretched into the room. "Sorry I didn't get here earlier. How is he?"
" Not good." Richie stated glumly, without lifting his head. Everything seemed so unreal right about now, like it was just some awful dream. But it wasn't, it was all coming true before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do about it. And now, now he was tired, the only thing that had been keeping him up was that rush of adrenaline that he had gotten after Static had been shot, and when he had to go tell Virgil's family. Right now though, it was gone, and he was just about to fall asleep. He started to sway, but to his luck, Mr. Hawkins was keeping him up.
" Are you okay?" He asked, and Richie could see worry in his eyes, for him, not only for Virgil, but for him.
" Yeah, just tired is all."
" Well, then maybe you should go home, get some sleep." Adam suggested.
" I can't, I left the house in a T-shirt, my parents are going to notice the bandage." He was too tired to go home, to explain everything to his parents, who undoubtedly would react a lot worse then Virgil's dad had.
" Do you just plan on not telling them, they deserve to know, especially now, you've been through a traumatic experience." Robert stated.
" I know, but, I'll do it tomorrow, for now, I'll just get a nice little cot up here and spend the night."
" No, you wont, you are going to go to our house and spending the night there, just like you told you're parents. Sharon and Adam will go with you, I'll stay here in the cot."
" But.."
" No buts, you go home and get some sleep, I'll stay here."
" Okay, but I'll order the cot up, we can't have anyone finding out about Static. Adam, could you keep everyone hidden while the thing is being brought in here?"
" Sure, no problem." He went outside and motioned everyone to follow him. He made himself into one of those rain breakers in front of hotels, and told everyone to get down and sit on him.
"You sure that you can carry both of them?" " No problem, I've held more."
After hearing that, Richie put on his helmet and called up a cot, waiting patiently for it to come.
" Here you go, one cot, do you need anything else?" Asked the orderly, he seemed way too cheery for Gear's liking at the moment.
" No, that's enough, thanks." With that, Gear went over to the window and motioned everyone to come back in, then took off his helmet again. " You okay?" He asked Adam, who was now stretching back into the room.
" Yep, come on, we better get going, I'll drive."
" Sharon, Richie, you think you're up for school tomorrow?" asked Robert.
Sharon shook her head no, but Richie wasn't paying attention anymore, the day had been much too long. He just kept on staring at his feet, knowing that he couldn't look at his friend, it would be too mutch.
" I think that's a no," Said Adam, who was walking toward the window. " Come on, we're going through the window, so you better put on you helmet." He said to Richie, who just nodded and followed the older man. Adam picked up Sharon and before long, they were gone and out of sight, leaving father and son alone in the room.
" Dear God, why?" He asked, looking up at the ceiling, tears that he had been holding back, welled up in his eyes. " Who could do such a thing?" This time he looked at Virgil, but he didn't get an answer. He looked at his surroundings, the different machines, tubs, and wires, all their to help his son. He also noted the bandages that were raped around his son's torso, and were now starting to get red at the site of the wound. He thought about pushing the call button, but then thought better of it. The doctor's knew what they were doing.
Robert started at his son's face for a long time, he didn't know how long, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered as long as those machines kept on beeping; telling him his son was still alive. For the first time, to his surprise, he noticed the tube in Virgil's mouth, which he knew led into his throat. Robert took his son's hand in his own, waiting for some sort of response, but none came. Not a thing to indicate that Virgil knew what was going on. Nothing.
" I'll carry him." Whispered Adam with a small smile. He got out of the car and opened the doors to the back seats, and lifted Richie out of the car, one arm under his back, the other was under his legs.
"I don't blame him for falling asleep." It was the first thing Sharon had said since she had left the house.
" Yeah, come on, let's get him inside." Once they were in the house, Adam gently laid Richie down on the sofa and moved toward the kitchen. " Where do you keep the bandages?" He asked, looking through the drawers.
" Right here," Sharon answered as she took a role out of the cabinet next to the refrigerator, handing them to Adam.
" Thanks." He said, then starting walking back into the living room. He got down next to Richie and rolled up the boy's sleeve before starting his work. He took off the bandage that was wrapped around Richie's arm, since he had seen the blood starting to come through. Once that was off, he starting wrapping it with the new one. With that done, he took of his shoes and fell on the coach.
" You better get up to you're room and get some sleep" He suggested. Sharon answered with a nod and made her way upstairs.
Looking at the young man next to him, Adam realized how much strength and courage it had taken for both Richie and Virgil to go into that bank. Then, for Richie to have to leave his best friend behind to help a bunch of crooks. With a sigh, he grabbed a pair of blankets and pillows from the hallway closet. He put one of the pillows under Richie's head, then draped a blanket over his sleeping form. After looking at him for a few minutes, he noted that, although Gear had stood and fought, and became a man in everyone's eyes, Richie did too. But at the same time, lost almost all will to fight, and had become a child, searching for a missing piece in his soul.
Adam knew what that piece was, it was knowing that Virgil would live, and knowing that he had done the right thing. But convincing Richie, and Gear, that this was true, that he had honestly done what needed to be done, would be hard.
With that final thought, Adam let the pillow fall gently to the floor, before letting his head rest on it, and entered a restless sleep. Richie felt his head throbbing as he woke up. Although he kept his eyes closed, he could tell it was still dark out, probably around one or two in the morning. After a few minutes of trying to realize what the hell he was doing on a couch, he remembered the events that had taken place the previous day.
With a groan, he sat up, allowing the blanket that covered him to remain resting on his left shoulder. He looked down at his bandaged arm, and, although it was dark, could make out a circle of blood on it. Looking groggily around the room, he spotted a role of bandages on the coffee table, and picked them up. Taking off the soiled wrap, he gently, but firmly, put on a new one.
Fatigue was starting to set in, so with a sigh, he fell back onto the couch, and quickly fell asleep.
The supposed leader spoke again. "Hey, Gear, you're good at hacking into things, why don't you get the banks password."
"Never, not on my life."
The man just shrugged, "Okay," was his reply as he starting circling, gun cocked, ready to shoot anyone, "then how about on...Static's!"
The sound of the gunfire vibrated throughout the entire room.
Richie turned restlessly in his sleep, trying to get rid of the awful nightmare..
A lot of people tried to get even lower to the floor, throwing their arms over their heads, some screaming. But Gear didn't see or hear any of that, the only thing that penetrated his mind was Static, and the look on his face as he lay on the floor. Gear could see the pain etched o his face, and quickly ran over to his fallen friend.
"Static, Static! You okay man?"
"Yeah," Static managed to gasp out. He was holding onto his side, trying to block the pain out.
Gear looked closer at his friend, and then noticed the blood on his hand.
Riche popped up from the couch, sweat clinging to his forehead and soaking his t-shirt. He breathed rapidly, trying to get control of himself, and his emotions.
You get the password, then help him
He remembered the look on Virgil's face, the pain that took control of his thoughts, his senses. Then he remembered how he had felt when he had to leave his friend, had to crack a stupid password. He had felt guilty, like now. Now, the feeling of betraying his friend had subsided, but it was still there, still knowing at him. And he knew it wasn't going to go away, not now....not ever.