GASP. Can it be? Why yes it is. Here it is, the latest chapter of Gunfire! Waits for applause but only hears crickets. Oookay then….time for review responses…
Trecebo: Yes, and as opposed to the previous tiny chapter, I made this one longer to make up for lost time…lots and lots of lost time…Sorry about that.
Kate Maxwell: Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to writing the recovery process, but since I started it, I might as well end it. Oh, and I guess I didn't make it clear enough, but Virgil's in the hospital under the name of Static, because if you recall in chapter 2 I think, the paramedics took 'Static' to the hospital, not Virgil. Hope that cleared up a few things, because you definitely need to know that for this chapter.
Girlie G: Ok, so it's not exactly soon but its an update. Sorry about the long wait.
Goddess of Twlight: Yes, the angst is coming, although there isn't that much of it in this chapter, but don't worry, it WILL come. And about the Daisy/ Frieda thing, I'm not sure. I'm not into romance fics, so this definitely isn't going to be romance, but Daisy/Virgil is implied, not much, but it is. Sorry, and I hope you keep reading anyway.
Shadow dragon04: Yeah, he's haunted by it. He's gonna have to work through that in the upcoming chapters. Sorry it took so long to update, but it's here now, so please enjoy!
Richie'sgirl09: Yea, Valentines Day is a fart, especially when you don't have someone to spend it with, and even more so when your sick, although I'm sure by now your feeling all better. D Um…no….Virgil and Richie won't be getting together in this or any or my stories. Sorry, but I'm just not a slash kinda person. Well, I hope you enjoy the story anyway!
Cartoonluva94: ….Well….um….its asap…but it's here! Hope you like the chapter!
RealityBreakGirl: Ah, don't worry about not reviewing earlier. A lot of the time I too don't review, mainly because I'm just too lazy, although it IS appreciated, so don't go getting the idea that I don't want you reviewing. Anyway, I'm glad that you like how the story has been going, and I hope that you keep on enjoying it.
To the anonymous reviewer: I apologize for that comment. It wasn't intended to offend anyone, I was just stating my opinion. I should have written it differently. What I meant to say was that I'm not a fan of slash, and that in my opinion there are too many V/R slash fics here. It just makes it harder for reader like me to find something to read. Now, I'm not saying I'm against gay couples, never, especially since I'm friends with gay people, and they're totally awesome. Again, I'm sorry if I offended you and any other writer/reader who enjoys and supports slash stories.
Chapter 16-Boooriiing
"Stop! No! Get it away from me! Wha…What re you doing?" Tangled sheets covered and trapped the young man as his frantic movements continued on the hospital bed, sweat pouring down his face. "Please, no….please…." His face contorted in pain, both from the dream and his injuries as his voice slowly died down.
Waking with a start, Virgil quickly sat up, pain shooting through his side making him hiss. Once the pain subsided, he looking around the room, taking comfort from the white walls and seemingly over sterilized smell. With a sigh, he lay back down in the hospital bed.
Day and night, nightmares of the bank robbery plagued him, and when he wasn't sleeping, images flashed through his mind, never leaving him in peace. He vaguely wondered where his father was before looking at the clock and realizing he was at work. The clock also didn't fail to point out that it was a little past noon, making his stomach grumble for lunch.
Making sure that his mask was on, he pressed the call button and waited patiently for the nurse. It didn't take long, and he was soon sitting up with the help of the bed, with a lunch tray in front of him and the TV tuned to 'The Three Stooges." I can't believe that this is the best thing TV can play in the afternoon. Virgil thought as he took another bite out of his…well….he wasn't really sure about that; it was either mashed potatoes or a salad. Either way, he supposed it was edible, seeing as how he'd been eating every day for God only knows how long and he was still alive. Then again, it could be one of those slow acting poisons that only works if you mix it with some other chemical like…Wow, freaky, starting to think like Richie…Never letting that happen again…
Deciding that "The Three Stooges" were getting on his nerves, he flipped to the TV Guide Channel and groaned as he saw all channels that weren't available to the hospital. When I get out of here I'm suing this place for attempted murder through boredom. He finished off the rest of his lunch with the TV turned off and tried to figure out what he could possibly do. He thought briefly about counting the dots on the ceiling, but then decided against it, figuring that Richie probably already knew. Although, if I count it and get a different number then him, he'd probably be so determined to prove me wrong he'd re-count it again. Virgil smiled at this, but knew that he was just too lazy to actually go through with it.
Sleep? No, that's all I've BEEN doing. He briefly glanced over to the wheelchair that sat across the room from him, practically begging to be ridden. His grin grew wider as he suddenly thought of something to do.
"I think I liked the hospital food more." Grumbled Richie as he picked up his spork and started eating the macaroni and cheese. Frieda giggled as she sat down next to Daisy across from Richie.
"So, how's the first day back?" Asked Frieda, taking a bite of the lunch.
"Okay I guess. Nothing that interesting, although people asking about the bank robbery is really starting to get annoying."
Daisy looked up from her meal, curiosity and worry showing in her eyes. "By the way, how's Virgil?"
Swallowing his food, Richie smiled slightly. "He's fine. Practically up to his old self. I'll bet you that in a few days he'll be driving the doctors insane." Hearing this, Daisy brightened up and three continued there meal with lighthearted conversation.
"WOOHOO!" Static laughed as he sent the wheelchair his was sitting on rolling at dangerously high speeds down the hospital corridors, doctors, nurses, and orderlies trying desperately to catch up and stop the electricity-happy teen before he crashed into someone or something and risked further injury. Unfortunately for them, that was the last thing on the young hero's mind as he dodged patients and staff and swerved yet another corner, barely missing a head-on collision with the book cart.
But, alas, his powers and energy were still limited, and he quickly came to a stop at the end of the hall way, gasping for breath as he held onto his mid-section in pain. As soon as one of the doctors reached him, he quickly started examining the hero, making sure he hadn't caused more damage to his still healing wound.
"You could have killed yourself." He stated worriedly, noting with disappointment that a few of the stitched had been torn.
Looking up with a glint of amusement in his eyes and a smile on his face, Static replied. "It was worth it." He soon found out what his short excursion had cost him as he began a coughing fit and before he knew what was going on, a breathing mask was being placed over his mouth a nose and he was being wheeled back to his room. He smiled tiredly behind the mask. So worth it.
Finally, 6th period. Grinned Richie as he walked into his last class. He had been extremely bored throughout most of the day. Without Virgil, there was nobody to talk to, and although that gave him plenty of time to tinker with new gadget ideas, as well as ways to improve existing ones, talking was still more entertaining. Suddenly, his cell phone started vibrating. Taking it out to see who would call him in the middle of class, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find that Virgil had sent him a text message.
Making sure that the teacher couldn't see, he flipped open the phone and read the message. Hotstreak and Shiv are trying to rob a jewelry store. Figures. Faking a groan, Richie held onto his injured arm, getting a curios glare from Mr. Boring, as most of the students had labeled him. Sure it wasn't very creative, but it fit.
"I don't feel well. My arm really hurts." His teacher was about to say something when Richie winced, his face contorting in pain. "My doctor said to see him immediately if it started hurting this bad again."
"All right Mr. Foley, but I want a note from your parents tomorrow."
"Sure thing." And with that, Richie grabbed his backpack with his good arm and quickly left the classroom. Once outside the room he rushed into the nearest bathroom, made sure it was empty, and changed as quickly as possible.
Arriving at the scene, Gear was instantly greeting with a ball of fire hurtling toward him. Dodging it wit practiced ease; he flew toward the two criminals.
"Hey look, it's Inspector Gadget." Laughed Shiv, dumping a bag of jewelry into what Gear assumed to be their getaway car.
Hotstreak gave his companion a disgusted look when he heard the horrible joke. "Shut up and fight." He groaned as he threw another fireball at the hero. Dodging it once again, Gear threw a zap cap at Shiv, temporarily leaving him out of the fight.
"Let's see how long you can avoid going up in smoke." He threw two more fireballs, and in the few seconds it took Gear to dodge them, Hotstreak had nearly made it to the car, before he was wrapped up tightly and laying face down on the ground.
"It won't be that easy Hotstreak." Stated Gear as he came closer.
"You're probably right." The metal around him was starting to melt. "But getting rid of one is easier than two, especially when that one is you."
Gear laughed. "Didn't know you were such a poet Francis." The metal binding Hotstreak melted through, allowing the fire wielding teen to snap it off, his eyes blazing in fury.
"Word is that you let Static get shot." Mocked Hotstreak, throwing a few more fire balls. "That you we're smart enough to save your own partner, when he was right next to you!" Hotstreak laughed, but suddenly stopped when he saw the anger that consumed his opponent.
"I'm going to make you eat your words!" And before he knew what was going on, Gear was punching and kicking him, ignoring the painful fire that licked his skin. In seconds, Hotstreak was doubled over, hugging his stomach in obvious pain. Gear kicked him one more time for good measures.
Shiv, having just recovered from the shock of the zap cap, started running up behind the hero, who was catching his breath, rage still seeping through him. Making sure to be quiet, Shiv was just about to slice Gear across the back when he elbowed the unsuspecting criminal in the stomach and tossed another zap cap at him as he stepped up, once again knocking him out.
Stepping away from the criminals, he allowed the cops to take him away as he looked at his forearms which where now slightly burned. With a sigh, he started flying toward the hospital. Virgil's gonna have a hissy fit when he hears about this. This made Gear smile; never before had either of them actually went as far as beating up the bad guy.
Walking into Virgil's room, he grinned as he saw his friend flipping though the channels, desperately trying to find something to watch.
"Hey V-man, I heard what you did. Very nice." Richie sat down in a chair as Virgil laughed.
"I thought so too, but the people here seem to think that I was 'endangering myself.' But hey, I figured I'd rather die flying through the hospital on a flying wheelchair than from watching 'The Three Stooges'."
Cocking an eyebrow, Richie glanced at the TV and then back at his friend. "Did you really watch that?"
"Yes, I did. Pity me." The two burst out laughing.
"It's not that bad you know." The voice of Robert Hawkins made the two teens stop laughing, glance at the father, back and each other, and then erupt into another fit of laughter.
Richie had fallen asleep in the hospital room. After Virgil's dad had arrived, he had excused himself from the room, anticipating the lecture that was about to come. Almost an hour later Mr. Hawkins had come out of the room, muttering something along the lines of 'Why'd it have to be a boy?' Richie had soon after scurried back into the room, giggling at the disgruntled look on his best friend's face. They had spent the rest of the day talking and going over missed homework assignments, and before they knew it, the two had fallen asleep, books, papers, and writing utensils spread both across the bed and floor.
"Don't! STOP!..." Richie started coming around, hearing his friend's distraught please. The please soon turned into a scream of agony, which fully awoke the blond teen as he sat up in his chair and his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.
"Virg?" He whispered, worry lacing his voice.
"Oh God…I'm shot….Hurts so much." Richie rushed over to turn on the light before running back to his friend and tried to wake him up.
"Virg? Virgil, you gotta wake up man, it's a dream, it's only a dream."
"Richie?" The name was spoken in a tear filled voice, but Richie saw that his friend's eyes were still tightly shut.
"Yeah man, it's me, I'm here."
"Richie…help…." The words were whispered, and where the last thing said before Virgil went back into a more peaceful sleep, leaving a shocked and newly guilt ridden friend to sit dumbfounded and staring at his best friend, who now lay sleeping seemingly peacefully.
Ok, tell me what you all think. Now, before you go yelling at me for dissing 'The Three Stooges', I gotta tell you that I've never even watched that show. I just needed a show to put in there and it was the first thing that popped into my mind. And, if anyone didn't like the fight scene, I'm sorry, but I'm really bad at that stuff. I put it in because I figured that the criminal would be attacking now that Static is out of the comition for a while. If you actually want more fight scense, then tell me, but if nobody want them, they wont get written; they'll be mentioned, but not written. Well, anyway, as you can tell, this chapter was pretty lighthearted until the end, and yea, the beginning, but now that that's over with, we're gonna go back to the original angstyness that the story started out as. And I'll try and update faster next time, but I'm not making any promises.