Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination.
Dizzy: 3 Out The Window.
Howard was jolted from a painful sleep by a horribly familiar voice outside the room.
"You take crab eyes, leave Vince to me."
'Bainbridge', Howard thought, shocked that he knew that they were here. 'This must be an inside job!' He realized, experiencing a sinking feeling that they had walked into a trap.
"Vince, Vince!" Howard hissed, shaking the sleeping man desperately.
"Howard, what?" Vince mumbled blearily, knocking the hands from his shoulders in annoyance.
"We have to get out of here!" Howard urged desperately, pulling Vince upright and throwing the covers off him.
"Do you mind!?" Vince squawked, pulling down the ridiculously short white hospital gown.
"We don't have the time for this!" He hissed, grabbing Vince's arm and ripping out the IV lines. Vince yelped in pain and shifted away from Howard, shocked at his panic.
"Step away from my nephew Moon!" Bainbridge's rich voice ordered as he stepped into the room with a large bag and a rifle.
"You!" Howard growled, finding it repulsive that the man still had the gall to call Vince his nephew.
Vince was staring petrified at Bainbridge, his blue eyes wide and fearful.
"I don't blame you Vincey." The man announced in the same pompous manner, whilst the doctor that had treated Vince grabbed Howard's arms behind his back.
"Vince don't listen to him!" Howard yelled at the simple creature, praying for him to understand.
"It's alright Vincey, here, have some sweets." Bainbridge handed Vince a bag of flying saucers and patted his shoulder in a supposedly reassuring manner. "And why have you been given such terrible clothes? Here, I brought you some from Top shop!" He announced merrily.
Vince's eyes went wide as he pulled out a dark gray shiny zip up, three quarter length sleeved top, he quickly pulled it on and did it up, hugging the material as if it was all he had. It was at that stage that Howard became worried about his sparkly friend's sanity, what had happened that made him need material comforts like no one else? As Vince took a deep breath and relaxed slightly in the fabric, a soft smile playing about his lips, Howard thought he looked...special, in both the unstable way, and the amazing way. He didn't know quite what to make of it, but somehow Bainbridge seemed to, and it annoyed Howard to no end.
Bainbridge smiled something that almost looked genuine as Vince leaned into his touch through the fabric on his shoulder and begun to look through the rest of the bag.
Once Vince had pulled on some impossibly skinny black jeans and silver heeled boots he tucked his legs to his chest and dug into the saucers. Howard blinked; surprised that anyone could eat a whole packet of sweets that quickly.
"Good boy. Now lets go back home shall we?" Bainbridge said as Vince nodded dimly, playing with the fabric of his shirt.
"Vince! Don't go with him!" Vince's head jerked up at the sound of Howard's voice, having seemingly temporarily forgotten him. Recollection flooded his eyes.
"Oh yeah!" Vince said, grinning that dizzy grin, he jumped out of the bed and stood between Howard and Bainbridge. He looked slightly shaky, but otherwise fine as he held the IV stand, lifting his injured foot off the ground.
"Sorry, I kind of promised Howard I'd run away with him, and you know how I like keeping my promises." Vince beamed at his explanation, until he saw the dangerous glint in Bainbridge's eyes.
"Oh you did did you?" He growled, taking a few steps closer as Vince backed away, terrified. "Well then you should have kept your promise to me to never leave your corridor!" Vince swallowed.
"But, but Howard said that I was in a bad way from being in there so long!" Vince said, fear and confusion running across his face. Howard looked between the two, unsure who would win the battle.
"You've been in a bad way since you were born! You're lucky I took you in you filthy child!" Bainbridge roared in fury, Vince shied away as he raised his fist and swung it down. The butt of the rifle collided with a cracking sound against Vince's head.
Vince fell to the ground emitting a soft cry of pain, curling into a ball as Bainbridge towered over him.
"No!" Howard yelled, breaking free of his captor's hold and tackling Bainbridge, who knocked his own head on the bed, lying unconscious.
Howard panted from the adrenalin as the doctor ran for help. Dashing over to Vince he brought the thin man out of his curled up form.
"Come on Vince, its okay, lets get out of here yeah?" He said, running a hand swiftly through the dazed Vince's hair as he slowly blinked groggily. With a groan Vince sat up, shaking and nodded at Howard, holding his head where it bled at his temple.
Howard smiled and helped Vince up as they heard shouting and running footsteps. Eternally thankful that the room was on the ground floor, Howard opened the window and climbed through it landing after a short jump. He turned around and caught Vince around the waist as he dropped down, not wishing any harm to come to his ankle.
Once they were both on the ground Howard ran off as fast as he could with Vince riding piggy back, away from the hospital, and towards the zoo.
Howard was panting by the time they arrived at the Zooniverse, his face the unattractive blotchy red that faces go sometimes.
"For someone with malnutrition, you sure aren't easy on a man's back!" Howard complained as he popped his back after setting Vince down on a bench.
"Well you could have taken another taxi." Vince said, distracted by the feeling of the sun on his face. The warming golden light of sunrise spread its soft touch over him, as if welcoming him back to the light.
"Its so warm." Vince murmured happily, Howard forgot his discomfort as he saw the night's trials be washed of Vince's face by the light.
"Well its summer little man, enjoy it while it lasts." He said sagely, knowing there would probably be a very cold and windy storm soon just to throw them off the scent.
"Why are we here Howard?" Vince asked as he looked around.
"I'm just picking up some critical items so we can go on our trip Vince, and my van, don't want to walk all the way do you?" Howard said in his best man of action voice, smiling as he saw Vince shake his head vigorously.
The movement obviously had an adverse effect however, because Vince was soon clutching his skull with a pained expression.
"I'll get you something for that alright? Just sit tight." Howard received a thumbs up for his trouble and he merrily strolled into the small hut to gather some things from his mental itinerary. He would write it up later.
Vince stared into the various cages, exchanging a few pleasantries with the ferrets before a shadow cast over him. He looked up to see a small man in turquoise robes with a turban.
"Who're you?"
"I'm Naboo that's who."
"Alright, I'm Vince." He grinned at the stoic person, who looked quizzically at his head.
"What's happened to you?" Vince was surprised that he sounded concerned.
"Bit of rough and tumble, I'm quite tired now, might have a little sleepy." Vince announced after a yawn, drawing one of his knees up and leaning on it, quite content in the person's shade.
"I don't think you should be sleeping with that." The shaman said uneasily.
"Naboo, what are you doing out of the kiosk?" Interrupted Howard as he came back out of the hut with several large bags.
"Coffee break. You do know you shouldn't leave someone with a concussion out in the sun right? They could fall into the sleep of death?" Naboo spoke to Howard as if he was ignorant.
"Sleep of death!" Vince exclaimed, leaping up before getting dizzy and being caught by Howard.
"Yeah! I knew that." Howard said indignantly. Naboo just glared in a way that would make giraffes feel small and then turned to open a nearby cage. Vince and Howard watched as he called out a large gorilla.
"This is Bollo, he's coming too." Naboo announced shortly.
"What do you mean 'too', you weren't even invited!" Howard spluttered indignantly.
"Yeah but we all want to give Bainbridge his just deserts. And besides Howard, you aren't qualified to take care of someone sick." Naboo reeled off, smirking smugly at Howard's offended face.
"Aw come on Howard it'll be fun! Like a road trip!" Vince added excitedly, and Howard found himself nodding in resignation.
"Fine, but no smoking! This is my van, we're going to do things my way." Howard finished, clapping his hands as Naboo rolled his eyes.
"Bollo carry Vince." Came the deep, gravely voice of the gorilla, Bollo swept Vince off his feet and carried him bridal style. Vince giggled cheerfully at the free ride. Howard didn't know why, but he felt a sudden pang of jealousy, but quickly swept it away.
Soon they had all clambered into Howard's worn out van, Vince sprawled across the seats in the back, Howard took the wheel, and Naboo and Bollo sat discussing shaman stuff.
"Howard, where are we going exactly?" Vince questioned.
"Somewhere, anywhere, where ever he can't find us." Howard replied in a desperate voice.
"We should go to my summer house, he'll never find it, its way up near the mountains." Naboo supplied helpfully, Howard nodded in agreement, and head off in the specified direction.
"Once we're there, I'll contact the shaman council, they'll put him on ice." Naboo concluded to Howard's nodding, Vince bit his lip slightly.
"Here, I'll take a look at your head." Vince leaned towards Naboo as the shaman pulled out Howard's first aid kit. Vince winced slightly at the antiseptic as it stung his cut, but was otherwise well behaved.
Howard only had one down casting thought, how would they be able to keep Vince with them with ought giving him what he liked. Howard could provide him with what he needed easily enough, but he was sure that at some stage Vince would run off in search of sweets and shiny things, and they'd find him in a ditch somewhere.
Maybe he should buy some gummy bears for him when they stopped for the day.
::Hope you had fun! I did! Thanks for the amazing reviews, please let me know what you thought, we're getting to the adventure now, so give me any ideas!
::Thanks for reading, shadowtheo
