Hey hey hey! I'm back. I figure it's time for an update for my Virals buddies - considering we're, what, two days away from the last book? Speaking of which, give me a brief moment to fangirl: OHMYGOD AAAH TERMINAL IS THE LAST BOOK bookbookbookbookbookbook. Okay. Done.
Guess who's already pre-ordered Terminal? Also, if you haven't read Shock, you should. It's a short story published by Reichs and Reichs and it is numbered Virals #0.5, set as 'that first awkward meeting with Kit' (and the boys). It's very well done and could easily have been in the beginning of book 1. Plus, it has the first little bit of Terminal in the back. I'm SOO pumped.
Since it's been so long (my fault, sorry) I'll give you a brief reminder: Hi is in hospital with chemical poisoning and Shelton's with him, meanwhile Ella has been dropped home and Tory and Ben have also gone to their respective houses. Tory has decided upon her input to the impending discussion with the guys, a cover story that goes something like this:
The day before Ella's abduction, she had taken a sudden interest in Drayton Hall - Ella could cover that for herself. Following the kidnapping, Tory had been frantic for her friend, and she vaguely recalled the mention of Drayton Hall, so had taken the boys to look around. They'd heard screaming/ whatever, and had gone to no phone coverage, they'd - stupidly - taken on Hawfield himself, 'persuading' him to change places with Ella and had gone straight to the police. She supposed they'd tell the truth about Lucy and Peter, who were possibly also chargeable.
Tory has just decided to call Ben.
Without further ado, I don't own Virals, and enjoy.
"Hello?" Ben's voice echoed down the line.
"Ben," I acknowledge. "I've been thinking."
"Uh oh."
"Shut up. We need a cover story and I've got one, minus a few details."
"I thought that was Hi's area."
"It is," Tory grumbled. "Shut up and listen."
By the time she had finished explaining, and they'd exchanged goodbyes and hung up, Tory had a collection of text messages piling up. One from Kit read, "Will be late home. Find some dinner or order pizza. Love, K." Tory ignored the message and read a few from Shelton.
"Hi is ok. Must rest here 4 a bit. What do i do? hospital staff asking questions."
Tory began to type a response, then deleted it and called Shelton. He didn't pick up. She frowned and tried again. It rang for a while, then just as she was about to hang up the line clicked. "Tor?"
"Hey," Tory answered in relief. "What took you so long? I just called you twice."
"My phone was on silent. And I was talking to Hi - didn't notice the buzzing."
"And how fares the wounded one?"
"What?"
"How is Hi doing?"
"Not bad." There was a pause, and then Shelton said, "he wants me to tell you to get your asses over here and bring food."
Tory laughed. "Of course he does. Listen, I was thinking before about what to do. I think we should go to the police and I have a cover story, but I figure we should run it by Hi first."
"Sounds great, except we need something to tell the hospital staff. They're getting a bit personal for Hi's liking."
"Tell them anything. Tell them you guys were messing around in the shed and a bottle of something tipped over. Something vaguely believable."
"Fine. You gonna bring food, or what?"
Tory glanced at the clock. "Give me an hour or so. I need a nap. Then I'll get Ben to take me."
"Roger." Shelton hung up.
Tory set her alarm, texted Ben, and flopped onto her bed. Sleep welled up and overtook her.
In Tory's dream, she and the guys were cruising on Sewee when the weather developed rapidly into a storm. A huge wave, unimaginably vast, flipped the boat neatly, tossing the Virals out and tumbling them, helpless, like clothes in a washing machine. Weight pressed against Tory, water filled her lungs, and she barely managed a breath as she was thrown into the air.
She nearly missed the alarm.
Tory woke suddenly, just as her alarm finished playing, soaked in sweat. She stumbled out of her bed, took a hasty shower and stuck a bandaid on the cut on her neck. Satisfied but still sleepy, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed her phone, and hurried out the door. Ben was waiting in his battered blue Ford Explorer.
"Finally," he said as Tory climbed in the passenger seat. "Thought you'd never show."
"Wait!" Tory jumped up again and ran back into the house. When she came out she was carrying a packet of Doritos. "Hi's request," she explained as Ben pulled away.
When they reached the hospital, visiting hours were pretty damn near over, but it was assumed that Hi would be out soon anyway.
Tory inquired after Hi's room - luckily he had one all to himself - and the two of them hurried into the elevator. Tory pressed the button for the fifth floor. The doors opened and let them out.
"522," Ben reminded her, and they headed off.
Hi's room was pretty tiny. There were two chairs by his head, one occupied by Shelton, and a small window set into one of the whitewashed walls.
Tory looked back to Hi, only to see that Ben had already claimed the other chair. He smirked at her and she pulled a face.
"Budge, you," she told Hi, shooing him over so she could sit on the edge of the bed, between Hi and Shelton.
"Hey!" protested Hi. "I'm the injured one here! I need my space!"
"Tough, cause she's not sharing with me," Shelton commented.
"I have Doritos," mentioned Tory helpfully.
"I changed my mind. Stay right there."
"I thought so."
The four of them tucked into the Doritos while Tory relayed her idea for the cover story to Hi and Shelton. When she was done, Hi nodded her idea off. It would do. But they'd have to warn Ella of her part - there'd have to be some explanation for Ella's "sudden interest" in Drayton Hall before she'd been captured. "Although," Hi said through his munching, "Ella could probably pass it off as something she heard Lucy and Peter talking about. Then they'd have to explain it away - if they managed to find them."
"Good point," Shelton said thoughtfully. "Do you think they'll ever find the twins?"
"Maybe, but the twins have had a good head start. Can you imagine Paugh's face when he finds out? First us getting involved in the Gamemaster ordeal, then the twins disappearing, then Ella, and now it turning out that the twins kidnapped themselves and were working with a criminal?" Tory laughed. At that moment, the nurse came in. Tory froze, unsure whether that was something the nurse should have heard. But she seemed preoccupied, and appeared not to have heard Tory's comments.
"You're free to go," she told Hi, who hastily tucked the packet of chips behind his back. The nurse saw, and frowned at him, but then let out a giggle. "Go on, shoo," she exclaimed, flapping her hands at the group. Tory grabbed Hi's wrist and pulled him upright.
"Let's get out of here," Shelton said, and they all trooped towards the elevator.
That'll do for the moment. Hi and Shelton are going to get it when they get home - even if they don't tell their parents they were in hospital. HA HA.
Anyway, I hope you find the story line's developing well, because I'm winging it with style here.
If any of you are Harry Potter fans, please read & review my oneshot Snitch, and if you're a Hunger Games type person, I have a new story called Two, Four, Six, Eight. I'm pretty happy with it.
Thanks for sticking with me.