Chapter 4 *Peachy Keen*

Sam wasn't all opposed to hurting Tucker; a flick on the forehead; punch on the arm; even a kick in the shin. But she had not expected this to happen.
Now she and her parents, Tucker's parents, and the Fenton family were taking up over half of the waiting room.

Sam took a look at the lively bunch. Her parents were sitting up straight and looking alert. They had their best clothes on and their hair was neat and tidy, but that was because they had come home from dinner night.

Mr. and Mrs. Foley were were in everyday clothes and worse for wear. Mrs. Foley's head was in her hands, and whether she was crying, Sam couldn't tell, and wasn't planning on asking. Mr. Foley had his right arm wrapped comfortingly around Mrs. Foley's waist as his other hand fiddled with something in his pocket. His eyes were cast down.

The Fenton's were all in their pajamas, but Mr. and Mrs. Fenton looked like they'd been awake for a while. They held hands and whispered quietly to each other.

Jazz was slouching in her chair, her head bobbing as she fought to stay awake. She was in her nightgown and her hair was in a messy bun. She yawned and rested her head on her hand, but her arm slipped off the armrest and she jerked awake.

Danny was in a pair of dark blue plain pajamas and his hair stuck up more than usual. He was barefoot, so that means they had left in hurry. Jazz at least had the decency to put on a pair of slippers. His head lay on his arm on the armrest and Sam couldn't tell whether he was sleeping or not. Jazz leaned across and placed a hand on his shoulder and said something to him, to which he responded by nodding absently and swatting his hand dismissively. Jazz sat back in her seat, still concerned, but otherwise awake. Danny was quite the contrary.

Sam sighed. She was so jittery and nervous she couldn't think on one thing for too long. When were they going to tell them? Those doctors hadn't said a word since they had come in. She couldn't take it anymore, so she got up and sat next to Danny.

"Hey."

"Hfft." His voice was muffled since his head was in his arm.

"Are you okay?"

Danny sat up. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Danny!"

"What?"

"Your forehead. . ." She reached up.

"I said I'm fine." He sat up straighter and turned his head to a different angle. "Besides, Tucker is the one we should be worried about."

And even though she wanted ask him what had happened, she didn't. She knew he was right. Tucker was the main worry right now.

When the silence dragged on, he finally said, "So what happened?"

Disappointed the only conversation was to talk about what had happened, instead of getting her mind off of it, she said, "He fell down the stairs. From the top."

"Oh." Sam could see he was searching for something to say, but didn't blame him when he said nothing more. And now that she was actually talking she realized she was content with silence. It was hard to talk about daily things right now.

A nurse came out and called, "Foley."

Maurice and Angela Foley stood at the sound of their name and hurried to the plump nurse for news of their son. The nurse said a few quiet words and smiled, then left with the Foleys following in her wake.

"I do hope he's okay," Sam heard Maddie Fenton mumble.

'Me too,' Sam thought. She was fidgety with apprehension. They'd been going to the hospital frequently, and she dreaded to wonder who was next.
The same nurse came hobbling out and announced that they were welcoming visitors now. And despite Jazz's weariness, she sprang up like a spring and yanked Danny up with her. Maddie and Jack were as quick as their daughter. Sam's parents stood up with civility and allowed the nurse to show them the way.

Sam came along and tried to keep her gaze straight so she wouldn't have to look at anything else. Maybe she was developing a fear of hospitals like Tucker? She didn't know, but they soon came to room 247, where Tucker was. She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't get all panicky and jump to conclusions whenever something like this happened, but she couldn't help herself from thinking of the worst things possible. Some of her ideas didn't even make sense, but she was unable to stop her mind from rampaging on with impossible problems.

Sam's family and the Fentons kept a respectful distance from the doorway, but the door was cracked open and it was very tempting to eavesdrop. Actually, the only thing keeping Sam from doing so were her parents, who each had a hand on both of her arms.

Mrs. Foley eventually beckoned them in. As they piled into the small room Sam took a spot next to Danny as he stood next to Tucker's bed.
Sam didn't know whether to be relieved or still worried. It wasn't as bad as she had thought'd it be. His leg was broken, that much was obvious, and his head was bandaged all the way around with white gauze. If you had pulled the gauze down any lower it would be an eyepatch.

"The doctor said he would be fine. It's only a broken leg and a broken rib and a mild concussion, but it could have been worse, right?" Mrs. Foley's voice was tight and strained, like a taut rubber-band that was on the verge of snapping.

"Of course. How about you take a seat," Mr. Foley said quietly, guiding Mrs. Foley away and to a chair at the edge of the room. Sam remembered the last hospital visit and flashed a quick glance in Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's direction. Jazz stood between them and was keeping a watchful gaze on both of them. Sam made extra careful care to keep a distance from the machines and wires. Danny wasn't doing anything, just standing there, looking over his best friend. But then he laughed, not loudly, just quietly enough that Sam heard.

Then she realized Tucker was awake. Danny was talking to him, but Tucker's responses were too quiet for her to hear. Tucker was smiling, so he must be feeling okay.

"Hey, Tuck. How're you feeling?" Sam asked, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn't hear.

Tucker coughed and cleared his throat. "Just peachy. But, hey, at least no accidents will happen now that I'm not standing." He attempted a mischievous grin.

"Sure, but your lack of grace is what put you here," Sam retorted, smiling back.

"Touché." Tucker looked at Danny, noticed his forehead, and frowned. "Dude, what happened?"

Danny sighed in exasperation. "Let's stop turning the spotlight on me. I mean, really? Look at yourself. Seriously, don't worry. Besides, it's kind of embarrassing."

"Whatever, chill out. Just a question," Tucker said. Danny laughed, but his smile faded abruptly when a wisp of freezing cold, blue air floated up from his lips.

"Now? It's three in the morning!" Danny groaned.

"Ghost?" Tucker said knowingly.

"Yup."

"No problem. Go ahead." Tucker gestured toward the bathroom door.

Danny stood up straight and went to it, closing the door, but only seconds later Danny Phantom flew out. Danny went invisible before anyone could see him, then went to go kick some serious ghost butt.

"Let's resume our conversation from before I went plummeting down the top of the stairs, shall we?" Tucker asked casually, raising his eyebrow with pretend curiosity. Sam rolled her eyes.

"And what were we talking about?" she said, placing her hands on her hips with artificial impatience.

"About what we're going to do about Danny. Now-"

"Tuck, he can handle himself. Just let it go, 'kay?" Sam interjected, tiring a bit from Tucker's overprotectiveness. She liked to leave those kind of problems for Jazz.

"But. . . I don't know. You're right, I suppose. Well, does anyone know when I'm getting out of here?" Tucker said to everyone.

"They said they have to keep you overnight for observations. But don't worry, we'll get you out a soon as possible," Mrs. Foley spoke up, wringing her hands. Sam didn't know why she was so worried, but it was a little annoying.

Screaming echoed throughout the hospital hallway, making everybody jump. Sets of footsteps were heard pounding down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"What in the world?" Jazz mumbled, half asleep but still fighting to stay awake. But when a mutant ghost frog came crashing into the chair next to her she jumped to attention. As did everyone else in the room.

Danny Phantom flew in after it, fists raised and looking determined.

"Visiting hours are over, slimeball!" he said, trying to lure the ghost away from Jazz. She cowered in her seat as the frog opened its gigantic, saliva-dripping mouth over her head. When it didn't respond Danny shot towards it, immediately going intangible as he made contact with it. Sam could hear his indignant protest when he touched the sticky surface of the frog before they went through another wall and on to the outside.

"I'll get it!" Jack screamed and, out of nowhere, pulled out the Fenton Grappler, activated it, and made a break for the hall. Maddie wasn't far behind with the Fenton Foamer.

"Samantha, are you alright?" Pamela Manson exclaimed, rushing to her daughter and taking her face in her hands. She pinched her cheek, smoothed down her hair, held up her arm; searching for any injuries.

"I'm okay! I stood here the whole time!" she said quickly, pushing her mother's hands down. Sam heard Tucker chuckling behind her and knew he found this funny, but she smile couldn't help a smile escape her as Tucker's mom scurried over and fussed over him even more.

"Oh, are you sure you're alright? Don't worry, that atrocity won't bother us again, the Fentons are taking care of it," Angela Foley cooed at her son, who was blushing a bright red.

"That isn't much of an assurance," Jeremy Manson said, sitting casually with his legs crossed and back straight.

"It's the best we've got!" Angela hissed.

Tucker let his head drop back into the pure white hospital pillow and closed his eyes.

"You ever wonder what normal looks like?" Sam asked dully, sitting down on the edge of the bed with resignation.

"Yup. All the time," he responded, getting comfortable in the covers.

At the moment both Sam and Tucker's parents were bickering over who-knows-what (Sam even heard one of them shout something about "Nutella being a nutritious and beneficial snack). It seemed they were fighting about anything and everything, and it reached to such an ear-drumming volume that a couple of workers at the hospital stopped in to shush them, only for their voices to rise once again after the doctors of nurses had left.

Not long after, Jack and Maddie walked in empty-handed, so Danny must have taken care of the six-foot tall amphibian. As soon as they walked in they noticed the parental argument and, Sam didn't know what they were thinking, decided to jump in.

"Ah, I love the smell of disagreement in the morning!" Jack sighed, and almost as fast as he moved when someone said "ghost", his mood shifted and he was adding to the noisy chaos. Maddie tried to coax him away from the other upset parents, but joined in herself when Pamela made a snide comment on jumpsuits. Now seeing Maddie was in the fight of flying insults, Jack started again with renewed vigor. He was really enjoying this, for some odd reason.

Danny walked out of the hospital room's restroom and stopped in his tracks when he saw their parents and Jazz, who'd slumped over and fallen asleep through it all. She wasn't one for losing her precious sleep.

He looked at Sam and Tucker. "What'd I miss?"

The room was dark and stuffy, almost no light to be shed. And whatever light that did seep through was drowned in the darkness like a vacuum. Silhouettes of various objects were scattered throughout the small space, and it smelled of musty old books, like a library. And to be exact, there was a whole wall in the room dedicated to years'-worth of books; dark magic, witch craft, information on the paranormal, how to contact the other side, and many, many more. He'd had no use of the books until now, ever since the family heirloom had shattered into millions of pieces. But Freakshow didn't need the scepter now. He had the contraption, and all he had to do was rewire it and set to work. There was only one fault in his masterpiece of a plan. He had no idea where to start. He was no expert on technology and wasn't sure he could get anyone smart enough to do it for him.

Perfect.