Chapter 4: Trouble
The hallway on the sixth floor was quiet… eerily quiet. Lucas peered out of the stairwell looking around carefully. Behind him was Vincent and Hector floated next to the younger boy.
"Sensei, what are we gonna do?" Vincent asked after they had spent the last hour drawing on the men's room stall doors with sharpies. The janitor had given them an evil look when they had walked past.
"We're gonna play a little game Vincent… called Stretcher Surfing…" The pre-teen grinned as he spotted two stretchers hurrying over.
"How do you play?" Vincent blinked going over and climbing onto one as Lucas got on as well.
Hector grinned having seen Lucas come up with the concept. He had gotten bored and shoved a stretcher down the empty stairwell and had gotten the idea from that.
"You stand up on it like this." Lucas stood up on the stretcher as if he was riding a surfboard, as the smaller boy mimicked him holding his arms out to balance.
"Then shove off the wall and you're off to the races!"
"Okay!"
Within a few minutes the boys were sailing down the hallway, laughing and yelling the whole way. Lucas grinned at Vincent.
"Awesome or what?" He asked as their stretchers slowed to a stop.
Vincent laughed falling back on his stretcher.
"Way awesome sensei!" He smiled.
Lucas chuckled kneeling down reaching across and ruffling his hair. "Now that we got that outta the way..."
Hector tapped the boy on the shoulder.
"Hey, what about that trick we were planning awhile back that we nixed?"
The plan had been taking as many of the call buttons from empty rooms and duct taping them to random places… But given Lucas couldn't go very far without aggravating his operation scar, and he was only one kid, Hector was great at keeping an eye out but without being able to pick up things...The plan was far too grand due to a lack of extra hands willing to help.
"Think two people will be able to handle it?" Lucas asked quietly.
Hector grinned. "Why not?"
He hummed in thought. "... Well...I guess-"
The redhead was cut off hearing a distinctive noise… or rather a certain voice. The boys paled a little as they realized who it was.
Maria Torres.
And she sounded angry.
And she was coming their way.
"RUUUUN FOR IT!" Lucas yelled grabbing Vincent's arm and taking off running.
"HEY!" Maria yelled seeing them giving chase. She had heard the yelling all the way from the fifth floor and she knew the redhead's antics.
"GET BACK HERE YOU TWO!"
"NO!" They both yelled looking back… not realizing they rammed into someone until they both landed flat on the floor. "OOF!"
They looked up to see Erhuard sighing at them. He had been checking on something when he heard the commotion. Vincent looked up and jumped up hurrying and ducking behind the red eyed doctor.
"Hide me." He pleaded whimpering a little.
Lucas joined the smaller boy, figuring the surgeon was a more effective meat shield than his arm.
"Me too." Both boys then used… the puppy dog face.
Erhuard sighed trying not to make eye contact.
"You both know the rules-"
"ERHUARD KEEP 'EM THERE!" Maria yelled seeing them.
"...You two didn't-" Before he realized what happened...The boys had bolted for it.