The Ranger Plane descended deep into the foliage and between the trees, where hopefully the humans wouldn't look. Gadget dabbed her eyes and tried to be strong, as the plane came in for a landing. She turned around to the back seats.
"Okay, I want you all to stay right here, unless a human comes this way," she told them, "Dale and I are going to search for Chip and the others."
"But…what about Michelle?" Abigail asked, on the verge of tears.
"Chip and Monty would've put their lives on the line for her, I'm sure of it," said Gadget, "Don't underestimate them…even if the humans found our hideout, it's very possible they got away with Michelle."
"Yeah, Chip's good at that kinda heroic rescuing stuff, that's why he's the leader," Dale added, but with fear in his voice.
"Come on Dale," Gadget said, undoing her seatbelt, "Let's go find them."
Dale gave a serious nod, and hopped out of the plane, trying to put on a brave face though deeply worried for his best friend.
As Dale and Gadget left to scout around, there was a deafening silence from the furlings. Unable to contain herself, Abigail buried her face in Willy's shoulder, starting to cry softly. Not sure what to do, Willy slowly put his arms around her, his ears going down as he tried his best to comfort her.
"I knew I had a bad feeling about this place," said Edgar, "Who's bright idea was it to hide from the humans in the middle of where most of them live anyway?"
"But these guys were living here for years before this happened," said Russell, "It's almost like…like they followed us here."
"Maybe that squirrel in the meadow was right after all," said Edgar, "Maybe, if the others don't turn up, we should just leave and not cause them any more trouble."
Abigail sniffled, "It doesn't m-matter where we go…this just…just follows us everywhere…"
"Maybe this is just a coincidence," Willy suggested, patting her back as she leaned into him.
She sniffed again and shook her head, "Maybe you would have been safer staying in the meadow, Willy…I'm…I'm sorry I dragged you into this too…"
"Don't be, Abigail," Willy said, stroking her hair, "I said I was going with you, it was my choice. And I'm staying here with you guys no matter what happens."
Abigail held him more tightly to show her appreciation, and he leaned his cheek against her auburn hair. There was a long silence, aside from the distant noise of the wood chipper reducing the branches of the tree into sawdust. Slowly, as they listened, it seemed to be accompanied by some indistinguishable chatter. Abigail raised her ears, and peeked up from Willy's chest.
"Is something coming?"
The others looked around, as the chatter became louder and more frantic. They could hear leaves rustling. Russell looked straight up, and saw something dart through the bushes.
"Hey! Is that…it's that fly!"
The chatter stopped, and Zipper peeked through the leaves above them. His eyes widened and he buzzed down to them.
"It is!" said Abigail, wiping her eyes, "Zipper, what happened?"
Zipper pointed back into the woods and tugged at Abigail's arm. But no one could understand him.
"He wants us to follow him," said Edgar.
Zipper nodded, pointing into the foliage urgently.
"But Gadget told us to stay here," said Willy.
Zipper shook his head, and began undoing their seatbelts.
"Guess Zipper can take the blame if she gets mad," said Edgar.
"Are the others alright?" Abigail asked.
Zipper wouldn't answer. He pulled on her arm. Abigail climbed out, along with the others. The fly then zipped off into the woods.
"Wait up!" Abigail shouted, running after him, followed closely by Willy. Edgar and Russell were slower but they tried to keep up. They climbed over tree roots and through grass and bushes.
Zipper stopped a tree, where between the roots, Michelle lay clutching her throat and gasping between coughs.
"It's Michelle!" Abigail exclaimed, rushing to her side, "She's having an asthma attack!"
Zipper looked on with concern, not knowing what to do.
"Where are her herbs?" Russell asked.
"They were…they were in the tree," Edgar realized with horror.
Abigail sat Michelle upright against the tree as she coughed and choked for air, tears streaming down the little badger's cheeks. She often had asthma attacks when something scared her or she got too excited. But Cornelius had always known just what to do. And he wasn't here.
"Michelle. I'm here," Abigail said, stroking Michelle's head and removing her glasses, placing them aside, "Come on, breathe, take deep breaths. Don't be scared, we're all here with you."
Michelle struggled to take a deep, ragged breath through her constricted airways, but burst into another coughing fit.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Willy asked, crouching down next to the two of them, fearing for Michelle.
Abigail wondered what Cornelius would do. She thought back to the times she'd been there when Cornelius administered herbs to Michelle.
"We need to keep her calm," she said, then turning toward Zipper, "Is there water around here? Maybe that would help. Could you get us some? Quick."
Zipper nodded, flying above the ground before picking up a leaf, and then flying off through the trees. Michelle continued to cough, trying to say something but not being able to get the words out.
"Shhh, just stay calm," Abigail soothed, lightly rubbing Michelle's cheek, "Take deep breaths, don't try to talk. Everything's okay now, Michelle. Zipper's going to get you some water."
Michelle whimpered a little and nodded, still gasping for air, clutching her throat. A few minutes later Zipper returned, the leaf he picked up filled with water.
"Okay, drink this," said Abigail.
Michelle opened her mouth as Zipper lightly poured water into it. Abigail rubbed Michelle's back as she took a few gulps, stopping to breathe for a moment before drinking more, until it was gone.
"How's that, better?" Abigail asked.
Michelle cleared her throat and nodded, breathing deeply and quickly, trying to say yes but her voice cracking. Abigail shushed her again, and hugged Michelle lightly, who sniffled and blinked back tears.
"Wow, you cured her without any herbs at all," Edgar remarked.
"I remember Cornelius saying something like panicking just makes it worse," Abigail explained, "She needed to be calmed down. I guess we're really lucky that worked…"
They watched silently for a few moments, as Abigail continued to hold Michelle close. Michelle took deep breaths for a long time, but soon, she started to breathe normally again.
"What happened at the headquarters?" Russell asked Zipper, "Where's Chip and Monterey Jack?"
Zipper shook his head sadly, saying something that they couldn't decipher.
"Michelle can't talk right now, and we can't understand Zipper," said Abigail, "We need to wait for Dale and Gadget to get back."
"Well let's get back to the plane then," said Edgar.
Abigail nodded, placing Michelle's glasses back on her face and then picking Michelle up in her arms, Willy staying close to her as they walked back to the Ranger Wing.
"We've lost Michelle's herbs," Edgar lamented, "Along with our maps, the plans to the Flapper Wingamathing…"
"The Flapper Wingamathing!" Russell exclaimed, "I think the humans must have taken it!"
"Without our plans, we may not be able to build another one," said Edgar sadly, as they got closer to the Ranger Wing.
"We probably don't need one with Gadget's plane around," said Abigail, trying to look on the bright side of things, "Hers moves much faster anyway. What we really need is herbs for Michelle. We…might not be so lucky next time."
"You're right. What did she use again?" Edgar asked.
"Um…yerba santa, and…" Abigail couldn't think of the other.
"L-licorice root…" Michelle said weakly, clearing her throat.
"Right, we need to ask Gadget where we can get some more around here."
Dale and Gadget, having no luck finding the others, made their downtrodden trek back to the Ranger Wing, only, to their surprise, to find it empty.
"Oh no, now they're gone too!" Dale exclaimed, "We told them to stay put!"
"Maybe a human came by," said Gadget, her ears perked up attentively, "Say, I think I hear them in the distance."
The foliage rustled as the furlings emerged from the bushes, followed by Zipper.
"Zipper!" Gadget exclaimed, holding her arms out as the fly buzzed into her chest for a hug. She looked up and saw that Abigail was carrying Michelle, "Oh thank goodness, you found Michelle too. I was afraid you were all goners."
Gadget and Dale kept watching the bushes, waiting for Chip and Monty to emerge as well.
"Michelle just had an asthma attack," Abigail explained, "We were able to help her this time, but her herbs were in the treehouse when…whatever happened."
"Oh my gosh," Gadget looked scared for her, "Is she alright?"
"I think so," Abigail answered.
"Did Chip save her? Where is he anyway?" Dale asked.
"It was just her and Zipper," Russell said sadly.
A look of worry returned to both Gadget and Dale's faces.
Gadget looked to Michelle, "We'll find something for you, Michelle. We need to get you to a hospital. But Zipper, do you know what happened?"
Zipper nodded sadly, and began explaining what had transpired. Dale and Gadget listened, their faces falling as they were told the news. The furlings were left in the dark as to what Zipper was saying.
"So? What'd he say?" Willy asked after Zipper had finished.
"Professor Nimnul took everyone away, with a gang of other scientists working with him," Gadget translated, "Chip and Monty didn't have enough time to fight back or to get to the other two planes. Zipper flew off to safety and watched from afar. After the scientists captured everyone and locked them in a cage, putting them into a white van, Zipper came down to try and help get them free, but all they could manage to do was squeeze Michelle between the bars before the van's doors slammed shut. So then Zipper carried Michelle off to safety, but she started having an asthma attack."
Michelle nodded, wiping away a tear.
Dale looked like he was about to tear up as well, "It'd be just like 'em to save the little girl before they could save themselves…"
"Who's Professor Nimnul?" asked Edgar, "Is he the one who took our families away?"
"He's a mad scientist," Gadget answered sadly "We've dealt with him many times, but he's been imprisoned in an insane asylum for a couple years now. A better question would be who let him out?"
"Whoever they are, they know everything about us now," Dale lamented.
"And not just us…think of all the stuff we had in there, things that give away to those scientists how smart rodents are."
Dale's eyes widened, "Gosh, we're all in trouble now…"
"You don't think you could have been followed, could you?" Gadget asked the furlings.
Abigail looked down, "We don't know…but if we were, we're truly sorry…"
"I'm not blaming you guys for this," Gadget assured her, "But it seems like the events could be connected somehow. If not yet, they're certainly going to be when those scientists compare notes. I wish we still had the Flapper Wingamathing here so I could inspect it for a tracking device of some sort."
"Guess it's too late for that," said Dale, "They took everything. Gee I'm sure gonna miss my comic books…and the TV…"
"And Chip and Monty," Gadget added, crossing her arms and frowning as Dale gave an embarrassed look.
"Oh yeah, th-them too. I wasn't forgetting about them…"
"Where do we go now?" Russell asked.
"Now that we know what happened, we shouldn't hang around here," Gadget said, "Someone will have to hold Michelle tight as we get back into the plane. Is she alright now?"
Michelle nodded, but didn't dare try to speak.
"We need to head to the library again to drop most of you off because it's right on the way, and then I'll take Michelle to the hospital. Maybe they'll give her an inhaler. Our friend Tammy works there, she'll probably help us out. We'll need to wait until the library closes anyway before I can do my Internet research, and hopefully get to the bottom of all this."
"How are nets gonna help us?" Willy asked in confusion.
"No, not nets…just get in the plane, you'll see what I mean," Gadget shook her head before hopping back in the pilot's seat.
Willy, feeling like he'd asked a dumb question again, sheepishly climbed into the back seat along with the others. Abigail kept Michelle in her lap, fastening the seat belt tightly around both of them.
"I should really try installing another seat in the front," Gadget remarked, pulling her goggles down over her eyes before revving up the plane, "But that will take a major redesign. You hold on tight to Michelle now, like I said before this isn't exactly the safest thing to do, but we have no other choice."
Abigail nodded, with Michelle lightly wrapping her arms around Abigail's neck.
The plane hovered above the ground before rising above the trees, enabling Gadget to switch it off of helicopter mode. Gadget gave one last tearful look at the tree that had been the home of the Rescue Rangers for the last several years, now stripped of most its branches and looking like any other tree. She pressed onward, back toward the library, where they'd probably be spending the night.