As the door shut behind the fish, Sandy hurried for SpongeBob and pulled him away from Wily. SpongeBob whimpered.
"No, Sandy. Don't. Please don't make it worse," he whispered. "Let me talk to him."
"You ain't hurting him again, Wily," Sandy said, taking a fighting stance.
"You gonna hit me, land mammal?" Wily giggled, looking dazed. "Because I guarantee it won't hurt at all."
"Don't make me," Sandy threatened.
"Wily, you don't have to," SpongeBob whispered. "They're gone now. Please don't."
Wily hesitated, glancing again toward where the sponges had been. They really were gone. He stepped forward, reaching out as he opened his mouth to say something. Sandy lunged at him and sank her fist into him, and Wily cried out and staggered back, red mist pouring off of him. Panic appeared in his eyes as his pupils dilated further, and he grabbed her helmet, and slammed her head into a table. SpongeBob screamed as the glass cracked, and a drop of water began leaking through. Sandy gasped. Wily jumped back, horror crossing his face as he began trembling. He groaned.
"You should have listened to SpongeBob. You made it worse."
Sandy staggered to her feet, gasping in frightened breaths. The glass crackled then shattered, and panic appeared in Sandy's eyes as she clapped her hands over her mouth and nose. Wily stared at her helplessly then shrieked as he was shoved face-first against the wall, pinned by a spatula.
"Hey!" He twisted his head as his body contracted in surprise, sending even more red mist out.
SpongeBob paid no attention to Wily, though he shivered at his cry of alarm. He knew what that meant. He had run into the kitchen for his locker, and he came sprinting out with a small bottle in his hands.
"Hold on, Sandy!" he squeaked.
Twisting off the cap, he pulled out a wand and took a steadying breath before blowing a large bubble. Guiding it gently, he fixed it over Sandy's head, and she gasped in precious oxygen.
"Thanks," she said shakily, her voice echoing.
"Don't thank me yet," SpongeBob said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Wily. "You don't know what you've done. He's going to wring out now because you hit him."
Wily reached back and heaved the spatula out of his back, tossing it aside. He turned around, and there was something dangerous in his eyes that was growing. SpongeBob could see the panic behind the danger, but he couldn't care at the moment. Wily would not hurt his friends. Not if SpongeBob could help it.
"You never learn, SquarePants," Wily said, and there was respect in his eyes. His pupils were growing bigger, covering all but a sliver of his irises.
SpongeBob looked away and began blowing large bubbles. His old friend was being buried under instinct. SpongeBob had to make sure Sandy was safe before he dealt with Wily.
"Playing with your toys won't get you out of this," Wily said, his voice low and gruff. "We aren't kids anymore."
Another bubble. Another. Another. They began floating around, and that seemed to irritate Wily, who looked like a riled animal.
"You're nothing but a kid, SpongeBob. A kid playing grownup."
Tears welled up in SpongeBob's eyes and began trailing down his cheeks, but he kept blowing bubbles. Sandy knew what he was doing. He was giving her air, chances to breathe. Because the oxygen in her current bubble was running out. But what could he do? He couldn't even touch Wily, and she most certainly wouldn't be able to get close without him popping her bubble. She was trapped, helpless, and she could do nothing but watch as the number of bubbles continued to increase and Wily insulted SpongeBob again and again. The scary thing was that SpongeBob didn't lose the dead look in his eyes, a resignation so deep that all other emotions were buried.
"Stop that!" Wily finally shouted. "You stupid *dolphin noises*!"
SpongeBob glanced up and nodded, setting the cap back over the bubbles and carefully sealing it. He set aside the container on a table then stared blankly at Wily.
"They made you force me to leave Spongetown," he finally said, no emotion in his voice. "And now they want me to be laughed out of Bikini Bottom, too? Why are you doing this, Wily? What can you possibly gain from this? They wanted this. You're giving them what they want. Fight it. They're not here."
Wily shook his head, but he looked ready to cry. "You're unnatural, SquarePants. And we don't need things like you around. And things don't get to live with people."
"You don't believe that, Wily," SpongeBob said, but he looked unsure. "You're saying what they would want you to. But they're gone. Please calm down and I'll get you to the hospital. They can help you."
"I'm not going! They lock me up!"
Sandy had to switch bubbles, but she had waited too long and was starting to grow dizzy. She fell back against something sturdy, and there was a rush of water as her bubble was popped. Her fur was damp for a moment then there was dry air around her. She gulped in a breath of fresh air and everything came into focus. Patrick supported her. She noticed that he'd gathered a few bubbles. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked pale, but there was rage in his expression.
"You good?" he asked softly.
"Yeah. Help him," she said.
Patrick nodded then strode angrily toward Wily. "Hey! You shut your mouth! SpongeBob is not a thing! And I know the difference!"
Wily started and turned to look at Patrick. He'd clearly not realized there was anybody besides the three of them still in the room. But when he saw it was a starfish, he rolled his eyes. "Do you now? That's actually impressive."
A flush of rage darkened Patrick's cheeks, and he shoved SpongeBob behind him. "You're gonna leave SpongeBob alone and go away!"
"What will you do if I don't?" Wily asked defiantly.
"I'll make you," Patrick said stubbornly.
"No, Patrick!" SpongeBob exclaimed. "Not a good idea! Let me handle him."
"Listen to him," Wily encouraged. "He's actually brighter than you, but that's not saying much."
Patrick stepped forward and shoved Wily. Wily stumbled back and hit the floor, gasping. Another spurt of red mist rose from him as he landed, and his expression grew more crazed. SpongeBob grabbed Patrick and pulled him away. Patrick stared at his hands and shivered.
"It burns," he said in surprise. Then his mouth fell open. "Oh, so that's why you said I couldn't beat him."
"Yes, Patrick," SpongeBob said. "Now help Sandy."
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me."
"But I am! He hurts you, SpongeBob."
"I can take it, Patrick! Now help her!"
SpongeBob turned and looked around as Wily stood up, his breathing shallow. The poison had spread out around the restaurant, and Patrick began to cough as he led Sandy away to more bubbles. SpongeBob bit his bottom lip then spotted the delivery Mr. Krabs had left by the kitchen door. His mind raced, and he checked off the delivery schedule. Hope exploded inside of him, and he ran over and opened it.
"What are you looking for? A weapon?" Wily asked, his voice wild. "I'm a sponge, just like you. Weapons don't do much."
SpongeBob's fingers curled around a glass bottle and he yanked it up by the top. He held it in both hands and turned around. "Wily, listen to me. You're wringing out. You need to calm down. Come any closer, and I'll hurt you," he warned, his voice shaking.
"What are you going to do, spray me with ketchup?" Wily cackled. "Just give it up, SpongeBob. Accept it!"
Patrick's coughs were getting more frequent and deeper, and concern solidified his resolve to get Wily out.
"I mean it, Wily," he said more steadily. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will. Don't make me."
"You're a simple idiot, SpongeBob," Wily said, creeping closer.
SpongeBob raised the bottle. "Don't touch me!"
Wily only laughed and lunged forward to attack, so SpongeBob took a deep breath, relaxed his body as much as possible, then hurled the glass bottle down onto the floor. A cloud of clear liquid erupted between them, and Wily froze as he passed into the cloud. Shock and fear crossed his face, and for a moment he looked stunned. Then he screamed and threw himself away from SpongeBob.
SpongeBob looked around without moving then slowly took a deep breath before contracting as hard as he could. The clear liquid rushed out of his body as he jumped away from the cloud. He took in a breath as his form settled then he hurried over to grab his bubbles. Wily was still screaming as SpongeBob began to methodically blow bubbles again. Patrick and Sandy gazed at Wily in astonishment.
"What did you do?" Sandy asked.
SpongeBob didn't answer as Patrick sank down and began to cough again. He looked around. The poison was thicker than ever. Wily had used his entire reserve to try and combat the threat causing pain. He was wrung out now, and SpongeBob felt guilty for hurting him, but he simply couldn't help Wily right now. He had to help his friends. SpongeBob looked around then down at himself. He was pale. Too pale. The poison was working its way in. He sighed then looked at Patrick.
"Well, it's gonna happen anyway," he said tiredly. "Might as well help."
"What?" Patrick croaked. Then he coughed again.
SpongeBob set the bubbles on the table. "Have Squidward take her home for another helmet, okay?"
"SpongeBob? What are you doin'?" Sandy asked.
He didn't reply as he turned around and walked into the center of the restaurant. Then he relaxed again. For a minute, Patrick and Sandy didn't notice any difference, but then they saw it. The poison was going away! How? Then they looked back at SpongeBob. His color was growing paler, and he looked very ill.
"He's filterin' the water!" Sandy yelped. Then her head spun as she popped the bubble and Patrick guided another over her head.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"It means he's cleanin' the water!"
"So?" Patrick asked.
"So that poison is goin' in him!"
Patrick's eyes went wide, and he stood up, staggering over to SpongeBob. "Hey! Hey, stop that! SpongeBob! Stop!"
By that point, only the faintest trace of poison was still in the air, and SpongeBob stood very still for a few moments. Then his eyes fluttered open.
"SpongeBob?" Patrick asked worriedly. "Buddy? You okay?"
There was a pounding on the door, and Sandy changed her bubble then hurried over to open it for a sizable crowd, some of whom wore suits much like Sandy's.
"Where's the sponge?" a female fish asked cautiously.
"Which one?" Patrick asked.
"There's more than one?" she exclaimed.
"Naw, the poison one is the red one. But y'all gotta look at SpongeBob! He's sick. He done filtered all the poison!" Sandy exclaimed.
Alarm spread over several faces and two of the fish in suits walked over to SpongeBob and began checking him over. SpongeBob didn't really have any reaction, he just stood there, his lips parted and a blank expression on his face.
"Are there any other fish in the restaurant?" a male fish asked.
"In the office over yonder," Sandy said, pointing.
He hurried away. Patrick stared at his friend. "Is he gonna be okay?"
Sandy switched bubbles and came over, moving a couple others with her. "What's gonna happen to him?" she said, her voice echoing.
"He'll need a purge." one fish said.
"A purge? What's that?" Sandy asked.
"Excuse me, miss. We need to get him stabilized," a nurse said.
"But what's gonna happen?" Patrick snapped, raising his voice.
Squidward and Mr. Krabs had come out and were speaking with some hospital fish until they heard Patrick shouting. They saw SpongeBob being lifted gingerly by a fish in a suit and put into an ambulance. Alarmed, they ran over.
"What's going on?" Squidward demanded.
The nurse held out her fins. "He needs desperately to go to the hospital. If you want to do something to help, call his family and let them know."
"Come on, Bridget! He needs purged as soon as possible!" a paramedic called.
"Get ahold of his family then come to the hospital!" the nurse said then hopped in the back of the ambulance.
Sandy stood there, stunned, then realized her oxygen was running out again. "I gotta get home and get a new helmet," she said. "What do we do?"
Squidward squinted then turned to Patrick. "Who should I contact? His parents?"
"No!" Patrick exclaimed, rubbing his burning hands on his pants. "His grandmother lives here in Bikini Bottom. Talk to her."
"Do you have her number?"
"No."
"Where does she live?"
"Beachend Avenue. Number seven."
"Okay. Here's the plan," Squidward said. "Mr. Krabs, you have to deal with the restaurant. Figure everything out then head to the hospital. Patrick, you need to get Sandy back to the Treedome so she can change suits. Can you blow bubbles?"
"Yep. SpongeBob taught me how," Patrick said.
"Then get to it. When you're done, you two get to the hospital. I'm going to go and get SpongeBob's grandmother. Do you know her name?"
"She just lets me call her Grandma," Patrick said with a shrug.
"Okay. Are we agreed?"
They all nodded, and Patrick ran to grab the bubbles. He and Sandy headed out, and Mr. Krabs turned back to the crowd and saw several policemen asking questions.
"Get to it, Mr. Squidward," the old crustacean said grimly.
"Excuse me," a fish in a suit said. "Can either of you tell me what poisoned the red sponge? Because he's acting poisoned, and he's resistant to his own."
Squidward walked over and picked up a large shard of glass from the bottle SpongeBob broke. He was surprised by the label.
"Vinegar?" he asked in bewilderment.
"Vinegar!" the fish exclaimed. He turned to call to a paramedic. "Load up the red sponge! He needs purged, too! Vinegar absorption!"
Wily, who had been rocking and whimpering, suddenly let out a scream.
"No! No! I don't want it!" he shrieked, and he began fighting the staff.
They loaded him up, still screaming and trying to get away, and Squidward exchanged a glance with Mr. Krabs then dropped the glass shard and ran out into the street. SpongeBob had mentioned he'd been purged once, and judging from Wily's reaction, it was not pleasant. He had to get his grandmother, had to get to the hospital.
As he ran, his hearts pumping madly, he wondered how their intention to have a simple conversation with SpongeBob ended in two hospitalizations. Despite the jumbled memories fighting in his head, he didn't really know, and he shoved them aside and focused on running. There would be time for thinking later. For now, he had to get to Beachend Avenue.