Author Notes

New chapter! Hope you enjoy and thank you all again for all the support regarding this story. :)

Chapter 32

Explanation

Ruby leaned back and winced as Goldy finished off the first aid on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about not going to the hospital?" she asked the night guard in concern.

Ruby shook her head vigorously.

"I don't do ambulances…at all…" Ruby mumbled, looking away.

Goldy nodded hesitantly.

She knew not to push this matter.

The two heard frantic clanking footsteps approaching and Ruby winced as her headache pounded in time.

"We're over here!" Goldy called and Ruby moaned and rubbed her head.

Goldy immediately started fussing over her again as the originals and Hedy came around the corner, with the Toys trailing behind them.

"Lass!" Foxy yelled.

"Ruby!" Bonnie cried.

The group rushed forward and crowded around her in worry.

Meanwhile, Hedy was staring at Mangle with fearful concern. She couldn't move, too scared at the possibility that the 'bot was…

"I just shocked her." Ruby sounded tired as she looked at Hedy. "Only way to get her off me. She's got one heck of a bite."

Hedy's gaze moved to Ruby's bandaged shoulder and her eyes widened in horror. Ruby waved her off before she could speak though, wincing at the movement.

"Check on your fox." She told her.

Hedy nodded hesitantly and moved over to Mangle who was surrounded by the Toys.

"Oh Mags…" she whispered softly.

"Ruby, you should get medical attention." Freddy said as he inspected her shoulder.

She shot him a sharp look.

"No. I'll be fine. The bleeding's stopping already and otherwise I'm not that badly injured." Ruby answered, forcing herself into a standing position.

When the 'bots freaked out she relented and allowed them to carry her to the dining room where the light was better.

Hedy also insisted that Toy Bonnie and Toy Freddy carry Mangle there as well.

"The light's just as good in the prize corner." Toy Bonnie pointed out with a glare at Ruby and the originals.

She had survived again.

Hedy snapped back at him. "Not near Puppet."

They looked at her in confusion but listened.

Ruby glanced over, curiosity sparking in her eyes. She stayed quiet though, getting comfortable in Foxy's arms.

"Carried like a little kid." Toy Chica said in an effort to annoy Ruby.

"By my favourite 'bot? Who cares what you think?" she grinned back at the chicken.

Bonnie walked next to them, looking worried.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her.

There was a lot of blood staining her shirt and Mangle's teeth.

Ruby nodded.

"Survived worse." She said dismissively.

That didn't exactly make them feel better.

Foxy set her in a chair and they checked her shoulder, arm and head again. She had some nasty bruises darkening the skin of her arm and blood in her hair at the back. Chica started cleaning her head wound out.

Meanwhile Hedy was directing Toy Bonnie to set Mangle down.

"Put her here." She murmured, patting a table.

The air was heavy with a solemn silence.

"I'm fine." Ruby insisted. "Just would really like a couple of painkillers soon."

Goldy went looking while Hedy started checking Mangle over.

"Is she going to be alright?" Toy Freddy asked.

He was ashamed. None of them should have been happy about what had happened to Mangle but they were just...so desperate to win. He shouldn't have listened to Puppet when he said that while what happened to Mangle was very 'unfortunate', they should be willing to take the opportunity. Mangle herself seemed enthusiastic about joining…

But...they had lost. Night 7 didn't matter anymore since Ruby far out-matched them.

The night guard had won, which meant they had to hold up their end of the deal so the game didn't really matter at the moment.

But their friend did.

"I have to check her first," Hedy said softly.

Hedy then turned to the other 'faction,' so to speak.

The originals were still fussing over Ruby while she was busy complaining that she was fine and that they worried too much.

Hedy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Seemed Ruby would never admit just how close the night had been. On several occasions. Not that it mattered. The originals probably already knew and might be even more worried if she did admit it.

"Hey." she said, getting their attention. "Ruby, you don't need to stay if you have to head home. It's almost 6:30."

Ruby paused for a moment, then shrugged. She winced as she pulled her shoulder again.

"Nah. I think I'll hang around. I already texted home and told them I'll be a while." The night guard frowned a bit worriedly at the fox on the table. "I'd like to see how things work out and you still owe me an explanation remember?"

"I know." Hedy sighed as she picked up her tool bag from the floor and wheeled over to her friend.

She took a deep breath. "I know."

Cold anger leaked into her voice but her anger didn't seem directed at Ruby.

"Hmmm." Ruby hummed softly to herself as she started staring at the ceiling.

Then she was suddenly up and moving to stand next to Hedy.

"Lass wait a second." Foxy murmured as the originals followed, feeling nervous about Ruby so close to the violent fox after the night.

They stopped a little ways away but close enough to help if Mangle suddenly woke up.

She just waved him off with a grin and shot a glare at the Toys who glowered at her for being so close.

"So…" Ruby started, hesitating after noticing how stressed Hedy looked. "I didn't do any real damage with the taser did I?"

Hedy shook her head, glad that Ruby had stayed away from more damaging weapons.

"How long will it take you to fix her?"

"Depends on what's broken." Hedy answered as she used a screwdriver and tweezers to part a tangle of wires around where Mangle's arm should have been. "I'm not sure yet."

Suddenly she swore as she reached into her pocket where her glasses where and put them on.

"Language!" Chica automatically chided while the Toys looked surprised at the word.

"Wow." Toy Bonnie said uncomfortably, "That's the first time I've heard you swear."

"Seriously?" Hedy muttered as she inspected a few frayed wires in the back of Mangle's head. "I swore a lot at the warehouse. But I don't usually."

She held up the wires. "I'm going to kill him."

"Who and why?" Ruby asked, interested in the glare Hedy was giving the wires.

"Marionette." Hedy said like it was obvious. "These wires are completely torn up. When she was pulled apart, her pieces didn't even come off cleanly. It hurt, a lot, for these wire to rip up like this."

Hedy looked even angrier now. "I want the names of the brats who did this."

"Ditto. What's the clown got to do with this?" Ruby asked even though she suspected already...

"He tricked those kids into doing this." Hedy scowled dangerously.

"He what?!" Toy Chica squeaked.

"H-he wouldn't do that!" Toy Bonnie said in horror. "He...he cares about us! He wouldn't hurt Mangle."

"Are you sure Hedy?" Toy Freddy asked worriedly. "I mean, how do you know?"

"I suspected when you told me what happened. It was too convenient, happening on night six and all." Hedy murmured.

"Then he practically confessed when I confronted him." She continued after a short pause, deciding to leave off the part about him threatening her.

Well...Ruby suddenly looked very angry.

"Freddy? Are you absolutely sure the woodchipper is out of the question?" she seethed.

That clown has going to pay!

"I'm debating." Freddy said with actual anger in his voice.

This was news to the originals, and they sure weren't happy either. Puppet betraying his own friends… Even if they didn't like the Toys it was undeniably wrong.

"Aye, he'll be walking the plank for that." Foxy agreed.

Chica had that livid glint in her eye that not many were unlucky enough to see.

Bonnie..was distractedly staring at the twisted 'bot on the table. But he was angry too.

"Oh no." Hedy said calmly, but in a way that screamed 'calm before the storm'.

Strangely, to Ruby it seemed that she had been sort of like that all night. "I get first crack at him, then Mangle herself, then Ruby can have him."

Ruby was about to argue when Mangle stirred. She immediately stepped back. Survival instincts trumped recklessness sometimes.

Everyone else, besides Hedy, also took a step back.

Hedy looked surprised and a little panicked for a second but quickly reached up and twisted together a few wires which seemed to turn on the lights behind Mangle's eyes. Another twist and the blank eyes shut properly, though Mangle was still waking up.

"Mags?" Hedy asked with a strange tremble in her voice. "Can you hear me?"

Author Notes

Next one up on Sunday. :)