Louie

[Laraqua]

"We had nothing to do with this," said Doctor Sutcliffe with an airy sniff as she begins loading one of the shotguns. "We were merely prepared for it. Is it our fault we didn't expect anything of this intensity? Is it our fault the government wasn't similarly prepared? The information was out there for anyone who wanted to know."

[Piano man]

Louie looks over at the Doctor and says

"Maybe you could share with us some of this information that we could have wanted to know. That is, if we had known that we needed to ask. What have you done to prepare for it. What can we expect?"

Louie glances at Ronald and shrugs. He winces in pain as the nurses examine him. I hope I'm going to be ok.

[Laraqua]

"I've never heard of anything local that could cause such widespread destruction," says Dr. Sutcliffe. "We are, of course, prepared to last a week-long siege if we stay on strict rations. However, this room was never intended to out-last the collapse of the English civilization. We had intended on rescue. Perhaps if we went downstairs into the greater temple, we could at the very least retire to a safer place?"

[trixie]

Brianna finds it hard to follow the conversation, and stays behind Ronald for the moment. She doesn't understand a lot of what the grown-ups are saying, but she does know ONE thing.....these doctors are playing cards while sick kids get eaten.

Brianna can't control herself any longer. Perhaps it was the pain, gnawing away at her face like an incessant vulture, or maybe it was her fear, multiplied of course to the power of terror.

In a burst, she yells at the doctor,"But there's sick kids upstairs! And you're playing cards and eating SOUP!" She shakes, embarassed that all eyes are on her. "Why are you all sitting here when we needed you?" Brianna submits to the tears streaming down her cheeks, and starts to sob. It's so scary in here....and the doctors don't want to help save anyone! That's what doctors do isn't it? We depended on them and they didn't care!

[Laraqua]

Dr. Sutcliffe frowns. "As far as we knew, everyone was dead." A haunted look crosses her eyes. "We had no reason to suspect anyone has survived. I thought... Perhaps, there aren't just survivors in the hospital. Perhaps...? No, I shouldn't get up hope. Just because a few survived, a few isolated incidents, doesn't mean..." She turns back to the guns. "I didn't even consider... So this isn't the end, exactly, is it? Hmm..."

[trixie]

"They're not dead," Brianna replies defiantly, and wipes the tears from her cheek. "But they're gonna be if you don't try at least."

She looks up at the doctor and furrows her brow. "There's these big things upstairs with metal claws, and they eat people! See what they did to Louie?" She points her finger at Louie, laying down, the nurse examining his wounds and pulling the bandages back a bit to expose the awful truth of his lacerated skin. Brianna continues to cry, unable to contain herself. The pain was overwhelming, and the oblivion of the doctors was aggravating at best.

[Piano man]

Louie looks over at Brianna in hysterics. He takes a second to calm himself before responding.

"Brianna, calm yourself....please. They didn't know that people were still alive. I will take one of their shotguns and go to find people after they have checked me out. I've been out there from the beginning and know what to expect. I want you to stay here where it is safe. Can you promise me that."

Louie winces as the nurse examines his stiches.

" Am I going to be ok. Is there anything else you can do."

[trixie]

"I hurt a lot Louie. My cheeks hurt so much." Tears spring to her eyes again. "I don't want you to leave me here. How do you know these people aren't going to turn all weird when you leave?"

[Piano man]

Louie's eyes start to burn with anger. He looks up at the Doctor and Ronald and Says.

"Can we forget about the dam end of the world for two bloody minutes and get this girls some medication. Or do I have to get up and get it myself."

Louie starts to sit up on the bed pushing the nurses hands away.

"Give me the bloody gun so that I can go out to the nurses station and get the meds. Ronald stay here and take care of Brianna, and make sure she isn't too scared. Brianna, you'll be safe with Ronald."[/b]

Louie gets the rest of the way up and holds his hand out for the shotgun.

[DSIGFUSS]

Don't worry Brianna, I'll stay here with you. These doctors still have alot of questions to answer.

Ronald tries to act tougher than he is. He reaches for a shotgun and holds it out in front of him, like he would a rotten sandwhich.

You go ahead Louie. If you find Jill or the meds or anybody else, bring em back here. Knock 3 times. I'll knock once. Then you knock twice. Got it? 3-1-2!

Before Louie takes off, Ronald turns to the doctors.

Wait! Do you survivalists have any walkie talkie's or a mobile?

[Laraqua]

Ronald is passed a shotgun by a sweetly smiling nurse who then passes Louie a walkie-talkie. "I don't know if that will work out there," he says.

[Piano man]

Louie grabs the shotgun from Ronald and opens the door. He leads with the shotgun as he makes his way into the hall.

"Don't let anything happen to Brianna I'll be right back."

He makes his way over to the nurses station to grab the medication cart.

[Laraqua]

"Lachimera, Louie," says Dr. Sutcliffe.

[DSIGFUSS]

After Louie leaves and closes the door, Ronald turns on Doctor Sutclife.

Please Doctor Sutcliffe, start from the beginning. What happened to the hospital? What's going on here?

Ronald has an uneasy expression of urgency on his face. He feels as if his eyeballs were to grow any larger, they would pop like grapes and if he blinked even once, he would lose his grip and fall into a rage he'd long forgotten as a child.

Tell me now!

[Laraqua]

"What are you doing around the children, Ronald?" Dr. Sutcliffe countered. "I thought the court order prevented you from coming near them since what you did to those other kids. As to what we're doing here, when we heard about the chemical attack we were about to evacuate, then we saw that cloud. We decided we'd be safer in here. We haven't been out there since. Still, maybe all hope isn't lost." She passes a rifle to one of the nurses and a handgun to the administrator.

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald looks at the Doctor in shock and disbelief.

Are you mad? Why would you say that? I would never hurt these wee children.

Ronald looks at the shotgun in disgust and throws it on the ground.

What were you preparing for here? What are you playing at?

[trixie]

Brianna looks uncomfortable as the shotguns are pulled out, and whimpers a bit in surprise. She goes to stand next to Ronald again, and stands a little behind him, looking up at him every so often as he speaks. She ignores the adults and their conversation for a moment, and finds solace in Edgar and his calm, sideways glance. She puts his cage right up to her nose so that she can see him, and waggles one finger between the wires. I hope this crazy stuff all goes away soon. Maybe this hospital is all a bad dream and I'll wake up soon.

She snaps back to reality, hearing the doctor say 'Ronald wasn't allowed to be near the kids'. Obviously they don't know Ronald very well! "Don't say that about Ronald! It's not true! He's a nice person and he's my friend!" Brianna looks at Ronald, crushed that they could say such a thing. I'd refuse to believe that! The doctors are crazy! I betcha they're weirdos just like all the rest of the people here!

[Laraqua]

"I've told you that already," says Dr. Sutcliffe, irritated. "Asking me the same question twice isn't going to get you any further answers."

[Piano man]

Louie opens the door and pushes the cart in. He closes the door right behind him. His face is pale white, and he looks as if he has just stared death in the face. he pushes the cart over to the doctor and mutters.

"Here's the cart of meds. Give something to Brianna now so she is not in pain. Nurse can you get me something to drink? I think I might be sick."

Louie makes his way back over to the bed and lies down. He closes his eyes and reflects on what he just saw.

"You don't want to go out there. Not right now."

[Laraqua]

One of the nurse's dutifully locates the appropriate medicine - a pair of blue pills in this case - and offers it to Brianna with a small glass of water.