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Part
58
"OUR baby?" Kel gaped as he stared into Dixie's face. Nevertheless, he did not ease up on the pressure on her wound.
Douglas ran back in. "Ambulance is on its way! What can I do?"
Kel jerked his head toward Mitzie. "Get that piece of trash out of my sight."
Once Mitzie was out of the room, literally DRUG by Douglas, Kel gathered Dixie close, rocking her back and forth. "Aw, Dix..." he moaned, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Why the hell didn't you TELL me...."
*****
Dwyer and Bellingham worked swiftly to extricate John's leg from the cable as it slackened further and further. Suddenly the cable was gone, darting between them with a hiss worth of a serpent. The eerie noise was accompanied by an inhuman cry of agony from John.
"We'd better go ahead and haul him up," Bellingham said as he held John tight against him. He pulled on the cords that now held them fast.
"Yeah, we'd...." then he noticed Bellingham's unusual quietness and seriousness. "Hey Bob, what's wrong?"
Bellingham whispered, "Tom, he's bleeding-- that cable cut him across the face!"
*****
Brice let out a cheer -- albeit a silent one -- as he propelled his wheelchair across the physical therapy room. He stopped it and turned it around, letting a rare full bedimpled smile cross his face as he looked at his therapist.
Susan, his therapist, smiled back. She clapped and gave him a thumbs-up.
Brice let the warm feeling wash over him. It was amazing to him, how warm seeing praise could be -- even if he couldn't hear it. He wheeled back over.
"I di' i'!" he cried, unaware his speech was rapidly deteriorating.
She nodded and held up a dry erase board, writing on it, You certainly did, Br--
"No," he said, holding up his hand soon as she made the R. "No... it's time..."
She frowned, mouthing Time?
The smile returned, dazzling in its force. "'M no' 'Brice'. My name's CRAIG."
She blinked, then smiled back. Well, well WELL she thought. Could it be you're finally coming out of your shell and becoming human after all?
She didn't notice the light that was shining in his eyes -- a light of pure joy. I'm free he thought. I'm stuck in a wheelchair and it's so quiet...but I'm finally FREE. Brice, you anal twit, you thought you could keep me and the others locked away forever? I'm out now...and the others will follow me!
*****
"Easy, easy...keep him steady..." Dwyer gasped as 51's crew lifted Bellingham and John out.
Roy gasped to see the damage done. As soon as Bellingham lay John flat, Roy had his hand firmly in his own. "John... come on, little brother, open your eyes..."
Bellingham blinked. "Little WHAT?"
"I'll explain later... come on, Johnny...you can do this..."
Slowly his eyes fluttered open. "That's it," Roy coached. "That's it...wake on up..."
"R-R...Roy?" John whispered.
"Yeah, little brother, I'm right here. I'm right here." He squeezed his hand.
John squeezed back, and did not ease up. "...Roy..?"
"Yeah, John?"
He licked his suddenly-dry lips and his mouth worked but nothing came out.
"Take your time, John...take your time...."
The dark head lolled back and forth. "Roy...Roy...why..why.."
"Why what, John? Why WHAT?"
"....why's it... so dark...."
Roy met Bellingham and Dwyer's eyes. The same thought flashed through them
all at the same time. Omig-d, he's blind...
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