Out of the Black - Lee Doty [117]
The world started to close around her again. The walls seemed to bow inward with the weight of a hostile world. Here she sat helpless as Alex lay comatose... a probable victim of a ravenous magic rabbit that had popped out of his hat to eat his brain.
"Seek medical attention, babe."
Her head snapped up. She was sure she'd heard it that time. However, sixty anxious seconds later, the same canned announcement she'd been listening to for days returned.
She checked the medkit. It had plenty of power left, and all the diagnostics came up green. But then there probably wasn't a diagnostic for demonic possession.
Ping still registered in serious condition with some form of medical mumbo-jumbo wrong with him. She checked the medkit for directions to the nearest medical facility. Mercy Memorial. Downtown?
There had to be a hospital closer than Mercy... that was a good fifty kilometers away on the near north side of the city. A feeling of significance washed over her. Alex had found a way to communicate with her... it was the only thing that made sense.
Two minutes later, she burst into the study to find Jerry's limp form in a recliner, dead to this world. From time to time, an arm or leg would twitch as some motor neural stimulus made it through the cutout. It was a sad, geeky sight. The only way she could rationalize Immersive Gaming was as a workout vehicle in a Gym.
She moved quickly to his side. She was giddy with possibilities, happy to have a course of action, no matter how vague and dangerous. She ignored all etiquette and ripped the cutout sense-tape from the back of his neck.
He made a sound halfway between squeal and quack. Every muscle jerked as the cutout suddenly stopped working and his brain was caught in mid shout to his online muscles. Well, he actually made two sounds... the second was somewhat more flatulent.
Rae laughed as Rygar again became Jerry. "Wha?" He said, clearly disoriented.
"Sorry Jerr," she couldn't stop laughing, "we've got to go... hey, you didn't just mess your pants didja?"
"Not sure... where we going?"
"Not 'we' we... me and the vegetables."
"They're awake?" He said, clearly more relieved than angry. He was such a good sport.
"No, but I think Alex just managed to send me a message through Ping's medkit."
He looked more confused, rubbed his eyes. "Let me guess: he told you to seek medical attention?"
"Actually, yeah."
He shook his head. "You are a strange woman, Rae. I'm coming too."
"No way. We're probably gonna die... Laura wouldn't bake me any more of that bread if I got you killed, too."
"Hey, I bake the bread around here... and you sure look happy about it." He said, levering the recliner into the upright position.
"About bread?"
"Going off to your death".
"He sent me a message." she smiled, triumphant.
"Seek medical attention?" he said, standing, stretching, emoting sedate skepticism.
She hugged him. "Thanks Jerry, you saved me... saved us all."
"...for a much better death to which you will now go?"
She paused. "Yeah." She gave him an earnest nod and a bright smile.
"How can I help?"
***
The stolen and dejacked microvan was loaded with their equipment. Jerry had helped her dress Ping and Alex. He'd helped her load them into the back seat. Her fletcher and the assault gun Ping had picked up were with Ping's guns and sword in a duffle on the passenger seat. Next to the duffle was a potted plant stolen from Jerry's den. While Rae changed into her work clothes, Jerry had wrapped the pot in red foil and ribbons, he'd even written a card that said "Get well soon, fictitious yet strangely believable relative." Next to the plant was a loaf of homemade bread- that was a snack, not more cover.
Jerry crouched at the driver's window. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You mean anything else." She put a hand on his arm as it rested on the window frame.