Tad walked by the room where the three Hanson brothers would have their little band practice. He was surprised they didn't get more complaints from their neighbours in the apartment block.
He continued his journey to the kitchen, and then paused, seeing something odd out of the corner of his eye. Frowning, he walked over to the window and looked out. His eyes widened, he stopped what he was doing and ran back the way he came.
Tad paused briefly at the doorway, and yelled "Tornado!" as loud as he could over their practicing, and then pelted to the bathroom. That tornado was awlfully close.
Isaac paused in his playing and looked at his brothers.
"What was that?" he asked.
Zac looked up, having noticed nothing until Isaac had stopped playing.
"What?"
Taylor
Taylor set his guitar down, all the while making his hearing more sensitive.
He heard footsteps pelting, people yelling in the distance... and something odd which he was sure he'd heard before, but a long time ago...
He suddenly looked up.
"Ike, go check the window. Now."
Isaac and Zac
Isaac put down his guitar as well, and walked to the nearest window.
"It's a little late in the year for tornados..." he began, then stopped short and yelped "Tornado!"
He turned to rejoin his brothers as there was a shaking motion... and the outer wall fell, debris hitting Isaac on the head and knocking him unconscious.
"Ike! Ike!" Zac yelled, racing over to his brother.
Taylor
"Isaac!" Taylor yelled, scooting down beside his brother as well.
He looked up in time to see the outer wall twist and become wedged between the two side walls. He said a quick prayer hoping it wouldn't cave in completely as he tried to shield both he and Isaac from the dust and rock that continued to fall. The lights flickered out with multiple zapping sounds.
While this was going on he kept his ears tuned to the tornado.
"It's going away. But it might come back," he said, loud enough for Zac to hear.
Zac
Zac nodded slowly, an alarmed look on his face.
"Then lets get Isaac away from the wall. I know, his being unconscious it might not be safe to move him, but we can't just leave him here. We ought to be getting to the bathroom anyway."
Then Zac paused, and looked around. The collapse had completely cut them off from the rest of the apartment.
"Crud."
Taylor
Taylor looked up at that, and then towards where the doorway used to be.
"Sh*t."
He gulped a little as he looked up at the wall looming over them.
"We'd better move him and us to the back corner. Hopefully if the wall comes down it'll miss us then."
He brushed Isaac off a little and prepared to take hold of his right shoulder.
Zac
Zac moved and took Isaac's left shoulder, slinging his arm over his shoulder and getting a grip around his brother's waist.
"Ready?" he asked, preparing to go.
Taylor
"Go!"
Taylor cringed as he held half of his brother's weight, as they moved into the far corner.
When they set him down, Taylor collapsed down beside him, his eyes back to the wall.
"God I hope it holds," he murmured.
Zac
Zac eyed the blockage warily.
"Just as long as tornado keep going away from us... preferably disapate. Disapate better - not harm any one else."
He looked down at Isaac, wishing briefly that he were a healer instead.
Taylor
Taylor glanced across at his younger brother and gulped slightly. He tried to brush the dust and debris from his face and hair, mainly for something to do.
"I can't hear it anymore," he said suddenly, "it's gone."
Zac
"Well, that's something," Zac said.
His eyes travelled the walls.
"Do suppose we could slip through the walls? Or..." he paused looking down at Isaac. "That probaby wouldn't be good for Ike though... Guess we'll have to stay here until help comes the conventional way."
Taylor
"Yeah..." Taylor trailed off, looking up and around.
"And I don't particularly trust that wall not to come down altogether."
Zac
Zac nodded his agreement. This had better not take too long. He wasn't sure he wanted to spend too long in Taylor's presence like this: Not when there was no band practice (now) and Isaac was out cold.
Things were going to get awkward.
Taylor
Taylor took a deep breath and hung his head, closing his eyes.
Just when they'd really been getting on with a particular song, this had to happen. Story of his life. And he realised he'd now already forgotten what they'd just come up with.
Zac
Zac eyed the instruments, hoping that they weren't going to be damaged by all this. Instruments were expensive (besides, one could get rather attached to a good instrument).
The silence was beginning to get on his nerves. He wondered if he could get away wil playing something, but thought better of it.
Taylor
Taylor sensed where Zac's eyes focused and looked across at the instruments himself.
He considering going over to pull them back into a safer area, but as he'd said he didn't trust the wall not to fall if he tried.
Zac
Zac began contemplating how he could tune the drums to give a particular sound... and maybe while he was at it he could -
"Okay, I can't take it any more: the silence is killing me," Zac declared. "Say something, dang it! Anything. I don't care what."
Taylor
Taylor's eyebrows rose.
"The world is round?" he suggested.
Zac
"Noise! Wonderful, wonderful noise!" Zac said joyfully.
There was quiet for a moment.
"Okay, I'm just going to keep talking and talking and talking and talking. Whoever said 'silence is goldlen' should be shot. Either that or they didn't realise that 'noise is platinum'."
Zac started rattling on about nothing.
Taylor
"You really have that much of a problem with silence?" Taylor frowned, interrupting Zac's babbling suddenly.
"Maybe the kids are getting to you."
Zac
"Are not," Zac said. "But silence is just so... silent. It's weird and unnatural. And I don't like it. At all. It sucks. The silience is what's getting to me. not my kids. My kids are great. Fabulous even. Little cheaky though. Saku and Tru like to pick on the next door neighbours. Specifically the dogs next door."
Taylor
"Well maybe you should think about having some quiet time more often..." Taylor trailed off softly, starting to pick dirt and dust from his nails.
Zac
"I don't like quiet. I go mad without sound. I'm a drummer! I like noise! A radio going on in the background will be sufficient. Speaking of which," Zac said. "Do you have a radio anywhere nearby? We should keep an ear out for updates and stuff."
Taylor
"What, in the music room? Are you kidding?" Taylor scorned.
"Hello? Static?"
Zac
"It was just a question," Zac said defensively. "Besides, you might have had one in a cupboard somewhere temporarily or something. Geez. Okay, fine. We're just going to be sitting around, hoping that help does actually decide to come and not knowing what the heck is going on... hey, I wonder where Tad is."
Taylor
"The asshole probably hightailed it," Taylor held himself back from sneering.
"He's probably convincing everyone out there that we're already dead so no one comes looking and we eventually dehydrate so he's out of a job."
Zac
"Or maybe he's trapped too. Or maybe a wall fell on him too, but he's dead," Zac suggested. "Just because you don't like a guy doesn't make him a dishonourable person. Unless the reason you don't like him is because he's dishonourable. But that's not the point. I doubt that he's out there convincing people that we're dead though. I mean, that would imply that there are rescue crews already on the scene, which I doubt."
Taylor
"For God's sake, I meant other survivers," Taylor rubbed his face with his hands.
"And yes, we don't like him because he is dishonourable. And a f***ing prick by nature."
Zac
"I think other survivors are going to be more interested in themselves," Zac replied. "And is he really dishonourable, or just rude and irritating?"
Taylor
"Whose side are you on?" Taylor glared across at him.
Zac
Zac shrugged.
"I'm not on any side. I don't know the guy. He just grunts every time I come over - maybe the odd snide comment, and that's about it. Besides," and Zac's face lit up mischeviously. "It keeps conversation going. And if conversation is going, that means that there's noise. And the presence of noise mwans the absense of silence. And I hate silence, so it all works out."
Taylor
"For you maybe," Taylor rolled his eyes.
He eyed off the window in the fallen wall, suddenly noticing a few drops of rain.
Zac
"What?" Zac asked, following Taylor's gaze. "Oh. Great. Well, at leat rain will clear up the slience problem. Of course, it may make further structual problems."
Zac considered this for a moment.
"I hope you guys have insurence. I think you're going to need to move."
Taylor
Taylor glared at the window, holding himself back from any kind of immediate backlash.
'No sh*t,' he thought.
Zac
"I'd offer to let you guys stay at my place for a bit," Zac went on when Taylor said nothing, "but I doubt that you and I could keep up the friendly facade. Plus, Saku tends to be rather perceptive about these things and probably would pick it out, and next thing you know he's burning the house down with them fireballs of his... No that's not fair. He has better control than that these days, but he'd still figure it out pretty quick."
Zac seemed to consider this.
"Make touring interesting."
Taylor
Taylor was about to ask if his kids would have to come on tour, but held himself back again.
He just took a deep breath and watched the rain start to get heavier on the window.
Zac
Zac noticed that yet again, Taylor said nothing. Zac considered for a moment, then a silly smile crossed his face. He wondered what he could get away with saying before her got a rise out of his brother.
"Yes," he continued. "Very interesting. Well, of course, Saku was on tour with us last time, but this time Dee Dee and probably Tru will be with us. And of course, Ella will have to come - she's a fantastic nanny. And I suppose Kylie will have to come... although if we take any flights she'll have to stay home... Brilliant! Unless of course, we go after the baby is born... Well, there goes that idea. She drives me insane, y'know? She keeps acting like we're a couple, and gives Ella a hard time (or tries to, but Ella isn't bothered by that kind of thing), and stuff like that."
Taylor
Taylor pulled a face and pulled his legs in to his body. Resting his arms on his knees, he remained staring at the window.
Damn Zac could ramble on when he wanted to. Didn't he take the hint?
Zac
"Actually, now that I think about it, she's rather rude to Saku and Tru. And I'd bet she'd be rude to Dee Dee if she weren't seven months old. Of course, Saku and Tru do like to play pranks on her..." Zac considered. "But then she probably brings it on herself. She sure changed since she lived here. Maybe living in Canada contaminated her. Seriously regretting inviting her to live with me, even if it was the right thing to do after she got kicked out. Note to self, sleeping with someone because you're both mutually bored is a bad idea."
Taylor
"No sh*t."
There, he'd finally said it.
Zac
"Oooh! Words!" Zac said. "So you can speak! I was beginning to think that the rain had washed it away. Not that either of us are wet at the moment, but that's not the point."
Zac grinned cheekily.
"Of course, I did think you had a better vocabulary, but anyway."
Taylor
"What's this?" Taylor showed Zac the back of his hand.
"Contemplation requires silence. I dont' happen to mind it."
Zac
"Well, I hate silence," Zac replied. "Just in case you weren't sure. Whatcha contemplating?"
He didn't really expect an answer, but who knows, Taylor might surprise him. And if he didn't, Zac could always pester him until he did get an answer.
Taylor
Taylor scowled at the floor, folding his arms again.
"Nothing worth mentioning in light of the situation."
Zac
"I'm intrigued," Zac said.
While he was actually intrigured, he would have said this even if Taylor had said "you're an idiot".
Taylor
"Good for you."
Taylor returned his attention to the rain on the window.
Zac
"Do tell. C'mon, you can't leave me hanging like that. Tell! I demand to know," Zac nodded. "What was it? Why McDonalds insist on putting pickles on their burgers when no one likes them? Why Friday keeps complaining about how Subway no longer has pineapple as an option? (Although how you'd know about that I don't know). Why everyone keeps likening you to a girl? Why fans insist on coming to our concerts with shirts that say 'Blame Taylor'?"
Taylor
Taylor's eyes narrowed, and without looking at Zac gave him an atomic shock.
Otherwise, he didn't move.
Zac
"Oww," Zac complained, rubbing his arm. "Well, that was uncalled for. How rude."
He narrowed his eyes and stared at Taylor.
"C'mon. I'm just making conversation. I'm booorrreeeeeddd..."
Taylor
"How can you be bored when our brother is out cold on the floor and the ceiling could cave in at any second?!" Taylor asked incredulously.
Zac
"Because Ike is just lying there, doing nothing," Zac nodded. "And there's nothing we can do aboit it if the roof decided to collapse. Therefore, I can either be worried and panicky, and fret about when rescue crews show up. Or I can be bored waiting. And boredom is easily to cure: aka, talk to you!"
Zac beamed at this explanation of his logic.
Taylor
"How can you be that cold hearted?" Taylor glared across at him suddenly.
Zac
Zac blinked.
"Cold hearted?" Zac asked, taken aback. "I'm not cold hearted."
Taylor
"You've just given up showing any kind of compassion and it's starting to sicken me," Taylor shook his head, finally looking away.
"You don't know what this could have done to Isaac's mind - or more importantly his power."
Zac
"Yeah, I don't know," Zac agreed. "And you know what? Neither do you. None of us are going to know how Isaac is going to come out of this until a healer takes a look at him. And no healer is going to look at him until we get out of here. We can't get out of here until rescue crews arrive. Fretting and worrying about it isn't going to do any of us any good. It's certainly not going to get Ike to a healer faster. Don't mistake that decision for lack of compassion. I hate the fact that Ike's been injured, and I wish that there was something I could do to help. But there isn't, and it drives me nuts knowing that."
Zac took that moment to lean across.
"I hate the fact that you're not doing so well either. In a way it's worse with you. At least with Ike I know that all he needs is a healer and he should be ok, providing, like you suggested, that there isn't any adverse affects on his power - not that he has them under control now, but at least you and I are able to actively make an effort to help him there. But with you? Who knows why you suddenly go around killing people? What's there to stop you from going psycho right now and killing both of us? I don't know! And I hate the fact that I don't know and that there isn't a single thing I can do about it, either to relieve my ignorance or help you. Do you have any idea how much that sucks?"
His voice started to rise with the pented up anger.
"We, you and I, used to be so close. Once upon a time we would actually talk to each other, even if just to tell some stupid not even funny joke. And I feel bad because, believe it or not, I'm kinda glad that Ike had his nervous breakdown because in us deciding to help him it's forced us to actually talk to each other again. And why? Why did we stop? Because I have some sort of unconscious fatherhood fetish and you have some evil twin/good twin split personalilty thing going on that makes you into some sort of homiocidal manicac when the evil twin is in control. Tell me why this is, Taylor, when push comes to shove we can't handle being around each other any more?"
Taylor
Taylor was staring his brother in the eye the entire time.
After a moment of silence between them, he opened his mouth to reply, not looking away for an instant.
"And maybe because it might be easier for you to look at me than it is for me to look at you and remember what you did to Jane and I," his voice cracked slightly.
"The feeling of betrayal isn't something I want, yet I get it every time I look you in the eye."
Zac
"Yes, and I'm sorry about that. A million times, I'm sorry," Zac said. "And I know that no matter how many times I say I'm sorry, that isn't going to help. And y'know what? I don't like being scared when I look at you! Not so much for me - if I knew you were coming, I could just freeze you. But what if next time you went after Jess, or Mackie, or Avie or Zoe? Or one of my kids? You kill strangers... but how long before it's one of us? And I'm not trying to push anything onto you - we're both at fault for this estrangement..."
He considered the word for a moment, shook his head, and looked down.
"I just... I just want to get past all that."
Taylor
"But what does it take to prove to you...?" Taylor trailed off, shaking his head.
"Kathryn was nothing to me. Ewan was a murderer. In that mindset I saw my actions as justified."
He hesitated, contemplating what he'd just said, then put his head in his hands.
"F***ing hell. How can I convince you if I can't even convince myself?"
Zac
"All murderers see what they do as justified. Even where the murderer has a split personalilty," Zac said.
He refrained from pointing out that justification was hardly the point.
"I just... I know I got upset when we had that meeting with Tanya, and they agreed to not to lock you up. Not that I want you locked up as such. I just want you to be somewhere where you can get help, y'know? And I just don't think that wild and free is providing you with the best help," then Zac shrugged. "But then, Tanya's been inside your mind, and has way more experience than I. Maybe she knows something I don't."
Taylor
"It's getting to the point where I'd much rather be locked up than living here," Taylor said softly, hanging his head.
"Not that I could expect anyone to understand that."
Zac
"Tad that bad, huh?" Zac asked. "Or something else I'm not getting?"
He looked at his brother in concern.
Taylor
"If anything it's Ike who needs to get away from Tad," Taylor insisted.
"He needs to calm down in order to regain control. Tad is making him anything but calm. I hate watching him suffer."
Zac
Zac nodded.
"I didn't realise it was that bad," he said quietly.
The thought crossed Zac's mind that Tad may end up being Taylor's alterego's next target, if things were this bad.
"I guess you've already talked to Tanya about getting rid of him?"
Taylor
"Plenty of times. It seems as if she's doing nothing," Taylor shrugged.
"I call her. I mention it every single time I go and see her. We've heard nothing. And I'm surprised he's lasted this long. Christian already wants to kill him."
Zac
"Huh," Zac mulled this over for a bit. "Maybe I should bring my kids over one day... uhh, so to speak. Better yet! I'll introduce him to Kylie. I'm sure they'll get on like a house on fire."
Zac chuckled at the thought, then sobored.
"Sorry. Not really a laughing matter. I honestly don't know what to suggest."
Taylor
"And I've tried everything I can think of," Taylor shrugged, "besides the... indefinite."
He scowled at himself for even thinking it.
"I'm worried about him turning Chris in."
Zac
Zac shook his head slowly.
"Do you mind if I... uhh... got to know Tad? Maybe I might think of something you guys haven't thought of. Not suggesting that you can't, just more... a fresh perspective might help."
Taylor
Taylor looked up.
"Why would you want to?" he frowned.
Zac
"Because you two are important to me. And despite what you might think, I am actually interested in you welfare," Zac replied. "I want to help if I can."
Taylor
"But how would getting to know him help anything?" Taylor looked confused.
"He doesn't want ot be known. he doesn't want to know us. An dwe're fine with that. We just wish he'd piss off."
Zac
"Ahh, the first rule of warfare," Zac nodded. "Always know your enemy. Some even say you must know your enemy better than you know your friends. Never know. Might come to a point of mutual understanding. Or might find a nice little sensative spot we can use to our advantage and keep him in line. Maybe I'll get him drunk. Worked well with Ike."
A smile crossed his face in rememberance of the time that Isaac was drunk and he found out about the true story about the mess with Faith... Thinking of Faith removed the smile.
Taylor
"I doubt you'd be able to," Taylor insisted.
"And well... good luck if you do anything. Because you're going to need it. And I'm not just saying that."
Zac
"Well, I'm not saying I'll get anywhere, but it doesn't hurt to try, right?" Zac asked. "Besides, there's more than one way to skin a rat."
The cogs in Zac's mind started churning, thinking up ways to get information about Tad without him knowing.
Taylor
Taylor's mind flickered back to when Blakesley killed the two rats on the street before he and Christian were taken in.
Blakesley now on his mind, he frowned as he began to think out what exactly he and Christian were going to do.
Zac
Zac continued thinking for a couple more minutes, when he noticed that some of the rain was seeping in through the cracks of the fallen wall. Small wonder it didn't happen sooner.
"That's not good," he frowned.
Taylor
Taylor looked up at that, soon seeing what Zac was.
"Sh*t," he breathed, starting to stand up again.
He reached over carefully and pulled one of Isaac's guitars out from under the closest leak.
Zac
"Defintely crap," Zac agreed.
He edged over cautiously.
"Do y'suppose that we could seal the leaks?" he asked.
Without waiting for a reply, he reached out to try and seal the leaks with his atom manipulation.
Taylor
"Be careful!" Taylor insisted.
His eyes widened slightly as some more small debris fell from the darkened back corner.
Zac
"That's the plan," Zac muttered. "Man, I bet if Annika was here she'd be a great help."
He was thinking of Annika's shield power. Why was it you never had the powers you needed when you needed them?
After a while, Zac stepped back, shaking his head.
"It's crumbling faster than I can mend," he said. "And there's too much of it. That wall is falling and there's nothing either of us can do about it. Wanna shoot the messenger now?"
Taylor
Taylor gulped, his eyes not leaving the wall.
"What are we gonna do?" he kept his voice calm, though he really wasn't.
"We can't block it. There's too many humans here."
Zac
"Well, umm..." Zac looked around, and pointed to the wall behind them. "Do you know where that wall goes?"
Taylor
"Ah..." Taylor scratched his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to remember.
"Kitchen? I think?" he frowned.
Zac
"Hmm, let's have a look," Zac said.
He stepped gingerly over, and phased his face through the wall. He pulled it back out quickly.
"Well, Tay," he said. "Your kitchen is such a mess. It looks like a tornado hit it."
He attempted to hide a smile at his bad, tasteless joke, and failed.
Taylor
"Ok, that..." Taylor pointed at him with raised eyebrows, "doesn't help."
He took another look at the door, deciding that they definitely weren't going to get through it. Putting his hands on his head, he let out a sound of frustration before closing his eyes and trying to calm down.
Zac
"Yeah, I'm sorry," Zac said ruefully. "Can't help myself. Okay, so there goes that plan. We're on top of a mass pile of rubble. I'm surprised, but sincerely thankful that we were missed. Hopefully we will remain missed by failling rubble. Because it would really suck otherwise. We can't phase our way out, on account of the fact that we can't take Ike with us. Do you suppose the mobile phone network is still up?"
He figured it was highly unlikely.
Taylor
"I don't know," Taylor murmured, "how the f*** would I know?"
He looked up at what was left of the ceiling - about half - before looking back down at Isaac and biting his lip. At the very least they had to figure out how to get Isaac out of there.
Then he jumped as more rubble fell.
Zac
Zac, meanwhilst, had pulled out his phone.
"Yep, definitely no coverage..." he paused, then sniff the air as he put the phone away. "Uhh, Tay? Not meaning to start a panic or anything, but do you smell smoke?"
He desperately hoped that it was his imagination.
Taylor
"It's downstairs, I can hear it," Taylor's eyes darted.
"We need to get Ike out of here."
Zac
Zac nodded his head vigourously.
"Fabulous. We're trapped on all sides. And... okay now I'm starting to panic. This isn't good. Panicking prevents the ability to think of solutions."
Taylor
"About time!" Taylor exclaimed.
"Get the adrenaline going! Ok, um... if we can't go through the walls, and we can't get through the floor, then there's only..."
He looked up again.
Zac
"Yes, that's a fantastic idea," Zac said sarcastically. "We'll climb to the top of this pile of rubbish, and fly away. Or maybe's we'll jump off and try not to hit the ground too hard. Or better yet, lets just sit there and wait for the whole thing to fall down."
Taylor
"You got a better idea?" Taylor asked honestly.
"If we can break the ceiling away enough we get on top of the wall. We can come down with it. We just have to get Ike up there somehow."
Zac
"Umm..." Zac looked around. "Well, we don't exactly have any rope. And what makes you think that coming down with the wall is going to be healthy? Wouldn't that be like coming down with an avalanche?"
Taylor
"We may nto have rope, but we have our powers. And as I pointed out, do you have a better idea?" Taylor repeated.
"We can either sit here and wait for it to all come down on top of us, or get out and hopefully have a chance of saving Ike and ourselves."
Zac
Zac was about to reply when he heard some cracking noises underfoot. "Uhh," he said. "Okay. Well, I can deal with the ceiling..." He focused on a spot in the ceiling, alternated between extreme hot and cold and soon the spot in question crumbled to the ground. "Now... getting up there."
Taylor
Taylor glanced across at the rubble in the corner where the wall was definitely breaking up. Using his atom manipulation, at a strain, he was able to bring it over and begin forming a sort of stair. Occasionally needing to borrow pieces fromt he ceiling or the nearby wall.
It was tiring work but he did it as fast as he could.
Zac
Zac saw what Taylor was doing, and joined in. Too much for one of them to do alone.
"Almost done..." Zac said encouragingly.
Taylor
When they were almost done, Taylor had to sit down. He hadn't used his atom manipulation for anything this strenuous in absolutely ages.
But through his practise at least he wasn't completely worn out. Not like the first time...
He decided to let Zac finish it off and eyed off Isaac's limp body.
Zac
Zac finished off the stair, then wipes his forehead off with his sleeve.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get him up there."
He hoped that the additional moving around wasn't going to do him any more harm.
Taylor
Taylor nodded nervously, before pulling himself to his feet again. He could hear the wall starting to crumble again and quickly grabbed Isaac by the shoulders.
"Ok quick, come on."
Zac
Zac grabbed Isaac's legs, and lifted, letting Taylor go first up their makeshift stairs.
He tried very hard not to think about the imminent danger they were in. He could feel the temperature beneath him increase.
Taylor
Taylor grunted as he made it to the top and glanced up. He gulped as he surveyed the tornado's path for a moment before pulling Isaac onto a sort of landing and waiting for Zac to join them.
Zac
Zac carefully put Isaac down, and joined Taylor. He gave a low whistle.
"I'll refrain from making my 'the suburb looks like a tornado hit it' joke and stare awestruck at all the destruction instead," he said softly.
Taylor
Taylor held back a chuckle, but couldn't stop the smile.
Then he heard more crumbling and looked around to see if he could see the source of the sound. Failing that, he gulped again.
"I think it's about to come down," he said queitly, carefully sitting down beside Isaac and trying to find something to hold onto.
Zac
"This is going to suck so bad," Zac said, sitting down next to Isaac as well. "Just how many storeys is this apartment block again? Five? Seriously, this is going to suck. At least the rain has died down a bit."
He gulped as he heard more crumbling.
"So, Tay, what happens if we just fall straight down and the walls - what's left of them, collapse in on top of us?"
Taylor
"We get killed or seriously injured?" Taylor suggested.
"It's not like we have anywhere else to go."
Zac
"True, true," Zac replied nervously.
He looked down and then shut his eyes.
"Just think of it as the Tower of Terror. This is just a really, really scary ride."
Taylor
"Yeah..." Taylor replied awkwardly, his ears picking up on what he guessed was about to happen.
"The side to our right os going down first."
He took hold of Isaac's shoulder so he could get ready to shield his brother's head.
Zac
Zac winced as he fell the building move.
He grabbed Isaac and instintively reached out for Taylor. Then it fell, and Zac yelled as if he really was on the Tower of Terror. With a thud, they seemed to land on the next part of the building. Zac winced, his heart pounding, feeling this part of the building crumbling beneath him.
Here's hoping all the dust flying around put out the fire.
Taylor
"Sh*t..." Taylor cussed under his breath, keeping hold of Isaac's head as he remained frozen where they'd landed.
He closed his eyes as he heard the next layer giving way, and clutched Isaac closer.
Zac
"Here it goes again," Zac whispered.
There was a loud cracking noise, and down they went again. Zac looked up to see a rather large piece of wall coming down on top of them. Without really thinking about it, he did the same extreme hot and cold trick he did on the ceiling earlier and twisted his head to prevent the dust from getting into his eyes.
Their drop started to slow a little. Zac noticed remants from the fire and realised that it wouldn't be long before they sped up again... and depending on how much damage the fire had done it could be a long fall.
Taylor
Taylor squeezed his eyes shut, starting to cough a little. The dust was getting hard to breathe in. Attempting to hold his breath, he kept his head down, making sure he could still feel Zac beside them.
They came to a sudden halt on the second floor and Taylor cringed.
Zac
The waiting seemed to go on forever, although it was probably only a few seconds. Then the falling started again, and they landed hard on the ground floor.
Unfortunately for Zac, landing hard meant wrenching his arm on... something. He was never sure what did it, but something twisted his arm out of place, causing a large gash in the process.
Taylor
Taylor had had the wind knocked out of him as he landed down on his side, and he started coughing again uncontrollably.
Trying desperately to catch his breath, he tried to feel around for wherever Isaac had landed - considering they were now in the very dusty dark.
Zac
Zac heard Taylor coughing. He held his arm and concentrated on finding sources of warmth... yes, there was two bodies nearby - must be Isaac and Taylor. He found it ironic that after wishing he had healing, and shield and every other power he could think of that would be useful, he was glad just to have his own, which now helped his locate his brothers.
His mouth was dry from all the dust, and he kept his eyes firmly closed (not that there was anything to see) to prevent dust (or at least, not anymore) from getting in them. Nonetheless, he wriggled over in an effort to contact his brothers. At least they were together.
Taylor
Taylor finally touched something he deemed to be Isaac's ankle. At least he hoped it was Isaac's and that Zac wasn't out cold as well. He couldn't read any pheremones due to the dust and he couldn't hear anything for the rain on the rubble.
Eventually, he managed to catch a small breath and use it to his advantage.
"Zac?!" he almost choked.
Zac
Zac endeavoured to clear his mouth as much as possible to answer Taylor.
"Here," he managed to say.
He rested his twisted arm as best he could on his leg and reached out with his free hand to where he thought Taylor was, hoping to take hold.
Taylor
"Are you ok?" Taylor managed to get out, before jumping as something hit him on the shoulder.
He grabbed at it, and felt that it was actually Zac's hand.
"Ik'e here," he coughed, pushing Zac's hand down to Isaac's leg so he could feel it.
Zac
"Good," Zac said. "Arm's twisted."
Well, at least they weren't dead. At least, he was sure that Ike wasn't dead. He was unconscious, after all, and there was no way of knowing...
"Zac, stop thinking like that," he scolded himself.
Taylor
Taylor grabbed hold of Zac's hand so that he didn't lose him again. They knew where Isaac was after all.
"Can you see a way out?" he asked softly, "or is it too dark?"
Zac
Zac cautiously opened one eye, and then the other, blinking a little to loosen any dust.
"Nnnooo..." he said tentatively.
Taylor
"I can't tell how much space we have," Taylor's voice croaked.
He suddenly wondered if they'd been sealed in and if they had enough air to be waiting for someone to find them.
Zac
"Nor I. Too dark," Zac confirmed.
He hoped it wouldn't take too long for someone to find them. He had seen rescue crews nearby.
Taylor
Taylor coughed again and attempted to clear his throat. He almost felt as if he was going to throw up, but he held it back.
He tried to disregard the fact that he was trapped in the dark - again - by focusing on Zac's voice.
"I hope Ike wakes up soon," was his poor attempt at a conversation starter.
Zac
"Yeah," Zac agreed. "He sure is a sound sleeper. You'd think all the noise would have woken hm up by now. Guy could probably sleep through a tornado... okay, sorry. Another tasteless joke. I can't help myself. It's like my preprogramed response to any sort of adversity: a joke."
Taylor
"It's a gift sometimes," Taylor replied softly, "but just a little out of place."
He rubbed his face, feeling it covered in dust. He could only imagine what the three of them looked like right then.
Zac
"Yeah..." Zac said.
He shook his head a bit, and a shower of dust fell down. He sneezed.
"Oof, that felt better," he said. "Well, at least it's not so hard to talk now."
Taylor
"Yeah I know," Taylor agreed, waving some dust out of his face with his free hand.
"I just hope that Ike could breathe when... you know. We couldn't. By some small miracle."
Zac
An alarmed look appeared on Zac's face.
"That's a good point," he said.
He turned his attention to Isaac, trying to find a point where he could feel for a pulse.
"His body temperature appears to be normal..." he murmered. "That's something, anyway. Means he's not loosing blood."
Taylor
"Well... good," Taylor nodded.
He coughed again, then realised that as the dust settled he was able to sense things a lot easier.
Spreading his arm out a little, he felt a blockage to his right.
"I think we're in a sort of tunnel that the rubble formed," he said suddenly, "there's like... how do I put this... it's almost like a cocoon in shape and we're in the centre of it. There's no way out because we're under a huge pile of sh*t. I don't know about air holes yet."
Zac
Zac frowned a little.
"Can you feel a breeze anywhere?" he asked. "I can sense a few spots that a cooler than others, which could indicate air holes... but they could as easily be other things as well..."
Taylor
"I'd have to get up to get closer to the source, but I don't trust myself not to hit myself on the head with the... fallen scaffolding and stuff," Taylor admitted.
"Kinda hoping to make it out alive, you know."
Zac
"Yeah, same here," Zac said. "Well, I'll guess we'll just have to hope they're air holes."
He was quiet for a moment.
"Now we really do have to wait for the rescue crews."
Taylor
"Yeah..." Taylor sighed.
He suddenly realised what a deathgrip he had on Zac's hand and finally let go.
"I can hear Isaac breathing. He's ok. I hope."
Zac
Zac moved his hand to prop up his twisted arm again and winced at the sharp pain of dong so.
"I guess we won't know until we get some light in here," he said. "And even then..."
He shrugged, despite the fact that he knew Taylor couldn't see him.
Taylor
"How badly are you hurt?" Taylor asked suddenly, feeling something... he could only describe as sudden worry or shortlived panic.
"Obviously nothing's broken..."
Zac
"I think my arm's been dislocated," Zac replied. "And I'm bleeding. I don't know how badly though."
Bad enough for it to hurt like hell.
Taylor
"Bleeding?" Taylor's eyebrows rose.
He hesitated, before shifting around so he could get closer to his brother.
"Where from?" he asked carefully.
Zac
"Left shoulder. Probably just superficial. Bit long, I should think."
Zac kept still as he heard Taylor shuffle around.
Taylor
Taylor gulped slightly as he made it to just in front of Zac and leant over slightly. He carefully rested his left hand on Zac's lap - just so his brother knew where he was - before letting his right hand hover over his shoulder.
"Sh*t Zac..." he frowned, "I'd love to know how you did that. That needs attention. Badly."
Zac
Zac couldn't help but wince at Taylor touch, light though it was.
"I'd love to know how I did that too. Hit something in the fall anyway."
Taylor
"Do you... think it'll be ok for now?" Taylor frowned, consideringly.
"It's a lot of blood."
Zac
"That's not something I needed to hear," Zac said mildly. "But I think I can hack it until help arrives. I mean, you saw the rescue crews when we were up there too, didn't ya? They can't be that far away."
Taylor
"Sorry," Taylor said quickly.
"And well... they have a lot to get through."
Zac
Zac started to shrug by reflex, and stopped quickly.
"I suppose. But I don't think I could exactly phase through it all like this," he replied. "Are you badly injured? Could you get through? You could always tell them that we're stuck in here - no need to explain how you got out."
Taylor
"I don't know how deep down we are," Taylor shook his head.
"And we don't know if Tad told anyone where we were or not. They could be trying to dig us out now."
He neglected to mention that if anyone had been digging he would have been able to hear them straight away.
Zac and Tad
"I wonder where Tad is," Zac mused.
Tad was, in fact, helping the rescue crews. When the building had started to crumble he realised that wherever the boys were, they wouldn't be joining him any time soon, so he promptly fused the whole bathroom together to keep it intact. He too, was now at the bottom of all the rubble. Once it felt like all movement had stopped, he phased out of the bathroom (dusting it on his way - wouldn't do for someone to come across his makeshift bubble) and make his way out - before he ran out of breath.
Once out, Tad surveyed the damage. Feeling it was his duty to make sure his charges and their brother were okay, but knowing that he couldn't just go through all the rubble, he rang YIRAAS (there are certain advantages of being an agent for an alien race - can have certain advanced technologies that don't depend on mobile phone coverage) and promptly joined a nearby rescue crew. The YIRAAS had to know that some of their people were in the mess - couldn't afford to have the humans find things they just shouldn't find out.
Taylor
"Don't know, don't care," Taylor's eyebrows rose.
"There's no one anywhere near us right now."
Zac
Zac nodded.
"Okay," he said. "Though, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I'm not sure. I'm sure I'd like to get out of here."
He sighed.
"Hey Tay, remember that time in London we met the girl with all the balls? And you shot one at Ash?"
Taylor
"Yeah of course, it was on the video," Taylor frowned a little, wondering where he was going with it.
"Why?"
Zac
"No reason. Just reminising. Nothing better to do. What about the time in LA when we went to the morge and we all bought those customised toe tags they sell? Remember?" Zac asked.
Taylor
Taylor chuckled.
"Yeah. I don't know how you guys talked me into that."
Zac
"But it was cool!" Zac insisted. "And we got those magnets with the chalk outlines on them, too. I have no idea where mine is now. Probably in a box with other souvenirs."
Taylor
"Probably in one of the couple of hundred boxes in the old garage," Taylor shrugged.
He was debating with himself what to do - if anything - with Zac's arm. He wasn't sure if it was actually broken or just twisted somehow as Zac had said.
Zac
"Yeah," Zac replied. "Ahh, those were the good old days. We were young, naive, playing our music and travelling the world. Coulda lived without the screaming in my ears, but otherwise, all good."
He sighed wistfully.
Taylor
"I guess you just have to be grateful that they're still there after all these years," Taylor replied softly.
He thought he was beginning to see the outlines of shapes in the area, and so began to look up and around for a possible source of light.
Zac
"Yeah," Zac said softly. "They've been very faithful."
Zac started to wonder if some might not feel betrayed by them - staying faithful for so long, and for what?
Taylor
"Tiny understatement," Taylor smiled a little.
"Zac, can you see anything? Anything at all?"
He shifted slightly so he could reach out toward whetever he thought he'd seen. He didn't need to flinch as his hand touched something wooden.
Zac
Zac shook his head, out of reflex more than anything else.
"Not a thing. I wonder how fast time is going? I heard a story once about a guy who was in a dark place of some kind for a week before they found him and he thought he was only there for a couple of days. Something like that. Why?"
Taylor
"Well I can sort of make out some things, and your eyes are better than mine," Taylor admitted.
He suddenly wondered if his glasses had made it through the ordeal or not.
"Though there isn't much to see right now from what I can make out."
Zac
"Well, you're doing better than me," Zac said. "It's all pitch black to me."
His leg was starting to get pins and needles, so he readjusted himself, trying not to jar his arm.
Taylor
"Weird..." Taylor breathed, frowning suddenly.
He soon deciphered that the wood he'd touched was the remains of a chair that belonged to the people who lived below them.
He felt Zac's movement and turned his head around. He could vaguely make out his head and shoulders.
"Are you ok?"
Zac
"Yeah. Leg just had pins and needles, is all," Zac replied.
He sighed.
"I wish they'd hurry up. This is very uncool."
Taylor
"Very, very uncool," Taylor sighed.
He hesitated, then began making his way over to Zac again.
"Hold still, I'm going to see if I can see anything with your arm," he warned.
Zac
"Umm, okay," Zac said, immediately curious and yet uncertain.
He waited, still and tentative.
Taylor
"Ok, I'm just here," Taylor said softly when he was right by it.
He put his hand on Zac's lap again to prove it, before squinting a little and trying to make out his left shoulder.
Moving around slightly until he could see a sort of shape, he cringed and hissed through his teeth when he did.
Zac
Zac frowned a little, hearing Taylor's reaction.
"What?" he asked. "Tay?"
Taylor
"It's dislocated," Taylor blurted, knowing Zac wouldn't want it toned down.
"And you're bleeding a lot. There is a really deep cut. It really needs attention, I'm sure."
Zac
"I knew it," Zac said in frustration. "I knew it was dislocated."
He muttered something unintelligable.
"How deep is it? Wait, how can you tell how deep it is?"
Taylor
"I can't tell exactly how deep it is, but I can see where the blood's spread and I can sense how long and wide the cut is," Taylor explained.
"It's weird, I know. But hey, I've had experience with this sort of thing now."
Zac
Zac considered this a moment.
"Yeah... I suppose you have," he said with a dull anger. "If I ever get my hands on that cretin... but I suppose you're already planning to do that, huh?"
Taylor
"Sort of..." Taylor said carefully, still looking Zac's arm over.
"I don't exactly plan to see him myself. And I don't really want to hink about what Chris will do."
Zac
"Fair enough. I'll refrain from delighting in the fact that he's going to die and never trouble anyone ever again whilst you're here," Zac said. "So, changing the subject then. WHat to, I don't know. Just changing the subject."
Taylor
"Chris won't kill him, I'm sure," Taylor said softly, "he'll want him to suffer."
He shifted a little again to see if he could get a better view, then sighed when he settled.
"I guess we'll have to get back into the swing of promo soon."
Zac
"Yes," Zac said. "Do you think we should throw out another album? Y'know, 'thanks for being patient while we get our act together and go back on tour' or something?"
He mulled over the idea.
Taylor
"Well we definitely have enough material, but it will taake forever to record," Taylor frowned.
"But then it's been a long time anyway, so would it matter? I don't know. I think Ike has some tracks pretty much done with anyway."
Zac
"We can always use tracks that we didn't put on Underneath," Zac suggested. "We have a ton of them. No point in letting perfectly good music sit around gathering dust. So to speak."
Taylor
"True," Taylor agreed.
He groaned frustratedly, before giving up and letting his eyes have a rest.
He tried to think of what he could do for Zac's gash.
"I'm sure Ike has a lot of material he hasn't told us about anyway."
Zac
"Probably. I mean, we all write songs on our own and stuff."
Zac paused and looked down at where Isaac was, seeing nothing more than what he saw with his power.
"We have got to get out of here. Soon," he said quietly.
Taylor
Taylor hesitated for a moment when he said that, before looking up. Having a rough idea of where the makeshift ceiling was, he carefully began to stand. He was only a little too tall, so he didn't have to hunch over far.
"I'm going to check for air holes," he said softly.
"If I can't find any, then... I don't know what to do."
Zac
"Okay," Zac said. "Good luck."
He paused considering.
"There is a collection of colder points... about three feet behind me. Upwards. Might be something there. I can't really be any more specific."
Taylor
"Are they the only ones?" Taylor asked, making his way over to that section.
He began carefully feeling around with his hands, careful not to nudge anything that could possibly cause a cave-in.
Zac
"No..." Zac said slowly. "There's one or two above our heads... say... about two feet above us if we were standing up. There's a couple to my... if we say that I'm facing North, then the ones I'm talking about are North-West. And uhh, yeah... It's possible they're airholes, but they could be other stuff too."
Taylor
"Ok," Taylor took a deep breath, licking his lips then spitting out the dust.
He felt around a little more, before feeling his left hand touch something cold.
"There's something... cold here. It's metal. I can't tell what it is. Maybe a... I don't know. Bar fridge door or something," he shook his head.
"Ok, umm..."
He looked up to above Zac's head, deciding to tackle that one last, before heading over to the third spot.
He knelt down and began feeling around, trying to sense any kind of movement.
Zac
Zac frowned hoping he hadn't sent his brother on too much of a wild goose chase.
"See," he said tentatively, "if it's an airhole, then the breeze or wind or whatever coming through would make the spot colder. Of course, other things can make it colder, so it's hard to tell, especially when there's no consistant temperature for these things."
Taylor
Taylor rolled his eyes, before his fingers hit something cool. And it wasn't solid.
"Wait, I think I've found something," he said suddenly, getting down onto his side so he could inspect the small hole easier.
"There's f***ing bricks and dirt everywhere. It's definitely a hole but I don't know if I can do anything with it."
Zac
"But it's air coming in, right?" Zac asked for confirmation.
Because dying of suffocation would suck.
Taylor
"Yeah, definitely. I don't know where it's coming from, but at least it's coming."
Then Taylor hesitated after rolling onto his back, listening attentively.
"I think... I hear digging. But it's not above us," he suddenly suddenly.
Zac
"Really?" Zac asked interested.
He paused for a moment, trying to hear himself.
"Where abouts?" he inquired after awhile.
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, wondering how he could tell him without pointing in the direction considering Zac couldn't see.
"Ah... judging by the way you're facing... straight ahead, up on a 45 degree angle for about three metres then straight ahead. I'd say... possibly thirty feet away?" he guessed.
Zac
"Okay," Zac said. "I guess they're coming after us now. Well, yeah, probably they don't know exactly where we are, but the point is they're close. This is good."
He smiled to himself.
Taylor
"Yeah," Taylor sighed, neglecting to mention that they didn't seem to be heading in their direction.
He also noticed it was getting barely a little easier to see around the space they were in. He could now almost make out Isaac's shape.
Zac
"I wonder if there's a way to show them exactly where we are," Zac went on. "I mean, there's a lot of rubble - if they suspected survivors, they wouldn't exactly know where to find us."
He considered the matter thoughtfully.
Taylor
"No idea whatsoever," Taylor shook his head.
He sat up again and pursed his lips.
"If there's an air hole, then sound must be able to get through..." he murmured to himself.
Zac
"You'd think so," Zac agreed. "But I don't think that us shouting will be loud enough. Shame our instruments have probably been destroyed..."
He decided he didn't want to dwell on that.
Taylor
Taylor ignored that last part and contemplated for a moment.
"Do you think sonics would cause a cave in?" he asked nervously.
Zac
Zac frowned and considered.
"Umm, well, I suppose it would depend on the frequency," he said. "Like how some glasses shatter at some frequencies and don't at others. Why?"
Taylor
"Well I could..."
Taylor cut himself off and he searched for the hole again. Trying to listen through it, he heard the digging still the same distance away.
"I could try to make it so they could hear me, that's all. But I don't want to rick this coming down on us altogether."
Zac
"Oh I see," Zac said, not completely understanding, but deciding to take Taylor at his word. "Well, like I said, I think it would depend on the frequency. I'm not really sure."
Taylor
Taylor hesitated a moment further, before getting down onto his side again.
"Block your ears for a moment," he warned.
Zac
"Umm, okay."
Carefully, Zac wrapped his free hand over his head so that his upper arm was over one ear and his fingers over the other. He wondered what Taylor was going to do.
Taylor
"HELLO?!" Taylor called, adding a little sonics to his voice.
Then he cringed and covered his face as some small rocks came down on his head. When they settled he dusted them off and checked that the hole was still in place.
Zac
"Ahh!" Zac yelped, mostly because of Taylor's effort, but partly because he got hit by a rock.
He took a moment to wait for the ringing in his ears to subside.
"What the heck was that?"
Taylor
"Well it wasn't a cave in, thankfully," Taylor coughed, sitting up again and brushing the dust off himself.
"I hope someone heard me."
Zac
"Probably heard you in France," Zac muttered. "Seriously Tay, how'd you do that?"
He gave a startled, curious look in the general direction that he believe Taylor was.
Taylor
"What?" Taylor asked, confused.
"Sonics? I've been using them for a while. It's something to do with it being another form of communication I think..."
Zac
"Oh, okay," Zac said, considering this. "Makes sense. I think. No yeah... okay. Cool. I just, I had no idea you could do that, that's all. I hope they get the message."
Taylor
"I just seem to keep getting into situations where I find out more and more about my power," Taylor smiled to himself, listening carefully for a moment.
"They stopped digging. I don't know if they're still there just talking or what..."
Zac
"Maybe they weren't sure they heard what they heard," Zac said. "Maybe, uhh, maybe you should try it again."
He couldn't believe he just said that.
Taylor
Taylor just shook his head and was about to respond when there was a sudden thud from above them.
He scrambled to his feet, his eyes upward.
"They're here," he couldn't help but grin, "yes!"
Zac
"Brilliant!" Zac exulted.
He was grinning from ear to ear, as he couldn't miss the noises either now. Of course the grin faded when some dirt came falling down.
"Esh."
Taylor
Taylor chuckled a little, before kneeling down next to Isaac again. He sat beside him and pulled his brother into his lap so he could sheild him from the debris that was starting to fall.
Zac
"Ahh, yes. Good idea," Zac said, making and effort of his own to shield his arm from the same. "Enough injuries as it is without making things worse."
He hoped it wouldn't be long before they got here.
Taylor
Taylor just waited as he heard them get closer and closer, before suddenly a speck of light appeared directly above them. Taylor cringed and turned his head away, the sudden light hurting his eyes.
"Careful!" he called out, "don't let it cave in under you!"
Zac
Zac looked up cautiously, not wanting dirt to get in his eyes. He let out a little cheer.
"Hi!" called a voice. "How many of you down there?"
"Three," Zac answered.
"Injuries?"
"My arms been done in, and my brother is out cold."
"Right. Don't worry, we'll be there soon."
Taylor
Taylor kept his head down and gulped slightly. He knew he should have been seeing a lot more light than he was.
But for some reason it was still so dark...
He took a deep breath and held it, just waiting for the rescue crew to get down to them.
Zac
It wasn't long before a ladder and some safety lines when fed down through the hole the crew had created, then someone came down, torch in hand.
"Okay, I'm Joe," he introduced himself, and then lowered his voice. "The Hansons?"
"Yes," Zac affirmed.
"YIRAAS," he said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you guys get to a Healer and not a human doctor. no offence to their work, but we're more effcicient... and less likely to care if we're aliens or not."
Joe chuckled at his joke as another crewman came down.
"Okay, this is obviously the unconscious one," Joe went on, as if YIRAAS had never been mentioned. "Let's get him in the stretcher. What's his name?"
"Isaac. Isaac Hanson," Zac said. "I'm Zac and this is Taylor."
"Okay good."
Taylor
Taylor gulped slightly again as he let Isaac go, then shifted to the side. He kept his head down and his eyes squeezed shut, hoping his sight would return to normal at any second.
Zac
Isaac was put into the stretcher and pulled up. And they did the same for Zac.
"Easier to take you up in the stretcher than make you climb the ladder," Joe said. "Taylor? Ladder or stretcher?"
Zac started being pulled up.
Taylor
"Wait," Taylor shook his head.
"I can't... the light hurts my eyes too much."
Zac
"Okay, we'll put you in the stretcher and leave your arms free so you can shield your eyes," Joe said.
Zac reached the top and was helped out.
"Where's Ike?" he asked.
"Who? Oh, he's over there," one of the crewmen nodded. "When we get the other one up you'll go to the hospital. They're just checking him over. You should join him too, and they'll check that arm of yours."
"Okay," and Zac walked over to Isaac and the nearby ambulance workers.
Taylor
"Where is it? I can't see," Taylor said softly, reaching out slightly.
He breathed easier, knowing that Isaac and Zac were both out.
Zac
Joe muttered something, then helped Taylor into the stretcher.
"Okay, good to go," he said.
He waited until Taylor had been pulled up before climbing up the ladder and pulling it up as well.
Zac was sitting in the back of the ambulance with Isaac.
"Okay, I'll take care of him now," Joe said after they got Taylor out of the stretcher. "Okay, Taylor, we're going over to the ambulance now and we're going to take you three to the hospital. I'll introduce you to my good friend, Dr Stanley."
Taylor
"Lead me," Taylor said softly, holding his right hand forward tentatively.
"I can't see a damn thing - I don't know what's wrong."
Zac
"Okay," Joe said agreeably, figuring this was something they hadn't noticed was wrong in the dark.
He put an arm around Taylor's shoulders and gave a running commentary and he guided him over to the ambulance and helped him in. Joe got in after and gave instructions to the paramedic to go.
Zac was inspecting the damage to himself.
"That is some gash," he mused. "I wonder if I'll need stiches? But I mean, it's kinda gross the way my arm stick out like that. Arms were not meant to sit like that."
Taylor
It wasn't long before they'd settled and were on their way.
"Do we know if Ike's ok yet?" Taylor asked after a while, keeping his eyes firmly shut.
Zac
Zac shrugged, a little lopsidedly with his good arm.
"Didn't tell me much. Overheard them saying something about a possible concussion," he said. "Beyond, that? No idea."
"He'll be alright," Joe said assuredly.
Taylor
Taylor nodded a little, before attempting to squeeze his eyes open.
Looking around carefully, it looked as if the lights in the ambulance weren't even on. He forwned for a moment, starting to feel seriously freaked out by it.
Zac
The ambulance started to slow and eventually stopped.
"Here we are," Joe said.
Between him and the paramedics, the three Hansons were escorted out and into the hospital waiting room. While the paradmedics went back to the ambulance, Joe sought Dr Stanley.
Zac sat down next to Isaac to wait. He looked around, seeing dirtied people everywhere, most likely also injured from the tornado. In some ways Zac felt a little guilty, knowing that he would soon come out completely healthy as if he had never been injured, while all these people here... just didn't have the same good fortune.
Taylor
"Zac? Where are you?" Taylor asked nervously, reaching his left hand out to where he thought he'd be.
"I still can't see."
Zac
"You see wonderfully well in the dark, and yet being in the light blinds you. What are you? A bat?" Zac teased.
He held out his good arm and guided Taylor to a seat.
"Ahh, Joe is coming back now with someone who looks suspiciously like a doctor."
Indeed he was.
"Okay, this is Dr Stanley, and he'll be taking care of you," Joe said.
"This way please," Dr Stanley said briskly.
Joe pushed the bed that Isaac had ended up on, and Zac took Taylor's arm and guided him as he followed behind to a nearby ward.
"This," Dr Stanley said softly, "is the unofficial YIRAAS ward. Most everyone assigned here - to the best we can manage it, are aliens, and same applies to the patients."
They took Isaac to one of the beds in the ward and a couple of orderly's moved Isaac onto it. Joe took his leave and Zac thanked him. Dr Stanley turned his attention to Isaac. he put a hand on his forehead and considered a moment before focusing his Healing on him.
"He'll wake up in a few minutes," Dr Stanley said. "And he'll be fine. Just a bump on the head. Now."
And he turned to Zac. He appraised his injury for a moment.
"Okay, putting your arm back into place is not going to hurt as much as it would if I were human," he said. "But it is still going to hurt."
Zac nodded. Dr Stanley healed the gash on his arm, and with his hands still on him, moved his shoulder back into place. Zac winced, and made a concerted effort not to cry out.
Then Dr Stanley turned to Taylor.
Taylor
"And what seems to be the problem here?" he asked.
Taylor hesitated, then blinked slowly.
"I can't see anything, but it's not any kind of injury," Taylor said nervously, dropping his head and keeping it down.
"What power do you have, may I ask?"
"Tongue."
"And how old are you?"
"22, why?" Taylor frowned, confused.
"If you haven't had experience with being nocturnal before then I'd say that'd be what was emerging. The transition should clear within half an hour at first, but it'll get quicker as you get older."
"Noctur- I'm nocturnal?" Taylor stuttered.
Zac
Zac started laughing, but softly.
"You are a bat! or maybe an owl," he giggled. "Wait... what does being nocturnal have to go with Tongue? Doesn't that mean you're awake during the night and asleep during the day?"
Taylor
"Being nocturnal just means you can see in the dark. Sort of like night vision," the doctor shrugged, "it will allow him to see sign language and such in the dark."
Taylor rubbed his eyes.
"Well I hope this doesn't happen too often," he said finally, "I would, really like to see again."
Zac and Isaac
Zac was about to make some smart-alec reply when he heard a moan from Isaac's bed. He whirled around to see Isaac blinking his eyes open.
"Za-Zac?" he mumbled. "What... what happened?"
"Tornado," Zac replied. "Completely destroyed the building. We were trapped up the top for a bit, and then we all went falling down. Now that's what I call the tower of terror. You were knocked unconscious by a falling wall."
"Oh."
"We're at the hospital now."
"Don't worry," said Dr Stanley, "you're going to be fine."
"We were just talking about how Taylor can't see right now. Apparently his Tongue has a nocturnal component."
"Oookay..." Isaac said slowly, trying to grasp everything that was said.
Taylor
"Are you ok? How do you feel?" Taylor squinted in Isaac's direction, just able to make him out.
Zac and Isaac
"A little groggy," Isaac replied.
"We'll keep you overnight just to make sure - and to save face," Dr Stanley said with a smile. "If you were human, that's what I'd do, so..."
"Okay."
"I don't think he wants to get up any time soon anyway," Zac grinned.
Taylor
Taylor bit his lip, suddenly wondering what he was going to do for the night.
After a moment he put his head in his hands and voiced this worry.
"Where are we going to go? We've lost the apartment."
Zac and Isaac
"Umm..." Isaac trailed off uncertainly.
"Well, you can always ask Mom and Dad to put you guys up. I believe your rooms are still available," Zac said. "Or you could come stay with me, if you think you can stand Kylie. Wouldn't have to go far for band practice."
Taylor
Taylor cursed before looking up again.
"Our instruments... they..." he trailed off, shaking his head.
He rubbed his eyes.
"Most of them are gone," his voice cracked.
Zac and Isaac
"Gone?" Isaac frowned.
"Ahem," Dr Stanley said. "I have to go now, but if there is anything else you need, please advise one of the nurses."
"Sure," Zac replied. "And thanks."
Dr Stanley nodded, and left.
"Gone?" Isaac repeated.
"Well, I did say that the building collapsed," Zac said.
"Yes... yes you did..."
Taylor
"I tried to save a couple when the rain was getting in but... when it came down..." Taylor shook his head.
"We'll... we'll have to go back and see if we can find any," he said decidedly.
Isaac and Zac
Isaac nodded slowly, the grogginess starting to lift.
"Umm, I... don't get me wrong," Zac said. "But I don't think you're going to have much luck. The whole thing is rubble. And instruments being the sensitive things they are... I honestly think you're going to be hardpressed to find anything in tact."
"I think I'm going to have to see this for myself," Isaac said softly. "It's one thing to be told that, Zac... but..."
"Sure, sure. I understand. You were unconscious during the whole thing so it's hard to wrap your head around it."
Taylor
"And I'm just in denial," Taylor couldn't help but chuckle a little, though it was no real laughing matter.
"I mean... there's the possibility we might find something. Something small even. Maybe a snare, or tambourine, or something..."
He fell silent, staring at the wall.
Isaac and Zac
Zac considered it for a moment.
"A harmonica," he said deceisivly. "That is the most likely instrument to survive."
"The piano," Isaac said startled.
"No, I don't think that would have a better chance than the harmonica -" Zac began with a silly grin forming on his face.
"No, it was probably the first to go," Isaac cut in. "And to think that Mom nearly talked us into taking the one at home instead of getting a new one like we did."
He shuddered at the thought of that family heirloom being destroyed.
Taylor
"Oh man, the electrics..." Taylor groaned, covering his eyes with his left hand.
"I wonder if any of them made it through."
Isaac and Zac
"I doubt it," Zac said cheerfully.
"Zac, really," Isaac said. "This isn't something to be smiling about."
"You misunderstand. I'm amused at Taylor's denial."
"You are so weird."
"This is a given. Look, I'm sure everything was insured, so you'll have no problems replacng everything. I know it sucks that they've been demolished along with y'know, your beds, computers, important files... say I hope your insurance policy wasn't up there... hoo boy."
Taylor
Taylor looked at Zac from between his fingers, before moving his hand and looking across at Isaac.
"And you wonder why we were arguing in the first place?" he raised his eyebrows, pointing at Zac.
"That's a good reason right there. Being anything but helpful."
Isaac and Zac
"Thank you," Zac beamed.
Isaac chuckled.
"Imagine what he'd be like if it were his house," he said. "What would you be like then, Zac?"
Zac considered for a moment.
"I keep my insurance papers in the basement, so all I'd need to do is dig them up again."
Isaac shook his head.
"Would you like to suggest anything helpful?"
"Umm... what's in it for me?"
Taylor
"The pleasure of not having your face smashed in?" Taylor suggested with a smile.
Isaac and Zac
"Hmm..." Zac considered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Okay. Something helpful... Always lift with your knees and not your back."
"Zac," Isaac began.
"Or how about, never run with scissors."
"Zac that's -"
"Or how about -"
"Zac, something helpful pertaining to our currect situation."
"Oh! That's what you meant," Zac mock-exclaimed. "Let me see... Did you have all your clothes in the apartment, or is there a chance you still have some at Mom and Dad's place? Because otherwise you only have the clothes on your back and they're going to get rather smelly. Either way, you may want to consider clothes shopping in the near future, because I don't think my clothes with fit either of you. Let's face it, I have a far more manly body."
He nodded sagely.
Taylor
One of Taylor's eyelids flickered as he gave Zac a small atomic shock and then laughed.
"That's actually a good question," he scratched the back of his neck.
Isaac and Zac
Zac rubbed his arm.
"Yeah... why can't you be helpful all the time Zac?" Isaac asked.
"Now, where would be the fun in that?" Zac grinned. "Besides, that's your job. My job is the annoying one who insists on making bad jokes at the worst times."
Isaac shook his head in amusement, then reach for the bed control to sit him up.
Taylor
Taylor saw what Isaac was doing, and quickly reached over to grab it for him.
"Here," he said, handing it to him.
Then he checked his watch.
"Damn, it's getting late already," he shook his head.
Isaac and Zac
"Thanks," Isaac said.
"Yeah," Zac said. "Visiting hours are probably going to end soon."
"Well, I have a bed for the night, but what about you Tay?" Isaac asked. "Gonna take up Zac's offer? Or see if Mom and Dad'll have us?"
Taylor
Taylor hesitated, staring at the wall again.
"I don't know," he hung his head.
Isaac and Zac
"Well, as you said, it is getting late," Isaac observed.
"Let's weigh the pros and cons," Zac said. "Let me see... at Mom and Dad's place you have Mom, Dad, Jess, Mackie and Zoe. At my place you have me, Ella, Kylie, Saku, Tru and Dee Dee. At Mom and Dad's you can have your own rooms, assuming that they haven't been used for storage. At my place... umm, well, I have a couple of spare bedrooms. With beds in them even. They'll need to be made though. At Mom and Dads, they may have some of your stuff that you didn't take with your still. At mine, you don't need to go anywhere for band practice."
Zac tried to think of more points of comparrision.
"Up to you," Isaac said to Taylor. "I'm fine with either."
Taylor
"Well I want to go back to what's left of our apartment first in case there IS something left and someone doesn't think we should be able to keep it," Taylor insisted with his eyebrows raised.
'Afterwards I don't really... care."
Isaac and Zac
"Okay, well, probably we should go now before it gets too much later," Zac said. "If you don't mind Ike..."
"Naw," Isaac replied. "As was said earlier, visitors hours are probably finishing soon anyway, so you're going to have to leave eventually. Good luck."
Taylor
Taylor stood and leant over the bed to give Isaac a hug.
"We'll see you in the morning I guess," he said softly.
Isaac and Zac
Isaac hugged Taylor back.
"See ya," he said.
"Bye Ikers," Zac said. "Have a nice night. Don't complain about the hospital food too much - they might give you more."
"Haha, bye Zac," Isaac smirked.
"See ya."
Taylor
"Goodbye," Taylor waved with an awkward smile before backing toward the doorway.
Then he began to follow Zac down the corridor.