"Weirdos" Chapter 2

I couldn't stop my leg from shaking waiting outside of Pallas' hosptial room. Across from my bench in the sterile hallway, I stared at the bare white-wall starting to yellow - hoping, praying, begging that she would be alright.

Please let it be okay... I thought over and over...

Please, PLEASE! - let it be okay...

"Quinn...?"

Please..! Please...!

"Hey, Hollywood!"

I jumped, startled by the familiar voice that bellowed down at me.

Mason stared at me, two sweating, unopened cans of orange-soda clinched tightly in one hand. His dark blue eyes, peered deeply into mine. He frowned, clearly worried for me, and suddenly I felt a rush of shame wash over me.

"You okay?" he asked politely, handing me a soda.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I accepted the offering, but, rather than opening it, toyed with it in my clammy hands. I lowered my eyes to the floor, but could feel Mace's gazing penetrating me from above. He was watching and thinking, the way only Mason could, in a way that studied both the past and the present with a striking sense of clarity.

I had no idea what he was thinking - only that there was something he wanted desperately to say to me.

And I already knew... I already knew how badly I screwed up...

***

When Quinn burst through the back doors of the school, she looked around only once before realizing just how close her mentor was to her.

There, to her left, Lori slumped against the cold, red-brick wall, the Death-worm still latched tightly to her shoulder: writhing furiously in unspoken rage as it desperately tried to escaped.

But the old Captain wouldn't let it go.

Instead, she grasped it tightly by the thin, scaly tail, refusing to release her grip as it pumped, and pulsed, and tried to tear away in a desperate escape. Her blood was the only source of Magic it would feast upon that day.

"Oh, no you don't!" Lori softly teased, a light smile crossing her faded, pale cheeks. "Y-You're not g-going any-anywhere, Pet!"

"Lori!" Quinn yelled as the heavy metal door slammed shut behind her. She knelt by her superior, her hands waving wildly over the writhing creature just as Lori screamed,

"DON'T TOUCH IT!"

Startled, Quinn immediately fell back, suddenly unsure of what to do or what to say in such a predicament.

"It-It's alright, H-Hollywood," Lori added quickly, softly - attempting to smile as if apologizing for her outburst. "I'm - I'm okay, I promise. I just-just don-don't want it to latch to you, t-too..." Quinn, placated, fell to her knees and watched the scene unfold right in front of her.

"Oh God, Elinor," she muttered helplessly, "What do I... what can- what can I...?"

"Y-You don't ha-have to do any-anything..." Lori answered firmly, though her green eyes turned soft and glassy. "I already call-called Mace... h-he's on his w-way..."

"He's right here," said a strong, deep voice from above.

Quinn whipped around and saw Gene Mason standing over them, clad in his black uniform as if ready for a fight. His bright, ocean-blue eyes filled half of his face - wide in horror by the state of his own protege slumped on the ground before him.

"Mace!" Lori whispered, so softly it sounded more like a death-rattle. "I-It's 'bout time...!"

"Hush now!" he spat, scooping her up in less than a second.

He paid no attention the Death-worm still wriggling pitifully in her grasp. He paid no attention to the teenage-trainee watching him in awe from the ground. All he saw was Lori, his own precious jewel, slumped weakly against his shoulder as he turned and ran around the side of the building.

"Paloma!" he called loudly, "I need a Door!"

Suddenly, a rusted maintenance door to his right swung open and, taking notice of it, he dove inside like his life depended on it...

Or rather, like the life of his protege depended on it.

He did not see the newest recruit follow him - leaping into the blinding-white-light-from-nowhere just in time - just as the door slammed shut on it's own, the three strange friends suddenly lost to the world around them.

No, Mason paid no attention to any of them - only to the fact that Death-worm venom was lethal... and had a short window of treatment, even in the best of times...

***

"You didn't screw up," Mason said, seemingly from no where.

I blinked again, then looked up at him curiously.

"W-what?"

He simply shrugged.

"That's what you're beating yourself up about, isn't? You think you screwed up." I stared at him blankly, completely surprised and unsure of what to say. His blue eyes only softened as he snapped his soda-pop open.

"You didn't screw up, Love," he assured her gently before taking a deep, long drink. He then smacked his lips together and sat back on the bench.

"You did your job beautifully, really. From start to finish." I scoffed.

"Start to finish?" I repeated. "It started before I even saw it slither into the school!"

"Love, there's always something slithering, or slinking, or creeping into the room," Mason gently replied. He stared down at the floor, swishing his half-finished soda in it's warming can.

"The only thing any of us can do is to grab the damned thing before it makes an even bigger mess."

"A bigger mess than this?" I questioned worriedly. Suddenly, I felt his hand on my shoulder and finally looked up to truly meet his deep blue gaze for the first time that day.

"Trust me, Love, this is not your fault," he stated firmly.

"Miss Harlow?" said a soft voice from above. We both looked around, and saw a young, pretty, raven-haired nurse staring down at us from the door of the hospital room.

We locked eyes and, instantly, her gaze softened and a smile crossed her lips.

"Miss Harlow - she's asking for you now."