Part 6
“This
was a bad idea,” Gerald said.
“Just
because Ben got bit by a snake doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea!” Quinn said.
“I
get you wanted to engage me by doing something I’d like, but I’m not outgoing.”
“I
don’t think going to the hospital would have been a good idea.”
“I’m
sure there’s something nearby for Anna’s Celtic thing,” Gerald said.
“I’m
not sure,” Quinn said.
Gerald
was then silent.
They
soon arrived at the phone booth Quinn had used the previous day. ‘I hope they
won’t think it’s crying wolf,’ she thought as she dialled 911.
“911
Emergency.”
“A
boy has been bit by a Copperhead in the West Lawndale Forest, near the bus
stop,” Quinn said.
“How
long ago was this?”
“A
little less than ten minutes,” Quinn answered.
Quinn
hung up. “They’re on their way.”
“Good,”
Gerald said. “I’m going to walk home.”
“No!
Miss Sanderson and Ms. Li will be angry. I have duty of care as well!”
“Then,
you shouldn’t have tried to help me!” Gerald said he left.
‘Great!’
Quinn thought. She started running back to where She left the teacher and the
two students. ‘I can’t go after him as SpiderGirl. Not yet.’
“Where’s
Gerald?” Sanderson asked.
“He
ran off after I made the 911 call. I couldn’t stop him,” Quinn answered,
quietly.
Sanderson
sighed. “You did the right thing, coming back. But I’m going to get the heat
from Ms. Li!. The school’s going to get the bill for the call out too.”
“I
know.”
It
was another ten minutes before the ambulance arrived. The paramedics gave the
antivenin and loaded Ben on the ambulance. “Can I come with?” Anna asked.
“It
will cost the school more,” Sanderson said.
“I
don’t care,” Anna said.
“In
for a penny,” Sanderson murmured. “But I have to take Quinn back to the
School.”
“Quinn’s
gone,” Anna said.
“What?”
Sanderson asked.
“She’s
gone,” Anna said.
“The
I guess I can come in the ambulance and get the bus later.”
It
didn’t take long for SpiderGirl to find Gerald. He hadn’t gone far. ‘Now, how
to do this without revealing my secret identity…’
Gerald
was surprised when he was suddenly lifted up into the sky. “SpiderGirl!”
“That’s
me!” the self proclaimed ‘superhero’ said.
“What
are you doing?” he asked as he struggled against the webbing.
“With
great power comes great responsibility, and that includes helping teenage girls
and teachers who don’t want to get into trouble because someone ran away from a
field trip.”
“Quinn!
She’s an annoying insinuating busybody!”
“I’ll
be sure to tell her that,” the costumed meta responded.
“What
are you going to do?”
“I’ll
take you back to the bus.”
SpiderGirl
brought Gerald back to the bus and webbed him to it. “Quinn, Anna and Miss
Sanderson will be back shortly.”
“Great!”
Gerald groused.
Quinn
got back to the spot and found that Sanderson and Anna had gone with the
ambulance. “Oh no!” She thought quickly. ‘I guess SpiderGirl can drive the
bus…’ she thought.
“What?”
Gerald asked.
“I’ll
drive the bus to the hospital,” SpiderGirl said. “How hard can it be?”
“And
where’s Quinn? If the teacher went with Anna and Ben in the ambulance.”
“Now…
did the teacher leave the keys here by accident?”
“I
don’t think so,” Gerald said as he followed the vigilante into the bus.
‘Of
course not,’ SpiderGirl realised. But she did learn how to hotwire a vehicle in
Highland…
Gerald
worried as the bus’s engine roared to life. He was sure SpiderGirl was going to
cause traffic chaos.
The
ambulance was on it’s way to the hospital. “How are you now?” Anna asked.
“You
know that I’m more than under the weather,” Ben answered. “I know what
Copperhead venom does!”
“But
they have put in the antivenin, right?”
“It
takes a while to take effect.”
“Uh
oh!” Ben said.
“What?”
“Something
else is wrong! There may be a tick! Or a leech!”
“Leech?
You weren’t in water,” Anna said.
“Help!
Tick!”
“Tick?”
one of the paramedics asked.
“Ignore
him, he’s a hypochondriac,” Sanderson said.
“We
need to check him over.”
Behind
the ambulance, SpiderGirl was driving the school bus haphazardly. Gerald was
holding on for dear life. “Can’t you just carry me to the hospital?” he asked.
“No,”
SpiderGirl answered. “Now, it seems that a bus is more difficult than a pickup,
but I will get us to the hospital.”
“Right…”
Gerald said as SpiderGirl made another sharp turn.
But
it wasn’t far from the forest to Cedars of Lawndale. Only a mile and a half as
the crow flies and through streets that weren’t all that busy, so SpiderGirl’s
driving of the bus didn’t put anyone else at risk.
Gerald
considered that as he was already at the hospital, that he may as well stay in
the waiting room.
SpiderGirl
left the bus as soon as she parked it and decided to patrol around the hospital
before returning as her civilian self.
Olivia
arrived at the waiting room to find Gerald there. “Oh! You decided to come
here?” she asked.
“No,
SpiderGirl dragged me here!”
“SpiderGirl?”
“Yes,
and she drove the bus here too!” Gerald said.
“The
bus, but I still have the keys!”
“She
hotwired it too,” Gerald said.
“I
find that difficult to believe.”
“It’s
what happened, Miss Sanderson,” Quinn said as she entered the waiting room.
“Did
SpiderGirl bring you here too?” Sanderson asked.
“After
driving Gerald here, yes,” Quinn answered.
Sanderson
sighed. “Anyway I called Ms. Li once I got signal. She should be here shortly.”
‘Great!’
Quinn thought.
Ms.
Li pulled up at the hospital, noting that the bus she had leant Sanderson (and
Quinn) was parked haphazardly across many parking spaces. ‘Really! She should
have the presence of mind to park the bus properly!’
“Where’s
Ms. Coultard?” she asked once she entered.
“She’s
with the patient,” Olivia answered.
“I
see. And why is the bus parked the way it is?”
“It
was SpiderGirl who parked it that way!” Quinn answered.
“What!”
“And
she hotwired it!” Gerald said.
“She’s
a menace, I tell you!” Li exclaimed.
“She
isn’t. She was just trying to help. Without her, Gerald would have ran off home
and I would still be walking here,” Quinn said.
‘Ms.
Morgendorffer is hiding something I’m sure,’ Li thought.
‘Ms.
Li suspects something,’ Quinn thought.
“Now,
tell me everything that happened,” Ms. Li said.
The
two students became talking over each other.
“Slow
down!”
“So,
let me get this straight… Gerald ran off after you called the ambulance,” Li
said.
“Yes,”
Quinn answered.
“Then
you met SpiderGirl?”
Quinn
nodded.
“I
see,” the Principal said. “And you say the vigilante hotwired the bus?”
“Yes,”
Gerald said.
“Like.
I tried to stop Gerald! And I told Miss Sanderson.” Quinn said.
“Why
did you run off afterwards, when I said that I was riding on the ambulance?”
Sanderson asked.
“I
thought I could try to get Gerald again. But it wasn’t long before SpiderGirl
came along…” Quinn said.
“I
see. You were trying your best,” Sanderson said.
“But
this has been a disaster!” Li said.
“Like
I was a like a shepherd, who went after some lost sheep…” Quinn said.
“I’m
not sure you found them,” Gerald said.
“And
you ran into the metaphorical wolf, Ms. Morgendorffer. You did well, but there
will be no more field trips. Do I make myself clear? Any such thing will have
to be out of school time,” the Principal said. “But, the mentoring project will
continue as long as each student and their parents agree. I’m not so sure about
the Harrod parents. They should be here shortly.”
“I
better call my Mom,” Quinn decided.
“Go
ahead.”
“It’s
Quinn, Helen,” Marianne said.
“Quinn?
What’s wrong?” Helen Morgendorffer asked.
“Remember
that Field Trip I was talking about?”
“Yes?”
“It
was today. But one of the three got bit by a snake,” Quinn
“A
snake?” Helen asked, with shock.
“But
the ambulance came quickly. We’re at the hospital now.”
“And
how are you?”
“I’m
fine, but I’m worried about the one who was bit,” Quinn said.
“I’m
sure they will be fine. The ambulance should have antivenin.”
“They
did.”
“Good.”
“Ms.
Li is here. She says that I can continue the mentoring thing. But there will be
no more field trips related to it.”
“That’s
good news. Do you think they’re getting something out of it?”
“Yes.”
“Good.
I’ll see you at home. I better get back to work.”
“Bye
Mom.”
Quinn
returned to the waiting room, to see that Anna had come out. “Anna. How is he?”
she asked.
“Resting.
It’s taken a lot out of him, but he will be better, once the venom is out of
his system.”
“That’s
good.”
“But
otherwise, today was good.”
“Maybe
we’ll do something related to your interests next,” Quinn joked.
“There
are some standing stones near Lawndale.”
“Really?”
“Put
there by some Irish immigrants last century,” Anna said.
“Interesting,”
Quinn commented as Ben’s parents arrived.
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