The Mars Experience

Chapter 30: Jedrek's POV

I need to think about this. I wish Hugo was here. He was always the thinker. Emma's knocked out cold, Donna's soon to pass away. No, I think. No, she isn't. The hospital's not far from here, but will they even be okay with helping us? Aren't we dangerous, wanted criminals in their eyes?

"Jedrek," Donna squirms. "My fight's over, isn't it?"

"No. You're not going to die." I sound choppy and, although Donna smiles at me, I know she doesn't truly believe me. I don't even believe myself.

Between all the ruckus, I finally remember my ticket to saving Donna: the police siren. With one press of a button, all the cars clear out of the pavement road making a drawn passage-way for me. Except for one car that continued to stroll directly in front of mine. I don't know what the sucker's bright ideas are but I don't have time for this.

I beep the horn twice, then pop my head out of the window.

"Screw you!" A familiar voice calls out from the car in front of me, flashing a rude gesture from outside the window.

"I'll have you guys arrested, you know that?" I continue to yell and beep.

From everywhere, people start throwing things out of their car windows onto the slow, soft yellow hatchback. Just move, the crowd hollers in a scattered way. The car halts, and there is visible commotion inside of it.

I want to get out of the car. I know I shouldn't do it. I know people might be suspicious to not see me in uniform. Donna, I think. You already went on this trip to save Athena; do it to save Donna. I take a deep breath and walk out in the most confident-like stance I can muster. I'm a cop, it says. I'm a big proud cop who's fighting bad guys in the academy. Well, I'm a big proud cop with muscular arms who's fighting bad guys, yet desperately hides his face.

I look into the car to see just what I suspected, a bunch of teenagers trying to start a fight, hiding their faces in backpacks. I clear my voice and begin in the most assertive voice I can, "Kids, I'm going to have to first ask you to... evacuate..." I stop. "No... no..." I mutter under my breath. "Clear off into the side of the road so my crew and I can pass, and... and then show me your driver's license." I can barely cover a bit of a positive tilt in my voice when I finish the sentence.

A little child pops his head up, and the kids try to push him back down. Six hands are covering his face when he faces my direction and squeals, "Dada." In the happiest, giggliest voice you ever heard; a voice one could only recognize as Apollo. I glance behind me to visualize the witnessing crowd.

"Well," I say loudly. "If you have your license and have such an important English project to do, I guess I'll leave you all with a warning." The crowd shows their disapproval of my punishment with murmurs as I strut back to my car. Everything's going well, but I make a mistake. I hear someone call me arrogant from the crowd.

Of course, when somebody called me arrogant, I just had to turn around and see who said it.

"Hey, is that Jedrek? One of those runaway, Mars Experience movement kids?" a nosey redhead girl shouts.

"Yeah! He's like, with the Yuma Rebels!" an even nosey-er tall boy responds, leaning half his body out of his window to take a picture.

I curse under my breath and run back into the car. Immediately, two or three cars get out of their spots to follow us. Athena, at the wheel, does a good job at speeding. I can tell she has her foot jammed on the gas at all times, disrespecting all cars in front of her, road signs, and traffic lights. Thanks to her, no one's stopping us.

I see the hospital and jerk the steering wheel to the left, pulling up into a nice, large parking lot with a gray floor and worn-out white paint marking where your car should go. Athena catches on and pulls up as well, but in the grass right next to it. We all rush into the building that says E.R., with big, bright, red letters.

"You have to help my friend," I yell. Bree, Athena, and I are supporting Donna while Hugo helps Emma stay awake.

"I'm gonna have you fill out this sheet right here and wait in the waiting room over there," the middle-aged woman replies, with a look that couldn't be more bored.

Athena drops Donna's shoulder, making her body slump, and slams her hand on the woman's plastic marbled desk. "Listen. My mother is Agatha Dimitri; a scientist, if you haven't heard. I also believe you know Ronald Dimitri, the owner of this hospital. If you don't get my friend, Mr., uh, Dr. Caleb's first and only daughter some help right now... I hate to break it to you, you're out of a job." Athena looks confident, confident enough that the lady should believe her. However, although the woman doesn't have that tedious stare anymore, she's extremely suspicious.

"Dr. Caleb doesn't have a daughter. He's infertile," she questions with squinted eyes.

"Or so he says." The woman still displays no reaction. "You know what? If you don't believe me, I'll have to call him and ask. If she dies, though, while I wait on the busy line, you do know you'll be taken to trial for murder of a scientist's daughter, don't you?" I had never seen Athena like this before. She isn't as weak or helpless as when we first met her. She picks up her phone and grazes her tongue on her top row of teeth, and slowly stabs what looks like random numbers. "It's ringing," she whispers at the woman with a cold stare.

"Dr. Caleb? Hi, it's Priscilla. Agatha's daughter, yes." She smiles at the woman. "I just wanted to let you know that..." the woman draws a finger through her throat to tell Athena to cut it. "Sorry. One second." Athena covers the lower part of the old-style telephone. "Will you let us through?" The woman nods frantically. "Yes, just wanted to let you know that everything is well here at the mall, but we're getting manicures now, so I have to go. Bye!"

"Room 7c is empty. Take the elevator," she mutters defeatedly.

"Oh, and one more thing. Help all of those other people faster, if you have so many empty rooms."

We all run towards the elevator, fanning Donna the entire way to the room.