Riddle Middle

Chapter 49: Back to the future (Pt. 2)

Phil knew that she either had to be unconscious or asleep, since she was still breathing. He gently shook her. She groaned. She coughed hoarsely, which, within seconds, transitioned into choking. She desperately gasped for air and held her hands to her throat. Phil wasn't sure what to do, so he wrapped his arms around Smiley's variant's chest and squeezed her. She spat out a black gel-like substance that was in the shape of a ball. Smiley's variant began catching her breath. Before asking any questions, Phil touched the substance. It stuck to his finger, and it took some effort to get it off. Phil assumed that she had been drinking it earlier, and it got stuck in her throat when she started coughing. "So..." Phil said, turning to face Smiley's variant. Her eyes were watering, and her face was a bit red, like she was overwhelmed. Smiley's variant wrapped her arms around her knees.

"A-Are you okay?" Phil asked. Smiley's variant made a small sniffling sound, but she didn't respond. "Phil?" Smiley asked from outside. Phil backed away from Smiley's variant and went to Smiley. "Is everything-" Smiley started. "Sorry, Smiley, I have to go do something," Phil said, rushing down the hall and into the room they'd been sleeping in. Zack yawned and began to wake up. "Phil? What's going on?" he asked. "Sorry, Zack, no time," Phil said, running to the ladder and climbing as fast as he could down it. Phil was afraid that Smiley's variant could start choking again at any moment. Phil found his variant back on his couch. "Oh, hey kiddo. Do you need something?" Phil's variant asked. "Smiley's variant was choking on something, then she spat it out, and now she's crying," Phil said urgently. Phil's variant shrugged. "Just leave her," he said. He resumed scrolling through the channels on his TV. "What? I don't think you understand. She couldn't breathe! What if she starts choking again?" Phil said. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, that's her fault, she drank the... Whatever that was," his variant said. "What if she dies?!" Phil asked, beginning to shout. "She won't," his variant said. "How do you know?" Phil asked. "I... If it gets unbearable, she can just go to Phred. She came to me about an hour ago, when I was still in the bar, and complained about the same thing," his variant said. "Did you do anything?" Phil asked. "No," his variant said. "What did she say? What happened?" Phil asked. His variant sighed. Phil leaned against the wall and sat down.

"After you left, she kept drinking it. I don't know what she was thinking, and I tried to tell her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. We argued for a bit, then she went back to her room and slammed the door. I stayed in the bar. An hour later, she came back to me. She looked pretty miserable. I asked her what happened. She said she'd been coughing up that black stuff for a while. I didn't help her. She went back to her room, but she came back a while later. She said everything had gotten worse, and she practically begged me for help. I still refused. She went back to her room, and I guess she fell asleep." Phil's variant said. "I think she was unconscious," Phil said, still nervous. It kept occurring to him that Smiley's variant could be choking as they spoke. "Meh, probably dehydration or something," his variant said. "Why don't you care?" Phil asked. "You wouldn't understand," his variant said. "Please, there has to be something we can do!" Phil said. "Yeah, there's plenty I can do, but she doesn't deserve it," Phil's variant said. "Why? Why do you want her to suffer?!" Phil said. "Listen, if you're gonna act like this, I don't want you in my room," Phil's variant said. Phil was surprised at how his variant was acting, considering his own affection for Smiley now. "B-But-" Phil stammered. "Out," his variant said. He hadn't really raised his voice. Phil, extremely annoyed, went back up to his room.

Smiley had gone back to their room and was now asleep again, snoring gently. I can't wake her again... Phil thought. He went back to Smiley's variant's room. Smiley's variant was face down, sprawled out on the ground. Phil went over to her and kneeled on the ground. Smiley's variant was still sniffling. "A- Are you alright?" Phil asked. Smiley's variant didn't respond. Phil gently placed his hand on her back. She slowly sat up and wiped her face with her sleeve. "W- What do you want?" she said. Her voice was extremely raspy and choked. "Are you okay? Were you... crying?" Phil said. "N-No!" Smiley's variant said. Her eyes got extremely watery again, and she buried them into her arms, which she'd folded on top of her knees. Phil couldn't help but feel bad. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Phil asked. "I- It burns..." she moaned. "What? What burns?" Phil asked. "I- I..." Smiley's variants voice was overrun by her sniffling and heavy breathing. "Stay here, I'll be right back..." Phil said, walking out of her bathroom, out of her room, and into the hallway.

Phil made his way towards Phred's variant's office. Phil gently knocked on the door. Phred's variant answered. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "No, Smiley's variant's... Um..." Phil said. "What symptoms does she have?" Phred's variant asked. "After she drank the black stuff, she kept coughing it up. Oh, and apparently 'it' burns, but I don't really know what she means," Phil said. "She probably means her stomach lining or her throat. I'm not sure what her intention was for drinking that. I can-" Phred's variants voice stopped, and his mechanical body slumped. "No!" Phil yelled. He wasn't sure why he wanted to help Smiley's variant as much as he did. Phil guessed Phred's variant had malfunctioned or ran out of energy, and after cursing under his breath for a few seconds, Phil decided to go to Zack's variant.

He knocked on the door. Zack's variant slowly opened it. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?" he asked. "Smiley's-" Phil started. Zack's variant's eyes widened. "What?" Phil asked. He wasn't sure why Zack's variant was acting so surprised all of the sudden. "You don't know, d- do you?" Zack's variant asked anxiously. "Know what?" Phil asked. Zack's variant sighed with relief. "Okay, what about Smiley?" Zack's variant asked. "Umm... her variant's sick or something," Phil said. "Oh, I know. I want to help her, but I don't know what to do," Zack's variant said. "Yeah... Why does my variant hate Smiley's variant so much?" Phil asked. Zack's variant looked embarrassed. "I- I don't want to talk about it!" Zack's variant yelled. "Did you have something to do with it?" Phil asked. Zack's variant slammed the door. Phil realized he could've gotten more out of Zack's variant if he'd mentioned Phred malfunctioning. Phil rushed back to Smiley's variants room, not sure what else to do.