The Quagmires

Back From the Dead

Quigley stared back at his siblings, eyes just as wide. They're here! They're really here! I've found them, and I never thought I really would!

The three triplets' minds were reeling, and Isadora and Duncan more than Quigley. Who is that? It's Quigley! But Quigley's dead. *mind blank*

Quigley picked up the courage to speak, "Duncan... Isadora..."

With that he burst into tears, and so did his siblings. They all hugged each other and cried. None of them knew what to say.

Finally, Isadora came to her senses and stood up.

"Quigley, how are you alive we thought you were dead!" She choked out through tears.

Duncan held onto Quigley tighter and sobbed harder.

"I was never dead! I came to find you! I can't explain right now I can't think." He sniffled into Duncan's shirt.

"I can't think either!" Isadora's voice cracked, and she sat back down and continued to hug and cry.

Duncan resurfaced and looked Quigley in the eye. He couldn't believe it, but all he knew was, "We missed you, Quigley. I don't know how you're back, but I'm so grateful!" Duncan kissed Quigley on the forehead, and Isadora brushed her fingers in Quigley's hair while hugging Duncan's side.

They stayed like that for about an hour, finding solace just in each other's company. The Quagmire triplets hadn't been together in around half a year. They needed this. They needed each other.

By now, Hector's shift had ended, so he made his way back. He was nervous to meet the recruit, but he knew he had to help, too. But when he walked onto the top deck he found a heap of people on the floor. They all seemed to look the same, but Hector brushed it off; he had gotten used to the eerieness of two people who looked alike, but still, he couldn't seem to make out where the recruit was.

"Hello!" Hector tried, in the hopes of starting a conversation and the acknowledgement of his presence.

"Oh, Hector! Is your shift over already?" Isadora said, getting up.

"Yup!" Hector gave a thumbs up, awkwardly paired with an awkward smile.

"Sorry for taking so long," Duncan said helping Quigley up.

Hector was Flabbergasted.

"Okay... I don't think I got much sleep last night, and I think I'm seeing three of you guys"

Quigley came forth and extended an arm.

"I'm Quigley Quagmire. Budding Cartographer and triplet to Duncan and Isadora."

Hector glanced at Duncan and Isadora who both nodded their assent.

"Well, wow! I don't know what to say!" Hector shook Quigley's hand, "What are the odds that it was you who received our SOS telegram. How?"

Quigley sighed, "Well, Mum showed me a secret hatch under the house. The hatch led to a maze of tunnels. That's how I got away. I just kept going till I found a way out, and I stumbled across the house of a certain Montgomery Montgomery."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Isadora asked.

"Was he one of the Baudelaires' guardians?" Duncan asked Isadora.

"He was!" Quigley's face lit up.

"You know the Baudelaires?" Isadora and Duncan were perplexed.

"Yeah, It's a long story." Quigley's thoughts drifted.

"And, we have all the time in the world," replied Isadora.

"Do we, really?" Duncan questioned.

"Oh no. Guys, anyone else notice we've lost altitude!?" Hector exclaimed.

Isadora facepalmed, "No! We forgot about the repairs!"

"Everyone get on duty I'll tell Quigley what to do," Duncan said.

"Okay," said Isadora. She gave one last smile to her two brothers and ran off.

Hector had already gone, too.

"What's going on?" Quigley asked.

"An aerie of eagles have been thwarting us out of the sky for a few days now. I'm afraid we've wasted too much time, but come on we have to start patching."

Duncan took Quigley by the hand, up to the hot air balloons. Only to find that all but one of the balloons were ripped to shreds.

"No," spoke Duncan.

Quigley looked into his brothers eyes and saw him tense up.

"We won't make it," Duncan said, and his eyes began to water.

"Duncan," Quigley said loudly, ignoring his brother. "You get more patches, and I'll work on the ones that we have."

Quigley pushed Duncan gently towards the door, and Duncan ran down to get more patches. Quigley knew that action was the way to get Duncan out of his own head. What Duncan was saying wasn't going to help them anyway. It was a disturbing thought that after all the Quigley had done to reach this point, it would end soon.

Quigley tried to push the thought away by patching up the hot air balloon, but action didn't clear his head like it did for Duncan.

Despite Quigley's efforts, the Hot Air Mobile Home was losing altitude fast. He began to regret sending Duncan off. He wanted to see his siblings. These thoughts consumed him, and he gave in by giving up on the patchwork to go find his siblings.