How It Should Have Been

Chapter 6: Searching

Begin!

Universe*

~Normal POV

Klaus, Isadora, and Sunny sat for some time in stunned silence. Violet and Duncan had been taken away from them right after they had promised they could escape.

"Come on, we can get anywhere using these vents," Klaus said, "We need to find them."

He and Sunny started crawling, but Isadora didn't follow them.

"Izzie?"

"Isa," Sunny tugged on her friend's jacket sleeve.

Isadora didn't move. She stayed rooted to the spot. Her eyes refused to leave the sight of the library doors. Klaus motioned for Sunny to move aside so he could position himself next to Isadora. His already worried heart clenched up when he looked at her face. A few silent tears had escaped her eyes, and her breathing became erratic. She clutched Duncan's notebook to her chest as if her life depended on it.

"Izzie-"

"He said they would make it," Isadora spoke quietly; more tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey, they'll be alright," Klaus wished he hadn't said this as he himself wasn't sure of such a thing, "They're together, and Duncan cares about Violet too much to let something happen to her. And Violet won't let them hurt Duncan either."

Sunny patted Isadora's hand affectionately, "Strong."

"That's right, Sunny, Violet and Duncan are strong people. And if we're going to save them, then we have to be strong too," Klaus reached out and gently wiped away Isadora's tears.

"I... I've never been without both my brothers before."

He put his hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes, "Isadora, we will find them. Duncan would want you to be strong."

She stared back at him, tempted to say something else. But her protests halted when she saw the sincerity in Klaus' warm, dark eyes behind his glasses. Those same eyes that gave her strength to keep going when she had been kidnapped. Those eyes that brought her comfort when she had been locked in that cage at the bottom of the elevator shaft. The eyes she trusted. The eyes of a boy she cared for deeply and had only just had her first kiss with earlier that night. A boy who had promised her brother that she would be safe with him. She felt confidence fill her once more as she shoved her brother's notebook into her jacket and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, Klaus, let's go find them."

"That's the spirit, Izzie," Klaus replied with a small smile.

"Klaus, Isa," Sunny called; she had crawled to the other end of the vent path.

They followed her and watched as Count Olaf and Esmé walked down the hall pushing a rather large hospital bed with Violet and Duncan strapped down to it.

~...

"You won't get away with this," Duncan said, "You can't possibly keep us hidden in a hospital."

"Violet, why don't you tell your boyfriend to shut up," Olaf retorted.

"He's right," Violet said, "You can't hide us in a place like this."

"On the contrary, I can, and I know just how I'll do it."

"You're not even a real doctor-" Duncan started, but Esmé silenced both their protests by putting tape over their mouths.

Olaf hurriedly explained to curious passing doctors that the tape was a precaution for their "illnesses." Violet and Duncan rolled their eyes as the doctors fell for his stupid excuse.