Escape From Hospital Hell

James springs his band mates from the hospital, as well as testing out his potential powers

James had barely taken two steps into the hospital before two large police officers descended upon him. Both balding, middle aged men, James instantly knew he was not in the proper state to deal with the interrogation that was going to be thrust on him. “Are you James Mercy?” the first one said gruffly, sizing up the hungover boy.

“Yeah. I’m here to check on my band, can this wait?” James said, running a hand through his messy hair. His head was still throbbing, and he just wanted to make sure Jenny was okay so he could go home and sleep.

“I’m afraid not, son,” responded the second man. Taking the role of good cop, his tone was considerably friendlier than his partner’s. “We need a statement about the events that happened at Hero House last night.”

“I don’t know. I was killing it, feeling the music like never before. But when I looked up everyone was frozen. Scared the f**k out of me, so I ran and got shitfaced.”

Crossing his arms, the first cop tried his hardest to loom over James. However, James was too busy trying to rub away his headache to even notice. “Did you see anyone acting suspicious, or release anything that may have caused it.”

“I had my eyes closed.”

“Do you know why you were unaffected?”

“No.”

“Do you know anything that may be useful to-”

“Look I don’t know anything about what happened last night, okay,” James interrupted. “I don’t know how or why it happened, and all I want to do right now is check on my friends. So, unless you’re planning on charging me get the f**k out of the way.”

Stunned, the cops didn’t stop him as he brushed pasted them and asked a nurse where his friends were. She told him that they were still running tests, but that the quarantine had been lifted and he could find them on the third floor.

The elevator ride up was agony, as his stomach revolted against him, but he managed to make it to the floor without incident. As soon as the door opened, he could here Jenny shouting at a poor doctor down the hall.

“I don’t care about your god damn tests! You said we weren’t contagious so I’m getting the hell out of here!” Jenny burst out of a room three doors away from the elevator. Although she was dressed only in a thin hospital gown and a very small woman, she looked ready to plow down anyone that got in her path. James felt sorry for the doctor. He had been on the receiving end of Jenny’s wrath more than once, and it was never pleasant.

Behind Jenny came two men. With their large stature, the men looked just as out of place in the gowns and Jenny. They were Rick and Peter, the drummer and bassist. James was glad the band had stuck together.

He waved them down from his spot just outside the elevator. “Hey guys, I’m here to spring you,” he called.

“Thank f*****g god,” Jenny screamed, as she stormed angrily toward the elevator. “If you hadn’t gotten here soon I think I might have killed the hospital staff.” Shooting one final withering glare at the stunned doctor, Jenny stepped into the elevator. “You boys coming?”

 

“I have magic guitar powers.” The statement sounded insane, even as he proclaimed it to the group. Sprawled on his back in the middle of his apartment floor, all James wanted to do was sleep. His band however, had different plans.

“You’re crazy,” Jenny said bluntly.

Rick just snorted, while Peter just said, “I think it’s time to lay of the drugs, my man.”

“I’m serious,” replied James, pushing himself up to face his friends, all lounging on the couch. His stomach rolled, and he thought for a second he would vomit once again, but he managed to hold it in. “Think about it. I’m the only one who didn’t freeze. And the music felt different that day. I think it was me.”

The boys looked slightly convinced, but Jenny just rolled her eyes. “Look, I know you wanna be a hero just like your crush the Red Swallow, but get real. You don’t have guitar powers. Don’t you think if you did, they would have shown before now.”

James sighed and flopped back to the floor. “I don’t know Jen! I just feel it in my gut. Can’t you trust me on this.”

A tense silence descended upon the room. James had hoped his best friend would believe him, but Jen always had been a stubborn girl. Add to that her strong feelings that superheroes are overrated, James knew it would take a miracle for her to believe him.

Breaking the silence, Rick spoke. “Maybe you should test your theory.” He stood from the couch and walked over to where James had hastily deposited his guitar in a drunken stupor. Handing it to James once he sat up, Rick just shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt.”

Positioning himself in a chair, James began to play the song he had been playing when everything went down. Eyes closed, he was almost too afraid to look as he neared the final chords of the song. But before he could even open his eyes, he heard Jenny’s laughing. She could be so damn smug! Angry, James slammed the final note of the song. The laughing stopped instantly.

James’ eyes flew open. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Sitting in front of him was his band, completely frozen. Jenny’s head was still thrown back in laughter, Peter was glaring at Jenny, and Rick just looked disappointed it hadn’t worked. James jumped up, dropping his guitar in shock. “What the f**k, what the f**k,” he repeated as he paced around his moderately sized apartment.

Friends still frozen a half hour later, James was about to call the cops when he heard a strangled laugh fall out of Jenny’s mouth. Suddenly she sprung up, and stared at James in amazement. “Holy s**t.” Rick and Peter were moving now too, and they were just as stunned as Jen. “It really was you, holy s**t.”

Jenny sat back down and put her head in her hands. James knew it was going to take her a minute to process everything that had just happened. Everyone sat there in stunned silence as the all absorbed what had just happened.

“Do you know what this means, dude?” Peter finally said. James just raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head. Peter grinned. “You can join the Alpha Titans!”

Author's Note

Day Two