"What's that Luka?" Carol nodded towards the tower of videos beside the television set.
"Movies. I figured it'd be nice for us all to stay in for once. That way everyone is safe. Everyone is safe aren't they? Where's Abby??" His eyes scanned the room. "Abby and Carter.. Where are they?"
Peter shrugged noncommitally, pulling off his jacket and hanging it in the hall closet. "I saw Carter hauling ass towards a Zagreb Denny's.. Abby's not here."
"I can see Abby's not here.. Where is Abby?" Luka snapped angrily, the colour dropping from his already deathly pallor. There had been a pool going at County after he'd been first hired on.
"Who here thinks he's a stiff that escaped from the morgue!" Malik chuckled passing around the emesis basin as everyone dropped in a few bucks.
Carol had rolled her eyes and ignored the whole thing, although she did worry that he wasn't getting enough iron in his diet, and he didn't seem too crazy about her mum's garlic dip. "It's really good.." She prodded him.
Carol tried to ignore the frenzy that Luka had worked himself into and walked to the television, picking up one of the videos. "Return of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes? Pet Semetary Two? Top Gun? The Fury? Newton Boys?, U-571?, Rappin'?? Practical Magic? Moll Flanders, Swing Kids?" She laughed, shaking her head. "What did you do? Walk down the aisles and grab movies randomly off the rack? These movies have nothing in common!"
Luka smiled knowingly, temporarily forgetting the Carter/Abby situation. "Yes.. They have something in common. They're all great movies.."
Mark smiled picking up the copy of Pet Semetary, "Pretty Kitties.." as Elizabeth frowned.
"No Mark.. Put that down.. This isn't a time for watching movies, you have to go to bed. Upstairs.. NOW!" She commanded, her hand pointed towards the stairs.
"But.."
"No buts.. Get up there.. I'll bring the whip cream and chocolate syrup." Elizabeth scolded kindly, swatting his butt and running into the kitchen..
The group watched Elizabeth skip out of the room and shuddered. "Ewwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!" Doug gagged, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and making noises like a sick cat.
Luka nodded solemnly. "For once Ross, I agree with you. Carol, how are they doing?? What happened exactly?" He said worriedly, watching Doug scramble down to all fours and pulled at the stuffing that peeked out of the threadbare sofa.
"Doug was putting up the sign and fell on his head.. He was unconcious for awhile.. Mark was out cold on the front lawn.. Where did you go Luka!? We were so worried.. You disappearing like that.. Where did you spend the night?"
"At Nik's.. He found me at the cemetery.." Luka sighed, wondering if renting PS2 was the greatest idea in the world.. It probably wasn't, but from what he could recall, that Anthony Edwards character didn't fair well, and seeing somebody else in pain that didn't directly affect him in anyway was somehow soothing.
"In the cemetary? Wh-" Carol sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind.. I know.."
*********
"So Chauncey.. Play 'tea party' when you were little?" Abby ribbed him.
"No.." Carter grumbled. "I didn't play tea party. Did you??"
"Actually.. Yeah.. It was fun.. I had a few dolls till Eric ripped the heads off them..." She chuckled, "My mom's face when she found all these headless naked dolls under his bed, she thought she was raising a schizo.."
Carter paled, moving a few inches from Abby and scuffing his toe into the grass on the shoulder. "Really.. Does he still do that?? Behead things??" He murmured softly.
"Oh Carter.. Lighten up.. I'm sorry about Sobriki.. I'm sorry about Lucy.. I'm sorry about turning you in.. But you really have to lighten up.. It's been years now.. You have no real ill affects from back then.. I bet you could do cartwheels right now if I dared you.." Abby stood, staring at him, her hands on her hips. "I dare you."
*****
"So where's Malucci?" Peter looked around and back into the kitchen where Elizabeth had suddenly streaked out of the doors and up the stairs, her condiments tucked under her arm as she undressed herself, flinging her shirt off and unbuttoning her clothes as she disappeared around the corner of the winding staircase.
"Upstairs.." Luka murmured and Kerry nodded. "Yes.. I put him down for a nap.. He was pretty strung out.. He's had a long day."
"Nap?? You put Malucci down for a nap?" Doug snickered. "Whaddya do? Sleeper hold? 'Malucci you gonna sleep or else!' Man, I would have liked to see that."
"Shut up honey.." Carol scolded quietly. "Take a nap on the sofa.."
Doug nodded compliant.. "Yes dear." He replied sleepily, curling up on the couch.
Luka shook his head in disbelief. "That was interesting. How'd you do that?"
"The medications he's on.. You should have seen him earlier.. He was licking the windows on the station wagon." Carol grinned as Luka recoiled his lip in horror.
"You are joking me. That is unhealthy." He said uneasily, looking outside and seeing the clear patch on the dirty window, and shuddering. "That is disgusting."
Carol shrugged. "Ehh.. He could have been doing worse things.. Mark fell out of the truck and face first into a pile of manure. I think he started to-"
Luka ran from the room, hands over his mouth as he made a beeline for the bathroom.
Kerry cocked a brow, walking to the sofa and pushing out a spot for herself. "He started to what?"
Carol grinned. "Nothing. He passed out... I just wanted the movies to ourselves. Which do you want first? Top Gun?"
Kerry nodded, "Yes.. That sounds good.. I'll take Tom Cruise and that cute Goose over mopey, smelly doctors any day. Pop it in.. You think Drzislav has Jiffy Pop around here someplace?"
*****