The Party Girl

by Godslittleprincess

Chapter 23: The Right Thing to Do

“Let me get this straight,” Flash began as he and Timber huddled close to the ferry’s engine for warmth while wrapped in some old towels that Cranky happened to have lying around. “Lord Tirek and Lady Chrysalis both paid and threatened you into killing us to make sure there was no chance of us ever going back to Griepsburg?”

“Yes!” Timber cried. “I didn’t want to agree to it, but it was either you or the nursery and that stupid tree that my sister loves.”

“You were going to kill us for a tree?” Base questioned incredulously.

“A tree that my sister cares about more than anything,” Timber retorted defensively. “I mean, I don’t care about that tree, but she does.”

Flash tilted his head and stared at Timber pensively before saying, “It’s not about the tree, isn’t it? It’s about your sister.”

“But I thought you and your sister hated each other?” Base asked. “At least, that was the impression you guys always gave me.”

“My sister is a huge pain in the butt who only cares about preserving our family’s past, so much so that anything and everything else doesn’t even amount to a hill of beans to her, but she’s still my sister,” Timber snapped before softening a bit. “I mean, I know I act like I don’t care about anyone or anything, but I do care about her.” Then, he hardened his glare again continuing, “I don’t know why since she obviously doesn’t feel the same way about me.”

Flash and Base shared a look with each other before turning back to Timber.

“If she was that way before, I think that’s starting to change,” Flash noted, remembering how Gloriosa was the first to answer the call to rebuild the schoolhouse and the post office, “and I’m willing to bet that if you and Gloriosa just took the time to talk things out and really listen to each other, you’d realize that you’re important to her too.”

“That’s a sucker bet,” Timber scoffed.

“Hold on,” Micro Chips interrupted. “The agreement was that you kill everyone on this boat, or else, Lord Tirek and Lady Chrysalis break your sister’s heart, correct?”

“Yes! Weren’t you paying attention?” Timber snapped.

“Aren’t they going to know you failed when Cranky pulls the ferry into the docks tomorrow?”

Timber’s eyes widened as the realization came crashing down on him.

“No! No! No!” he screamed, covering his face with both his hands.

“Timber, listen,” Flash replied, “you’re going to have to go back to Griepsburg and tell everyone everything that just happened.”

“How is that supposed to stop the clan heads from destroying my family’s nursery?” Timber exclaimed.

“Honestly, it might not, but if you don’t let the town know just how far those two are willing to go to make everything go back to the way it was, no one is going to stand up to them and stop them from doing something worse.”

“Are you crazy?!” Timber yelled. “If I do that, everyone is going to know that I agreed to kill you guys, and they’ll hate me for it, especially Twilight and my sister.”

“Just tell them what you told us,” Flash assured. “They’ll understand that you were being forced into it.”

“No, no, I can’t go back,” Timber refused. “My only choice is to run and never go back.”

“How is that supposed to stop Chrysalis and Tirek from destroying your family’s nursery and special tree?” Base chimed in.

“It won’t, but at least, I won’t be around to witness it and my sister’s disappointment.”

“So, that’s it then?” Button Mash added. “You’re just going to run from your problems like a coward?”

“Hey, my sister is going to end up heartbroken and disappointed in me no matter what I do. What am I supposed to gain from not running from my problems?” Timber scoffed.

“The satisfaction of standing up to two horrible people and encouraging your friends and neighbors to do the same,” Sandalwood pointed out.

Timber just rolled his eyes and turned away from everyone. “You’re all idiots. Why do I even bother talking to you?”

---

It was almost sunset by the time the ferry reached the mainland, far too late in the day to do any traveling.

“We’re going to need a place to stay the night,” Flash noted before wincing a little as he clutched his injured shoulder.

“We’re also going to need that treated as soon as possible,” Micro Chips added.

“There’s an inn you can stay at not too far from here,” Cranky recommended. “The dame who owns the place, as sure as the sunrise, will treat you mighty swell.”

“I wouldn’t trust recommendations from him, but we don’t know anywhere else to go, do we?” Base noted.

The group of six plus Timber made their way to the inn in question, and upon entering, were greeted by a warm, matronly woman with brown hair and blue eyes.

“Welcome, travelers,” she greeted. “My name’s Matilda. How can I help you?”

“Hello, ma’am,” Micro Chips returned the greeting. “We just arrived from Griepsburg, and we’ll need a place to stay the night before we continue our journey. Do you have maybe two or three rooms available?”

“I’m afraid I only have one room available right now. Are you gentlemen comfortable with sharing?”

“We can make do with one room,” Flash affirmed.

“We can?” Timber exclaimed in shock.

“We used to live on a ship,” Button pointed out. “We’re used to sleeping in close quarters.”

“Can we also get some bandages, a bottle of rum, and something long, thin, and metal?” Micro requested.

---

Ms. Matilda led the boys to their room before leaving to fetch the items Micro had requested. To Timber’s utter consternation, the room only had one bed.

“We all agree that Flash and Base are getting the bed while the rest of us take the floor, right?” Sandal wondered aloud. Pip, Button, and Micro chimed their agreement.

“Hey, how come they get the bed?” Timber protested.

“Well, Flash is injured, and Base is his brother, so in a way, you only have yourself to blame for our current sleeping arrangement,” Micro pointed out.

Matilda arrived with the requested supplies, and Micro Chips began to treat Flash’s shoulder wound. He doused a long, thin knife in rum before using it to extract the bullet from Flash’s wound.

“Just bear with me, this might sting a little,” he said to Flash. Actually, between extracting the bullet and disinfecting the wound, the whole process stung A LOT, but Flash kept his complaints to himself save for a few pained grimaces.

---

Later that night, while everyone was asleep, First Base suddenly awoke. Something was not right; the bed was shaking, not by much but more than it should be. He turned where his brother was lying and could just barely see Flash tossing and turning restlessly.

“Flash?” Base muttered tiredly as he touched his brother on the shoulder. He quickly pulled away, eyes wide, when he felt his hand burn. “Oh my gosh!”

“Lads! Get up!” Base screamed as he jumped out of the bed to quickly light a lamp, waking everyone in the room.

“What the heck!” Timber exclaimed as he and the others got up from the floor.

“What’s wrong?” Sandal questioned, getting to eye level with First Base.

“It’s Flash. He has a fever,” Base replied with panic in his voice.

“What?” Micro cried as made his way towards the bed. He put his hand on Flash’s forehead, and sure enough, Flash had a fever. “Pip, Button, wake Ms. Matilda and ask her where you can find a doctor, now!”

“Aye aye!” the two boys confirmed before leaving the room.

Micro Chips turned Flash to his side and exposed his wounded shoulder before frantically removing the bandages. As Micro had feared, red, hot, angry lines were running away from Flash’s bullet wound.

“Oh, no!” Micro uttered.

“What?!” Base shouted, his panic increasing by the second.

“We weren’t able to treat Flash’s wound in time before infection set in, and now, it’s spread. He needs to see a doctor and get some medicine fast,” Micro explained.

Timber listened to the whole exchange, his eyes widening as the sinking feeling in his stomach sunk lower and lower. He looked from First Base on the verge to tears to Flash lying in agony and back again, realizing that all of it was happening because of his choice. While everyone else was occupied, Timber stealthily crept out of the room and closed the door behind him. As soon as he was out of the room, he ran. He ran out of the inn, into the streets, and into the night, not knowing where he was truly going. He didn’t know how long he had been running for when Button Mash’s earlier accusation started to ring clear in his head.

“You’re just going to run from your problems like a coward?” That statement stopped Timber in his tracks as realization slammed into him like a runaway horse and buggy. He might be able to run from the consequences of his actions, but the guilt will follow him wherever he goes. If he wanted the guilt to stop, he was going to have to face it head on, and he knew just how to do it.

Author's Note:

What's Timber going to do?

Comments

[SuperSonicHeroes]

Let’s hope this is the one time Timber chooses not to be a complete piece of shit.

[Ro994]

“Are you crazy?!” Timber yelled. “If I do that, everyone is going to know that I agreed to kill you guys, and they’ll hate me for it, especially Twilight and my sister.”

Oh please Timber. Even I am able to understand that, and I already hate you. 😑

[Ro994]

This dude better man up, specially now that FLASHY'S LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE