Antitrust 2: The Return of NURV

[Writer]

Danni glanced at John when he woke up, but then stood and turned to David. Her eyes were wide.

 

"Oh, David, I'm so sorry..." she whispered. "You told her... didn't you?"

[jokemaster]

"I did. "His eyes were full of tears now. "And I'm afraid the same thing may happen to her. Death's following me Danni."

[Writer]

"Oh, no, no," Danni insisted. Death isn't following you. Gary's following us. Kelli will be just fine. I looked. She was shot twice in the chest, but neither one is a critical shot. Lizza will be fine as soon as she knows her sister's going to be ok."

 

"And if you're thinking about moving again, you can stop it," she went on, tears coming to her eyes. "We're staying here. If those men were from Gary, he'll follow us wherever we go. And I'm not about to live on the run, do you understand David Stern?" A little out of breath and with teary eyes, Danielle Richardson waited for his answer.

[jokemaster]

Through his tears David smiled at Danni.

"You were always stubborn like this."

Suddenly he hugged her close and kissed her

[Writer]

"Anything to keep you from running," Danni whispered. She pulled out of the hug. "We can't run. We have to fight if we ever want our lives back. Ok?" Her arms were still resting on his sides, waiting.

[jokemaster]

"For you, I'll fight forever." Whispered David

[Writer]

Danni smiled softly and moved into the hug again...

 

Several hours later, Danni and David were sitting on the couch in front of the shattered window. The doctor had come and gone to take care of John and had returned to Kelli. Ryan was wandering aimlessly around the house. Lizza had not left her room. Milo and Lisa were talking quietly in the room she'd been resting in.

 

"It's so quiet," Danni whispered to David.

[jokemaster]

David put his arm around Danni.

"It is. We deserve some peace and quiet right now."

[Writer]

Danni leaned her head on David's shoulder and sighed. Ryan chose that moment to shuffle into the room. He stared at them for a couple of seconds. Finally, he shifted and muttered, "Get a room," and shuffled back out.

 

 

Meanwhile, Lizza's door opened cautiously and she slipped out. Finding her way to the room where her sister had been taken, she knocked lightly. Dr. Styles answered and let her in.

 

"How..."

 

"She's fine, Lizza," Styles assured her.

 

"Thanks, Kevin," she said. "You'll..."

 

"Yes, I'll be staying for a while," he answered. "So you'd better explain what's going on."

 

"That'll take a while," Lizza said. Kevin glanced at Kelli.

 

"I've got the time," he answered. They left the room and went to Lizza's room. She began telling the story...

[jokemaster]

David laughed and yelled after him.

"We did, you walked into it."

Then he turned and kissed Danni again.

"Maybe we should put a sign or something?"

[Writer]

Danni laughed. "And the sign will say 'We got a room... don't invade!'"

[jokemaster]

"Exactly! C'mon we got some peace and quiet, we should take advantage of it."

[Curt-Man]

John woke up with an excusciating pain in his arm and shoulder. He managed to get up and stand. He walked out of the room and bumped inot Ryan.

"oh s-sorry about that..." John said then looked at him "I don't know if you're the one to talk t-to about this, b-but I need some answers on what the hell is g-going on here!"

[Writer]

"From what I can tell, I'm just as good a person as any to talk to," Ryan answered with a laugh. "And I'm about the only person you're going to get any answer from... Dave and Danni are occupied, that doctor's talking to Lizza and Kelli's unconscious."

 

"Anyway," he went on. "From what I heard, Dave and Danni ran into some things at NURV that Gary didn't want them to... he's stealing code again, or something. Danni got shot, Dave rescued her, and they met up with Milo. Later, they were joined by Lisa and then we all sort of collided here. Then, they went to get you."

 

"Now it sounds to me like I'm going to be acting out whatever writing you come up with," he finished. "I'm supposed to go to Gary's house, get his home computer, and get out... have I explained what you want to know?"

[Curt-Man]

"well k-kinda i guess... b-but that still doesn't explain why i-i'm here, whats the p-point of me being here?" John said in a confused tone.

[Writer]

"You're here because you agreed to help us..." Ryan answered. "You're a good writer... or so Danni tells me. But I'm curious.... are you any good with a gun? After today, I think you might need to be."

[jokemaster]

"I guess I better go apologize to Lizza." Said David, he stood up walked out and towards Lizza's room. He saw that it was empty, then realized she had gone to Kelli's room. He headed there.

[Curt-Man]

"I-I think i am, b-because I shot two of them when they c-came through the windows." John looked at his hands "oh my god.......I-I'm a murderer!" John grabbed Ryan at the collar and yelled in his face "I'm a killer!"

[Writer]

Ryan slowly pried John's hands off his collar and put them down at his sides.

 

"Listen to me," he said quietly. "You shot two men in self-defense. You are not a murderer. If you hadn't shot them, you would be dead. Do you hear me? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

 

 

______________________________________

 

 

David approached Kelli's door and found Lizza standing with her back to the wall just across from her sister's room. She glanced at him as he came, but quickly turned her gaze back to the door.

[jokemaster]

"Listen Lizza.....I'm sorry for the way I talked to you. It's.........not a good topic for me to talk about."

[Writer]

"I noticed," Lizza muttered. She turned to face him. "Look, I couldn't have possibly known something like that would set you off... I just... well, it's my little sister... I-I wasn't thinking clearly... after what you've been through, I think you can understand that."

 

Kelli's door opened and Dr. Styles came out. "Lizza, she's waking up."

 

Lizza turned to David. "Excuse me..." she hurried into the room.

 

"Lizza..." Kelli muttered. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was ragged. Lizza was at her side in seconds.

 

"I'm here, Kelli," she whispered. Kelli's eyes opened and she groaned.

 

"I feel like a 400 pound person is sitting on me," she gasped.

 

"You'll be ok," Lizza promised. Kelli grimaced.

 

"Kevin's said that about fifty times," she muttered. "Does that mean I'm dying?"

 

"I think you'd know if you were dying," Lizza answered quickly. The doctor interrupted.

 

"I'm going to the hospital to get my hands on some medicine that will help you recover," he said. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

 

"Be careful, Kevin," Kelli croaked.

 

"Look who's talkin'," he grinned. "Don't move."

 

"I can't," she retorted. He nodded and hurried out.

[jokemaster]

David finished.

"I know, and I'd have reacted the same way if it was me. I just wanted to apologize.

I'll leave you two alone now."

David walked out and headed back to Danni.

[Writer]

"How'd it go?" Danni asked when David returned to her.

[jokemaster]

"Pretty good, Kelli woke up so I decided to leave them alone." He sat down.

"It does, however look like I'm going to have to owe you that dinner. Seems like going out would be a little risky for us right now."

[Writer]

"I agree," Danni said. "But we can wait... we have plenty of time."

 

Milo came downstairs at that moment and Lisa was with him.

 

"I hear your writer friend got shot," he said. "Lisa's getting impatient... how long do you think it'll be before he can finish our little play?"

 

"I have no idea," Danni answered. "He got shot in the arm... I suppose he could dictate to one of us."

 

"Whatever we do, I want this to end soon," Lisa said. "I'm just too jittery with having to sit around here and do nothing... but I know we can't move."