Chapter 6

            Player stood over Blake, waving a hand in front of his face.  “Is he going to wake up soon Sarah?  I didn’t scare him did I?”

            Sarah walked over and took another look at Blake’s bandaged up arm.  “I hope not.  He wasn’t looking when I gave him a sedative.  Bill keeps them around the lab just in case.  I thought he’d probably be in a lot of pain from that and he needed some rest.  Don’t worry, he’s a police officer.  I don’t think you scared him James.”

            Sarah wondered where Bill was.  He went out on a date, and knowing him that shouldn’t take too long.  Maybe he actually found something nice for them to do.  Still, Player was stuck waiting here with Johnny and Babe went out to find the officer’s brother.  The lab was going to get pretty crowded.  “Johnny?  Can you keep an eye on our guest here?”

            “Sure, I guess.  As long as he doesn’t wake up.”

            While Sarah was busy trying to keep everything in Bill’s lab under control, Protector was heading out to find Drake.  He had to go and inform the new prime minister about his brother.  Someone has to come and pick him up from the lab eventually.  Otherwise the poor officer would probably freak out.  He’d only been to this home twice, once to check on Blake and once to assist in stopping Regulus.  It was nice to actually come here without a serious problem at hand.

            Protector knew Drake was inside as he landed at the front door.  His heavy metallic fist reached up and knocked on the door.  Knock… knock… kn… CRASH.  The door fell off its hinges.  “Damn.”

            Rynn was shocked, hearing a loud crash at the door she assumed the worst.  “Drake?  Drake what was that?”

            “I don’t know.  I’ll go see though.  Don’t worry, after all, who would want to attack the new prime minister in his own home?  It was probably just the wind.  Maybe I forgot to lock the door.”

            Drake walked toward the front door, and saw Protector rather hastily trying to put it back up.  He smiled and laughed a little.  “Heh, don’t worry about that thing.  It’s old, I’ve been thinking of getting a new door anyway.  But uh… next time… there is a door bell.  Just try to get it back in place and I’ll have someone come out tomorrow morning with a replacement.”

            He was surprised to see Protector at his door, and rather amazed he was strong enough to knock it down.  Protector somehow managed to put the door back on its hinges, although it didn’t look terribly sturdy.  “Your brother returned to work tonight.  His arm was hurt.  He’s over at Billy Brown’s lab resting.”

            “Bill’s lab?  Is that the one that looks sort of big and creepy from the outside?  Sort of in the same direction as the park?  What’s he doing there?”

            Protector gave up trying to fix the door and turned to look at Drake.  “I brought him there.  His arm had something on it, a brace.  It was heating up, sparking.  Bill can fix it.  When I left the lab he was sleeping.  You should go and get him.”
            “Rynn?  Can you watch the house please?  I’ll be back in a little while.  And when Crimson gets home let her in one of the other doors okay?” Drake sighed and looked at Protector.  “I don’t know where exactly that lab is.  If you just show me the way I’ll be fine.”

            Rynn watched as Drake followed Protector into the evening sky and sighed.  While he was gone she’d try to fix the door, or at least close it up tight.  Hopefully he wouldn’t be out all night.  She hated being stuck home alone really.  But, on the bright side, it let her play her favorite music at any volume she wanted.  “Drake has his new job and I’m still his bodyguard and his friend.  When he goes off like this though, it’s just so boring.  Crimson has her boyfriend, Blake has his job.  I need something to occupy myself.”

            As Rynn muttered to herself and turned up her music, Drake was being carried to Bill’s lab.  Even carrying someone Protector could fly a lot faster than a normal anthro.  “So… you know everyone in this lab?  Are you going to introduce me or am I just here to pick up my brother?”

            Protector set down in front of the lab with Drake.  This time he didn’t fly off and sneak into a window, he stood there with the new prime minister.  “You might see some odd things.  And you’ll meet a few different anthros.”

            “Protector, I’m prime minister.  I’m bound to see dozens, even hundreds of things in my term that could be considered odd or different.  Heck, I’m standing here talking to you in front of a lab I’ve never been to.  Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Protector wasn’t entirely certain about that.  Drake had never seen Johnny, he’d never seen even a fraction of the odd gadgets in Bill’s lab.  And he’d probably never seen Player acting like an animal.  Sarah was the only normal part of this whole lab.  And as he gently knocked on the door this time, Player opened the door.  “Please… please don’t let him say my real name.  Don’t let him call me Babe.” he thought.  Fortunately Drake got the first word in.

            “Wow.  It’s nice to see you in person for once.  I’m Drake, it’s a pleasure to meet you James.  Actually, a month ago you helped my best friend and my sister outside a grocery store.  Never got to thank you for that.”

            Player just sort of stared blankly at Drake for a moment.  “I did?  Oh, right.  Uh… you’re welcome.  You look a lot like the other guest Protector brought here.”

            Drake walked in and looked around the lab.  From what he could see, he was impressed.  So many gadgets and machines, so much stuff he’d probably never understand even if he had it explained to him a hundred times.  Zarek would be in geek heaven if he saw this place.  “Actually, he’s my older brother.  Didn’t know where he was and Protector brought me here.  So I guess when he wakes up I can get him back home.”

            Drake felt something land on his shoulder and glanced over.  Johnny finally decided he should introduce himself.  After all, the prime minister probably saw him once already in his office.  And he kind of admired the mirus who would be running the entire island for a while.  “He’s over there on the couch, still asleep.  Sarah gave him a sedative, he kinda has a nasty burn.  Uh… Sarah… how much did you give him?  Should he still be out like that?  Isn’t he supposed to wake up?”

            Drake walked over and checked on his older brother.  He really was more of a pharmacist but he could tell if someone had a serious problem or not.  “He’ll be fine.  This place is pretty cool.  Where’s Billy though?”

            About half a mile away roughly, and heading home.  While Drake was being greeted and introduced to everyone Anna and Bill were walking hand in hand.  It hadn’t been a bad evening.  They both made a new friend, they both had fun, and they still went to all the romantic places on the beach.  Of course they hadn’t been alone for most of it but now they were almost home.  “I guess you can be sort of romantic.  Hope we haven’t kept Player waiting too long.  He might have even left the lab a while ago.”

            “Lights are on.  Hope they all had dinner.  Or at least ordered a pizza or something.”

            Bill and Anna found more company in the lab than they had expected.  Player was there, and Johnny.  Babe was back relatively early, and Sarah was practically hanging on his arm and polishing him up.  Then there were two new faces, one sound asleep on the couch and the other… was that the new prime minister?  “Sarah, I’m surprised at you.  Having a party while we were gone.  So who are the new guys?” Anna said with a bit of a smile.

            Billy was more concerned about his lab though, and why these two strangers were here.  “Do I get to run a few extra tests tonight?  What’s special about these two?”