Part 49
"What?" KelNino asked. "No, it's not." Back to silverchair stuff
"Yes! It is! Can't you tell?!" Daniel burst into tears. He pressed his sweaty, trembling hands against the TV screen.
"Well, why didn't you recognize her when we were filming?" James asked.
"He was in the bathroom...with Robin," dreamer answered for Daniel.
"I can't believe my Sweep left me for that-that pop monster!" Daniel sobbed. He ran from the room, Robin trailing behind him in an attempt to comfort Daniel.
"Aw, poor guy," Ada sympathized.
"He had it coming," Junta mumbled. "Dogs just aren't faithful. Hey, maybe it would make Daniel feel better if we went and killed Ricky!"
"No, then our documentary wouldn't be a hit," Kelnino said.
"Yeah, no one wants to hear bad things about a dead guy," dreamer added.
Junta thought for a moment and said "Okay, then why don't we just help Daniel win back Sweep?" just as Robin brought a slightly calmer Daniel back into the room.
"Good thinking," dreamed mused. "Sweep gets rescued, Daniel gets his best friend back, and Ricky still gets trashed on TV, but with no moral support. And the rest of us get to add one more misadventure to our as-yet-unwritten biography!"
"What do ya say, mate?" Ben carefully asked his distraught friend.
More tears fell from Daniel's eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was choked with emotion and sounded very strange - even for him. "Let's do it!"
"But we can't find Sweep if we don't know where Ricky is," Ash pointed out.
"True," Kelnino replied. "And we can't use Sweep to sniff him out...Robin? Would you come here, please?"
Robin stupidly walked over to her. It took all the effort she, Ben, Chris, and Junta could muster to get him into Sweep's doggie harness and leash. Kearbear held Ricky's sweaty handkerchief up to his nose. "Go find him, boy!"
"Do I bloody *have* to?" he wailed.
"YES!" the other pioneers yelled.
With that, Robin took off like a bat out of hell...and ended up at a trash pile. "What the hell are we doing here?" Flash asked. They all knew the answer when Robin pulled out a limp banana from the dump. However, KelNino gave Robin's leash a sharp tug.
"Bloody Hell!" he yelped. "What'd you do that for?!"
"We have to find Sweep!" dreamer said.
"Well, I don't want to!" Robin crossed his arms.
"B-But, Robin!" Daniel choked. "Don't you care about me?"
"You're always with the bloody dog! You never have time for me-yeowch!"
KelNino gave him a sharp tug and he yelped again. "Shut up and go find that damn dog!" she ordered.
"Y-yes, I suppose I shall after all..."
"NOW!" KelNino barked. Robin tok off like a shot again and followed Sweep's scent to a hospital.
"Er...Robin. What the hell are we doing *here*?? How many times am I going to have to ask?" KelNino asked, very irritated.
"Well, you told me to follow Sweep's scent, and I came here. Why else? Do you see a banana?" Robin answered.
"Oh...er...fine then. Where to now?" KelNino asked after that, feeling guilty about accusing Robin.
"How in bloody hell should I know?" he replied. "This damn hospital smell is too strong."
"Um..." KearBear spoke up. "Why don't we try the plastic surgery section?"
"KearBear, this is no time to get your nose fixed. Okay?" KelNino sighed.
"Hey! What's wrong with my nose?" KearBear yelled. "Anyways, that's not what I was talking about. If any of you *really* watched the tape, you'd know that Ricky had surgery a lot...his face wasn't like that to begin with, but what I'm wondering is why'd he want it like *that*?"
"Ooooh! Good thinking, KearBear!" KelNino said as she patted her on the back.
"Thanks!" KearBear said, finally feeling appreciated.
"So where do we go now?" Flash asked.
"Er..." a stranger beside them mumbled. They all turned to look at him. He was wearing soiled overalls and a stained button-up shirt. "Er...My wife done just get up and (looking at his younger brother) R-U-N-N-O-F-T."
"R-U-N...what?" Robin bumbled.
"R-U-N-N-O-F-T," the man repeated.
"R-U-N...I don't get it..." Robin pondered the meaning of the man's words.
"His wife left him, you dumbass!" Kearbear snorted in exasperation.
"Hey, she done left me, alright..." the man mumbled. He wiped the sweat off his brow with his handkerchief.
"Yeah, sorry buddy...yo guys, we gotta get going.." dreamer nudged at KelNino, who returned the nudge with a sharp shove.
"Is there anything we can do, mister?" KelNino leaned over. "Hey, haven't I seen you before?"
"I don't believe so..." the man said.
"Yes, I have! Dear Christ, what's happened to you? You used to be so...well, not like this..." she looked up and down the redneck.
"What're you talking about, KelNino?" Sky asked.
"This fellow here used to be one of my skater homeboys...Taylor..." KelNino answered.
"You've got to be kidding, these kind of people are your friends?" Junta said incredulously.
"No! Oh gosh no! I don't think Robin led us to Sweep at all. I think he's led us to a victim of country music..." KelNino said.
"Really?" Kearbear asked. "You're sure this was a friend of yours? I can't believe country could do this to a man..."
"Sure can...sometimes country is more powerful than pop because of its irresistable upbeat twang."
"Hey, what're you talkin' bout?" the man asked.
"Don't worry, Taylor!" Kelnino pinned him against the wall. "We're going to save you from your country-inflicted misery by giving you a dose of some pretty strong medicine!" KelNino paused as to give the illusion of suspense "SHOCK TREATMENT! Mwa ha ha!"
The rest of the group stared at Kelnino, worried about her sanity. "Um, KelNino, you okay there?" Ada asked as she took some slow steps forward and put a hand on KelNino's shoulder. KelNino turned her neck like lightning and Ada lept out a yelp.
"What happened?" KearBear asked.
"SHE BIT ME!!!" Ada screamed in pain.
"Er...guys. Wanna help me?" Flash asked as he came out. "First, we should get this guy to safety, you know, out of KelNino's hands but also away from -- what do you call it? I don't know...that crap that you said made him this way. Then, we have to go get KelNino some help. Here, KearBear, call this number. It's an exorcist. I think there's an evil being inside of KelNino brought on by that...er...stuff."
The other pioneers helped as KearBear left to find a pay phone (before realizing she had her cellie with her). Saurus and Redwing helped KelNino into a hospital rooms (one without windows) and stood guard outside to make sure something crazy didn't happen. Shayde, dreamer, and Sky took the country freak into another room where they and the other pioneers brainstormed on how to help him.
"What about that small creature, the glowing bunny?" dreamer asked, remembering how they saved Saurus from pop.
"No no no," Flash said shaking his head, "That only works for pop...we'll have to think of something else."
"I know!!!" Robin chirped, having trouble making sound come through the muzzle they put on him shortly after arriving at the hospital, "We can eat her!"
"No, Robin. We can't eat her." dreamer rolled her eyes.
"But I'm bloody hungry! Hey, who's that?" Robin pointed down the hall. A petite, blonde female was walking toward them, wearing a trench coat.
"Hiho! You must be the exorcist!" Ada called. "You think you can help our good friend, KelNino?"
"I'll see what I can do," the lady mumbled. "And you can call me Jill."
"Jill, what the hell? That's not an exorcist's name!" Junta said.
"Shut up, Junta. You know her as "emotionalhell", dumbass. Hey Jillie, how have you been?" dreamer walked up and gave Jill a hug.
"Not too good, after Heath dumped me..." Jill wiped a tear from her eye.
"Aw, I'm sorry, Jill..." Daniel gave her a hug. "Heath is such a little wanker..."
"Shut up!" Heath snapped, giving his older brother a kick in the shin.
"Damnit! You little bastard! Owwwww!" Daniel sat down and cried, holding his shin and rocking back and forth. Heath stormed off, leaving Jill very confused.
"What's Heath doing here?" she asked, and then looking over at Daniel's twin, Nathaniel, said, "And who's he? He looks like Daniel..."
"Oh, that's his evil twin, who isn't really evil anymore. And Heath is here because we ran into him back at Ana's house and he-"
"Shut up, Kearbear," dreamer interrupted. "Jill, this is important. Can you fix KelNino?"
"Yeah, sure, I don't really want to. She's such a brat and all-"
"Shut up! She's my twin!" Kearbear cried, tackling Jill.
"Come on, guys! We have to save KelNino, even if she is a bastard!" dreamer picked up Jill and shoved her into KelNino's cell.