2017, Back to the Odyssey. Chapter 4: Saving Steve

McKayla Cross

     I stood there, frozen with fear. Tears started to roll gently down my face as I shook up with fear.

Steve looked up at me.

     “M-McKayla… go get the others… t-they can h-help me…” Steve said as blood from his wound went down his arm.

I obeyed him. I ran down the hallway into the main room.

     “EVERYONE!!!! S-STEVE!!! H-HE…!!” I screamed as more tears streamed down my face.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and ran over to me.

     “What’s the matter dear?!” Marie asked as she knelt down to see my face.

I was literally sobbing at this point.

     “S-S-Steve… h-he’s h-hurt… w-we n-need t-to h-help h-him…” I managed to say before finally crying.

Everyone looked at the door leading to the hallway.

All of a sudden, an emotional Gates ran threw the crowd of people surrounding me, and ran into the hallway.

    “BILL WAIT!!” Everyone shouted at the same time, but Bill was already in the room where HAL’s “brain” was.

Bill looked frantically around for Steve.

     “Bill… what are you doing here?” HAL asked as his camera eye glared at Bill.

     “I AM HERE TO SAVE MY FRIEND, THAT’S WHAT!!!” Bill screamed at the glowing eye.

     “I am sorry, Bill, I am afraid you can’t do that. Your friend is going to die. He is heading to the incinerator right now. Say your last goodbyes, Gates.” HAL said as he turned on a camera facing the incinerator, with Steve slowly heading to its entrance.

     “NOO!” Bill screamed as he saw Steve in there.

Bill took off toward the incinerating room.

     “You better hurry, Gates. You have ten minutes until you friend is gone.” HAL warned Bill.

Bill entered the room, and raced down the aisles of trash and gunk to his friend.

     “B-Bill? W-What are y-you doing?” Steve asked faintly.

     “I AM SAVING YOU!! That’s what!!”

     “B-Bill… n-no… i-it’s too d-dangerous.” Steve explained.

     “I don’t CARE!! You are my best friend!! I already lost you once, I am NOT losing you again!!!” Bill yelled.

Bill started to lift his friend up, and began to carry him to the door.

     “So, what happened to you?!” Bill asked as he carried his friends to the main room.

     “A bright light struck my shoulder, and now there is a big gash there. It really hurts.” Steve explained.

Bill started to cry because he didn’t like to see Steve in pain…

     “Bill… I am going to be fine… we’ll patch me up, and I’ll go and shut HAL down.” Steve explained to calm Bill down.

This only angered Bill.

     “NO! IF YOU GO BACK THERE, YOU’LL GET HURT AGAIN!!!” Bill wailed as more tears came down his face.

Bill sat Steve down, and sat next him, and covered his face with his hands. Bill was crying really hard now. Steve looked at his long time friend with a concerned look.

     “Bill, is there something happening in your personal life? I have never seen you cry this much.” Steve asked his friend.

Bill looked up at Steve.

     “Melinda divorced me after you died, and she took the kids, too. You are really the only good thing that came out of this mess…” Bill explained after he calmed down.