Dr. Martin exploded. He took his clipboard and threw it on a chair. “How dare you stand here and tell me that you didn’t harm Nan?” He pointed his finger angrily at Brody. “You crashed a car with her in it. And you!” He turned to Mina. “I don’t care what anyone else says, you are no longer allowed to see, speak, or talk to Nan. Do you hear me?”
Nurse Diedre walked in and looked at the commotion that her boss was causing. Dr. Martin motioned to the large nurse. “See that these two leave the building. They are never to enter this room.” He plopped himself down into a chair next to Nan’s bed and rested his face in his hands.
Brody and Mina were forced out, and their guard, the surly Nurse Diedre, took absolute pleasure in walking them out down the hallways and out the front doors. She spoke very little, but when they both stepped onto the sidewalk she spoke one sentence. “Stupid Gimp, always causing trouble.” She turned with a victorious smile and walked back into the hospital.
Mina gasped out loud, pulled the laser out of her pocket and flashed it across Nurse Diedre. At first nothing happened. Then her white uniform began to waver, and for a split second Mina could see something underneath the uniform-SCALES. Nurse Diedre was the Reaper.
“It’s her,” Mina cried out grabbing onto Brody’s shirt. “She’s the one that’s going to hurt Nan!”
Brody reached out and pulled Mina toward him in an embrace. “Not if we can help it.”
***
Three hours later a very large and expensive tour bus pulled up to the hospital parking lot. Mina and Brody jumped up from the curb and ran to greet the Dead Prince Society tour bus. The doors opened, and music blasted from the speakers. Naga, wearing skinny jeans and a black vest, strode down the steps and opened his arms wide, addressing his sparse audience.
“Did someone call for a tall glass of hotness?” Naga howled motioning to himself and jumped down to the sidewalk. He strutted around looking for fans, and his shoulders dropped when he didn’t see any. He reached up to tenderly touch his white striped mohawk.
“Relax, you look beautiful darlin’,” Constantine teased Naga as he swung out of the bus. “I’m sure you will knock the nurses dead.” Naga turned to take a swing at the long haired band member who ducked at the last minute. Magnus stepped out and immediately asked if the cafeteria was open, followed by Peter who looked half dead.
His hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed in days, and his clothes looked like he had slept in them. Brody walked over to him and asked if they could speak in private. Brody spoke quietly, and Peter nodded his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
Brody’s shoulders slumped, and Mina could only guess that he was admitting to Peter that he was the one driving the car that led to the accident. Peter’s body stiffened in anger, and he turned and punched Brody in the face. Brody wasn’t expecting it and was knocked to the pavement.
Peter stood above Brody, yelling down at him. “I blame you for this, and I will talk to you about this later. But right now I want to know how we can help Nan.” He turned to face a stunned Mina and his band mates.
“Are you up for making a little bit of noise?” Mina asked hopefully.
“At this time of night, we will probably draw in complaints and bring the cops.” Magnus had found a bag of chips and was crunching them loudly. A moment later a van pulled up behind the bus, and their stagehands got out to see what was going on.
Naga shrugged his shoulders. “I ain’t afraid of no coppers. It will get us on TV, no doubt.”
Constantine went to the storage compartments under the tour bus and unlocked the first unit, pulling out a large speaker and guitar. “Let’s do it,” he answered. Constantine handed one of the waiting stage crew a box of microphone cords. “I’m ready for an impromptu concert. What about you, Pete?”
Peter ignored Constantine and walked over to Mina. “Are you sure that this is going to help?” he asked, his eyes filled with hope and pain.
She shook her head. “Not really, but this is only the first part of my plan; the second will come later. Are you in? Right now, I need you to be as loud as you can. I need all of the attention on you guys, so I can sneak in. Will you do this for Nan?” Mina pleaded.
Magnus began to set up his drums; Naga was pulling out extension cords, and Constantine walked over with a large black guitar case. Peter unzipped the case and pulled out the very large red guitar he had used at his last concert. Chills raced up Mina’s arms as Peter pulled the strap over his head. He took a cord from a stagehand and plugged it into his guitar.
More stage crew appeared and began to set up the portable sound system and lights. Brody jumped right in and began to help organize the equipment.
Quickly the band began to tune their instruments. Cords and wires run from the busses to various transformer boxes in the bushes of the hospital. A few hospital security guards came to see what was going on, but so far none of them approached the band. Mina looked up and saw the curtain in Nan’s room move slightly. Someone was in there already. She hoped it wasn’t the Reaper.