Rainbow Road [Super Mario Bros.]

30

They used a special dock reserved for police and other law enforcement to enter the hospital, though to Luigi it felt like a thousand-mile-high diving board: the metal platform jutted out over a cloudy abyss colored red and orange and pink by city lights, and rattled ominously in a high wind generated by Orbit City's imitation weather. Luckily, it was two quick steps from there into the airlock and then into the hospital hallways, which was a huge relief for Luigi: despite all he'd been through today, his acrophobia was still walking and talking, and he doubted he would've been able to take three.

The inside of the hospital was just like the inside of any hospital, with the exceptions of hi-tech robo-nurses delivering trays of pills and panoramic windows of the outside cosmos doubling as directory screens. Dash led him to a check-in desk, and from there, a robo-nurse ferried them down two floors and a little to the left, to the recovery suite where Mario was staying. The older bro was sitting up and drinking coffee when Luigi came in, and reading an edition of Melee Monthly. He quickly put both down when he spotted his younger brother. "Luigi!"

Luigi hurried in — Dash waited outside, milling just outside the doorway. Luigi flung his arms around his brother...and then gasped and drew back. "Your arm," he cried. "I'm sorry, I—"

"It's all right." Mario quickly rolled up his sleeve and revealed a small sling around his arm. "They set it back into place, and gave me some medicine for the pain, so it doesn't hurt anymore." He scrutinized Luigi. "What about you? I only just woke up thirty minutes ago, but I've heard what happened with Nabbit... And it sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel. Is it true?"

"Yes." Luigi settled himself on the side of Mario's bed and took some time to explain all that had happened between now and Mario passing out after saving Luigi from that nasty fall. Mario took it all in with wide, incredulous eyes and, indeed, it all did sound pretty crazy — Luigi wouldn't have believed it happened had he not gone through it himself.

"Where is Nabbit now?" Mario asked.

"Pooooooooolice custoooooooooody," Dash intoned before Luigi replied. "Toooooooooook him doooooooooooown tooooooooooo the loooooooooocal prencint foooooooooooor proooooooooooocessing. He'll be in looooooooooooockup ooooooooooooovernight, and ooooooooooooooooooon a bird back tooooooooooo Earth first thing tomooooooooooooooroooooooooow."

"Not back to the Sarasaland Penitentiary, I hope," Mario joked.

"Nooooooooooot if Queen Daisy has anything toooooooooooo say abooooooooooout it," Dash chuckled.

"Daisy!" Mario said. "That's right! We've got to get going to see her soon." He started swinging his legs over the side of the bed, but Luigi stopped him.

"What are you doing?" the younger bro demanded. "You shouldn't be moving right now!"

"I'll be fine," Mario assured him. "Didn't I just say they fixed me all up? Now come, let's check out and head down -- we're already late to the celebration."

For a moment, Luigi had no earthly idea of what he was talking about. Then it started to come back slowly: "Celebration... You mean the one at the Cosmic Sunrise Hotel?"

"Of course!" Mario said. "You must've forgotten while you were putting cuffs on Nabbit, so I'll remind you: you finished the Rainbow Walk, bro, and you apprehended an escaped criminal. If that isn't worth celebrating, I don't know what is!"