Help Needed

Chapter Six: Search and Repair

Gregory sank down to the floor of the charging station, Bonnie hugged tight to his chest. The impermeable wall he'd built and had been keeping together all night with glue and sand finally broke and as much as he tried, he couldn't slow down the sobs that raked his pitiful little body. He scrubbed the back of his hand against his face, and he tried to take deep breaths. But he couldn't stop his stupid hiccupping and gasping, and he still tasted the salty tang of tears that spilled over his dirty cheeks.

"Everything will be okay. Parts and Service is right through there. That's where we want to go, anyway, right?"

Gregory sniffled. That jester thing hurt him! What if he's hurt worse?

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a big bot that can take a bit of a fall. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear you're okay."

It's my fault he's there.

"No. Moon was going to attack you, and Monty wouldn't allow it. You couldn't help that. You hid, and that was the right thing to do. When you're ready, we'll go looking for Monty and see if we can help him. It's not your fault, Carrotpop."

Gregory sniffed, rubbed his shirt over his face, and nodded. Yeah, they needed to help Monty. He took another few steadying breaths, got to his aching feet, and left the charging station. He checked out the double red doors. The number "4" was printed at the top corner.

"Monty? Are you there?" Gregory asked. He walked around to one of the giant windows flanking the doors. After another short room and set of doors and windows, he could see further into the room. A giant cylinder, most of its walls made of glass, with a computer terminal dominated the front and center. There was a shape of a person before it. The lower half of the figure was dark, but the upper half sort of blended into the neutral surroundings.

Officer Vanessa.

No other human–save for Vanny–occupied the building right now. That had to be her.

He pushed through the first set and then stuck by the window next to the other doors. He hissed, "Monty, are you in here?"

The time was three-fifteen am.

Whoa, that was a very fast fifteen minutes. ...why was he even surprised, anymore?

Officer Vanessa stood in front of the now open cylinder. Monty lay in the chair. Gregory muttered, "I've got to get him out of there."

"...I kept him in Lost and Found." Officer Vanessa's voice barely reached Gregory through the glass windows and metal doors.

Monty grunted, "Uh, good news? So, is he with his parents or what now?" Gregory smiled a little at that. So, he was alive, and they fixed him!

The security guard sighed tersely, "No, he's still out there and we can't. Turns out, there's no record of him here."

"No record? How'd he get in here? Every kid has a record!"

Officer Vanessa went on as if he hadn't spoken, her voice as dry as ever. "His name is Gregory. You know how I know that? You called him that before grabbing him and trying to chuck both of you off the third-story balcony."

"I wasn't gonna do that!" Monty snarled. "I didn't wanna fall! You pushed me!"

"I pushed an aggressive animatronic who disobeyed staff orders and drew blood from a child. You watch your tone, or you're scrap, you understand?"

...

Vanessa sighed. "Right. Well, you've been acting weirder than usual tonight. Hang out here for a bit. I gotta find that kid." With that, she walked away from the cylinder and to one of the stairs that wrapped around the side of the cylinder. The cylinder door closed once she backed out of it. Light glared over the stairs and walls as she moved and swept the flashlight over her surroundings.