Too Far

Part 5: Things are Gonna Get Better

Mr. Snake rushed through the halls of the hospital. Bright lights blinded him yet he pushed on. He entered Wolf's room and Diane turned to him.
"Snake, you're here!" The Eastern brown snake went up to Wolf's bedside, his tongue flicking in and out.

Snake gasped and backed up. "I thought he would be ok!"
Mr. Shark entered the room. "It seemed that way..."
Diane spoke. "But the hospital needs more money to make medicine."

Snake glanced at Diane. "What?"
"The hospital doesn't have enough money to make the proper medicine for everyone... Including Wolf..."
"We have to do something!" Snake hissed. "We can't let him die!"

He turned away as his fear spiked. There's got to be something I can do!
Snake thought for a minute and an idea hit him like a rock to the head. "Wait. I got it! I know how we can help Wolf."
"How?" Diane asked, her eyes filled with worry and hope.

"Remember the gala we went to? What if we hold something like that again?"
Piranha stood in a corner of the room. "How? Everyone knows we tried to steal the golden dolphin and the meteorite, and Marmalade set us up." Snake gulped. How could they get anyone to donate money to the hospital if they think they're going to steal it?

"I have an old guitar. Maybe we can sing something! And if people like it they might donate money!" Snake's tongue flicked in and out.
Diane's eyes widened. "That may work."
Piranha smiled. "Let's do it!"

. . .

Snake stood on a stage, the crew next to him. He saw rolling green hills around him, a gentle breeze blowing. He stared at his shadow for a moment and took a breath. Snake took his guitar in his coils and strummed it.

Growing up parents got me a guitar
Said you can do anything kid you can go far
You can be the president, fireman, race cars
The sky's the limit kid so shoot for the stars

So I strummed that guitar every day
Found a passion for music never went away
I joined a couple bands and played a few shows
Tried to impress the girl in the front row
But soon enough everything starts to change
As you grow up nobody treats you the same
They try take your future and make it real safe
You could be a doctor, accountant or something sane
But yo
Whatever happened to the sky was the limit?
I fell in love with music never thought it was a gimmick
I worked so hard on every tune and every single lyric
My whole identity dependent on being artistic
Now you want to strip that away?
So you feel ok?
'Cause if I make it to the top what does that really say?
That you shouldn't have given up, that you made the mistake
But if I fail you feel much better 'bout picking your lane right

News reporter Tiffany Fluffit and Diane arrived at the scene and started recording.
"This is Tiffany Fluffit live! And I can't believe what I'm seeing. The Bad Guys playing a song for charity!" Soon people started to get word of Snake's singing and showed up to donate.

Yea things are gonna get better real soon
Yea I'ma just do me you just do you
I swear it's gonna get better real soon
Don't let anyone tell you what you should do

I got a clear view
We're gonna make it soon
Just keep pushing through
Yea what you got to lose?
Yea what you got to lose?
Yea what you got to lose?
Just keep pushing through
'Cause what you got to lose?

I won't give up
I won't back down
'Til I'm lying 6 feet underneath the deep ground
I won't give up
I won't back down
'Cause nobody's stopping me except for me now

I won't give up
I won't back down
'Til I'm lying 6 feet underneath the deep ground
I won't give up
I won't back down
'Cause nobody's stopping me except for me now

Snake finished the song and gasped for air, feeling adrenaline rush through him. People cheered for him and the crew, and he saw some people putting those familiar green papers in the donate box. The crew sighed.