News and Old Tales (Geronimo Stilton fanfiction)

10

The nurse's eyes widened slightly as she allowed herself to process this information. She had no doubt seen Thea on television many times, but only gotten to realizing that fact when the gray-furred mouse spelled it out for her.

After taking a moment to collect herself, the nurse gave a nervous nod, then turned to Sally. "Very well. But you," she addressed her, "need to leave immediately, Ma'am."

Sally harrumphed indignantly as she turned on her heel. "You're fired," she then gritted out, turning back to pierce Simon with her gaze, "F-I-R-E-D!"

The corridor was shrouded in silence for some moments after the echoes of her outburst had died down.

"I'm not fired. I quit," Simon then muttered under his breath.

"That took some guts," Thea acknowledged with a nod, but a moment later, she was back to her cautious self. "What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"Other than getting unemployed?" Simon shrugged, "Not much."

"Okay," Thea muttered under her breath, then started walking down the corridor at a brisk pace. "I'm going to go and look for my brother," she called out over her shoulder. "You coming with me, Squealer, or would like to stay here and ponder over the meaning of life, profession, career, morale, and work ethics for a while?"

***

In the end, Simon chose to follow along, though he was not quite able to determine why. He had no business visiting Stilton in a hospital. None at all.

As the two rodents entered the room where Geronimo had been placed, Simon stopped right at the door, leaning against the wall in the most casual manner that he could muster, while Thea walked up to her brother's bed. Simon noted that Stilton looked quite anxious, and he had a hunch that it had more to do with his sister's impending lecturing than with the circumstances that he found himself in.

"They have run some tests, and they are hoping to find out... something," Geronimo murmured once Thea had taken a seat at his bedside.

He spoke in such a low voice that Simon had to strain his ears to hear what he was saying. He didn't know if this was because Stilton was generally unwell, or due to his own presence, and hence, the fact that the other journalist was on his guard and did not wish for Simon to hear all about what was happening to him.

However, Thea did not launch into an exasperated lecture, as both Geronimo and Simon had expected. Instead, she nodded calmly and flashed her brother a reassuring smile.

"Alright," was all she said.

Then, she reached out and clasped Geronimo's paw in hers. They sat like that in complete silence for a while, and Simon could practically see a major part of the tension melting away from Geronimo.

"I'm sorry, Thea," Geronimo then spoke up in a quiet murmur once again. "I don't know when I'll be allowed to leave, but there's so much I have to do. The paper, Benjamin...," he rambled on.

"Oh, shush," Thea waved his concerns off, "I'll take care of everything. You just focus on resting".

However, Geronimo protested vehemently: "No, you shouldn't have to do that. I'm sorry."

Thea let out a mock-exasperated sigh upon hearing this. Then, her expression turned more serious, and she squeezed her brother's paw gently.

"Geronimo, there's no reason why I wouldn't help you in any way I can," she told him. "Do you remember back then?" she then asked.

She emphasized the last two words, and it was clear for Simon that she was referring to something that Geronimo would know without it being spelled out to him but something that he himself was not supposed to hear about.