Ivy and the Fluorescent Lightbulb

Chapter 29.2 - The Car in the Cave

Uncle Taner stared at the car, his expression unreadable.

"The plan isn't falling through, is it?" Kronalia muttered.

The door slid open.

In the opening stood Uncle Taner. He scanned the space, looking at each child.

"Hi," he flatly said.

Oak, who had found a seat in the farthest corner of the car, loudly grunted.

"Are we going now?" Syndria said, leaning forward in her seat. "Why are you just standing there?"

Uncle Taner hesitated. "Well," he started, glancing behind.

"You were able to shake Captain Lightwell, right?" Ivy said, following his gaze to the cave, shrouded in velvety darkness.

"In a way," he replied, stepping into the car. "Ivy," he said, hovering by the doors, "do you still have the bulb?"

"Right here." Ivy held up the metal-encased tube.

"Okay," Uncle Taner said. Leaning against the doorway, he opened a holopanel and began typing. That's all? Ivy thought. I thought he'd be happier than that to see the bulb...

"Um, not to be rude," Kronalia said, tapping an impatient foot. "But shouldn't we be running? What's with all of the hesitations?"

"Right," Augaley piped up. "Why did we have to run if we were just going to sit here anyway?"

Uncle Taner frowned. With a tap, the car hummed to life and raised from the cave floor. "That should do it," he quietly said, his eyes darting outside again. "Ivy, did you get hurt during that experiment?"

"Not really—" Ivy started to say.

"You hurt your shoulder!" Augaley exclaimed. "Look, Uncle Taner, her health bar is working again!"

"So it is," he said, barely glancing at the bar. Uncle Taner hopped out of the car, holding either side of the opening and peering inside. "Look Ivy," he said, "I should be able to buy us some more time to get you something before we leave."

"But I feel fine. Can't we just go?" Ivy protested.

"It's not like her bar is all yellow," Syndria agreed. "She doesn't even have a red! Besides, it was hard enough as it was to get out here."

"Don't worry, you'll be getting out of here soon enough," he said with a small sigh.

"Isn't it too risky to go back?" Carbon joined. "How did you get Captain Lightwell off our trail? He could be steps behind us right now."

Uncle Taner grunted. "He's not chasing us anymore, I can say reassure you of that." He looked at Ivy. "Ivy, can you join me? It'll help to have another pair of eyes."

"How about taking someone who's not injured?" Ivy warily said, narrowing her eyes. He ignored Carbon's questions. What did he do with Captain Lightwell?

He shook his head. "Nope," he said. "First," he held up a finger, "I'd rather have my reason-for-even-going-back to be with me. Which would be you. You're the reason. Second," he raised a second finger, "the way our treatments work, they're most effective when you use it quickly. So you need to get it as fast as possible."

"Well...can we at least take someone else with us?" Ivy said. "What if we run into trouble? It'd help to have someone who's not injured."

"The less people, the better," he said.

"Excuses," Oak muttered, sinking into his seat, a scowl on his face.

Uncle Taner's eyes darted to his nephew, shooting a sidelong glower before refocusing on Ivy. "If we're going back, we have to go now," he said. "We don't have unlimited time. Come on, before we lose our window of opportunity." He looked at the rest of the kids. "I'll be right back."

Ivy, Carbon, Augaley, Syndria, and Kronalia exchanged apprehensive glances. "Well," Syndria hesitantly said. "As long as we can get out of here, right?"

"And you're certain that I can't get treatment once we arrive wherever you were going next?" Ivy said, looking at the others for support.

"Trust me, it's best to get this done now," Uncle Taner said. Ivy pushed herself to her feet and crept to the door. Her grip tightened on the bulb as if it could quell the growing unease in her stomach.

"Can you jump out?" he said with a distracted glance over her shoulder.

Ivy stared at Uncle Taner, her eyes searching his facial expression for any possible explanation for his change of attitude. Did he do something to Captain Lightwell? What if I can't trust him? Her attention shifted to the kids in the car. Couldn't we close the door and drive off without Uncle Taner? I'm sure we could figure out how to operate it—we almost figured out how to operate that taxi last time, after all.

"Um—" she started to say.

"I'll take it as a 'no'," he said. In one smooth motion, he lifted Ivy and placed her on the cave ground. "Let's go."

Ivy gaped. I don't even know what just happened, she thought, desperately looking back at the others from inside.

"When should we expect you guys to come back?" Syndria said, jumping from her seat and coming to a stop in the doorway.

Uncle Taner bowed his head and pulled the doors shut, turning the dial and tugging at it. "That's safe enough," he muttered.

"Did you just lock the door?" Ivy exclaimed, spinning to face him. She gritted her teeth against the renewed throbbing in her shoulder. No more sudden movements, she thought.

The kids piled at the door's windows, banging at it. Their fists made dull pinging noises as they connected to the thick glass. The windows fogged with the children's breath as they shouted, their muffled yells leaking past the barrier and into the cave. Even Oak, who was still sulking in the back of the car, stared out of his nearby window in dismay, his mouth agape.

"Relax, you guys are acting like I'm imprisoning you!" Uncle Taner said with an irritated grunt. "You think I'd leave you out here like this? Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?"

Slowly, they backed away from the window. Kronalia made a 'v' with her fingers, pointing them to her eyes, then jabbing a finger at Uncle Taner in a threatening fashion. Her scowl matched the other kids' equally furious expressions.

"Tough crowd," he said, holding his hands up in casual surrender. "Okay, Ivy," he said, turning and walking. "Let's go."

Ivy stared at each of them — Syndria, Carbon, Augaley, Syndria, and even Oak — before trudging after Uncle Taner. I don't understand him a lot of times, Ivy thought, but he must have a method to this madness...right?