Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Nine - The Consequences

"Help!" Andrew's voice started out as a strangled croak. He could feel himself starting to panic. His heart raced, drumming in his chest. "He-help!" he belted, more clearly. "Guys! Help!" He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to do CPR, or if Moe needed any, or what was even happening to him. His hand squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Moe..." Andrew couldn't feel more hopeless. "Hang on..." he whispered, not knowing what else to say.

Moe took a shuddering inhale of breath. And opened his eyes.

****

QBert's eyes flew open, and he shot up.

"QBert!?" Pacman jumped back.

Their weary friend immediately started scrambling to his feet. Then he yelped in pain.

"Easy! Easy, not so fast," said Jumpman, holding QBert back from standing up. QBert slumped in his grip, his breath ragged, and Jumpman lowered him.

QBert lay on his right side, and put the heel of his palm on his forehead. "I have to go," he murmured under his breath, looking woozy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?!" Pacman asked him, his eyes wide and brows arched.

"Slow down, hotshot. You're not doing anything in this state," Jumpman told him.

"H-hold up. QBert, we just got done following your trail from the house, and now you just want to run off again?" Pacman asked.

"Yeah."

"Why?!"

QBert started trying to sit up again. "I have to—ergh!" He slumped and his elbows landed hard on the ground.

"Stop trying to get up," Jumpman said sternly.

"Dammit," QBert hissed. He dipped his head, breathless. He pounded a fist on the ground, making leaves crunch. "I'm gonna kill him."

Pacman and Jumpman both blinked in surprise. "You're gonna what?" they exclaimed together, sharing a nervous glance.

QBert groaned, and thumped his head on his fists on the ground. "I swear, when I'm able to stand, I'm gonna go and shake some sense into the guy."

"Who?!" Pacman asked, his eyes getting bigger.

QBert coughed, and winced. "Coily, dammit."

"Oh, yeah," Jumpman said, understanding."Duh."

"What?"

"Pac, you just suggested a minute ago that it could've had something to do with him!"

"I mean, why?" Pacman said. "What happened? Does this have something to do with what he did last night?"

QBert didn't answer right away. He was trying to catch his breath, and strands of orange hair stuck to his forehead. The strands that weren't wet with sweat hung over his eyes. "...Yeah." He rolled over onto his back with a sigh. "It does," he breathed.

"This doesn't make any sense." Jumpman frowned, and straightened. "Why is this affecting you this badly?"

QBert laid the back of his head on the ground. "I dunno. I've never felt this bad before," he said, trying to catch his breath.

"And how is this still affecting you? It's already been at least twelve hours," Jumpman continued.

QBert swallowed. "Been asking myself the same thing," he croaked. He dropped an arm across his forehead, frustrated with so many unanswered questions.

"What could Coily have done?" Pacman asked them. "I mean, we don't even know what he—"

"I do."