~~~~~~
A nurse knocked on the open door. “Constable, the little girl woke up. Director Norman told me to let you see her if she’s up to it. Do you want to speak with her?”
“Yes, we’ll be right with you,” said Wiggles. He turned to Adam and Jones, “No loitering allowed on this job, I need you two back on the street.” With a wave to his men, they took off after the nurse.
“Yes sir,” the officers said.
“We’re moving her out now. No visitors are allowed in the unit. We’ve got a recovery room near the unit where you can visit with her. I’m Katie the duty nurse. Feel free to ask me any questions.”
“Thank you, Katie,” Wiggles said.
Katie led the way, and the portly detective waddled out of the room with his consultants. Going through a wide door, they reached the recovery room. She waved a hand and invited them in.
“Nurse Fanny will be staying with you to watch over the girl. If you need me, my station is right through the double doors. If you need anything else, Fanny can probably help you.”
Wiggles thanked Katie, and popped into the room. “Hello,” he said to a comely mole maid puttering about the girl’s bed.
“Hi, I’m Fanny, and this is Daisy.”
They all gathered around the girl. Her eyes were closed, and she clutched a green teddy bear. She was a small mole child whose green complexion and dark green hair contrasted sharply against the white sheets.
“Is she sleeping?” whispered Wiggles.
In answer to his question, the nurse touched the girl, “Daisy, you have some visitors.”
Daisy opened her eyes and pulled her bear closer. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips quivered. “Hi,” said Daisy.
“Hello Daisy,” Wiggles patted his girth and his belly jiggled. “Are you feeling better?”
The girl nodded, and her eyes widened. Then she pulled on the nurse’s sleeve. Fanny leaned over Daisy, and the girl grabbed her and pulled her down. Fanny let Daisy whisper in her ear.
Fanny stifled a giggle, and looked up at Jack. “Sir,” said Fanny, “Daisy wants to know if you’re Cretaceous Clay.”
Jack’s spirits lifted, and he forgot the horrors he had witnessed. He put on his best theatrical face, and beamed at the child. “Yes, Daisy I am Cretaceous Clay. Can I show you some magic?”
Daisy visibly brightened, and she nodded.
He signaled the others to back away, and threw back his cloak with dramatic flair. He held out his arms and fluttered his fingers. “The key to magic is a positive attitude.” Summoning his magic, he started a routine for small children. From his sleeve, he pulled a bouquet, “Daisies for Daisy.”
Daisy smiled.
“Flowers need a vase,” and Jack created the illusion of a vase full of water on the stand next to her bed. He tossed the flowers through the air and they landed in the vase with a plop. For good measure, he added a few droplets of water to sell the illusion of the splash. She was delighted.
“Do you like bunnies?” The girl smiled and nodded. Jack cast a white bunny rabbit with a pink bow. Everyone oohed and ahhed. The bunny bounced, and Daisy reached out to pet the bunny. Her hand passed through the illusion.
“Bunnies can multiply. Can you?”
Daisy said, “Yes I know all my times tables.”
“That’s great sugar,” Jack smiled. “Can you do six times seven?” Five white bunnies joined the one on her bed, and seven black bunnies appeared on the dresser under the vid.
“Forty-two,” cried Daisy. With jabs of his fingers, Jack created forty-two black and white bunnies. He put bunnies in the sink, and on the chairs, and on the medicine counter, and one on the intravenous fluids pump. He parked a bunny on Gumshoe’s head.
Daisy laughed, “You look silly.”
“I always look silly, Daisy,” said Gumshoe.
“Would you like to see my whole show?” Jack asked.
“Yes, please.”
“As soon as you’re well, I’d like you and your friends to come to my show. All of you are invited.”
“What if my friends don’t wake up?”
“The doctors will figure out how to wake them up, Daisy,” said Jack. “Don’t you worry about it now, sugar plums.”
“Are you sure?” Daisy looked at him, and he hesitated.
“Yes,” said Jack, “They’re doing everything they can.”
Jack pulled the portly policeman closer to the bed. “This is Constable Wiggles. He’s a policeman and a friend of mine. He has to ask you a few questions. Can you help him, Daisy?”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
Wiggles assumed his best bedside manner. He beamed at the little girl.
“Hello Daisy, were you the one who called us?”
“Yes sir, I pressed the emergency button. Mr. George told me to, so I did.”
“You saved many lives, Daisy,” said Wiggles. “You’re our little heroine.” He squeezed the girl’s hand. “Daisy, can you tell us what happened?”
“Principal Chapel told us to go to the gym. She said Cretaceous Clay was doing a magic show.”
“Did you see Mr. Clay? Think hard.”
She shook her head again. “No sir, but a dwarf in a Halloween costume said Cretaceous Clay couldn’t be there, so he came instead.”
“What kind of Halloween costume honey?”
“It was a robe. It had silver drawings on it. He looked like a magician.”
“Was he carrying a staff?” Wiggles held out a hand. “A long pole about this high with a stone on top. It might look like a walking stick.”
“Yes, yes, he was.”
Sitting back, Wiggles turned to the others. “Sounds like your Black Dwarf, gentlemen. What do you think?”
“It’s the Black Dwarf all right,” said Gumshoe. “The fiend’s expanded his repertoire.”
Wiggles nodded. “Did you see the magician dwarf’s face, honey?”
“No, he had a hood.”
“What about the other two, can you describe them?”
“One was fat. I’ve never seen a fat dwarf before. The other one was skinny.” She pointed at Shotgun. “He looked like him. All dwarves look alike.”
“Out of the mouths of babes,” muttered Shotgun behind Jack’s back.
“They had Halloween make-up,” said Daisy.
“What kind of make-up?” Wiggles asked.
“Zombie make-up,” she said. “They had black eyes, and their faces were white like ghosts. Were they pretending to be dead?”
“I don’t know, honey,” Wiggles glanced at Jack.
“Drugs maybe,” Jack said. “It sounds like zombie possession, but I can’t be sure Constable. I’ve never tried anything like it. I’m not in the habit of mesmerizing people.”
A frown flittered across Wiggles’ lips, and he nodded. He sucked in a breath, and then smiled again. “Why didn’t you go into the gym, honey?”
The little girl’s eyes narrowed. “You promise not to tell?” she asked.
“Cross my heart, honey.” The constable crossed his heart with his pinky. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Promise you won’t tell.” Daisy looked around the room.
“Scout’s honor,” said Jack. They all crossed their hearts and promised.
“I was thirsty. When Miss Heartburn wasn’t looking I went into the locker room to use the water fountain. I took a drink. When I came out everyone was in the gym. I was late, so I hid in the corner.”
“Could you see from where you were hiding?”
“No, but I could hear. The magician dwarf told them all to look at something. Then a red light came out of the doors. There was a loud noise and a snap. Then, there was a flash. The magician dwarf started asking questions.”
Wiggles nodded, “That’s good, honey. What happened next?”
“He told his friends to use magic poison.”
“Did he say why?”
“No sir, I don’t think so
.”
“Okay, go on honey. Then, what happened?”
“They took the boys. The magician dwarf and the fat one got into a lift and left with the boys. I was so scared I didn’t know what to do. But I followed them.”
“What about the skinny dwarf?”
“I snuck past the doors,” said Daisy. “The skinny dwarf was looking the other way. He didn’t see me.”
“Did you see anything in the gym?” Wiggles asked.
“They were all staring.”
“Staring at what?”
“I don’t know,” Daisy shook her head. “I just wanted to get away. I took the lift downstairs. The skinny one almost saw me, but I hid. I learned that playing water guns.”
“Daisy, I need some more help,” said Wiggles, “Why didn’t George stop the dwarves, honey?”
“He didn’t see them. The skinny one walked right up to him. The dwarf made funny faces and he called him names. Mr. George couldn’t see him or hear him at all. It was like magic.”
All eyes shot to Jack, but the mage shrugged. “Selective invisibility? No way. I have no idea how to do that.”
“If George didn’t see him, how did George rescue everyone?” asked Wiggles.
Daisy rolled her eyes. “I told you silly. I made him do it. I ran down the hall. I made Mr. George go upstairs. He didn’t want to. He thought I was playing a trick on him, but I cried so he went upstairs. He picked up the poison cans, and he ran to the swimming pool. He threw me his caster in the hall and he yelled at me. ‘Call for help,’ he said. Then, he got sick.”
“Thanks Daisy.” Wiggles squeezed her hand, “Last question. Why were you in the girls’ locker room?”
“Mr. George ran into the boy’s locker room with the cans. I called for help.” She moaned. “I waited for Mr. George to come out. But he didn’t come out. I wondered what happened. I can’t go in the boy’s locker room, so I ran into the girl’s locker room.”
She made the sort of face one makes when your jaw tingles when you’re eating hard candy. “I opened the door to the swimming pool, and George was lying on the floor. There was an icky cloud over him. I was so scared I tried to run, but I felt sick, and I fell down.”
She stopped.
“Daisy, what’s the matter?” Wiggles’ brow furrowed. “What’s the matter then?”
“Is Mr. George well?” She choked up and began crying.
Taking her hand, the policeman bent over the child’s bed. If she was my daughter, what would I say?
“George is very sick,” he said. “Whatever happens, Daisy, remember you gave George the greatest gift a little girl can give to an old man. Do you know what that is?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sniffled. “What gift?”
“Thanks to you, George is a hero. If you hadn’t made him go up the lift, everyone would have died. He saved everyone’s life. He did what he had to do, and he did what he wanted to do. He was supposed to protect the school, but he was drinking coffee and eating donuts. If you hadn’t told him, he wouldn’t have known, and he wouldn’t have saved anyone. The Black Dwarf pulled the wool over his eyes. You gave George the chance to prove how important his job was. Now everyone in the Solar System will know George was tested, and he passed. Do you understand?”
Daisy looked bewildered and not at all sure. She searched Fanny’s face.
“Mr. George is our big hero,” said Fanny, “and you’re our little hero.” Fanny daubed Daisy’s eyes. “Blow your nose, Daisy.”
“So, Mr. George wanted to be a hero, and he got his wish?”
“Yes, honey, that’s right. Now, remember George wants you to live, and he wants you to be happy. He gave you a life, and it’s a gift, all right?”
More tears flowed, and the little green girl wept.
“Thank you, honey, you’re our little heroine. You did a great job. You helped George save the life of everyone in the gym. I’m going to make sure everyone knows it too.”
Daisy held up her arms, and the Constable gave her a hug.
“Fanny, thank you,” said Wiggles. “Please take good care of her.”
“I will sir,” she said, and tucked Daisy under the sheets.