The Waiting Room
~ Chapter One Hundred-Six
Questions and Walnuts
Jack’s head pounded. It was as if someone was beating his brains
with every beat of his heat.
“Bloody ‘ell,” he cursed.
He could tell he was flat out on the floor again. Someday, he
thought, someday I’ll find m’self in a nice warm bunk with a nice
warm body by m’side and this will all be but a memory.
But
for now…
“Ils sont Capitaine alle,” the French
assaulted his senses almost as much as the poke in his ribs.
“Ils
sont Capitaine alle,” the words came again.
Jack finally
opened his eyes to find L’inconnu hovering above.
“What
the bloody ‘ell are you saying? Ye know I don’t speak yer
gibberish.” Jack attempted to sit up. L’inconnu guided him to an
upright position.
“What our friend is trying to say to you,
pirate, is that they are gone.” Wilmot waved his cane about the
room, pointing it strategically to different areas. Jack narrowed his
eyes, trying to comprehend what Lord Rochester was telling him. He
then let his attention follow the direction of the cane as he managed
to get to his feet.
It was then he saw the table, by the
kitchen door. Upon it lay a large gun. Agent Sands' gun. Next to it
lay a pack of gum.
Jack’s shoulders drooped at the thought.
Sheldon Sands was gone.
He then watched as Wilmot swiveled
the cane to the desk. The computer screen was on, waiting for someone
to begin to type…but its owner was not there. Jack let his eyes go
to the bathroom door.
“Mr. Rainey is not in there. I
already checked.” Toby told him. Jack gave a deep sigh as he turned
back to the three men who were sitting having their morning cup of
tea. A fourth cup sat, untouched.
Barrie’s teacup.
“I
am afraid that Mr. Barrie has departed also,” Wilmot confirmed the
pirate’s suspicions. Jack turned quickly to look behind him.
Porthos the Bear was gone as well.
“Why?” Jack yelled,
waving his arms at the empty space where the bear had slept. “Why
does the bear get to go and not me? What have I done that keeps me
‘ere? What is going on in the man’s brain?” He raised his fists
towards the ceiling.
“I am afraid, Captain, it is a question
no one can answer.” Rochester assured Jack.
“No, that
can’t be true,” Jack disagreed and made his way to the computer.
With a cautious finger he tapped a key. Nothing happened. Another
key. Nothing.
Angered at the lack of response, Jack began
tapping all the keys trying to get the computer to do something,
anything.
“Why could Sam do this and not me?” He asked
another question, his fingers flying across the keyboard but not
typing anything that resembled a command.
He then shot a look
to Grosini.
“You worked on this before. Can’t you figure
this out? Can’t you find out why we can’t get out of here…or
something? This man is giving me no quarter and I want to know why!”
Toby glanced at Wilmot and L’inconnu. The Frenchman
shrugged indicating he did not understand a word Jack had said.
Wilmot tapped his cane upon the floor as he considered the pirate’s
question.
“I wish to know the answer myself, Captain
Sparrow. After all, it was I that was brought to this room, no less
an errand boy, delivering your monkey from that…what was her name?”
“Shelley. Her name was Shelley. And she says I need the
monkey to be able to leave the Room.” Jack recalled the
requirement. Jack glanced around the Room. The monkey was gone. Alice
the Fairy was gone. Spencer’s radio sat in dead silence.
Jack
wandered the Room wondering what had become of the others. He stopped
at the bedroom door, remembering the day that the young boy…Glen…yes,
Glen…was swallowed by the bed, never to return to repeat the scene.
“Twas the beginning of the end and we never saw it coming,”
Jack mumbled low.
A noise caught his attention. It was a
scratching noise. He looked over to the three men and could tell they
heard it too.
Wilmot raised his cane. “I believe it’s
coming from the door.”
Jack turned to face the door. Wilmot
was right. The scratching was at the door. Who would be scratching
and not knocking?
“Get your bloody arse in here,” Jack
demanded of the unexpected visitor.
The scratching continued.
Jack glanced over to the Frenchman, the Englishman and the
American business man.
All three nodded towards the door,
encouraging him to open it.
Jack stepped closer, his hand
lingering over the knob.
“Open it, man!” Wilmot demanded.
He grabbed the knob firmly and twisted, pulling the door
open. He half expected to see someone standing on the other side but
found himself staring into empty space.
“What the ‘ell?”
he questioned, confused. He felt something cross his boot and he
looked down. “What the…!” he cried out, kicking out at the
furry creature…then another…then another.
Soon more than
two dozen walnut-carrying squirrels came scampering in before Jack
slammed the door. All of them on a mission, running towards the
kitchen.
“Follow them!” Toby cried out, leaping from his
seat as the creatures hit the swinging door en masse, causing it to
swing open, leading them into the next room. Jack regained his senses
and rushed after Toby.
They both hit the kitchen door at the
same time and stumbled over each other into the kitchen, just as the
Hannah Banana cupboard was closing.
The two men ran to the
cupboard Toby reaching it first and swung open the cupboard door. But
it was bare save for the same staples from the day before.
There
wasn’t a squirrel in sight…or a walnut, for that matter.