EXTREME
GHOSTBUSTERS
GARRET'S LAST DAY
Disclaimer - Ghostbusters & all related characters belong to
Columbia Pictures. Any other person or thing
belongs to me.
Extreme Ghostbusters
Garrett's Last Day
By Frederick Ortiz
"On Three!"
"Three!"
Four yellow streams of energy slammed into the creature,
causing it extreme pain.
"We almost got her!"
"Kylie! The Trap!"
"On it's way Roland!"
Kylie shut off her proton gun, and reached behind her to grab
the ghost trap. She threw it under the creature and opened it. A upside down
pyramid of energy came out, engulfing the creature.
"Something is wrong, that thing pulling away man!"
exclaimed Eduardo.
It was true the creature was trying to pull away. Kylie
rejoined the others by firing her proton gun.
"Any body got a plan?" asked Kylie.
"No... Hey what is that thing doing?!" asked
Roland.
The creature was glowing and howling.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good!" replied
Garrett, who was trying to hold on to the creature without being pulled out of
his wheelchair. The creature was glowing brighter now, blinding the
Ghostbusters.
"I think that thing is going to blow!" exclaimed
Eduardo.
"Let's get out of here!" yelled Kylie asked she
shut her proton gun a second time, turned and ran for the exit.
"Right behind you!" Roland followed, with Eduardo
close behind.
"Yo! Wait for me!" Garrett yelled at his fellow
Ghostbusters. He rolled his chair as fast as he could to catch up. Behind him
the creature's glow was a flaming bright white. It howled one last time before
it blew apart. The resulting shockwave was so immense that the whole cavern was
caving in.
Garrett turned his head when he heard the howl. His
expression is best summed up into two words.
"Oh shit..."
*****
Garrett let out a long scream, and sat up like a bolt of lighting.
"Gary! Gary! Snap out of it!" a voice said.
After a few minuets Garrett calmed downed. He looked around
to see he was home, in his room. He saw who was talking to him. It was his
cousin Amy.
"You okay, G?" she asked, deeply concerned about
her cousin.
"Yeah," Garrett lied, trying to
"Don't try that with me, mister. You had the nightmare
again. About you and those 'Ghostbusters' and that cavern."
"Yeah, but..."
"But what? You've been here for five months ever since
that happened. Your friends tried to call you, but you told me not to let them
near you. I think it's time you told me why."
Garrett looked at her, furious at the way she spoke to him. But he didn't
respond.
"Is it because they left you? You're the one who always
wanted to be treated like a normal person, do things on your own..."
"I don't have to hear this," Garrett said, cutting
her off.
"I think you do. Your friends made a choice on
experience. I bet every time you had to retreat, nothing happened. But when they
retreated..."
"I almost got killed," Garrett finished.
Amy looked out the window, then back at Garrett.
"Don't you think it's time to move on? Return to
the..."
"To the GHOSTBUSTERS? HA! Look, you just said to move
on, then return to the Ghostbusters. Why would I want to do that?"
"I don't know, for the rush maybe?"
Garrett didn't respond. She was right, he did everything for
that sense of excitement. He had to admit, being a Ghostbuster, being with
people that treated him like there was nothing wrong with him was a great
feeling. But for that ever to happen to him again...
"Look Garrett... you always knew that someday, you'll
really have to take care of yourself. There's no reason to blame yourself or
your friends for what happened."
"You're right, but I'm going to make sure that never
happens again."
With that, Garrett lifted himself into his wheelchair.
"I know what I got to do."
*****
At the firehouse, the Ghostbusters waited for Garrett to
arrive. He called an hour ago, saying he had something important to tell them.
Eduardo & Roland were in the lab, half-heartily checking over a few pieces
of equipment.
"It's been awhile since he was around," Roland said
to Eduardo.
"Yeah, and I don't blame him for the way he was after
that case up in Vermont," replied Eduardo.
"Being caught in that cave-in, injured badly. Even if he
wasn't claustrophobic, he would've been the same way," Roland said.
Just then Kylie called them over the intercom.
"Guys, he's here."
Roland & Eduardo stopped what they were doing, and ran
for the fire pole. They slid down, and saw Kylie looking at him. There was
Garrett, in his wheelchair. In his lap was a decent size box, on top an
envelope.
There was a long silence between the four.
"Hey guys," Garrett said, breaking the silence.
"How've ya been?" asked Kylie.
"We've tried to get in touch with you but your cousin
said you weren't available," said Roland.
"Fine, just needed some time to think that's all,"
Garrett responded. "Guys look, I've did some thinking and..."
"And what, you're coming back soon right?" asked
Eduardo hopefully.
"No, Eddie, I'm not."
"WHAT!" the other three said in unison.
"Listen, I didn't come to this easily, but I think it'll
be too much of a risk for me to go out on any more cases, that's all."
Kylie looked at Roland and Eduardo. They were speechless.
Kylie took it upon herself to speak for them all.
"Garrett, you're our friend. We've been through a lot,
and we all knew that we'll go our separate ways eventually. So I think I speak
for everyone when I say, we respect your choice."
"Not that we have to be happy about it," said
Eduardo.
"Garrett, you've been a big part in our lives, and we've
been a big part in yours. You know we'll miss you around here," Roland
said.
"Yeah, I know. Good thing Slimer isn’t around. No
telling how that spud would've reacted," Garrett said, trying to lighten
the mood.
"Ha… he may have given you one last sliming,"
Eduardo replied. The others laughed at the thought, before Garrett became
serious again.
"Well, this is all my jumpsuits, and my resignation
letter." Garrett handed the box & envelope to Kylie.
She took it and placed it on the desk.
"Looks like this is good-bye," Roland said, shaking
Garrett's hand.
"Take care of yourself," Eduardo said, giving
Garrett a high-five.
"Come back & visit us," Kylie said, and gave
Garrett a kiss on the cheek.
"Aw, come on guys, you're embarrassing me," Garrett
said, almost blushing. Garrett turned for the garage doors, and started to roll
away. He stopped when he got to the doors. He looked back. He saw Kylie and
Eduardo holding each other, and Roland holding back the tears. Garrett looked
forward, opened the door, rolled outside, and headed down the sidewalk.
"There's no going back now," Garrett said to
himself.
"No where else to go but straight ahead..."
The End
March 10, 2001
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Fred_Aaron_Ortiz@yahoo.com