Dukey ran out to the car, snapped back into reality by Clara shouting, demanding that he do so that very instant.<br/><br/>He was glad that he had left both front windows open, and jumped in without opening the door. Unfortunately, his foot caught on the edge as he did, and he landed in a heap halfway across the driver's and passenger's seats, the shifter catching him in just the<em>wrong</em>spot. He called out, in soprano, "I'll be right there!" as he reached gingerly in his pocket for the keys, and pulled them out, finding the ignition key and starting up the car.<br/><br/>He gunned the engine, and peeled out from where he had left the car parked, running through the puddle and splashing mud all over Piranha as she came out to graze. He winced, knowing that would only make her angrier. He pulled up to the door of the house, and, still in pain but with his normal voice back, called out, "I'm here! Let's get going!" He got out, loped to the door and escorted the two of them to the car, opening up the doors for both, and getting them settled as comfortably as possible. He rushed back to the driver's seat and got in, flooring the accelerator and leaving a cloud of dust behind as he headed for the hospital.<br/><br/>In between repeated apologies to Marcel and Clara, he turned on the radio, to be greeted by a soft voice singing<em>we always hurt the ones we love, the ones we shouldn't hurt at all...</em>He quickly changed the station, to a song by REM.<em>Everybody hurts...sometimes...Everybody cries...</em>He shook his head slowly, and turned down the volume to a barely audible level, thinking that even someone upstairs was playing a sick joke on him.<br/><br/>He zoomed past a police cruiser, and then heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights. "Shoot!" He pulled onto the side of the road and waited for the inevitable, as he retrieved his license, registration, and proof of insurance. As soon as the officer ambled up to the driver's side window, Dukey began to very quickly explain everything in one breath. "He's hurt she's pregnant it's all my fault we're on our way to the ER pleasepleaseplease don't give me a ticket please I know I was speeding but it's an emergency officer and I just need to get them both checked out at the hospital otherwise I wouldn't have been driving like that I won't do it again I swear!" He stopped as he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, and quietly handed his license to the man standing there. A few seconds later, a surprised-sounding voice questioned, "...Dukey?! Dukey Pookie! You old rascal..."<br/><br/>Dukey looked over and up to the face of his high school classmate, Brian "Hound Dog" Calhoun. His eyes couldn't have gotten any wider, as the policeman said calmly, "we'd better get y'all to that hospital, then. Follow me...and try to keep up, slowpoke!" Dukey couldn't believe his luck, as Hound Dog returned to his cruiser, pulled in front of them with all his lights and sirens on, and led them to the local emergency room.<br/><br/>"Hang on, we're almost there. How ya doin'?" Dukey asked no one in particular, and waited for the barrage of yelling and cursing from one or both of his companions.