Birth and Rebirth

Back at Ghostbusters Central . . .

“ ‘ . . . cuz one time I turned into a dog and they helped me. Thank you.’ And he just comes over and sits down. I swear the judge’s eyes were like saucers. So then Egon says, ‘Very good, Louis. Short, but . . . pointless.’ ”

As Ray finished, they all went up in another roar of laughter. Jake and Eddie sympathized. The law often worked against them too. Thank goodness their lawyer wasn’t a bumbling tax attorney.

“He’s such a schmuck!” Janine sat with her head nestled comfortably against Egon’s shoulder.

“Aww, come on Big Red. Admit it. Louis is the man of your dreams,” Peter teased.

Egon favored him with a warning glare that said it was time to leave Janine alone. Janine bit out a caustic retort. “I’ll have you know that Egon is the only man in my dreams! And even if Egon and I had never met, I wouldn’t date Louis Tully if he were the last dork on Earth!”

Peter held up his hands in mock defeat. ‘That’s not how I’m gonna tell it when I sell the movie sequel rights,’ he thought. Egon would kill him, but it’d be worth the slaughter just to see the look on Janine’s face at the premiere. He would have to make sure to bring a camera that took good pictures in low light. He got up and went to the kitchen to get another soda and to hide his devilish grin from Janine. ‘Won’t be any fun if she suspects something.’

He knew Janine was still very touchy about Louis, what with all the trouble he’d caused with Egon, but that wasn’t really Louis’s fault, it was Vinz Clortho and Zuul. Peter felt Louis was an okay guy, especially since he’d given Peter parental rights to Oscar. He shrugged and grabbed another Corom rom the fridge. Janine would get over it one day. Maybe his little prank would snap her out of it . . . or maybe she’d try to snap his neck. ‘Either way, it outta be interesting.’

When he returned, Ray was still relating their tale. Peter smiled at the mention of his own witticism. “So then Peter says, ‘And you wouldn’t want us exposing ourselves!’ and the judge was desperate so he couldn’t even hold him in contempt of court!” Ray finished between chuckles.

“Oh my stomach!” Jessica exclaimed while wiping tears of merriment from her eyes. “Please, no more!” She grabbed her sides and started laughing again then she stopped suddenly. Her face became pale and pain-stricken. She stared plaintively at her husband who sat across the room from her.

Jake’s eyes widened and he ran to her side in two strides. “What is it?”

“It hurts,” she whispered miserably.

“Eddie, we’re leaving. Janine can you call us a cab? We need to go to the nearest hospital.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, um I guess we’ll see you all later.” She rose to comply.

“No way, Jake.” Winston stood to join them. “You’re gonna get the royal treatment while you’re in our town.”

“Yeah!” Ray exclaimed. “We’ll take you in Ecto-1. We’ll use the sirens so we get there faster.”

“We don’t want to put you out,” Jake started to decline.

“JAKE!” Jessica gritted out through clenched teeth. “Take . . . the fucking . . . ride!”

He raised his eyebrows at her use of profanity in front of near strangers and possible interviewees, then turned to Winston and nodded before helping his wife out of her chair.

“Alright then, let’s go kiddies!” Peter said.

Six men ‘helped’ Jessica downstairs. After witnessing that sorry scene, Janine insisted on coming along. The answering machine could get the phone for a while.