Inside a room full of medical cots and dividers, Michelle sat on a cot with her legs out and her right sneaker with the shoelaces undone, sock, and elastic bandage off as a red Boogie Bot moved her foot a bit while Bobby BearHug stood behind them.
The red Boogie Bot hummed and rolled away from Michelle's foot a bit. "It seems like the elastic bandage and the time you were carried helped reduce some of the swelling," he said. "Unfortunately, we haven't found any ice in this place."
The red Boogie Bot turned to Bobby BearHug. "Bobby, could you find a crutch for me?" he asked.
Bobby BearHug nodded. "Yes, Medic," she said before walking toward the back.
Medic turned his head to Michelle. "The best medical advice I can give you is to stay off that ankle for a day or two and keep it wrapped around the elastic bandage," he said.
Michelle sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, that's just great..." she said, lowly.
Bobby BearHug approached the duo with an old crutch in her hands, which made them look at her. "Here you are, sir," she said.
Medic nodded. "Place the crutch beside..." he said before looking at Michelle. "What was your name again?"
Michelle smiled a bit. "Michelle Mercia, but you can call me Misha," she said.
Medic nodded before looking at Bobby BearHug. "Place the crutch beside Misha," he said. "Afterward, you can rewrap the bandage around her foot."
Bobby BearHug nodded as she laid the crutch against the cot Michelle was on before grabbing the elastic bandage.
Michelle looked at Medic as Bobby BearHug started wrapping the elastic bandage around her foot. "You're very knowledgeable about all this medical stuff; are you, by chance, an adult turned into a toy?" she asked.
Medic remained silent before looking down. "I was... I used to be a 27-year-old man who gave medical exams to the children in 1990," he said.
Medic looked at his robotic claws. "When I found out that the company was turning the children into toys, they turned me into one for knowing too much... they told my family I passed away from a freak accident..." he continued.
Michelle frowned. "That's awful..." she said, lowly.
Medic nodded as he looked at the smaller toys lying on the medical cots. "Now, I do everything I can for them..." he said.
Bobby BearHug laid the tail of the elastic bandage against itself before patting it a bit. "There we go," she said before looking at Michelle. "How does it feel?"
Michelle moved her right foot a bit before giving Bobby BearHug a thumbs-up. "All good," she said.
Medic nodded as he raised his left arm. "Hold the crutch under your left arm; that should distribute the weight when you walk," he said.
Michelle nodded as she put her sock on before putting her sneaker back on. After Michelle tied her shoelaces, she let her feet hang over the cot and grabbed the crutch before holding it under her left arm.
Michelle slowly stood up before turning to the duo with the crutch's help. "Thank you for your hard work, Medic," she said.
Medic bowed his head a bit. "My pleasure..." he said.
Michelle turned her head to the back and saw Kissy Missy sitting on a cot, rubbing her left arm, which worried her. "Kissy..." she said, lowly, before crutching toward her.
Bobby BearHug picked Medic up before following Michelle; Kissy Missy heard steps, which made her look at them. "Hey... you doing alright?" Michelle asked.
Kissy Missy stared at Michelle before looking down with tears pricking her eyes, whining and trembling, which broke her heart.
Michelle crutched toward Kissy Missy until she was close to her; she gently placed her hand against her cheek, which made her look at her. "It'll be alright... Medic and Bobby are gonna patch you up, and you'll be good as new," she said.
Kissy Missy stared at Michelle before placing her left hand on top of her head and petting it. "Good girl..." she said, lowly.
Michelle froze when she remembered standing in the garage with a large man with brown, balding hair grinning at her before quickly crutching away, which surprised the trio, and shuddering. "N-No, I'm... a-anything but that..." she said, lowly.
The trio stared at Michelle, concerned; she noticed their expressions before quickly shaking her head. "A-Anyway... I wanted to ask you something, if that's alright," she continued.
Kissy Missy nodded, which made Michelle smile a bit before she slowly stepped forward with the crutch and looked at her. "Huggy and Mommy... are they...?" she asked.
Kissy Missy looked at Michelle. "Huggy and Mommy OK," she said.
Michelle sighed in relief before looking at Kissy Missy. "Do you know where they are?" she asked.
Kissy Missy looked down and shook her head. "After Poppy found Kissy, Huggy, and Mommy... Huggy told Kissy and Poppy to split..." she said. "Huggy said he and Mommy distract..."
Soon after, Kissy Missy started trembling before wrapping her arms around herself. Michelle placed her hand against Kissy Missy's cheek before gently petting it. "Hey, it's OK... we'll find them; I'm sure of it," she said, lowly.
Kissy Missy stared at Michelle before nodding. "Kissy hope so too..." she said, lowly.
"Michelle," a female voice said, which surprised a few of them.
Most of the group turned their heads to the back and saw Poppy approaching them; Michelle turned to her with the crutch's help. "Hey, Poppy, what's up?" she asked.
Poppy looked at Michelle. "I was hoping I could discuss something with you..." she said.
When Poppy glanced at Bobby BearHug and Medic, she saw their stern looks before looking at Michelle. "In private, if possible..." she continued.
Michelle hummed. "Well, with a sprained ankle, I've got time..." she said before looking at Bobby BearHug and Medic. "I shouldn't keep the doctors' time away; they still have to patch up Kissy."
Bobby BearHug turned to Michelle. "I'll leave you two to your work," she continued before crutching toward Poppy. "Lead the way."
Poppy nodded as she turned away and walked forward, which made Michelle crutch behind her. Medic looked at Bobby BearHug. "What does she have planned?" he asked.
Bobby BearHug sternly looked at Poppy until the duo left the room. "My guess... something not good," she said before turning to Kissy Missy. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Kissy."
Kissy Missy waved her left hand, which made Bobby BearHug look at her with happy eyes before holding Medic out near her right arm while he examined the scratch marks.
In the main area, Michelle sat in one of the makeshift tents and laid the crutch in her lap before looking at Poppy. "What is it you want to talk about?" she asked.
Poppy took a deep breath and exhaled before looking at Michelle. "If I'm honest... I didn't know this area had gotten this bad..." she said before looking down with a slight frown. "I... I need to make this right..."
Soon after, Poppy looked at Michelle. "Remember what I said back at the lift?" she asked.
Michelle crossed her arms. "How could I not forget it?" she asked rhetorically. "CatNap told me that the Prototype was keeping the orphans in the Labs."
Poppy nodded. "That's right... the orphans weren't killed; they were taken," she said. "Inside the Prototype's home... they're alive but sleeping; they're with HIM. And HE knows we're HERE."
Michelle looked at Poppy. "I assume you have a plan for this?" she asked.
Poppy nodded. "If we're going to free them AND stop the Prototype, we need to plan for both at the same time," she said.
Poppy turned away and paced on her right side a bit. "The Red Smoke you redirected from Playcare, it's an accelerant," she continued. "All it needs is high pressure and a little spark, and it ignites."
Soon after, Poppy paced on the left side. "The plan is this: We'll fill the foundation with the smoke, and line it with old mining charges," she said. "Then, once you free the orphans, our friends here will blow this place sky high; THAT'S our revenge."
When Poppy turned to Michelle, she saw her exasperated expression. "That's your plan?!" she shouted before scoffing. "That has to be the worst plan I've ever heard!"
Michelle held her hand out to the area. "How the hell are you and the others supposed to escape before the explosion goes off?" she asked.
Poppy remained silent before looking down. "We don't..." she said, lowly.
Michelle stared at Poppy with widened eyes. "What?" she asked.
Poppy looked at her hands. "For all of Playtime to disappear... we need to disappear as well..." she said.
Michelle gritted her teeth and grabbed her crutch before placing the tip of it on the ground and quickly getting up with it, which made Poppy look at her. "I ain't listening to this bullshit!" she shouted before crutching away at a slightly fast pace.
Poppy followed Michelle. "You've seen the horrors of this place; you know the only way for it to be gone is if we're gone," she said.
Michelle stopped and glared at Poppy, which shocked her. "Do you honestly think killing yourself and the other toys is the only way to fix this?" she asked.
Poppy was determined and nodded. "I do; are you going to help me or not?" she asked.
Michelle stared at Poppy with her right eye twitching in anger, before looking away. "Leave me be..." she said, lowly.
Poppy stared at Michelle before nodding. "Very well... I'll come back to you for your answer later," she said.
Michelle remained silent as Poppy turned away before remembering something and turning her head to her. "Oh, before I forget... Doey wanted to talk to you; I'm gonna check on Kissy," she continued before walking away.
Michelle sighed and placed her hand over her eyes. There has to be a better plan than that one... she thought.
After Michelle moved her hand down her face, she turned her head to the right and saw Doey near a large door. "Well, it's better late than never," she said before crutching toward him.
As Doey looked around, he spotted Michelle crutching toward him, which made him smile and take his hat off. "Hiya, pal!" he shouted before placing it back on his head, giggling.
Michelle giggled a bit as Doey looked at her. "Got something I wanna talk to you about," he said before gesturing to the large door. "In here..."
After the large door opened, Doey entered the small room, which made Michelle crutch behind him.