Howie obediently followed A.J. away from Brian and Kevin. He hadn't mastered the use of his hands yet, so he wasn't much help at feeling for the door, but he remembered Mindi's words and knew he'd be useful once the door was found.
"What's it feel like, Bone?" he inquired as they walked.
"It's hard and fuzzy - like an overripe peach," A.J. decided. "Wonder why?"
"If this was a sci-fi movie, the answer would be something we're better off not knowing."
"Good point." He stopped abruptly, "Hey can you see B-rok?"
Howie glanced to his right, restraining the urge to look too hard. "Nope."
"Me neither. Hope they hit a corner or we're gonna be stuck here for a while." A.J. groped around the corner until his fingers came into contact with the next wall. "Here goes nothing."
"Damn it's a small room," Kevin commented. "I think we're already where the window was on the first wall."
"Prison's never big Kev," was the less than comforting reply.
"Can you feel him?"
"Sort of. Not if I think about it hard. But it's easier when I'm touching him like this."
"Touching him?"
"He built this, remember? It's all part of him. If I just stand here, really still, with my hands on the wall..." Brian closed his eyes, "I can hear him crying."
Kevin followed suit, listening hard. "I can't hear anything."
"Not with your ears, cuz. With your heart. Listen inside yourself."
He stood silent for a long moment, trying to open himself up to whatever Brian could sense. Deep down inside, he felt a loneliness, an empty hopelessness. "Don't give up on us, Nicky" he whispered fiercely. "We're coming for you."
The stone seemed to smooth out under his fingers. Brian gasped. Kevin opened his eyes, and saw the door.
A.J. froze, unable to go further.
"Did they stop?" Howie asked, suddenly excited, "Did they find it?"
"They sure as hell stopped," A.J. threw himself against the invisible barrier. "'Cause I can't go another step. Brian!" His yell was swallowed up by the omnipresent mist. "Great. What are we supposed to do, go back until we find 'em?"
"Maybe not." Whether because of the new obstacle or the length of time they'd been in contact with Brian, Howie was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. "We're all in Nick's brain now, right?"
"Think so."
"We could ask him."
"That makes no sense... and a hell of a lot of sense." A.J. pondered the idea. "Hey Nick, let us get to Brian and Kev so we can save your ass!"
"Alexander," Howie reprimanded. "That's not what I meant."
"Yeah, but it made me feel better," he grinned. "You try. You're the peacekeeping, diplomatic type."
"Um..." Howie thought long and hard. "Nick? It's me, Howie. We're trying to help you here, but we're a little stuck. What can we do to keep helping you? We can't find Brian, can you show us how to help?"
"You're talking to him like he's ten again," A.J. warned.
"He looked twenty-one to you?"
"Well no, but..."
"C'mon Kaos. This is a maze - you know I suck at this kind of game." He looked at A.J., "Better?"
"Obviously." A.J. stared at the door materialising in front of them. "It was probably the mention of video games that did it. Uh... how do you feel, D?"
"Ow," was all that Howie could manage.
"Thought so. You're all here now," he reached out and poked his friend. "Yup, solid."
Howie looked around him, realising the TV screen effect had disappeared. He ran a hand over the wood of the door.
"Is that for both of us?"
"I really don't know."
Without really thinking about it, A.J. sent, Nick? Can I come in?
Aje? The shock and delight in Nick's voice was a little overwhelming. You're here? It's *you*?
'Course it's me. Think you're up to letting me in?
"You are in."