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(An hour after Kermit had left)
The backstage area was abuzz with the normal noise and excitement that usually accompanied the closing of a show. Normally Kermit would have stayed to help with the cleanup and directed the putting away of the props, but an urgent talk show interview had left him to delegate that responsibility to some one else.
This was the last show of the month, save for the upcoming Christmas special that Kermit had gone to promote. There was a two week gap between tonight and the special, and in order to get as many people into the theater, he needed to promote the work. Therefore he had left specific instructions on what to do and when.
Beauregard had the normal responsibility of cleaning up the stage, and putting the props back away. He had a bit of trouble accomplishing this, as every time he picked up a prop and started to walk it off the stage he got interrupted by a muppet or two walking in his way. He ended up taking a lot of halting steps.
Rowlf had watched most of this as he pushed his piano off the stage and into the backstage area. He passed by Fozzie who was trying his hardest to follow the instructions on the clipboard that Kermit had left. Fozzie was pointing and telling different muppets where to put the props, and also was trying to dole out the weekly paychecks that Kermit had already signed.
The dog shook his head. Sooner or later it would calm down and they would all go home and relax. In the meantime he wandered over and picked up one end of a rather large prop of a mountain that Beauregard had been struggling with. They walked it over to the storage room and stored it neatly inside.
As he was leaving the room, Rowlf caught a partial conversation that Gonzo was having with Fozzie about decorating the theater. It was slated to be done tomorrow, but Gonzo wanted to get it started tonight. Fozzie had listened to the other muppet list out the reasons for starting early and had seen no reason why it couldn’t be done, so he agreed and waved Gonzo away as another muppet burst into the room looking for the weekly pay.
Gonzo had disappeared into the store room, and had reappeared ten minutes later with three large boxes that he had placed in the center of the stage. All three boxes were marked ‘Xmas’ on the side in bold black marker.
Miss Piggy had seen Gonzo leaving and had turned away from the lobby doors. She was still in a bit of a snit as Kermit had not allowed her to accompany him to the show. She wanted to be by his side, sharing his holiday cheer and enthusiasm and showing the world how happy they could be at Christmas. To have this denied to her made her really angry at him.
It was quite a bit of time before anyone had seen Gonzo again; in fact it was getting so late that Fozzie had begun thinking about sending out a search party for him. All the ruckus had finally ended hours ago and most of the muppets had left the theater, choosing to spend the rest of the day doing other things.
Gonzo finally returned four hours after he had left by bursting into the lobby with a loud “Ta-da!” and pointing towards the front doors.
The large doors opened to dislodge Sweetums who marched in, carrying a rather large Christmas tree. “Hey guys,” he greeted Fozzie and Rowlf as they opened the lobby doors to the main theater. “Where do you want the tree?” he said as he shook his large head and dislodging a considerable amount of snow onto the carpet.
The tree was one of the largest Rowlf had ever seen. It was as tall as Sweetums himself, and even closed up it was still quite wide.
Both Fozzie and Rowlf pointed towards the stage. “Um, over there will do fine,” Fozzie said and watched as the tree was carried past him. He could still smell the fresh cut pine scent. It reminded him of many Christmases at home with his mother.
Gonzo had trotted ahead and was already onstage, readying the tree stand. Sweetums carried the tree up on the stage and placed it gently inside. Gonzo secured it then took a step back as Sweetums opened up the branches with a downward sweeping motion of his large arms.
Robin wandered in from Kermit’s small office where he had been reading a comic book. His eyes widened as the small frog stared up and up and up. “Goodness,” he gasped. “Can I help decorate it?”
Rowlf had followed the tree inside to it’s resting place. “Certainly, Robin.” He said and dragged over a box of ornaments that Gonzo had unearthed. He had to literally tear his eyes away from the base of the tree to open the box. Natural though the urge was, he was not about to sniff and ‘water’ the tree. He did have some dignity after all.
“Oh boy!” Robin exclaimed in delight and hopped into the box with the enthusiasm that only comes with youth. His head popped out a minute later tangled in the Christmas tree lights.
Fozzie began laughing loudly at the sight, which brought the remaining muppets into the room to find out just what was so funny. Even Piggy had to let go of her anger at Kermit when she saw his nephew so filled with joy. It was hard to stay mad at the sight of the gaily decorated frog.
Within ten minutes, everyone was helping to decorate the tree. Even Stadtler and Waldorf helped from up in their box by critiquing the placement of the ornaments. It was something they all could do together, as the tree was plenty big enough.
It took two hours for the tree to be decorated fully. Once the star was placed on the top by Robin, all the muppets took a step back to admire their handiwork. The lights blinked merrily, while the colors reflected off the tinsel and the ornaments, sending rainbows of color back into the tree. It was a magnificent sight.
Fozzie was the only one to notice that someone was missing from the group. “Hey, Rowlf? Where is Gonzo?”
Rowlf turned his head from side to side but didn’t see the blue-nosed muppet anywhere. “I don’t know. He was here a minute ago.”
“There he is,” Robin announced and pointed towards the backstage area.
Gonzo had evidently thought the tree needed something else, as his hands were full of lit candles. Rowlf counted at least ten of the flickering lights.
“Hey guys, look what I found!” Gonzo shouted as he rushed towards the group.
Rowlf spied the danger and tried to shout a preliminary warning. “Look out!”
“Wha-?” Gonzo said as he tripped over the extension cord used to plug in the lights on the tree. His body lurched forwards and the candles flew out of his grasp. His hands automatically shot out in front of him to break his fall.
Everyone watched in horror as the candles landed. Some hit the tree and ignited the tinsel. Others landed at the base of the red velvet curtains that lined the stage and those too bust into flame.
“Aaaaaghhhh!!” Fozzie yelled as a flame shot out towards him. He had taken off his hat and was trying to use it to blow the flame out, fanning it furiously.
Rowlf had run to the back of the theater and grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher. He raced back to the stage and prepared to shoot the foam at the rapidly expanding blaze but when he pulled the pin and pressed the lever, nothing came out. He shook his head. “Oh no!”
Scooter was yelling at him. “Rowlf, that one is empty! It was used last week in the show as part of an act!” He was running past him trying to douse the flames with a bucket of water that usually held Beauregard’s mop.
It didn’t help. Now the fire was raging out of control, and no matter how hard they tried, it continued to grow. Piggy had started yelling and squealing in terror as the flames began to lick into the building itself.
“Everyone get out!” Rowlf yelled. He grabbed Robin in one arm and began to run for the nearest exit. He pushed past Sweetums, and grabbed Camilla from her perch on the edge of one of the seats where she had taken to when the tree was done.
No one needed to be told twice and suddenly there was a panicked stampede for the exit. Muppets were yelling and screaming, some in terror, some because it was just easier to yell than talk. The flames had now reached the ceiling and it began to creak and break apart.
Fozzie had been running with the rest of them when he chanced to look up at the box where Stadtler and Waldorf had been heckling them. The two old men were still in the box, trapped by the rapidly burning building, cutting off their only way out. He also saw that Piggy had tripped and fallen, she couldn’t get back up due to the amount of people running out the door.
He worried his hands together and then jumped into action. He pushed past the remaining muppets to grab her wrist and help her to her feet. He then half-carried and half-dragged her towards the exit. She was coughing so bad, that all she could do was hold on to his fur.
He got her out to safety and sat her on the snow-covered bench nearby where everyone else was gathered.
Without another word, he then raced back into the burning building to the astonishment of everyone else. Rowlf had been doing a head count when he saw the bear run past him. “Fozzie! NO!” He started to take off after his friend but the way back inside was now blocked by falling debris and thick chocking smoke.
Fozzie had to jump back a few times before he found his way back into the theater. He saw the two old men still up in the balcony leaning over the edge and calling out for help. Fozzie didn’t think about what needed to be done, he just did it. He dug his fingernails into the wallpaper and began to scale the wall of the theater, something he had never realized that he could do. He made it up to the box where Stadtler was choking and Waldorf was now climbing over the edge.
“Grab on to me!” He told them as he unwound his scarf and tore the white and pink polka dotted fabric into two pieces and handed one to each of them. They covered their faces and quickly clung to the bear they normally teased. Flames shooting at them spurned them to move even faster. Fozzie then climbed back over the balcony and made his way back down to safety. He was about two feet from the floor when a piece of the ceiling fell off and knocked him to the floor. A spark caught in his fur and set it on fire.
“AAAAAAAAAAAA!!” he yelled and tried to put it out. It was Waldorf who had the good sense to push the bear into the carpet and get him to roll around.
Fozzie was still yelling in agony as the flames continued to eat into the theater. Anything paper, cloth or wood was now smoking well. It took both men to finally get Fozzie up off the floor. “We need to get out!” Stadtler yelled.
Fozzie was now coughing and he was in too much pain to argue. Patches of his fur were now missing, Stadtler took one arm and Waldorf took the other one and dragged the bear up the aisle towards the exit.
They had to dodge burning debris and flames but they finally made it out. Rowlf had been anxiously pacing the front of the theater and had let out a cheer when he saw the three figures emerging from the entrance. He ran over and helped the men carry the smoking bear to a place where they could lay him down.
Fozzie was barely hanging on, and when he saw Rowlf’s face, he managed to ask, “Did everyone make it out?”
Rowlf nodded. “Everyone is out, thanks to you.”
Fozzie then passed out from the amount of smoke he had inhaled. Sirens could be heard in the distance as the fire trucks began to arrive on the scene.
Rowlf then looked back at the theater as he cradled his friend’s head in his lap. “Kermit’s not going to like this.”
Gonzo had been standing towards the back of the group. He hung his head sadly. The theater was destroyed and it was his fault. He didn’t deserve to be standing here, not after what he had done. He caught Rowlf’s eyes briefly and then turned and walked away.
Rowlf had seen the sadness in Gonzo’s face, but there wasn’t anything he could do. He had to take care of Fozzie. Gonzo’s guilt would have to wait. Even Piggy was concerned for the bear as she was now kneeling next to him, holding one burnt hand gently. “Hang on, Fozzie,” she said softly.
The fire trucks showed up at last as well as the paramedics. Fozzie was loaded onto a stretcher and into an ambulance. The firemen worked to put the blaze out and soon the fire was extinguished. The muppets all watched this with a quiet sadness.
Once the ambulance left, they all gathered together and made their way to the hospital. Those who had already gone back to the boarding house were notified about what had happened and where Fozzie had been taken.
It was going to be a long wait. Piggy was the one who finally decided that she was going to call Kermit. It was a decision that needed to be made, as they needed their unofficial leader with them at this time. With a shaking hand, and tears barely held back, she picked up the hospital phone and placed the call.
*****
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