The girl on the phone suddenly stopped crying, though intermittent sobs could still be heard.
Steve Burton's heart softened a bit, his voice becoming somewhat gentler: "Who's been bullying you?"
"Nobody bullied me..." Ruby Gregory replied haltingly, every so often interrupted by a sob, "Steve, I'm bleeding, I'm losing a lot of blood..."
There was a sign on the wall of the laboratory forbidding running or making noise; when Steve heard those words, his feet instantly propelled him towards the stairs and he began to run.
He raced out of the lab building, heading straight for the school gate.
During school hours at high school, the main gate only allows students in but not out, unless they have access passes from teachers.
When Steve got to the gate, he hesitated slightly then sidestepped to the railing nearby, took a few steps back, sprinted, and vaulted over the fence.
