by P. S. Power
Struggling, Brian tried to get back up, ready to fight, but couldn't make himself move at all beyond shivering. As he rested he felt the tingling come, and shifted back to where he started. Other than it being inside the base, he couldn't remember where that was. The carpet was a strange color. Beige, not blue like his floor and the walls an ugly light blue. Still, it was warm, hot almost, lying his face on the carpet he slept, hoping he'd be safe. It wasn't like he had a choice, was it?
When he woke up he was in a tub - a large stainless steel one - filled with hot water. It felt like it burned his flesh, but he recognized the doctors around him, Burrows and Doctor Curmudgeon, the one that thought he was a druggie. They wouldn't do anything that injured him without a good reason, so he stopped himself from fighting and held still, waiting for an explanation. It came from Burrows, which made sense, since she was the one that knew him best in the room.
"Brian, you're back at the base now, everything is all right. You're hypothermic, but you know that, I bet. We're soaking you to heat you back up. I know the water feels hot, but it's really only tepid, about normal body temperature. On the good side, for once, you're not dehydrated at all." She laughed and held a hand to his forehead, more to comfort him than for medical reasons, since a thermometer would work better to determine how hot he was. If the shivering was any indication he wasn't very warm at all yet.
Burrows touched his arm, just above the water. "We want to get this off of you, this leotard thing you're wearing, but we can't cut it and there's no fasteners anywhere. Is there some secret to it?"
The other doctor looked like he didn't approve of the woman's bedside manner or something, casting suspicious looks at them for some unknown reason. Brian didn't want to be uncharitable to the guy, because he'd never actually been mean to him personally, but it was kind of hard to like the sour looking man for some reason.
Trying to work his mouth Brian managed to make a sound, then after a few more tries managed actual words that made sense. He wondered how much of his own talking had come out sounding like incoherent moaning when he'd been in the lake? All of it, most likely, showing just how far gone he'd really been. Hopefully it had weirded out those creatures as much as theirs had him.
Well, everyone that had heard him was dead now, except one. Brian knew he needed to get a report in on that last monster. It could be important. Even one of those things running around could do a lot of damage and it had seemed like the smart one, or the boss even.
"Neck hole stretches. Move slow..." He had to repeat this over and over again, until the doctors got it right, but then it was the work of minutes for the pretty Japanese woman and her glasses-wearing, angry-seeming cohort to strip him bare, leaving him in the tub the whole time. He tried to help as he could, but his limbs didn't really want to move still.
He got them to understand that the flex armor was worth millions after a few tries and Burrows hung it over an I.V. pole to dry, leaving it in view. The other doctor complained that this was a medical facility, not a Laundromat, but Burrows just laughed at him.
"No one hangs things to dry at a Laundromat, Clinton. Your rich kid background is showing. Besides, if Brian says it's worth millions and we should take care of it, then we do. He won't lie to you, or if he ever does, it'll be to save someone's life. It's just who he is. So... lighten the fuck up, all right? In case you haven't noticed all our contracts say we can't be sued or even fired for doing our job and that job is to help keep the personnel here happy and healthy. If that means doing their laundry, then we turn up our sleeves and get washing, got it?" The small woman, dark hair shining and blue scrubs looking a little damp in places stared at the older doctor and then winked at Brian in the tub.
They turned up the temperature of the tub slowly, the water recycling and warming with each pass, just a tiny bit, and left him there. Hours passed and he nearly fell asleep several times. Burrows hooked a padded support to the edge of the tub and put it around his neck so he wouldn't drown if they had to leave the room for a few minutes. She jokingly told him that the tub was only set on defrost, not crock-pot mode. The other doctor turned red and looked like he wanted to yell at her.
Brian laughed.
"After all the soaking I've done, I doubt it would take long to cook me now. Hey... I need to report what happened and... I shouldn't sleep until I do, is it possible to get one of those shots?" Burrows smiled and went to get the chemical or hormone, whatever it was. Clinton crossed his arms and actually tapped his foot.
When she came back and started to give Brian the shot, Clinton grabbed her hand to stop her.
"Doctor Burrows, your unprofessional behavior may be accepted here, but giving a patient in this state non-therapeutic drugs is... criminal! I can't let you jeopardize a patient like this..." The angry look on his face made it seem like he wanted to fight or something. Brian reached out slowly, not having any greater speed right now and took a hold on the man's wrist, turning it outwards, until he let go of Burrows arm. The older man looked surprised, but not hurt at all.
"Doc... Clinton is it? I know that I need sleep, trust me I know... But if I don't report what I know soon, other people could be in danger or even die. I can fight through this without the hormone shot thing, maybe, but a report like this could take a long time. Besides, I've kind of noticed that if I don't sleep after really bad things happen for a while, they don't affect me as much later. So... please? I really don't need flashbacks of this too."
He sank back into the tub and soaked then, not having a clue what the other man would do or not. Burrows didn't wait, giving him the shot immediately. She turned on Clinton then and shook the syringe at him, looking like she wanted to stab him with it. She spat something in Japanese, sounding more angry than Brian had ever heard her and then got right in the older man's face.
"Listen, Clinton, we run a loose ship here in a lot of ways, we even put up with occasional assaults from our patients, smile while we're called names and look the other way if they need drugs that aren't strictly medical in nature. What we don't put up with is putting hands on each other without a darn good reason. If you ever - ever - touch me again, you better make damn sure you stop me and be ready to explain to the director why you did it, understand? You trying to stop me, that's a pain in my ass, but I can live with it. You failing to keep me stopped is a problem. As your department head you can consider this a verbal reprimand. I'm not making an official note of it, but if it happens again your ass is toast!"
The other doctor stiffened and looked pissed, but didn't leave, Brian noted. He stayed with his patient, even after being dressed down. That took some guts. He wasn't sure that he'd have managed it.
Brian looked up at Doctor Burrows, and smiled at her.
"Doc, thanks... Could we talk alone for a minute please?" He asked this softly, trying to calm things down if he could.
They both nodded, Doctor Clinton taking a deep breath, a hint of shuddering in it and left, his walk purposeful. When he left Brian turned all his attention to the woman and looked straight into her eyes, a pretty shade of brown that looked almost black, making her look very interested in what he was saying all the time, he realized.
"First, I need the director here and whoever gets the really bad reports. I don't think this is small, I hope I fixed it, but..." Head shaking he continued. "Second, I need to get in touch with my team, Christian and Mark in particular, personal stuff. Third... and don't hit me or anything, but when you took Doc Clinton there to task," his right hand coming free from the water with a small splash and held up to stop her from speaking, "Which he deserved - you did it in front of someone else - which he didn't. He fucked up, but let the guy save some face, right? I know... who the hell am I to tell you how to do your job? But, still, if you get a chance, please consider what I'm saying?"
She shook her head at him and looked a little angry, but softened after a few seconds and told him she'd think about it. Patting his arm gently, she walked out and a few minutes later Clinton cam
e in to check on him. The man apologized for his outburst earlier and seemed to mean it. Brian shrugged.
"That you objected with my best interest at heart wasn't lost on me. Thanks for that. This is just one of those times, maybe at least, where my health and safety can't come first. Not my favorite part of the job either, but it happens." Brian tried to smile for the man, his face still not wanting to move. Not numb any more, but stiff and awkward feeling.
They didn't talk then, until the director came, with two people he didn't know, a man and a woman, Marcia, all the team leaders and Mark. He looked at Mark first and lifted a finger to point at him, since he had the most important job as far as Brian was concerned.
"Mark... I need a special birthday cake for Bridget, I promised her a party when I got some time off and it's going to happen, will you help me with that part? I'm thinking of doing it tomorrow, afternoon if possible, is that enough time?" Brian held his breath, because while he could make a simple cake, decorating it would be harder, he kind of lacked skills in that area. Mark just chuckled and asked what kind he wanted. Brian shrugged.
"I don't know. Ask Lauren, I think. She should know, or at least know who to ask..." Mark nodded and left. Not going out the door, just vanishing as far as anyone there could tell.
Brian filled everyone else in as best he could, describing events all the way through as they'd happened at the time and answering questions to the best of his ability. He left in the parts about Dharma, leaving it to Christian to explain to everyone else, since it sounded a little less insane that way.
Christian stepped forward and took his hand where it rested in the now warm water.
"Brian... Becky... never got in touch with me... I don't even think that would even be possible if you weren't within my normal range. We did try looking for you, but when we found where we suspected you were, it ended up being in Canada and they wouldn't let us come search for you ourselves. They claimed they sent out helicopters, but no one told us about the one that went down... Morons."
The woman he didn't know stepped up and Chris step aside so she could talk to Brian directly. Becky stepped in behind the woman and started trying to make him laugh, pointing out how the woman kept looking into the clear water, checking Brian out. He kept his face straight and listened to what she said instead, but Christian started laughing, covering her mouth and after a few seconds leaving the room.
The woman may have had a wondering gaze, but it didn't affect her thinking at all.
"This seems to be a specific infector. We've seen things like this before, an Infected that passes a specific trait to people they come in contact with. Normally this kind of thing's small, people get a tiny change to their system, generally not even large enough for more than a casual doctors visit. God knows how many times this has happened that we don't know anything about, the changes just being too small to worry over even if they happen to you personally. A couple of times the changes have been more obvious. The worst so far caused those affected to burst into flames and turn to ash some forty hours after close contact with the infector." Her gaze came off the water and what lay within and sought Brian's eyes.
"If what Mr. Yi here says is accurate and no report from him has been less than verifiable so far, I think we may be looking at the most dangerous specific infector case in history. That event took place in a small, isolated community. The population of that area is only about one hundred and eighty. If this were to move to a populated area, the death toll could be thousands, possibly millions if those infected can also pass this on. Even if sixty-three is the highest number possible at one time and we have no reason to think it is, can you imagine what that many class four or fives could do in an urban center?" Her voice became slightly breathless, probably from fear, but with Becky pointing out how she stared at his junk it managed to sound like the idea turned the woman on more than just a bit.
Christian came back in and nodded at Brian, as if agreeing with his take on what the woman was feeling. Creepy, but it probably made her good at her job. He wondered if she was infected, with lust linked to her abilities in some strange way? It might explain why she kept hovering closer to the tub, trying to get a good look. Brian felt tempted to say something about shrinkage and soaking in cold water for most of a week, but let it go. Armageddon and bad jokes may go hand in hand, but only after the big meeting about it. Otherwise it would just be tacky.
They helped get him warmed up by grilling him for about an hour, everyone taking turns asking questions, the most hostile coming from Charles, the team two leader. He didn't say anything overt, but he seemed offended by everything Brian had done. First he didn't figure out that the creatures were vulnerable to drowning fast enough, then he killed sixty-two innocent people and clearly exaggerated the strength and abilities they possessed. By the time he'd finished everyone in the room stared at the man, half expecting him to strike physically.
Brian did at least, but couldn't figure out why exactly.
Trying to sit up he found his head locked in place, so he carefully took off the padded device that kept his head out of the water and stood. Warm enough to stand probably meant he'd be all right if he had to fight.
But not in the water. He'd seen this guy in action, shooting lighting in some fashion. Brian only remembered the effects, not the method the man used, but figured that sitting in a conductive medium wouldn't help him at all. He stepped out, causing the people in the room to step back, except for Charles who bristled and puffed his chest and Marcia, who handed him a towel sedately.
Even with the tension level in the room suddenly spiking the slightly heavy set woman he didn't know started at him openly, as if memorizing his body for later. Brian dried carefully, paying special attention to his feet. Charles had stopped talking at least, giving him a chance to test his reactions and get a feel for what he had left if things got violent. Not much, he realized. His body felt weak, exhausted and shaky. He hadn't eaten in nearly a week and fought dozens of times. True, they weren't real fights, more like fatal rough-housing with people way stronger than he was, but the events had knocked him into some bruises that he could feel now that the numbness had gone away.
He didn't have any clothing here, except the armor, which he carefully put on, still lightly damp, knowing that it was so skin tight it didn't really count as clothing. Better than nothing, people would at least know that he'd tried to cover himself. Then, dressed as well as possible for the moment he turned to Charles and looked him in the eye.
"Charles... I'm pretty sure you've been around me long enough to know I won't bother making things like that up. I could be wrong, yeah, anyone could be in a case like this, but I'm not going to report something like this and not give everything I think is fact as well as I can. So... what's really up? You're clearly pissed at me about something... Let me know what it is so I at least have a clue why you're kicking my ass if it comes to it..."
Charles jaw worked and he bulled his way forward, hands clenched in fists by his side, jaw working making his reddish mustache twitch a little. He was bigger than Brian, most of it bulky padding. Brian knew better than to think something like that meant fat in an Infected. It could be a different form of muscle, armor that rested beneath the skin or whatever it was that gave him electrical abilities. It could even be all three at once. That would be rare, even around here, but he couldn't count it out. Whatever he was thinking, the man really seemed to want a weapon in his hand, at least he reached over to where a police officer would have his side arm and found he didn't have it twice before keeping his hand in a fist.
"Fine! You sure you want to do this in front of all these people?"
Brian shrugged. If the guy was going to kill him, or try to beat him up, the medical center seemed like a fine place for it. "Sure..."
"All right. I've gotten word that someone's been fucking Bridget Chambers. She's underage. Now you're planning some party for her, making a point of it before reporting something this big? That sounds like more than pass
ing acquaintanceship to me. So, are you fucking her? Think you're above the law just because you're everyone's favorite little superhero flavor of the week? Get away with escaping from the police and now you don't answer to anyone?"
Brian felt shocked, then nearly laughed in the man's face. He held up a finger and ducked his head, trying not to insult the guy, who was only trying to protect Bridget after all. That was a good thing, and part of the guy's job.
"First, no. Not sleeping with Bridget. Um, Christian? You're a telepath, so you'd know if I was lying right?" They all looked over at the blond who nodded her head.
"He hasn't been. Never even had an improper thought about the girl, which is a little amazing considering some of the things she's done trying to get his attention. He views the girl as a friend and someone to protect. As to the party, that's innocent enough. He promised it to her. Now he's trying to make sure he keeps his word and that she doesn't get lost in all this... It's linked to his first mode, sacrificing his own comfort for hers..." Hands waving she indicated everyone in the room, meaning the whole situation. Brian took it that way at least.
Brian turned back to Charles and waited for the man to look at him, clearly a bit embarrassed now that his accusation had been proved wrong so easily. Handy having a telepath around.
"As to the other things... I didn't escape from the police, I escaped from people trying to kill me without a trial or hearing, for having had the audacity to shoot a terrorist attacking a government facility with a rocket launcher. But even if they were the police, given what I've been through so far, I'd try to escape even if I knew I was guilty of something. I definitely won't let them take me for any reason and doubt I'd survive if I did."
