Hey everyone! It's SO good to be writing again :D This summer/autumn has been... busy? Awful? Distracting? Yes, sort of, and yes! But I'm finally back! Sort of anyway... My well-awaited updates will have to wait until after my move (yep, I'm moving again) next weekend. Though I bring you this instead! Hopefully you'll like it, and not hate me too much for leaving you hanging on everything else for this long!

ENJOY! :D

Part One:

The first thing Chase became aware of was the sounds, or more accurately, the lack of them. The room was completely quiet. It wasn't the eerily kind of silence. Just empty, still. Though he only had the fraction of a moment to realize this before the second thing hit him.

The pain.

It was everywhere. His body felt heavy and almost numb. He wished it had been, but instead a fine aching covered every inch of him. His head felt as if someone had dropped a house on it, and his throat as if actual fire had been pulled from it.

All things considered, it was probably not so shocking his first reaction was to groan in discomfort, the action causing the burn in his throat to worsen.

"Chase?" a voice said from somewhere to his right and he felt a squeeze from the hand he hadn't realized had been holding his. Another hand brushed over his cheek and up through his hair as the first one started rubbing gently across his hand. "Chase...?"

He groaned again, his eyelids fluttering, as he pushed more towards full consciousness. He would regret it, most likely, when the blissful fog lifted. But something was not right. The pain spreading through his body only the first sign. The person beside him was worried.

Slowly, with the pain and heaviness of his body increasing, Chase managed to pry his eyes open. The light was blinding at first, causing his whole body to tense up and another pained groan to slip past his lips. But then it gradually felt more natural, less stabbing.

The person beside him waited patiently for him to adjust, the rubbing of his hand the only indicator they were there. His mind was a sluggish mess, a phenomenon that always scared him. He was supposed to be the smartest, the quickest thinker. It caused him to feel disabled and helpless whenever he couldn't be.

Though while his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the actually not so bright lamp, his other senses and mind caught up as well. He was lying on a bed, the soft bed sheets soft against his skin. He let his eyes wander around the room. There were barely any decorations there, but several storage places and chairs scattered around the two beds. He was in one of the rooms in the infirmary.

"Chase?" the voice broke through the daze in his mind and he slowly looked to his right. A wave of surprise washed over Chase as he saw Tasha sitting there, her hair disheveled and her worried eyes solely focused on him. It took him another moment to realized why he was shocked to see her there. She was supposed to home in Mission Creek. Why was she there?

Though as he tried to ask her, the fire in his throat stole his voice, replacing it with a hoarse croak and pain. Tasha reaction was immediate as she shushed him and let go of his hand. Grabbing a water bottle from the night stand, she slowly brought it to his lips. And God if it didn't feel good as the cool liquid washed over the flames. Although it still hurt to swallow, it was far more bearable as Chase licked his lips and once more met her brown eyes.

"Tasha..." Chase mumbled, and he saw the tears glisten in her eyes as she grabbed his hand again.

"Hey," she whispered back as a lone tear made its way down her face. It startled Chase and he desperately wished the cause of it could push through the fog that his mind had been turned into. There was so many reasons for tears; sadness, joy, relief...

"You're okay..." she mumbled, though Chase couldn't really tell if it was meant as a statement or a question. Frowning, he tried to puzzle together what was going on, before mentally cursing the fact that he couldn't even think right now.

"What- What happened?" he asked, his voice still hoarse and Tasha bit her lip. As she gently started rubbing his hand again, she used the other to push a button by the bed, activating the island's communication system.

"Douglas, he's awake." she announced, her voice thick with emotion, before looking back at Chase.

Douglas! The thought rang through his mind with the ferocity of a whip, and he immediately tried to sit up. What was he doing just lying around like this?

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy." Tasha was quick to push him back down. Though honestly, he wouldn't have been able to make it. Not with the pain that spiked through his midsection at the movement. Instead he turned his pained eyes towards Tasha.

"Where's the others?" he questioned, wincing as his body protested against his panic. "Where's Mr-"

"On a mission." Tasha was quick to interrupt. "They're fine. They just had to go on a mission, and Donald went with them. Okay? Everyone's fine... You're fine..."

She mumbled the last part, more to herself. He could see the tears in her eyes once more as she squeezed his shoulder, smiling as he eased back into the pillow. But he couldn't relax, not really. Because his mind was still not working the way it was supposed to. He still had no clue as to why he was there, or why it felt like something had been dropped on him.

"What happened?" he tried again, and Tasha opened her mouth, a somewhat horrified expression flashing over her features. Chase doubted she would actually answer him this time either. Though before she even had the time to answer, a sound from the door caused them both to look up to see Douglas standing there. He seemed frozen in the doorway, his eyes carrying the same pain as Tasha's did.

"Douglas?" Chase questioned, hoping the older man would answer what his stepmom refused to. But Douglas quickly shook his head, his hands raising as he approached the bed, and Chase knew the dismissal that was about to come. "Don't, just tell me."

Douglas shared a quick glance with Tasha before shaking his head again. "It's really nothing you have to worry about now, Chase. Just a mishap on the mission. You don't remember?"

"No!" Chase all but cried out. Though Douglas already knew that, didn't he? Chase couldn't shake the feeling that the man's vague answer was really just a cover up for what had really happened. Had Tasha's been too?

No, it couldn't have. His siblings and father were fine. They had to be. If they weren't- If he somehow had-

"Whoa, calm down! Everything's fine, Chase." Douglas suddenly exclaimed, and Tasha squeezed his shoulder again. It was first then Chase realized that he was shaking, actually shaking.

"I- I can't think." Chase mumbled, the fear leaking into his voice.

"Oh, Sweetie..." Tasha mumbled sadly and Douglas sat down on the bed, his hand resting calmly on Chase's leg. The man licked his lips, and a momentarily silence fell over the room before Douglas spoke up.

"I know bud," he said slowly. "But it's just your body recovering, okay? Everything's fine. Everyone's fine. You just need some rest, and you'll feel as good as new. Okay?"

Chase slowly nodded, feeling the exhaustion he'd tried to ignore pull at him.

"Get some rest, Chase." Tasha said with a warm smile and rose from her chair. "The others will probably back when you wake up again."

Douglas nodded, patted his leg, and rose too. And while Chase still couldn't dismiss the feeling that something was wrong, that the two adults were covering something up, he let his eyes fall shut.

Though before sleep could pull him under again, he heard Tasha's voice from the doorway. If she and Douglas had thought Chase was dozed off already, or just unmindful of his bionic hearing, he wasn't sure. But once the first question left the woman, sleep was miles away for Chase.

"Where is he?"

Douglas sighed and although his voice was hushed as he answered, it wasn't hushed enough, "I don't know... Probably the beach again. He's not... handling this that well."

"Oh..." Tasha mumbled, and Chase imagined her shaking her head, as the sadness filled her warm eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. He is quite protective of him, and if Donnie blames himself, when clearly I'm more at fault here-"

"It's neither of yours faults!" Tasha cut through, her voice rising slightly. "You didn't make him choose this. It was all him."

"Maybe..." Douglas mumbled. "But we certainly had a play in his reasoning for it. My point is, though, if Donnie's feeling guilty for this, then why wouldn't Adam? I mean considering..." Douglas trailed off and cleared his throat. "What I'm saying is there's a lot of sources to self-blame here, especially for Adam."

"Did you talk to him?"

"I tried, but..." Douglas sighed. "Until Chase is up and about, I don't think there's a lot we can do."

"I guess not... I just wish there was an easy fix for this." Tasha said sadly.

"I know... But they'll be fine. We all will." Douglas replied encouraging. "How are you holding up, though? I know this wasn't the kind of call you want to get."

"I'm fine, better now when he's finally awoken. And I'm glad you called, Douglas."

"Well, it's your family too. I thought you deserved to know. Plus, I think they could use a wife and a mother right now."

Chase didn't hear Tasha's response as the two made their way from the infirmary, leaving Chase with his clutter of thoughts. Why did Mr. Davenport blame himself for what "he" did? Why would Douglas be more at fault? Why did Adam blame himself?

What the heck had happened?

To Be Continued...

So... reviews are always appreciated around here! ;D

Until next time! :) /Libra