Make of this what you will. Not sure what kind of fic this is supposed to be. LOL It's not an AU though! Surprise, surprise!

A/N: I don't own them and I don't want to. (Ok I do want to but never gonna happen)

Lame Duck Villains

Chapter 1 of 3

The explosion that rocked the hospital was devastating. Natalie lay on the floor under a pile of debris trying to figure out just what had happened. Her first thought was that Jessica was still in surgery and she prayed her sister was ok. She groaned and moved the rubble off of her body then sat up tentatively, feeling for injuries. She was sore but otherwise unharmed.

She stood up and took a real look around. The place looked like a disaster area. The walls were caved in, lights and wires hung down from the ceiling showering the area with sparks every time the wires touched together. Taking a tentative step forward Natalie gasped as her foot slipped and she nearly fell down. Righting herself she took another step, trying to find a way thru all the rubble. She wanted to find Jess and make sure she was ok.

She slowly and carefully made her way to the door, or what was left of it. When she was about half way there she heard a groan coming from a pile of debris. She was shocked because she didn't remember anyone being in the room with her when the explosion happened. She rushed over to where the noise had come from and began to move the drywall and other things that covered the person.

Once she had enough of the rubble moved away Natalie got a look at the person under the pile and was stunned. It was TODD! He was clearly out of it and not just because of the explosion. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, not to mention pale and gaunt and he was much thinner than he had been before he had gone missing. His clothes were torn and ragged with stains on them that were clearly blood. He looked like a either refugee from some third world country or a POW that had just gotten away from a death camp.

"Todd?" he moaned at the sound of his name but didn't open his eyes or give any indication that he was conscious. Natalie was becoming increasingly worried about him as she felt his forehead and realized he was burning up. She took out her phone and then cursed loudly. It was broken. The face was smashed to pieces and she knew it must have happened when she had been thrown to the floor by the blast. "Dammit!" She cursed again.

She felt his pulse and knew that he needed help and fast. It was thready and weak but there none the less. "Todd?" she said again hoping to wake him up. He didn't respond and she got even more worried.

Todd felt like his was burning alive. He couldn't feel anything but the heat of the fires of hell. "So this is what hell feels like," he thought. The pain was an unrelenting wave of agony and the black abyss called to him. He thought he heard someone call his name and he groaned but the pain came again and dragged him into the dark void of unconsciousness.

Natalie thought she saw him twitch but it was over before she could be sure. She didn't know what happened to him but she needed to know where he was hurt. She had to get him help but she needed to know if she could leave him. Looking his body over for injuries she didn't see anything too obvious. Because of all the blood located on his shirt she summarized that he was injured on his side so she lifted up his shirt and choked back a horrified gasp.

His whole side was black and blue and covered with blood. On his lower side near his stomach there was a ragged wound, a knife it looked like. It was swollen and red, obviously infected. It wasn't bleeding anymore though and she felt it was safe to leave him and get help. Hopefully there was someone near by. "It's ok Todd, I'll get some help. You'll be ok." she said even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She got up quickly and headed out of the room.

Todd opened his eyes once more in time to see Natalie's red hair flash out the door. "Wait!" He tried to call out but his voice was pitifully weak. He had to tell her to watch out, that she wasn't safe! "Natalie' he called out louder hoping she heard him this time but she didn't come back. God he had been so stupid. He had been so blindly stupid and it almost cost him everything.

Natalie picked her way thru the wreckage looking for anyone that could help her. She cried out with relief when she saw Vicki standing just inside the doors. "Mom!!"

"Natalie!" Vicki rushed over to Natalie and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank God you are ok! I was so worried!"

"Jess?"

"She's fine. Antonio too. They were taken out before the explosion."

"Todd!" Natalie said excitedly.

"What about him?" Vicki asked, confused.

"He's here. Hurt pretty badly. He needs help!" she told her mother.

"What?!" Vicki was shocked, "Are you sure it was him?"

"Yes! I saw him myself." Natalie told her. "I need to find a doctor."

The shock of Natalie's statement was wearing off, the urgency in her voice penetrated Vicki's mental fog, and she nodded. "I saw Michael down the hall I'll go see if I can find him."

Natalie nodded and said, "I'll look for Blair. Todd's in the waiting room outside the OR. Hurry. He didn't look too good." That said she went to the front of the hospital. The going was slow because of all the damage but she was almost there when she saw Marty standing there looking very dazed.

Putting her dislike for the other woman aside she asked, "Are you ok Marty? Are you hurt?"

Marty looked at her and Natalie was surprised to see that she looked happy to see her. Normally the other woman was scowling or looking like she just bit into a lemon when they came face to face. "I'm fine Natalie." There was that condescension she was waiting for. "Have you seen John? I need to talk to him."

Natalie rolled her eyes at the other woman. She was always running to John and it bugged her to no end but she didn't have any right to say anything. She had broken up with him after all. But still the other woman just grated on her last nerve so she said sarcastically, "No Marty I haven't seen John. Why don't you check out side with the police? He might be there doing his job!" She turned to stalk off but was brought to a halt by a hand grabbing her arm and yanking her back around.

She was stunned to see Marty standing there so close with her hand gripping her arm. "Let go of me you bitch!" Natalie demanded angrily.

"You don't like me much do you, Natalie?" Marty was talking in a low cold tone that Natalie had never heard her use before. "You wish I had never came back to Llanview, don't you."

Natalie yanked her arm away from Marty and took a step back, Marty followed. "I don't like you at all. I think you're a fake. Not to mention from the moment you got here you started trying to steal my man!"

Marty laughed with amusement at that and said, "Wasn't too hard. He was easy to get on my side. Just had to act like a victim. Men never can resist playing the knight in shining armor." She stopped laughing and thought a minute, "You know you are the only one in this little Podunk town that hasn't bought my little act. Why? What gave me away?"

"So you admit it was all an act?"

"Of course! Do you really think I would let myself get taken advantage of by the likes of Spencer Truman?!" Marty laughed again at Natalie's shocked expression. "Yes that's right Natalie. I was in on the whole thing with Spencer. He paid me a lot of money to get him off." She paused, "Didn't you?" she asked directing her voice behind Natalie.

Natalie spun around and let out a shocked, "You! You're not dead??!"

Spencer Truman stepped out of the room he had been hiding in and laughed. "Do I look dead to you?" He didn't give Natalie any chance to answer as he grabbed her roughly, placed a hand over her mouth, and dragged her into the empty room behind them.

Natalie began flailing her arms as Spencer dragged her backwards and one of her hands hit Marty right in the face. Marty cried out and stumbled backwards landing on the ground. Her head hit a piece of rubble and she was knocked unconscious.

To be Continued...