I don't own any of the MI High characters, I am borrowing them for this story.

A frightening event causes a crisis of confidence within the team. The results turn out to be far-reaching.

Dan sat with Frank outside a hospital room. "She's going to be alright isn't she ?" he asked. He put his head in his hands. "I don't know what happened !"

"Dan, this is not your fault," said Frank. He could see that Dan was feeling guilty for not doing more to protect his team mate. "It could have happened to any of you," he added, glancing at his watch and frowning. "The others should be here by now."

Tom and Zoe burst through the double doors at the end of the corridor. "Frank ! Our driver couldn't get through the traffic," said Zoe. "Is she alright ?" she asked. Frank was about to answer when the medical team came out of Aneisha's room.

"Agent London ?" asked a woman in a white coat. "I'm Doctor Rennie. Agent Jones has recovered consciousness. It appears she was rendered unconscious by a powerful knockout gas. She will have to remain in hospital for at least two days to allow the effects to wear off, but we are expecting her to make a full recovery."

Frank thanked the doctor and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. They went into Aneisha's room to find her propped up in a hospital bed looking a bit groggy still.

Tom and Zoe rushed to Aneisha's bedside. Dan hung back a little. "Aneisha, thank goodness. We were so scared !" said Zoe, grabbing Aneisha's hand.

"How are you feeling ?" asked Tom.

"Oh, I'm alright. Just feel half asleep, that's all. I think I could sleep for a month !" muttered Aneisha.

"I'm glad you're OK Aneisha," said Dan quietly.

"Well, it's no thanks to you is it ?" said Tom, rounding on Dan. Dan looked taken aback by Tom's obvious anger.

"Now wait a minute Tom," said Frank.

"No, I won't wait a minute ! He wasn't paying any attention to Aneisha !" said Tom hotly, pointing at Dan. "He's always interested in what Zoe's doing, but he doesn't care two hoots about Aneisha. She could have been dead for all he knew !" he was now shouting. Dan was backing away as Tom walked towards him, poking his finger into Dan's chest. "Where were you ?" demanded Tom.

Dan's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. "Tom, that's not fair," said Zoe, sounding shocked.

"Not fair ! I'll tell you what's not fair. What's not fair is Aneisha being left on her own to fend for herself while you two go off all lovey dovey looking after each other !" shouted Tom. Dan was now looking like he'd just had a battering from the Crime Minister herself. He turned on his heel and left the room without saying anything.

"Tom ! That's enough !" said Frank sharply. "Dan and Zoe had a different role from Aneisha. They couldn't be with her. If it weren't for Dan, we might never have found her," said Frank. Speaking more quietly, he said, "I think you should go and calm down a bit. I don't think the doctors will be too pleased to hear us all shouting in Aneisha's room." This had the desired effect and Tom began to look a bit ashamed of his outburst.

"What's Tom upset about ?" asked Aneisha, looking confused.

"Tom thinks it was Dan's fault that you were knocked out," explained Frank.

"Oh no, it's nothing to do with Dan. I was supposed to be under cover. It's my own fault I went following this guy who was acting weird," said Aneisha. "How did you find me ?" she asked.

"Dan got suspicious when you didn't report in as usual and he went looking for you," said Frank. "Against my orders as it happened. I thought you were just keeping quiet to avoid detection," he smiled apologetically.

"Oh well, no serious harm done," said Aneisha. She yawned.

"I think we should let you get some rest," said Frank, ushering the other two out of the room. "We'll see you again tomorrow." The others said their goodbyes as they left.

"Tom, I think you owe Dan an apology," said Frank quietly as they walked down the corridor. "That was totally out of order," he said. "I wonder where he's gone."

They didn't pass Dan on the way out of the hospital. He wasn't standing outside or sitting in the MI9 car which had brought Tom and Zoe to the hospital. Frank asked the driver if he'd seen Dan. He'd seen someone who looked like Dan coming out of the hospital and heading over the road to a local park.

"We've got to find him," said Frank, leading the way over the road to the park. At the park entrance they looked at the two paths leading into the park ahead. "We'll have to split up. Tom, you come with me this way. Zoe would you search that way please ? We call each other if we find him, alright ?" Zoe nodded and headed off on her path.

"I'm sorry Frank," said Tom. "I was really worried and angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on Dan," he added.

"Well, you're going to have to tell Dan when we find him," said Frank. "He always feels responsible for you all. Come on !"

Zoe walked quickly through the park, scanning all around her for a hint of Dan's dark clothes. There was no sign of him. She had been walking for five minutes when she saw a lake up ahead. There were benches by the lake and she could see a figure in black clothes sitting on one of the benches with their back to her. She speeded up her pace to get there more quickly.

"Dan ?" she said, as she approached the figure. Dan sat up straight, rubbed the back of his hand over his face and turned to look at her. She could see he'd been crying. "Oh Dan ! Tom didn't mean those things !" she said. "He was just upset."

"He meant it," muttered Dan quietly.

Zoe tapped her earpiece. "Frank, I've found him. Beside the lake," she whispered into her microphone.

Zoe sat down beside Dan. "Dan, it wasn't your fault. You were the one who wanted to go and look for Aneisha. Frank didn't want you to go," she said gently.

"I was a bit late though wasn't I ?" asked Dan bitterly. "I should have gone before when she didn't report in," he said. Zoe looked helplessly at Dan who she could see was eaten up with guilt.

"Dan, it wasn't your fault," she repeated, unable to think of anything else to say to him. She looked round in relief as Frank and Tom arrived.

Dan looked round at them and Tom was immediately struck by the haunted, guilty look on Dan's face. Too late he realised that he'd hit Dan where it would hurt most. "Dan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you," said Tom. "It wasn't your fault," he trailed off, wondering what to say. Tom could see that the damage was done. He looked to Frank for help.

"Dan, come on, let's go home," said Frank. He waved to Dan to get up. Dan got up slowly, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Zoe took his hand.

Tom stared at his friend for a moment and then reached out and hugged him round the shoulders. "I'm really sorry Dan," he said. Slowly they walked Dan back through the park to the waiting car. As it started to go dark, Frank dropped each of the teens at their respective houses, now back in their school uniforms. They were all subdued, but Dan never said a word all the way home. Zoe and Frank watched Dan walking up to his front door.

"Is he going to be OK ?" asked Zoe.

"I hope so. I'll speak to him on Monday," promised Frank.