Act 4: The Puppet Master



"Come this way sir."

Lee felt like he was being led by Nurse Ratchet.

"Stand here."

Lee didn't want to disobey, he was afraid of the consequences. Timidly, he
began, "I just wanted to see how my wife is doing. Dr. McJohn is doing some
blood tests..."

"Don't argue with me Mr. Stetson..."

Lee thought 'I didn't think I was arguing!'

"No visitors are allowed back beyond this point! Are you a patient here?"

Lee replied, "No, I.."

"That's right! *You* are NOT a patient. *You* are a *visitor* and NO visitors
are allowed beyond this point. *You* can wait right here."

Lee rolled his eyes as the ever so charming nurse walked away. He knew they
weren't all like that but, somehow, he always ended up with the one who was
a stickler for obeying *The Rules*.

Once Lee saw the coast was clear, he sneaked past the 'Do not enter' sign. It
didn't take long for him to find Amanda's examination room.

Amanda sat there, without emotion, as the doctor poked and prodded. Electrodes
were placed on her finger, chest and forehead. Without turning around, Dr.
McJohn said, "You know, you're not supposed to be in this section of the
building Mr. Stetson."

Lee was surprised he had been detected. McJohn hadn't even seen him! "How
did you know..."

McJohn finally turned around. "Your wife's vitals. I knew you were there
because her pulse quickened and she took a deeper breath."

"Oh..."

"Even though Amanda can't communicate with us now, I believe she can
understand every word that we say. Although she can't speak, her body
speaks for her. Before you came, all her vitals were steady." McJohn showed
Lee the machine. "As soon as you walked in, her vitals changed."

"That's my girl!" Lee smiled at his wife and gave her a smooch on the cheek.

"Lee, could I speak with you for a moment?"

Lee didn't like the way McJohn said that. "Sure, okay." Lee shot one more
smile at Amanda and walked down the hallway with McJohn.

"Lee, your wife has been through a lot. We won't know the results from the
blood tests for a while. I received a preliminary report from the psychiatrist.
She believes that the catatonia was most likely drug induced. The blood tests
may confirm that. However, until these chemicals dissipate, your wife will
continue to require total assistance. She should begin to regain her
speech and swallowing and voluntary functions within a week, *if* this was
drug induced."

Lee was overjoyed. His Amanda was on her way to recovery!

McJohn led Lee back to Amanda's examination room.

"What?"

Lee's heart sank, Amanda was gone!

Lee burst through the double doors and sped out into the hallway. He arrived
just in time to see Krutiov holding his wife's arm as the elevator doors closed.
Lee ran up to the elevator. Krutiov was going up. Lee was on the 7th floor
as it was and he shouted "He's taking her to the roof!"

Nurses and patients dodged out of Lee's way as he raced down the hallway
and burst through the door for the stairs. He practically flew up the two
flights of steps leading to the roof. Lee shouldered his way through the barred door.
There, on the roof, was Krutiov bracing Amanda with his one hand and holding
a strange pellet gun in the other. The gun was pointed at Amanda's thigh.

"Welcome Scarecrow! Has it really been over 15 years?" Sergei jibed.

"Look old man! Let her go! She has nothing to do with this! If you have
a score to settle, settle it with me!"

Krutiov just smirked. "Ah, but my dear man. She has everything to do with
it. She's your wife. Someone you love. And you are going to watch her die!"
Sergei then shot a pellet into Amanda's thigh. She didn't flinch or blink.
She was still catatonic.

Lee lunged for the old man but Krutiov quickly leaped to the edge of the roof
and shouted, "I won't give you the satisfaction Stetson! You can't kill me!
I'm already dead!" And with that, Krutiov dove head first off the roof and
plunged nine floors to his death.

Lee didn't waste anytime. He scooped Amanda up in his arms and rushed her
back down the steps. He was met by McJohn. "She's been shot!"

McJohn was glad the N.E.S.T. team was still there. "Call code red, stat!"
The nurse did as Dr. McJohn instructed.

***

After what seemed like hours, Dr. McJohn finally met Lee in the waiting room.

"Is she gonna be ok Doc?" Lee waited cautiously for the answer.

"Lee, Krutiov injected your wife with a 'poison pellet' very similar to the
one the Bulgarians used on Markov in '79."

"No! That's five-hundred times more lethal than cyanide. Markov died!"

This was the worst part of McJohn's job, "I'm sorry Lee, but you're right.
Your wife has 24 hours......"

tbc