Chapter 6

Jaime had awakened terrified by the images in her mind but she knew they'd been trying to tell her something. Slowly, she started relating what she'd seen. It came out in small, painful bursts at first...and several times she asked for her own 'grounding' materials or simply gazed into Steve's face before she could continue...but continue, she did...until she got all of it out.

Steve cringed inwardly when Jaime related the part about Michael being directly against her with his shirt off. That detail had, of course, not come through the control room speaker; he'd had no idea until now (and he had to stifle a strong urge to storm downstairs and kill Marchetti) but he covered his own emotions for his wife's sake. Mark sat ready to stop her at any time, should the memories prove too much for her - and he came very close to doing so - but with Rudy's allowance that (for now) she was in no physical danger, Mark had allowed her to keep going.

When Jaime reached the end of her painstaking (and painful) recollections, she looked at Steve, then at each of her doctors...then back at Steve, tightly gripping his hand. ''I think Michael's innocent,'' she announced, surprising herself most of all. ''And...I think...what I just saw...proves it.''

''You're still very weak,'' Mark said (by way of a gentle explanation) ''and you've just had two quite serious episodes.'' He began to reach into the pocket of his jacket but Jaime spotted him.

''Please...don't...not another needle...not yet...anyway.''

''You've had enough for now, Young Lady,'' Rudy confirmed. Jaime's careful (and often halted) recitation of her nightmare had taken too much out of her. And no one - not even Jaime - dared argued with Rudy!

Jaime sighed softly as her eyes fluttered closed. They didn't understand; none of them did! In this latest flashback, she'd been tormented by Michael's acts but in each and every case, she'd seen or heard Kingsley behind it all! Surely, that meant something...or was it just another hallucination? Would she be able to testify at all, if she couldn't even trust her own mind?

Jaime's doctors (and Steve, of course) had nearly the identical thought. Would she be able to testify? Day One of the Tribunal had ended in just around an hour...and that brief exposure to Michael had sent Jaime into a complete tailspin. She certainly couldn't go into court talking about things she'd seen in a flashback! They wouldn't allow it to happen.

Once he'd made sure Jaime was sleeping soundly under Steve's watchful eye and with Rudy close by, it was time for Mark to begin preliminary tests with his other patient. After a brief stop in his office to check with his assistants in DC and offer guidance in a few of their cases, he downed a quick mug of coffee while he tried to shift gears. It was important that he maintain neutrality with Michael - no preconceived notions whatsoever - in order to give a fair and just diagnosis to the court. When he was ready, he made a few more notes and then headed up to the Second Floor, Security Wing.

''Good morning, Michael,'' he greeted. ''How do you feel?''

''I met the new doc...this morning,'' Michael began. ''He seems...'' the younger doctor appeared to be searching for the right word. ''...competent.''

''You've never met him before?'' Mark queried.

''No. I think they called him in after...whatever happened to me.''

''Michael, I need you to tell me the last thing you remember.'' Mark watched as his former colleague seemed to strain to comply.

''I was...well, Rudy and I were removing Jaime's faulty ear.''

''That's all you remember?'' Mark puzzled.

''Something must have happened...after that. An accident on the way home? Or maybe...Austin conked me on the head?''

''We'll work together and try to fill in at least some of those blanks,'' Mark told him. ''But that's enough for now.''

Michael nodded, already drifting into a semblance of sleep. ''Too many...blanks...'' he whispered.

Steve watched Jaime as she slept, gratified that she seemed more serene now - with no sign of any approaching nightmares. He couldn't stop dwelling on what she'd said about waking up in bed with Michael...with his shirt off. Steve's mind played back what he'd witnessed through the speakers...which had been bad enough.It wasn't possible...was it? Steve thought it had to be another ploy by Michael to play with Jaime's mind and emotions - one she'd thankfully turned on him, as the start of eliciting his confession. He reasoned that if anything had truly happened, Michael would've turned on the speaker first, to torment Steve with every sound. Except...if Jaime had been out cold, would there have been any sound? The torment for Steve was now, having to wonder, worry and not know for certain. Horrible images he couldn't bear to think about flashed across his mind's eye...and Steve felt himself 'going down'. He had the presence of mind to push away from Jaime's bed so she was out of reach and he couldn't grab for her as easily if it came to that...but it was already too late to do anything more. He looked helplessly at Rudy, who'd been alerted by the sudden motion of the chair.

''Page...Mark...'' Steve gasped.