Chapter 10

"Move out from under me now, or I will be forced to run over you!" the voice barked out as the truck's engine roared to life.

Eric had moved farther under the truck as he searched for a weak spot to drill through. Raising up in shock and surprise, he cursed when his head connected solidly with the oil pan.

"This is your last warning! I will count to five, then I'm rolling out of here. One..."

Eric frantically began pushing himself out from under the truck, his eyes glued on the front tire only inches from him. The voice was on four, and he knew he wouldn't be completely clear, so he redoubled his efforts.

"Five." The truck's tires spun, then caught.

Eric let out an ear splitting shriek as the front tire rolled over his right leg with a crack of breaking bone.

K.A.I.S.Y. didn't pause as he barreled out of the garage and fish tailed around the house, down the driveway. He knew he should feel ashamed for endangering the man's life, but his driver was in far worse shape than the way he'd left Eric.

No! He had to start being honest with himself. Not his driver, the woman he was falling in love with!!!

* * *

"What happened?" Tilly asked worriedly, her eyes wide with barely controlled fear.

"Her vitals are thready and erratic. I think she's been poisoned. Come on, we've got to get out of here." Casey raced for the front of the house. He'd noted the blood on Michaela's hand, and had already sent a few of his nanites to sample and analyze it.

A guard stepped out of a room they were passing. He held a baton up, ready to strike.

A third arm formed out of Casey's right shoulder. He grabbed the baton and smashed it into the guard's knee cap. Remembering what he'd done to the mechanic, he put only enough power behind his swing to temporarily incapacitate the man, not permanently injure him.

The guard still went down with a howl of pain. Casey dropped the baton and the third arm reabsorbed into his body.

A startled gasp behind him let him know that Tilly had seen the third arm. His sensors also told him that Tilly's stride had faltered.

"Please, Mrs. Drakon, keep running. I promise I'll explain everything once you're both safe. Michaela's been injected with a complex nuero toxin. It's going to take me several minutes to synthesize an antidote."

They reached the front doors and Casey kicked one out. It went flying, several splinters from the door frame became shrapnel to anyone standing outside.

As they stepped out the ruined door, the truck skidded around the front of the house. It slid the last few feet so that the passenger doors were facing them.

"There's no one driving!" Tilly gasped, as she scrambled into the front passenger seat.

"I'll explain later," Casey repeated. He laid Michaela out on the backseat and was instantly in the truck with her. His lower extremities had merged with the truck, making it easier for Casey to be on a level with Michaela.

"Michaela, honey! Wake up," Casey shook her, trying to get a response. Her heartbeat was getting more erratic, and he was afraid she was going to arrest at any moment.

Michaela's eyes fluttered open, "Casey?"

"Michaela! You've got to hang in there. Just a few more minutes and I'll have an antidote!"

"Don't think I'm going to... Got to tell you... Love you!" Michaela's eyes closed and her head lolled to the side.

A look of panic crossed Casey's face, and he practically wailed, "Michaela! No!"

Ripping Michaela's shirt opened, Casey laid his hands on her chest and sent a jolt of electricity through her.

Michaela's body bucked from the jolt, but her heart refused to start. Casey jolted her again, and nearly sagged in relief as his scanners picked up her heartbeat.

The glove box popped open just then, and Casey asked Tilly to hand him the syringe that it contained.

Tilly gave it to him, and Casey plunged it into Michaela's arm.

Within a few minutes, Michaela's vitals were strengthening and stabilizing.

A moment later, Michaela's eyes opened again. She smiled weakly up at Casey.

Laying a hand gently on her cheek, Casey leaned closer to her. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" he chastised her. To take the sting out of his words, he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"If you're not careful, you'll make my heart stop again," Michaela murmured breathlessly, when Casey pulled away.

"Don't even joke like that!" Casey shook a finger at her sternly. "Now, I've got to make it look like someone's driving. We're nearly to the hospital."

Tilly let out a gasp, when Casey materialized out of the driver's seat.

"I"ve finally cracked! That's got to be the explanation for this..." Tilly gestured at the suddenly occupied driver's seat, then grabbed the door handle as the truck suddenly made a sharp turn.

"You're fine, Mrs. Drakon," Casey smiled reassuringly at her. "Carlee and K.I.T.T. will be meeting us at the hospital with Jason. They'll take you back to the Foundation and explain everything."

A moment later, Casey pulled into the hospital parking lot, where he quickly decelerated and slid into a parking spot near the emergency entrance.

As he got out of the truck, this time opening the driver door like any human would, he looked at Tilly and said, "Stay in the truck until Jason, Carlee, and K.I.T.T. get here. You're perfectly safe in me."

Casey then carefully got Michaela out of the truck and hurriedly carried her into the ER.