Silence: Chapter 12

I.

"K-Kim? Daddy?" Confused grass green eyes wandered around the sterile room, finally settling on..."Daddy?"

Slim Possible snatched his daughter, covers and all, from the bed, clutching her light body tightly to his chest. He buried his head in her hair, his shoulders shaking. Joss turned her eyes toward the tearful emerald gaze of her cousin. "Kim? What's goin' on? How'd ah git here? For that matter, where is here?" Unconsciously one of Joss' hands patted Slim's shaking shoulders. "It's all right, Daddy, whatever it is, we're Possibles. We can handle it,"

A tearful giggle escaped Kim. Slim raised his head, a grin lifting a tear dampened mustache. "Not this time, Pumpkin, I reckon it took a Stoppable to get us out of this brangle."

Joss brightened. "Ron's here?" She looked over her father's shoulder. "Where is he?"

Slim turned to Kim. "Not real sure, Joss. He left in kind of a hurry. You know whar he went, Kimmie?"

"Not a clue, Uncle Joss. He just told me to stay with you and Joss, said he'd explain later, kissed me." Kim blushed lightly, "And he was gone."

Slim set Joss back down on the bed, although he kept one hand on her shoulder. "Joss, honey, ah'm not real sure what happened, all I am sure of is that Ron saved your life. Do you remember anything?"

Kim leaned forward in curiously, "Do you remember anything, Joss?"

Joss ducked her head, a warm flush rising on her cheeks as she mumbled.

"What was that, Pumpkin? Ah didn't quite catch it." Slim asked.

Joss jerked her head up, eyes flaming, "Ah said, the last thing ah remember was that hammer headed son of a...ah...buffalo decidin' he didn't like the ferocious rabbit and takin' off on his own."

Kim blinked. Slim set his jaw.

Joss endured the stares as long as she could, then blurted. "He tossed me off like a green horn, all right? He took off before ah even knew he was moving. He went one way and I went the other. And that dang long eared varmint jumped on my stomach."

"The...ah...hammerhead?"

Joss' disgruntled glare turned on her cousin, "Not the horse, Kim, the rabbit."

"Oh."

Slim snorted but managed to keep his face serious. "Anything else?"

"Wal, ah seem to remember hearin' an explosion, an I saw those beeves shoulders bunch so I took off for the tall lonesome. Almost made it, but just before ah got to the trees, something hit me and that's it."

"Nothin' else?" Slim asked.

"Jus' hurtin', Daddy. I think I broke my leg." Joss glanced down, lifting her leg, wiggling her toes. "As a matter of fact, ah'm sure and certain ah broke mah leg. How long have ah been here?" She glanced around the hospital room curiously.

"About an hour, Joss." Kim said solemnly.

Joss began imitating a goldfish. Finally her gasping lips managed, "What?"

II.

Anne Possible watched as her peer carefully poured himself a cup of coffee. He then walked over to his desk, set the cup down carefully, then sat in his chair, just as carefully. He stared at his clasped hands for a few moments, then raised his eyes. "Dr. Possible, Anne. What just happened?"

Dr. Ann Possible had a sudden longing for her claw foot antique tub. Hot bubble bath, soft soothing music, and possibly Jimmy rubbing her shoulders. . "Ah, misdiagnoses?"

Dr. Holmes looked at her in amazement. "Misdiagnoses? Ann, I had two patients. One is now stable and apparently sleeping. The other, who I also examined, had multiple fractures, contusions, abrasions and a possible concussion. Five minutes in that room and he sat up, got up, said thank you, walked out, checked out, and left. Misdiagnoses?"

"Well, ah, just what did you see, Hamish? Just to check."

"All right, I examined both patients, briefly. On first examination, the female patient was apparently comatose, with no readily apparent cause. The male patient, as I said, had multiple injuries. The least of which should have had him in the hospital intensive care for at least a week. You, I, Mr. Possible, and Kim stood at the foot of the beds. The oriental gentleman stood between the two beds and placed a hand on each patients head. I heard someone shout "You dare", and then the old gentleman was against the wall with a nose bleed looking stunned." Hamish stopped, tapping his finger on the desk. "And that's another thing."

"What's that?"

"I asked the nurse in charge why no one came in at the shout to find out what was going on or if assistance was necessary."

"And?"

"She said, 'What shout?'" Hamish brooded for a moment, then shook his head. "Anyway, after the gentleman got his bearings back, he asked us to stand around the bed and hold hands. Kim held the boy's hand and my hand. Mr. Possible held his daughter's hand and my hand. You held both patients hands. Then he laid a hand on the head of each patient."

"Um-hmm. That's what I remember too." Anne encouraged her colleague.

"Right. We both remember the same actions. So tell me, Anne, how did that boy get up and walk from you holding his hand?"

"Well, I...ah...really don't think it was anything I did." Ann stumbled.

"Uh-huh. Then I'm faced with two choices. Either we just saw a miracle or that old fakir is the greatest hypnotist since Svengali. I'm too tired to begin believing in miracles, but if that old man hypnotized us, how did he get the boy out of the room?"

Ann shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"All right, your turn."

"For what?"

Hamish sighed, "What did you see? If you tell me you saw the same thing, I'm seriously thinking of having us both checked into the psych ward for observation."

"Hamish, why don't we just write this one off as unknown and promise never to speak of it again?" Ann smiled.

"You mean you saw what I saw?"

"Pretty much. But I don't have time for a vacation in ward 3C, relaxing as that sounds, and neither do you. We have patients to care for." "And I really don't think you need to know about the voice that told me, 'It's cool, Mrs. Dr. P.' or the feeling that had to be what Kim calls Ronshine. No, I don't think that would help you at all." "I've got to go, Hamish, but if I find out anything more, I'll let you know." She moved gracefully but swiftly to the door and out.

Dr. Holmes stared at the softly closing door for a moment. He steepled his fingers, staring at the book shelf. "When I get home....Dad always said there was nothing more soothing than good whiskey, but sometimes you needed raw. This has been a raw whiskey day."

III.

"Mr. President, I have a report on Team Possible."

"Yes?"

"Agents Smith and Smith have been in contact with the families. Apparently one of the team members was injured rather seriously on a rescue mission. Our agents are proceeding to the hospital and will relay any further information."

The President frowned. "All right, let me know the moment you have anything else. In the meantime, this is what we'll do. Have the agents invite, is that clear, invite the uninjured member of the team to meet with me. Send a jet." The President turned back to his desk.

"Yes, Mr. President."

IV.

"Irish, right?"

"That's the poison."

The head of the NSA chuckled, "Sam, I don't think I want to play poker with you. What you did to Betty..."

The Attorney General laughed. "She's a good director, but she needs to understand her place in the pecking order. I just reminded her of hers."

"We all need it occasionally. Now what?"

The AG grinned wickedly. "Knowing Betty as I do, she'll focus on Team Possible. She won't be able to resist trying to find out everything she can without us knowing."

The NSA chief smiled. "Where does she think she gets her satellite feeds and links? Does she really believe we'd place a satellite and not be able to tap into it?"

The AG shook his head. "We all have our blind spots. She was so pissed it didn't occur to her that any shyster two days out of law school could have sprung her agents on bail if I really arrested them."

"Well, we'll let her dig a little more, after all, she does have a personal connection with the team. We'll just see what she can find out." The head of the NSA shook hid head ruefully. "You know, that quarter million and release from prosecution we gave that Load kid was one of the best deals we ever made."

V.

"Master?"

Sensei turned to look at his student. "Yes, Yori san?"

"Are you all right?"

"Merely old, my student, that which I could once do with little effort now tasks my strength."

"And...Stoppable san."

"He will awaken in the morning, refreshed and restored. But perhaps you should watch him instead of hovering over an old man,." Sensei smiled in understanding.

"Yes, Sensei." Yori bowed, attempting to hide her misgivings.

"Yori!"

She stepped from her concealment as her master and Ron san strode out of the hospital. "Master."

"I believe you may need to offer assistance."

As Yori joined them at the limousine, her Sensei wilted. Her upright, confidant warrior hero collapsed into her arms.

VI.

The family members packed into Joss' room turned as the door opened.

"Miss Possible, we have an invitation for you."