Disclaimer : I don't own Primeval. Oh New series starts on Watch tonight 8pm :D
Waiting Game.
Emily felt sick. She hated hospital, always had. Since leaving the relative safety of her own time she seemed to be spending more and more time around people who got hurt. The fact that Matt was now being treated somewhere through the double doors in front of her made her hate it even more. She barely registered Abby talking on the payphone a few feet away, or Connor and Nick talking quietly as she continued to stare at the door, willing someone, anyone to walk through the doors and tell her Matt's fate. She hugged her arms to herself as she willed herself not to worry about her friend. For a moment she wondered if any of the others knew the truth about her and Matt, that they really were out of their time in more ways than one. She closed her eyes as she felt Connor touch her arm.
"Emily?"
"I am fine Connor." She answered on reflex.
"You don't look fine." He answered as she stared at him.
"Where's Becker?" She suddenly realised the quiet soldier was nowhere to be seen.
"Nick sent him back to the ARC. Abby just called there and spoke to Jess. Apparently Lester is in meetings all day and there has been no sign of Burton." He watched as she nodded.
"We must be thankful for small mercies at least." Emily straightened up as the double doors opened and all eyes fell on the petite red head asking for the family of Matthew Anderson.
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Becker pulled the battered SUV into the car park outside of the ARC. He was furious. Matt was a mate. They hadn't initially got along but they were friends now. He thumped the steering wheel of the car in temper. He wanted to find Burton, stop whatever it was that the scientist was doing. He killed the engine of the car before glancing at the door to the ARC, he knew Sarah, Jess and Jenny were still inside. He knew that he wanted to keep his friends safe and was already feeling guilty for failing Matt. Shaking his head slightly he started the engine again and drove off before he could change his mind.
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"Jess said we were out of contact for almost an hour." Abby stated as she sat next to Nick on the cold plastic chair of the hospital waiting room.
"Did she say why?" Abby smiled. She had missed the professor. He always questioned her, made her think.
"She wasn't sure, just that one minute Connor was relaying our location and giving her an update and the next minute we had vanished." Abby looked up as Connor sat opposite her.
"What is taking them so long?" Connor took his hat off and put it back on again.
"You just told the doctor Emily is Matt's wife. I think that is why they are taking so long." Nick smiled as both Connor and Abby stared at him. "Och, come on. Anyone can see those two are more than just flat mates. They are just as hopeless as you two were."
"Oh nothing like you and Jenny then?" Connor answered as Nick rolled his eyes. The younger man had a point. "Why do you think Burton sabotaged the anomaly analyser?"
"You do know who he is? Connor? Abby? You do know who Philip Burton really is?" Nick looked at the couple as he spoke. "None of you did any research on him? His background?"
"He was here when we got back." Abby stated.
"Public/Private partnership thingy." Connor was beginning to get worried.
"Yeah, ok I buy that." Nick answered. It was what Sarah had told him earlier. "But since he's been here Sarah has faked her own death, less money has been pumped into the ARC and Lester is more or less consigned to the office. Doesn't that worry you?"
"We didn't know about Sarah when we first got back. We thought she really had died." Abby stated the obvious.
"I know. But why did I fake my death? Connor you know Sarah would never have left Becker if she didn't have to. The same as I would never have put Jenny through my death if I didn't have to, or you pair for that matter." The quiet Scotsman watched as Abby shook her head. The anger was plain on her face. Connor sat back in his chair, he didn't want to believe what he was hearing.
"Helen." Abby stated. "You did it to save us all from Helen."
"Sarah did it to save Becker from Burton." Connor answered.
"Why?"
"Helen is back? Is that what you are trying to tell us? Cutter?" Abby was on her feet. Terrified and furious at the same time.
"She wanted the ARC. She was prepared to kill for it." Nick stated. "Seems that runs in the family."
"What? I mean I don't get this." Connor watched as Abby nodded.
"Philip Burton is related to Helen?"
"Helen's maiden name was Burton." Nick stated. "They are cousins."
"He's after revenge." Connor stated as the double doors of the waiting room opened. Emily stood there with tears running down her face as she tried desperately to ignore them. Abby was on her feet in an instant.
"Emily? Oh my God, Emily." Abby hugged her as both men got to their feet.
"Matt." Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she steadied herself. "He's got a punctured lung. They are putting a tube in to fix it. His heart rate was too fast. The doctor said he is in shock because he lost so much blood."
"They are going to sort him out though?" Abby stared at her friend.
"He's going to have to stay in hospital. I am not going to leave here without him." Abby nodded. Connor and Nick exchanged glances as Connor realised Nick had been right about the Irishman and the woman in front of him.
"Ok. You need anything you call me. Yeah?" Abby realised Matt and Emily were probably safer in the hospital. She hugged her friend again before they turned to leave.
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"No, Becker hasn't come back." Jess stated as she spoke into the mobile. "Yes Connor I am certain." She was scared stiff of all the changes going on at the ARC but she was determined not to let the others see. She had worked hard to maintain the image that despite only being 19 she was as capable as any other member of the team. Age had nothing to do with ability. She looked across at her computer as Jenny walked up to her. Before Jenny could say anything Jess ended the call with Connor and turned to face her.
"Becker was supposed to come back here. Matt has been moved to ITU. We have to stop this." Jess' eyes filled with tears as Jenny nodded.
"We will. Now we know about Burton and the consortium we will." She squeezed the girl's shoulder wondering what she was going to tell Sarah about Becker going AWOL. It wasn't like him, which meant either something had happened to him on his way back to the ARC or he had found something that he thought put them all in danger. She smiled slightly as she heard Sarah answer someone. She would have known that voice anywhere.
"Danny!" She laughed.
"The one and only." He smiled back. "Look I know I said I'd done what I could but it seems you lot need as much help as you can get."
"That we do." Sarah pushed her long hair out of her face as she took in the concerned looks on Jess and Jenny's faces. "What is it? What has happened?" She felt the familiar sense of dread build in the pit of her stomach as she realised the only person that hadn't been accounted for was Becker.
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A/N You'll be relieved to hear this is nearly finished. Maybe three chapters left. Please review.
