This is a sequel to "Not Knowing". The team are starting to form relationships while the everyday business of saving the world goes on as usual. Found it !
Okay, I clearly have far too much time on my hands right now. I've written another chappie so you may as well have it. Thanks for the reviews.
In seconds, Dan was attached to a hundred wires and beeps were being issued by dozens of different machines. He started to groan and thrash around on the bed, now obviously in pain.
"Get me some of that radioactive tracer !" ordered Frank, looking angry. A flustered looking nurse led him from the room.
"We're here Dan," called out Keri through the bank of bodies surrounding Dan's bed. "It'll be Okay," she whispered.
Tom, Aneisha and Keri hugged one another tightly, watching the horror unfolding in front of them. They were obviously forgotten by the medical staff who worked quickly and tensely in front of them. The three agents cringed as Dan screamed and then went silent. Keri's face ran with tears. Aneisha took the other girl in her arms and hugged her gently. Tom wrapped his arms around both girls as best he could, trying to calm his own shaking body.
Gradually the beeping and alarms started to quieten down. "I don't believe it ! He's stabilising," said the main doctor. There was more activity amongst the medical staff before they started to pull away from the bed. The doctor turned and looked startled to find the three teenagers still standing there. He smiled a genuine smile at them. "He's going to be Okay," he said, clearly happy himself. "I don't honestly know what happened," he said.
"I do," said Frank, striding back into the room. He walked over to Dan's bed and saw him peacefully sleeping, still covered in wires and equipment. "I think he's going to be fine now," he added. Frank took the three startled agents in his arms. "I tested the tracer on Dan's blood. It turns out the tracer was microscopic and had attached itself to his red blood cells. The mild radioactive dose destroyed the trace nano-particles," he explained.
"Are they completely destroyed ?" asked the doctor, looking concerned.
"No, they're still there, just inactive now," said Frank. "I think you should flush it out of his blood stream to be on the safe side," he said to the doctor.
The doctor nodded. "We'll carry out a full blood transfusion," he said. "He can sleep through it."
Keri wiped her eyes. "He's going to be Okay ?" she quietly asked Frank.
Frank nodded kindly and stroked Keri's hair. "The worst is over. He's going to be fine," he assured her.
Relief flooded through the three agents. They were all exhausted by their experiences of the day and Frank dropped them off at home, before calling on Dan's family to explain that Dan would be home the next day, safe and sound.
A few days later the gang were back together, slouching on a bench in the school yard. Dan sat soaking in what little sunshine there was on the cool Autumn day, his left arm laid comfortably across Keri's shoulders. She leaned her head on to his shoulder, smiling slightly. Aneisha and Tom sat beside them chatting happily. "It's been kind of nice being normal for a few days," said Aneisha.
"Yeah, especially now that Dan's not got his own "You Are Here" arrow stuck on top of his head," joked Tom.
"Yeah, very funny !" complained Dan, flicking Tom's ear with his outstretched finger and thumb.
"Ow ! That hurt !" complained Tom, laughing. He squeezed up against Aneisha to get out of Dan's reach. "Do you remember much about, you know .." asked Tom uncertainly.
"No, not much," said Dan, scratching the back of his head. "All a bit vague really," he added.
"Good !" said Tom, Aneisha and Keri simultaneously.
Dan looked at them all curiously. "That bad huh ?" he asked quietly.
"No, worse," said Keri quietly.
Dan smiled gently at her, squeezed her tightly and kissed the side of her head. He would have hated to watch any of them suffering too so he pretended not to notice Tom turning his head away to wipe his eye. The trouble with being a spy was that you noticed all of these things. It wasn't possible to switch off and just enjoy the day any more. Once a spy, always a spy. "Have you managed to track down Moby ?" Dan asked Tom.
Tom looked down at the ground and shrugged his shoulders sadly. "Nope. I put a tracker on him, but I guess KORPS must have found it and removed it," he said.
"I wish KORPS had taken the missiles and left Moby," said Dan. Tom looked at him in astonishment. "Yeah, I know. I was never that keen on him. I guess he turned out to be, you know, good to have around," admitted Dan sheepishly.
Tom smiled slightly. "We should be pleased that the missiles are back with the military," said Tom. "Everyone is safer," he added. "Moby was just a machine," he said. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
"You learned a lot didn't you ?" asked Aneisha, encouragingly.
Tom nodded silently and then checked his watch. "Come on. Time to go back in," he said. "Maths ! Your favourite Dan !"
Dan groaned. "Did you say something about how nice it was to be normal again ?" he asked Aneisha.
"Yeah, well, nobody's perfect," admitted Aneisha.
They arrived in class and had barely sat down when Frank stuck his head round the door. "Ah, Mrs. King, Mr. Flatley has asked for a few of the students to help reorganise in the library. Four actually," he said. Dan, Tom, Aneisha and Keri shot up their hands.
Mrs King looked startled. "Oh, well yes, I expect that will be alright," she said. "Off you go then," she added, waving to the four teens.
The four agents shot out of the room before she changed her mind. The four teens followed Frank expectantly, already getting into mission mode. They were shocked to find themselves in the library.
"Frank ?" said Tom, looking baffled.
"Ah, students, thankyou for coming," said a familiar voice. Stella was standing behind the library desk, wearing a pair of glasses.
"I don't think every librarian in the world wears glasses you know Stella," said Aneisha, sounding amused.
"Yes, well, I ran out of contact lenses," said Stella, clearing her throat and pushing her glasses back up her nose. "I need you to look at this," she said, pointing to the screen of a laptop. They all clustered around Stella to look at the screen.
"Erm, Stella. It's all fine and stuff, but why are we here ?" asked Keri in a whisper. "Why aren't we in the base ?"
Stella looked up at Frank and frowned. "Ah, well, the base is undergoing a deep-clean," said Frank, running his ringer round his collar. They all looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Sewage leak," said Stella heavily.
"EEEEEuw !" said Keri and Aneisha. Tom and Dan just winced silently. "It was a sewer wasn't it ?" whined Keri.
"It is now," said Stella, glancing sideways at Frank.
"Oh, come on ! It's not that bad !" protested Frank. "It'll be absolutely fine in a couple of days. In the meantime, we're making use of the school's facilities," he said. "And I think we should get on with it !"
Smiling they all turned back to the computer screen. "We think this is a KORPS facility which is engaged in the manufacture of chemical weapons," said Stella quietly. They watched film of what looked like an ordinary building. People were going in and out carrying oddly shaped cases. "It is masquerading as a music school," said Stella. "We need you to infiltrate and find out where the manufacture is taking place."
"Ah, good, I'm glad you're getting straight to work !" said a loud voice. They all looked up startled to find Mrs. King watching them. She looked satisfied. "Make sure they don't shirk won't you librarian !" she ordered.
"Oh, yes," said Stella faintly, surreptitiously closing the MI9 video image in front of her. "I'll certainly be keeping them busy," she said. "Will that be alright Mrs. King ?" she asked.
"That will be fine. I don't want them getting themselves into trouble," said Mrs. King, turning on her heels and click clacking off down the corridor.
"Well, that's going to be tricky," said Dan drily.