Chapter 12.

A week had passed since the accident, and Victor was sipping coffee at Headquarters. He was walking toward the car that his work provided him when he heard soft crying. He walked towards it and saw that, incredibly, it was coming from Penelope's car. Why, she never cried!

"Penny," he said softly. "Alex told me what happened. He… he said you were really upset…"

"First Peter leaves… and now… this?!"

Victor cocked his head. "Penelope…" he said gently.

"I just want my sister back!" She said thickly. She gasped. "Oh my God!" She cried. "What if she never wakes up?!" Fresh tears came to her eyes as she buried her face in her knees, curling into a trembling ball. "What if she dies, what if she dies, what if she dies?!" She sobbed.

"No, darling, she's not going to," he said softly.

Penelope shook her head vigorously. "I ca… I can't take it!" She got out of the car, using the door to steady herself. "God and I have to go in there?!"

"I… would you like to be held for a while, Penny?"

Penny just nodded as Victor held her close and rocked her gently, comfortingly stroking her hair as she cried.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Alex had just walked into Pandora's room. He sat next to her bed and gently took her limp hand. Seeing her hooked up to life support nearly shattered his soul… but he had to stay strong for her.

"Hey sweetheart," he said softly. "How ya doin'? You know… my day was alright. Lemme tell you about it."

Alex talked to Pandora for about an hour, and before he left, he placed a large bouquet of flowers on the end table and kissed her forehead gently. "I love you," he whispered.

As he left, he ran into Dick Dastardly.

"Well? How is she?" Said Dastardly.

"She's hooked up to life support," Alex replied. "We don't know when or… or even if she'll…"

"No..." Dick said weakly, shaking his head. "God, no!" He almost ran to the room and when he got there, he sat down and hung his head.

"This is all that Peter Perfect's fault," he said thickly. "I'm sorry that I never got to tell you…". He sighed. "What does Drake have that I don't? What could you see in him, but… but not me?" He took her hand. "You and I are… we're kindred spirits. Alexander Drake? Really? He… he hides his pain, badly I might add, with even worse humor! We were made for each other and…". He kissed her hand and sighed. "And I… I love you, Pandora Pitstop."

After Dick left, he began to seethe. "What could Alex possibly…". He growled and started his car. "God damn it," he muttered as he drove to the hotel. When he got there, he walked into the lobby and saw Alex talking with the others.

"Excuse me, Alex but… I just visited Pandora and a thought occurred to me."

Alex turned. "What's up?"

"What do you have that I don't?"

Alex scoffed. "How 'bout a soul?" He said jokingly.

The others laughed, and Dick let out a derisive snort. "Pandora doesn't love you, Drake!" He said derisively. "She pities you. Your attempts at hiding your melodramatic pain are laughable at best."

"So are your attempts to rile me up, Ricky."

"Ricky?!"

"Best quit while you're behind. And how can you have feelings for her anyway? You're not capable of loving anybody."

"We're one and the same, she and I!"

"In case you haven't noticed, she's changed."

Dick scoffed. "People don't change! They just get better at hiding the truth. Besides which, I'd be far better for her!"

Alex let out a laugh. "Oh please," he droned. "You'd beat Pandora like you beat Muttley."

A collective "Oooh…" sounded from the others.

"I would never," Dick hissed, stepping closer and waving a finger in his face, "hurt that dog… or Pandora! So if you want to have a go, do it! Go on… just like your father did to you. You probably deserved it."

"I promised myself," said Alex, "that I would never… inflict that kind of physical and emotional pain on another human being. To think this is how you treat your fans, Dick. I thought you were only a bastard on the track. Turns out, Dastardly… you're just a dick."

Dick scoffed again. "You and Pandora… please. Not even your family wants you, Drake! How could you possibly be good enough for her when you're not even good enough for your own parents?!"