Disclaimer: The Invisible Man and the characters involved therein belongs to The Sci Fi channel. No copywrite infringment intended. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes. Maggie Rourke and anyone else you don't recognize belong to me.
NOTES: You should probably read at least the first story in the Maggie arc, We Can Be Heros, to understand Maggie a little better.
The next morning, Maggie knocked on the door to lab 3. The door slid open and Dr. Johnson stood on the other side, looking perturbed.
"You're late." She pointed to the clock on the wall. It read 6:01. Maggie opened her mouth to explain but Dr. Johnson cut her off. "I don't want your excuses. We've got work to do. Don't let this happen again."
"Yes, Dr. Johnson." Maggie stepped inside and hung her jacket on the rack by the door.
"We've got a full battery of tests scheduled for today, so lets get started." She picked up a clipboard and turned back to Maggie. "You can put those on."
"What kind of tests?"
"Just get dressed and meet me in Lab 1." Dr. Johnson stood at the door waiting for her. She gathered up the clothing and went down to the ladies room.
The clothes were gym clothes, loose pants and a Lycra tank top. She pulled them on and wandered back down to Claire's lab.
Dr. Johnson was inside, standing near a treadmill that was new.
She noticed Maggie in the doorway. "Don't stand there gawking, Agent Rourke. We have a lot of work to do."
Maggie stepped over to the machine and Dr. Johnson attacked her with electrodes. "Stress test? I just had one of these last month." She told her as she stepped on the treadmill.
"I'm aware of what tests you have or haven't had." Dr. Johnson snapped. "Get on the treadmill." She started it up at a light jog.
Maggie was still running when Claire came in at 6:30. "You must be Dr. Johnson." She held out her hand, a bright smile on her face.
"Dr. Morgan. You were Agent Rourke's Keeper." Dr. Johnson shook her hand.
"Only since Nick, I mean Dr. Patterson died. Are you running a stress test on Maggie?"
"Yes, I have several tests scheduled for today."
Claire looked puzzled. "I just reevaluated Maggie last month. Do you need her file?"
"I prefer to trust only results from tests I have personally run. If you'll excuse me." She turned back to Maggie, ignoring Claire.
"Well, make yourself at home in my lab." Claire muttered to herself.
Maggie smiled when she saw what Claire was thinking. Dr. Johnson finally stopped the treadmill and removed the wires from the electrodes.
She led Maggie to a small table that had several pieces of silverware on it. "Sit. This is a test of endurance. You are to lift the items and hold them in the air for as long as you can." She rolled a small cart over to the table. "While you're doing this, I will be drawing some blood for other tests."
Claire watched wide-eyed as Dr. Johnson ordered Maggie around. No one had ever treated Maggie like that. Nick had always been careful to treat Maggie like any other girl and always explained what tests he was running. She noticed Dr. Johnson barely touched Maggie even when she was drawing the blood, unusual for a doctor. Maggie looked up and saw Claire watching her. Claire smiled understandingly at her but Maggie turned her glowing eyes down to the table.
By 5, Maggie was exhausted. There had been three other endurance tests as well as typical medical ones. Dr. Johnson had even tried to get Maggie into an MRI. Maggie refused, even when Dr. Johnson threatened to tie her down.
After showering, she changed back into her street clothes and went in search of Darien and Hobbes. She found them in Hobbes' office. Flopping down in an empty chair, Maggie let herself rest.
"Hey Rourke. Where've you been all day?" Hobbes' usual cynical expression softened to concern.
"New Keeper had me doin' tests all day. I'm exhausted." Her normally bright eyes were dull. "She even tried to get me into an MRI. I told her to take a hike. She didn't like that very much." A small smile crossed her lips.
"This woman sounds like a real piece of work." Darien started rubbing Maggie's shoulders.
She made a small moan. "God, Darien. That feels so good. She scheduled four physical endurance tests and a 45 minute stress test."
"Seems like a lot." Hobbes leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk.
"It is. Claire and Nick never scheduled so much in one day." She relaxed deeper into the chair as Darien's strong hands coaxed the knots from her shoulders.
"Did you tell her that?" Darien asked.
Maggie nodded. "Claire and I both told her but she wouldn't listen. Can I have drink of your water?"
"Sure." He handed her the bottle. She dug a prescription bottle out of her pocket and shook one into her hand.
"What's that?"
"Supplements or something. Dr. Johnson said they'd help with the side effects I have sometimes. I'm supposed to take one twice a day." She popped one into her mouth and swallowed it with a drink of water.
"We're almost done here. Why don't we go out to dinner?" Hobbes suggested.
Maggie yawned. "Sure. Just wake me up when you want to go." She closed her eyes and slouched down in the chair.
A half hour later, Darien and Hobbes looked up. Darien elbowed Hobbes.
"Look." He pointed to the chair. Maggie was sound asleep, snoring softly.
Hobbes laughed silently. "I guess dinner's off."
"Yeah, I'll take her home." Darien knelt next to Maggie. "Hey, Mags. It's time to go home."
She lifted her head a little. "Huh? What?"
"Home. Come on Princess." He helped her to her feet.
"Okay Darien. Night Bobby." She leaned against Darien walking sleepily down the hall.
He tucked her into the passenger seat of his car before getting in and driving off. Maggie was dead to the world when he arrived at her house. He carried her upstairs and laid her down on the bed.
Undressing her, he pulled a t-shirt over her head. Darien tucked her in and kissed her forehead before driving home.