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 Official and Eberts looked up as Darien burst into the office holding a folder. "Yes, Agent Fawkes?"
Darien skidded to a stop in front of him and held out the folder. "The tox screen is back on Maggie."
He took the folder and leafed through it. "And?"
"She had very high levels of Phencyclidine in her blood stream."
"Phencyc- what?"
"PCP sir. Mags was right. Dr. Johnson was drugging her." He took the file back from the Official and flipped through it. "It says in here that PCP may cause severe mood disorders, amnesia, paranoia and violent hostility."
"I want extra guards on Dr. Johnson's door. Is Claire awake?"
Darien nodded. "Hobbes is having a hard time keeping her still. We think Maggie just gave her a bad headache, nothing serious but Stevenson, the tech said she should take it easy, just in case."
"I've got to make some phone calls. Keep an eye on Maggie and I'll be down in a little while." He picked up the phone and started dialing.
"Yes, sir." Darien went back down to the labs.
The lab was empty when Darien entered. Alarmed, he headed to the observation room.
Hobbes and Claire were standing at the window or rather, Hobbes was standing at the window and Claire was seated in a chair. They were watching what was going on in the room with frightened looks on their faces.
Maggie was pacing the room like a caged animal. Every so often she would stop and peer at the window as though she could see them on the other side.
"What's she doing?" He leaned against the counter, half turned toward the window.
"She's been pacing since she woke up. She was ranting when she first woke up but that stopped a little while ago." Claire told him. As she finished speaking, Maggie began to yell again. "Obviously I spoke too soon."
"Fawkes! Let me out of here, you son of a bitch. I know you're out there Fawkes. I can hear you thinking!" She stopped and looked directly at him. He took a step back as the window bowed out but didn't break. Maggie threw herself at the wall in frustration when the window didn't break.
"Okay." He turned to Claire. "Here's the tox screen. Dr. Johnson was giving her PCP. Hence the paranoia, super strength."
"I'd better find something to counteract it." Claire stood up and both men grabbed an elbow. "Please guys. You don't need to fuss. I'm fine."
Darien let go but Hobbes only smiled. "I know. I want to."
Giving up, Claire let him escort her back to the lab so she could get to work. Darien turned back to the young woman now on the floor of the cell. She was slumped in the corner, her head pressed against the padded wall. Abruptly he got to his feet and went to the door of the cell. The guard looked up at him expectantly.
"Can I go in?" He asked, expecting to be turned away.
"Keep didn't say to keep anyone out, only to keep her in. Go ahead, I'll cover you." The guard pushed the door open; his gun drawn and aimed at the figure huddled in the corner. Darien entered quickly and the guard pulled the door closed behind him.
"Maggie?" He stood by the door uncertain.
The huddled woman in the corner looked up, her eyes glowing an alarmingly bright green. "Fawkes?"
When she didn't attack him outright, he took a few cautious steps further into the room. "I'd ask you how you were feeling but its probably pretty self evident."
"What do you want Darien?" Slowly, Maggie got to her feet. "Come to let me out?"
He shook his head and came further into the room. "Can't do that. Claire's working on something to help you."
"What the hell did she do to me?" Her voice was low and she glared at him.
"PCP."
"Bitch." The epithet was so forceful it surprised him and he nodded.
"Yeah. I'm just here to offer you some company. It can get pretty lonely in here. Trust me, I know."
"What does Claire have to say about that?" Maggie nodded to the mirror.
Darien shrugged. "Don't know. I didn't tell her."
"Your such a rebel, Darien." Maggie told him, a hint of a smile on her lips. She nodded for him to join her.
They had been sitting in silence when Darien noticed the tearing sound. He looked up and found a rent in the padding at the top of the opposite wall. Other tears joined that one and he looked at Maggie. Her knees were drawn to her chest, her chin resting on them, eyes closed.
"Maggie?" He nudged her and she opened her eyes. "Are you doing that?"
She looked to where he was pointed. "I think so."
"Can you stop it?"
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "No. It won't stop, Darien."
The "snow" started soon after that and Darien drew Maggie into his arms. "Maggie? Baby, talk to me."
"I can't make it stop, Darien." Her voice was quiet, childlike.
"It's the drug she gave you. It's taken away your control."
She was shaking in his arms. "What did she do to me?" She whispered and buried her head against his shoulder. He held her in the padding storm, lending her his strength.
"Darien, can you come out here for a moment?" Claire's voice floated over the intercom.
He looked down at Maggie. "I'll be right back."
She nodded and went back to the fetal position. Quickly, he left the slightly less padded room and went to see what Claire wanted.
"Darien, do you think you can give her this?" Claire was holding a syringe in her hand.
"What is it?"
"The same formula inhibitor I gave her when you and Hobbes first rescued her. I'm afraid Dr. Johnson may have caused a horrible set back in Maggie's progress." Claire looked through the window sadly at the young woman on the floor inside. "She trusts you enough, I think."
He took the needle. "I can try. I'm not going to force it on her."
She nodded. "All right."
Bracing himself, Darien went back into the cell.
"Maggie. I've got something that might help her."
"More drugs?" She turned and looked up with tired eyes.
"Same stuff as before. Nothing new." He sat down facing her, setting the syringe on the floor next to him. Taking her face between his hands, he forced her to meet his eyes. "Claire would never do anything to hurt you. Neither would I."
Her gaze flickered down to the needle sitting next to him. "What is it?"
"Claire said it's the inhibitor. The same one she gave you when we rescued you."
"I'm back to the beginning again. No control." He could see tears shining against her cheeks. He wiped them away for her. "Go ahead. I want to get out of here."
He nodded and reached around her to unfasten the straightjacket. She stretched her arms and rolled her shoulders before letting him rest her outstretched arm on his leg. "I've, uh, never done this before. Do you want me to get Claire?"
Shaking her head, she handed him the syringe. "I trust you."
He took it from her and stuck it into her arm as carefully as possible. She hissed in pain. "Maggie?"
"Just do it." He finished and pulled the needle out of her arm, setting it aside. She slumped forward and he helped her to the floor.
The door shushed open and Claire stepped inside. "Get her out of here. Put her in Lab 2." She picked up the needle and went to dispose of it. Darien scooped up Maggie and carried her down the hall to Lab 2. Claire and Hobbes appeared a few minutes later. She checked her temperature before tucking her in.
"I can't believe Dr. Johnson did this. All our work is gone. We'll have to start from the beginning again." Claire touched Maggie's forehead, her eyes sad.
"They've officially arrested Dr. Johnson. The Official is going to make sure she's put away for a long time." Hobbes told him.
Claire turned and looked at Darien. "Go home Darien. Get some sleep."
He shook his head, holding her hand. "I have to be here when she wakes up."
"At least go crash in the lab. I'll wake you when she comes round." He hesitated. She brushed his hair back. "You look like hell, Darien. You're not going to be any use to us if you're overtired."
Finally, he relented. "All right. Promise you'll wake me?"
"I promise." She told him, gently pushing him out of the lab.
Darien dragged himself into the lab and stretched out on the lab chair, telling himself he would only rest his eyes. A moment later, he was fast asleep.