Chapter 11: Recovery
The first thing Darien felt was the warm, soft hospital bed he was laying. The first thing he heard was the beeping of a heart monitor. As he slowly opened his eyes was the blurry vision of...
"an angel?" he whispered out loud.
"Uhm, no. Doctor? I think Agent Fawkes is coming around."
Darien noticed who was speaking.
"Eberts?!"
The mild mannered Agency clerk smiled and nodded at Darien and stepped away as Claire came over to the bedside.
"Well, well. How is our little thief this morning?"
"Thief? Hey I didn't steal anything."
"I was referring to your former occupation, Darien. Not to the episode that occurred two weeks ago."
"I knew that," then it hit him, "Two weeks! I've been out two weeks?"
The heart monitor started beeping faster.
"Calm down Darien. Think of it as a vacation. You were out two weeks because of all the blood you had lost, and because of the location of the bullet in your shoulder. We couldn't have you moving all around so we kept you sedated."
"You wouldn't have happened to remove the gland while I was under, did you?"
"Sorry, Darien, but no."
"Never hurts to ask."
"Hey, hey, hey! Where's that punk partner of mine?" Hobbes came rushing into the room.
"Hobbesy! Took you long enough to get here. Uh, by the way, where is here anyway?"
"At the Agency," Claire replied, "After confirming that I was your doctor the ER doctors at the hospital you were taken to let me observe the operation. As soon as you were stable enough they let me take you back here. And I managed to switch your blood sample, that contained the quicksilver of course, with Bobby's. Did you two know you were the same type?"
"No," Hobbes answered, "but I'm sure that's gonna come in pretty handy in the future. Oh, Fawkes! I almost forgot, but I brought you your real Christmas present. I'm really sorry for the mix-up. I knew I shouldn't have wrapped my presents in non-denominational holiday paper this year."
"Don't worry about it man. I figured it must have been some sort of mistake."
Darien had to force down the guilt that was starting to swell up inside of him.
"Well, close your eyes?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"What, you can't just hand it to me?"
"No. To get the real effect you have to close your eyes. Now, come on."
"What effect? If I close my eyes to I get a different present, then if I kept my eyes open?"
"I'm just saying that it is customary when giving out presents that the receiving end of the party..."
"Bloody hell you two! Darien close your eyes! Bobby give him the present."
Neither man felt it safe to disagree with the Keeper and they immediately did as she asked. Hobbes placed a rectangular, video tape-sized package into Darien's hands.
"Gee, I wonder what this could be?"
"Just open it, wise guy."
Darien carefully tore off the wrapping paper and stared at the gift for a few seconds. It appeared to be a blank, recordable, VHS tape.
"Uh, what is it?"
"Before our last assignment, the one right before our vacation, I had the opportunity to go down and visit your Aunt Celia. I wanted to get you something really great this year, so," Bobby paused, "it's a tape of clips from your family Christmases, starting with your first Christmas, up to your last one with Kevin. Don't worry, we only picked out the uh, happy moments, which might I add, were especially hard to find during you teen years."
"Oh yeah, I know."
Darien started to tear up. He wasn't one to get emotional and all, but this was something truly special to him. He would be able to see Kevin again. Even though it was only on videotape it still meant a great deal to him. He looked up at Hobbes.
"Thanks. Thank you Bobby. This really...it really means a lot to me."
"I know partner, I know."
There was a knock at the door and Eberts appeared.
"Uh, Darien? I believe you have one more gift."
"Hey its a regular Christmas morning around here! Oh God, I just remembered. That night, there was this old guy. He, uh, well he was injured by..."
"He's fine partner. My crew and I found him before your group came out. He's okay."
"Thank god. But still, why couldn't it have been a mime?"
Hobbes just laughed, "You already tried that once Fawkes."
"What'd you do to a mime?" a voice asked.
Darien turned his head to the door. Standing there, right in front of his face, was Adam Reese. Darien just stared for a second, not believing what he saw. He blinked and took another look. It was Adam, and he was holding the basketball Darien had gotten him for Christmas.
"Adam?"
"Darien, that's what I was trying to tell you earlier. I discovered the cure to Adam's virus. It's been completely eradicated from his system. He's just a normal, teenage boy now," Claire seemed to answer Darien's question satisfactorily. Adam walked over and gave Darien a hug. To keep from crying, Darien thought it was better to make a joke instead.
"Are you sure that's such a wise thing Keep? I mean, normal, teenage boys are pretty tough to deal with."
"Hey, I'm not that bad. And I could take you in video games any day."
Eberts started to speak again.
"Excuse me, Agent Fawkes, Agent Hobbes. The Official would like to see you to in his office as soon as possible. He would like to explain to you Agent Fawkes, why Robert was at the crime scene, with a full team, exactly what you were helping to steal, what happened to your 'friends', and of course, he would like a reasonable explanation as to why you were there in the first place. He has also asked me to inform you he has explained to the FBI that you were part of a deep undercover operation and that you will not be charged with any crime."
"Sweet! Thanks Ebes. Tell the Fat Man we'll be right up."
Eberts nodded his head as usual and left the room.
"Hey Adam, looks like business before pleasure, again. But hey, as soon as this little pow-wow is over how about I take you on in some snowboard racing. I think basketball is gonna have to wait till I can walk."
"Sure thing, Darien. Claire, can I come with you?"
"Sure Adam. I bet I could find something for you to do in the Keep. Let's go."
The two started to leave and Adam gave Darien a sly thumbs up as he left with the Keeper.
"Hey! Little punk," Hobbes cried.
"Watch it Hobbesy. He might try to steal your girl."
Hobbes helped Darien get into a wheel chair.
"She's not my girl."
"You mean not yet."
Hobbes wheeled Darien out of the room.
"Watch it pal, or you'll find yourself wheeling down a very long and steep ramp."
"Oh, is that a threat."
"You better believe my friend, you better believe it."
"I can report threats to the Official you know..."
"You wouldn't dream of it."
The two went off down the hallway towards the Official's office. Everything was falling back into order again, unfortunately.
The first thing Darien felt was the warm, soft hospital bed he was laying. The first thing he heard was the beeping of a heart monitor. As he slowly opened his eyes was the blurry vision of...
"an angel?" he whispered out loud.
"Uhm, no. Doctor? I think Agent Fawkes is coming around."
Darien noticed who was speaking.
"Eberts?!"
The mild mannered Agency clerk smiled and nodded at Darien and stepped away as Claire came over to the bedside.
"Well, well. How is our little thief this morning?"
"Thief? Hey I didn't steal anything."
"I was referring to your former occupation, Darien. Not to the episode that occurred two weeks ago."
"I knew that," then it hit him, "Two weeks! I've been out two weeks?"
The heart monitor started beeping faster.
"Calm down Darien. Think of it as a vacation. You were out two weeks because of all the blood you had lost, and because of the location of the bullet in your shoulder. We couldn't have you moving all around so we kept you sedated."
"You wouldn't have happened to remove the gland while I was under, did you?"
"Sorry, Darien, but no."
"Never hurts to ask."
"Hey, hey, hey! Where's that punk partner of mine?" Hobbes came rushing into the room.
"Hobbesy! Took you long enough to get here. Uh, by the way, where is here anyway?"
"At the Agency," Claire replied, "After confirming that I was your doctor the ER doctors at the hospital you were taken to let me observe the operation. As soon as you were stable enough they let me take you back here. And I managed to switch your blood sample, that contained the quicksilver of course, with Bobby's. Did you two know you were the same type?"
"No," Hobbes answered, "but I'm sure that's gonna come in pretty handy in the future. Oh, Fawkes! I almost forgot, but I brought you your real Christmas present. I'm really sorry for the mix-up. I knew I shouldn't have wrapped my presents in non-denominational holiday paper this year."
"Don't worry about it man. I figured it must have been some sort of mistake."
Darien had to force down the guilt that was starting to swell up inside of him.
"Well, close your eyes?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"What, you can't just hand it to me?"
"No. To get the real effect you have to close your eyes. Now, come on."
"What effect? If I close my eyes to I get a different present, then if I kept my eyes open?"
"I'm just saying that it is customary when giving out presents that the receiving end of the party..."
"Bloody hell you two! Darien close your eyes! Bobby give him the present."
Neither man felt it safe to disagree with the Keeper and they immediately did as she asked. Hobbes placed a rectangular, video tape-sized package into Darien's hands.
"Gee, I wonder what this could be?"
"Just open it, wise guy."
Darien carefully tore off the wrapping paper and stared at the gift for a few seconds. It appeared to be a blank, recordable, VHS tape.
"Uh, what is it?"
"Before our last assignment, the one right before our vacation, I had the opportunity to go down and visit your Aunt Celia. I wanted to get you something really great this year, so," Bobby paused, "it's a tape of clips from your family Christmases, starting with your first Christmas, up to your last one with Kevin. Don't worry, we only picked out the uh, happy moments, which might I add, were especially hard to find during you teen years."
"Oh yeah, I know."
Darien started to tear up. He wasn't one to get emotional and all, but this was something truly special to him. He would be able to see Kevin again. Even though it was only on videotape it still meant a great deal to him. He looked up at Hobbes.
"Thanks. Thank you Bobby. This really...it really means a lot to me."
"I know partner, I know."
There was a knock at the door and Eberts appeared.
"Uh, Darien? I believe you have one more gift."
"Hey its a regular Christmas morning around here! Oh God, I just remembered. That night, there was this old guy. He, uh, well he was injured by..."
"He's fine partner. My crew and I found him before your group came out. He's okay."
"Thank god. But still, why couldn't it have been a mime?"
Hobbes just laughed, "You already tried that once Fawkes."
"What'd you do to a mime?" a voice asked.
Darien turned his head to the door. Standing there, right in front of his face, was Adam Reese. Darien just stared for a second, not believing what he saw. He blinked and took another look. It was Adam, and he was holding the basketball Darien had gotten him for Christmas.
"Adam?"
"Darien, that's what I was trying to tell you earlier. I discovered the cure to Adam's virus. It's been completely eradicated from his system. He's just a normal, teenage boy now," Claire seemed to answer Darien's question satisfactorily. Adam walked over and gave Darien a hug. To keep from crying, Darien thought it was better to make a joke instead.
"Are you sure that's such a wise thing Keep? I mean, normal, teenage boys are pretty tough to deal with."
"Hey, I'm not that bad. And I could take you in video games any day."
Eberts started to speak again.
"Excuse me, Agent Fawkes, Agent Hobbes. The Official would like to see you to in his office as soon as possible. He would like to explain to you Agent Fawkes, why Robert was at the crime scene, with a full team, exactly what you were helping to steal, what happened to your 'friends', and of course, he would like a reasonable explanation as to why you were there in the first place. He has also asked me to inform you he has explained to the FBI that you were part of a deep undercover operation and that you will not be charged with any crime."
"Sweet! Thanks Ebes. Tell the Fat Man we'll be right up."
Eberts nodded his head as usual and left the room.
"Hey Adam, looks like business before pleasure, again. But hey, as soon as this little pow-wow is over how about I take you on in some snowboard racing. I think basketball is gonna have to wait till I can walk."
"Sure thing, Darien. Claire, can I come with you?"
"Sure Adam. I bet I could find something for you to do in the Keep. Let's go."
The two started to leave and Adam gave Darien a sly thumbs up as he left with the Keeper.
"Hey! Little punk," Hobbes cried.
"Watch it Hobbesy. He might try to steal your girl."
Hobbes helped Darien get into a wheel chair.
"She's not my girl."
"You mean not yet."
Hobbes wheeled Darien out of the room.
"Watch it pal, or you'll find yourself wheeling down a very long and steep ramp."
"Oh, is that a threat."
"You better believe my friend, you better believe it."
"I can report threats to the Official you know..."
"You wouldn't dream of it."
The two went off down the hallway towards the Official's office. Everything was falling back into order again, unfortunately.