Chapter 31.
When Lucas awoke, he felt stiff and his muscles ached. He looked around the room before he remembered he was in the hospital. When Matt noticed Lucas was awake he cheerfully said,
"Well, welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty!"
Lucas just glared playfully at his elder brother, still slightly disorientated from waking up.
"I don't think he's fully awake still." Baz confirmed.
Barry and Emily were asleep on the chairs in the corner of the room, resting against one another Lucas noticed. Baz, Matt and Lucas began using sign language to talk to each other so they didn't disturb the sleeping pair. Lucas was sitting cross legged on Baz's bed when Bridger entered.
"Hello Baz, how are you doing?" Bridger greeted softly, after noticing the sleeping pair and walking up to his bed. He noticed that Lucas and Baz were talking and was glad.
"I'm not too bad considering everything," Baz replied. "Aren't you guys supposed to be leaving soon? I mean, the conferences have finished now."
"Actually, we've got some extra time," Bridger hedged. "But I need to talk to Lucas privately, if you don't mind. It shouldn't take long."
"Yeah sure," Baz responded. "Take him away!"
Lucas looked a bit worried, as Bridger led him outside to talk. The elder man led him to the relative's room, which was deserted at that time.
"OK, now I've spoken to Admiral Noyce today and he told me something that was very interesting…" Lucas turned pale; worried that he was in trouble. As if he could read his mind, Bridger added, "Don't worry you're not in any trouble. I didn't know that the police were investigating Baz's accident as being deliberate. Why didn't you tell me?"
Lucas just turned his huge puppy dog eyes towards Bridger before explaining in sign language,
"Well, with Baz waking up and the detectives visit…It kinda slipped out of my mind I guess. I'm sorry,"
"Hey, that's OK. What I really came to say, but I couldn't do it with Baz listening is that Admiral Noyce has given us two weeks off to investigate his accident…I haven't told the rest of the crew yet because I wanted to know what your reaction would be. You don't have to agree to this remember, but I need to make sure it'll be all right with you two to investigate it and to tell Baz." Bridger tried to explain. Lucas looked deep in thought. Finally he signed,
"If it's OK with Baz, I don't mind. Are you going to work with those two detectives on this one? I don't like them, they're scary!"
Bridger was struck by how child like Lucas sounded, but ignored it as he answered the question.
"I'm going to work with the police, but you don't have to be present when we talk to them." Bridger studied the teen closely for a second before commenting, "You're going to have to face them sooner or later, you do realise that? They're not going to disappear just because you want them too." He could see his words were having a profound effect on the teen. "What was it that made you so afraid of those detectives anyway?"
He was surprised when Lucas's breathing became irregular, as he became more agitated, but was even more surprised when he burst into tears. Slightly alarmed, Bridger pulled Lucas into an embrace and rocked him until he became calm again.
"Hey, what was all that about?" Bridger asked, after Lucas had calmed down a bit.
At first, the elder man had been alarmed at the teens crying, but now he was curious as to how they first started. Lucas remained mute, refusing to even look at Bridger and instead buried his head deeper into Bridger's chest. Bridger forced the teen to look up at his face, so he wasn't hiding anymore. Fear lurked in the youths eyes and the elder mans' heart melted.
"Did they ask you questions about your father? Is that it?" Bridger mistook his silence for an answer. "I know you were abused by your father, but that's all in the past, he can't hurt you now. You're safe here with Baz, Matt and Emily, the crew and me. No-one can hurt you and no one ever will. OK?"
Lucas just buried his head again and Bridger began to rock him comfortingly. They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Bridger suggested,
"Do you feel like going back now? Otherwise your uncle might think I've kidnapped you! And, although the idea is tempting, I don't think he'll be too pleased after you've just made up and all!" Lucas nodded his assent and together they headed back to tell Baz of the news.
***
"So you guys are investigating too?" Baz thought for a while. "No, I don't mind as long as you keep me informed on any leads you get. The police don't tell us anything, though they did say that I might be in danger of another attack by the perpetrators. They said it was plural, I don't know if they meant to or not…Everyone noticed."
"When were you questioned then?" Lucas signed; a frown appeared on his face.
"When you were asleep earlier on, they came to ask me a few questions. We didn't want to wake you!" Baz signed back. Bridger waited until they had stopped talking to ask his next question.
"What exactly happened?" So Baz explained about the message and the voice again to Bridger and Lucas. Matt had joined Emily and had fallen asleep. "And that's it? There's nothing else you've remembered since you've told the police?"
"Well, actually I was trying to remember where I've heard the voice before and I think I've placed it to someone at the conference or the hotel. One of those places, but I've definitely heard it in the last week or so and I think that's why it was vaguely familiar to me. But that's all, unless there have been any more notes…" Baz stopped as he watched Lucas. At the mention of the word 'notes' he grew visibly smaller. Bridger also noticed this and glanced at Baz, before saying,
"All right Lucas, give the note to us and don't' try to deny its existence. Remember you've never lied to me before."
The ploy worked and they watched as Lucas dug his hand into his back pocket and fished out a crumpled piece of paper. Handing it to Bridger, he looked down as they read it.
"How long have you had this?" Bridger's face was stern, scaring Lucas slightly.
"A couple of days, I think." Lucas looked down at the bed, his hand tracing the pattern of the duvet. Baz was about to say something more, when the door suddenly burst open.
"OK, don't anybody move!" There in the door way stood a masked intruder holding a gun by his side and from the voice, they could tell he was a man. Baz paled, as he recognised the voice as being the one from the cellar.
"You're the one from the cellar aren't you?" Baz spoke out. Glancing at Lucas, he became worried as he noticed the youth was close to hyperventilating.
"Very good, your memory serves you well." The man spoke, as he advanced towards the bed.
"What do you want?" Bridger asked.
"Him dead!" The masked intruder raised his gun, still advancing towards them.
He had only made it past the sleeping forms of Matt and Emily. Then three things happened, the first was that the door again opened, revealing Dr Roosevelt. The next three seconds were a blur to Baz; he saw Matt leap out of the chair he had occupied and move to hit the intruder. The intruder, having seen a movement out of the corner of his eye, turned and trained his gun on Matt, stopping him dead in his tracks. What he didn't count on was Lucas, who had now broken free of Bridger's firm grasp and pummelled into the intruder from behind. A shot was fired from the gun and all three collapsed onto the floor. Bridger rushed forward to check on Lucas and to check if the intruder was unconscious, while Emily checked on Matt.
"Oh my god! He's bleeding; I think he's been shot." Emily cried.
Dr Roosevelt, hearing Emily's pleas, rushed over to take a look. He began to do a quick assessment of Matt's condition, while Barry rushed to get some help. The intruder began to stir, forcing Bridger to tie him up. Lucas however looked as though he was going into shock. As Bridger bent over to check on the prisoner, Lucas took a chance and bolted out the door and took off running. The only thing Lucas thought as he ran was,
'I've killed my brother!'
TBC…
Ah! Poor Lucas. Sorry this part took so long, but I seem to be getting not a lot of time to do anything at the moment. I'll try and get another part up soon, but I can't promise anything. Hope you enjoy this part.