A/N: Ok I only got one vote and it was for life so Naomi is gonna' live. HELL YEAH!! So.*brain dead*.. Um. on to the story!
Quote: don't say a word, I know you feel the same, Just give me a sign. Say anything, Please don't walk away, I know you want to stay.

-Good Charlotte, don't say a word
Fire in Shadow

"Jamie it's Naomi she suffered cardiac arrest and she's in emergency surgery. We don't know if she's going to make it." Jamie looked at him in shock, his mouth wide open.

"No doc.no.that can't be right." Leena burst out

"You idiot! You're not making this any easier! She's gonna die and we cant do anything about it!" Jamie closed his mouth abruptly and sat down next to doc in a grim silence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Romeo City Hospital*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brad paced around the door of the emergency room, wearing out the soles of his shoes. How long had it been? Was Naomi ok? The doctor closed the door quietly behind him. He took off his large circular glasses and began polishing them furiously. Brad asked nervously,

"Is she ok?" the doctor shook his head. It seemed that, since he didn't know, he had sealed Naomi's fate. Just then the gurney was wheeled out. Brad gasped and dry retched. Could this really be the beautiful, radiant Naomi of last night and all the times before? Her hair was escaping its bun and hung limply around her head. Her eyes were half open and dull, they wouldn't focus. Her skin was so pale, like the moon at dawn; luminescent and slick with sweat. She was gasping and coughing, the only hint that she was still clinging to life on this earth. He held back his tears and the compulsion to scream. The gurney disappeared down the hall. The doctor looked at him intently.

"The surgery went smoothly but we had to try multiple times to restart her heart and breathing. There is dead tissue in the brain; we only have to hope she wakes up completely. She will be put in a private room for the night" Brad nodded and bolted down the hall to a payphone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*The Tauros base~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The phone rang but no one moved. They looked at each other in silence, knowing that this call could mean the death of one of their closest friends. Finally Leena picked it up and spoke coldly.

"Hello?"

"Leena this is Brad." His voice shook and trembled; Leena prepared herself for the worst.

"Naomi went through surgery okay. There is some damage to her brain so we need to pray that she'll wake up." Relief showed on Leena's pale visage. The rest of the people exhaled happily, knowing that the first hurdle had been overcome.

"She's been moved to a room for the night so I'll be staying here. Don't wait up."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Evhert's room~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The masked figure stood in front of the mastermind of this scheme. Evhert spoke with a smugness that only a corrupted mind could manage.

"So she is dead?"

"Yes, sir." He sat back, rubbing his hands together in thought.

"So I have killed off the Flugel line. This will show what happens to those who disobey me. Excellent." he trailed off and was ready to speak when a messenger shot in, breathless.

"Sir!" he stopped out of breath, and bent down, gasping. Evhert signaled to the masked man who exited. He watched the messenger for a few minutes while he caught his breath.

"Sir, Miss Flugel, she.she woke up. I don't know how but she's at the hospital with Mr. Hunter. The good news is that she was weakened and will be at the base for a while." Evhert punched the messenger viciously, drawing blood. He spoke voice like slate.

"And that is good news?" The messenger stammered.

"Uh.umm."

"Never mind. Bring Miss Flugel to me." The messenger nodded meekly and slunk out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Romeo City Hospital~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you sure your ok?" Brad was wheeling Naomi out of the hospital. She would be in a wheelchair for a while, or at least until she recovered the feeling in her legs. Jamie and doc had come with the car to the hospital to pick her up. She smiled at them and slowly pushed herself out of the wheelchair. She slid into the back beside Brad. He kissed her cheek and put his arms around her. She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. Doc started up the car and drove off towards the base.

NEXT CHAPTER: the next chapter is the beginning of the end. Sneak peak:

Naomi screamed as she felt her life draining away in the pool of blood at her feet. Then she realized it; she was dying, and Evhert was the one killing her. "Brad." She whispered as she sank to the floor..