"That guy packs a mean punch. Literally," Cody said as he looked over at Nick's swollen face.

Nick couldn't open his one eye, it was so swollen. As a matter of fact, the whole side of his face was swollen and bruised, from his eye to his chin and it even started to go down onto his neck. The group watched as Ardeth and Frank were brought up from the stairwell and both looked in terrible condition.

Ardeth was being led along, his eyes tightly closed and contents of the extinguisher still covering his face and clothes. Plus his nasal area appeared to be very red and swollen. Frank had a hand up to his jaw, rubbing it.

"What happened?" asked Jackie as she hurried up to the group of six.

"Ardeth and Frank were both attacked by this man. Frank got punched in the jaw and in the stomach. We believe Ardeth didn't inhale too much of the fire extinguisher's contents and his nose is obviously broken," Matt explained as he and Rae led the two into an examining room.

Jules soon led Nick into that same room so he could get his face looked over and the group of people watched as Harriet, Alex and Catlanda walked down the hallway after them.

"I don't believe you should be doing this. You're overexerting yourself at such a critical time of your pregnancy," Harriet told Catlanda.

"My father was attacked Harriet. That is a good enough reason not to worry about myself at this moment and about him," she told her as she stopped.

Harriet stopped as well as faced the woman. Alex stood behind them.

"Sarah and Patrick are worried about Nick right now as well. He was attacked as well," Harriet said to her.

"As is Michelle with Frank. They're a family," Alex agreed.

"How old were they?" Catlanda asked them.

Alex and Harriet glanced at each other, confused.

"What you mean by that?" wondered Alex.

"How old were they when they were taken in? Adopted?" Catlanda replied.

"Why, Michelle was 14," Alex told her.

"Sarah was 15 and Patrick was 18. Why do you ask?" replied Harriet.

"Because I was only months old when Ardeth took me in as his own. I grew up, believing Ardeth was my father and his mother was my grandmother, believing that my mother was killed when I was a baby. When I was old enough to understand, he told me what happened to my real parents, that they were killed because of greed. How would you feel if that happened to you?" she asked the doctor and Federal Agent.

Neither could come up with an answer, confirming what Catlanda was trying to say: that it wasn't exactly the same.

"I thought so but despite this, I have always have considered Ardeth Bay my father, I know not in blood but in heart. He has done everything in his power to keep me from harm everyday, even if he is far away and unable to be with me," she whispered as she turned around and headed back down towards the room.

Both Harriet and Alex felt a little guilty at what they assumed about her. They now knew the two shared an even deeper bond that what everyone first thought. The two Medjai had complete trust in each other.

00000

Ardeth closed his eyes tightly as they were flushed out with water. He was coughing quite a bit as the contents began to make a bigger appearance in his mouth so Rae gave him a basin to spit into. Once he stopped, she pulled out a stethoscope.

"I better check your lungs now," she said as she put it against his chest. "Now I'd like you to give me a few deep breaths."

Ardeth nodded as he listened to what she said. Frank was across the room having his jaw examined by Matt.

"It doesn't appear to be broken though it's probably just badly bruised. Just be careful," Matt told him.

Frank nodded as Matt finished with what he was doing. Matt watched him leave until he saw Frank's swollen wrist.

"Hey, wait a minute Frank. Let me check your wrist before you go," Matt called to him.

Frank stopped and headed back to him. Matt looked at Frank's arm. The Federal Agent impatiently waited for Matt to finish what he was doing.

"Can you move it? Does it hurt?" asked Matt.

Frank shook his head as he tried to move his fingers but couldn't.

"I say it was sprained. Nothing more," Matt said as he grabbed some bandages and wrapped Frank's arm with it.

Frank slightly moved his fingers before walking out of the room. Matt watched him leave as he walked over to Rae, who finished with Ardeth.

"You sound alright. Looks like you didn't inhale that much Ardeth. Consider yourself a lucky man," she told him as he climbed to his feet. "It could've easily been much worse."

Ardeth walked out of the room as Rae and Matt walked up to Jules, who was attending to Nick. He was looking towards the window as she placed some ice on the massive bruising and swelling. His one eye was completely swollen shut.

"How're you feeling Nick?" asked Rae.

"I've been better. How's everybody?" he quietly asked them.

"They're fine. You, Ardeth and Frank got the worst of it. Ardeth might be a bit dizzy still from the extinguisher and Frank seems to be doing alright. I suppose his jaw hurts a bit, as does his arm, but I think he'll be fine," Matt told him. "And I'm also happy that Catlanda is doing alright after this. She is, after all, nearly due."

The others nodded in agreement.

Ardeth and Frank walked out of the room to be greeted by the three women.

"Catlanda, what are you doing here?" wondered Ardeth, amazed.

"What do you think I am doing here?" she told him as she put her arms around him.

Ardeth did the same as he closed his eyes. Alex walked up to Frank as the two of them began to walk away, as did Harriet.

The three left the two where they were and headed for the waiting room. Once there, Michelle hurried up to Frank and put her arms around him.

"Frank, how're you feeling?" she desperately asked him.

"I'll be fine," he replied as he put his good arm around her.

Cody, Monica and Jake hurried up to them.

"Now we've finally met this guy. He's strong and he's definately after these three. Does anyone know the way to stop this guy? Or do we have to ask Catlanda and Ardeth?" wondered Jake.

"Ask Catlanda and Ardeth," they all agreed.

"We've known them for years yet we still don't know everything about them or what they know about these things," Evie said.

Rick nodded in agreement.

"I mean, we never knew about Catlanda until years after the battle with the Scorpion King. It was only when you decided to go after that jewel of that pharaoh," Rick told Evie.

"Well, we would have never found out about Catlanda then! If we did, it might not have been for another few years. Not only that, Ramses might've actually won that battle if he had no resistance from us or the Medjai," Evie replied.

"Not necessarily," Rick replied.

Rick gave a sigh as he noticed Ardeth helping Catlanda walk into the room. He helped her into a chair. He talked to her in Arabic for a moment before turning to face the group.

"Ardeth, how are we supposed to kill this guy we can't get near him? And the fact he's way stronger than the three of you put together," Rick wondered as he walked up beside Jake.

"We know little about him. What we do know is not good. We do not know how to defeat him, we just know who he's after and what he is as of now," Ardeth replied.

Jake threw up his arms.

"Great. Just great. Now what were we supposed to do? I mean, Frank nearly got killed because of the lack of knowledge that you possess," he angrily replied as he walked up to the female Medjai.

He towered above her and she appeared to be very nervous as she clutched her stomach. Jake noticed this and wondered why.

"Jake, leave her alone. She doesn't need to be questioned about anything at the moment," Frank sternly told him.

"Huh?" wondered Jake as he turned to stare at his boss.

He had never seen Frank do something like that before. Standing up for a total stranger. Cody and Monica were also a bit confused but Alex wasn't. She knew about her pregnancy. She remembered that Harriet mentioned it.

"We should really go get some sleep. We'll need it for the upcoming battle," Jules suggested as she stepped forward.

The group nodded.

"Now what are we going to do for accomodations?" wondered Letty. "They all can't stay here."

"We're in a hotel nearby. That's where we're staying," Cody said with some pain in his voice as Michelle stood next to him.

"I vote that the O'Connells stay with us!" cried Sarah as she raised her hand.

"Sarah!!" they all cried.

"What?" she asked with a smile as she lifted her arms.

"I suggest Catlanda and Ardeth stay here in case something should happen," Harriet mentioned to the others.

"I will be fine Harriet. I would prefer not to stay here. No offense to you fine people but I would rather be in a place where I can rest more easily. Besides, you need the bed for other people," came a quiet voice.

Matt looked towards where the voice came from. He saw Catlanda nearly asleep in the chair.

"I think we'd better get her to a bed now before she does decide to fall asleep here," he suggested as Harriet nodded.

"Then they will stay with me," Harriet offered.

The group began to leave for the night but stayed where he was for a moment as he rubbed his arm. When no one was looking, he grimaced in pain, almost hissing. Alex glanced back and saw this action. She became slightly worried about Frank keeping an injury from them. She thought against confronting him now.

00000

Jake walked up to Frank once they were in the hotel room.

"Frank, why'd you tell me to leave that woman alone?" he demanded.

"I didn't see how verbally attacking a woman will solve anything," came the reply.

Jake was a bit surprised by this answer.

"There's something more going on here Frank. What is it that you know?" Jake asked him cautiously.

"I know nothing," he lied.

"I'll believe that the day that Frank Donovan will admit that he's in pain before he says he's not," Jake replied.

Frank sighed as he stared at his friend before standing up fully. His gaze pierced Jake right in his eyes and he gulped at what was to come.

"I do know something Jake. You know the doctors said there was something about them that they were the ones to tell us? Well I found out by accident. She's pregnant and doesn't need to be bothered at this critical stage," Frank told him.

Jake's eyes and mouth opened at the statement.

TBC...