Jesse sat back down in the chair next to Brennan's bed. Brennan had fallen
asleep as soon as Michael gave him the Valium. He was shivering. Jesse
ran his hand through his hair and yelped slightly as he grazed his newly
stitched head wound. "What are we going to do Brennan?" he whispered to
his friend. "You need to be in a hospital, Brennan. Maybe we can find one
that won't be conspicuous. There has to be one who won't squeal on us.
There's a code of ethics, you know?" Brennan was not responding. Jesse
just squeezed his hand and sat back. He was so tired. But he knew that
staying here was not the answer. He had felt uneasy from the minute he
laid eyes on Michael and the Naxcon relationship...
"No hospital," Brennan mumbled.
Jesse sat forward when he hears Brennan.
"What? Brennan, I didn't hear you," Jesse responded as he grabbed Brennan's hand again and leaned closer to his face.
He opened his eyes slightly and looked at Jesse. "No hospital, Jess."
"Brennan, we may not have a choice. Michael is certain that you have a bad infection and that you could die if it doesn't get under control. Brennan, I won't let you die here. It wouldn't make any sense. At that point, we should take our chances in a hospital. At least we would have a chance. Brennan?" Jesse was trying to convince both of them.
"Your call, Jess. I'm really tired. You have to find the others. Don't sit here with me. I'll be fine," Brennan mumbled.
"Brennan, I am not leaving you here. I don't trust things. We will wait until you can travel and then..."
"Stop it Jess. You and I both know that's not likely to happen..." Brennan noticed Jesse about to interject at Brennan's morbid outlook, so he continued, "...soon. It won't happen any time soon. Jess..." Brennan grabbed Jesse's shirt to pull him closer, "you have to go now. You have to find Shalimar and warn her about Lexa. I hope it isn't already too late."
Jesse knew Brennan was right. He just didn't think he should leave him alone. He was helpless. But, he knew he was right. Jesse got up from his chair and grabbed Brennan's hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked into his face and made certain that Brennan heard him. "OK, Brennan, OK. But you listen to me. You are going to be all right. I am coming back so just hang on."
Brennan nodded his head and looked into Jesse's face. He wasn't certain at all that he would see his friend again. He needed to tell him. "Jesse, be careful. Don't trust anyone – especially Adam. Jess, I ..."
"I know Brennan," Jesse interrupted. He couldn't stand this. It was like Brennan was saying goodbye and he would not have it. "I'll be careful. I love you too. Now just rest. You have to know something, though. Michael is Miranda's husband and he is a doctor. His first wife was killed. Brennan, she was a geneticist with Naxcon."
Brennan opened his eyes further. He was astounded that Miranda was married but even more surprised about Michael's first wife. "Does he.."
"No, he is not aware of who we are or our powers. He only knows that we were genetically altered. I do not believe that Miranda has explained anything else to him."
Brennan swallowed hard and stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly he felt uneasy about Jesse leaving him here. But he knew he would only slow him down if he tried to go with. Brennan attempted then to sit up. He wanted to test how well he felt. Maybe he could go.
"Brennan, what are you doing'?" Jesse asked as he noticed Brennan begin to struggle. He helped lift him as he realized what he wanted. Brennan stifled a cry. "Brennan?"
Brennan looked at Jesse as he continued to work his way out of bed. "We have to go," he said.
"Brennan, where? Are you saying you are going with me?" Jesse was confused. Why was Brennan acting this way?
"Jesse, get my clothes. I need to get dressed. I can't stay here," Brennan whispered. He was breathing hard and was only able to form small sentences between gasps for air.
Jesse wasn't going to argue with him. If Brennan needed to go, then he needed to go. He didn't like the idea of splitting up anyway. Ever since Michael mentioned Naxcon he had felt uneasy. Naxcon believed the mutants were criminals and psychos. It was possible Michael's wife did as well. Either way, he was beginning to think that coming here was not a good idea.
XXXX
Michael saw Miranda in the kitchen. It was obvious she had been crying. When she saw Michael, she quickly turned her face and wiped her tears. "I'm almost ready with the ice," she called, pretending she hadn't seen him.
Michael approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. He nuzzled into her ear to calm her. "Who are they, Miranda?" he whispered.
Miranda turned to him. She could not stop the tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. "Friends, Michael. They are friends." "Looks to me like more than just friends. Come on Miranda. Talk to me about them."
"I can't," Miranda firmly stated. "You wouldn't believe me anyway."
Michael took the bucket of ice and headed back toward the bedroom. He turned around and spoke directly to her. "Miranda, I am going to go and pack Brennan in ice. Then I am going to come back down and we will talk. Don't cut me short, Miranda. I know more than you think I do."
XXX
Brennan had his shirt on. He and Jesse heard Michael coming from down the hallway. Brennan still had his pants and shoes on. Jesse got Brennan to his feet just as Michael walked into the room.
"What's going on here?" Michael asked.
"We have to go. Thank you for your help, but we can't stay here," Jesse replied as he managed to get Brennan propped up against him to walk.
"No, you cannot move him now," Michael protested.
"I have to. It isn't safe for us here and we were wrong to involve you in this. It isn't safe for you," Jesse proclaimed as he and Brennan began to move towards the door.
Michael ran up to Jesse as Brennan stumbled. He caught him before he hit the floor. "Jesse, what are you worried about? Are you running from the police?"
Jesse looked at Michael and repositioned Brennan against him. "No, Michael. We are not worried about the police. Someone much more powerful than the police are after us and we have to make certain we are not caught. Michael, will you please help me to the car?"
"Jesse, where will you go? You're safe here. No one knows you are here and no one has to. Listen to me. You can't move him right now!" Michael was adamant.
Jesse looked at Brennan who nodded in agreement that they should stay. Jesse complied and he and Michael gently sat Brennan down on the bed. Miranda was standing in the doorway. She had heard the commotion. The two of them got Brennan's clothes off and tucked him into the bed. Brennan was unconscious again as Michael began placing ice around him. When he finished, he looked up at Jesse and Miranda. "OK, if I am going to be able to help here, you all have to come clean with me. What is going on?"
"No hospital," Brennan mumbled.
Jesse sat forward when he hears Brennan.
"What? Brennan, I didn't hear you," Jesse responded as he grabbed Brennan's hand again and leaned closer to his face.
He opened his eyes slightly and looked at Jesse. "No hospital, Jess."
"Brennan, we may not have a choice. Michael is certain that you have a bad infection and that you could die if it doesn't get under control. Brennan, I won't let you die here. It wouldn't make any sense. At that point, we should take our chances in a hospital. At least we would have a chance. Brennan?" Jesse was trying to convince both of them.
"Your call, Jess. I'm really tired. You have to find the others. Don't sit here with me. I'll be fine," Brennan mumbled.
"Brennan, I am not leaving you here. I don't trust things. We will wait until you can travel and then..."
"Stop it Jess. You and I both know that's not likely to happen..." Brennan noticed Jesse about to interject at Brennan's morbid outlook, so he continued, "...soon. It won't happen any time soon. Jess..." Brennan grabbed Jesse's shirt to pull him closer, "you have to go now. You have to find Shalimar and warn her about Lexa. I hope it isn't already too late."
Jesse knew Brennan was right. He just didn't think he should leave him alone. He was helpless. But, he knew he was right. Jesse got up from his chair and grabbed Brennan's hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked into his face and made certain that Brennan heard him. "OK, Brennan, OK. But you listen to me. You are going to be all right. I am coming back so just hang on."
Brennan nodded his head and looked into Jesse's face. He wasn't certain at all that he would see his friend again. He needed to tell him. "Jesse, be careful. Don't trust anyone – especially Adam. Jess, I ..."
"I know Brennan," Jesse interrupted. He couldn't stand this. It was like Brennan was saying goodbye and he would not have it. "I'll be careful. I love you too. Now just rest. You have to know something, though. Michael is Miranda's husband and he is a doctor. His first wife was killed. Brennan, she was a geneticist with Naxcon."
Brennan opened his eyes further. He was astounded that Miranda was married but even more surprised about Michael's first wife. "Does he.."
"No, he is not aware of who we are or our powers. He only knows that we were genetically altered. I do not believe that Miranda has explained anything else to him."
Brennan swallowed hard and stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly he felt uneasy about Jesse leaving him here. But he knew he would only slow him down if he tried to go with. Brennan attempted then to sit up. He wanted to test how well he felt. Maybe he could go.
"Brennan, what are you doing'?" Jesse asked as he noticed Brennan begin to struggle. He helped lift him as he realized what he wanted. Brennan stifled a cry. "Brennan?"
Brennan looked at Jesse as he continued to work his way out of bed. "We have to go," he said.
"Brennan, where? Are you saying you are going with me?" Jesse was confused. Why was Brennan acting this way?
"Jesse, get my clothes. I need to get dressed. I can't stay here," Brennan whispered. He was breathing hard and was only able to form small sentences between gasps for air.
Jesse wasn't going to argue with him. If Brennan needed to go, then he needed to go. He didn't like the idea of splitting up anyway. Ever since Michael mentioned Naxcon he had felt uneasy. Naxcon believed the mutants were criminals and psychos. It was possible Michael's wife did as well. Either way, he was beginning to think that coming here was not a good idea.
XXXX
Michael saw Miranda in the kitchen. It was obvious she had been crying. When she saw Michael, she quickly turned her face and wiped her tears. "I'm almost ready with the ice," she called, pretending she hadn't seen him.
Michael approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. He nuzzled into her ear to calm her. "Who are they, Miranda?" he whispered.
Miranda turned to him. She could not stop the tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. "Friends, Michael. They are friends." "Looks to me like more than just friends. Come on Miranda. Talk to me about them."
"I can't," Miranda firmly stated. "You wouldn't believe me anyway."
Michael took the bucket of ice and headed back toward the bedroom. He turned around and spoke directly to her. "Miranda, I am going to go and pack Brennan in ice. Then I am going to come back down and we will talk. Don't cut me short, Miranda. I know more than you think I do."
XXX
Brennan had his shirt on. He and Jesse heard Michael coming from down the hallway. Brennan still had his pants and shoes on. Jesse got Brennan to his feet just as Michael walked into the room.
"What's going on here?" Michael asked.
"We have to go. Thank you for your help, but we can't stay here," Jesse replied as he managed to get Brennan propped up against him to walk.
"No, you cannot move him now," Michael protested.
"I have to. It isn't safe for us here and we were wrong to involve you in this. It isn't safe for you," Jesse proclaimed as he and Brennan began to move towards the door.
Michael ran up to Jesse as Brennan stumbled. He caught him before he hit the floor. "Jesse, what are you worried about? Are you running from the police?"
Jesse looked at Michael and repositioned Brennan against him. "No, Michael. We are not worried about the police. Someone much more powerful than the police are after us and we have to make certain we are not caught. Michael, will you please help me to the car?"
"Jesse, where will you go? You're safe here. No one knows you are here and no one has to. Listen to me. You can't move him right now!" Michael was adamant.
Jesse looked at Brennan who nodded in agreement that they should stay. Jesse complied and he and Michael gently sat Brennan down on the bed. Miranda was standing in the doorway. She had heard the commotion. The two of them got Brennan's clothes off and tucked him into the bed. Brennan was unconscious again as Michael began placing ice around him. When he finished, he looked up at Jesse and Miranda. "OK, if I am going to be able to help here, you all have to come clean with me. What is going on?"
