"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part X…
Alternate Warehouseverse…
"Leena? You're bothering me with this now? Myka has yet another con story?" Peter stared at the agent before him.
One whom he'd come to hope had learnt a thing or two from him in her time with him…But now…
"Sir, she claims to have ovarian cancer…"
"And she's pregnant, right? So, please…Don't bronze me!" sarcastic tone.
"She says we won't find it in our Myka's medical records or blood samples, if we have access to any…But she'll show positive. Because she's not our Myka…Sir."
He eyed her.
"Sir. It's not hard to verify. And if a criminal is escaping justice…Somehow…"
"Jinks?" he looked over to Jinks standing quietly next to Leena. "You've talked to her…"
"She hasn't lied to me…That I can tell…But Myka's fooled me before with Claudia's self-hypno trick."
"Mr. Lattimer." Leena, urgently. "If she's telling the truth, we can know in a few hours. The test is simple."
"She's simply trying to avoid her sentence. Myka Bering's proved to be an excellent liar…Almost as good as she is at murder."
"Sir…If you don't test her…Cecily's murderess could escape." Leena noted quietly. "And she claims the Claudia in bronze here isn't our Claudia…That she escaped to her world as well."
"Really? So lets release the most dangerous foes the Warehouse has ever encountered…Most dangerous because we trusted them…Loved them…And they betrayed us…Betrayed everything we stand for…And tried to help that maniac Paracelsus escape…"
"Sir…" Jinks sighed. "I agree with you. I think the woman is lying. But it won't do any harm to test…And if she might be telling the truth…Pete." Wan smile…
Lattimer…Hard stare…
"We've seen a lot of strange things since we signed on here…" Jinks shrugged.
….
Original Warehouseverse…
"Artie?" Myka stared at her Farnsworth…
"Claudia and Mrs. Fredericks may have been attacked, Myka! Get to them as fast as you can! We're on our way!"
"Yes, sure!..." she nodded.
Oh, God…She looked away…
I never wanted this…I didn't ask for this…I was a good person before I came here…There, I mean…
But…What can I do, now? Like Claudia says…Who'd believe my story?
And even if they listened… I did…Kill…
Even if it was for love…I killed…
And if it ends here…Now…And Claudia can do what she said…
And this Pete…This sweet Pete…Who does love me too…I'm sure of it…
It's only a little more than what I've already done…
And one day, far from now, over there…They'll let the other one out…Debronze her, learn the truth…And she'll see the future…
Maybe it'll even be very nice…Maybe she'll be happier there than I will be here…
What else can I do, now?...Except go forward…
And hope Claudia can do what she says…What she promised…
She turned and headed back…
….
"Artie? Shouldn't we come too…?" Jinks, image on Farnsworth…
"No!…No…Both of you stay and complete the mission…Try to find the focal point of the holographic transmissions. Myka and I'll take care of Claudia and Mrs. Fredericks…"
"Artie…" Pete's anxious face now…
"For God's sakes lets try and stick to the program and stop letting this mad man call the shots!" Artie raged. "Now go and do as I say!"
"Artie?..." Myka's image on small screen…He expanded it.
"They're unconscious…Both of them…What should I do?!"
"Stay with them…Try to revive them, but gently…Do not try anything until I get there unless they seem to be going into cardiac arrest! I'll be there in a few minutes! And Myka! If Paracelsus shows, shoot him! And don't miss!"
"Ok!" she nodded. Looking at the two unconscious forms in their chairs…
Claudia, slight moan…Mrs. Fredericks, still…
Ok…Just like Artie says…Gently…
It's nothing Claudia didn't say to do…
….
Alternate Warehouseverse…Confinement area…
Myka wincing as blood is drawn from her right arm…Leena pulling tube, then removing needle quickly…Applying gauze with pressure…
"Hold this for a minute…Press tight." Leena commanded. Myka holding gauze on the needle site.
"Ok…" Peter nodded as Leena held the blood tube up to him. "Have it processed immediately."
"Thanks." Myka eyed him.
"This won't keep you out of that bronzer, Bering." He replied, coolly. "If you're lying and I'm sure you are…All this does is prove what you are…" icy stare.
"Fine." She nodded. "I assume my medical records here don't show me positive for cancer?"
"No." he said, curtly.
"Then we'll see."
"Yeah."
"And if I test positive for cancer?"
"Hardly proves anything…" he eyed her. "Just that no one else knew but some doctor you found…"
"I see…I'd find I have cancer and keep it a secret from competent medical help?"
"Donovan could have offered you a cure…You might have used an artifact to induce it…Gain sympathy. You're good at that." Peter eyed her tensely.
"She hurt someone…" Myka eyed him… "The other me…Who? I haven't seen Artie, did she hurt him? Did she kill him?"
"Leena? Let me know when the test results are in. Jinks, what is the condition of the bronzer?"
"Yes, sir." Leena nodded and headed out of the confinement cell with the sample in a carrying basket. Pausing at the outer exit.
"The bronzer is cleared for use, sir." Jinks said. "But the team recommends the full overnight test, to be sure."
"At 8 am I want the sentence carried out." Peter said, calmly…Eyeing Myka. "No delays unless another malfunction appears, Jinks. If Mrs. Fredericks appeals this, tell her I take full responsibility."
"Yes, sir." Jinks nodded. Moving to the entrance.
"If you bronze me, you lose any chance of stopping whatever the other one is doing in my world…" Myka noted. "And whoever she hurt here…She gets away with it. Thanks to you, Pete."
"You heard my order, Mr. Jinks?" Peter called, ignoring her.
"Yes, sir." Jinks nodded, signaling the guard to let him out.
"Mrs. Fredericks is coming to see you…" Peter eyed Myka. "I'd make it good…" he turned and headed out.
She staring after him a moment, then at the nearest wall…Closing eyes.
….
Original Warehouseverse…
Section 1…
"Artie…Thank God…" Myka sighed, hurrying to him…Hugging…
"They're breathing but…"
"Ok…Ok…" he patted her… "Lets take care of them and it'll be ok… Come on…"
He went to Claudia, moving her head gently, opening an eye…
"My bag…Myka?!"
She carried the bag over, hastily…
"Go and call Dr. Calder…Myka?"
"Who?..."
"Vanessa…Myka? This isn't the time to fold up on me! Her number's on my desk under my emergency numbers list…Go!"
"Yeah, sure…Sorry…" she hurried out…
He shined a light in Claudia's opened eye…Turning her head.
Wincing at Claudia's sudden tremor…A minor convulsion…
"Claudia…" he sighed… "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry…" he pulled her head to one side and gave a hard slap…
"Come on, Claudia…" he eyed her…Reaching for the bag…
Pulling out a syringe and a vial…Then a needle in sterile pouch which he opened and screwed on to the syringe, then plunged the needle into the vial.
"Artie!..." Myka had returned. "I called her…Vanessa…She's coming as fast as she can…Should we get 911? She told me to check with …"
"No! Those fellows wouldn't know what they're dealing with here…No, we'll have to handle them till Vanessa gets here…" Artie insisted. "Go and check Mrs. Fredericks' pulse…"
"Right…" she nodded.
Lets see…I remember this from basic training…Yeah… She grabbed the limp right wrist and felt…
Wincing as she caught sight of Artie suddenly plunging his needle into Claudia's chest…
Oh…She gulped… "Artie?! What's that?!..."
"It's adrenalin…I'm trying to restart her heart…"
"What?!"
"Just check that pulse, Myka…Can you find one?!"
"Uh…Yes…Very faint…"
Claudia? Dead? No…Oh, no…
What'll I do?...Who'll tell me what to do here?
Still…She pondered…Eyeing Mrs. Fredericks slightly moving chest…
It could make things…Easier…
But what if Mrs. Fredericks lives? And knows, now…
Coughing sound, Claudia moving slightly…
Phew…
I guess…
"Claudia? Claudia?!" Artie, shaking her slightly.
"Arthur?" she gasped… "Oh…My Arthur…?"
"Claudia?"
"Oh, darling…" she blinked… Uh…
"Thank God…" he sighed. "Ok, just lie still…I've got to help Mrs. Fredericks…" he rose.
Myka blinking…
Uh…
Help? Mrs. Fredericks?
But Claudia said…
"I'll take her…" Artie told her, gently… "You go help Claudia now…"
"Artie…" Claudia, gasping… "Paracelsus…"
"Just lie still…" he called. "Let Myka help you. Mrs. Fredericks? Ma'am…" he called.
God, is she going to kill me for this…He sighed…Pulling a second needle…
"Myka? I need you here after all…" he called her over.
"Artie?" she came over…Staring at the limp body… "Is she…?"
"Open her blouse…" he sighed…Trying to look away…
Uh…She glanced over to Claudia who eyed her…A weary stare but a firm one…
"Ok…" she fumbled at the blouse as Artie prepared another syringe…
"Back!..." he ordered her…
Oh, God…She looked away as Artie plunged the needle on syringe into the chest…
Sudden gasp from Mrs. Fredericks…Ahhh…Uhhhh…Heaving motion…
I can't…I can't stay…Myka rose…
If she wakes up and…
"Myka. Help me, please." Claudia, calmly…
"She's better…" Artie noted…
"Myka?" Claudia, gently but firmly. Myka reluctantly turning to her…
"Mrs. Fredericks? Mrs. Fredericks? I'm sorry…" Artie, solemnly…Slapping hard.
"She won't wake up…" Claudia hissed. "I'm the caretaker now…She'll stay in her coma…Just relax and follow my lead…Myka?!"
"Ok…" Artie sighed… "Her heart rate is steady if weak…Claudia?"
"We..Were…"
"No, not now, sweetheart…Later…" he shook his head. "Just rest…You'll gonna need it… Rest…"
"Ok…"
"Good job there, sweetheart." He smiled at her…
She grinned faintly, then closed her eyes…
"So…Mrs. Fredericks?" Myka turned to him…
"I think she'll live but she's in a comatose state…It's the usual thing when caretaker authority transfers and normal…As normal as this sort of thing can be…" he shrugged.
"Will she wake up?" Myka, pasting concerned look, anxious tone…
"Not while the power rests with Claudia…" he sighed. "But we'll deal with that later…For now, lets just be grateful they both survived this one."
"Yeah…Things worked out…Ok…" Myka, wan smile to him…
"Lets hope so…" he nodded.
