Chapter Six- 'Love is the Tie that Binds' (Quote from S4 E10)

Disclaimer: Scorpion and all its characters belong to someone else. I've borrowed some of their words used on S4 E10 'Crime Every Mountain'- slightly modified- these also belong to the writers- just a loan because we all love them so much!
Any similarities to other stories are unintentional.

I hope you like this chapter! Gentle reminder- I'm not a genius, nor a doctor, so please excuse my medical and scientific knowledge if it's a bit off. Its ff after all, so it's all made up in my head!Please be kind!

Sylvester pushed Walter down the corridor, Collins following. He guessed Collins was going to take them out of the building, and who knows what the madman had planned for them. He was terrified that thug Ten- Ton would be waiting for them, but now that Collins no longer had Toby as his hostage, Sly thought they might have a better chance for escape.

Collins looked behind him for a moment at the nurse entering the room which had been Walter's. Sly quickly took his chance and slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out his very small comms and quickly shoved it into his ear. Collins hadn't noticed! He'd been too busy smirking that his plan seemed to be working.

'Where are you taking us?' he said, hoping the other team members were listening. 'Walter's nearly passed out again. He needs his meds, and shouldn't have been moved! Are you really leaving Toby to die in that room when the nurse puts the drip in his arm with whatever you put in it? I knew you were crazy, but I did not know you were a murderer, Collins.'

Terrified as he was, Sylvester was trying to alert anyone that was listening on comms what had been going on. He was petrified for Toby, but the soothing feel of the comms in his ear gave him some hope.

Collins approached him, and held his chin in with one hand, squeezing tightly so his cheeks were constricted.

'Aw, Sylvester.' he said 'Still the most EQ one of us all.' He patted Sylvester's cheeks as he continued, 'I'm not going to hurt Walter or you. It's not my style. Whatever you may think, I'm not a murderer. I didn't put the IV into Toby's arm, did I? No, it's in the hands of fate. Do you believe in fate, Sylvester?'

'No, and nor do you, Collins!'

Collins just laughed. 'As for you two, I've been working on very special research- it's Walter's own research actually. I took it from the garage when Walter was a bit busy with Ten-Ton. I've already tweaked it a bit here and there and I'm at the stage now where I need some help testing it!'

'W... Walter's research? You don't mean preserving the mind...?'

'You got it! Did you get smarter, Sylvester? Yes, I'm going to download your brains and sub consciousness and put them into my body. With my IQ, and yours and Walter's too, I'll be able to control the world! Think of it, Sylvester! The power! You'll both be dead of course, but there's always a drawback...'

Sly was gobsmacked. 'You're really crazy aren't you!' he whispered in total shock, but heard a reassuring voice in his ear. There was hope! The team was coming- he just needed more time, some sort of distraction.

Collins laughed maniacally 'Probably!' he laughed with glee. Then immediately sobered up. 'Get a move on! Go down there, by the coffee machine and laundry room. There's an exit at the end of the corridor!'

Collins pointed further down the corridor. Sylvester saw a large laundry cart in front of him with bedding and sheets spilling out of it and onto the floor whilst the orderlies threw the laundry to the cart from a newly vacated room, meaning to pick up the mess once the room was cleared. This was his only chance...

He looked at Walter, who had obviously immediately understood what Sly was about to do, and nodded slightly.

'Do it now.' Walter whispered. 'Sly, do it now!'

Sly shoved Walter's wheelchair with all his force at the cart, sending Walter and the wheelchair headlong into it ...

~OooO~

Meanwhile, the nurse was entering Walter's room. 'What's happened here?' she muttered softly, picking up Toby's hat that Collins had tossed under the bed.

Toby tried to get up, but the restraints held him down. He couldn't speak, but he made noises, trying to alert the nurse to what he guessed Collins had done. His eyes moved towards the drip as the nurse moved closer to it.

'Mmmm,' he cried 'mmmm.'

The nurse obviously didn't understand, and looked at him and said 'Don't worry, dear. It's just slipped out, I'll just get a clean needle and pop this IV drip back in- you'll feel better in no time.'

She gathered some clean sterilised equipment and was just about to reinsert the drip feed, when a flying object hurtled itself at her, and made her drop it again.

'No!' Happy cried, as she flung herself at the nurse. 'Don't put that in!'

Luckily, Happy had put her comms in earlier, so she'd known what was happening and had heard Sylvester's conversation. She'd been nearly at the hospital as she was going to sit with Toby whilst he watched over Walter, and she ran as fast as she could to Walter's room to save her husband. She ripped the covers off and the nurse was astounded to see Toby in the bed, tied up, instead of Walter.

'What on earth?' she began totally confused.

Happy ignored the nurse and pulled the bandages off Toby's face, and with a sharp movement ripped the duct tape off of his mouth. Toby screamed, holding his face, 'Ow! my mandible!' he cried.

Happy said 'Sorry, babe!' and threw herself into his arms where she received a thorough kiss for her efforts.

'Well, that was worth getting tied up for.' Toby remarked as they untied his wrists, 'Maybe...' he wiggled his eyebrows at her, smirking at the restraint ties.

'You want me to tie you up? '

'What? No. 'Course not. We would tie each other up.'

'Sicko.'

'We're not done with the conversation!'

'Whatever, Mr Grey!' she retorted.

Happy told the bemused nurse who had been listening to the exchange between them in astonishment, that there was poison in the IV, and ripped it down.

'Homeland will want this as evidence' she said. 'I phoned Cabe and he's on his way here to save Walter and Sly- I hope Sly's managed to cause a distraction like I told him too. Come on, let's go!'...

~OooO~

Sylvester fell to the ground with the force of pushing the heavy wheelchair with Walter in it away from him. He tightly squeezed his eyes shut and raised an arm to protect his head, waiting for the blow from Collins. He heard a familiar voice, and dared a peek through his fingers, breathing a sigh of relief.

'Don't move, Collins!' Cabe yelled, holding his gun towards Collins. 'It's over! Take him!' he added to the armed men who were standing behind him. Toby and Happy caught up with them just in time to see Collins standing with his hands up...

'Got me!' he said, half laughing in his crazed way, half angry his plan had failed. 'So, Toby!' he sighed 'More lives than a cat! One day, my friend. One day!'

Just at that moment Paige turned the corner, not realising what was going on, meaning to get some coffee before sitting with Walter. She was determined to spend as much time at the hospital that she could. She suddenly noticed and exclaimed... 'What's happening? Oh my Go...!'

Collins stretched out, and pulled her towards him, placing her between Cabe and the police.

The armed police stopped in their tracks and they and Cabe trained their guns on Collins, who by now had a hold around Paige's neck, placing her in front of him as protection and backing up, trying to get to the exit along the corridor.

'Don't do anything stupid, son.' Cabe warned. 'Let the girl go.'

'Move back!' Collins warned. 'Don't come any nearer, or I'm afraid Walter's little... plaything... here will suffer. Oh, excuse me ex- plaything. Now...'

Whatever he was going to say was drowned by a loud 'thunk' and Collins fell to the ground. Sylvester, who had still been on the floor behind Collins where he had fallen, had been nervously watching all that had been going on. He reached over and grabbed a walking stick which had been left beside the wall by a patient, and slammed it over Collins head.

Terrified at what he had just done, he ran to Paige's side, and they clutched at each other whilst the police quickly grabbed Collins, who had just been dazed, handcuffed him and stood him up.

Collins sighed. 'Well done, Sylvester. Braver and smarter!'

Sylvester puffed his chest out and nodded. 'We're a family. You don't hurt my family!' he announced.

The men started to drag Collins away but his voice echoed behind him, 'Bye, team! I'll see you again, never fear! It may take a few years, but you'll see!'

'Good job, kid' Cabe said, slapping Sylvester on the shoulder. Sly smiled, wiping his shoulder with his shirt over his hand. Cabe and the others, all of whom had caught up with them, looked to where Walter's muffled voice cried...

'Hello? A little help, here!'

The wheelchair had struck the cart hard, however Walter had flown out of it into a pile of laundry, and more had fallen on top of him. As they extricated him from the mess, Cabe said 'Good to have you back, son. Let's get you back to bed!'

Walter began to protest but his aching body and headache had other plans, and he slumped down in Cabe's strong arms.

'Can't seem to stand.' he murmured.

Toby and Cabe took his arms, one each side of him and slowly they all went back to the room, where the medical staff put in a new and safe drip, and made Walter comfortable.

'You... you're all here?' Walter wondered, voice still muffled by his bandages.

'Of course 197' Toby said. 'Couldn't let you have all the fun.'

'But... I'm confused.'

Sly walked over to the bed. 'Walter... I was a huge tool. I admit it. We...' he turned and indicated everyone 'We all were. I should never have quit and walked out on you. Cabe was right, we should have taken a beat and talked it through.'

Walter just stared at him. This was the man- child he loved like a brother- in fact he was his brother by marriage! Was this really happening or was it one of those strange dreams he had now and again?

'I'm sorry.' Sylvester concluded.

He stood back and Toby and Happy took his place by the bed. 'I knew you were clueless and really messed up, Walter. I should have realised your EQ dropped when Paige and Sly yelled at you and you were confused and didn't know how to handle it. Instead we just walked off. As a Harvard trained...'

Happy rolled her eyes, but Toby ignored her and continued. 'As a Harvard trained psychiatrist, I should have talked you through it. I'm sorry too, and - sorry Paige- but I really hate Centipede.'

'Yeah, stupid uniforms.' Happy agreed. 'Er... what?' She concluded as Paige threw her a look.

'Am I dreaming this?' Walter murmured feeling slightly overwhelmed and amazed. He didn't really know what he felt, he always thought he hadn't any emotions but at this moment his feelings were all over the place.

The team looked at Paige. She cleared her throat and moved to Walter's bedside. 'Walter.' she started 'I didn't mean all those terrible things I said. I was hurt and angry, so I lashed out at you.'

'It's OK, Paige. I know full well I can't be emotionally present the way you deserve, and I always knew it would just be a matter of time before you got bored of me, everyone always does in the end. I just... I just thought we were friends, and you wouldn't take Scorpion away from me...' Walter's voice broke off. He felt his eyes filling with unshed tears. He hadn't felt like this since Megan died!

'No! I didn't! I haven't! Walter, it wasn't your fault... I've never been bored of you - well maybe that awful lecture on... well anyway,' Paige shook her head to get back to the point. 'I didn't mean it to go as far as it did, I was cruel and unfeeling and later when you wanted to speak to me to sort things out. I was stubborn and mean spirited. I had to start stupid Centipede for Ralph's sake. I'm so glad this happened... well not you getting shot or Collins trying to kill Toby... but I'm off the point again. If it hadn't happened we wouldn't all be here together again- a family. Can you forgive us, Walter?'

Walter didn't speak for some time. He was trying to get back in control of himself. 'Crap!' Walter thought 'EQ is so hard to manage!' He mustn't cry in front of them all like he'd done over Megan. It was so unprofessional.

'I know I'm emotionally- what was it you said- oh yeah, a 15 year old...?' He bitterly reminded her of her own words that day.

'I was mad! I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry, Walter.'

'No, you did, but that's OK.' Walter replied.

'So... do you think you can forgive me... us?' Paige said again.

Walter once again went silent. He just couldn't believe this was actually happening. He half expected Ray or Patty to walk through the door and tell him he was dreaming.

'Walter? Walter? WALTER!'

'What? Oh, sorry. Yes, yes, I think I can. But guys, I'm not strong enough for you to leave me a second time if things get difficult. I'm not good at expressing myself and...'

'You don't say!' Toby interjected.

'... and if I mess up again- I really try not to, I just do - if I mess up again, we'll just cool off and then talk about it, yeah?'

'And I promise not to be such a... know-it all...' Toby added.

'Yeah, not gonna happen!' Happy interjected.

'Well, I'll try, anyway. Moving on...'

'And Walter... I broke up with you in front of everyone, so I'll just say this now... Walter, I love you. I don't care if we walk on the beach with you giving me a ... a marine lecture, or spilling three way mayonnaise all over us at a restaurant, just as long as we're together. Please... will you give me another chance- give us another chance?'

Walter looked at her through his big brown eyes, with a furrowed brow... another chance? Could he? Should he? He couldn't take another break up, and he was sure to mess up along the line sometime. What should he do? He looked at each of them in turn.

'Walter?' Paige stuttered...

To Be Continued...

Oh no! Sorry- another cliffhanger, but Walter's got a big decision to make! What do you guys think he'll decide? Do you think he can trust Paige not to get angry with him and walk out again? OK, well let's see...