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Note: - Italics is the dreamscape
Chapter Three
Shalimar pulled into her driveway noticing Brennan's car wasn't there 'he had better not have stayed late at work' she thought to herself as she excited the car grabbing her bags of groceries and heading to the front door just as she got there the door opened and her dad stood in front of her.
"I'm so sorry dad; Brennan promised he would be home sharp from work to let you get home. Has Josh been good? I hope he didn't give you a hard time putting him to bed again. If I had know Brennan wasn't home yet I wouldn't have stopped at the supermarket on my way home from Jen's" she said walking past him into the house heading to the kitchen to put her groceries away.
"Shalimar it's okay, but can you just stop for a minute please" Nicholas looked worryingly at his daughter while following her into the kitchen.
"Is everything okay dad?"
"Shalimar come here and sit down sweetheart" he tried to sound as calm as possible.
"What's wrong is mom okay?"
"Mom's fine, please come and sit down"
"No dad, just tell me, is Josh sick?" she was starting to panic.
"Shalimar, sweetheart, please just sit down and I will tell you okay?"
"Okay" she pulled out a seat and was about to sit down when she realised Brennan wasn't home and he never worked late if he was needed at home "Daddy where is Brennan?" she choked out while sinking into the seat.
Nicholas knelt down in front of her and took a deep breath "There was an accident" he paused seeing the tears forming in her eyes and struggled to hold his own back. "Brennan was badly hurt, I spoke to the hospital ten minutes ago and he is still in surgery they really couldn't tell me much more. I phoned your mom she is on her way over and is going to stay here and watch Joshua while I drive you to the hospital, okay?" his heart broke for her, she was just sitting staring at him as though the information hadn't sunk in. "Shalimar did you hear me?" he waited a moment before placing his hands on top of hers "Sweetheart, I need you to talk to me"
"Daddy" she managed to choke out before the tears started to fall from her eyes. Nicholas took her in his arms and let her cry into his chest.
Jesse entered the rec room looking for Emma; she was sitting on the sofa deep in conversation with Isabel.
"Hey Jess, I was just telling Isabel about Eckhart, the GSA and what happened at Naxcon" Emma said watching Jesse walk in and take a seat in a recliner across from her.
"Yeah, and here I thought we had heard the last of him but I guess it shouldn't really surprise me that he would have someone that can continue his legacy" Jesse grumbled.
"I can't believe Simon would fall for what this guy told him, I mean he really believes he is apprehending dangerous mutants not kidnapping innocent people so this Eckhart guy can get revenge" Isabel sadly told them.
"Well if he is anything like his father he will have a way to twist the truth to his own advantage" Jesse replied.
"So can you tell us more about how Simon uses his powers?" Emma asked.
"Well the person has to be unconscious and he hits them with a psionic blast entering there mind and creating a new reality for them" Isabel explained.
"How does he pick what to make them believe? I mean we have encountered a psionic before that read someone's worst fears and then made them live it" Emma asked.
"I guess in a way he does the same thing, but it isn't fears he reads. He can tune into their desires and he will create a world for them based on that"
"Well hopefully that should keep them save for now I mean your desires don't hurt you like fears do right?" Jesse asked.
"That all depends on how strong a desire it is. Do you know what your friends want most?"
"I don't know probably a bit of a more normal life, I know that is what I would say mine is" Emma said
"I though you liked your life exciting?" Jesse asked a bit shocked.
"Don't get me wrong I do but my hidden desires are more in tune with wanting a normal life away from mutants you know fitting in with the rest of the world, a husband maybe a couple of kids, the white picket fence and all"
"Do you think Bren and Shal want that too?" Jesse asked.
"I don't know maybe, Shal I think more than Bren he is more likely to want something a bit more exotic" Emma said chuckling.
"Yeah a world full hot woman and fast cars" Jesse added laughing. "Oh wait that's mine"
Adam stood in the doorway observing 'its good to see them smiling even if it will be short lived' he thought to himself. "I made some pasta for dinner if you guys are hungry" he said moving into the room.
"Thanks Adam, I'm not really that hungry but I guess I can always have a small portion" Emma said standing
"Yeah thanks, I am actually quite hungry myself" Jesse added.
"Isabel?" Adam said looking over at her.
"Oh yes that would be great thanks" she smiled and followed the others to the kitchen they all ate in relative silence no one really knowing what to say.
"Isabel if you want you can stay here until this is all over, I have tapped into your home number so when Simon phones you it will be diverted here to sanctuary" Adam said breaking the silence.
"Are you sure its okay I mean I don't want to impose" she asked.
"Don't be silly you are the one helping us, and I agree you should stay it will be a lot safer for you" Emma added.
"Okay I would feel a lot safer here with you guys, although I can't believe you are all being so nice to me considering what my brother has done to your friends"
"Hey that is not your fault and besides you are helping us, who knows how we would find them if it wasn't for you" Jesse tried to reassure her.
"I will go fix up one of the guest rooms for you so you can get settled in, I can lend you some clothes since we are about the same size and let me know if you need anything else" Emma said heading out the kitchen.
"Thanks" Isabel smiled.
Shalimar and Nicholas sat in the hospital waiting room they had been there for nearly two hours and Shalimar was starting to get more and more restless.
"What is taking them so long?" she sighed pacing the room for the umpteenth time.
"I don't know sweetheart but the nurse said someone will come talk to us as soon as he is out of surgery, now please sit down you are going to wear a whole in the floor"
"I just want to know how he is, I am going to go talk to someone I mean they must know something" she made to leave but Nicholas pulled on her arm stopping her.
"I know it is hard but let them do there job, you annoying them every five minutes isn't going to help Brennan" he tried to reason.
"But…." she trailed off seeing a doctor enter the room.
"Mrs Mulwray, I am Doctor Reynolds I was the surgeon who attended to your husband"
"How is he?" she asked unable to hide the fear in her voice.
"Well, when he was brought in he had serious injuries, he has a couple of broken ribs one of which punctured his lung, he also had some swelling in his brain from the head injury he sustained, I managed to relieve some of the pressure but he is in a critical condition at the moment."
"Can I see him?" she asked.
"Of course, this way" the doctor led them to Brennan's room stopping just outside his hand on the door handle "Now we had to put him on a ventilator to help him breath so please try and not be to alarmed when you see him" seeing Shalimar nod he opened the door and entered the room followed by Shalimar and Nicholas.
The beeping of the machine monitoring Brennan's heart and the sound of the ventilator going up and down aiding his breathing was all that could be heard in the room, silent tears fell from Shalimar's eyes as she stared at her unconscious husband.
"I will leave you alone, if you have any question just see the nurse at the desk outside and she will page me" the doctor said leaving the room.
"Thank you" Nicholas replied with a half hearted smile.
Shalimar walked over to the bed and gently rubbed her hand over Brennan's cheek "Hey sweetie, I'm here, please be okay" she choked out fighting back the tears "Look at him daddy he is so pale"
"I know honey" not really knowing what else to say he just walked over putting his arm around her and kissing the top of her head "He will be fine I promise" he said praying he was right.
Emma lay awake in her bed tossing and turning unable to fall asleep, she had once again spent nearly an hour trying unsuccessfully to get a hit of off Brennan or Shalimar frustrated she through the covers off and headed out her room passing by the lab she noticed Adam was still up 'does that man ever rest' she thought to herself entering the room. "Adam it is half three in the morning why aren't you in bed?"
"I tried for about an hour but couldn't so I decided that I may as well get some work done, what about you why aren't you in bed?"
"Same reason I guess, so do you need any help?"
"Not really, being honest I am not doing much, I thought maybe if I went over these files again I might find something I missed" the strain and worry was starting to show in the older man.
"It's not your fault Adam you know that, right?"
"Yes but I still can't help but feel responsible, I mean it was me who sent you guys there in the first place, without knowing who we were up against"
"You are starting to listen to Brennan to much, Adam you can't control every situation or know what danger lies behind every corner, we all knew there were risks in this job before we signed on"
"I know, you are right Emma but I can't rest until they are home safe where they belong"
"I was going to make some hot milk to try and help me sleep would you like some?" She asked him with a smile.
"Yes that would be lovely" he said switching off the screen and following her to the kitchen "Can I presume you have had no luck trying to connect to them?"
"Yeah I have tried a few times and all I get is a blank wall" she replied "I take it they must be to deeply unconscious making it impossible for me to reach them either that or they are already……" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence as tears started to fall.
"Shhhh" Adam tried to comfort, wiping her tears away before pulling her into a hug.
"I'm sorry Adam I just miss them"
"I know we all do, but we will get them back, for now we just have to stay strong. So how about you make me that hot milk like you promised" he said with a smile.
"Sure" she smiled weakly at him and headed to the fridge.
TBC