After a scrumptious breakfast, Flint, Jaye, Nancy, Brenna and Aunt Brody grabbed their skates for some midmorning skating at the frozen pond at the edge of the farmland.
Nancy immediately put on her skates when they arrived at the lake, and helped Aunt Brody with his. "Come on, Aunt Brody! You can do it!" she assured, helping the man on the ice.
Aunt Brody looked frightened staring down at the frozen pond. He wore a mini ice skating blue skirt and a fuzzy white snow top, a blue Santa hat completed the outfit, "Are you sure about this, lass?" he asked nervously, wobbling on the ice.
Flint chuckled. "Nancy, you better watch your Aunt Brody." He then took Jaye's hand, "Ready to show up these three amateurs?"
"Hey!" Nancy sent him a foul glare, "Who's an amateur?" she stated as she let go of Aunt Brody and did a double Axel on the ice.
"Lass!!!!" Aunt Brody waved his arms around, skating out of control on the ice. They watch him head towards the stone bridge.
"AUNT BRODY!!!!" Jaye cried out, and raced towards him.
"Dash!!!" Brenna called out pointing at ,Jaye and her high rate of speed towards the bridge.
Flint madly skated towards Jaye. "Allie!!! Stop!" he pleaded, watching his show off sister skate fast towards Aunt Brody and catching him by the hand.
Jaye heard the concern on his voice and stopped immediately, breathing a sigh of relief seeing that Aunt Brody was now safe and what appeared to be laughing.
"Now, that was some adventure!" Aunt Brody smiled as Nancy lead him back to the others.
"Sorry, Allie." Nancy apologized, who now was making sure Aunt Brody was not leaving her sight.
Jaye put her hands on her hips and gave Flint the look. "I know what I'm doing, you know."
Brenna chuckled and skated over to Aunt Brody and Nancy. "Big Brother is in trouble." she laughed.
"Yeah, and it's mostly my fault," Nancy whispered to Brenna.
Aunt Brody put an arm over the young woman. "Dona worry lass, tis not yer fault." They all turned towards Flint who was frowning, skating closer to Jaye. "Umm.. anyone got a bomb shelter under yer skating skirts?"
"We better do something before this goes into a full scale battle, including causalities!" Nancy suggested, now seeing her brother near his wife.
Flint halted inches from Jaye. "You could had both gotten hurt!" His voice was not pleased, almost angry like.
"I HAD A WAYS TO GO!!!" Jaye yelled. "I COULDN'T LET HIM HIT THE BRIDGE. HE'S NEVER ICE SKATED BEFORE!!!"
"You know, this is kind of entertaining," Brenna said, watching the arguing couple.
Nancy shook her head. "You watch too many soap operas, Bren." Then she watched her brother's face turn into Rudolph's nose on a good day. "Oh boy..."
"Nancy was closer to him! She could had gotten there faster than you! And she did!" Flint's anger could be heard from his words.
"He had to put me in the middle," Nancy whispered to Aunt Brody. "I'm moving to your house soon," she added, making the man chuckle.
"So what!!!" Jaye yelled. "He's my Aunt and I reacted, so shoot me!!!" She tried to get around him to leave.
"Should we call in reinforcements?" Brenna asked.
"I wish Shana and Conrad had stayed overnight." Nancy claimed. "Maybe I should call General Abernathy and have him send in the troops."
Flint was staying silent, making them all nervous now. He kept looking at his wife with no retaliation to her words. But he had stepped in front of her, not permitting her to leave.
"Get out of my way, Dashiell!" Jaye growled, her eyes burning with anger.
"I'll go get, Dad." Brenna said, trying to retreat away from the scene.
Flint turned towards his retreating sister. "Don't." His face was serious. He then faced Jaye. "I'm not getting out of your way. We need to talk."
Nancy looked from her brother to her sister-in-law, watching their features change dramatically. "Umm... Brenna, Aunt Brody and I will skate over there." She pointed on the other side of the bridge. She grabbed the others hands and began to head that way. The trio skated away from the couple. But Nancy didn't see the fallen 'Warning Thin Ice' sign, which had been thrown to the ground by the strong wind.
"Allie, I'm worried about you. First you were sick with the flu, then morning sickness and now this." Flint went to hold her hand but she pulled it away from him. His eyes dropped to the ground, obviously she was not in a happy mood.
"I'm not an invalid, Dash!" Jaye said, but some of the fire from her anger had dissipated. "I won't be treated like I am." She turned and skated away towards the other side of the bridge.
"Allie! Get back here!" Flint followed her, skating quickly towards the other side of the pond, passing the grave looks on his sisters faces, who were now teaching Aunt Brody the fundamentals of ice skating. "Be careful with Aunt-" He called out to them but his words were quickly drowned by the breaking of the ice beneath his feet, and the next instant his entire body felt like pine needles attacking it.
"DASH!!!" Nancy and Brenna screamed at once, their fearful cries caught Jaye's attention, who was on the other side of the pond, jumping another double Axel.
"DASH!!!!!" Jaye cried out in anguish and quickly skated that way. She laid down on her belly and scooted closer reaching out her hand for her husband.
"I'm going to go call 911!" Brenna called out and took off her skates but didn't take the time to put her boots on and ran towards the house at top speed using her state champ running legs with all her might.
"Dash, take my hand!!!" Jaye called out, edging closer to the broken ice.
"Allie! Stay back!" His head went under the ice cold water and resurfaced a few seconds later. "Aunt Brody get her out of here!" He ordered, with chattered teeth. His legs were turning numb. 'Keep moving.' his mind screamed.
"Alison! move back!" Aunt Brody called to his niece, shaking from fear for the both of them.
Suddenly, Jaye felt someone crawl behind her. "Allie, here, take the branch!" Nancy had lay on the ice, holding a large branch for her to grab hold.
"Both.. of.. you.. back!" Flint continued to chatter from the ice water, they could see his lips turn to a slight blue coloring. Time was running out! They had to save him!
Jaye took the branch and moved it for Flint to grab onto. It wasn't quite long enough so she scooted out farther. "Grab the branch! I'm not leaving you!!!"
Nancy looked towards her brother in deep concern, then glanced towards her running sister, who had gotten to the house.
Brenna ran inside the house. "CALL 911!!! DASH FELL THROUGH THE ICE!!!!"
Logan was immediately on his feet and ran outside after grabbing his coat and was running to the barn to start the tractor with the wench on it.
Robert ran outside after grabbing his coat and ran for the lake.
Back on the lake, Flint could feel most of his body begin to numb. "Back..." His voice had become weaker from the ice water. " Allie... please... back.." He tried to pull himself out of the ice but miserably failed. A scary vision ran through his mind, Jaye raising their child without him. He closed his eyes for a moment and heard Jaye's scream.
"I'm going for another branch!" Nancy cried out, heading for the two trees near the pond.
Aunt Brody watched her skid on the ice and hit her head. Then after several moments, she saw her pick herself up and skate wobbly towards the trees, grabbing another branch, a longer one and headed back her way.
Jaye put the branch to the side and scooted closer and reached out and grabbed Flint's coat so he didn't go under the water anymore.
"ALLIE!!!" She heard her father scream as he came closer.
"Daddy, pull my legs!!!" Jaye yelled at him.
"Get.. her.. safe.." Flint pleaded, his face turning more blue. His eyes began to close slowly. No! his mind screamed, Don't quit! He had to fight! He was a fighter, a G.I. JOE, one of the best of the best.
Nancy watched Robert grabbed his daughter's legs. She skated quickly and threw the other branch over, watching Jaye catch it in the air. Her head throbbed from her fall and she felt Aunt Brody's strong arms around her waist, catching her before the blackness sent her once more towards the ice.
"The lass is hurt!" said Aunt Brody in a panic, holding Nancy in his arms.
The sound of the tracker made them all turn, watching Logan come to the rescue.
Jaye refused to let go of Flint. "Dash please...look at me." She cried to him.
Logan got out of the tractor and pulled out the hook and chain. "Robert, give this to Allie to hook on his coat!!!"
"Got it!" Robert reached out and grabbed the hook. "Alison! Hook this on his coat."
Flint opened his eyes slightly. "Want.. to... come.. in..? Wat...er for pen...guins... only." Watching her hook his coat. By the looks on her face, she was going to smack him from his joke.
"It's hooked," Jaye yelled, her lips were turning blue as well since her legs were bare because she was wearing a skating skirt. She was getting cold.
Logan started to wench up the chain just as the ice started cracking and Jaye fell in with Flint, going immediately under the water.
"Alison!" Robert, Logan and Aunt Brody screamed at once.
Flint grabbed Jaye's waist, bringing her back up. "Sure... listen... now..." His said while chattering, while she coughed out water and clung to him.
Sirens sounded coming up the driveway and headed their way. In moments two fire trucks halted in front of the lake and the rescue units ran on the ice, taking action. One firefighter took Nancy from Aunt Brody's arms, while another guided Aunt Brody away from the lake. Three others helped Flint and Jaye out of the water, slowly, using the rescue gear. Both were covered immediately with warm blankets when they were taken towards safety. Both Logan and Robert rushed after their children as the entire group headed towards the house where Jean, Brenna and Molly waited anxiously.
"Here they come, Momma." Brenna pointed out.
"One of these days, they are going to give me gray hair," Jean replied, then quickly shook her head, "What am I saying? They already have!"
The rescue unit brought in the two wet Joes and the unconscious Nancy.
"Merry Christmas, Jean." One of the firefighters said, kissing Jean on the cheek.
"Merry Christmas, Warren." Jean replied. "But seems my group as usual has a very adventurous one."
"Warren." John the other Paramedic called out. "We need to take this one to the ER." He said pointing at Jaye.
"Why?" Brenna asked.
"She's pregnant." John answered.
"What's that got to do with anything, laddie?" Robert asked.
"She was wet and cold, it could lead to her losing the baby," John answered and motioned for a gurney.
Jaye looked at Flint wide eyed and afraid.
Flint took Jaye's hand. "Alright, let's go. I'm not going to endanger their lives." They followed John outside to the ambulance, which had just arrived. Flint helped Jaye lay in the back and then settled himself next to her, still shivering from his frosty experience. "If Nancy's not dead, remind me to kill her." He joked but was very concerned for his sister, who had still not awaken from her fall. He felt Jaye's hand on his arm and her head resting on his shoulders. He kissed her forehead, letting her know that everything will be all right.
Warren brought Nancy into the ambulance and climbed in the back. He started the process of taking everyone's vitals before the rig took off.
Robert looked at Logan. "Where they be taken the kids?"
"Wichita General. Come on, I'll drive you." Logan said, and walked into the house and over to Jean. "Momma, Robert and I are going to the hospital with the kids."
Jean nodded. "I'll stay here with Brenna and Molly." She then kissed her husband. "Call when you have news." Her eyes full of worry for the group.
"Lass, let's have some of yer American coffee till we have news." Aunt Brody suggested.
At the hospital, the three of them were put in three different rooms. Flint was warmed up and monitored to make sure that he didn't get Pneumonia. Nancy had a concussion and had to be kept awake for the next twelve hours and was eventually put in the same room with her brother. But every time one of the four of them asked about Jaye there were no straight answers.
Flint growled from being kept in the dark. "For Pete's sake! WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled at himself.
Nancy turned to her brother. "Oh, what lovely choice of words on a day like today."
"Shut up, Nancy," he growled back, making her mood even angrier.
"Don't you tell me to shut up! This is all your fault!" Her eyes narrowed,
He glared at her. "My fault! You should have seen that warning!" His voice became sharper.
"And who was the one who was supposed to check on the ice?" Nancy casually replied.
"And who was the one who was supposed to be watching, Aunt Brody?"
"And who was making Allie all upset?" She countered his attack.
"I did NOT get her upset!" he thundered.
"Did so!"
"DID NOT!!!"
"DID SO!!!!"
A voice came from the doorway, disrupting their argument.
"Will the two of ye stop it?!" Robert Burnett growled. "It be nobody's fault."
"Fighting will not make the waiting any easier." Logan added as he tried to figure out a way to sneak his Windex in there.
"Tell that to the evil plastic things Queen!" Flint pointed at his sister, who was now sending him icicles from her eyes.
"Dashie, stop PMSing!!!" Nancy retorted.
"PMSing! Who the hell is PMsing! What the hell are you talking about!" Flint growled back.
"Yes, PMSing, Pre Mommy Syndrome!" Nancy nodded in triumph at her brother's shocked face.
"Nancy! I'm going to--" But his words were cut off by the nurse entering the room. "Any word? How is my wife?"
Nancy also looked at the nurse, awaiting any news on Jaye's condition.
"I'm sorry you'll have to talk to the doctor," the nurse said.
Robert was about to retort but Logan's hand on his arm stopped him.
"What the hell!" Flint grumbled again to himself. "Get me the doctor now!" He tried to get out of bed, but his wobbly legs caused him to fall down on the ground.
"Dash!" Nancy cried out, "You all right?" She then watched the Nurse run for her life, "You have such a way with women, I don't know how Allie handles it all day." Then gulped from her brother's glare as he got back into bed.
"When you get married, remind me to tell your husband everything! Including that!" He said in triumph, at his sister's shock look.
"Evil."
More than an hour later a doctor walked in to check on the two Faireborns.
"Will you two stop fighting!" Doctor Bryan commanded stepping in at another full blown argument. He shook his head, "Logan, I remember when you used to bring me these two wild horses for check ups, always arguing... too bad they didn't behave like Brenna, some things don't change I see."
Nancy pouted. "He started it!" she claimed, pointing at her brother.
Dr. Bryan tsked her. "Nancy, we all know you began this argument."
Flint stopped Dr. Bryan by grabbing his arm. "Sir, how is my wife?" He asked in concern.
"Your wife?" Dr. Bryan asked in confusion.
Flint looked bewildered. "Yes, my wife. Alison Faireborn, short brown curly hair, green eyes, nasty Scottish temper, hates hospitals, can kill a doctor, not to mention a few terrorists and pregnant."
"I'll go do some checking for you. Are you sure you didn't hit your head like your sister?" the Doctor asked.
Nancy covered her mouth to keep from laughing, loving the torment that the Doctor was giving Flint.
"I didn't hit my head! I have a wife! See my ring!!" He showed his wedding band at the Doctor, "Now, where is Allie? Please, tell me."
"I will go check what is going on and be right back," the doctor promised and left.
"They lost me baby girl?" Robert asked in shock.
Nancy now even looked worried. "What the hell is going on?"
Flint shot her a look. "See! Now you know what I'm going through!" He stood up again, ignoring the numbness in his legs, "That's it! I'm going to find her myself."
"I'm coming too!" Nancy added, "How in the world did they lose Allie! They probably did, I haven't heard any Gaelic curses at all!"
"You're right!" Flint agreed. "Let's go!" He walked over and helped his sister out of bed. "Pa, Da, stay here and see what the Doctor finds out." The two Faireborn siblings rushed out of the room in a hurry.
Somewhere else in the Hospital, Jaye lay in the bed half asleep due to the mild pain killers she was given. She was three floors up from them.
The door gently opened and three blurry figures entered, walking slowly towards her bedside.
One figure in white spoke softly to the other two. "Here is Miss Hart-Burnett. We are so glad that we could reach you,"
Jaye could see some red coloring and yellow, but nothing else.
"Is she alright? We called her family's house and they informed us about the accident when you first contacted us. We are extremely worried about the other member of our team, Dashiell Faireborn and his sister, Nancy Faireborn."
The nurse shook her head, "We don't have anyone admitted by those names on this floor, Ma'am."
"Duke?" The woman's voice was full of alarm, she had turned to the third person in the room.
"Go find them." Duke told Scarlett.
Scarlett nodded and headed out of the door and straight to the nurses station. "Excuse me, I'm looking for two patients, name is Faireborn. One is--" but her words were cut off by an elderly man's voice.
"There you are! Dashiell is gone insane with worry about you!" the doctor grabbed Scarlett's hand and pulled her towards the elevator. "We must hurry! He may blow up my Hospital and I still got five years until retirement!"
"Let's hurry then," Scarlett replied to the doctor. Just as the doors to the elevator were closing she caught a glimpse of Duke coming out of Jaye's room.
"Who's that Doctor with Scarlett and why is he pulling her into the elevator?" Duke asked to no one in particular.
A nurse looked up from her station, "That's Dr. Bryan. But between you and me I think he's a quack. Last year he misplaced five patients! And thought two women were his dead wife. We never saw those women again either, pretty weird come to think ab---" But Duke didn't listen to the remaining words of the Nurse's, he was running down the hall at full speed.
Down three floors, Flint and Nancy were chased back into their room by one very large mean looking nurse, who even made Roadblock look smaller!
"Now you two, stay here or else!" Her voice was strict and full of discipline, "And you Mr. Faireborn! Wear some underwear!" she ordered, pointing to his backside.
Flint looked at his backside and gasped. "Sorry, won't happen again."
Nancy choked a giggle, walking back to her bed, where her father was snoring.
"Yer Da can sleep through a train wreck." Robert said sitting from a chair.
They could hear the doctor talking to someone out in the hallway.
"Dad can sleep through a earthquake, actually, he did once when we went to Greece for a vacation." Nancy replied, glancing down at her father's features.
"I wonder if Dr. Bryan found Allie yet?" Flint asked, nervous to go out again because of the Grumpy Green Giant on duty.
The doctor pulled the red head in the room. "See Dash, I found your wife safe and sound."
"WIFE!!" The entire room echoed, and the doctor cleaned out his ear.
"Yes, your wife." Doctor Bryan said giving him a pitiful look. "You must have hit your head a little to hard."
"That..." Robert was cut off by his son-in-law.
"Shana! What the hell you are doing here?" Flint asked bewildered.
Scarlett looked from the Doctor, who was still holding her arm, to the warrant officer, "He brought me to you."
"I thought your wife's name was Alison?" The doctor asked.
"It is Alison! Alison Faireborn! Now where is she?" He stepped closer to the Doctor.
"Dash, she's three floors up." Scarlett replied, hoping Flint didn't kill the doctor. "They called Joe headquarters because of her dog tags. Hawk thought it was another Cobra attack, so he sent Duke and myself to see to it."
Flint went to dash out the door, when it burst open and one not happy first sergeant entered.
"Doctor that is NOT your wife. That is my girlfriend!!!" Duke cried out.
"I know this isn't my wife and apparently she isn't Dash's either." the doctor said.
Robert was starting to laugh.
Logan snored and turned over, the noise in the room barely woke him from his dreamland world.
Scarlett looked puzzled towards Duke to the doctor, who was still holding her arm. "I'm glad at the moment I'm no-one's wife."
"Can I please go see my wife!" Flint demanded, heading towards the door.
"Dash! Your backside!" warned Nancy, covering her eyes from the sight.
Scarlett bit her lip, hard trying to control her laughter.
"Come on Dash, I'll take you up to see her." Duke said, placing his hand on the warrant officer's shoulder.
"And somebody better tell me what is going on with her! I'm getting no answers in this Asylum!!" Flint growled, holding his Hospital gown in the back. "Let's go." He walked out of the room, ignoring the giggles coming from it. Duke started to lead the way to Jaye's room.
"I hope someone tells me what is going on too!" Dr. Bryan said, shaking his head following the two Joe men towards the elevator and dragging Scarlett with him.
"Can you let go of me, now?" Scarlett asked kindly to the older man, who obviously had not heard her from his thoughts on making yet another mistake at the hospital.
All four of them rode the elevator to Jaye's floor. Duke lead Flint to Jaye's room, where they found her awake, and what it seemed, she was in one of her most colorful moods. Flint and Duke entered the room first, followed by Dr. Bryan, who still held Scarlett's arm.
"Allie!" Flint rushed to her side. "Are you all right?"
"Dash!" Jaye exclaimed. "They told me my husband wasn't in this hospital and treating me like I'm some kind of nutcase!"
Duke shook his head. "Well, they did call the base asking us to come here for a Sergeant Hart-Burnett."
"We have to change those dog tags." Flint smiled, bending down to kiss her. "Glad that you are safe, Allie."
The doctor looked at them confused, "You brought a dog in the Hospital?!" he asked surprised. "I'll check on what is going on around here!" Dr. Bryan headed for the door, still dragging Scarlett. "I'll be back shortly and need to make a rest stop, got this bladder problem lately." He shook his head.
Scarlett's eyes widened. "Conrad!" she pleaded for help, hoping she was going to be saved from that sight. The others burst out laughing, watching the doctor absentmindedly take her with him.
"I...ummm...better go rescue, Shana," Duke said, laughing as he left the room.
"Are you all right?" Jaye asked him in worry remembering only him in the water.
"I'm fine, its you I'm worry about. You and the baby." Flint gently caressed her cheek.
"I tried asking the nurse about the baby and she said I had to talk to the doctor." Jaye said as she scooted over as she did it pulled the blanket off her leg and he could see a little discoloration on her left leg. "Lay down." She patted the bed.
"That is what I was told, though I think Dr. Bryan needs some meetings with PsycheOut..." his voice trailed off, just as a woman with a white jacket walked into the room.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Miranda Bennet." The Doctor walked up to Jaye and began to take her pulse. "Everything seems normal."
They both gave her worried looks. She smiled, "Don't worry. All the examinations were normal, nothing to worry about Sergeant Hart-Burnett. Both you and your unborn are perfectly fine."
Jaye let out a sigh of relief and laid her head against Flint's chest. "What about the frostbite on my legs?"
"It is minor and should have no lasting effects. I will give you a prescription for a pain killer if you need it and an antibiotic." She looked at Flint. "You must be Mr. Hart-Burnett."
He chuckled. "You can say that," he answered, causing Jaye to giggle. "There was a mistake and they have Allie under her maiden name. Her married name is Faireborn."
"Faireborn? Dashiell Faireborn?" Dr. Bennet raised her eyebrows.
"Yes, Dashiell Faireborn." He gave her a curious glance.
"Dashiell!" Dr. Bennet walked around the hospital bed and hugged him tightly, ignoring now Jaye's raised eyebrows.
"Umm..." Flint try to come up with some words, but miserably failed. He let go of the tight embrace.
"You already forgot." Dr. Bennet's voice teased. "Miranda Wilkins. High School, senior year."
"Miranda! Good to see you again." Flint choked out, kicking himself inside. Jaye might throw a javelin at him when she found out that he used to be close to Miranda Wilkins, a little too close. He glanced at her, seeing her face turn red already. 'oh boy...' he thought to himself. "So guess by the name change, you are now married?" Hoping this will make Jaye feel relieved.
"Married and divorced. But all my certificates state Bennet, so kept the name." She patted his shoulder. "Good to see you again, Dashiell. We have to get together one day and update each other." Then she smiled at Jaye. "Glad one of us was lucky to marry this one. I'll go and get the paperwork ready for your release. You can't spend the rest of Christmas Day all cooped up in this place." She then headed out of the room.
Flint turned to Jaye. "Umm.. yeah... go figure, running into an old friend, here..."
"Old friend?" Jaye said her voice was flat and even. "By the looks of it, she was far more than that and wanted far more than that." He could see by her eyes that she wasn't happy.
"Oh, that was just Flirty Mandy speaking." Flint shut his mouth tight, he had just revealed a pet name the high school guys used to call Dr. Bennet. He had to make a quick save. "Allie, you know you are my present and future. I rather be with you than fifty of those Mirandas, anytime."
"And when I'm big, fat and ugly in about five or six months?"
"I'll love you even more," he whispered to her. "Just thinking of what you are carrying in there." His hand rested on her stomach, "You'll look beautiful no matter what."
She smiled brightly at him and cuddled against him. "You sweet talker you." She was about to say something else when the red head burst frantically into the room.
Scarlett's face had lost all its color and she resembled a white snowball. "Dash!" she rushed towards Flint. "Dr. Bryan knocked out Conrad and now is chasing me with a syringe!"
"What!" Flint said in shock.
The redhead paled even further. "That insane maniac, who I believe is probably related to Mindbender took me in the men's room!" She closed her eyes, shaking the images out of her head. "Conrad rushed in to save me, then Dr. Bryan turned and punched him! Knocked him out with one throw!"
"Oh boy..."
"Then that maniac turned around and called me Sylvia! He said something about why I was out of my room and took out this needle the size of Beach Head's boot!" Making both of their jaws drop. "I think I hear him coming!" She looked around panicked, trying to find a weapon. "I'm going to kill Duke, having me leave my crossbow in the Striker!" Her eyes widened hearing the doctor just outside the room. With a swift move, she ducked and hid under Jaye's bed.
Dr. Bryan entered the room, syringe in hand. He looked around the room trying to find someone. "I know you're in here Sylvia. You need to get back in your bed."
Flint moved slowly towards the Doctor, careful not to frighten the man with the large needle. "Dr. Bryan, snap out of it. Sylvia's not here." He was growing concerned on their old family friend. Ever since he lost his wife, he wasn't the same man again. "You were chasing another redhead, not Sylvia."
"No I saw her. It was my Sylvia." Dr. Bryan said.
Duke came up behind them slowly, creeping up closer to Dr. Bryan. They noticed that his eye had turned into a dark purple coloring from the doctor's good aim.
Jaye watched them thinking she had just been drawn into a soap opera.
"No, you didn't. That was Shana O' Hara you saw, not Sylvia O'Hara." Flint motioned to Duke to get ready just in case the Doctor had really lost it. "Dr. Bryan, Sylvia, your wife, is dead. She died on this very day didn't she? That's why you work every Christmas Day."
Dr. Bryan eyes turned soft and a tear trailed down his cheek. He slowly nodded, and dropped the needle to the floor.
Flint moved carefully and grabbed the syringe. He had just stood up when a nurse came in the room. Realizing what happened, the sympathetic nurse guided the Doctor out of the room and towards the psyche ward.
"You know that everyone in this town is weird, right?" Jaye asked.
Duke nodded his agreement.
"Well, that explains some of the odd things from that meteor that fell here over thirty years ago." Flint shook his head.
Dr. Bennet walked in the room with a bright smile. "All set, Dalls," she said, smiling at him, walking over.
Flint cringed at the pet name that she had given him years ago.
"I already released your sister, they are all waiting for you, downstairs. Merry Christmas. Good to see you again." She kissed his cheek and left the room.
"Come on Allie. Let's get out of here. I want to go home, rest, spend time with my family, my wife and my Mom's great cooking!" Flint walked over to Jaye. "Conrad, you and Shana should come too. Now that you are already here and you don't have to swallow Beach Head's burned turkey."
"I have to go find Scarlett first," Duke said. "Have you guys seen her?"
"Nope, can't say that I have," Jaye answered seriously.
Flint glanced at Jaye with shock, then caught her quick wink. He nodded, understanding. "Maybe that crazy doctor lost her, somewhere. I hope he didn't take her to the morgue, like he did a patient last year-- shouldn't had mention that." he said casually.
Duke's eyes widened in horror.
"Dash stop. You're terrifying Con," Jaye said, smacking him on the arm. "Though, he did take that one earlier down to the holding cell with the other wackos."
Flint could imagine Scarlett covering her mouth to swallow her laughter from under Jaye's bed. He smacked his forehead, "Oh God! Maybe he gave her to Dr. Stevens! That man is more handsomer than ten Ace's put together! I heard no woman could resist him."
Duke gulped. "Which...way did...did they go?"
Flint and Jaye looked at each other, "Don't know," Flint stated. "I just hope he didn't take her to that secret room down in the basement. I remember when Nancy and Brenna volunteered one year as candystripers, that they mentioned there was a rumor about Dr. Stevens and several nurses. They never saw those young ladies again." He shook his head.
A scream echoed in the room, making them all jump. "Get… off of me!" Scarlett's voice sounded terrified.
"Shana!!!" Duke yelled into the air, looking around the room, trying to locate where the voice came from.
Jaye looked at her husband. "Spider."
Flint nodded. "Probably, or Dr. Steven's is with her."
"Get him off of me!" came another plea from Scarlett.
"Yep, Stevens." Flint nodded, watching Duke turn into a marshmallow frosty.
Jaye bend over and looked under the bed. "Ewww... gross." She said, wrinkling her nose.
"What?" Duke asked, afraid to look under the bed.
Flint looked up at the ceiling. "Please don't tell me that you found Mrs. Snyder. I thought they found her months ago, under the other bed in this room."
They heard some bumping sounds coming from under the bed,
"Conrad, are you going to save her or just stand there looking like an idiot?" Jaye asked annoyed.
Duke slowly walked forward and looked under the bed.
"Duke always looks like an idiot when it comes to save damsels in distress." Flint gulped from the look that his commanding officer sent him. "Sorry, can't help on this rescue, but if I bend down, there might be a little show which Scarlett may not like to see."
"It might surprise you, Dash." Jaye teased as she reached back and started to untie his hospital gown.
Duke found the black hairy spider and squished it with his fist.
"Hey!" Flint cried out, spinning around and grabbing her hands. "Sorry, private shows only. For Faireborn wives alone." He backed up and tied his gown quickly.
Scarlett looked towards Duke from under the bed, "Thanks." Her face had turned pale from her phobia. "But I'm stuck, the bed springs are caught on my uniform." She tried to move towards him but the fabric was well tangled with the springs. "Guess, you have to come under here for a rescue mission."
Duke chuckled. "You're always getting yourself into sticky situations." He crawled underneath the bed.
Jaye looked at Flint. "Where are your clothes? They took mine."
"Got no clue. We can borrow some scrubs and go home." Flint replied, "Some Christmas Day, I find out we are having a baby, we both almost drowned, all this doctor mess, the mix up with your identity and now both Duke and Scarlett are missing in action from under the bed."
Jaye felt the entire bed move and burst out laughing.
"Get those thoughts out of your head, Jaye!" Scarlett called out from under the bed. "He is just unhooking my uniform!"
"Yeah, sure he is." Jaye laughed.
"Damn it woman. Hold still. I've almost got it." Duke said. "There. Come on let's get these guys out of here before Dash moons me again."
"Okay, now that is a lie Conrad! I never mooned you.. but Shipwreck, well that's another story." Flint laughed, watching both of his friends come out from under the bed. "So, did you find any monsters under the bed?" He teased them.
Scarlett sent him a look. "Only a six foot two blond one whose hand shook from trying to free my uniform from the evil bed."
"My hand was not shaking." Duke stated.
"Let's go. I'm starving." Jaye suggested. She didn't want to stay at the hospital for another second.
Scarlett turned to Jaye. "I'm with you. All I had today were two gingerbread cookies, would have had five, but some people got hungry on the way here." Indicating to the first sergeant, who was rolling his eyes. "And Conrad, yes, your hand was shaking more then jell-o."
"Alright, let's go before Nancy and our Dads send out a search party!" Flint said, helping Jaye out of the bed. "Scrub the scrubs. Let's go home like this." Jaye looked horrified. Flit grabbed the white sheet from the bed and covered her with it. "I'll mail it to them tomorrow." He lead her out of the door. Duke and Scarlett following them.