Chapter 11

Oscar paced the hallway in what passed for a Bionics Wing at Clayton Memorial, ostensibly waiting for another chance to question Jaime...but in truth he was questioning himself instead. He had purposely reduced Jaime to tears, until her doctor had to put a stop to it! And Michael had stepped in at exactly the wrong time; another few minutes and Jaime likely would've thrown information at him, just to get him to stop.

Oscar sighed; sometimes he really hated being the 'bad guy' but it often came with the territory - and right now, like it or not, it was absolutely essential. Oscar needed to become a cold-blooded bureaucrat to save a long-time colleague (already in custody) and a dear friend who would be next to be locked up if Oscar didn't find a way to clear him...

He knocked on Steve's (open) door frame, knowing he'd be going in whether invited or not - but a warm, welcoming smile from the patient in the bed let Oscar know that his best operative was (at least at this point) still his friend.

''You know we have to talk,'' Oscar said by way of a preamble.

Steve nodded, his smile disappearing as his eyes filled with worry and trepidation. ''Am I under arrest?'' he queried.

''Not yet...''

Anna savored the thought of her own victory, even as she was transferred from the relative freedom of a hospital room back to the confines of The Hole. Even the pain in her shoulder served to remind her that she'd forced the great Colonel Steve Austin to lose his cool. She'd faced the worst he had to throw at her - and she'd won. From the horrified look he'd worn when his eyes met hers (just before he'd bolted), she'd found renewed satisfaction and a special thrill in knowing she'd put fear deep into his soul...

''Where did you tell me you'd found those little metal boxes?'' Oscar asked with a brusqueness to his words that carried the seriousness of the moment.

Steve's well-trained senses told him his very future lay in what might happen in the next few minutes and in how he chose to answer Oscar's questions. ''I didn't tell you,'' he clarified slowly, with utmost care. ''I told Jaime.''

Oscar nodded; Jaime had already filled in this blank for him; would Steve's answer match his wife's? ''What did you tell her?'' he probed.

''I found one in the mud under a rock by the lake. From the size of it, I'm guessing it once held the component that brought the plane down,'' Steve answered.

''And did you open it?'' Oscar held his breath. Please give the right answer, Pal, he pleaded silently.

''Well...yeah. And it was empty.''

Thank God, Oscar breathed silently to himself. According to the report he held in his pocket, Steve's fingerprints (from his left hand, of course) had been found inside the intact dirt-covered box. His answer matched the evidence. Still, he had more questions. ''And the other box - where did you get it? Did you bring it with you when you ran?'' Oscar continued.

Steve shook his head. ''Of course not,'' he said adamantly. ''I found it in Hansen's old room, then grabbed a plastic bag from the nurses' station and put it inside - along with the first one - so Jaime could give them to you.''

''And you had no idea what was inside?'' Please give the only answer that will let me exonerate you, Oscar pleaded silently.

''The explosives?'' Steve clarified. ''No. I'd never have asked my wife to carry it - and certainly never sent it to you - if I'd had any idea. My only though was that you could have it dusted for prints! I'd never have knowingly placed Jaime - or you - in danger!''

''But you pointed a gun at me,'' Oscar reminded him.

''I was in a blind panic after what happened with Anna...and I wanted...needed...to get away until I could get myself thinking straight again.''

Oscar nodded. Steve's answers had fully matched the evidence. Relieved from the huge weight that was now lifted off his shoulders, he finally allowed himself to smile. ''Don't worry, Pal,'' he assured his newly-cleared friend. ''Anna can get to any of us and I'm nor pressing any charges.''

Steve smiled back (as relieved as his boss). ''When can I see Jaime?'' he asked.

''First, we need to talk about Mark Conrad,'' Oscar told him.

Back in Jaime's cubicle, Mark's calm attention had soothed her - and Jaime was preparing to go home. Mark and Michael, unsure of what Oscar was doing or what he might have planned, were preparing her to go home without (for now) the requested visit with her husband. Michael made a brief visit to clear Jaime medically then returned to his lab, leaving Jaime with Mark, who had pulled a chair up beside the bed and was holding her hand. Whether it was due to Oscar's questioning or her own train of thought, a few things were sinking in for Jaime...and the effect was devastating.

''Steve knew I was drugged...'' she said in a sad, slow voice, ''and it might have been an accident but he still stuck me with that needle! He...could've killed me...''

Less than an hour later, with Michael by her side to help her (since Mark was still in custody), Jaime left Clayton Memorial without seeing or talking to her husband. She embraced her daughter with tears in her eyes and had just sat down for a light lunch with the nurse when Irene knocked at the door...

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