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Chapter 2: Foul Play?

Serena took in a deep breath as she stepped out of her room, stretching. She slept really well, considering that she was in a new place, in a new bed. She took another step forward and felt her foot step on something that felt like a button. Before she knew it, she felt a jolt of electricity shot through her body. She stumbled back a step and sat on the floor.

She heard giggles and looked to see two boyish faces peeping through the leaves of a potted plant. She got to her feet, growling, "Shane and Skyler!"

"Oh no!" the twins said, getting up from their hiding place. "We are in trouble!"

"Of course you are!" Serena hissed. "Come here you two!" They ran as fast as they could from her. "Stop running so that I can give you two a spanking!" They giggled as they ran from her.

"What is all the commotion?" Elena yawned as she stepped out from her room. She saw her children running around the kitchen area.

"Mum! Those two idiots tried to kill me!"

"A shot of electricity won't kill you," Shane said, ducking under Serena as she jumped at him. "Besides, the voltage is too low!"

"If I had a weak heart I would be dead by now!" Serena growled.

"Now, now, children," Elena said, clapping her hands. "We should all go and get ready for today." When they did not listen to her, Elena reached out and grabbed Shane and Skyler by the collars of their shirts. "I said get ready. I shall prepare breakfast while you three wash up. Shane and Skyler will be attending school today while you, Serena, have work."

"Yes, mother," all three said, going off to their separate bathrooms. Serena glared at them just as she slammed the door shut. Elena shook her head. Her genius daughter could behave like a child sometimes. She opened the cupboards and begin to prepare breakfast.

After a while, she heard a door open and turned, seeing Serena come out of the bathroom. Her daughter sat down at the table, still looking angry. Elena said, "You shouldn't let your brothers bait you like that. They are still young you know…" Suddenly, she felt an ache in her chest and clutched the place above her heart, gasping as her vision blurred.

"Momma!" Serena said, rushing to her mother's side. She heard doors opening and saw her brothers coming. They also looked worried. "Shane, get the medicine. Skyler, help me get her to the chair."

"I am fine," Elena said, weakly waving them off. But they refused to listen to her. Shane ran off to her room to get the medication while Skyler and Serena moved her to the couch. Elena coughed, steeling herself for another wave of pain. She felt someone push a cup of water into one of her hands. She took the pills that Shane held out to her and swallowed them.

"Mum, I think you should stay home today and don't over exert yourself," Serena said. "I will drop the boys off at school and pick them up once they are done. Just take it easy today, okay?"

"Of course, Rena," Elena said, sinking deeper into the couch. She sniffed the air. "I guess breakfast is ruined."

"Nothing you cook can be ruined," Serena said. "Don't worry, mum. Just relax for today and I will make sure that the boys are properly fed. If you want, I could go to the market and get something for you to eat. It would be better if you don't do anything today."

"Stop worrying so much, Rena!" Elena laughed. "Go on! I will be fine."

Serena and her brothers looked at each other and then went off to get their things. As they went out the door, Serena looked back at her mother and asked, "Are you sure you will be fine…?"

"Yes, Serena!" Elena sighed. "Go! I will be alright. Go on! Or you will be late!" Serena nodded and went off, closing the door behind her. She saw the worried expression on her brothers' faces and forced herself to smile, saying "Now then, since the both of you were mean earlier, I will make sure you both will suffer for it!"

They looked at her, surprised at what she was saying. Then, they grinned at each other and Skyler said, "If you want to punish us…"

"You will have to catch us!" Shane continued as both he and his twin brother took off before Serena could say another word.

"Hold it right there you two!" Serena said, chasing after them. They ran as fast as they could, dodging around crowds until they were lost from Serena's sight. She stopped and turned around to go to the clinic. She knew that they would go for the orientation and did not worry much about them.

"It is good to have you on board, Dr Shannon," Ruth Goodman, the head nurse said. "One thing Terra Nova lacks are doctors. The occasional one who joins our ranks can lessen the workload."

"Well, at least I know that my skills as a doctor can be put to good use," Elizabeth said, smiling. She started changing her clothes. She needed to scrub her hands later before she begin treating any patients.

"Nurse Goodman, we have another volunteer here to see you," a male nurse said, knocking on the door to the changing room.

"Ah! The 'late' addition," Ruth said, frowning. "Dr Shannon, I will see you outside once you are ready." She left Elizabeth and went outside. Elizabeth frowned, wondering who this 'late addition' would be. Wouldn't Hope Plaza already have assigned people to the various jobs here in Terra Nova even before they came?

"No use worrying about others, Elizabeth," she told herself, scrubbing her arms. "I bet Commander Taylor can straighten out any problem." Then, she went outside.

"… can't even do that, why don't you go over to the science department?" Ruth was saying. Her back was to Elizabeth and, since she was rather big-sized, she blocked whoever she was talking to from Elizabeth's view.

"I will once the head of the department has returned from his expedition," a rather familiar voice said.

"Serena?" Elizabeth asked.

Ruth turned to see Elizabeth, giving her the opportunity to see who Ruth had been talking to. Her guess had been right. Serena looked back at her, surprise and happiness on her face.

"I thought you were supposed to be back at 2149," Elizabeth said, handing Serena a cup of coffee and sat down on the bench beside her. "Where is Dr Johnson?"

"I was," Serena said, looking down at her cup. "But Emma decided to give me the chance to go. She said she was old and it was not worth it for her to go. It was a last minute decision… Surprisingly, the people at Hope Plaza approved of her decision."

"I see," Elizabeth said, frowning. Then, she smiled and placed an arm around Serena's shoulders. "Anyway, it is good that you are here. At least you get a chance to start over."

"Of course," Serena smiled. Then, she leapt to her feet. "I shall go back inside and see whether Nurse Goodman will accept me inside. I need to do something while waiting for the head of the science department to return from his expedition." Elizabeth smiled and watched her go. It was great to have some familiar faces here other than her family.

"And that's all we know?" Nathaniel asked, looking up at Wash from where he sat.

"Yes, Commander," Washington replied, looking down at the Plexiglass she held to make sure she had not left out any information.

"Alright, Wash," Nathaniel said, sighing as he got up from the chair. "You may go."

He walked over to one of the windows, deep in thought. He hoped that there was no foul play in Serena coming to Terra Nova. He did not want to have to chase another person he considered as family out from Terra Nova. "I should have tortured you, Philbrick," he said through clenched teeth. "Tortured you and made you suffer before I killed you for what you did."