11.
A little more action ahead, hope you are enjoying. Considering another story with Sweets leading a case, should it be Cam again? Angela? Hodgins?
Wesley, hope the story is giving you something to read while you work on feeling better! :)
The next morning limited light came in the window that woke Sweets though he had little ability to move. He watched the light as it slithered along the wall and tried to estimate the time of day. His body felt lifeless and tired, a small cough was taking over in his chest though he tried his best not to move. Any movement only irritated his side and flared up the growing number of conditions he knew he was experiencing.
The drug was wearing off and increasing his consciousness though it was not clearing up his mobility. It must have been around noon when the light made its way down the wall suggesting the sun was overhead that the door opened again and a man appeared with a tray. He sat it on the table by Sweets bed without locking eyes with the young doctor, he removed the restraints and left the room.
Sweets eyed the tray just above his view and while it certainly smelled nothing like a five star meal he strongly desired some nourishment that may revitalize his movements. Glad that his arms were free he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position though the change in position left him completely exhausted.
Taking a few breaths he checked his side only to see the bandage had been hastily redressed, such that a new had been added over the old, the popped stitches were still loose, the blood had congealed against the bandage stopping the bleeding. He knew it was a piss poor mess of a fix but he had to concentrate on getting out of the hospital.
He made quick work of eating the bread, water and pile of beans on the plate knowing the man would be back for them soon. He scrambled to his feet and made his way to the door via leaning against the wall to support his weight and his staggering momentum. He held the metal tray in his hand and waited behind the door. As he suspected the quiet man returned to the room and opened the door. When the man moved into the room to look for his missing patient Sweets slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him, locking the man in the room. Sweets had to smile to himself at the simplicity of the moment.
The man immediately began to yell so Sweets made a wobbly exit down the hall and was only a short distance away when he was spotted and yelled at to stop. Sweets attempted to run but fell short, literally of making it to a stairwell when he realized any real attempt at escape was futile in the far more heavily staffed place than Sweets had planned on. The rooms were lined with far more patients than he had imagined, a scarier aspect than he had assumed. Another nurse met him at the stairwell door and though Sweets knew it was a bad idea he swung the metal tray at the male nurse in a last attempt to escape. The giant shrugged off the impressive metal blow and shared one of his own across Sweets face which threw him off kilter to one side and followed it up with a second that sent him to the floor and a third blow that was a nasty reminder that his side was badly injured.
He vaguely recalled being literally dragged back to his room by his arm down the hall as the familiar doctor was in tow with another syringe. Though this was not ideal, the forerunning thought was the fact no one knew where he was.
"Cam you're going to wear tracks in the floor." Hodgins said biting his nails.
"Yeah and you keep it up and you're going to be called nubs." Angela said nodding to his apparently delectable fingernails.
"I just know something is wrong." Cam said continuing to pace the floor. "Sweets isn't a guy who doesn't answer his phone and not show up to work."
Arastoo walked in the lab shaking his head. "No one home." He said taking off his coat. "And it got rather chilled out, this cold front is fierce."
"Okay, I'm calling the FBI, maybe Booth, maybe geez who do I call?" Cam asked confused to a room of people who were equally confused.
"Sure but I doubt they are going to do much, where do they begin?" Hodgins asked. "I mean he's probably working on the case and we hardly understand the case, it will take hours to explain it to someone else."
"I hate to say it but Hodgins is right." Cam said rethinking her call for help.
"Um, thanks?" Hodgins commented.
"What are you saying Cam?" Angela asked following Cam to the table where the evidence lay.
"I'm saying that we're the most equipped to figure this out, we're the most familiar with the case." Cam said. "And based on what we've experienced so far I think Dr. Sweets is alive but he could be in a bad situation, these people do not seem to want to kill anyone."
"Except for the boat explosives guy, he seemed to want to kill Sweets." Hodgins reminded them earning angry glances at thoughts they didn't want to hear.
"Okay so last we were talking about was the crazy experiment Hodgins was talking about." Cam said looking at the evidence board.
"Again, thank you." Hodgins commented sarcastically.
"Do you think he went there?" Angela asked pointing to the images Hodgins had pulled from the Naval Shipyards.
"If so it would be a great place to get in trouble." Arastoo said weighing the dangers.
"Alright, I'm going." Cam declared.
"I don't think I sold the idea properly." Arastoo said pausing her. "It's dangerous." He reiterated.
"I'm just going to go and see what they know." Cam promised. "I won't get into trouble. Angela, can you try and track Sweets phone. I know it's off but maybe just try something, Hodgins maybe figure out who that Lumiere is from Sweets last text last night. Dr. Vasiri, you're in charge of the lab."
"Arastoo?! But he's an intern!" Hodgins whined.
"And he doesn't do dangerous experiments." Cam said as she rushed to the door.
It took some time to get to the shipyards but soon Cam was shown to the office of Lt. Cole who insisted he had never seen or met with a Dr. Sweets. Cam didn't have the lie detecting abilities Sweets had but she had a funny feeling about this lieutenant. Still she thanked him for his time and wondered if Sweets had never made it to the shipyard. She scanned the parking lot for his car but didn't see it there.
She got in her car and pulled away wondering where her partner had gone off to. She was heading back towards DC when she spotted a car behind her. She made several turns but still the car was following her. Cam wondered if Sweets had been ambushed the night before but she grew angry when she recognized the person driving the car that was following her. Cam pressed on the gas quickly leaving the car behind and turned the corner. Soon the car turned the corner as well and Cam sat up in her seat and pulled out of the parking space she had pulled into and was now following the car that was following her. As they pulled down a quiet street she raced upon the rear of the car and tapped it. The driver's head shot up and saw Cam behind – embodied in road rage. Cam bumped the car again, harder this time and then again with the third time being a bump to the side of the car spinning it off the road. Cam pulled her car off the road and up to the driver's side. She got out and ran up to the driver's side door before the driver could run.
"Where is he!?" Cam shouted to Genevieve who rested back in her seat knowing she had been bested.
"If you had given me a chance I was going to tell you." Genevieve said getting out and looking at her wrecked car. "How am I going to explain this one to the insurance company too?"
"You seem to have connections to people with cover ups." Cam said none too pleased with the mysterious woman's presence.
"You don't understand me." Genevieve protested.
"You don't give me a very good chance." Cam retorted.
"We need to get out of here." Genevieve said. "My car is no condition, you drive."
"Not a problem." Cam said happy to be in the driver's seat. She knew of Genevieve's way of attracting a custom fit police squad in her wake so she was more than happy to get away from the scene."
"So where is he, is he okay?" Cam asked eagerly as they pulled away from the scene.
"He is at a place called Davenport State Hospital." Genevieve said keeping an eye on the roads around her.
"Davenport? That place was shut down."
"It was, then it was reopened for some private use."
"You're going to have to start making more sense girly." Cam demanded tired of the elusive talk.
"I'm sure by now, knowing that Dr. Sweets was at the shipyards of the once known Philadelphia Experiment, that you have an idea of what is going on. Well, attempts were made to resurrect the project. You can ask but that is the depth of my knowledge about that. I only know that there were several failed attempts and that several of the sailors who knew nothing of those stationed there before them, would go insane at each trial. They had so many they couldn't hide them in enough hospitals so they reopened Davenport to care for the inflicted men."
"How many?!" Cam asked shocked.
"At least one hundred."
"A hundred service men?!" Cam asked outraged. "What sick bast…."
"It's the age old question Dr. Soroyan, do you let one man die to save thousands?"
"Sounds like there's more than one." Cam said when a dark thought occurred to her. "Did Sweets get involved in an experiment?"
"No, from what I gathered he was spying and was caught. Davenport is place they put people when they want them to be quiet. It's where I was after my accident. I was released upon the promise to keep the secret."
"You don't listen well." Cam joked.
"Neither do you or Dr. Sweets." She returned. "And it's because of that that I place myself in danger. You and Dr. Sweets have risked much to solve this case. I want to help."
The afternoon was getting late as Genevieve instructed Cam on how to get to Davenport. A light mist picked up as they drew closer.
"Is Sweets okay?" Cam asked concerned.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him. I know they don't wish to kill him, but that doesn't mean that the people at Davenport will go out of their way to fulfill their orders. It's a terrible facility." Genevieve shuddered as she said the last line. Cam pressed on the gas a little harder.
It was dark when the pair was near the hospital. Genevieve pointed to a bridge under which she should park to avoid being detected.
Cam looked surprised. "Are we breaking in? Why can't we tell them who we are and…"
Genevieve gave Cam a determined look. "You must trust me on this. We must get your friend out secretly or we'll all end up there. I know my way around, we can get him out quietly if you listen to me."
"How do I know this isn't a trap for me? How do you know your way around?" Cam speculated.
Genevieve sighed. "I know I have not always been straightforward with you and Dr. Sweets. But I told you what I knew at the time, I want you to solve this case, I want to see nothing bad happen to either of you." She paused while thinking of how to answer the next question. "I worked at Davenport when it was open the last time as a social worker. It's how I knew about the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, it was given to me by a Patient. Now, I can explain all of this later but we must get your friend now, this is our chance as the shift is going to change."
Cam wanted to answers while they were coming but she wanted to find Sweets more so allowed the line of questions with the mysterious woman to pause for now.
The pair climbed the hill towards the imposing gothic structure. The brick and mason structure looked as chilling in reality as it would be imagined. The dark of the night and the light rain with a deep chill in the air only worsened the anticipation of their task at hand, penetrating the historic dreadful asylum to hopefully find their friend and escape with their own lives.
Genevieve slipped thru a gap in the old wrought iron fence near a tree. She entered it with ease, solidifying the notion that she knew this campus well. Cam followed her to a kitchen entrance which at this late hour was empty. They headed to a closet where Genevieve removed white coats upon which both donned to fit in should they be seen. With clipboards in hand they casually but tensely walked the halls. Genevieve walked by a nurses station and quickly located a clipboard and running her finger down a list found the room she was looking for based on the admittance date, the names were all falsified so looking for Sweets name would do little good.
Before anyone could return the ladies quickly left the station, Cam following Genevieve and dodging possible people along the ways. At night the place was sparsely employed.
"Where is everyone?" Cam whispered.
"At night they drug the patients so few are on staff." Genevieve explained in a low voice. "This is the best time to try and find him."
"Why all the paper work, I haven't seen a single computer." Cam asked at the antiquated beds, medical supplies and technology.
"This isn't a place to cure people Dr. Soroyan, they are merely maintain and hiding. Technology could leave a paper trail. I will guarantee you when this is all done the entire place will be gone from a mysterious and unknown case of arson. Files could be send out electronically, if everything is paper, well paper burns, quickly."
Cam glanced quickly in the small windows to the rooms of the patients, one per room and each the same, drugged and staring at the ceiling or asleep. The sheer number of people in this situation made her stomach churn and strengthened her desire to solve this case and get them all help. She could not help today, but she vowed she would be back for them and some real medical help.
"Here." Genevieve said causing Cam to be drawn away from her thoughts of the men stuck here.
"Keys?"
"They all unlock from the outside, just not the inside. Allows the doctors to respond faster." Genevieve said pulling on the heavy metal door hoping it would not creak too loudly. She opened it methodically, as though she had many times before and it didn't make a sound. She placed the clipboard in the door so the door would not shut and thus lock them in.
Once in the room Cam's stomach sank at the sight of Sweets on the bed. Though it had only been a day he was extremely pale, thin and expressionless as his eyes stared at the ceiling. Cam ran to the bed and put her hand on Sweets cheek hoping the touch would cause a reaction. Sweets lay still and unresponsive even as Cam took her other hand and moved his head so it was facing her. His eyes never locked hers though she could tell there was still life in them. A purple bruise marked the side of his face from the blow the day before. A small line of drool seeped from his lips and Cam knew he was in little condition to escape.
"I'll get a wheelchair." Genevieve promised and turned to leave.
Cam noticed that Sweets cheek under the palm of her hand was chilly. She turned her hand over and pressed the back of her hand against his cheek which as still cool. She turned to take a pulse on his wrist only to see it was restrained. She was suddenly filled with anger at the look of her partner in his current state. She was filled with a desire to lash out at someone for doing such a thing and equally sick at the sight.
She quickly removed the restraint and took a pulse, steady but slow. She went to remove the restraint on his far hand when she saw traces of blood. Feeling a panic arise but hardly able to see in the dark room she turned Sweets towards her to see a poorly dressed wound on his side.
Genevieve returned to the room with the wheelchair.
"What's been done to him?!" Cam quietly shouted.
"Drugged as far as I know, why?" Genevieve asked.
"I can't tell but something…"
"We need to go, we don't have much time." Genevieve said. "We can help him more once we are away from here."
Cam felt in agreement and now free they moved the lanky and unresponsive Sweets to the wheelchair. Sweets slumped to the side in the wheelchair as Cam tried to casually push it towards the elevator. The entered it and went down a floor and began to head out the way they came in. Cam noticed Sweets begin to shiver and wasn't surprised based on his possible blood loss and sparse clothing. The bed he was on had no blankets to shield from the cold, not even a pair of socks.
"Wait, how are we going to get him to the car?" Cam asked thinking of Sweets lacking mobility.
Genevieve pointed to another exit. "We will need to be careful but there is a ramp at the delivery dock. It's not as ideal but it is quiet at this time unless they bring a new patient in. We should be able to push him down the drive but if you see any headlights we must duck."
Cam agreed and with pounding hearts they headed towards the door.
"Hey doc!" Someone shouted to them. They both froze in place. "Hey doc we need your help!"
Genevieve turned towards Cam and spoke in a low voice. "You go, I'll meet you at the car."
Genevieve turned around to the male nurse who only saw someone in a doctor's coat and not who she was. Genevieve played along and promised the help the nurse with the patient. Cam pushed Sweets down the hill but once she reached the gate to get out she found it locked. She pulled Sweets in the wheelchair into the overgrown brush that surrounded the facility in its years of disuse.
The rain had picked up as did Sweets shiver. The cold and moisture however seemed to be allowing him to be increasingly alert. Cam looked at Sweets shiver and took off her coat to put around him. Before she could put it around his shoulders his hand came up to stop her. She looked at him as he shook his head motioning lightly for her to put it back on.
"Sweets, it's freezing and you've been exposed to the cold much longer than I." Cam said sternly putting it around him.
Cam could tell Sweets was trying to concentrate on saying something.
"What is it Sweets?" She asked leaning in.
"Go." He slurred.
"Yes we're going as soon as Genevieve gets back."
"No." Sweets said and swallowed hard before slurring again. "You go, too dangerous."
"No Sweets." Cam said firmly as the rain began to fall steadily on them. "That's not what partners do."
"Hey." A voice said making them both jump though it wasn't loud. Cam looked to see Genevieve searching for them. Cam stepped out of the bushes to signal to Genevieve.
"I'm glad I thought you were going to be stuck there." Cam said.
"I told him I would go for some medication, he's going to figure out I'm gone soon and figure something is up." Genevieve said while pulling on the gate.
"It's locked." Cam said.
"That's new, it was just stuck before." Genevieve looked around. "We'll have to go out how we came in then."
Cam looked down at the soggy earth under her feet. "I doubt we can push the wheelchair thru this."
"We'll have to carry him." Genevieve said approaching Sweets who looked ready to argue.
"Forget it Sweets, we're not leaving you." Cam said taking one of his arms over hers and Genevieve on the other. Though tall he was so drawn from the most recent events that he was far too light for comfort. Under the adrenaline of scurrying to make an escape in time the pair found much strength anyway.
As the escapees neared the fence where they came in the exterior lights began to come on causing them to rush thru the opening of the fence. They rushed to the car as more lights came on and people could be heard entering the grounds. The descent to the car was tricky and hindered them getting to the car. At one point Sweets head rolled back causing a panic to rise in Cam but she had little time to address it and soon they reached the car.
"I'll drive." Genevieve suggested. "You get in the back with him."
Cam quickly handed Genevieve the keys and none too softly tossed Sweets in the back seat then quickly got in herself. Before the door was shut Genevieve slammed her foot to the accelerator. Cam felt something warm and wet against her hand, she looked to where it was placed on Sweets side only to see her hand and his side were thick with crimson.