A/N - So I think this chapter is like the beginning of the end, we're slowly getting there. As I said before there will be about 20ish chapters, so not many to go now. And I spoke to soon, I actually started to quite like some of these OCs in this chapter!

Big thanks to lovely Kates89 for tremendous support as normal and Smuffly, tlh45, Iguy and Daisy1966 who have reviewed every chapter. It is so appreciated.

Chapter Thirteen

"Hey Sid, what you doing?" Hawkes asked as he came into Sid's lab down in the morgue.

"Oh nothing, just finishing up with some results," Sid replied, not looking up from the microscope which he was bent over.

"I thought we'd closed all our cases for the day though," Hawkes frowned as he sat himself down on a wheelie stool and rolled over to Sid.

"Oh...well...I was just checking on something..." Sid mumbled, trailing off at the end of his sentence.

Hawkes' eyes narrowed in suspicion at the older doctor. Something was afoot.

"You're working on that tranquiliser, aren't you?" Hawkes asked cautiously, watching Sid for any reaction.

"Of course not, we were told to get on with the more recent cases and I wouldn't want to go against orders," Sid muttered, not looking at Hawkes.

"But if we closed all our cases like we just did today and a certain M.E was supposed to clock off two hours ago then..." Hawkes prompted.

Sid sighed wearily and then looked up at the younger doctor's knowing smile.

"Okay, so you caught me, I'm working on this tranquiliser. I can't get it out of my head though, Sheldon. There is something so familiar about it to me, but I can't seem to put my finger on it," Sid said irritably.

"Familiar, how so?" Hawkes frowned.

"I don't know," Sid muttered, angry at himself. "That's just it."

"We'll get there in the end, Sid," Hawkes said encouragingly. "We always do."

Sid caught Hawkes' eye and they both knew how empty those words were. Neither of them really believed that they stood a chance anymore.

"Of course we will," Sid smiled back in reassurance.

"I just wish I could work out that plant trace. I get it out and reanalyse the results time and time again," Hawkes frowned. "But there's never anything new. I feel if I could just...just...urgh..." Hawkes trailed off in annoyance at himself.

Sid smiled at his young friend and then placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"You're right, Sheldon. We will get there in the end." And this time he said it with more vigour, desperately trying to believe his own words.

"Thanks, Sid," Hawkes smiled.

"That's alright," Sid replied as he turned back to the tranquiliser in the petri dish and staring down through the microscope at it.

"I guess we were being a little on the optimistic side to think we could solve this case in a couple of weeks," Hawkes sighed, wheeling himself back and forth on the stool. "It hasn't even been a month yet."

"Exactly. Most crimes take years to solve, Sheldon, you know that," Sid replied. "Just look at how long it took to catch Gacy or Bundy...or Dahmer. Dahmer killed his first victim in seventy-eight and wasn't caught until thirteen years later. Or Rader...killed his first in seventy-four and wasn't arrested until 2005, and really through his own hubris rather than police work."

"I know, I know," Hawkes murmured, feeling slightly dejected.

"And the Grim Sleeper who killed in eighty-five and wasn't caught until last year. And that's not to mention the ones we haven't even caught yet. The Boston Strangler and all the discrepancies in that case..." Sid mused

"Sid..." Hawkes muttered.

"Clearly Albert DeSalvo didn't commit those crimes, despite his confession..." Sid said, frowning slightly.

"Sid..." Hawkes said louder.

"Either that or he certainly had an accomplice..." Sid continued, unaware of the man trying to catch his attention.

"Sid!" Hawkes said loudly.

Sid blinked and then focused on his friend. "Oh sorry, Sheldon."

"You were kinda going to your creepy place," Hawkes smirked.

"I was getting a bit carried away, wasn't I?" Sid smiled back. "I just find these cases fascinating."

"Though I'd rather not speak of unsolved ones," Hawkes added.

"Ah yes, of course," Sid nodded understandingly. He sighed again and then went back to looking through the microscope.

"You know, I never told you this but you kinda remind me of my medical school professor," Hawkes murmured.

"Hmm, how so?" Sid asked.

"Well he was kinda...different too," Hawkes said, choosing his words carefully. "I guess he had his creepy place too."

"Don't we all?" Sid laughed, sending Hawkes a brief grin before returning to the tranquiliser.

"I'd like to think I don't," Hawkes mused. "Though Professor Place certainly did."

"Place? That was the name of your college professor?" Sid snorted in laughter.

"Yeah," Hawkes grinned. "I guess it was a bit of a weird name."

"Mine was called..." Sid said and then stopped suddenly. His face dropped into one that Hawkes couldn't quite make out and then Sid stared back into the microscope.

"Sid?" Hawkes frowned.

"My God..." Sid whispered in horror, still looking at the tranquiliser. "Oh Dear God..."

"Sid?" Hawkes said worriedly, standing up and moving nearer. "What's going on?"

"Something unbelievable and terrible," Sid whispered as he stood. "I need to find Jo immediately. Sheldon, please put this away for me would you?"

"Sure..." Hawkes murmured, staring after Sid as he hurried away.

Flack and Mac once more paced round the ward, checking out all the windows and doors to find an escape route. They did it every day, in case they had missed something, some tiny glimmer of hope that may enable their escape from the asylum. A few yards behind them Brody followed, still awe stricken by Flack and his impressive insolence towards the doctors. And even further behind was Winston, still ever vigil of Flack and his safety.

"There is just no way, Mac," Flack sighed as they finished their tour and paused.

"There has to be," hissed Mac. "We need to get out of here, Don. Just look what we'll become if we stay here any longer!"

Mac nodded his head towards Droober, Rawston and Blake.

"I know, I do get it," Flack muttered irritably. "Like I wanna stay in this place any more than you do. But we gotta be sharp here, Mac."

"We're being sharp," Mac replied curtly. "The window in the shower room is loosest. It's only small, that's probably why they forget about it but I reckon we could fit through there."

"Yeah, if we can get past the metal barring it," Flack murmured.

"We need to get the key for it. All the doctors and nurses have one," Mac replied.

"I dunno," Flack muttered, turning around. "Argh!" he cried in shock as he was faced by Brody who was standing immediately behind him. "Get out of my way, son, you're using my oxygen," Flack snapped before stalking to a couch and sitting down.

"It's the best chance we have," Mac whispered as he followed Flack over and sat next to him.

"But what if we get caught?" Flack asked and Mac could hear the worry in his voice.

"We won't. We know there is a road nearby. If the John Doe found it then so can we. We just need to run in the opposite direction from the way I went my first time," Mac replied.

"Okay, and when does this plan go down then?" Flack asked.

"In the next couple of days, before they give me a new virus," Mac thought out logically.

"So we need to swipe this key before then," Flack nodded.

"I can get it."

The two men looked up to see Brody standing nearby, nervously fidgeting.

"What?" Flack said bluntly.

"I can get it," Brody repeated. He looked around carefully and then came closer. "There's this nurse...she likes me...thinks of me as a son. If you really want out of here, I can steal a key from her."

"I dunno," Flack said cautiously, looking at Mac.

"This may be our only chance, Don," Mac stated.

"What about you, kid. You wanna come with us then?" Flack asked.

"Outside?" Brody squeaked, looking quite terrified.

"Well yeah. You don't wanna be locked up in here forever do ya?" Flack snorted.

"APPLE SEED AND APPLE THORN!" Rawston suddenly screamed and then carried on repeating certain rude words over and over again.

"No, no I don't," Brody said quietly as he stared at Rawston.

"That settles it then," Mac nodded. "Brody, you get the keys and then we'll all get out of here."

"What about the others?" Brody asked worriedly.

"Brody, we're detectives. We'll come back for them with a whole army of cops," Flack snorted.

"And remember, we need those keys," Mac stated carefully, unsure if they could really rely on the small kid to help them. He guessed they had no choice.

"Still planning on escape then boys?" cackled Benny as he rolled himself over, followed by Montague.

"What's it to you?" Flack snapped.

"It'll never work. Whatever ya got planned...it'll never work," Benny grinned. "The doctors are too powerful, they'll catch ya! Emerson will see ta that!"

"His is the hand that makes. His is the hand that hurts. His is the hand that heals," Montague murmured quietly.

"Shut it, Monty," Benny growled.

"He who breaks the law shall be punished," Montague continued.

"I said shut it!" Benny yelled.

Montague fell silent and then sat cross legged on the floor.

"You interested?" Mac asked, eyeing the grizzled old man in interest.

"Without ma legs? Get outta here. I'm stuck here till I dies. And this one," Benny pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Montague. "Nutty as a fruitcake."

"Fine, so it's just us three then," Mac nodded.

"It'll never work," Benny cackled.

"Well at least I'm trying, aren't I?" Mac said, losing his temper slightly. "At least I'm doing that."

"Alright, calm ya wild winds," Benny snorted.

"What's going on here?" Moses asked, sliding up to the group.

"We're planning..." Brody began.

"Nothing," Mac said loudly. He still didn't trust the slimy little man.

Moses' eyes narrowed in suspicion but he didn't say anything.

"Just chatting about our lovely hosts," Flack snarked.

"All must toil for freedom's sake," Moses grinned. "If we do as we are told and behave, the doctors will let us out one day. They are kind and forgiving of our sins."

Flack rolled his eyes and looked away in annoyance.

"You don't really believe they'll ever let you go?" Mac asked.

"Sooner or later the day will come when tyrant man shall be overthrown. For this is the golden future time," Moses said mystically. "We are being cured, 567, and when we are free we will rule the world, just like the doctors here do, superior to all the rest of mankind."

"Fucking fruit loop," Flack murmured under his breath.

Benny laughed and Mac smirked.

"You will see," Moses said angrily and then stalked away.

Just then the doors to the ward opened and in stalked Emerson, flanked by doctors Fremont and Chastaine. Thomas and Logan also entered behind them.

"503," Emerson sneered pointing at Blake. "And 118," he said, pointing at Brody.

"M...m..m..me?" stammered Brody as he took a step away from the advancing Logan while Thomas went to get Blake.

"We can't let them take him," Mac said quickly to Flack. "We need him to get the keys."

"But I haven't done anything," Brody said, retreating further away, plain terror in his voice.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Flack, springing up and stepping in the way of Logan.

"Move aside, 571," Emerson said sharply.

The whole ward watched in trepidation at the scene unfolding. Mac stood s few steps away from Flack while the other patients had moved themselves away from the doctors.

"You're not taking him," Flack growled, "he's just a kid!"

"Logan, ignore 571 and bring 118 to me!" Emerson ordered.

Logan nodded and then proceeded to get past Flack towards the cowering boy behind him.

"No!" Flack yelled and then pounced on the huge man, smacking a fist across his cheek.

"VINTERY, MINTERY, CUTERY, CORN!" screamed Rawston excitedly as he clapped his hands together and then started swearing at the top of his voice.

"AAARRRGGHH!" shrieked Droober and then sprinted his way over to where Thomas was pushing Blake towards the door and started attacking him, kicking his back violently and unrepentantly.

"Order in here!" screamed Emerson, rage seeping from his every pore.

"Flack, no!" shouted Mac worriedly as Logan shoved the detective to the floor.

"We need him," Flack replied, spiting blood from his mouth.

Mac knew Flack was right. Their escape plan wouldn't work without Brody, they needed to protect him at all costs. Logan chuckled as he stood over Flack, ready to pound him with his fist. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge shape launched itself at Logan and pushed him aside. Winston had come forward and was now fighting Logan away from Flack.

"Oh the fighting, the fighting...I hate it...I hate it..." Montague sung as he bounced on his feet in a corner.

Mac noticed Moses standing to one side, grinning in pleasure at the scene and Benny had wheeled himself towards Brody and was trying to usher him away to some sort of safety. Where that was, Mac wasn't really sure.

"Stop it!" Emerson screamed angrily.

Chastaine advanced on Droober and injected something into his neck. Almost at once the man's limbs fell heavily to his sides and then he slid to the floor, lying still. Chastaine then wheeled Blake out of the ward while Thomas picked himself up and went to Logan's aid. Between the two of them they managed to subdue Winston and then Fremont hurried forward and gave him an injection of what seemed to be the same thing as they'd given Droober.

"Anyone else?" Fremont asked, holding up the needle as he stared round at the other patients.

"What did you do to him?" Flack growled, picking himself up from the floor.

"Just a little sedative to knock him out for a while," Fremont grinned.

"Fremont, stop your useless bantering. I want 118!" Emerson ordered. He hadn't moved from his place by the door.

"NO!" Flack shouted and once more stood protectively in front of Brody.

Emerson watched in interest and then started to come forward, pushing Fremont out of the way.

"Well, well, well..." he grinned. "How sweet."

"Fuck you!" Flack swore at him.

Emerson's grin disappeared immediately. "Thomas, Logan...if 571 is so against me having 118 then perhaps he is volunteering himself for this little venture. Take him."

"No!" Mac shouted, quickly running over to Flack but the taller man pushed him aside.

"We need him, Mac," Flack hissed. "We won't get out of here without him."

"It's not worth it," Mac said worriedly as the two huge men grabbed Flack.

"Yes it is..." Flack called as he was dragged away.

"Where are you taking him?!" Mac raged as he came up to Emerson. He noticed Fremont was still hovering nearby with the needle in his hand.

"Oh somewhere nice and warm and cosy," Emerson laughed.

"I thought we had a deal!" Mac shouted.

"We do," Emerson smiled politely. "I promised I wouldn't kill him and I'll keep that promise. Now good day to you all."

Emerson turned and slowly went from the ward, followed by Fremont. Mac stared in horror, heart hammering in his chest and then he turned. Droober and Winston were still out cold on the floor. Rawston had fallen silent, head hung low over his body. Brody was crying in a corner being comforted by Benny while Montague was still bouncing nervously and sobbing into his shirt. Mac fixed his gaze on Moses and watched while the slimy man stared back at him and then grinned. And Mac wanted to knock that smirk right from his face.

Jo had gathered the team in the conference room, or what remained of them anyway. Danny and Lindsay sat next to one another, hands linked under the table. Adam sat beside Jo, swapping a small smile with her. And Hawkes and Sid sat next to one another, the younger doctor giving the older a nod of reassurance.

"What's going on guys?" Danny growled roughly at them. He'd been short tempered and cross at most of them ever since he had returned to work. They all knew he didn't mean it, and that he had taken Flack's disappearance hard.

"Sid," Jo nodded gravely.

"I was working on the tranquiliser from the dart we found at the scene of Mac's kidnapping. I thought there was something vaguely familiar about the formula but just couldn't figure out what. Fortunately Hawkes pointed me in the right direction," Sid explained.

"I did?" Hawkes muttered, still clueless as to what had caused Sid to run off.

"Yes," Sid nodded. "I realised I had seen work like this before in my life, just once. A man I used to know had been developing a formula, a paralytic drug that I helped work on with him."

"You created this drug?" Lindsay gasped.

"In part," Sid muttered ashamedly.

"So who was this man?" Danny asked.

"My medical school professor. The man who taught me everything I know. Doctor Oscar Emerson," Sid stated, and then sat down, feeling a huge weight on his shoulder.

"Emerson?" Danny murmured, frowning.

"I remember you telling me about him before," Hawkes nodded. "You said he was the greatest Doctor you'd ever met."

"He was," Sid replied. "Still is. Though I haven't spoken to him in many, many years."

"You think he is somehow connected to this case?" Jo asked warily.

"I worked with him on that tranquiliser drug, Jo. And he was the most magnificent surgeon I ever knew. I don't want to believe it, but he certainly has the talent to pull off something like we've seen done to Susanna Ampleforth and our John Doe."

"Have you heard of him, Hawkes?" Jo asked.

"I'm afraid not," Hawkes said, looking worriedly at his friend beside him.

"He was brilliant," Sid whispered, eyes unfocused as if lost in a memory. "So inspiring. He was the professor we all wanted to be. He knew so much about all kinds of medical procedures. He was a neurosurgeon. When I left Harvard I lost touch with him. I don't know what happened to him. I thought he'd be teaching there until he died."

Jo looked anxiously at Sid and then around the room. Every member of the team was staring at him.

"So what happens now?" squeaked Adam.

"We need to know everything we can about this Emerson character," Jo stated. "Sid I want you to go up to Boston, back to your medical school and find out anything you can from the faculty about Emerson. If he's still there."

"Fine," Sid choked, eyes still glazed.

"Hawkes, go with him," Jo nodded.

"Sure will," Hawkes said, giving Jo a reassuring smile. He knew they were both worried about Sid and that he had to keep an eye on him.

"The rest of us will dig into what we can back here; see if he has a record, what his background is. Adam, you get going on that plant trace."

"Sure thing," Adam nodded.

"It'll take about four hours to get to Harvard medical school," Hawkes stated as he stood up.

"Best get going then," Jo said anxiously.

Hawkes nodded and then pulled Sid up from his chair and together they left.

"This case just got even more personal for us," Jo said to the three others left in the room. "I want you all to take extra care."

"Don't worry," Danny growled, squeezing Lindsay's hand. "We will."

Jo nodded and then turned to Adam. Once again, he gave her a small smile and she felt some of the tension leave her. They had finally had the breakthrough they so desperately needed.

Mac sat in an armchair staring at the set of double doors through which Flack and Blake had disappeared through hours ago. Since then Thomas and Logan had returned and taken the unconscious Winston and Droober back to their rooms. Montague had hidden in his room, scared to come out and Brody had tried to apologise to Mac but got scared and run away to his room too. That left Mac with Rawston who was staring out of a barred window and Benny who was sat next to him. Moses crept around the room every so often but Mac had made it clear he did not want to talk to the man. He somehow knew that slimy weasel wasn't to be trusted. Mac wiped his hands over his face and then hung his head. He felt tired, so tired with worry about everything. He could barely remember Jo's face now. Her shining eyes, her beautiful smile, her infectious laughter. His identity was fading and he was scared of becoming like the others here. Even Logan and Thomas it seemed had been subjects of Emerson's experiments. The men had identical faces, as did the man Kyle whom had appeared a few times with them. They were triplets and yet from the puckering behind their ears Mac knew that those faces weren't their original ones. No. They had been made to look the same, as though Emerson was creating an army of clones for himself. Their unwavering loyalty to Emerson scared Mac, he wondered if they had been forced into it, or if they had been allies from the very start. Either way, Mac knew he didn't want to be in the asylum long enough to find out. A loud buzzing brought Mac's head up and he stood as the doors were opened and Flack was wheeled back into the ward on a trolley.

"Flack!" Mac cried as he rushed forward.

"Move!" growled Thomas as he pushed Mac away and wheeled Flack down towards his room with Logan.

Mac stared in vehemence at the huge man and then turned to see Emerson smiling at him.

"What did you do?" Mac spat.

"Nothing that can't be cured," Emerson grinned.

"Don is everything that is good in this world. Why are you hurting him?" Mac growled, hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"What is goodness, 567? Tell me that. Anyone is capable of immoral behaviour. I'm sure 571 has done some questionable things in his life," Emerson chuckled.

Mac pursed his lips together as he thought of Simon Cade. Yes, Flack had certainly done some questionable things, but that didn't make him a bad man.

"I see am right," Emerson smiled proudly. "571 is just as immoral as the next man. I can cure him of that."

"You will leave him alone," Mac shouted. "And you can forget our deal. There's no way I'll help you with your experiments any longer!"

"Really?" Emerson asked in interest. "Because I can keep him like this for the rest of his life, 567. Hurting him, letting him slowly heal... but never fully to the point of being able to survive without care. I can let him suffer as he lies in his own urine and blood, unable to move."

Mac stared open mouthed in horror at the so called doctor before him. "You wouldn't?" he choked.

"I would," Emerson replied as Logan and Thomas returned to him with the empty trolley. "It is time you learn the truth, 567 that while all humans are equal, some are simply more equal than others."

With that Emerson closed the doors leaving Mac to his thoughts. Mac turned and then half ran towards Flack's room, concerned at what might have happened to his young friend.

"Don?" Mac gasped as he rushed into the room and knelt beside the detective's bed, checking him over.

His face was flushed pink and there was a trail of spittle running from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. Other than that he seemed fine.

"Don, are you okay?" Mac asked breathlessly. "What did they do to you?"

"Mac-y Moo!" Flack giggled as he turned his eyes to Mac and grinned.

Mac frowned immediately and held a hand to Flack's forehead. He was burning up.

"Don, what did they do?" Mac said again severely.

"I feel funny!" Flack giggled as snuggled under his thin sheet.

"Don?" Mac said worriedly and then turned when he heard a noise in the doorway. Brody was standing there.

"That should have been me," he whispered, eyes wildly staring at Flack. "He took my place."

"Don's always been brave like that," Mac murmured, looking down at Flack who had closed his eyes. "And stupid."

"I'll have the key for you before tonight," Brody stated. "I see the nurse later on."

Mac looked up and stared at the sincere face of the young man. "Thank you," he murmured.

He closed his eyes and smiled. Finally, there was a glimmer of hope on the horizon.