Happy Monday

There has been quite a mixed reaction to the new angst. I promise there is a method to my madness, I'm not just being cruel.

SPOLIERS - this week - Marissa and Reese come to terms, Scott fights a guilty conscious and David has an unexpected visitor.

...

"Stand away from the door." a voice ordered from outside Erica's hospital room.

Erica backed away to the edge of the bed as the door slowly opened and a huge intimidating orderly walked in. He checked to see where Erica was standing and then nodded to the hall. Two more men in nurses uniforms wheeled in a gurney on which was lay Bianca Montgomery.

The doctor walked in afterwards. He was the slim stubble-chinned man who had guided Erica's abduction. He looked more comfortable in his white lab coat than he had in the cheap mobster suit he had been wearing on the island.

While the men transferred Bianca to the bed the doctor addressed Erica.

"She is beginning to come out of sedation. Don't let her move about too much or there is a danger she will tear her stitches. And please do not let her remove her heart monitor; it is there for her own safety. Do you understand me? We are here to help her… we are here for you both."

"You are torturing her." Erica cried. She stepped forward angrily but the orderly grabbed her round the throat and restrained her.

The doctor smiled.

"We are examining her. She is a secret wrapped in a mystery shrouded in an enigma that we need to solve. She holds so many questions and we need to find all the answers we can. Do you know how special your daughter is? No one responded faster to Dr Hayward's Orpheus serum. There were no side effects; no rejection… and yet there is one part of her that simply refuses to heal. We need to find out why. Why the formula didn't work on that one tiny part of her. If we solve this, your daughter may well hold the key to eternal life."

Erica glared at him.

"You are crazy! Do you have any idea who we are?" she cried. "Do you have any idea how many people will be out there looking for us right now?"

The doctor shook his head.

"My dear woman. You are dead. The coroner is going to release his finding in two days' time; citing death by misadventure. As far as the world knows you and your daughter are fish food at the bottom of the ocean. Two poor unfortunate crime statistics will find themselves… well parts of themselves… given lavish funerals in your name. No one will be looking for you. You will be grieved and then you will be forgotten."

Satisfied that Bianca was in place the nurses wheeled out the gurney. The orderly released his grip on Erica and followed them out. The doctor was the last to leave.

"Remember she isn't to move. It's for her own good."

...

When the door slammed shut Erica hurried to her daughter's side. She was indeed waking from sedation and looked up at her with bleary eyes.

"It's okay baby." said Erica stroking her daughter's brow. "I'm here, just take it easy?"

"What did they do?" Bianca mumbled, trying to look down, but not really having the co-ordination yet to move.

Erica pulled back the covers to examine her, she could already see a large dressing on the side of Bianca's neck, but her left leg was also encased in bandages.

"They've done something to your leg." Erica said slowly.

"Well at least I can't feel that." Bianca sighed. She reached behind herself, "But my back hurts."

She started to roll over for her mother to check, but Erica put a hand on her arm to restrain her.

"They said you shouldn't move." she warned.

"Just look." begged Bianca.

Erica slid her hand beneath her daughter's back and found a dressing at the base of her spine.

"They've been there too." she said.

Bianca tipped her head back and moaned.

"Why are they doing this to me!?" she cried in frustration. "They are worse than David Hayward and his tests, tests, tests! I'm a human pin cushion again! It's not fair! ...God, and why did it have to happen now? I'd just asked Marissa to marry me!"

"You did?" asked Erica in surprise.

Bianca gave a scream of rage and sorrow and clumsily started pulling the medical leads from her chest causing the heart monitor to squeal. Infuriated she pushed the machine from its stand. The squealing stopped when it smashed on the floor.

"Do you feel better for that?" Erica asked a little stunned by Bianca's display of aggression.

"Much." said Bianca, but then she winced and reached up to her neck. When she pulled her hand away there was fresh blood on her fingertips. Blood was leaking through the bandage.

"Bianca?" warned Erica in concern.

Bianca pressed her hand back against her neck to try and stem the bleeding.

"It's fine. It will stop."

Erica took over from her daughter, applying pressure to the wound.

"Just try and take it easy. We won't be here for long. Help will come."

"I heard what he said. They think we are dead."

"Do you have that little faith in Jackson or Marissa… or your sister? They will find us! I know it. We just have to stay strong."

"Sure mom." said Bianca, giving her a brave smile; even though she could see that Erica's words were as much an attempt to convince herself as to comfort her daughter. "We just have to stay strong."

…