Shane could not believe what he was hearing. Steve was planning on tracking down Deakins even though Shane had already told him to leave the man alone.

"Dammit, Steve, we've been over this already," Shane's words would have come out as a shout, but he could not muster enough air to raise his voice loud enough.

Steve shook his head. "I know what you said, Donovan, but I think it's a load of crap. I'm not letting the ISA sell you out when there's something I can do about it."

Why can't Steve understand? Shane wondered. "This isn't about the ISA," he insisted. "It's about trying to force someone to give up everything. It's not right."

"It is right. And, look . . . I'm not forcing anyone to do anything," Steve snapped. "I'm just going to talk to him. It'll be nice and polite, and I'll feel him out . . . just see what he thinks."

"Bollocks - and you know it. You just said you're going to bring him here. That's-" Shane tried to sit up some more, but he stopped the instant he began to feel a sharp pain lance through his side. "Bloody hell," he gasped, falling back against the pillow.

Immediately, the tone of Steve's voice changed. "Are you okay, dude?"

Shane gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, and forced his breathing to grow shallow. The past few days had taught him a few methods of coping with these sharp pains - "breakthrough pain" was what Marcus called them. No amount of painkillers would stop them. The only good thing was that they eventually passed.

"Yeah," he said tightly. When he managed to open his eyes, Shane saw that Steve had moved to the edge of the bed and was now looming over it.

"Damn. . . ." Steve frowned. "I didn't mean to get you riled up like that."

Shane knew Steve meant it, but it did not change the fact that he was doing something Shane did not want him to. "If you really mean it, don't go after Deakins. Just let the man be."

Stepping away from the bed, Steve took a few steps to his left, then turned and came back. "I'm sorry," he said calmly. "I just can't do that. You've saved my neck twice in the past three months and I can't just sit by and not do anything." He raised both hands when Shane began to protest. "Look . . . I'll just talk to him and see what he says. Maybe I'll even come up with something else. And think about it, Donovan . . . I didn't have to tell you what I'm planning. I just . . . well, I just wanted someone to know where we're going in case something goes wrong."

Oh no. He doesn't mean what I think he means. "'Where we're going'? Don't tell me you're going to get Kayla mixed up in this."

"Trust me, I wish I didn't, but you know her." Steve shrugged. "She's not giving me a choice. And it won't be dangerous. Deakins' family is having reunion at some wilderness camp in Georgia. It may be Redneck Central, but the biggest danger will probably be that Kayla comes back singing country music."

"You're forgetting something," Shane said. Steve made it sound so easy, but he was overlooking the biggest danger. When Steve quirked his eyebrow, Shane explained, "The ISA. Remember them?"

Steve laughed out loud. "Oh . . . Them. You know, I'm not sure I ever told you about my little meeting with Tarrington. It was the day Kayla and Kim got taken, so I was a little preoccupied. But your former boss and me came to a little understanding."

Now Shane was confused. What was Steve talking about?

"You see," Steve continued. "The ISA took their shot, but, well . . . I turned around and took mine." He proceeded to explain how he had set a trap for the ISA agents and sprung it on them, detailing the plan in its minutiae.

"Jack helped?" That came as a big surprise to Shane. Normally, Jack Devereaux just got in the way of things.

Steve nodded. "Came through with flying colors. Next thing you know, I'm in the living room of some house and having a friendly chat with your former boss. I let him know that if he didn't back off, all of Salem - and most of the free world - would find out that the ISA's been hiding information about a lethal poison that Lawrence Alamain plans to use on U.S. citizens."

"You didn't-" Shane started to sit up again, but the pain cut him off.

"Yes, I did." Steve sounded undisturbed by his threat. "I don't owe the ISA a thing, so Tarrington had no way of knowing that I wouldn't start a panic."

Shane rolled his eyes. "You've got to bloody well know that it's just temporary. Tarrington won't just sit back and let this go."

"Yeah, I know." Steve took another few steps. "But it gives me and Kayla time to get in touch with Deakins."

Shane knew there was not further point trying to dissuade Steve from going after Deakins. He just did not like Kayla being involved. Speaking of which, this was a good chance to raise something else. Shane had been worried about Kayla since her visit to his room two days earlier. He just wondered if Steve would take Shane's concern the wrong way.

"About Kayla. . . ." Shane hesitated, seeing Steve tense visibly.

After a moment, Steve just nodded curtly. "Go on."

"She was here the other day and something happened. A nurse dropped a tray and Kayla had some kind of attack."

Steve's eye narrowed. "What do you mean? What kind of attack?"

Shane shrugged. "She got really pale and started trembling. It was like she was someplace else for a minute."

Steve nodded, but said nothing. From the look on Steve's face, Shane could tell this was not new information. Shane sighed. "Kim hasn't really told me anything that happened with Cal, but I gather it was bad."

"Cal threatened to kill her after Andrew escaped - put a gun to her head." Steve looked down at his hands, which flexed into fists. "I'm almost sorry you blew him away. If I could kill the man-"

Shane cut Steve off. "Don't," Shane said. "Forget about Cal. He's rotting in hell where he belongs. Right now, it's Kayla that needs your help." In the back of his mind, Shane wondered if it was just Kayla that needed help. How much help did Kim need? She had insisted that Cal did not hurt her, which had alleviated his unspoken fear that Cal had forced himself on her. But the way Kim had evaded his questions made him think more had happened.

Across the room, Steve appeared similarly lost in thought. He was about to respond when Andrew rushed through the doorway.

"Daddy!"

Shane broke into a wide grin. It never failed - the way Andrew lifted his spirits. "Come here, Champ," he called out.

Andrew vaulted ono the chair next to Shane's bed and gave him a big hug. Then he looked at Steve. "Are you visiting Daddy?"

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, little dude. Your dad and me were just having a little chat."

"Hey," Shane said to Andrew. "Is Mommy here with you?"

Andrew shook his head just in time for Simmons to enter the room. "I'm sorry, Sir, but Madame Brady said she's still feeling under the weather."

Shane tried to hide his disappointment. The night before, when Simmons had brought Andrew for a visit, the butler had said Kim was feeling ill. It was understandable that she would not want to risk Shane's health, but he missed her.

"I'm sure she'll be around to visit soon," Simmons said.

"Of course." Shane turned his attention to Andrew, who was now sitting on the edge of Shane's bed and playing with the buttons of the remote that controlled the TV and nurse's call. Taking it gently from Andrew's hand, Shane asked, "So why don't you tell me about school today?"

Andrew pursed his lips. "It was okay . . . 'cept Billy Watson said he can't play with me anymore."

"Why's that?" The question came from Steve before Shane could ask the same thing.

Andrew looked at Steve. "He said his mommy won't let him because Daddy's a 'traintor.'" Andrew turned back to Shane. "What's a 'traintor'?"

You had to know it would happen, Shane said to himself. His eyes locked momentarily on Steve's and then he put a hand on Andrew's shoulder.

"It's 'traitor,'" Shane said gently. "Remember how we talked about what I did to bring Uncle Steve home? That's what some people think it makes me. They think I did something bad to this country and, when you do that, you can be called a traitor."

"But don't you believe any of that damn bull-" Steve caught himself. "Baloney. Your dad's no traitor." Shane could hear the undercurrent in Steve's voice and knew he was going to do what he could to prove it, no matter how much Shane objected.

Shane hoped the caution was plain in his voice as he responded. "Steve. . . ."

"Save your breath, Donovan." Steve stepped over and ruffled Andrew's hair. When Andrew looked up, Steve said, "We're going to prove your dad's no traitor. Don't you worry about it. In the meantime, tell Billy whatshisname that he only wishes he could have a dad that's as much a hero as yours."