Chapter Four

AN: the characters do not belong to me.

Pam and Amy were fascinated by the new doctor and his truly bloodless surgery to repair the damage caused to Kate's body by the bullets.

"That was easier than I'd expected," he said once everything was finished and the patient remained in stable condition. "The preservation made it as if I was treating her mere minutes after the gunshot wounds, not seven years."

Amy's eyes glistened with tears. "She'll be okay? Can I tell Theresa?" She'd finally broken the habit of calling her Mrs. Burke now that she and Ben were married.

"Go ahead," the doctor said.

"Thank you, Doctor!" Amy turned to run off before looking back at Pam. "Aren't you coming?"

"No," Pam shook her head, "I'm staying with Kate until she wakes up. She might be confused and a familiar face will do her good."

She has no one left, Pam reflected. The two men she'd loved were both dead. She would be alone. Kind of like me, Pam thought. Though she didn't feel able to share it with anyone, Pam missed her brother David. Not the monster he'd become but the caring man who'd been determined to save everyone.

Kate groaned in her sleep. The skyline of Seattle had disappeared, Harold and Ethan vaporizing along with it. She could see no one with her now, but she gradually became aware of a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice attempting to soothe her.

It was a woman, a voice Kate thought she ought to recognize.

"Kate? Can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes for me. You're going to be fine now."

Fine? How could she be fine? Jason and the barrel of his gun swam into focus in her mind as she recalled the expression in his eyes as he pulled the trigger. He'd hit her once in the chest, twice in the abdomen, propelling her body backwards into a wall with a sickening crack. Then everything faded to black and she was in Seattle with Harold and Ethan. They were both dead. Hadn't that meant she was dead, too? The familiar world of the city brought tears to her eyes. On one hand it was tempting to stay, to live in a world that she'd longed for over the last twelve years, at least the ones for which she'd been conscious. How long she slept was unknown.

She tried to move, to wiggle her toes and begin to sit up. The hand on her shoulder pressed down firmly.

"No, Kate. You're still recovering."

She tried to find her voice but none would come.

Once again the woman was one step ahead of her.

"Don't try to speak, dear. You just got out of surgery. We were able to fix everything but you're not fully awake yet. I know what that terrible boy did to you. I was there. That's why I shot him as soon as he shot you." She sighed. "If only I could have gotten to him before."

A quick exploration of her mouth with her tongue revealed the breathing tube still in place. She knew she'd have to wait to ask the questions that were in her mind.

"That's more like it," the voice encouraged her. "We are going to be friends, remember?"

A memory surfaced and Kate realized that the woman was Pam. They had agreed to cooperate before the takeover. What had gone so wrong?

"They're gone now, all of them who were loyal to the wrong side. We're in charge again and it's going to be just like we discussed. No lies. No control. No reckonings. That kid was stupid to think shooting you would actually kill you when we were headed to suspension. After I shot him, I put you in the chamber and put you to sleep right away. The wounds he inflicted were bleeding profusely, but our blood is drained in the chamber anyway. All we needed was to wait for the right time to bring you back and operate immediately. You really are going to be ok."

A tear slid from one of Kate's eyes. No one she had loved was left among the living. Not Ethan. Not Harold.

Pam gently wiped the tear away.

"I'm sorry about Harold, Kate. And Ethan. But you are among friends. Me, Theresa, Ben, Amy. We're all going to work together. I promise. You're not alone. The entire town is pulling for you. They'll be happy to hear you've come through the surgery."

Her eyes began to grow heavy and she slid back into sleep. It might not be Seattle or the life she had known, but it could be nice.