Again, this story deals slightly with the events of 9/11. The next few chapters will touch on it, mostly abstract, nothing too much other than to use the news broadcast that was made on Skynews when it first happened. -Tim
The weekend had gone a little better. Agent Josh Sullivan returned Friday night and Walter was able to spend time talking to Paige. She got him to promise to work harder on his school work and to hold on. It was still a very short connection as Josh explained after the connection was terminated that the chatter was becoming more concerning but he said many in the intelligence community believed that the target, or targets being communicated about are not any of the people in protection. But they couldn't take the chance to let them out just yet. He shared that whatever it was, was growing close to happening. He assured them the people, that Mr. Dineen had looking out for them, were convinced that nothing would be happening anywhere close to them.
Megan sat with him most of the time, even took him for walks. Staying clear of the areas that Walter and Paige spent time alone. Working with Walter, Megan got him to catch up on all his homework he'd been neglecting all week. She even conducted spot tests on him to ensure he indeed remembered the information.
The O'Brien family had always struggled with Walter before Paige and the Dineens, but after her introduction into their lives, Walter came more alive. While he was still different from most people, he had developed, he greeted people on the streets, he held conversations even when the topic or the people bored him to tears. But now, the Walter they had been relishing the last three years was worse than before. He seemed to be living more in his head than ever. Since that first communication with the Dineens, every once in a while he'd seem to come out of it and get one of the agents to take him to the electronics shop in town and purchase or order something he needed. Monday night as the family sat in the living room Walter looked up from the laptop he'd been connecting some device he built up to it.
Suddenly they all heard a series of scrambled tones and they looked in and saw him grinning at the laptop.
"Walter? Son, what are you doing?" Louise asked as she put down her sewing.
Just then they all heard a voice.
"Who is this?" Ralph's voice came over the laptop speakers.
"Dad, I needed to see you, to see Paige, I need to hear your voices, to know you are okay." Walter nearly cried.
"Walter, son, how did you do this?" Ralph asked concerned.
"I built a modem and developed a code to decipher the protocols needed. Please Dad, I need to see Paige." Walter begged.
Ralph sighed before he walked over and knocked on a door.
"Paige, get out here." Ralph said.
Paige came out and Ralph pointed to the laptop and as she walked over she ran the rest of the way seeing Walter's face.
Louise, Megan and Sean all moved into the dining room with him.
"Walter! I didn't know we'd get to talk tonight. How are you?" Paige cried seeing him.
"Not good." Walter said. "I had to see you again. To see Dad and the rest of my family. I built my own modem and software so I could do this. We can't talk for long, please don't be mad."
"Walter, of course I'm not mad. I miss you and Mom, Dad and my big sister like crazy. We all do." Paige told him even as Ralph, Veronica and Happy moved up.
They all got to talk for about three more minutes and then the connection began to fade.
"Don't do this again Walter, it is too dangerous. Destroy that software and dismantle that modem you made. But I love you." Ralph told him before the connection was lost.
September 11th, 2001, 1:48 pm, O'Brien farm:
Walter flipped to Sky News as he still searched for any information that might lead to what this chatter was about. He couldn't understand how such a threat hadn't been disclosed, that the US didn't issue a special travel advisory or anything. And his eyes went wide as the woman reporting the news paused in her report.
"Now some very very sketchy details, reaching us here at Sky Center. Important enough to bring to you though at this early stage. We believe that a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. That happened within the last few moments. No details at this stage as to what sort of plane it is, it could well be a large plane. We are hearing reports of a 737 not yet confirmed yet although it is a jet, uh, more as we have it, let's have a look, what CBS News is saying. Our colleagues in America." Kay Burley reported.
The video flips over to showing a high rise building, its top floors engulfed in rolling black smoke.
"...tip of Manhattan." The male reporter's voice said. "You're looking at the World Trade Center. We understand that a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center, we don't know anything more than that. We don't know if it was a commercial aircraft, we don't know if it was a private aircraft. We have no idea how many were on board or what is, what is the extent of the injuries are right now."
"Oh no, no, no, no." Walter said as his brilliant mind ran a number of probabilities in the few seconds of that report. He jumped up and ran out the front door.
"Walter?!" Louise, who had been hanging up clothes to dry, yelled as she saw him fly off the porch heading down the road.
Two of the agents gave chase as a third jumped into a SUV and swung it around to follow.
Agent Todd had been brought in after their first official communication with the Dineens. It had been hoped that as one of the regular agents Walter was used to having around him, that it would help him a bit more. And when he was with Walter it had helped a little. But now Walter was ignoring his calls for him to stop running. Agent Todd finally gave up trying to get him to listen and he used all of his speed and got just close enough to leap out and tackled Walter.
The pair of them tumbled and rolled through the dirt and rocks but as Walter tried to get up agent Todd was already on him, restricting him from moving.
"Walter, son, you got to calm down. Talk to me." Todd said to him.
"It's all my fault, let me go." Walter cried.
It took nearly a half hour to get Walter back up to the house and he just shut down. His mind stuck in an endless loop of events and all of the tragedies that were going to come out of it. Even Megan was having a hard time reaching him. At times saying Paige's name seemed to snap him out of it for a short bit, sometimes just rubbing his arm. But nothing worked long or repeatedly.
By Wednesday morning they were very concerned because Walter was just lying in bed and wasn't responding to any stimuli. The detail took them all to the hospital's ER where Walter was admitted into the psychiatric ward. At first they were giving him fluids and dextrous through an IV but on Thursday they inserted a feeding tube through his nose so they could treat him better.
Megan and Louise cried every time they saw how they had tied Walter's arms and legs to the bed because the few and short moments when he would come out of it, he was constantly trying to escape.
Megan stayed by his side day and night, while their parents tended the farm during the day and then came to stay with him for the evening. Agent Todd stayed with her and traded off with agent Makle who volunteered to help.
Friday morning his case had been placed in the study program since it was a teaching hospital and it came across a young psychologist's eyes in America as he sat reading various cases in the Harvard medical library. He quickly wrote an email and sent it to the doctors listed in charge of his care.
The junior Dr thought his advice might work so against his superior's direction he approached Sean as he came in that evening.
"Excuse me Mr. O'Brien. I'm Dr. Tisdell, I'm a junior doctor on your son's case. A colleague of ours in America, Dr Tobias Curtis, has asked if there is any way of getting Walter's girlfriend to come visit him? He feels that she might be the key to helping him." Dr. Tisdell explained.
Sean sighed as he shook his head.
"Unfortunately they are gone on an extended trip, we have no way of calling them and don't know when they will be back." Sean told him.
Dr Tisdell nodded as he sighed.
"That was really our best chance I think. I mean we can keep Walter alive and healthy physically, but the longer he is like this, the worst it can be for him." Dr Tisdell warned.
Sean nodded and walked on into Walter's room and sat down. He sat there for several minutes thinking.
"What's the worst they could do to me?" Sean finally said out loud.
"Sean?" Louise looked at him.
"Sorry, I'm going to try and get through to Ralph." Sean said as he stepped over to the room phone and called the US Embassy. "This is Sean O'Brien. Priority, seven, alpha, lima, six, two, five." Sean said. "Look, don't give me any run around. This is a matter of life and death, you got to get word to them. Walter is in some kind of coma. One of the doctors thinks Paige might be the answer to getting him to come out of it." Sean told the person.
Sean waited and nodded his head periodically.
"Fine, just let them know what hospital he's in and get the message to them immediately. And thank you." Sean said before hanging up.
"Sean?" Louise asked.
"It's just a hunch, some Dr in America seems to think that if we can get Paige here, she might be what it takes to get through to our boy and bring him back." Sean told her.
"I heard that, I mean that phone call and those words and numbers." Louise asked.
Sean smirked and kind of laughed.
"A couple of years ago Ralph gave them to me, said if anything ever went wrong to call the Embassy and repeat them to the operator. They'd connect me to someone who could get word to him or someone in charge." Sean rubbed her arms.
"Daddy, we got to go, Walter needs us, needs me." Paige pleaded.
"I know pumpkin." Ralph said as he looked at Veronica. "This has to be a family decision. If we leave here before the all clear is issued we'll be on our own until it has been rescinded."
"Well what are we waiting for then? Walter is Paige's boyfriend, my brother, your son, we got to go." Happy demanded of them.
Veronica smiled as she reached out and squeezed her shoulder.
"Our baby is right Ralph, we have got to go." Veronica told him.
"Alright then." Ralph nodded and picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Ralph Dineen, Priority, Baker, two, eight, Foxtrot, Tango, twenty one, Delta. Connect me to the Ambassador." Ralph said.
Ralph sat there waiting a moment.
"Mr. Ambassador, sir our family has a situation and we're revoking the protection for the duration of the lockdown. We've got to be able to help our family in Callan." Ralph told him.
"Yes sir, we understand that none of the agents can officially go with us. As long as I can get one of the SUVs since we don't have a car here." Ralph laughed.
"Thank you sir, we'll see you when this is over then. Yes sir, it has been my honor to serve with you." Ralph told him before hanging up. "Well, what are you doing here? Go get your go-bags packed, we're leaving."
Paige grinned and jumped into Ralph's arms, hugging him tightly. They all turned and went to their small bedrooms and gathered the few belongings they had and packed them away before heading out to the underground parking garage.
Ralph saw his SUV parked there and as they walked up to it an agent stepped up and opened the back and took their bags and put them in the back.
"Charles, the family and I revoked protection." Ralph told him as he shook his hand.
"Mr. Dineen, I swore an oath to serve and protect you and your family. You will not leave here without me." Charles told him.
Ralph nodded and clapped his shoulder.
They all climbed in the back as Charles walked around and got in the passenger seat.
Ralph laughed as he saw agent Johnson behind the wheel.
"You too?" Ralph asked.
"Yes sir." Agent Johnson replied before he put the SUV in gear.
"Thank you both very much." Ralph told them before giving them the name of the hospital.
Charles looked at the family as they were pulling up to the hospital.
"Okay guys, the hospital isn't a safe place and there is only me. You've got to stay with me, and move slow. Give me time to ensure your safety as best I can." Charles told them.
They all nodded even as agent Johnson pulled up at the door. He looked at Charles.
"Double check your three o'clock before they get out. I think it is fine, but let's be careful." Agent Johnson told him.
"Good eye James, thanks." Charles nodded before he got out.
Charles stretched a little as he looked back and saw the utility truck idling but then saw it shut off and the driver got out. He opened a panel and pulled out a box and then closed the panel. He walked over to a manhole cover and sat the box down.
Charles let his breath out as he did a quick sweep of the parking lot and then opened the door. The family quickly moved into the entrance and then waited for Charles to take up point and then moved through the hospital.
With directions they ended up on the thirteenth floor and had to stand there while the staff went and got the O'Briens.
"Dad." Paige said as Sean came through the security door and moved into his arms. "How's Walter?" She nearly begged.
"Nothing has changed yet, my girl." Sean told her as he hugged her back. "Thank you guys for coming. As soon as Megan gets down here two of you can go back. They only let three at a time in the rooms. Well four but agent Todd won't leave Walter alone. I got to admit this floor is pretty spooky. Can't just come and go like most places."
Ralph shook his hand.
"Well we certainly couldn't stay away knowing this was going on." Ralph told him.
"This has been a very stressful time." Sean told them.
"Ralph, you and Paige should go first. You can leave Paige with Walter when you are done and come back and Happy and I can take turns." Veronica told him.
"That sounds fine with me Ronnie." Ralph grinned at her.
Veronica winked at him just as Happy looked at her and she made a face.
"Gross, get a room, you two." Happy complained.
Everyone laughed even as the door opened and Megan stepped out slowly.
"How are you doing Megan?" Ralph asked as he pulled her in for a hug.
"Hanging in the for the most part. I've had a number of hospital people peppering me with questions about the braces Happy made for me. I think if you decide to patent the design you can make a lot of money." Megan grinned at her.
"I like money." Happy nodded as everyone laughed.
Greetings! Hope this finds you all well!
Railman - haha Well as I said privately, Google docs doesn't always catch mistakes like drug verses dragged, dragged is indeed the correct word. No matter how hard I try I seem to always miss something when I re-read and edit what I wrote. Going back and reading some of my earlier stories is real cringe in that arena. Yep, poor Walter, he has had it really rough.
RiseofDespair - hehe Sorry, but kind of not sorry. lol
LouBe - I'm glad you are enjoying even if you are having to worry a bit! You're welcome, glad you enjoy my stories!
Margaret - Thank you! Not to mention worrying Paige was tired of him and going to get rid of him...poor guy. 2001 has not been his year! Yep, his mental status has certainly plummeted.
2LawDog - Umm...Magic? lol But thank you!
Susan - Thank you! And here he had the support system completely cut out from under him...And down, down, down into the rabbit hole he fell.
To the Adventure! -Tim