Dusk had already passed and Jaime was having trouble keeping up with the truck as it traveled down the narrow road at 40 mph. Her relief was instantaneous when she saw its brake lights illuminate the darkness. She slowed her speed and ducked behind a tree watching the vehicle get waved through a large gate. The guard at the gate was yielding a semi-automatic weapon and Jaime’s entrance would have to be more creative.

Stumbling through the dark, thin forest she soon came upon an 18 foot wall topped with barbed wire. She took a moment to eye it cautiously. It had been years since she jumped that high. Accurately judging the vertical distance for such a leap took a lot of experience and practice, something she was presently lacking.

She silently hoped the wire wasn’t too rusty or too sharp. ‘Well Jaime it’s now or never,’ she said to herself, crouching low. Launching herself upwards she smiled as she cleared the wire, landing safely, undetected, on the inside. She moved quickly along the wall of the unused exercise yard until she arrived at the closest building. Tuning in her bionic ear she listened in on the only conversation available while making her way indoors.

Steve’s chin slowly came off his chest. He tried his best to focus and take in his surroundings but his left eye was swollen shut and the vision in his right was blurred. Without electricity the only light source was from camping lanterns on the table, the dim light casting eerie shadows on the walls. He was surprised to find himself alone in the room.

The pull on his shoulders was tremendous, his left arm completely numb. His clothes were soaking wet from the use of the hose and he was getting colder as the temperature dropped with the sun.

He groaned with his attempt to take a breath, his ribs protesting their expansion. His low back ached mercilessly making him wonder if his interrogator had fractured a vertebra or two. With much effort he tried to devise an escape plan but his mind was fuzzy. He wondered if he did break free of the restraints could he even stand or move for that matter. Before he could test his theory the metal door in front of him banged open.

“Well I see you finally woke up.” The tall, smartly-dressed man, who directed Steve’s kidnapping at the bar, glanced at his watch as he swiftly covered the distance between them. “You were out for almost an hour this time, not very productive Colonel.” Steve squinted his right eye to get a clearer view of his captor. The voice sounded familiar but he couldn’t place it.

The man called over his shoulder, “Carl, I am in need of your services.” Immediately the muscular black man with a military-style haircut that Jaime had followed from the bar swiftly entered the room with a small black case. Steve watched as the small box was placed on the table and opened. Several vials were displayed among the syringes.

“You look a little worried Steve. What’s the matter afraid you aren’t mentally strong enough for chemically enhanced interrogation?” The thin man laughed and Steve’s eye widened. That laugh, he knew that laugh. He hadn’t heard it since his first year of flight school but it was unique and distinctive. Only one person could have the laugh, his former roommate, Andrew Jameson.

“Jameson? What the hell is this all about?” Steve asked in a hoarse voice.

“I guess I should feel honored the famous astronaut remembers my name.” He stepped nose to nose with Steve. “I really don’t think you are in any position to ask any questions, that’s my job.” He walked slowly around the suspended man enjoying his upper hand. “I must say I thought leaving the military would have softened you but you’ve surprised me. We’ve been questioning you for five hours and you have yet to break. Although I’m becoming quite tired of the ‘name, rank, serial number’ response I’ve been hearing.” He stepped closer and examined Steve’s badly bruised face. Placing two fingers against his prisoner’s battered ribs he pushed, slowly and firmly until Steve’s body weight was moved, hoping to get a groan from his former colleague. Even though Steve’s body slowly began to swing backwards, the intense pain radiating from his ribs to his chest, his captor was sorely disappointed.

Releasing the pressure Jameson stepped back. “You could make this easy for yourself. I’m aware of you high security clearance at the OSI, so just give us the information we want.”

Steve eyed him while slowly swinging to a stop. He replied from his split lip, “And what, you’ll let me go?”

“Very funny. No, of course not, but your death could be much less painful then it has to be.” Steve’s gut twisted at the thought of never seeing his wife and son again. “You’ve already taken quite a beating. I’m afraid your body won’t take much more so Carl here is going to speed things along.”

The young black man stepped forward and skillfully injected the sodium pentothal into his left arm. “Let’s see if this makes you a little more talkative.”

“Andy, why?”

“Why? The question is why not.” He walked around the restrained man. “The US Air Force threw me out like a sack of garbage. ME! I was one of their best and brightest…that is until you came along.” His anger was slowly brewing into a rage.

“Do you have any idea what you cost me?” He waited and watched as Steve tried to focus. “I was supposed to get the promotion to Colonel. There was one slot open and it was mine, I earned it. Next thing I hear is Steve Austin, the youngest colonel in US history.” He took a few paces away from the injured man before he continued, “Then 6 years later when the selections were made for the astronaut program…I knew I was perfect for the job. I should have been one of them but because of you they tore up my application. Tell me Steve did it give you personal satisfaction to sit on the jury panel and convict me, permanently staining my record?”

Steve’s mind trudged back many years to that day when he was ordered to sit on an Air Force disciplinary panel to hear the case of a Lieutenant Jameson, charged with drug use. He made eye contact with his former roommate, “Andy I didn’t force those drugs into you. You chose to do it and it cost you your career. You have no one to blame but yourself. Be a man and take some personal responsibility.”

Andy’s black eyes burned into Steve’s blue one until the fury could not be contained. Steve was knocked unconscious the moment the tight fist impacted his jaw. Jameson stood staring at Austin, emotionless, as the battered man limply swung to and fro from the hook.

He swiftly reached down for the garden hose and unleashed the cold spray. The coughing from the unexpected water entering his lungs and pain accompanying it brought Steve back to his harsh reality.

“The only reason I was court martialed was because you sided with the others. My conviction required a unanimous decision, one you could have prevented.” His voice softened a little. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve already lost the flying career I loved. The news of my court martial caused my mother’s fatal heart attack and my father disowned me. So you cost me my parent too.” Steve was wary when Jameson’s eyes lit up, “You know what its like to lose your parents don’t you Steve?” He paused to let the news sink in. The smile displayed on his face was one of pure evil

“I thought I killed you in that blast. I should have known the indestructible Steve Austin would survive. Well, I think your luck is about to run out.”

“You blew up the house?” Steve questioned the morally bankrupt man before him.

“Yes. Who did you think it was?” He smirked.

“Calaveras.” Steve’s head pounded as the loud, boisterous laughter reverberated off the walls around him.

Jameson, with an arrogant expression on his face, explained, “Calaveras was killed 18 months ago.” Steve’s head shot up in disbelief. “That’s right. How do I know? I’m the one who put the bullet between his beady little eyes. I’m running the operation now… giving everyone the impression that Calaveras is just, well, out of reach.”

“You have a mole at the OSI don’t you?”

“So you know about her do you? Stupid girl….so needy she thinks if she does everything I ask I will marry her.” Jameson stopped his monologue at the sight of his captured prey.

The captive’s head dropped onto his chest, feeling like it weighed a ton. The drug was taking affect and Jameson was beginning his questioning again. His anger and frustration rose to new heights as Steve remained silent. But it was to be expected. All government agencies trained their agents well. He motioned to Carl who began preparing two additional syringes the combination of all three drugs would be impossible to fight. Unfortunately for Steve the combination of the drugs was unpredictable when mixed.

Jaime just stepped to the narrow doorway and glanced in to view the scene. She was able to pick up the whole conversation with her bionic ear before she even found the correct hallway. Her stomach was in knots to learn she may be too late, the drugs already being forced into the vein of Steve’s left arm. She noticed only two men in the room, the only ones she had come in contact with and for that she was grateful. Steve glanced up and saw her peeking into the room. He thought he was hallucinating from the drugs. His eyes slowly closed knowing he didn’t have much more fight left in him, already physically and mentally spent.

Jameson was losing his patience and retrieved the garden hose from the floor. Spraying Steve with the cold water brought him quickly to awareness. He coughed out the water that unexpectedly slid into his throat. Looking up again he saw her slowly entering the room through the open door. He realized she was not a figment of his imagination and made his move.

Andy had just stepped forward when Steve pulled himself up with his right hand, his left useless from lack of circulation. He groaned loudly from the pain his rapid movement had produced when he tightened his abdominal muscles and brought his legs up. He kicked his interrogator with both feet, the motion nothing but a blur to the human eye. The impact sent Jameson across the room and into the cinderblock wall, instantly knocking the man unconsciousness.

Carl, the large black man, had not seen Steve’s incredibly fast movement but he heard the loud ‘thud’ against the wall. As he turned to see what it was Jaime, using her right hand, landed a quick punch to his jaw. He stared at her face in disbelief before dropping to the ground unmoving, his gun still holstered.

Her eyes came up to Steve, “Can you get yourself down?”

“I think so.” He replied in a raspy voice.

Jaime left his side and pulled the two men together at the wall. Hearing Steve’s pain-filled grunt she watched as he used his right hand to bend the hook straight enabling him to slide his wrists free. He fell into a heap on the floor barely conscious.

The slender woman knelt by her former fiancé and turned him onto his back. Her face paled at the sight of his battered and bloodied face. “Oh Steve.” She whispered. Hearing a moan behind her she grabbed the bent hook, pulling it from the ceiling and took it to her adversaries. Placing them back to back with their sides to the wall, she impaled the one end of the hook into the cinderblock wall, bent it around both their torsos and embedded the other end into the wall. Double checking its security she returned to Steve’s side.

With tears welling in her eyes she shouldered guilt for not arriving sooner. “Steve, can you hear me?” He struggled and soon got his right eye open. “Jaime? What are you doing here?” He hissed out, the pain and the affects of the drugs overwhelming him. She was about to answer when her ultrasonic hearing picked up footfalls, approaching fast.

“Sshhh.Someone’s coming.” She placed a gentle finger to his lips.

She knew there was only one other man on the property, the guard from the gate, and didn’t want him lured in the room with Steve so helpless. She stood and walked to the door, listening carefully, trying to discern the location of the man. Steve was vaguely aware of what was happening and didn’t want her putting herself in harm’s way. He was slipping back into oblivion; the last sight he saw was her back as she left the room. He tried to call to her but unable to get a full breath, only a whisper would leave his lips, “Jaime…..Jaime…” His eye closed, he wanted so much to retreat into unconsciousness, stopping the pain, but his fear for Jaime was forcing him to fight the darkness. Suddenly he heard a deafening gunshot echo down the empty corridor. ‘Oh God,’ he thought, ‘He shot her.’

“Jaime.” The name escaped his lips once more before he was pulled into nothingness.

Jaime was successful leading the armed guard away from Steve. She was about to duck into an adjacent corridor when he got off one clear shot. She barely felt it as it entered her upper right arm, the limb immediately falling limp at her side. She leaned her back against the wall to plan her attack. She stepped quietly into the closest cell leaving the door open.

It didn’t take the ex-army sergeant long to reach her location. She played dead on the floor, waiting for his closeness. As he reached to check her pulse she unleashed a leg sending him across the room. Stunned at her sudden attack, he didn’t have time to react before he lost consciousness. Stepping out into the hallway she closed the heavy metal door. Without her arm she had to use her foot to bend a flat piece of metal into the door jam so he could not escape.

Running back to Steve she panicked thinking he was gone, his body lying motionless on the cold floor. She tried to wake him but he was incoherent. Pulling out her radio she contacted Snow White for an urgent pickup. After the call was made she talked to Steve trying to bring him back but her thoughts were interrupted, she had miscalculated, there was another person off in the distance, approaching in a run.

“Steve. Steve. I need your help to get up. Please Steve.” Her urgent pleas reached him and pulled him back to reality. He thought she was dead. “Jaime?”

“Steve we need to move. We’re like sitting ducks in this room. Can you stand?”

He groaned as she assisted him in rolling onto his hands and knees. “I think so.” He forced out his clenched teeth as the circulation returned to his left arm. Jaime was frustrated she only had one arm to assist him with. She did her best with her weaker left arm and guided him unsteadily to his feet. With his arm over her shoulders and her left arm around his waist she led him to the exit.

When they got outside, out of sight and hidden in the darkness, she propped him against the wall and he slowly slid down into a sitting position. She fought back the tears from not knowing how bad he was injured. When she set off on this mission she was confident she would bring him back alive but now she wasn’t so sure she could.

Steve’s head was swimming in a murky underground. It seemed that the sounds around him were muffled yet magnified in some way. He couldn’t find Jaime. Was she dead? He wasn’t sure. He thought he heard her calling to him. The pain in his body was relentless and mind numbing.

“Steve? Steve please stay awake. I don’t know what those drugs will do to you. I’m afraid if you pass out you won’t wake up.”

“Jaime, you shouldn’t be here.”

“I know but someone had to save your butt.” She joked lightly giving him a tired smile and he gave her a lopsided grin but his eyes stayed closed. “Come on Steve stay with me.” She whispered as loud as she possibly dared, not wanting to broadcast their whereabouts.

Steve wondered if he would survive this. Something felt different and he was beginning to feel an air of finality around him. “Jaime?” He called softly.

“Yes Steve.” She watched his pale face relax as he spoke.

“When you see Kayce tell her I love her. Please make her understand there was nothing between us.”

“Steve, she knows there’s nothing between us.” She tried to assure him.

He gave a feeble nod, “Kyle saw us kiss….told Kayce. I have… a feeling… I’m not sure she…believes me.” He paused trying to gather his strength before saying what he had to say, “Jaime…Jaime….” His body went limp as rotor blades were heard. Jaime wiped away the tears that fell.

The helicopter made a quick sweep of the vacant exercise yard with its glaring spot light, exposing the two forms next to the wall. As soon as it touched down Oscar was on the ground with an army Lieutenant, both armed, not sure what to expect. Jaime filled Oscar in on where he could find the three so-called freedom fighters and the director sent his other two men in search of the forth one still roaming.

The two looked down at Steve who was now shivering from the cold, his clothes still soaking wet. “Oscar we need to get him home.”

Oscar nodded to the lieutenant and the two men carried Steve to the chopper. Meanwhile two cars arrived and armed government agents were jumping out to search the grounds and make their arrests.

Kayce had arrived at the darkened building just after Oscar had left to pick up his agents. She wandered around looking for Rudy and found him eyeing a microscope in his lab. “Rudy don’t you ever sleep?”

He looked up startled that anyone would still be in the building this late. “Kayce what are you doing here? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I just can’t sit still knowing Steve is out there somewhere.”

“Would you like some coffee?”

“No thanks.” She settled herself on the closest chair. “Do you mind if I just wait here awhile?”

“No. Actually I needed a break and I always enjoy your company.” He replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down to chat.

“Did Oscar go home for the night?”

“No. He stuck his head in here a little while ago said Jaime called for a pick up and he would be in touch.”

“That’s it, no other news?”

“No, sorry.”

“Well, at least they are on their way home.” She sighed, folded her arms across her stomach and slouched so she could rest her head on the chair back.

Jaime hopped into the chopper and immediately wrapped a blanket around her before she sat down on the floor and rested her back against the wall of the military aircraft. Then she assertively instructed the two men to place Steve in front of her. Hearing her determined tone of voice they quickly did as instructed, aware that Steve was no longer shivering from the cold, hypothermia and shock were setting in.

With Steve situated between her legs and his back to her she leaned his upper body back against her chest while Oscar placed a wool blanket over his battered friend. Jaime draped her left arm over Steve’s left shoulder and held him by the chest. His head rolled to the side and came to rest against her upper arm. Soon her body heat traveled to him. She whispered caring words into his ear with tears in her eyes as they left the ground. Oscar gently touched Steve’s left wrist, relieved to find a weak pulse before grabbing a headset to call Rudy. When he looked back Jaime was resting her head against the fuselage with her eyes closed. ‘She doesn’t look too good herself’ he thought.

Just as Rudy was beginning to belay her worries about Steve’s safety his phone rang. He initially froze knowing there could only be one reason for it to ring this late. Kayce’s widened eyes met his for a second before he reached for the receiver.

He didn’t say anything except ‘I’ll be there’ and hung up.

“Well?”

“They are on their way back.”

“And? Come on Rudy out with the rest!” She demanded.

“Oscar says Steve took quite a beating. He asked that I meet him at the medical center.”

“Let’s go.” She replied as she grabbed her purse and he followed her out.

Kayce and the doctor stood side by side, holding their collective breath they watched the chopper set down with two other medical staff. The lieutenant was sliding the door open when they stepped to the settling aircraft. Kayce was shocked to see Jaime cradling her battered husband against her body. She stood still as the men moved the injured operative from the rotorcraft.

Kayce followed the gurney closely, grabbing onto Steve’s right hand. His eyelids flickered open for a second and she felt a slight squeeze. God, she didn’t want to lose him. She settled herself out of the way near a corner as the medical team went to work to assess his injuries.

Rudy issued orders to the three nurses as he checked Steve’s pupils. “Let’s get him on some oxygen. Karen, I need you to get a set of vital signs then call x-ray. Tell them we need a full skull series.” She moved efficiently to comply.

“Sue, I need an IV started in his neck.” She went about her assigned tasked as the orders continued.

“Jean, we need to get these wet clothes off then get a catheter in.” The team worked together to treat their very ill patient. Kayce tried to read Rudy’s expression but he remained emotionless.

No sooner had the nurse pushed up Steve’s sleeve to get a blood pressure reading that she noticed the needle marks in Steve’s arm. “Dr. Wells.” He looked to where at the brunette was pointing, “Get Jaime Sommers in here now.” He requested sternly.

Kayce’s stomach tightened, confused at his urgent request. The doctor glanced at the nurse inserting the IV, “Get a blood sample too.” She nodded silently and went to task. The nurse brought a tired Jaime into the room, still wrapped in a blanket. “What is it Rudy?” The tall woman asked quietly with deep concern.

“I need you to tell me everything you saw and heard.” He stated simply. With Steve now relieved of his clothes Rudy’s skilled hands wandered from Steve’s clavicles down to his ribcage palpating for broken bones.

“Ah..okay.” She started, trying to remember everything. “When I got to the building I heard a man saying Steve’s body wouldn’t take much more. Ah… something about chemically enhanced interrogation. I heard him say the first drug was sodium pentothal. They used two other drugs when Steve would not answer any of their questions. When I got to the room,” She swallowed hard remembering the sickening sight. “Steve was hanging by his wrists… from a large hook secured to the ceiling. He was barely conscious. They sprayed him with cold water to bring him around.”

Rudy, who was now manually palpating Steve’s abdomen looking for any internal bleeding, asked quickly, “Did they say what the other drugs were?” When she didn’t immediately answer he glanced up and saw her lean heavily against the counter.

“Jaime? Are you alright?”

“Yes….” She replied firmly. After taking a deep breath she continued, “They didn’t specify what the other drugs were…just that they would work together to get the desired result.” She looked up with tired eyes and apologized in a defeated voice, “I’m sorry Rudy I should have grabbed the vials that were there but….”

He looked up again when she paused. She finished slowly, “I didn’t have time after…I was worried about getting Steve on his feet…. and I only had one arm…”

Rudy’s eyes grew wide and he quickly stepped over to her. Seeing her glassy eyes he reached under the blanket and pulled out her limp right arm. The large bullet hole was clearly visible in her light blue blouse. Yanking a chair closer he sat the weakening woman down. “Jaime I want you to rest okay? Don’t move.”

She looked up at his face and inquired in a whisper, “Is Steve going to be alright?”

“We’ll take good care of him I promise.”

Stepping back to his prone patient he gave orders to Karen. “Call Dr. Marchetti and get him here as soon as possible.” She nodded silently and went to the phone. Rudy was busy trying to rouse Steve knowing he had a concussion. He was also hoping to get a look at his bionic eye but the swelling was preventing it. His attempts were quickly interrupted by Jean’s urgent tone, “Dr. Wells look!”

All eyes went to the catheter bag she was holding. Instead of the expected clear yellowish fluid it was filling with blood. Kayce hugged herself as tears welled in her eyes knowing that was not a good sign. Rudy requested help from his staff to roll the limp patient onto his side. The three worked together and Rudy was not happy with what he saw. Steve entire lower back was bruised. He heard a weak groan as his hands applied gentle pressure to the purple area over his right kidney. After a small nod from the physician confirmed he had seen enough they returned the patient to his back.

“Jean would you please call dialysis and tell them we may be adding a patient to their schedule. When x-ray gets here tell them I need his low back filmed also. There may be a fractured vertebra.” She went to the phone as Karen returned, “Dr. Wells, Dr. Marchetti is on his way.”

“Thanks. Would you please take Jaime across the hall, help her out of those wet clothes and get her into a hospital gown for when Dr. Marchetti arrives…and get a set of vitals on her too.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

His attention returned to Steve who remained oblivious to what was being done to him. Seeing most of the work was done Kayce tentatively stepped closer to her husband who was breathing oxygen through a mask. She silently watched, running a gentle hand through his damp hair, as Rudy placed electrodes on his bruised chest. She looked over her husband’s torso; there wasn’t a spot that wasn’t blue, red or purple.

Her voice was but a whisper of disbelief, “Rudy how could someone do something so horrible?”

“I don’t know Kayce. I really don’t know.”

As soon as Dr. Michael Marchetti came through the door he was directed to Jaime’s room. He braced himself before seeing the woman who stole his heart 5 years ago. Realizing he would never have her he threw himself into his cryogenic research and opted for a four year project in Europe. He had only returned to the United States 6 months ago to work with Dr. Wells.

Approaching the bedside he forced himself into the role of physician. Noticing her eyes were closed he gently touched her shoulder to rouse her. “Jaime, how are you feeling?”

She rewarded him with a genuine smile, “Hi Michael.”

“Rudy tells me you injured your arm.”

“Uh hum.” She mumbled not feeling him manipulate her arm.

“Well let’s just check you over and make sure its nothing serious. Okay?” He opened her chart and read over Rudy’s most recent notes. He was shocked that his colleague had tuned her up to full strength without knowing the consequences, especially if Oscar was immediately sending her out on an assignment.

“Jaime how did this happen?” He asked as he took her pulse.

“I needed to get to Steve. He went on assignment and was missing. Oscar needed a female operative who was bionic.” She let her tired eyes close while his stethoscope rested on her chest. The whole situation was beginning to make sense to him. Dr. Marchetti knew of Steve and Jaime’s close relationship. It didn’t surprise him that she would risk her life for Steve.

After assessing her human functions he checked her arm. She slowly dozed off as he finished his exam. The dark-haired physician watched the pretty woman sleep for a few moments before going to talk to Rudy.

He found Dr. Wells in the adjacent room overseeing the x-rays. Kayce, unable to stay in the room due to her pregnancy, went to call her friend Sara and give her the grim news. Rudy was relieved to hear Michael’s diagnosis of exhaustion. He felt Jaime’s body was struggling to adjust to being tuned up and the intense stress of the past 24 hours. The bullet did moderate damage but was repairable.

With the x-rays processed Rudy and Michael stood side by side viewing the films on the lighted wall. “Steve’s incredible lucky.” Marchetti remarked after turning and comparing what Steve’s body looked like to the x-rays.

“Not that lucky. His right kidney is damaged from the beating. There’s excessive blood in his urine. I’m debating whether or not to send him to dialysis to take the stress off the organ.”

“Do you think he’s strong enough for that?”

“I’m not sure. I could make his condition much worse.”

“So what are you going to do?” Marchetti inquired.

“Speak to his wife.”

“Steve’s married?!” Rudy smiled at the look of shock on Michael’s face. “Yes, married with an adorable 3 year-old son and another baby on the way.”

“I guess I’ve been out of the loop since my research took me to Europe.”

“I’d say so.”

As if on cue Kayce walked in after seeing the portable x-ray machine leaving the room. She immediate went to Steve’s side and Rudy politely introduced Dr. Marchetti to Kayce Austin.

“Rudy, what about the drugs in his system?” She asked.

“The blood tests should be back soon. In the meantime I’ve asked Oscar to bring in the vials that were confiscated in case the test doesn’t identify the substances. There’s a chance they are experimental.” He eyed the distraught pregnant woman as the nurses were preparing to move Steve to another room. “Kayce, why don’t you go with them and sit with Steve, as soon as I have all the test results I’ll let you know. Okay?” The sandy-haired woman nodded and followed the gurney down the hallway.

Michael was a little envious, “She certainly is beautiful.” He commented as she walked out the door. Rudy smiled, “And she’s not like any woman you have ever met. I guarantee it.”

An hour later Kayce and Oscar sat in Rudy’s office waiting to hear his report. They were surprised when Michael escorted Jaime in a wheelchair. She looked exhausted but offered a weak smile to everyone. Michael stood off to the side, leaning against the bookcase in case he was needed.

While waiting for Rudy the three began discussing Steve’s assignment. “Oscar did they ever get Calaveras?” Kayce asked.

“No apparently he was killed 18 months ago.”

Kayce was surprised, “Then who did this to Steve?”

“A man named Andrew Jameson, a former roommate of his from flight school.”

“So he will at least go to prison for what he’s done?” Oscar’s brown eyes looked into her sapphire ones, “No. Unfortunately he died from a skull fracture shortly after we took him into custody.”

“Skull fracture?” Oscar nodded and Kayce looked to Jaime for more information. “How did he get a skull fracture?”

Jaime was sitting with her left elbow on the armrest of her chair and her head resting in her hand. Her head came up when the question was directed at her. “It must have happened when Steve kicked him across the room. He hit the wall pretty hard.”

Kayce thought a moment then made an off-handed remark, “Steve detests killing. He’s not going to handle this well.”

“Yes he will.” Jaime replied confidently, “Jameson confessed to killing Jim and Helen. I know Steve won’t lose any sleep over his death.”

The door suddenly opened and Rudy entered the room, shutting his door behind him. After sitting at his desk he looked up not surprised that Jaime was present. He knew arguing with her to stay in bed and rest would just make matters worse.

“Okay all the tests result are back and I should be able to answer most of your questions.” He looked down and paged through Steve’s chart. “Starting with his simple injuries….he has a concussion from the blows to the head that caused the facial contusions. The skull was not fractured thanks to the Vitallium plates we used to reinforce his skull after his plane crash.”

“His Vitallium ribs protected his heart and lungs from damage but two of his human ribs are broken.” Kayce stared at the doctor as if he was speaking of some other patient. Aside from his bionic limbs she had no idea how damaged her husband’s body was from his plane crash or how much actually had to be rebuilt. She glanced at the others in the room. By the looks on their faces they had already known all this information. It was strange, as Steve’s wife, to be the only one in the dark regarding his medical history. She suddenly felt like an outsider. Coming back to the conversation she heard Rudy continue.

“His lower back sustained bone bruises on his lower vertebrae but no fractures were found. Now, his right kidney is the more serious issue. I’m afraid it was damaged from the numerous punches, kicks, whatever. The excessive blood in his urine tells me it may not even be functioning enough to sustain him.”

Kayce swallowed hard and asked, “What about his left kidney?”

Three pairs of eyed fell on her as Rudy replied with information he thought she already knew, “I had to remove the left one after his plane crash. He only has one.”

He dark blue eyes glanced around, once again, everyone including Jaime already knew. Jaime asked in a soft voice, “Will it heal itself?”

“I can’t say for sure. Right now it’s over stressed doing the work of 2 kidneys. I’ve been seriously considering a few hours of dialysis to take the stress off of it but I’m not sure he would tolerate it in the weakened condition he is in.”

Oscar spoke up, “Can’t you wait until he’s stronger?”

“It was a possibility until I got the blood test back. I’m afraid with the drugs he was given his recovery will be……unpredictable.”

“What do you mean by unpredictable?” Kayce asked as her heart began to pound in her chest at the uncertainty.

“Well the first drug, sodium pentothal, is well known and does not cause any great concern. The other two drugs could not be classified by our blood tests, which I expected to happen considering who had them. Oscar was able to provide us with the vials and we confirmed they are, in fact, experimental, probably stolen from a government lab.”

...Continued