Collateral Damage (Read 56,455 times)

[jwsel]

Chapter 24

"Donovan Manor?" Chief Tarrington said. "That's utterly out of the question."

Shane winced as Tarrington's loud voice echoed inside his head. He had woken that morning with a thumping headache, a nasty taste in his mouth, and absolutely no clue how he had made it back to his quarters. He also had woken wearing the same clothes as the night before, his head on the mattress and his feet resting on the pillow. The last thing he had remembered was sitting down at the Officer's Club opposite Nowicki. Everything after that was a blank.

Now, sitting in Tarrington's temporary office with a nasty hangover, Shane pledged never to drink with soldiers ever again.

After Tarrington's voice had stopped echoing, Shane said, "It makes perfect sense. Alamain will have no clue where Steve is until he is strong enough to return to Salem."

"We need Johnson here, Shane. Or in another military hospital."

Shane shook his head. "That won't be any good. Whatever happened to Steve has left him unwilling to cooperate with the doctors. They tried to examine him last night and couldn't."

"Then they'll have to restrain him for his own safety," Tarrington said.

"Under no circumstances will I allow that." Shane had begun to pace. Each step seemed to mirror the sound of the hammer striking the inside of his skull. "We'd be no better than Alamain, keeping him locked up against his will, using him for whatever purpose. I spoke with the doctors. There's nothing physically wrong with him that food and rest won't cure. The doctors agree that anything he needs could be provided by a nurse, and he'll respond far better to Kayla than to a strange doctor."

Tarrington chewed on his lower lip for a minute. "Shane, we need access to his blood. We don't know if Dr. Manning has enough for the antidote. We may not know that for weeks."

"It's Donovan Manor. He'd only be an hour from London." Shane's own voice had risen, making him fear his head would explode, so he took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain. "Look . . . The best thing for us is to get Steve's cooperation. It's not just his blood; he may have information on Lawrence Alamain. We won't get that if we torture the man."

Something in what Shane had said seemed to get through. "You're right," Tarrington said. "He might have information." Tarrington spent a couple of minutes thinking, before he spoke again. "What about Johnson's mental state? Neither you nor Kayla are trained for that."

No, Tarrington was right about that, Shane had to acknowledge. Not that it mattered much. Steve would never accept help from an ISA or military specialist. Shane rubbed his temples, trying to rid himself of the throbbing pain. If only there was someone Steve knew who could help, someone Steve would trust. Someone. . . .

"I'll make sure he receives treatment," Shane said. "I know someone who can help."

"Well, then, please share." Tarrington sounded annoyed.

Shane took a deep breath. "Kimberly." At Tarrington's raised eyebrow, Shane explained. "She's trained to help with abuse cases, and she worked with me to recover my memory. So it's not like she's unskilled. And, most important, she's someone Steve will trust."

"So let me see if I understand. You'd have your ex-wife, her sister -- who's now your girlfriend --and her sister's presumed-dead husband all at your home at once?" Tarrington shook his head. "I know this last year has been difficult, old boy, but I think you've gone off your rocker."

The hammers grew louder and Shane had to close his eyes for a moment before he responded. "This has nothing to do with my personal life," he said through gritted teeth. "This is only about Steve, getting him the best care he can, and reuniting him with his wife."

Tarrington continued to shake his head. "You're a good agent, Shane. That's why you're Head of Special Investigations. But while you may be my second-in-command, if you believe this has nothing to do with your personal life, you're quite the fool."

"Then I'm a bloody fool, Tarrington. It's still the best option we've got."

Tarrington fell silent, but finally gave a curt nod. "Very well. This was your mission after all."

"Good," Shane said. "We'll be on the next flight that lands anywhere within 100 miles of Gloucestershire."

"However, understand this, Shane. If Johnson doesn't show improvement, the ISA will declare him a risk to national security and take him to one of our facilities."

Shane knew that was the best he was going to do, so he nodded. "I understand." As he left Tarrington's office, Shane began pondering the next hurdle. How the devil was he going to get both Kim and Kayla to England? And even if he found a way, how would he do it without raising Alamain's suspicions?

[MrsM]

Shane is off his rocker.

[fluffysmom]

It will be very interesting if Shane can indeed get Kim and Kayla to Donovan manor.

[DancingDays]

"Steve's here." Done. ;-)

[jwsel]

Jun 3, 2012 10:29:48 GMT -5 DancingDays said:

"Steve's here." Done. ;-)

That would probably work - once Kayla recovered from the heart-attack brought on by the shock.

[jwsel]

Chapter 25

Steve shifted uncomfortably in his bed. He had not seen Shane since yesterday morning and he was beginning to wonder if Shane had just decided to leave him there. A few soldiers had come by to see Deakins the previous evening. From what Steve could understand, it sounded like Deakins' unit was heading out and Deakins would be joining them when he had completed his recovery from the gunshot wound. Steve had tried to thank the soldiers for helping him, but to a man, they had repeated Deakins' comment -- it was just their job. Deakins was now off somewhere doing physical therapy of some sort, leaving Steve alone in the ward.

Of course, aside from those conversations with the soldiers and a few idle chats with Deakins, Steve had mostly been left alone with his thoughts anyway. The doctors had apparently taken his threats seriously and Steve had not seen any of them again. Orderlies had been by to bring him food and some oral medications, but otherwise gave Steve a wide berth.

When Steve had gotten up to find a bathroom, one had approached him. Steve didn't know if he had intended to help or intended to keep Steve from getting up and he didn't care. One look from Steve had sent the orderly in retreat. Steve had watched the man follow him to the bathroom, keeping a safe distance. Steve knew he was in no condition to be much of a threat, so he assumed that Shane's warnings must have done the trick. But, whatever it was, Steve didn't care. He had spent months locked up and unable to do anything without the constant threats of beatings or restraint. He was damned if he was going to ask an orderly for help to use the bathroom. He was still capable of handling some things on his own, even if the effort had exhausted him.

On some level, Steve knew he was being a little unreasonable about the doctors, but most of him just didn't care. He didn't know them and he damn well didn't trust them. He had been pretty out of it when he had arrived at the hospital, but that didn't mean he didn't remember the way they had tossed him on the exam table, held him down, and then kept him there as they "examined" him. In many ways, their examination had felt little different from the ones in the places he had been kept over the last few months and, at times, Steve had been unsure whether he had actually escaped the compound or not. But now he knew he was free, and nobody was going to use him as a guinea pig anymore.

Steve had spent most of his time drifting in and out of sleep. Inevitably, he would awaken in the midst of another nightmare. But even with that, it was the most uninterrupted sleep he had enjoyed in a long time.

Then there was the hospital food. If Steve had not been half-starved, he would have declared the British hospital food inedible. But nine months of being fed scraps of things Steve didn't want to think about had made the hospital meals look like a five-star meal. Even though it had only been about 36 hours since he left the compound, the rest, food, and relatively safety of the hospital had Steve feeling vaguely human again. And that was something he had not felt in longer than he could remember.

Steve's thoughts were interrupted as he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Shane approaching. "Good evening, Captain Donovan," Steve said with an edge to his voice. "I guess you didn't just leave me here after all."

Shane stopped beside the bed and sat down. He grimaced a bit and then said, "Of course I didn't leave you here, Steve. If you want to know, I've been trying to make the necessary arrangements to get you out of here."

"It's about time, dude. So when do we head home?"

"We're not going back to Salem, Steve. Not yet. As I told you before, it's too dangerous. Whether or not you like it, you're in no condition to protect yourself from Alamain's people," Shane said. Before Steve could protest further, Shane continued, "And it's not just about you. Going back to Salem would put Kayla and Stephanie in danger as well."

Steve wanted to argue, but knew he couldn't. Shane was right; he was in no physical condition to protect himself or his family. With a sigh, Steve said more evenly, "Okay, if I'm not going home, where are you sending me?"

"I'd like you to come to Donovan Manor and stay there for awhile. It's fully secure and, once there, you can recover and regain your strength."

"Donovan Manor?" Steve scoffed. "What is that? Your family estate with hounds and horses and all that proper British stuff?" Steve asked, mimicking Shane's British accent.

"Yes, it's my family's home," Shane said, ignoring Steve's needling. "So? Can I get you to agree on that? Otherwise, you'll be here for the duration."

"What about Kayla and Stephanie? I'm not going anywhere until I know I'm going to see them."

"I've arranged for an ISA plane to bring Kayla and Stephanie to Donovan Manor," Shane replied. "With any luck, they should arrive the day after we do."

"So you've told Kayla that you found me? What did she say?" Steve asked, a little afraid of the answer.

Shane hesitated a moment. "No, I haven't told her yet, and I don't intend to tell her until she arrives in England. I intend to call her before we leave on our transport early tomorrow morning."

"If you don't tell her, how can you be sure she'll come?" Steve asked, doubting Shane's plan.

"Don't worry, I'll convince her, and I'll make sure she brings Stephanie," Shane said sharply.

Steve felt like he was missing something, but was suddenly too tired to care. Shane said that he would get Kayla and Stephanie to Donovan Manor and he hadn't let Steve down yet. "Okay, Donovan, you win. I'll go to the estate. Hell, maybe I'll even learn to drink tea."

That caused Shane to chuckle. "Good. Our transport leaves at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, so get some sleep. And please try not to threaten any more doctors."

"If they leave me alone, dude, I'll leave them alone," Steve said with a grin. Then his face grew serious. "Hey, Shane, Deakins said you had a picture of Stephanie with you. Can I see it?"

Steve saw a strange look pass across Shane's face, but then Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture. He looked at it for a moment and Steve could have sworn Shane looked sad. Then Shane gave a small smile and handed the picture to Steve.

"It was taken last Christmas. She's changed a bit since then," Shane said as Steve took the picture from his hand.

Steve's breathing quickened, and he felt his chest constrict as he looked at his little girl in Eve's arms. Even though the picture had been taken just a couple of months after he had left them, she still seemed to have changed so much. He could hardly imagine how different she must look now.

"I guess you must have spent Christmas with the Brady's, huh?" Steve asked, still staring at the picture.

"Yes. It was nice for Andrew to see the family. Look, why don't you hold onto that picture for a while? I, um, can get it back when you see Stephanie for real."

"Thanks, man. I can't wait to see her and Kayla."

"I'm sure," Shane said. "Before I go, there's one more thing we need to discuss. You need to understand that this entire mission and your rescue must remain a secret. I'll give Kayla the basic information, but it's of the gravest necessity that nobody else knows anything about it. I'm working on a cover story to use when we return to Salem."

"More ISA secrecy, huh?" Steve rolled his eyes.

"Actually, yes. Egypt's a friendly nation to the West, and it would not sit well with them to discover that we invaded their country, even if it was only to destroy Alamain's compound. Therefore, it is utterly critical that nobody ever find out that the ISA was involved in your rescue."

"Fine," Steve said. "I don't understand why it's such a big deal, but I promise I won't say a word, dude. Happy?"

"As long as I have your word, yes," Shane replied. With that, Shane stood and headed for the door. "See you in the morning, Steve."

"Yeah. You too, Shane," Steve replied.

Two more nights, Steve thought. One more night here and another in England, and I'll be with my wife and daughter again. That thought put a smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

[MrsM]

This is getting good!!!

[Kpatch]

I think it was a stroke of genius to have the quartet end up at Shane's England estate. Perfect plan! I can't wait until they all end up there and Kayla learns Steve is alive. It's going to be an amazing reunion!

[jwsel]

Jun 3, 2012 15:03:53 GMT -5 Kpatch said:

I think it was a stroke of genius to have the quartet end up at Shane's England estate. Perfect plan! I can't wait until they all end up there and Kayla learns Steve is alive. It's going to be an amazing reunion!

All credit for that idea goes to esp13. When she sent me the original email idea for the story, and I saw everyone goes to Donovan Manor, I thought it was completely nuts -- but also wonderfully soapy.

[Kpatch]

In my opinion, it works perfectly with the story considering they're currently in Egypt and Salem isn't an option. It's a logical choice and I love it! I'm looking forward to "hearing" Shane's phone calls to Kayla and Kim.

[DancingDays]

I miss the good old Days (pun intended) when they could travel outside the city limits. *sigh* Times were different then.

LOVING this story, btw!!!

[jwsel]

Chapter 26

"Kay? Did you hear me? Earth to Kayla."

Kayla snapped to attention. Kim was waving a hand in front of her face. "Sorry, Kim, it's just been a very long day."

That was definitely true after getting to the lab so early. It had been a long day with the sudden arrival of the new blood samples, lunch with Roman and Isabella, and, at the end of the day, dinner at her folks. She had reason to be unfocused.

Of course, that was not the reason her mind was wandering. She still had no idea why Shane had called Roman, but not her. It made no sense unless something had happened that had changed Shane's feelings for her. She had refused to admit it, but that had always been a fear at the back of her mind whenever he went away.

"Okay, Sis, tell me what's going on," Kim said. "And don't tell me it's because you were up early."

Kayla sighed. Kim knew her too well, but the last person she was going to discuss Shane Donovan with was her sister.

"You're thinking about Shane, aren't you?" Kim had a knowing look. "I know that look. It's the 'where is he and what's going on' look. Trust me, I saw it plenty of times in the mirror."

"At least, I know he's all right," Kayla said. "He called Roman last night."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "Roman, but not you?"

Kayla shook her head. She knew Roman had said it was just a quick call, and there were reasons why he might not have called her that late, but she couldn't help but be upset. Shane said he loved her. She should have been the first person he called; he had to know she worried about his safety. With a resigned sigh, Kayla looked at the clock -- 9:30 p.m. -- and stood up from the sofa. "You know what? It's late, and Stephanie and I should be getting home."

Kim got up as well, and they started for the bedroom where their daughters were sleeping, but the phone rang. Kim reached it first. "Brady residence." She listened for a moment. "Shane, is that you? It's hard to hear." Another pause. "Kayla's here, too. Let me get her. What? Why do you want to talk to me?" Kim gave Kayla a look that said "I have no idea what's going on."

Kayla was equally baffled -- and frustrated. Why is he calling Kim? Why doesn't he want to talk to me? Damn, she hated these feelings. She hated the very idea of being insecure.

"I guess so," she heard Kim say. "That's really a lot to ask. What do I do about the clinic? They will?" Kim looked like the was thinking carefully about something. "Is this really necessary? Couldn't you find someone else?" Then another pause as Kim listened. "All right. If you think so. When do you want me to leave?" Kim reached for the note pad next to the phone, picked up a pen, and began writing something down. "Wow, you're really going all out, aren't you?"

What's going on? Where is she going? Kayla wondered if Shane was involved in yet another ISA plan that would force him to work close with Kim. They had just gone through that with Lawrence, and Kayla would be damned if she sat by and watched that happen again.

"Here," Kim said, holding out the phone. "Shane wants to speak with you."

Kayla took it and, perhaps more strongly than she should have, demanded some answers. "Where are you and why haven't you called me?" Her anger immediately dissipated when she heard his voice.

"I'm sorry, Kay. I've just been very busy," Shane said. "I didn't mean for you to worry."

That did not explain why Shane had called Roman, but Kayla did not press the point. "But you're okay?"

"Of course," Shane replied. "I'm fine. A little tired, but--" His words were cut off by a loud noise and his voice grew louder, like he was yelling on his end so he could be heard. "But otherwise, I'm fine."

"Where are you?" Kayla asked, her own voice rising. "It sounds like a hurricane there."

"Just a jet," Shane said. "I'm at an airfield. Actually, that's why I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

There was a pause as the background noise seemed to disappear. Kayla guessed the plane had taken off, and Shane was waiting for it to go. "I need to explain something to you," he said. "I'm having Kim come to England to assist with some ISA business. It's going to keep me there for a couple of weeks. I know you won't be happy to hear that."

That was probably the understatement of the year. Kayla turned around to see that Kim had stepped out of the room. "Why can't you find someone else?" she asked.

"It's hard to explain," Shane said. "If I could use anyone else, I would." He sounded hesitant. "Listen, why don't you and Stephanie come too?"

Kayla thought her hearing had failed her. "Come too? To England?"

"Yes, to Donovan Manor," Shane explained. "Kim's bringing Andrew and Jeannie. I've got an ISA plane lined up to bring them and I've arranged a temporary staff at the house. You've been working so hard at the lab, I think you could use a break."

Kayla tried to process that. Go to Donovan Manor, Shane's family estate. She had always wanted to go there. Yes, but Kimberly will be there too. Of course, if Kayla was there, she would be able to make sure that nothing untoward happened between Shane and Kim. And she had been working hard at the lab.

The lab. Shane didn't know the news.

"Shane, I didn't tell you, but we had a huge breakthrough at the lab. The CDC sent us some blood that has antibodies that kill the virus. Carly thinks she should have a cure in a couple of days."

She expected Shane to be thrilled. After all, that was why he had spent so much of his own money to fund the lab. Instead, he responded with a tepid, "That's quite good to hear."

"Good? It's not just good. It's great."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Kay." Shane sounded odd, like something else had him preoccupied. "It really is great. I'm just tired."

"Shane, you're really okay, aren't you?"

"I'm fine," Shane assured her. "Look, would you please come to England with Stephanie? Please."

Kayla thought about that. She really could leave the lab for a few days. Carly nearly had the cure for the virus and Bo would be safe. And this might be the only chance for her to see Shane for weeks. So what if Kim was there.

"Because you asked so nicely, I guess I'll do it." She glanced around the room to ensure that Kim had not returned. "But you have to promise me something."

"What's that?" he asked.

"That we get some time together. Alone." In a coy voice, Kayla added, "I've missed you, and I want to show you just how much."

"Um . . . yeah." That was hardly the response she had expected. Kayla just did not understand what was going on with him.

"Are you really sure you're okay?" she asked. "When you left, you seemed like something was bothering you, and now--"

"Kay, I'm fine," Shane said, cutting her off. "Come to England and you can see for yourself." Something in his voice disturbed her. It was cold, unemotional.

Kayla sighed. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

There was a long silence on the other end. Finally, he answered. "No, there's nothing I'm holding back from you."

"Fine. You win. When do we leave?"

"Kim has all the information," Shane said. "I'd better go. I've got a plane to catch."

"All right." Kayla once again used her coy voice. "I'll be counting the minutes until we're together."

There was another silence, but not as long as the one before. "Um . . . okay. Look, I really have to go."

"Shane. I love--" She did not finish the sentence because the call cut-off with a click. Kayla stood there, in her parents' empty living room and stared at the phone, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Kay?" She turned around to see that Kim had returned. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Kayla said, honestly. "He hung up without saying he loved me."

Kim gave her a sympathetic smile. "I thought we went through this already. Look at that ring on your finger," she said, pointing to the emerald. "That says everything, Kay. Shane loves you and, as hard as it is for me to say so, even I can see that. So don't you doubt it."

Kayla nodded, but, deep down, she wasn't sure she believed it.

[fluffysmom]

I'm really looking forward to the reunion at Donovan Manor.

[Kpatch]

Poor Kayla. She simply cannot figure out Shane's attitude lately. It will soon make complete sense. I am impressed that Kim has been so supportive. That's got to be hard.

[jwsel]

Jun 3, 2012 16:06:17 GMT -5 Kpatch said:

Poor Kayla. She simply cannot figure out Shane's attitude lately. It will soon make complete sense. I am impressed that Kim has been so supportive. That's got to be hard.

It does, but it also was one of the things Kim did during that time on the show.

This video has a scene where Kim insists on how much Shane loves her (beginning at 5:42). It also will be helpful for some upcoming stuff, because it shows the music box that Shane got for Stephanie and gives the history of the emerald ring that Shane gave Kayla. (I embedded this video in the background thread, but there is a lot to wade through in those posts.)



That scene is from mid-May '91, so just about two months before this story began. I'll admit that I don't fully understand what Kim really thinks during this time, but she does appear to support Shane and Kayla.