Subject: In Another Life---Part 1/? Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 14:44:04 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU This is a "Sara Louise" story which takes place during the present and came about thanks to reading Christine Hunt's RickNick/GerNick story, "A Common Need", Raven's "Knight School" posts concerning the "Dead Air" ep and watching one "Outer Limits" episode too many, so naturally, there will be a twist to the tale... The Usual Disclaimer Stuff applies, of course. Permission freely granted to Mel to archive this at FKFanfic.com... and to Stephanie K. at the ftp site. All others, please ask me first. Many thanks! In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 1/? ---- Sara Louise rubbed the back of her neck as she sat behind the huge desk that Monday afternoon in late September. It was a quarter to four and her very busy workday at the Sherbourne Library was about to come to an end. *Oh, wow... What a day! Seemed like I was doing a million things at once, but it was great.* she thought as she stretched her arms and massaged the back of her neck once more to relax her muscles. *I loved every minute of it!* It had been a full and hectic four hours in the children's section of the library and she was looking forward to tomorrow evening when she started working as a part-time volunteer worker at New Horizons, a youth counseling center. She had felt comfortable working with children and young people for the past two years and she wanted to continue to reach out to others and help them as much as she could. Isolation was the deadliest enemy that one could have, and she was keenly aware that it was too easy to fall into it. As she recalled her last visit to her doctor, she knew that he'd have a lot to say about what she wanted to do, but she hoped that he'd see the wisdom of allowing her to lead as normal a life as possible. --- When she had visited the Shoreland Clinic two weeks earlier for her regular check-up, she informed her doctor, Gregory Spencer, that she was going to take on the responsibility of a second part-time job. If she was hoping that he'd be delighted that she was going about making a normal life for herself, she was mistaken. He wasn't too pleased that she was taking on what he believed to be a heavy workload, and his reaction to her news wasn't exactly what she had expected. "Sara... you know that I didn't want you taking on this much work so soon." he told her as she sat across the desk from him. "Remember that your spinal nerve regenerator is powered by a bio-electric battery. Any stress that you may undergo might overload it, and it may not function the way it should." "The regenerator's been inside me for a while, and so far, I've had no problems with walking or doing anything else." she replied as calmly as she could. "It's just that... I hate sitting on the sidelines watching other people enjoy their lives. Working as a part-time volunteer gets me out of the house and around other people. I know my limits, and I think that I'm a pretty good judge of whether I'm doing too much or not." "I understand your desire to do more with your life, but you've got to understand that if you stress yourself out, you could do yourself more harm than good." His tone was bordering on the patronizing, but Sara chose to ignore it. "It's not that I doubt your judgement about how much you think you can handle, but there's a small risk of seizure connected with the device, and judging by your medical history, you could be a good candidate for a problem if you take on too much all at once." "Look... just because I have psychic abilities doesn't mean that it should be a problem." Her voice was irritable, and her mood wasn't getting any better. "In fact, my abilities shouldn't be able to affect the device at all." "My concern is for your well-being as well as for the device. Your psychic abilities can be unpredictable, and they really shouldn't be a factor here, but I don't want to rule anything out. So far, everything looks good and I just want to make sure that it stays that way. Your spinal column nerves have been completely regenerated and the device can be switched to a lower level so your nerves will be able to stay healthy. I'll also check on the bio-electric batteries to make sure that they're in working order." "That'll be good." she said, giving him a slight smile. "Will I need to undergo surgery for that? I'd hate to be stuck in the hospital again for months on end. I feel like I'd be missing out on life again." "You'd be in the hospital for overnight observation after the procedure's done. It's a simple incision and you'd be out of the hospital the next day." "That sounds reasonable. When did you want me to come in and have the procedure done?" "Well, I think that it can wait a while longer." he said pleasantly. "There are three other patients who will have their devices checked on, and I'll be busy with them. Perhaps we can schedule it for the end of next month?" "That will be fine." Her voice may have sounded calm, but she was still upset with what he had told her. She didn't want to jeopardize her health, but she was determined not to remain an isolated invalid. As he checked his desktop appointment calendar for an open date, he asked her idly, "So... how's your personal life these days?" "It's okay... I've got no complaints." she replied, the irritation fading from her voice. "I try to meet people and make friends." *Which is why I want to take on this second job.* she thought as she looked at him. "I'm pleased to hear that." After a couple of moments, he found what he had been looking for. "All right... I can schedule you for October 27th at 1:30 pm. Is that fine with you?" "Yes, it's fine. Should I bring anything with me, like pajamas and tolietries?" she asked. "Well, you can bring a pair of pajamas with you. I know that you don't like those hospital gowns. Neither do I. They give you so little privacy." She noted a twinkle in his eye as he spoke, and she smiled warmly. "So, we're all set, then. October 27th at 1:30 pm, and you'll be going to Harbourside Memorial Hospital for the procedure." He wrote everything down on a piece of paper and handed it to Sara. "I look forward to seeing you there." "Thanks." She took the piece of paper, folded it and placed it in her purse. "So, I'll see you on the 27th." "Excellent. I look forward to seeing you then. Goodbye, Sara. Take good care of yourself." They got up from their seats and he walked her to his office door. "I will. Bye, Doctor." She left the clinic and went home, still upset about what he had told her about her workload. She believed that she could handle the job of being a youth counselor, and she was determined to do well. *I can handle it... I know that I can.* she thought as she got ready for bed. *I just hope that Nick won't get too upset when I tell him about working at New Horizons in a couple of weeks. He might not be too thrilled that I'll be working a couple of evenings a week.* A wry smile crossed her lips as she climbed into bed and snuggled underneath the covers. *I love it when he worries about me. He's so sweet...* As she drifted off to sleep that night, a vague thought about leading a different kind of life flickered across her mind, but she paid little attention to it. She believed that the life that she was now living was the best life that she could possibly have. *I love my life, and it couldn't be any better...* she thought as sleep wrapped itself around her. *What other life could give me what I want? I have a job I enjoy, in spite of my doctor's complaints... good friends who care about me... and a man that I love with all my heart. I have a pretty good life... and there's nothing else that could compare...* ---- As Sara got up from her desk to get ready to go home, she felt a wave of dizziness come crashing down upon her. The room spun around, and she felt overwhelmed and helpless as time seemed to slow down and stretch. She clutched her purse and tried to walk, but something was pulling at her, dragging her down into a shimmering whirlpool of brilliant light. "Ohhhhhhhhhh..." she moaned as she placed her hand on the back of her neck, and managed to take a few steps away from the desk before she stumbled forward and plunged through the whirlpool into darkness. One of the other librarians, a dark-haired young woman, rushed to her side, knelt beside her, gently cradled her in her arms and touching her cheek in an attempt to awaken her as she lay on the floor. "Sara... Sara... are you all right? Sara? Can you hear me?" she asked her. When she got no response, she called out, "Miss Clark! Miss Clark! Something's wrong with Sara!" Miss Clark came over to the desk where Sara was lying, while the other librarian stayed beside her. After she checked Sara's pulse, she looked at the young woman and said, "Gail... call an ambulance! Hurry!" She remained at Sara's side, holding her hand and making sure that she was still breathing. Gail came back to Miss Clark's side, and a worried look was on her face. "The paramedics will be here in a few minutes." she told her. "Will Sara be all right?" "I hope so." she replied as she held Sara's hand, hoping that she would regain conciousness soon. "I think that one of us should go with her to the hospital, and when we find out what's going on, I can get in touch with Doctor Lambert." "I'll get my car and follow the ambulance, if I can." Gail said, as the ambulance siren grew louder as it neared the library. "She's been such a good friend and a hard worker, and I'd hate to have anything happen to her." "You go with her, then. I'll make sure that I credit your time." Miss Clark told her as the paramedics entered the library and headed over toward the children's section. "Be sure to call me as soon as you get to the hospital." "I will..." Gail got her purse from the desk drawer and they moved out of the way so the paramedics could work on Sara. "We'll have her stabilized soon, and she'll be taken to a nearby hospital." one of the paramedics told her. "What happened?" "She was getting ready to go home, when she stumbled forward and blacked out. I also remember that she was rubbing the back of her neck just before it happened. I thought that she was tired and I didn't think much of it." Gail said, a worried look on her face. "I hope that she'll be all right." "Me, too." Miss Clark added, looking just as worried and nervous as Gail was. The paramedic team got Sara stabilized enough to carry her to the waiting ambulance. She was put on a strecher and wheeled out of the library and put her inside the ambulance. As soon as the ambulance left the library, Gail got into her car and followed the ambulance's route as best as she could. When she arrived at Harbourside Memorial Hosptial, she went over to the pay phone near the waiting room and called Miss Clark, telling her what sketchy information she could get from the attending physician on duty in the emergency room. "Thanks, Gail. I appreciate it." Miss Clark told her. "I want you to stay there until I get in touch with Doctor Lambert." "Sure. I'll stay here until she arrives." Gail said, as she glanced back at the nurse's station and noted a flurry of activity. "I'll be sure to call you if anything happens." "Thanks. Talk to you later. Bye." Miss Clark hung up the phone, waited a couple of seconds and then, she dialed Natalie Lambert's number. --- Natalie had just finished feeding Sydney, and was in the process of getting ready to go to work when the phone rang. She had been fielding several annoying sales calls from home improvement companies for most of the morning, and if this was another sales call, she was all set to give the salesman a piece of her mind. "Hello..." she said. "Is this Doctor Natalie Lambert?" the woman's voice said hesitantly. "Yes, it is. Who's this?" Natalie was wary, but she wanted to know who wanted to talk to her. "I'm Jane Clark, and I'm the head librarian at the Sherbourne Library. Your friend, Sara McClendon, collapsed this afternoon and she had to be taken to the hospital." she said, a note of worry in her voice. "We're not sure what happened, but I wanted you to know about it, since she listed you as one of her emergency contacts." Natalie's heart plunged to her feet when she heard the news. "Do you know what hospital she's at?" she asked her. "She's at Harbourside Memorial. Gail Johnson's already there, and she's waiting for you." "Thanks, Ms. Clark. I'm on my way." "You're welcome, Doctor. Let me know if she'll be all right. She's been such a good worker during the last three years, and the kids love her." Jane said, close to tears. "I'd hate to lose her." "I'd hate to lose her, too. I'll be sure to let you know if anything happens. Talk to you soon. Bye." "Goodbye, Doctor." Natalie hung up the phone, grabbed her purse and car keys, and mumbled a quick 'goodbye' to Sydney. She hurried out of her apartment and got into her car as the late afternoon shadows began to lengthen. As she drove north on Don Valley Parkway, her mind was a storm of emotions. During the last couple of years, she had come to know and like Sara, and the news of her hospitalization was frightening. However, the one thing that she dreaded most was that she'd have to tell Nick that Sara was in the hospital. She knew that he had been seeing her for the past three years, and she had to admit that she was a stabilizing influence in his life. Nick seemed happier and more positive than he had been in a long time, and she was pleased when he ate a small piece of candy a week ago, and was able to keep it down. *Sara has helped Nick in a lot of ways that I couldn't have. She's been there to help him through those times when he seemed to give up hope... and he's been much more cooperative when it comes to medical testing because of her influence.* Natalie thought as she made the turnoff onto Sheppard Avenue East. *I don't know what I'd do if it hadn't been for her help in dealing with Nick. What will I do if something happened to her... and what will Nick do if something happened to her?* The drive to the hospital seemed to go on forever, and as Natalie got closer to the hospital, the fear that something truly terrible had happened to Sara gnawed at her mind. She didn't want to lose someone who had become important to her, and who had shown her an amazing world outside the Medical Examiner's office. Natalie felt more comfortable with herself and no longer felt as isolated as she once did. She remembered the times when they would go to lunch and have a great time laughing and talking, as well as those Saturday nights when they'd get together at Sara's apartment, watching movies, eating popcorn and getting away from the world. The bond between them still had its' moments of fragility, but, in an odd twist, that fragility only served to strengthen their friendship. The irony of it wasn't lost on either of them, and Natalie was grateful for Sara's friendship. *Dear God... if You're out there... please don't let Sara die.* Natalie thought as her trip toward the hospital was about to come to an end. *She means a lot to me... and to Nick. Please, don't let her die. I hate to think what will happen to Nick if she were to die. He might backslide or try to take his own life, and we'd be right back where we started from. I don't want to go through this again.* --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 1/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 2/? Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 15:45:03 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A reference to my stories, "Shadows From The Past" and "Dancing In The Shadows'' is here. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 2/? ---- Natalie saw the looming gray and white edifice of the hospital as she approached the corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Markham Road. The memory of the time that she had spent at Harbourside Memorial five years ago suddenly came to her mind, and she did her best to dismiss it. The memories were vague, yet disturbing enough to make her nervous, and she knew that she'd have to keep her cool. Her concern was for Sara's well-being and she wasn't about to let her own memories of what happened to her five years earlier deter her from finding out what was going on with the woman that she had come to know as her friend. She parked her car in the parking lot of the hospital, and hurried inside just as the late afternoon shadows were beginning to lengthen. She went to the admissions desk to ask about Sara Louise. The receptionist told her that Sara's doctor was already there, and that she could speak to him. --- "Gregory Spencer is Sara's doctor?" Natalie asked the receptionist, her voice holding a note of disbelief. "Is he here?" "Yes, he's here, and he wants to speak with you." the receptionist said. "He's on the fifth floor." "Thanks. I appreciate it." Natalie said to her. As she turned to walk toward the elevator, a dark-haired young woman left her seat in the waiting room and approached her nervously. "Are you Doctor Lambert?" she asked, a look of worry on her face. "Yes, I am." she replied, giving her a comforting smile as they stood in front of the bank of elevators. "Are you one of Sara's co-workers?" "Yes. I'm Gail. We work in the children's library." She looked a bit nervous, but Natalie noted that she was a little more relaxed than she had been when she first approached her. "She's the best volunteer we've had in a long time. Do you know what's wrong with her? The doctors won't tell me anything, and I'm getting scared." Her voice cracked as she spoke and she was close to tears as she clutched her purse nervously. "Well, I'm going to find out what's going on, and I'll be sure to let you know." Natalie said, in an attempt to reassure her. "Thank you. She's a good friend, and I'd hate to see anything happen to her." "So do I..." There was a soft chime, and the elevator door opened. She got ready to step inside when Gail said, "I'll wait for you to come back and tell me about Sara, then I can tell Miss Clark and the others about what happened." "I'll be sure to do that...." Natalie said as the door slowly closed and whisked her up to the fifth floor. --- As the elevator took her to the fifth floor, Natalie remembered reading about Gregory Spencer in the North American Medical Journal, and she was impressed with the work that he had done in regenerating damaged nerves, especially spinal nerves, giving people who might not have been able to walk normally, the ability to walk again. *He's well-known for his work in micro-miniature medical devices, but I didn't think that he'd be treating Sara with one of those devices.* she thought. *I'm wondering what he might have done to her that would have put her in the hospital?* She got off at the fifth floor and headed toward the nurse's station. As she approached it, a tall man, with dark brown hair and wearing a pair of gold wire-rimmed glasses came toward her. The look on his face was friendly, but concern could be seen in his eyes. "You must be Doctor Natalie Lambert." he said as he came toward her, his hand extended in greeting. "I'm Gregory Spencer." "I'm pleased to meet you." she said as she shook his hand. "I've been reading a lot about you in some of the medical journals. You've developed quite a reputation with micro-miniature medical devices." After a brief pause, she said, "I've been told that you're Sara McClendon's doctor, and I'm curious about what's happened to her. I was told that she collapsed at the library earlier this afternoon. What's going on?" He sighed and looked at Natalie. He knew that she was a friend of Sara's, and he hesitated to tell her about what had happened, but he knew that she had to be told about what was going on. "I had a spinal nerve regenerator implanted in her seven years ago when she was in an automobile accident.'' he said as they stood in the corridor near Sara's hospital room. "I told her that if she stressed herself out, that the bio-electric battery might malfunction and that she could have a seizure." "'Bio-electric battery'? What's that?" she wondered. "It's a battery that's powered by the body's own electrical system." he replied as they walked toward room 501 where Sara was resting. "It's much easier for the body to power a device rather than to risk introducing a chemically-based power source into the human body. It lowers the risk of potential chemical reactions in case something goes wrong." "Oh, yes... I remember reading about that in the 'North American Medical Journal' five years ago. Do you think that's what happened to her?" she asked him. "What's her condition now?" "Yes, I do. I believe that she had a seizure which may have been caused by a glitch in the bio-electric power system. She's stable, but..." He hesitated, and Natalie was immediately suspicious that he wasn't telling her the truth. "But what?" Natalie demanded. "Will she be all right?" "She's in a coma. I checked the bio-electric power system an hour ago, and so far, it shows no sign of malfunction. I can't explain what happened to her or how it happened. I'll check the system again later on to see if there might be something that I might have missed." There was a puzzled look on his face as he spoke. This wasn't what she wanted to hear, and she knew that Gail would be heartbroken if she were to be told about it. Worse of all, if Nick were to be told about Sara's condition, she was worried about what he might do. Natalie had to grasp at anything that would offer a shred of hope, so she asked him a few more questions. "Is the coma irreversible? Do you think that she'll be able to come out of it? Do you think that she'll suffer any brain damage?" "I don't believe that the coma is irreversable, Doctor Lambert, and I share your concern about any potential brain damage." he told her. "I want her to come out of it, too. I'm sorry that this happened. She was one of my star patients, along with several others. Her device was functioning perfectly, and she was able to walk normally just three weeks after the device was implanted in her middle back. The device regenerates damaged nerves, and it can give those patients with serious spinal nerve damage the ability to walk again. If my test group was successful, I had hoped to introduce it within the next six months. Sara's coma has set that timetable back a bit, but I'm still hoping that she'll pull through." He opened the door and they walked into the pale pastel-blue hospital room. Sara was lying in bed, pale and quiet, an IV drip attached to her left arm, while several electrodes were attached to her forehead in order to record her brain wave patterns. Natalie approached the bed and glanced up at the monitor. *So far, everything appears to be normal.* she thought. As she continued her observation of Sara, she noticed that the silver bracelet that she always wore wasn't on her left wrist. "She was wearing a silver and gemstone bracelet on her left arm when she was admitted." Natalie told him. "Where is it?" "It had to be removed whe the IV drip was attached to her. Oddly enough, the paramedics had trouble getting it off of her arm..." he replied as he gingerly pulled it out of his shirt pocket, taking care to hold it by the clasp. "One of the nurses said that it felt funny, so she gave it to me when I got here." '' 'Funny'? In what way?" she asked, curious about this new development. "She said that it seemed to be electrically charged in order to repel anyone who touched it." He chuckled softly. "Apparently, it didn't want to be removed from her arm, and it gave a minor shock to anyone who tried to touch it. The paramedics were able to remove it, but a couple of them got some minor burns on their fingers; nothing serious, though. However, when the bracelet was taken to the nurse's station for safekeeping, someone tried to steal it, thinking that it was valuable. This happens sometimes, and I wish that security was a little better around here. Anyway, the man got a nasty shock from the bracelet as he tried to leave the hospital with it, along with a serious burn on his right hand." "That's amazing." she said as she took the bracelet from him and held it between her thumb and forefinger. It looked harmless enough, but for it to have shocked anyone who came in contact with it was certainly unusual. "It shocked or burned anyone else who tried to remove it from Sara's arm or when it was stolen, but it hasn't shocked you or me." "I noticed that. Perhaps it's able to tell the difference between someone that Sara knows and doesn't know. This sounds so weird, doesn't it? Like it had a personality of its' own... " There was a faint note of humor in his voice. "It's certainly unusual, and it could be a side-effect of the bio-electric power system." "Yes... I'd call it 'unusual', to say the least." As Natalie looked at the back of the bracelet, she noticed an inscription written in an elegant script. The inscription read, 'Sara - Forever Dearest - Nick. 4/16/'97'. For a moment, the painful emotions of her breakup with Nick rushed back into her mind, and there was a part of her that wanted to destroy the bracelet, but she knew that destroying it wouldn't help her, Nick or Sara. She slipped the bracelet into her jacket pocket and sighed softly. Nick would have to be told about Sara, and she didn't relish being the bearer of potentially bad news. "Is something wrong, Doctor Lambert?" he asked her. "No, there's nothing wrong.'' she replied, her tone of voice calm and business-like. "I'm going to stay here for a while. There are some people who need to know about what happened. They won't be too happy to hear it, though, and it might be a good idea if I were here when they arrive." "I understand. I hope that she'll be able to snap out of it. It's only a matter of time." They left the room and went back to the elevators. As they descended to the first floor, Natalie glanced at her watch. It was 6:30 p.m. Nick would be awake by now and she dreaded having to make the call. "I'm going to be here for as long as I can," Gregory told her as they exited the elevator, "just in case there's any change in her condition. We've come too far in such a short time for me to lose her." Gail had gotten up from her chair and saw Natalie talking to another doctor as they left the elevator, and she came toward them, a look of concern on her face. "Is Sara okay? What's wrong? What happened?" she asked them nervously, as she tried not to cry. "Let's sit down and talk about this, shall we?" Natalie said as she led Gail to a nearby chair in the waiting room, with Gregory following behind them. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 2/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 3/? Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 13:03:30 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 3/? ---- Natalie, Gregory and Gail walked back to the waiting room, and after they sat down, she peppered them with questions, in the hope that she'd have some good news to tell Miss Clark and the other librarians tomorrow afternoon. --- "Will Sara regain conciousness soon? Do you think that she'll be okay? What happened to her?" "She had a device implanted near her spinal column that has helped her to walk normally. I'm not sure what happened to cause her to collapse. She's being monitored, and if there's any change in her condition, we'll know about it." Gregory told her quietly. "All we can do right now is wait and see what happens. I'm hopeful that she'll come out of this, and that there won't be any damage to her neurological system." "I'm sorry that there are no easy answers to this, Gail." Natalie said, her thoughts turning toward Nick and the phone call she dreaded making. "All we can do is hope that she'll wake up soon. Would you excuse me, please? I've got to make a phone call..." She got up from the chair and walked toward the pay phone. As she approached the phone, the walk seemed to get longer and the phone seemed further away. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, in an attempt to keep calm. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and took the last steps toward the phone. *Okay, Nat... you can do this.* she thought as she reached into her purse and took out some coins. *I just hope that Nick won't panic when I tell him about her.* She lifted the reciever, put the coins in the slot and dialed Nick's number. --- Nick had just finished his nightly meal of cow's blood when his phone rang. He had already gotten dressed in a blue long sleeved shirt and blue denim jeans, prepared to enjoy a well deserved night off from Metro Homicide. Although he didn't have anything special planned for the evening, he had hoped to drop by Sara's apartment to spend some time with her. "Hello?" he said, after he picked up the phone and tossed his bottle in the trash. "Nick... it's me." the voice at the other end said nervously. He knew by Natalie's tone of voice that something wasn't right, and he felt the chill of fear run through him. "Nat? What's the matter?" "Sara... Sara's in the hospital." "What? What happened to her?" The news hit Nick with all of the force of a hammerblow to the stomach and it took him a couple of minutes to recover from the shock. "When did it happen? Where is she?" Natalie heard the fear in Nick's voice as he spoke, and she did her best to answer his questions. "She collapsed while she was at the library this afternoon." she told him. "The doctors aren't sure what happened to her or how it happened. I'm at Harbourside Memorial; that's where she was taken." Nick clutched the phone tightly, listening carefully to what Natalie was telling him. "Will she be all right?" he asked, hoping that he'd hear some good news. "They don't know yet." came the answer. "Right now, she's in stable condition, but... they're not sure whether she'll regain conciousness. She's in a coma." When Nick heard that, it seemed as though the floor had dropped out from under him, and he was plunged into darkness. This was the worst news that he had heard in a long time, and the fear that swept through him threatened to overwhelm him, but he had to keep calm. If he went into a vamped-out frenzy now, it wouldn't do anyone much good, and he had to keep his wits about him. After a moment's pause, Nick said, "I'll be right there." "Are you sure about that? That may not be a good idea. Her doctor's not sure whether she might regain conciousness any time soon..." "Yes, I'm sure about that, Nat. I want to see her. I want to be with her." Nick knew that he had to be at Sara's side, if only in the hope that her condition would change and she might regain conciousness. He also wanted to know what had happened to her and to get some badly-needed answers about her condition. "All right." she said quietly. "I've been here for an half-hour or so. Are you on duty tonight? I had been hearing about the roster changes that were going on at the precinct, and I wasn't sure about your new schedule." "I have a couple of nights off, so I can stay there for a while. It's important that I'm there with her." "I understand. She means a lot to so many people. I don't want anything to happen to her... or to you." Nick understood the concern in her voice and he sought to reassure her that he'd be all right. "I'll be fine. Please don't worry. I just want to find out what's going on." "Of course." Natalie felt a sense of relief when she heard him say that, but she knew that Nick would be on edge because of his emotional state, and that he would bear watching through the night. "How long will you be able to stay there?" he wondered. "Will you be there for most of the evening?" "I can get Doctor Williams to cover for me tonight. I've been told that I've been working too hard, and that I could use a break." she replied, a faint note of amusement in her voice, as she remembered what Sara had told her about her work schedule just a week earlier while they were having lunch at Eaton Centre. The sudden appearance of that memory helped to lift her spirits a bit, and she was grateful for it. "Thanks." he said quietly. "I'll be there shortly. Who else knows about this?" "Just you and Gail, one of Sara's co-workers. She was with her when she collapsed this afternoon. She's worried about her, and so am I." Nick sighed softly. "I'll tell Captain Reese about it only if Sara's condition changes. I'll also let Tracy know, too." He paused before he spoke again. "This isn't what I expected to hear." "This was totally unexpected, Nick... and I'm sorry." Natalie's voice was filled with genuine concern for his well-being, and she believed that if they were at the hospital, they might be able to talk and keep each other's spirits up. "I'll see you soon, Nat." "I'll be in the waiting room, and I'll see you then. Bye, Nick." "Bye, Nat." Nick hung up the phone, got his black duster from off of the coat rack, slipped it on and left the loft. He got into the Caddy and made the long drive to Harbourside Memorial Hospital. As he drew near the hospital, the feeling of fear that settled on him was like nothing that he had ever felt in over seven hundred years of life as a vampire. He had seen people die before, and he knew that he had been the cause of many of those deaths, but this was different. Sara had been there for him when he had been at the lowest point of his life, and he hoped that somehow, she would be able to recover... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 3/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 4/? Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 14:05:27 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 4/? --- After Nick arrived at Harbourside Memorial Hospital and parked the Caddy in the parking lot, he rushed into the waiting room, where Natalie and two other people were sitting and talking quietly. --- "Nick!" Natalie said as she got up from her chair and approached him as he entered the waiting room. "I'm so glad to see you! Are you all right?" "I'll be all right after I find out what happened to Sara." he replied after he gave her a hug. "I need to know if she'll make a full recovery." "I think that I can give you some answers to your questions, sir. I'm Gregory Spencer, Sara's doctor." he said, getting up from his seat and coming toward them. "And you are?" "Nick Knight, Metro Homicide." he replied as he clasped the doctor's hand firmly. "I'm a friend of Sara's and I'd like to know what happened to her this afternoon." "I'll do my best to explain it to you, and I'll try not to use a lot of medical 'jargon', Detective Knight." he said as he led him over to the waiting area where Gail was patiently sitting. When she saw them coming, she smiled. "Hello... You must be Nick Knight. I'm Gail Johnson. I work with Sara in the children's section of the Sherbourne Library." she said as she got up from her seat and offered her hand to him in greeting. "Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet you." he said, taking her hand and clasping it gently. "How did you know about me?" "Sara's told me quite a bit about you, Detective Knight. She said that you're a very charming man... and handsome, too." She smiled, delighted to meet the man that she had heard so much about. "I'm so glad to finally meet you." "I'm glad to meet you as well. She often told me about her work as a volunteer at the library and how she enjoyed working there." he said quietly as they sat down in the waiting room. "She said that working with the kids gave her a feeling of being alive and connected with other people." After a moment of silence, he looked at Gregory and asked, "What's wrong with Sara and will she be all right?" Gregory told him about the device, and what he thought might have happened to Sara. After he had finished his explanation, Nick wondered aloud, "When she recovers, do you believe that she'll suffer any permanent brain damage?" "I'm hopeful that she won't suffer any permanent brain damage, but it's hard to say. All we can do is wait and see what happens. The next twelve hours will be crucial. If she remains stable or she improves, there's a good chance that she'll make a full recovery. However... there's also a chance that her condition may deteriorate and she may remain in a coma for quite a while." As Nick listened carefully to what Gregory was telling him, his emotions were on a rollercoaster. There were no solid answers that could be given to his questions, and he knew that he couldn't risk losing his temper and 'vamping out' in front of Natalie and Gail. "Then you don't know whether she'll be all right or not? I was hoping that I'd be able to see her." Nick said as he struggled to hold the vampire in check. "Even though you say that you haven't found anything wrong with the device that would cause her to have a seizure and lapse into a coma." "The spinal nerve regenerator was experimental, and it had been tested in animals for five years before I made the decision to implant it in a human." Gregory's tone was defensive, and he wasn't about to let someone discredit a project that he had spent almost twenty years working on. "If the regenerator hadn't been implanted in her spine after her accident, Sara would be in a wheelchair. It's because of the regenerator that she's able to walk." He looked at Nick and saw the pain and worry in his eyes. "I know that you want to see her, Detective, but it's not possible right now. She needs constant monitoring, and having someone else present... might be a disruption. I hope that you'll understand. When her condition stabilizes, she may be able to have visitors, but not right now." "I simply want to see her, Doctor Spencer. " Nick gazed into his eyes as he spoke, and even though he could have used his hypnotic power on him, he chose not to. There was too much of a risk in doing so, and he didn't want to upset Natalie any more than she already was. "She means a lot to me, and I don't want to lose her." "It's obvious that you care about her, Detective. I care about her, too. She was doing well before this happened, and I want her to come out of this alive and unharmed." Gregory's voice was calm, but the emotion could be clearly seen on his face. "We have to wait and see if there's any change in her condition, and that could take a while. I'm going to go up to Sara's room and check on her. I'll be back in a few minutes." He got up and left the waiting room. Natalie held onto Nick's arm in an attempt to restrain him from doing something that might have given away his true nature. She knew that his emotions were fluctuating wildly right now, and she had to make sure that he didn't do something foolish at the wrong moment which would have put all of them in jeopardy. "Nick.... take it easy." she said, attempting to calm him. "He knows what he's doing. Try not to get upset." Nick looked at Natalie and replied, "I know that I shouldn't get upset, but I don't want to lose someone who's important to me." The look in his eyes was one of pain and anguish, and she could clearly see it. "Sara's important to all of us, Nick. I don't want to lose her, either. She's a good friend, and she's been a big help to both of us when we've really needed it." "I know that. She's someone special, and our lives would be poorer if she were to die." he replied quietly. The vampire was calmed for now, but Nick wasn't sure just how long he would remain that way. Gail yawned a little and said, "I'm starting to get a little sleepy. Maybe I should go home now. I already told Miss Clark about Sara's condition, and she may visit her tomorrow if her condition improves." "If you're sleepy, it may not be a good idea for you to go home right away." Natalie told her. "I'd hate to see you get into an accident because you fell asleep behind the wheel. Have you had anything to eat yet? There's a cafeteria here, and the food's pretty good." "I could use a bite to eat right now. I haven't had anything since lunch." she said. "Where's the cafeteria?" "It's on the third floor. Would you like to join us, Nick?" Nick was lost in thought and he didn't answer Natalie's question right away. "What did you say, Nat?" He looked at her and tried to keep calm, but his emotions were in termoil. "I said, would you like to join us in the cafeteria?" "That would be an excellent idea." He wanted to be in the company of others at that moment, and being in the cafeteria might help him take his mind off of Sara and her condition. "Let's go." As the three of them made their way to the cafeteria, Gregory was in room 501, carefully checking Sara's vital signs and making sure that the spinal nerve regenerator was still operational. --- "Your brain waves appear to be normal; heart rate's stable, and the regenerator seems to be working perfectly." he murmered as he checked the EEG machine and the EKG monitor. "I've double-checked everything, and I haven't found a problem with the regenerator yet, so why are you in a coma?" After he had finished checking on her, he looked at her and wondered, "Where are you, Sara? Where did you go... and when will you come back? If I lose you... that would be disasterous for me... and everyone else connected with this project. The regenerator can't fail. It can't fail! I've spent too many years getting funding for it to fail now!" He knew that if the spinal nerve regenerator failed, he'd have a lot to answer for, and that his team would be paying the price along with him. He was also painfully aware of the fact that failure wasn't an option when it came to the lives that he held in his hands. "I just hope that you and Jamie will recover...." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "If you don't... I'm going to make sure that everyone knows the truth about this..." He left the room, and went back downstairs, knowing that he'd be facing several people who'd want to have some answers about what was happening with their loved ones. He hoped that he'd be able to give them the answers they sought. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 4/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 5/? Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 01:11:21 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 5/? ---- Meanwhile... in a hospital room... on a different day and in a different place... --- Sara emerged from the whirlpool of brilliant light into darkness, surrounded by a babble of voices and strange sounds. As she opened her eyes to focus on what was happening around her, the images and sounds were fuzzy and unclear, and she struggled to sit up. "Uhmmmmmmm... What? What's going on here? Where am I?" she mumbled as the images and sounds slowly resolved themselves into something more coherent. "Doctor Cross... She's coming around." a woman's voice said. "Looks like she's come back to us." "That's good news, Nurse Lambert." Doctor Cross said as he looked down at Sara and gave her a pleasant smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Ms. McClendon." "Where am I?" she murmered as the fuzziness faded away and she was able to get a better look at her surroundings. "What happened to me?" "You gave us all quite a scare, young lady." came the smooth reply as Sara noted that there was something familiar about Doctor Cross and the nurse who stood next to him. "You collapsed in Mr. Knight's hotel suite early Sunday morning and you were brought here." "I did?" There was a puzzled look on her face, and she wondered what had happened to her. She took a quick glance at her left arm and noticed that the silver and gemstone bracelet that she had always worn was gone. "Yes. You had a nasty bump on your head, and you were unconscious for two and a half days. Mr. Knight and Mr. Brittington were very worried about you. In fact, Mr. Knight wanted to cancel this week's concerts in order to be at your bedside, but his road manager was able to persuade him to perform. He said something about 'the show must go on and you would have wanted it that way'..." "Oh..." She knew that something wasn't quite right about the situation, and she wanted to know what was going on. "Uh... I know that this may sound like a dumb question, Doctor Cross, but... where am I?" "You're in Montreal and you're at Notre Dame de Merci Hospital." he replied briskly as he took a look at her chart. "You suffered a mild concussion, and your x-rays were negative, so we can rule out a fractured skull, but I'd like to run some tests on you just to be sure. All in all, though, you seem to be just fine now." As she looked at Doctor Cross, Sara couldn't get over the fact that he bore a striking resemblance to LaCroix. *LaCroix's a doctor? This is too weird.* she thought as she sat up in the bed. *And Natalie's a nurse? How in the world did I get here?* She knew that she had to ask a few more questions, but she wondered if she could do it without feeling stupid. "You said that I was unconcious for two and a half days. So, if I collapsed on Sunday, what's today?" she asked him. "Today is Wednesday afternoon, Ms. McClendon." He tucked her chart into the slot at the foot of her bed. "The hospital was in chaos when Mr. Knight dropped by to see you last night after the concert. The nurses and orderlies on duty were asking him for his autograph. He was gracious enough to sign their albums and magazine covers, among other things... and I was able to get an autograph for my daughter, Diane. She's crazy about him. She's got all of his albums, and his pictures are plastered all over her bedroom. Her favorite album is that new one... 'Revelation'." "Really? That's very nice, Doctor. I'm glad that she likes it." She deliberately kept her tone of voice as neutral as possible. "Yes. She says that he's so 'hot'. Now, she'll have something to show her girlfriends." he chuckled softly. "Teenage girls and their idols..." "I got his autograph, too." Nurse Lambert said, a smile on her face. "My niece, Amy, will be so thrilled to have it. She wanted to see his concert last night at the Molson Centre, but she had to participate in the Freshman Science Fair at her school, so she couldn't go." "I'm so sorry to hear that your niece couldn't attend Nick's concert last night." Sara replied, still feeling a bit woozy. "I hope that she'll be pleased with the autograph, though." "I think that she will." Nurse Lambert gave her a broad smile. Doctor Cross checked his watch and said, "I've got a couple of other patients to check on, so I'll see you a little later, Ms. McClendon." He left the room, while Nurse Lambert finished checking on Sara's IV. "Well, looks like you'll be all right, Ms. McClendon." she told her. "If all goes well, you'll be released from the hospital sometime tomorrow, after Doctor Cross runs some tests on you. He'll be back to take you to the examining room in a few minutes. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." "Thank you. Wait... Was I wearing a bracelet when I came in here?" she asked the nurse. "It was silver with gemstones on it." "I was here when you were admitted on Sunday morning, and I don't recall seeing you wearing a silver and gemstone bracelet. I'm sorry." "Okay, I just wondered. Thanks..." Sara said quietly as Nurse Lambert left the room. Her thoughts were jumbled as she tried to sort out what was going on. She knew that things didn't seem to be making sense, and she needed to figure out how she got here and if there was a way for her to get back to where she belonged. *Let's see...* she thought as she tried to relax and take stock of her surroundings. *I'm in Montreal, without a clue as to how I got here. LaCroix's a doctor, and he's got a teenage daughter named Diane. Natalie's a nurse and Nick's a rock-and-roll star. I know that he can play the piano, but I've never known him to play rock music before...* A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Who is it?" "It's Jack..." came the reply as a man with short dark curly hair and a pleasant smile opened the door and peered inside her room. "Can I talk to you? I promise that it won't take long." "Uhm... sure. Come on in." Jack entered the room, and eased his slender frame down in the chair beside her. He gave the appearance of having had one cup of hospital coffee too many, and because of that, he was a bundle of nervous energy. He took off his silver wire-rimmed glasses and slipped them into his jacket pocket. "So... how are you doing, kiddo?" he said, grinning at her with all of the charm and slickness of a hungry shark. "You feeling all right?" "I'm okay, Jack. I feel a little woozy and tired, though." she said, wondering why her first impression of him was less than pleasant. "I'm glad to hear that. Nick's been worried sick about you ever since you fainted Sunday. I had to get him to go on with the concerts, even though he wanted to be with you at the hospital. We couldn't afford to lose those dates at the Molson Centre. They'd been sold out for over three months." "Well... how did it go?" Sara had to put together the pieces of the life that she found herself in, and she knew that if she asked the right questions, she would get some answers about what was going on. "It was standing room only for all three concerts!" he crowed. "Nick knows how to pull in the crowd. Each concert lasted almost three hours, with two encores. The only bad part was that you weren't there to see them. Nick was hoping that you'd recover in time to catch his last show last night; it was the best one he's done since the tour started." "Tour?" she said, a puzzled look on her face. "How long have we been on tour?" "Why do you want to know?" "It seems like we've been on the road forever." she said hastily. "When you're constantly on the move, going from one city to another, you can lose track of time too easily." "I understand, hon. We've been on the "Revelation" world tour for eight months. After we finish the North American leg in Toronto this weekend, we'll finish up in Europe." "Really? It seems like we've been on the road a lot longer than that." She shifted uncomfortably in the bed. "Eight months, huh." "Yes... and it's been a rousing success so far. Nick's never sounded better, and his face is plastered on the cover of every magazine that teenage girls buy, from YM to Teen People. His music videos are being shown on all of the video music channels, especially MTV... and all of his albums are selling well. In fact, I've heard that "Revelation" will go double platinum on Friday and the label may have something special planned to commemorate it.." Although Jack sounded enthusiastic, there was a note of concern in his voice, and Sara picked up on it immediately. ''We've got something good going, and I want to keep it going for as long as possible.'' "I'm glad to hear that, but... there's something that you're not telling me. Is there something else going on that I need to know about?" She looked at Jack, searching for a clue as to his concern. "Yes, there is... but I'm not sure that you'd want to hear about it now. I'll wait for another time to talk to you about it." "I do want to hear about what's going on, and now is as good a time as any to bring it up." she demanded. "Tell me." "It's about Nick... and his feeding habits." Jack said, sighing softly. "He's had two close calls in Sydney and Tokyo, and I can't afford to have him feeding on his female fans backstage after the concert. He'd been trying to eat small amounts of solid food, which is good, but lately, he's gone back to his old habits. It's not going to make us look good if he gets caught." *He's got to be kidding!* Sara thought as she listened to Jack. *Nick's a rock star and he's feeding on his fans? This is unbelievable!* "Oh... I see." She knew that if she were to react wildly to the news, it might mess things up, so keeping calm was her best option. "So, what do you want me to do about it?" "Tell him that we've got a good supply of the bottled stuff, and if he's hungry after the concert, he can drink that, or... he can try eating small amounts of food instead of feeding on his fans. We've got to throw off any suspicions." The tension in Jack's voice was clearly evident as he talked. "The last thing we need is to have some nosy reporter catching him while he's feeding on some teenage girl backstage. If anyone else were to discover what Nick really is, we'd be in deep trouble." "What makes you think that he'll listen to me?" she replied, folding her hands demurely in her lap. "He'd better listen to you, because it's obvious that he's not listening to me!" His voice was sharp with anger. "I can't afford to have everything that he's worked so hard for get thrown away, just because he's having problems keeping the vampire under control. If the record company ever found out about his true nature, his career would come to a very quick end..." "And so would yours, obviously..." Sara noted that Jack enjoyed the benefits of working for Nick, as she looked at the gray designer suit that he was wearing and his equally expensive gold watch. "I've been his tour manager for the past four years, and I like the job. I'm not about to let him mess things up for me." Jack's tone was defensive, and he knew that he had to convince Sara to help him before things got out of hand. "Nick's the hottest act to come along in a long time, and I want his career to have some staying power. I don't want to see him wind up as the subject of a 'Where Are They Now?' show on VH-1 six months from now. He's got the talent to keep his musical career going, but I don't want him to screw it up!" "Naturally," she said coolly, "and you think that I can keep him from feeding on his adoring female fans and get him to stick to either the bottled stuff or solid food." "Yes, I know that you can. After all, you're the one who inspired him to get into the business, and you should be able to use your influence to get him to leave those girls alone." he told her. "We can't afford another close call. I don't think that the record company's going to be prepared for the lawsuits and wild gossip that would come if a reporter from Rolling Stone were to wander backstage and find out something that he shouldn't know about." Before Sara could answer, Doctor Cross entered the room. "Mr. Brittington, I hate to cut your visit short, but I need to run some tests on Ms. McClendon before she can be released." he said pleasantly. "Okay. It's time for me to get back to the hotel. I'll see you tomorrow, Sara. Goodbye, Doctor Cross." "Bye... Jack." she said as she watched him leave her room. After he had gone, she turned her attention to Doctor Cross. "What kind of tests will you be running on me?" "I want to run a CAT scan on you, take some blood samples, and give you a general check-up." He looked at her forehead and smiled. "The bump on your head is going down rather nicely. In a day or so, you won't notice that it's there." "That's good news. I wondered if the swelling would start to go down." She touched her forehead gingerly and felt the bump just above her left eye. "So what do you think happened to me? I don't remember too much about what happened before I collapsed." "Well, so far, everything seems to point to exhaustion and dehydration. You were on the road for quite a few months, and with all of that traveling that you've done; the odd hours and long flights, exhaustion can catch up with you rather quickly. You've also had a less-than-regular meal schedule while on the road, which didn't help you, either. Let's get you to the examination room. Nurse Lambert's waiting for us." "Okay. Do you think that I still need the IV needle?" Sara asked him as she got out of the bed slowly, taking care to make sure the needle didn't come popping out of her left arm. "I don't think that it will be necessary." He removed the IV needle from her arm and took care to dispose of it in the biohazard trash bin. "Are you ready?" "Yes, I'm ready now, Doctor.." She put on a pair of paper slippers that were on the floor near her bed. "Let's get this done and over with." "You sound like you're about to face a firing squad." There was a note of amusement in his voice. "It's not that bad." "I'm sorry if it sounds like that." she said apologetically as they left her room and walked down the hall toward the examination room. "I'll just be glad to go home." "Well, your tests shouldn't take too long. You'll be back in your room in no time." "That's good." As they walked, she noticed that she was wearing a hospital gown that didn't show off too much of her, and she felt relieved. "How come I'm not in a wheelchair?" "For someone in your condition, you should start moving around a bit." he told her. "Complete bed rest can often do more harm than good, and you should begin to slowly ease yourself back into being more active. That way, your recovery time will be much faster, and you should be feeling better sooner." "Makes sense." she replied with a smile. "I was about to go a little stir crazy if I had to stay in bed another minute longer." They entered the examination room where Nurse Lambert had gotten everything prepared. Sara still felt nervous, but as she got used to her surroundings, she would be able to figure out what was going on. "Now... please sit on the examination table, and we can begin..." --- The examination didn't take as long as Sara had thought it would, and after some blood was drawn and the CAT scan was completed, she was able to go back to her room. "I want to talk to you tomorrow about the test results before you leave." Doctor Cross said as he stood in the doorway. "You've brought a lot of excitement here." Sara gave him a wan smile as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I hope that I wasn't too much trouble." "No, you weren't too much trouble at all. In fact, it was rather nice to have a celebrity here. Good afternoon, Ms. McClendon." "Good afternoon, Doctor Cross." After he left, Sara checked her room to see if there was a bathroom. *There's got to be a bathroom in here.* she thought as she looked around. *If I'm connected to a celebrity, then I'd have to be in a private room. After all, if I shared a room with someone else, all hell would break loose if Nick were to show up.* She eventually found the bathroom, and the first thing she did was to look into the mirror above the sink. As she gazed at the reflection, she thought that she'd see someone else's face looking back at her, but the only face that she saw belonged to her, which gave her a small measure of comfort. *Well... at least I know that I'm still me.* she thought as she washed her face, took a deep breath and tried to relax. *But that still doesn't explain why I'm here and what's going on...* She dried her face with a towel and climbed back into bed, nervously waiting for something else to happen. She knew that she'd have to move carefully through this uncharted territory, and she hoped that she'd be able to find her way home soon. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 5/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 6/? Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 15:15:06 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A reference to a previous story, "Waiting In The Shadows", is here... along with some mild profanity. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 6/? ---- Monday evening in the real world... --- Nick, Natalie and Gail were sitting at a table in the hospital cafeteria, doing their best to keep their spirits up as they waited patiently for news about Sara. --- "I never knew that Sara had such good friends." Gail said after she took another sip of her coffee and finished up the last fragment of her sandwich. "I'm so glad that you're here with me. I don't think that I would have wanted to be here by myself. I like her a lot, and I hope that she'll be okay." "It's a funny thing... but she's been there for each of us when we've had some tough times." Natalie said thoughtfully. "I never thought that I'd ever have a girlfriend that I could be with, but I enjoy being around her. She's so easy to talk to, and she's a good listener." "I know." Nick agreed. "There's something about her that seems to bring out the best in anyone who meets her." "That's obvious, Nick." Natalie chuckled softly. "She's certainly done a lot for you. You don't brood as much as you used to." Just as Nick was about to make a reply, Gregory entered the cafeteria and went over to their table. "How's Sara doing, Doctor?" Gail asked him. "Has there been any change in her condition?" "She's still stable, which is a good sign." he replied as he pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with them. "If she continues to remain in stable condition, then there's a good chance that she'll make a full recovery, but it will take time." This bit of news was hopeful, and Nick gave Gregory a genuine smile. "When will you be able to tell us what really happened to her?" he asked the doctor. "From what you've told me about the device, the bio-electric power system should have been foolproof. Sara shouldn't have had a seizure." "I know that you want some answers, Detective Knight, but I'm at a loss to explain to you exactly what happened." Gregory replied. "The bio-electric power system was designed to work with the body's own electrical system. It was designed to adjust itself to the unique electrical properties of the human body. Nothing should have been able to interfere with its' proper functioning..." Before he could continue, his beeper went off. "Would you folks excuse me? There's something that I need to check on." "Of course..." Natalie told him. He nodded to all of them and left the cafeteria. "Wonder what that was about?" Gail wondered. "I hope nothing bad has happened." "I hope not, either." Nick replied, a concerned look on his face. "If her condition deteriorates, someone will have to notify her family about what's happened." "That's not a job that I want to face, believe me." Natalie's tone was sober, and there was a sad look in her eyes. "I hate to be the one to tell them what's happened to her." "If you need any help with that, I'm available." Nick said, as he touched her hand gently. "Thanks." Natalie was grateful for Nick's offer of assistance, and she decided to ask him an obvious question. "Did Sara ever talk to you about her family?" "Of course. She enjoyed talking about her family quite often." Nick said, trying to make sure that his reply didn't sound too hasty. Natalie knew that he had left Toronto for a weekend getaway two months earlier, but he hadn't told her that he had gone to Chicago to see Sara while she was there visiting her family. The last thing he wanted was to make an already emotional situation even more intense, so he chose not to elaborate any further. "I just wondered..." came Nat's mild reply. "She often told me about her nieces and nephews. How many of them does she have now? I thought that she had twelve. Has that number gone up?" "Yes, it has... It's fourteen now." he said. "She told me that her older brother and his wife had twin girls in July, her older sister and her husband are expecting their fourth child soon, and her eldest sister and her husband had a baby girl last week." "Oh, yes!" Gail said with a big grin. "She told me about that last Friday. She had gone to Chicago to see her family a couple of months ago, and she was swamped by all of those kids! She loved every minute of it, though. Now, I understand why she wanted to take on that other job." "What other job?" Nick wondered. "What will Sara be doing now?" "Didn't she tell you? She was going to work a couple of nights a week as a part-time volunteer counselor at the New Horizons youth shelter over on Yonge near Bloor." Gail said to them. "She was going to work there on Tuesday and Thursday nights. She was looking forward to working with the street kids and helping them with their problems." This piece of news disturbed Nick, but he tried not to let his displeasure show. He understood Sara's desire to work as a children's library volunteer, but that was during the day, when she'd have some measure of safety. For her to work nights in a potentially dangerous situation was more than he wanted to think about, and he hoped that after she recovered, he'd be able to talk to her and get her to change her mind about taking the job. "I always knew that she was the kind of person who wanted to help people, but I never thought she'd want to tackle something like that." Natalie's brow was furrowed in thought as she spoke. "Sara always wanted a challenge." Gail replied. "She said that she hated sitting on the sidelines while everyone else was out there living life to the full." "That sounds like her." Nick said as he made sure that the vampire stayed quiet. "I think that's one of the things that drew each of us to her. Her vibrant spirit and delight in living had been a big help to me when I was at my lowest point. I didn't think that I'd ever be able to be happy again until I met her. I don't want to lose someone who's become such a special part of my life..." "I understand." Natalie held his hand gently in a gesture of support. "Right now, we have to wait and see what happens. Will you be all right?" "I think so." Nick replied slowly. "The bad part about all of this is the uncertainty. It can be very difficult." "Of course. The waiting is always the hardest part." Natalie decided to change the subject before Nick became depressed, and the vampire might have an opportunity to take hold of him once more. "When the paramedics were placing the IV on her arm, they had to remove her bracelet." She reached into her jacket pocket and carefully pulled out the silver and gemstone bracelet and placed it in his hand. "Doctor Spencer told me that some rather unusual things happened when they tried to take the bracelet off her wrist." "Like what?" he asked as he looked at the bracelet. "When someone tried to steal it, he got a nasty shock and a serious burn on his right hand, and the paramedics got minor shocks when they tried to remove it from her arm. The electrical shocks weren't life threatening in either case, but that bracelet didn't want to be removed from Sara's arm." "Who gave you the bracelet?" "Doctor Spencer did." she replied. "When the nurse on duty gave it to him, neither one of them got shocked. It's definitely something curious, though. So, what do you think about it, Nick?" "I'm not exactly sure what I could tell you about it, Natalie. I've seen a lot of weird things in my time, and this is definitely the weirdest thing that I've ever seen." He slipped the bracelet into his jacket pocket and concentrated on the matter at hand. "Doctor Spencer thinks that the shock may be a side-effect of the bio-electric power system." Natalie said, smiling slightly. "If that's the case, then Sara's got a built-in personal security system." "Well..." Gail giggled, "I'd hate to shock the wrong person at the wrong time. That wouldn't be so good." "No, it wouldn't be. He's got a lot riding on the regenerator. If Sara's recovery is successful, he'll be able to announce his new medical breakthrough in six months." Natalie replied. She was pleased that the tension had eased a little between them, and she hoped that Gregory would return soon with some good news. "He seemed to be rather nervous while he was talking to us." Nick observed. "Well, from what I've been reading lately, there are quite a few bio-tech companies who've been heavy investors in the research and development of the regenerator." Natalie continued. "It would be a shame if all the work that he's done over the years were to go up in smoke. The exclusive patents alone would be worth billions..." "Yes, it would..." Nick said as some thoughts came to his mind. --- In Room 501... that same night... --- Gregory checked Sara's EEG monitor carefully, and what he was seeing on the screen before him wasn't good. "Your brain wave pattern has altered a bit, but your heart rate and breathing are still unchanged." he murmered as he lowered the power level of the regenerator with a small remote-control device that resembled a hand-held PDA. "What's going on with you, Sara? You and Jamie shouldn't be like this. Both of you shouldn't be in comas." Another one of his patients, Jamie Roberts, had been brought in the day before, and he was in the same condition that Sara was in. Jamie's condition had deteriorated during the past three hours, and he was worried that he might not pull through. Gregory bit his lower lip nervously as he checked Sara's vital signs to make sure that he didn't make any mistakes. Too much was riding on the spinal nerve regenerator for it to fail now. Jamie's spinal nerve regenerator had been working perfectly until Sunday afternoon, when he collapsed at his home, and had to be rushed to the hospital. Gregory was painfully aware that after he had to notify the family about what had happened, he'd have to give them an explanation, and he feared that he wouldn't be able to come up with the right answers. It wasn't a job that he wanted to take on, and dealing with the families would be difficult enough. He was also aware that a Metro Homicide detective had a close relationship with Sara, and if something were to go horribly wrong, he'd be looking at serious charges against him; not to mention intense investigation by the medical boards of Canada and the U.S., the Patent Offices of both countries, and several bio-technology companies which had heavily invested in his project during the past eight years. The fact that two people who had the regenerator implanted in them were in comas was highly unusual, to say the least, and he hoped that both of them would make a speedy recovery. He hoped that he'd be able to buy some time and get to the bottom of what was going on. The thought that someone might want to sabotage the project had crossed his mind, but he was reluctant to completely dismiss it. The other doctors and medical technicians who had worked on the project with him were trustworthy, and above suspicion; after all, he had worked with them for several years, and he refused to believe that any of them would want to sabotage a project that they had spent too many years developing. Still, there were some questions that nagged at him, and he had to contact the one person who might be able to give him some answers. *I hope that he'll be willing to tell me what I need to know.* Gregory thought as he finished his work. *And, he'd better tell me the truth. I don't want to be looking at lawsuits that could wipe me out.* He also knew that Natalie would be asking more questions about the device when he returned to the cafeteria, and whether it posed a danger to anyone else. All he had to do was keep his cool until he could get in touch with the one who could answer his questions about what had gone wrong with his life's work. After he had checked Sara's EEG monitor one last time, he left the room, made the call to Jamie's family, then he headed to the cafeteria, feeling like he could dive into a cup of strong black coffee. ---- When he entered the cafeteria, he saw the looks of concern on the faces of Nick, Natalie and Gail. He sat at the table with them, and sighed deeply. "So, is there any change in her condition?" Nick asked him. "Well.... there's been an alteration in her brain wave pattern, but I'm hopeful that it's nothing too serious." He wanted to give no sign that anything was wrong. He couldn't allow his self-control to slip now. "What kind of alteration?" Natalie asked him. "Is her brain still functioning?" "Yes, she's still able to breathe on her own and her heart's beating, but I can't say for sure when she'll awaken from her coma. As for that brain wave pattern alteration, I've checked on it before I came here and there's a slight discrepancy, but I don't believe that it's anything too serious. I think that it may be from the device." He knew that he was skirting around the truth, but he felt that he didn't have much choice. "Were you able to reset the regenerator to mask any interference that might be coming from it?" Natalie wanted to find out as much as she could about Sara's condition, not only to reassure herself, but to also calm Nick and Gail's own fears and concerns. "Yes, I was able to lower the intensity of the device by using a special transmitter, and that should help. We won't know anything until tomorrow morning." The look in his eyes was one of deep concern, and he decided not to tell them about the man who was admitted yesterday. He didn't want to create panic or arouse the suspicions of Detective Knight or Doctor Lambert, and he also wanted to make sure that Sara and Jamie's problems didn't cause any problems as the time drew near for him to announce the development of the spinal nerve regenerator. "I have to make a couple of calls. I'll only be a minute." He quickly excused himself and headed toward the nurse's station. Nick noticed Gregory's abrupt departure from the cafeteria, and his suspicions were immediately aroused. "Something's not quite right about all of this, Nat." Nick said quietly. "Doctor Spencer isn't giving us any real answers to our questions, and I'm wondering if he's hiding something from us." "Come on, Nick." Natalie said, her voice holding a note of disbelief. "Gregory Spencer is a respected surgeon and expert in micro-miniature medical devices. Why would he want to put Sara's life in danger?" "I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but there's something wrong, and I want to find out what it is before something else happens." he replied tersely. "What you're saying doesn't make any sense, Detective." Gail said worriedly. "Sara had been doing fine until she collapsed. Do you think that Doctor Spencer wanted to hurt her?" "No, but if he's got plans to announce the development of the device, then Sara's coma would be a setback for him." Nick replied, the detective in him coming to the forefront. "He doesn't appear to be a man who likes to lose." "You may be right about that, but where's the evidence?" Natalie asked him. "As long as he's calling the shots, all you've got are suspicions; nothing more. If you've got something substantial, then I'd be willing to accept your suspicions, but if that's all you have, without any proof to back them up, then I can't give you the benefit of the doubt." "I know... which is why I need to find out more about what Doctor Spencer's up to with his spinal nerve regenerator, but I don't want to arouse his suspicions. The last thing that I want is for him to get away before I have proof that he's done anything wrong." Nick's voice was calm, but Natalie and Gail could see the intensity in his eyes. "I want to make sure that what happened to Sara was either an accident or a glitch, and not something else." "And what would that 'something else' be, Nick?" Natalie asked him, wondering what he'd tell her. "Attempted murder..." he replied. --- Gregory was standing in the hallway, between the cafeteria and the nurse's station, clutching his cell-phone, speaking in hushed tones and glancing around nervously to make sure that his conversation wasn't overheard. "You told me that the power cell wouldn't cause any problems... but that's not what's happening!" he said, his voice filled with quiet fury. "I've got two patients who aren't supposed to be in comas, but they are! What the hell did you do to the bio-electric power cell formula?" "You made a deal with me, Doctor Spencer...." the male voice on the other end replied calmly. "I provided you with the bio-electric power cells, and you promised me the exclusive rights to manufacture the power cells and the regenerator. I didn't do anything to the powwer cells. They were made to your specifications." "I know, but I didn't expect two people to lapse into a coma without any apparent cause! I can't afford to lose them. If I do, then the regenerator will be a total failure, and I'll lose my reputation." "You'll also lose a cool half-billion dollars in patents and exclusive rights, you know..." the voice replied smoothly. "If I go down, you'll go down, too, Kincaid! I won't go quietly. I'll make sure that they know about you and your cost-cutting with the manufacture of the bio-electric power cells." "Is that a threat? I hope that it isn't, because you're not man enough to follow through on it." Kincaid paused for a moment, then said, "You were all too happy to accept my offer because the money tap was about to run dry on your pet project, and you were about to be dismissed as a lunatic because you were promising a 'miracle cure' that was anything but." "I didn't have much choice, did I? My back was to the wall, and I had to produce results as soon as possible." Gregory paused briefly. "No, what I told you wasn't a threat. It's a promise. I've worked too long and too hard to see my dream fail. I'm not going to let you stop me from saving Sara and Jamie." "Very well... You still have four other patients who are still healthy... so far. If you don't make that announcement, I could stand to lose a lot, too." "I want to show off six healthy people who are able to walk! Not four!" "Four out of six isn't so bad, is it?" the man replied with cool amusement. "Besides, 'collateral losses' are to be expected in medical research. At least you can say that Sara McClendon and Jamie Roberts gave their lives for the advancement of medical science..." "Damn you, you bastard!" Gregory hissed. "What about their families? They'll sue me for everything that I've got. I could have criminal charges filed against me, and I could lose my medical license!" "The families will be easy to deal with... They'll be paid off quite handsomely and we'll add the cost of the settlements to the price of the regenerator, and you'll be absolved of any responsibility for their untimely demise, so your license will be safe." "I never should have gotten involved with you, Kincaid." Gregory's voice sounded tired as he leaned against the hallway wall. "I knew that this was a mistake." "Hindsight is always 20/20, Doctor." Kincaid replied smoothly. "When you deal with the devil, you've got to pay the price... and I will make sure that you pay handsomely. I look forward to that announcement. Good night, Doctor." "Good night... and I'm not going to make any promises..." He closed the cell-phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He made his way down to the first floor where a group of people were in the waiting room, looking nervous and anxious. A plump, middle-aged woman with salt-and-pepper hair approached him, and said, "Are you Doctor Spencer? I'm Gloria Roberts, Jamie's mother." "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Roberts." he replied as he put on his professional demeanor. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to come here sooner. His landlady came to see how he was doing yesterday and she found him on the living room floor." she said. "Do you know what happened to him?" "Well, Mrs. Roberts... I'll do my best to tell you as much as I can." he said as he led her back to the waiting room where the rest of the family were waiting for them. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 6/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, September/October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 7/? Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 01:28:06 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 7/? ---- "You've got to be kidding, Nick..." Natalie said, still unwilling to accept what she had just heard as they huddled around the cafeteria table. "What makes you think that Doctor Spencer would want Sara murdered?" "You told me that he wants to announce the development of the spinal nerve regenerator within the next six months, right?" Nick said quietly. "If anything goes wrong before he makes the announcement, then a lot of people who've invested in it would be out of a lot of money. Therefore, if he's able to cover up any mistakes that come up before he makes the announcement, then nobody would be the wiser. It would be chalked up as an 'accident', and he'd still be able to make his announcement." "I never thought about it that way." she said slowly, as she thought about the articles that she had read about the regenerator in recent months. "I had been hearing rumors about glitches with the bio-electric power system, but I thought that they were just rumors, without much substance. I had dismissed them as smear tactics by some of his detractors... until he told me about Sara's bracelet." "Exactly. If her bracelet was able to injure the paramedics and a would-be thief as he said it did, then we've got a serious problem. Who knows how many others have had that same device implanted in them and if they've had any complications?" "That's definitely something to consider. When I read the article about the regenerator in the 'North American Medical Journal' six years ago, it mentioned that six patients with various spinal injuries had had the device implanted in them. We know now that Sara was one of them, but who else had the regenerator implanted in them... and where are they?" "That's what I want to find out, Nat." Nick replied. "If anyone else had the device implanted in them at or after the same time that Sara did, who knows what might happen to them if something were to go wrong..." ---- Early Wednesday evening... in Sara's hospital room in Montreal... --- Sara tried to relax and take in what Jack had told her, but the longer she thought about it, the stranger things seemed to become. *I still don't get it.* she thought. *Nick's feeding on people, even after he told me that he had sworn off of feeding on mortals. He told me that he hadn't fed on a mortal in over a hundred years. So... why would he suddenly go back on his word after all this time? This isn't making sense. What kind of Nick Knight am I dealing with here?* She glanced out the window and noticed that the day had passed by quickly. The sun had just set, and she wondered if there would be any more visitors coming to her room. *Well... I need some answers as to what's going on, and it might be a good idea for me to go along with things until I can find a way out of here. Everything's happened so fast that it's difficult for me to remember anything...* As she relaxed in the bed, there was a soft knock on the door. "Yes. Who is it?" A dark-haired man with a pale complexion, who appeared to be in his mid-to-late-thirties, poked his head into her room and said with a smile, "Dinner's here, Sara. Do you mind having some company?" "No, not at all. Come on in..." she replied nervously as he entered the room, with the orderly following behind him, carrying a large tray on a cart. He took the tray from the cart and placed it on her bedside table. The orderly left the room, leaving Sara alone with the stranger. She noted that he was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt with a banded collar, black denim jeans and black athletic shoes. His gray wool jacket was draped over his left arm, and a silver watch was on his wrist. "I was hoping that you'd be a little more enthusiastic about having me over for dinner tonight, baby." he said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "After all, it's not every night that a teen idol has dinner with you in your hospital room." "I'm sorry." she said while she struggled to figure out who he was. "I'm still recovering from all of those tests that were done on me earlier today. So, what's for dinner?" "Let's see..." He lifted up the tray cover and looked at her meal. "We've got steak, creamed spinach... a tossed green salad and a brownie for dessert. Add to that a glass of ice-cold root beer, and you've got it made. I've heard that hospital food isn't always great, but this looks pretty good." He took his place in the chair near her bed and leaned back in it comfortably, draping the jacket over the arm of the chair. Sara looked at him and said, "Uh... Who are you?" He smiled and replied, "Sara, it's me... Nick. Doctor Cross mentioned that you had a bump on your head after you collapsed, but he didn't tell me about your amnesia." "Nick? You're Nick Knight? No way!" As she looked at him, her mind reeled in disbelief. This man who was sitting before her couldn't possibly be Nick Knight. The Nick Knight that she knew was tall, with blond hair, grayish-green eyes, a slight dimple in his chin, a warm, boyish smile, and a gentle soothing voice. The Nick Knight that she was looking at now was tall, with a slender build, and on the lanky side, with longish black hair and hazel eyes. He was soft-spoken and handsome enough to make any woman's heart flutter with delight, and he appeared to be much more at ease with himself. "Yes, I am..." he replied, giving her a dazzling smile. "Live and in person..." "I'm just surprised to see you here so soon after I woke up." she said, attempting to smooth things over. "I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you right away. So much has been going on, and I'm a bit tired from the tests that have been run on me today." "I understand. I visited your room last night after the concert, and you were still unconcious. I sat by your bedside for a while and I was hoping that you'd wake up before we left for Toronto." His smile remained, but that did little to calm her nerves. "I didn't think that you'd recover." "Well, I did wake up, which should ease your mind. Jack came by to see me this afternoon, and he told me about the concerts." she said after she finished a forkful of salad. "He said that they were sell-outs, and that you performed two encores at each show." "It was great! You really should have been there!" He grinned broadly as he relived the previous night's events for her. "I never felt so alive, and the music never sounded better. I even tried out a couple of new songs that I had written while we were on the road, and the crowd really enjoyed them. If they go over well when we get to Toronto, I may record them for my next album." "Okay. That sounds good." She had eaten most of her meal, put the cover back on her tray, and now, she was ready to have a conversation with Nick Knight, the rock and roll vampire, and to find out more about her new life. "Doctor Cross told me that you caused quite a stir when you showed up at the hospital last night. You were signing autographs for the nurses and orderlies. How did you manage to see me after visiting hours were over?" "Come on, Sara..." he said, as a grin crept across his lips. "You should know by now that 'visiting hours' don't mean much to a vampire." "Especially a vampire who's also a rock star." she replied, looking at him warily. "So, what brings you here?" "You mean a lot to me, and I'm not going to finish my tour without you." He held her hand tenderly. "You've been there for me when I didn't think that my music made much difference, or when I felt that I couldn't go on living. You've been with me every step of the way, and I'm not about to lose you now. I want to make sure that you're going to be okay." "I'll be okay, Nick. I'm sorry that I got sick and wound up in the hospital." "Perhaps all of this touring finally got to you." he said with a small sigh. "We've been on the road for nearly eight months, going from Sydney and Melbourne to Tokyo, with a brief stop in London, and then back to the U.S, and through Canada. I know that our schedule's been really crazy, but at least we've been able to see quite a bit of the world together, and that was a big thrill for me. So, when do you think that you'll be able to leave?" "Doctor Cross says that I may be released tomorrow. He ran some tests on me earlier, and he wants to make sure that I'm okay before he releases me." Sara sighed and closed her eyes. "The last thing that he wants is for me to get sick again while I'm on the road." "Naturally. You gave everyone a scare on Sunday, and I'm not in the mood to go through another one, but, things are going to change..." "In what way?" she asked him as she opened her eyes and looked at him. Something was going on, and Sara wanted to be ready for anything that came up. "Well... I've been thinking..." he said, looking at her face with an intense gaze. "We've been on the road for a while, and the fact that you got sick makes me more than a little nervous. I want to make sure that you'll be in good shape when we finish up the North American leg of the tour in Toronto. Jack was able to keep the news of your hospitalization out of the papers, and he also made sure that the night shift hospital staff didn't talk about my visit here last night." Sara wasn't too sure what he meant by that, but apparently Jack had been a busy man after last night's show. *Did he pay off the staff?* she wondered. *Or did something else happen that I wasn't told about.* Her musings about what really happened last night would have to wait until she could find out more. "And that means what?" Sara had a feeling that Nick had something on his mind, and she wanted to know about it. "It means that when I talk to Doctor Cross tonight, I want to know if you're going to be all right. I don't like being lied to about anything, especially when it comes to your well-being. If I find out that you need to get some rest, then the tour will be adjusted to fit your needs." "You're very thoughtful... Nick." She looked at him and tried to smile, but the smile that she gave him was weak. He didn't seem to mind, though. He was glad to see her awake and alive, which was all that mattered to him. "You're the most important person in my life, Sara... and you always will be." His touch was cool, gentle and tender, and his voice was warm, but he wasn't as comforting as the other Nick. "We've known each other for seven years, and been together for five years, and I don't want to lose you after everything that we've been through. Do you know that you're the kind of woman that inspires love songs?" "Oh, come on. That's not true." Sara replied, more out of modesty than anything else. "I hardly see myself as being an inspiration to you." "It's true. You've been a big inspiration to me, especially those times when I was ready to give up on everything and walk into the sunlight. I don't want to lose the one person who was able to do what I didn't think was possible." "And what did I do for you?" "You found my soul. I thought that I had lost it when I became a vampire, until you found it." He got up from the chair, sat on the edge of the bed and took her in his arms. As he cradled her close to him, Sara noted that his embrace felt familiar, yet there was something about it that made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to say something about how she felt, but she held her peace. "You saw the human being within the vampire, and that meant so much to me." He stroked her hair tenderly as he held her close, and she wrapped her arms around him gently. "You heard the music that was locked away inside my mind and heart, and if it hadn't been for your belief in me and my music, we wouldn't be here now." "But, I'm in a hospital bed, so how can you say that?" He smiled and gave her a gentle hug. "Well, you wouldn't be in a hospital bed in Montreal if you hadn't believed that I could give something back to the world... after all the centuries that I had spent taking from it. I don't know where I'd be if it hadn't been for you..." His slender hand clapsed hers as he lifted it up to his lips and kissed it gently. "I can't wait for you to get out of here, Sara." "Why, Nick?" "I want to lie beside you, hold you in my arms and sing to you, just like I used to do." "If all goes well, you'll be able to do that tomorrow." she replied, as he reluctantly released her from his embrace. "When were you going to leave for Toronto?" "I hope that we'll be able to leave tomorrow night. The buses are ready to go, and the set-up crew and equipment's been sent on ahead to the SkyDome." he told her as he eased himself back into the chair. "We're just waiting for you. If you're able to be discharged early, we can get a head start on rush hour traffic, and possibly get there by Friday morning. The concerts are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights." "You'll be really busy then, won't you? I mean.... you've got sound checks to do with the band and the technical guys will be working on the lighting and sound systems. You'll barely have a chance to rest..." Sara couldn't believe what she was saying at that moment, and she wondered how she knew what she knew. "Yes, I'll be busy, but I plan on spending as much time with you as I possibly can. I'm not going to neglect you, Sara. That's a promise..." Just as he was about to kiss her, there was a knock on the door. "Who's there?" she asked as Nick moved away from her. "I just wanted to see you before I checked out for the night." Doctor Cross said genially as he opened the door, and entered the room. An orderly came in behind him to get Sara's food tray. "It's good to see you, Mr. Knight. You know that visiting hours are almost over." "I know, Doctor, but I wanted to see Sara before I went back to the hotel." Nick replied as the orderly took the tray, gave him a smile and left the room. "I also wanted to find out if she'll be released tomorrow. We've got a busy schedule, and I've tried to keep it as flexible as possible to accommodate her hospital stay, but I've got three concerts in Toronto coming up, and I was hoping that she'd be well enough to be able to travel with me." Doctor Cross nodded and said, "Yes, of course. I wanted to speak with you about that before you left, Mr. Knight." A chill ran down through Sara's spine as she heard what he said. If she had to stay in Montreal another day, it would throw Nick's tour schedule off, and she wasn't sure what would happen next. "Perhaps we can talk about it now, Doctor Cross." he replied. "I hope that it's nothing too serious." "No, it's nothing serious, but there are some things that I'd like to discuss with you, if you didn't mind." "Of course." Nick said. "Will you excuse us, Sara? I'd like to talk to Doctor Cross for a few moments." "Sure...." she said as she watched them leave the room. While they were gone, Sara had a chance to think about what Nick had told her. *Somehow, I've managed to inspire a vampire to become a rock star.* she thought wryly. *Wonder how I did that, because I'm having trouble remembering if I've ever met him before. This life that I'm in is getting weirder by the minute... and I'm able to fit into it a little too well. Maybe I'll be able to get a few more answers on the way to Toronto. If I ever get out of here, that is. All I can do now is to wait and see what happens next...* She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as she tried to relax and to keep calm. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 7/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October/November, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 8/? Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 01:28:18 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 8/? ---- Sara drew a shaky breath as she wondered what Nick and Doctor Cross were discussing. They had been out of the room for quite a while, and all sorts of thoughts were going through her mind. She knew that if she stayed here any longer, she'd go crazy. *I hope that I'll be able to leave here tomorrow.* she thought as she glanced nervously at the door. *If I don't get to Toronto, I might miss the clues that may help me to get back home. I want my old life back...* The image of the handsome blond-haired man with the sweet, boyish smile came to her mind and she knew that she had to find him somehow, some way. The other Nick and Doctor Cross re-entered her room, but her relief was tinged with worry. Both men looked pleasant at that moment, but there was something else that she couldn't figure out. Something that she had to find out about right now. "Well..." she said, turning on the charm, "when do I get to leave, Doctor Cross?" "I'm pleased to say that you'll be discharged tomorrow afternoon, Ms. McClendon." Doctor Cross said pleasantly. "You've got a clean bill of health and you've passed all of the tests. So, I can't see why you shouldn't be able to continue the tour with Mr. Knight." "That's good news, because I'm ready to hit the road, Doctor." Sara sounded enthusiastic, and she hoped that she was able to convince Nick that she was ready to continue the tour. "I can't wait to go to Toronto and do some sightseeing with you, Nick." "That's my girl!" Nick said, beaming. "So, what time will she be released, Doctor?" "The paperwork's already gone through, so she can be released early tomorrow afternoon. I'd suggest that she should be picked up some time between noon and one o'clock.." Sara was relieved when she heard the news about her impending release, and she was looking forward to discovering her new life as the girlfriend of Nick Knight, rock star and teen idol. "Great!" Nick said. "Jack will come by and pick her up, and take her to the hotel. We'll be leaving early tomorrow evening, and we should make it to Toronto by Friday morning." "Very well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Knight; Ms. McClendon..." Doctor Cross extended his hand and Nick clasped it firmly. "Good night, then..." "Good night, Doctor..." Sara said as he left the room. Nick turned toward her and smiled. "So, what did he tell you, Nick? Is there anything that you have to worry about?" "He told me that you were suffering from exhaustion and a mild case of dehydration, and that you're to take it easy. You were also a bit disoriented when you woke up, but he said that it was natural after you had been unconscious for a while." he replied, picking up his jacket from the arm of the chair and slipping it on. "I'm going to make sure that you get plenty of rest and relaxation." "How do you plan to do that?" she wondered. "You've still got those concert dates in Europe..." "Just leave that to me, okay?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I've got to go. Got some things to do before sunrise. See you tomorrow night. Bye, Sara." "Bye, Nick...." she said as he seemed to vanish from her sight. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. A long day was about to face her, and she wanted to be ready for anything. ---- Monday night... in the real world... --- As Nick, Natalie and Gail continued talking in the cafeteria, a small group of people had come in. Nick looked up and noticed that they were huddled at a table, looking confused and unsure about what was going on. He also caught a glimpse of Doctor Spencer as he left the cafeteria once more. "What's up?" Natalie whispered to him. "Anything going on that I need to know about?" "Doctor Spencer was just in here, and he spoke to those people over at the table near the front door." he replied as Natalie quickly glanced over at the table. "I think that we may have found another patient who's got the same problem with the regenerator that Sara's having." "Are you going to talk to them?" "Yes, but I don't want to make them any more nervous and upset than they already are. I need to know if my hunch about Doctor Spencer and the device are right." "Good luck." she whispered as Nick got up from the table and made his way toward the other table where the people were sitting. "Hello.." Nick said, smiling at them pleasantly. "I'm Nick Knight. Have you been here very long?" "Hello, Mr. Knight. I'm Gloria Roberts." the plump, middle-aged woman said, returning his smile. "The family and I got here about a half-hour ago. My son collapsed yesterday afternoon. He's in a coma and we're wondering what happened to him." "I'm sorry to hear that." Nick pulled up a chair and sat at the table with them. "What did the doctor tell you about his condition?" "Not much. He'd been doing all right until he collapsed yesterday afternoon at his apartment. Doctor Spencer tried to tell us what he thought might have happened to him, but I didn't understand much of what he said." "I see..." Nick said, choosing his words carefully. "What happened to your son, Mrs. Roberts? Had he been sick?" "He had been in a car accident a few years ago. His spinal cord was injured, and we were so afraid that he might never walk again." She wiped away a tear as she spoke, while a young blonde-haired woman held her hand gently. "Just when we were about to give up hope, Doctor Spencer said that he'd be able to help Jamie walk again." Nick listened carefully to what Gloria was saying and he wanted to make sure that he missed nothing. "Jamie's your son?" "Yes, he's my youngest boy. He was taking night classes at the university eight years ago.. He was on his way home when he was struck by a car. Someone was speeding and they didn't even see him when he was crossing the street..." She choked back a sob before she continued. "It was awful! I thought that Jamie had died when I saw him in the emergency room. The doctors were telling me so many things... I didn't want him to die..." "That's all right, Mrs. Roberts." Nick said gently, looking at her and doing his best to comfort her. "Can you tell me what else happened?" "What scared me was that if he recovered from the accident, he'd never be able to walk again." she said, wiping her tears away with a tissue. "Doctor Spencer said that he had a device that might be able to help him walk again, and he wanted to implant it in Jamie. He called it a 'spinal nerve regenerator'." "You gave him your permission to perform the surgery, Mrs. Roberts?" "Yes. His spine didn't suffer that much damage from the accident, even though it looked much worse than it actually was, so he would be a good candidate for the surgery. I had hoped that the regenerator would help him to walk, and it did. Three weeks after surgery, he was able to take his first steps. I was so happy..." "And he hadn't had any problems until Sunday?" Nick asked her. "Absolutely not! He was back to his old self in less than three months, and he hadn't had any problems for almost eight years until he collapsed yesterday afternoon. He just had to go back to Doctor Spencer for regular check-ups every three months." "I see..." Nick said as an idea formed in his mind. "Are you here to see someone?" she asked him. "Yes, a friend of mine collapsed earlier this afternoon, and my friends and I are hoping that she'll be all right." "What happened to her?" "I don't know. So far, Doctor Spencer hasn't been able to give us any answers yet." "He's your friend's doctor, too?" she said, her eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "That's interesting." "What's interesting, Mrs. Roberts?" "After Jamie had his surgery, Doctor Spencer told me that he had implanted that nerve regenerator in five other people. He hoped that if it worked well in the patients that had had the surgery, others would be able to benefit from it, too.. Maybe your friend may have had the same kind of surgery that Jamie had. Was she in a car accident, too?" "Yes, she was..." Nick said, "and she also had the same kind of surgery that your son had." "I hope that she'll be all right, Mr. Knight." She gave him a warm smile as he got up to leave. "Will you be staying here long?" "I'll be here for a while if you need to talk to me. There's something that I want to talk to my friends about. I hope that I'll be able to talk to you later, Mrs. Roberts." "Thanks for letting me talk about this. It's helping me to feel a little better. I hope that we'll be hearing some good news soon." "You're welcome, and so do I." Gloria smiled at Nick as he left, then she turned her attention back to her family and tried to comfort them. Nick went back to the table where Natalie and Gail waited patiently for him. "So, what did you find out?" Natalie asked him after he was seated at the table. "Turns out that there's someone who also had the regenerator implanted in him at about the same time that Sara may have had her surgery done." Nick told her. "His name is Jamie Roberts, and Gregory Spencer is his doctor. He was brought here yesterday afternoon... and he's in a coma, just like Sara." "This is unbelievable!" Natalie's face was ashen when she heard the news. "How can two regenerators malfunction in two different people and just a day apart?" "I'm not sure, Nat, but I believe that something funny's going on here." Nick's reply was terse. "If we don't find out what's happening to Sara and Jamie, this could spell trouble for anyone else who's had that regenerator implanted in them." "What do you intend to do?" "I'm going to see if I can gather a few more clues about the regenerator and if there's anyone who might be connected with it's manufacture. I'll call Tracy in for her help on this one." "What about me?" Gail asked. "Is there any way that I can help? Sara's my friend, and I don't want her to die." "Is it possible for you to access the database for the "North American Medical Journal' at the library?" he asked her. "Yes, it is, but I can't get access to the computer system until tomorrow morning when the library's open. I can use the mainframe computer to access the Journal's database." "Good. You check the 'North American Medical Journal's' database for any articles on the spinal nerve regenerator... and for anything else connected with it. Any articles on who's manufacturing it, who's bankrolling the project... that sort of thing." "Okay." Gail replied, nodding. "I'll do my best to help out, Detective." "Thanks." Nick said, giving her a smile. "Nick... are you sure that you want to do this?" Natalie asked him. "I understand your suspicions about the regenerator, but are you sure that you want to drag Doctor Spencer into this?" "He's already involved, Nat." Nick replied, his voice quiet yet firm. "He's about to unveil a medical device that has already put two people in the hospital with comas, and who knows what will happen to those other people who have had the regenerator implanted in them. If Jamie and Sara die before the announcement's made, Doctor Spencer and the people who are funding his research will lose a lot of money. These people can't afford to lose what they've already invested in the regenerator, even if both of them make a full recovery." "So, even if Jamie and Sara do make a full recovery from their comas, they'd still pose a risk to whoever wants to sabotage the project?" "Yes. The fact that they were hospitalized because of an experimental device that was supposed to be 'safe' is enough cause for concern, so they may decide to take more extreme measures to make sure that Jamie and Sara don't recover... and then, they'd cover it up." The silence that fell after Nick had spoken was powerful. Natalie and Gail understood the impact of what would happen if something wasn't done to save the lives of Sara and Jamie. "I just hope that both of them will be able to hang on... and that we won't be too late to save them." Natalie said quietly. "We won't be too late." Nick replied firmly. "I'm going to make sure of that." He pulled out his cell-phone and dialed a number. After a couple of moments, he said, "Tracy... it's Nick. I want you to come to Harbourside Memorial Hospital as soon as you can. It's about Sara." "Is something wrong, Nick?" she asked him. "Yes, there is..." he replied. "Her life may in danger." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 8/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 9/? Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 14:29:30 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A bit of mild profanity here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 9/? ---- When Tracy got the call from Nick about Sara's condition, she was stunned by the news, but after he had told her about the circumstances that he believed had put her in the hospital, it was an even bigger shock. --- "Do you realize what you're saying, Nick?" she asked him. "You really think that Sara might be set up to be murdered by her own doctor? Somehow that doesn't appear to make sense." "I'm still not sure about it yet," came his terse reply, "but there are too many things that aren't adding up. Even if Doctor Spencer isn't directly involved, there may be someone else who's got a lot riding on the success or failure of his project, and that person may not want to have a lot of loose ends lying around in case anything went wrong." "Of course. That would be something to consider." she said thoughtfully. "So, what do you want me to do?" "I want you to come to Harbourside Memorial, and meet me in the cafeteria on the third floor. Nat's with me. We need to find out what's going on, and if there are enough grounds to conduct a criminal investigation." "Should I call Captain Reese and let him know what's going on?" "Yes. He needs to be told about this. I don't want to make any mistakes, but I don't want to make an even bigger mistake by ignoring my hunch about this, either." "All right. I'll be at the hospital soon, and I'll call Captain Reese before I leave." "Thanks, Trace. I appreciate it. Bye." "Bye, Nick." Tracy hung up the phone and changed clothes. As she got dressed, she knew that Nick rarely did things on impulse, and when it came to following a hunch, his hunches were rarely, if ever, wrong. *I know that Nick wouldn't say anything unless he thought that there was something going on, and if a murder's about to take place, he'd want to stop it before it happened.* she thought as she placed her shield in her jacket pocket, and her gun in her shoulder holster. *He's not the kind of man who'd go off on a wild-goose chase over nothing. There's got to be something going on that's got him suspicious.* Before she left her apartment, Tracy called Captain Reese at the precinct and notified him of the situation. --- "Are you certain about what he told you, Vetter?" he asked her. "Nick wouldn't say something like that unless he's got good cause for believing that someone wants to kill Ms. McClendon. I know that he's fond of her, but for him to suspect her doctor or one of his colleagues of attempted murder is very serious." "He thinks that there's something funny going on, Cap." she replied. "He says that there are too many suspicious circumstances surrounding Sara's hospitalization for this to be just a coincidence, and he believes that either Doctor Spencer or someone connected with him may have a motive for undermining his project." "Damn..." Reese muttered. "Knight's a good detective, and he wouldn't make those charges unless he's found something that's not adding up. All right... go to the hospital and find out what you can. You and Knight keep me informed. If both of you find something important, the Crown Prosecutor will be very interested in what you've uncovered..." "Okay, Cap. I'll let you know when we've got something. Bye." She hung up the phone, left her apartment and drove off to the hospital. When she arrived at the cafeteria, she saw Nick, Natalie and a dark-haired young woman seated at a table. She walked toward them, a look of concern on her face. "Hey, Nick... Natalie. How are you holding up?" "We're doing okay." Natalie replied. "Waiting to see what's going to happen next is the toughest part." "Gail... this is my partner, Tracy Vetter...." Nick said, by way of introduction. "Tracy, this is Gail Johnson, one of Sara's co-workers at the library." "It's nice to meet you." Gail said as she clapsed Tracy's hand. "Likewise..." Tracy took a chair from a nearby table and sat down with them. "So, bring me up to speed on what you've got so far, Nick." Nick and Natalie explained to Tracy about what was going on and she listened carefully to what was being said. "Wow... you think that you may have found something, Nick?" she asked him. "I'm not sure yet, Trace, but Doctor Spencer's been acting very strangely, and I've got my suspicions." he replied. "I want to see if he's going to make a move that might give him away, but I don't want to tip my hand too soon." --- Gregory was in room 503, where he was observing Jamie Roberts' vital signs. The spikes that were appearing on the EEG monitor worried him. "Your EEG's off the scale!" he muttered. "They're not supposed to be like this. Your heart rate and breathing are unchanged, but your brain activity's all over the place. Let's see if I can compensate for that..." He took out the hand-held transmitter and switched it on. He pressed a few buttons and made adjustments to the regenerator. He held his breath and watched the little screen carefully. "All right... The power's been lowered as far as it can go without shutting off the device. Now, let's check your brain waves." As Gregory looked at the EEG monitor, Jamie's brain waves were still not normal, and he was worried. "If your brain waves are off the scale, I wonder what's going on with Sara. I'll be sure to check her vitals and see if she's okay. Damn those cheap power cells!" He left the room and went to check on Sara, in the hope that her vital signs were within the range of normality. --- As he stood in front of Sara's monitor, the same bizarre brain wave pattern that he had seen on Jamie's EEG was appearing on Sara's EEG, which worried him greatly. "What the hell's going on? The bio-electric power system isn't supposed to affect your brain wave pattern, but you've got the same brain wave patterns that Jamie's got." he muttered. "This isn't supposed to happen. I've got no choice. I need replacement power cells. Maybe I can get the right ones this time... I never should have gotten into business with you, Kincaid!" --- Thursday morning... in Montreal... --- Sara awoke to brilliant sunlight pouring through the blinds in her room, and a cheery female voice speaking to her. "Good morning, Ms. McClendon. How are we feeling today?" Nurse Lambert asked her as the breakfast tray was placed before her. "Uh... I'm just fine, thanks." she replied as the lid was lifted from the tray, revealing a breakfast of sausage links, pancakes and a glass of orange juice. "This looks good." She picked up a piece of sausage and nibbled on it, while Nurse Lambert checked her chart. "I'm glad that you're enjoying your breakfast. Doctor Cross wants to make sure that you're well-fed before you leave." She slipped the chart back into the slot at the foot of Sara's bed. "I'm glad that you're feeling better. We didn't think that you'd regain conciousness." "I'm just glad to be alive." she said as she finished her breakfast. "When will I get to see him before I'm discharged?" "At about ten, I think." came the reply as Sara tried to look at the name tag on Nurse Lambert's uniform to find out what her first name was. "All of your vital signs are excellent, so you're free to go." "I'm glad to hear that." Sara replied as she finished her glass of orange juice and placed it on the tray. "I didn't expect to find myself here, believe me." "Nobody does, but thank goodness you were brought here before something serious happened to you." the nurse replied as she checked the chart one more time, and Sara ate the last piece of sausage. As she placed her fork on the plate, she glanced at the name tag on the nurse's uniform and she noticed that Nurse Lambert's first name was "Catherine". * "Catherine Lambert"...* Sara thought as the nurse busied herself with gathering up the tray. *That's interesting... I thought that her first name might have been 'Nancy' for some odd reason.* "So, where are my things?" she asked her casually. "I'd hate to leave here wearing nothing but my hospital gown. That would be rather embarassing, wouldn't it?" "Yes, it would, wouldn't it? Your clothes are on the chair near the window," Nurse Lambert said cheerily, "along with your purse and shoes. You'll probably want to get yourself cleaned up before you leave." "I certainly do. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next." Sara replied as the orderly came into her room, removed her tray and left the room. "It was nice to have you here." Catherine said as she gave Sara a big hug. "Take care of yourself, okay? Bye, Ms. McClendon!" "I will, and you be sure and do the same." Sara said as she returned the hug and gave her a smile. "Goodbye, Nurse Lambert." After Catherine left, Sara slowly got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She took a shower, and got dressed. She noticed that she had worn a light blue long sleeved satin big shirt, and a pair of black pants when she came to the hospital, and that someone had brought her some clean underwear, along with a heavy-knit sapphire blue wool duster. *I certainly don't remember wearing this when I went to work at the library. I was wearing a blue plaid skirt and a blue denim shirt, and a black jacket. This isn't exactly what I'd be wearing to work...* she wondered as she put the shirt on and buttoned it carefully. After she slipped into the pants, she looked for her shoes. When she found them underneath the chair, she was delighted, but as she looked at them carefully, they weren't the same shoes that she had worn to work. *These shoes have a bit of a heel and they've got a silver buckle on each side. I wore a pair of black oxford walking shoes to work. Also... these shoes have a designer label inside. My oxfords don't have a designer label in them. Apparently, being a rock star's girlfriend does have it's privileges...* Her purse was hanging on the back of the chair, so she picked it up, opened it and rummaged though it, looking for a comb and brush. As she dumped the contents of the purse onto the bed, Sara noticed a large black wallet that she didn't remember having. She opened it and discovered that the wallet was full of credit cards, some cash and traveler's checks. *Wow! Look at these credit cards... Seems that I skipped platinum and went straight to titanium.* As she looked at each card carefully, she noted that all of the cards bore the name "Nick Knight" on the front, but her signature was on the back of each card. *I'm certainly not broke, and Nick must have made sure that I had plenty of money to spend while we're on tour.* She counted the traveler's checks, and when she had finished, she had five thousand dollars. When she counted out the cash, she had twelve hundred dollars. *Let's see... I've got five thousand dollars in traveler's checks... twelve hundred in cash... * she thought as she put everything back in her purse, *plus five titanium credit cards. Nick must be making a lot of money as a rock star, not to mention whatever he's had put away over the centuries. It's also unusual that nobody tried to steal my purse, unless Nick brought it with him, and he was able to hang it on the back of the chair while I wasn't looking. Wonder how he did that?* After she finished getting dressed and putting some items inside a plastic bag, Doctor Cross entered her room and brought in a wheelchair, while Jack followed him into the room. Jack wasn't as nervous as he had been yesterday afternoon, but he didn't seem to be too happy. "Good morning, Ms. McClendon!" Doctor Cross said with a broad smile. "Are you ready to go?" "Yes, I am, Doctor. I can't wait! I'm wondering why I need to be in a wheelchair, though. I feel just fine." "Excellent." Doctor Cross chuckled softly. "I understand your desire not to leave in a wheelchair, but hospital rules say that all discharged patients must be escorted off the premises in a wheelchair." "Well... if that's what I have to do, then..." she said as she gathered up her purse and the plastic bag, got into the wheelchair, and looked up at Jack, who was standing behind it. He was clearly in an unpleasant mood, and she wondered what had happened last night after Nick left the hospital and went back to the hotel. "Why are you looking so miserable, Jack? Something go wrong last night?" "I'll tell you about it on the way back to the hotel." he replied glumly as he wheeled her out of the room and down the hall toward the elevator. "It was a pleasure to have you with us, Ms. McClendon." Doctor Cross said on the elevator ride down to the main floor. "We haven't had this much excitement around here in a long time. It was quite pleasant, actually..." "Well, I'm glad that you think so, Doctor." Sara said with a small smile. "I'm just sorry that it had to be under such less than pleasant circumstances." They exited the elevator and went to the front desk, where the paperwork for Sara's release had just been completed. Jack stood at the desk and signed the papers, then he reached into his wallet and handed the secretary a small plastic card. After a few moments, the card was returned to Jack while Doctor Cross spoke to Sara. "I hope that you'll be all right, Ms. McClendon." he said to her. "Nobody expected you to recover, especially after you had that nasty little bump on your head. Mr. Knight was worried that you'd never regain conciousness." "Well, I'm glad that I was able to recover from that fall I took... and I promise to take it easy, Doctor. I don't want to wind up in the hospital again, believe me." "I'm delighted to hear that. Please give Mr. Knight my regards." "I certainly will, Doctor Cross." Sara gave him a smile as they left the front desk and went outside. "It was a pleasure meeting you." "It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. McClendon." he replied as a black late model Lincoln Town Car pulled up at the entrance of the hospital. "Goodbye, Ms. McClendon, Mr. Brittington. Have a safe trip." "Thank you, Doctor Cross. Goodbye..." Jack said as he opened the car door, and helped Sara inside. After she got inside the car and Jack was ready to close the door, she turned toward Doctor Cross, and noted the embroidered name on the front pocket of his lab coat. The name was 'Lucas Cross, M.D.' * 'Lucas Cross'...* Sara thought as she gave the doctor a smile and a friendly wave goodbye as Jack closed the door, and got inside the car. *That makes sense. Perfect sense...* --- The Town Car left the hospital and Jack told the driver to take them to the Hotel L'Meridien. As they embarked on the long drive toward the hotel, Sara noticed that Jack wasn't his usual talkative self; in fact, he briefly spoke to her while they were in her room, and he didn't talk to her while they were on the elevator. --- "What's with you, Jack? You've been awfully quiet. Did something happen after Nick came back from visiting me last night?" "Yes, something happened last night..." Jack said, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "Nick said something about wanting to 'adjust' the tour to make sure that you didn't get sick again." "Really? So what did he decide to do? Did he tell you anything?" "That's just it... He wouldn't tell me anything about how he wants to 'adjust' the tour. When I asked him about it last night, he told me that he wants to meet with us in the Presidental Suite before we leave for Toronto tonight. I asked him for details about what he's got planned, but he wouldn't tell me anything." "Why are you upset about it? Nick's got his reasons for not saying anything about what he wants to do until he's ready to tell us. Maybe he doesn't want anything to be leaked to the press, so that's probably why he didn't tell you about it last night." "We're already a couple of days behind schedule as it is, and now he's ready to start changing things." Jack was irritable, and he made no bones about it. "I don't like it when he hides things from me or goes behind my back. He seems to forget that it's my ass on the line when I have to deal with stadium owners and concert promoters. As for any leaks to the press... it's not always easy to keep secrets in the age of the World Wide Web." "That may be true, but it's still Nick's tour. I was under the impression that he could do whatever he pleased." "It may be his tour, but I'm the one who's got to run interference for him with the concert promoters, stadium owners, the record company, his agent, the guys in PR and the press." Jack gruffly replied. "We can't afford to make too many more 'adjustments' to the tour. If Nick decides to change something at this late date, we could lose a lot of money, not to mention valuable promotion for the album." "I see..." came her cool reply, "and you expect me to be a miracle worker and save the tour. You're giving me a lot more credit than I deserve." "Look, I know that you mean a lot to him, and maybe you can help me change his mind about whatever he's planning to do. The European leg of the tour is important to the record company. Those four gigs that we did in London two months ago was just a sneak preview of what's to come. The real test are the shows that we've got in Paris, Madrid and Rome, along with a return trip to London to end the tour." Sara noted the urgency in Jack's voice, and she deeply resented him putting her in an uncomfortable position. "I don't want to tell Nick what to do about his tour and how he handles it." she said. "After all, he's the one who's running the show, not me." "Damn it, Sara... you've got to help me!" Jack said harshly. "I'm not about to let this tour crash and burn after the successful gigs that we've already got under our belts. Nick's not going to ruin this for me." "But if it weren't for Nick, where would you be?" Sara asked him, wanting to find out more about this man and his ambitions. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 9/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 10/? Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 14:29:44 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU The Usual Disclaimers are in Part 1. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 10/? ---- "What did you say?" Jack asked her as the ride to the hotel continued. "I said, if it weren't for Nick, where would you be? What would you be doing right now?" Sara replied as she gazed at his face carefully, looking for a clue as to the kind of man he was. "I find it interesting that you'd even want to be part of the rock-and-roll life. Somehow, you don't seem to be the kind of man who'd want to be a part of it. So, tell me... what's a nice guy like you doing in a life like this?" "Oh, come on, Sara. Why do you want to hear about it? You know the story; after all, you were there." Jack was peevish and in no mood to talk, but she knew that she had to find out about him in order to get more clues about the life that she found herself in, and she wasn't about to let him dismiss her question. "Humor me a little, okay? I want to hear your version of the story and see if it matches up with the version I think I remember." "Oh, all right... since you insist." Jack grumbled. "Eight years ago, I was a junior at UCLA. I wanted to study medicine, and I was well on my way to becoming a doctor... but my folks always told me to have something to 'fall back on' just in case things didn't work out, so I went for a double major..." "A double major? Wow! That's very impressive." "I'm glad you think that it was 'impressive'. As far as I was concerned, it was strictly a practical move. I decided to go for a double major in law and medicine. I figured that if I had knowledge in both fields, I'd be able to go a little farther than I would have if I just stuck to one field." "That's interesting, but it doesn't really answer my question. How did you get involved with Nick?" "Some friends of mine in my dorm were going out for a night out on the town that Friday night in October, and they invited me to tag along. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was getting tired of the grind of constant studying, and I wasn't looking forward to dissection class on Monday." "Yuck!" Sara grimaced. "You had to cut up bodies for class?" "Sure. It was all a part of what the job required, and I had already managed to distinguish myself in Forensic Pathology, so naturally, everyone expected me to become a Medical Examiner. In fact, I had been approached by one of my professors to fill out an application to become one of L.A. County's newest and youngest M.E.'s after I graduated." "Did you fill out the application and hand it back in?" "Yes, I did, but I had a lot of reservations about going through with it, and I asked him to hold off submitting it to the personnel office until I had more time to think about what I wanted to do with my life." Jack said, his tone mellowing as the ride continued. "I didn't want to put myself in a position where I couldn't advance, and with my knowledge of law, I thought that it would help me with the job. Maybe I could have gone a little further by becoming an M.E., but at that time, I was at the crossroads, and I wanted something more out of my life..." "All right. That makes sense. So where did you and your friends hear Nick play?" "At the 'The Sunset Grill'. It's a dance club. They had their monthly Friday Night Talent Search on the last Friday of the month, and Nick was the next-to-last act on the program. The moment that he came out on the stage, it was like everyone had been struck by lightning. They were expecting something to happen... and it did. He blew everyone away with his energetic performance. He owned the stage... and you knew it. Suddenly, I realized that this guy had something special. I also knew that I had to be a part of whatever he wanted to do. I gave up my ambition to become a Medical Examiner after I heard him play." "Nick's music obviously made a big impression on you." she replied, her voice calm and quiet. "Yes, it did. When I heard it, I could feel the power and passion in his music; it got down deep in my soul, and it wouldn't let go. You also made a big impression on me, too." "Me? How did I make an impression on you? You probably didn't even see me." "From the back of the club where I was sitting, I saw you at a front table, near the left side of the stage. While he was singing a couple of love songs, he kept looking in your direction and smiling at you. I figured that he was singing them to you, and that you must have been very special. You were smiling and cheering him on while he performed; the crowd caught your enthusiasm, and followed your lead." "Hmmm. I didn't know that I was that enthusiastic about Nick's performance that night. I hope that I didn't make a fool of myself." "You didn't make a fool of yourself at all, Sara." Jack said quietly. "There was something in his music that spoke to my soul, and I was amazed at how much passion he could capture in one song. I was stunned." There was silence in the car as Sara took in what Jack had told her. *I'm beginning to understand a little more about this life that I'm in.* she thought. *Nick's music made Jack change his career... That's amazing.* After a moment, she asked, "So, what happened afterward? Did you decide to toss out your medical career out the window and go for the rock and roll life?" "Well... I wanted to find out more about Nick, so after the show ended, I sneaked backstage. You were there with him, and he was talking to some people. I remember reading in the L.A. Times that talent scouts often went to nightclub talent shows in order to find fresh faces, and apparently Nick made a big impression on them as well. I was able to stay in the background and listen to what was being said." "I'm impressed with your nerve." she said, chuckling quietly. "I'm surprised that you could remember what was being said, let alone avoid getting tossed out of the club for sneaking backstage." "I used to sneak into the local movie theatre when I was a child, so it wasn't that difficult to do." he said, giving her a smile. "As I listened to a couple of talent scouts talk to you and Nick, I knew that if he ever made it big, he'd need legal help, especially if he was planning to go on tour with his music. My studies in entertainment law would come in handy, believe me." "So you gave up medicine to study entertainment law and to work for Nick as his manager." "Yes, I did. I'm glad that you and Nick had enough faith in me to let me be his tour manager after I graduated from law school. I didn't think that he'd want to work with someone who just came up to him from out of nowhere, and I was glad when he asked his talent agency to sign me up as his tour manager. Some people might have thought that I was too young, inexperienced and incapable of handling a multi-million dollar operation, but I managed to prove them wrong. I'm constantly amazed at how far we've come in such a short time." "Are you sorry that you didn't become a Medical Examiner?" "Sometimes I am, but then... I think about the places that I've been to and the things that I've seen. If I had stayed on the path that I was on, right now I'd be cutting up bodies and writing out reports for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office. I didn't think that I'd ever travel to Australia, New Zealand and the Far East; let alone take a cross-country trip through the U.S and Canada, but now, I've done that.. and I hope that I'll get to do it again. Who'd believe that a night out would change my life." His voice was filled with a sense of quiet pride. "It certainly did. You changed your entire life because Nick's music touched something within you." she said thoughtfully. "Apparently, his music seems to do that to people, especially after you told me about his final concert a couple of nights ago." "Now, I understand why he says those wonderful things about you. You're a special woman, Sara." "Thank you, Jack." Her smile was warm and genuine. "You're welcome." he said quietly. At that moment, he wanted to take her in his arms, hold her close and kiss her; not out of any lustful feelings that he might have had, but out of a deeply-felt affection. He decided not to yield to the impulse, as much as he was tempted to. "So... I inspire love songs and Medical Examiners to become tour managers." she said as the irony of it all amused her greatly. She saw the look in Jack's eyes and knew that underneath the slickness that he wore as part of the job, there was a kind, hard-working man who had Nick's best interests at heart, and a deep, affectionate respect for her. "So, does my version of the story match up with the version that you remember?" "Yes, it does... Thanks for refreshing my memory." Sara knew that she was lying, but it was best not to make waves now. As the hotel came into view, she said, "So...who's in the Presidential Suite, besides Nick and myself?" "We've taken over the entire twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors." Jack replied as the car slowed down and stopped in front of the Hotel L'Meridien. "You and Nick have the Presidential Suite, I've got the room next door..., 'Fairlight' is in the room across from me and the 'Children of the Knight' are in the room next door to 'Fairlight'. The roadies have the rest of the rooms down the hall, while our security staff's taken over the twenty-fourth floor. That should keep teenage girls from sneaking in. We can't afford any uninvited guests." "That's the last thing that we need, especially since we'll be leaving soon." she said. "Does everyone stay in their rooms or is there a place where they all like to gather?" "Everyone likes to hang out in the Presidential Suite. That's where Nick's going to hold his little meeting tonight." Jack helped her out of the car and they entered the hotel. They got inside the elevator which took them to the twenty-fourth floor. The ride was dominated by silence. Sara was thinking about everything that she had seen and heard during the past two days, and it was still a bit overwhelming. They went through the security checkpoint that had been established near the stairway at the end of the hall. Both of them were swept for any listening devices, and their identity had to be verified with a special ID card that Jack had had made for every member of the tour group. After their ID cards had been scanned, they went to the elevator that would take them to the twenty-fifth floor "Gee, Jack... I feel like I just went through a security check to enter the Pentagon." Sara said as they got onto another elevator. "Is all of this security really necessary?" "Yes, it is. Remember, Nick's a celebrity, so he's a ripe target for stalkers and kidnappers, and so are you, because you're his girlfriend. The label insists that he have a security detail whenever he goes on tour, and that everyone be checked out to make sure that they're part of the tour." "Is this 'normal'?" she wondered. "It's normal if you're a celebrity, or if you're connected to a celebrity. You live your life under a spotlight in a fishbowl, and it's displayed in a department store front window for all the world to see." "But... that's not much of a life. You're always under scrutiny and there's no privacy." "No, it's not much of a life, I'll admit, but it sure pays a lot better than living in obscurity ever did." "I guess it does." she said, sighing and shrugging her shoulders. "I'm still wondering if it's really worth the price that you have to pay for it." "It all depends, Sara. It all depends..." he replied as they got ready to leave the elevator. "You have to decide what you want from this life, and if you want it badly enough to pay the price." "Yes..." she said softly. After they left the elevator and walked down the hallway toward the Presidential Suite, Sara wondered aloud, "I wonder if the rooms are a mess. I hope that we're not trashing them. It seems that living the rock and roll life means that you can destroy property and be irresponsible." "No way." Jack replied firmly. "Nick won't allow any hotel room to be trashed while we're on the road, and if you're caught trashing your room, you're fired on the spot. He says that it makes him look bad, and he's not about to let anyone who works for him ruin his carefully cultivated image..." "But he can feed on his female fans, and he doesn't think that it'll ruin that 'carefully cultivated image'?" "That's why I need your help to keep Nick in check." he replied as they drew nearer to the door of the Presidential Suite. "His 'image' has made millions for the record company, not to mention all those magazine covers, calenders and posters that decorate the bedroom walls of teenage girls everywhere. Look... there are a lot of other talented guys out there who can sing and write songs, but their songs don't have the power that Nick and his songs have. I don't want to see him make a mistake that could cost him everything that he's worked so hard to achieve. You've got to work with me to make sure that he feeds on either the bottled stuff or small amounts of solid food, and not on his fans. Okay?" "Okay... I'll see what I can do." she replied meekly. "It's not what you can do, it's what you're going to do." he replied bluntly as he pulled his key card out of his wallet and slipped it into the electronic lock. "My career's on the line, along with his own. I don't want any mistakes. Got it?" "I got it." she replied as the door swung open and she stepped inside. The first person to greet her was a young woman with wild-looking red hair, and she was wearing a bright pink minidress. "Hey, Sara! Glad to see ya! I missed you a bunch!" the redhead said as she gave her a big hug and kiss. "It's good to see you, too..." Sara replied warily as she was hugged by a young woman with short blonde hair who was wearing a bright blue pantsuit. "I'm so glad that you're out of the hospital, Sara!" the blonde said, giving her a smile. "I was starting to think that you'd never recover! It would have been awful to continue the tour without you!" "Well... I'm back now and happy to be here." she said, as she gave the blonde a wan smile as a young black woman, dressed in jeans and a multi-colored t-shirt, hugged her affectionately. "Are you all right, Sara?" the black woman asked her as she led her to a nearby chair before Jack could say another word. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Sara eased herself into the chair and relaxed. "I was going through a lot of tests while I was in the hospital. For a while, I thought that I was going to be a human pincushion." "I know what you mean." the black woman said, giving her a smile. "I never liked hospitals. All of those tests... getting stuck with needles and those gowns. They're so unflattering!" The other women giggled like schoolgirls while the black woman picked up an electric guitar and strapped it onto her shoulder. "I've got a new song that we've been working on, and we'd like for you to listen to it and see if you think that it's good enough for us to use in our opening act." the black woman said as the blonde strapped on her guitar and the redhead switched on her synthesizer which wasn't too far from where Sara was sitting. "I hope that you'll like it." "Uh... I'm sure that we will..." Sara replied nervously. Before Sara could open her mouth to ask the question, Jack stood beside her and whispered, "Those are the members of 'Fairlight', Nick's opening act. They've been with us ever since the tour started. They're great!" "I'm sure that they are." she whispered back. "So, who is everyone?" "Marjie's the lead singer and she plays base guitar. The blonde-haired one is Susannah; she plays rhythm guitar, and the redhead is Lilly; she's on keyboards." While he spoke, he pointed out each member of the band to her. "They must be pretty good if Nick hired them as his opening act." "Well, he's about to produce their first album after the tour ends. Not bad for three friends fresh out of community college." "I'm impressed." she replied as Marjie and the girls got ready to play. "Okay. Sara... Jack... we'd like to play a new song for you and the rest of the guys. We're not sure of the title yet, but just listen to it and tell us what you think.'' Marjie said with a big smile as a group of other people entered the room. They were a mixture of band members and roadies, and as they entered the large living room, Jack made sure that Sara knew who everyone was. She was grateful for his help, and she realized that she may have dismissed him too quickly as an opportunist who was only looking out for himself. After the crowd, which numbered a little over two dozen, were settled down and got comfortable, Marjie, Susannah and Lilly performed their new song. As Sara listened to the music, she suddenly had a strange vision appear before her. She abruptly found herself back in a hospital room, but she was unable to get a clearer picture of where she was. She was aware that someone was nearby, not too far away from her, but it wasn't Jack... and it wasn't Nick Knight, the rock and roll vampire. She knew that the one who was nearby was the man that she loved, Detective Nick Knight. She had to get get up from the bed, get out of the room and rush to Nick's side, but she couldn't move. Something was pulling her back down, pulling her back to this life and she couldn't break free of its' grasp... at least not yet. *Nick... Nick... I miss you so much! Where are you?* Sara thought as the vision suddenly faded away and she was abruptly brought back to the reality that she was in. "Are you okay, hon?" Jack asked her, a look of concern in his eyes as the band finished their song and the crowd applauded. "You looked as though you were a million miles away." "I'm okay, really. I'm just tired and I could use some rest..." She gave him a wan smile. "I'll be all right." Jack nodded. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure that you're feeling all right. We'll have a long trip ahead of us, and it's a good thing that we're driving to Toronto instead of flying." "So, what did you think of our new song, everybody?" Marjie asked the crowd after their applause had died down. "Did you like it?" "It was great, Marjie..." a voice said from the other side of the room. "You and the girls never sounded better. I think that you should add it to the songs that you'll be performing at the SkyDome. The crowd will love it!" Everyone turned to see Nick standing in front of his bedroom door. He was dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt, and blue jeans. He looked relaxed and he was pleased to see everyone. "Thanks, Nick." Marjie said, grateful for his vote of confidence. "You're welcome, Marjie." Nick replied, giving her a warm smile. "We didn't think that it would be good enough for us to use as part of our act," Susannah said as she slipped the guitar from off her shoulder and placed it on the floor, "but, I'm glad that you think it's good. Marjie and I worked on that song for over a month." "All of that hard work really shows in your music, and you're getting better with each show. As for a title for your song.... "Sweet Dreams" doesn't sound too bad, and it describes what the song's all about." "Thanks for the suggestion, Nick." Lilly replied with a big grin. "That'll work." "You're welcome." he replied as he walked toward the chair Sara was sitting in. He was delighted to see her, and he knew that things were going to be just fine now that she was here with him. "Sara... I'm so glad that you're back. I missed you so much, sweetie." He gave her a gentle hug and a kiss before his tone of voice became more serious. "Now, that you're here, we can get down to business..." "And what sort of business did you want to get done tonight, Nick?" Jack wondered aloud. "Have you got something on your mind?" "Yes, I do, Jack. It's about the tour..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 10/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 11/? Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 15:24:59 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 11/? ---- Monday night... back in the real world... --- "So, what do you plan to do, Nick?" Tracy wondered as they sat at a table in the hospital cafeteria. "Right now, all you've got are suspicions, but no hard evidence as to who might want to sabotage Doctor Spencer's project. If we had a good, solid lead, that would help." "Which is why I need to find out as much about the spinal nerve regenerator project as I can." Nick replied briskly. "If there's sabotage going on, either from Doctor's Spencer's colleagues or from anyone else who'd like to see his project fail, it needs to be uncovered quickly before Sara and Jamie's conditions deteriorate any further." "That makes sense, so where do we start?" she asked him. "We start with who else is involved in the project. We need the names of the bio-tech companies that are funding the project, the names of Doctor Spencer's colleagues, and anyone who knows something about the regenerator." "Were you going to talk to Doctor Spencer, Nick?" Natalie wondered. "Since he's involved, he should be able to provide you with most of the answers that you need." "I just hope that he'll cooperate when I ask him about it. He hasn't been too straightforward with us, and I believe that he may have something to hide." After Nick had spoken, Doctor Spencer came back to the cafeteria. He was shaken and disturbed by what he had seen while he was in Jamie and Sara's rooms, and from the look on his face, something wasn't right. Nick hoped that his sharpened sense of hearing would be able to pick up anything that the doctor might say. Mrs. Roberts got up from the table with the other family members and walked toward him. "Is Jamie all right, Doctor?" she asked. "We're all worried about him." "Mrs. Roberts..." he said hesitantly, "Your son's condition has deteriorated." "Oh, no! What happened?" Gloria's face went pale, and the look of her face was one of alarm and fear. Doctor Spencer gently led her back to the table in a gesture of reassurance. After they were seated, he attempted to explain what had happened to her son. "Mrs. Roberts.... there's been a change in your son's brain wave pattern. It's not normal." he said quietly. "I'm getting close to finding out what's causing the abnormality, and I hope to get him stabilized soon." "Will he be all right? I... I... I don't want to lose him!" Her voice was unsteady and she was about to break into tears. The young blonde-haired woman gave her a handkerchief for her to wipe away her tears, then she turned her attention to the doctor. "What are you talking about, Doctor?" the blonde-haired woman demanded. "Will my brother recover or will he become a vegetable for the rest of his life?" Gregory was shocked by the young woman's blunt question, and Nick's interest was aroused by this new development. "And who are you, Miss? Are you a member of the family?" he asked her. "Yes. I'm Sandra Roberts, Jamie's sister." she replied. "What did you do to my brother?" "Your brother's spinal nerve regenerator... malfunctioned. I believe that I've pinpointed the exact cause of the problem and it's going to be fixed." He was getting nervous, and his first impulse was to make a run for it, but he decided to stay where he was until he could talk to Kincaid again. "I don't call lapsing into a coma a 'malfunction', Doctor! Jamie was fine for almost eight years, leading a normal life. A life that we thought that he'd never have, and then he's found comatose in his apartment yesterday! I want to know what's going on!" The anger in her voice was evident, even though she was speaking quietly, and Gregory wasn't happy to be in the hot seat. "What did you do to Jamie, and can you fix it? You said that you've found the problem, so what do you intend to do about it?" "I gave your brother the ability to walk again, Miss Roberts." he replied tersely. "I've come too far to let him undergo this setback. It's simply a matter of repairing and correcting the bio-electric power cell system. I'm going to be calling in a couple of my colleagues who worked with me on the regenerator, and they'll help me get it repaired." "I love my brother, and we almost lost him once. We don't want to lose him again!" Sandra's anger eased a bit, but the concern was still in her eyes as she spoke. "Help him, Doctor! Help him, please!" "I'll do my best, Miss Roberts, but you must understand that this will take some time... We need to get replacement power cells, and then he'll have to undergo surgery, but we can't do that until his brain wave activity stabilizes." "Jamie won't have any time left, if his condition keeps deteriorating like you say it is! Are you going to let him die?" Sandra's eyes were brimming with tears as she tried to hold them back. "Please tell us that you can something to help him!" "I'm not going to let him die, I want him to live!" Gregory said quietly. "I'll make some calls and I'll make sure that your brother gets well..." "Thank you, Doctor Spencer..." Sandra said with gratitude as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened to your brother. He was one of my best patients; this shouldn't have happened to him." "We just want Jamie back." Gloria said as she wiped away a tear from her left eye. "He'd been doing so well for such a long time, and now, to see him in the hospital like this... It's just so hard to face..." "I understand, ma'am..." Gregory said soothingly. "I'm going to make a couple of calls and make arrangements to obtain the replacement power cells, so, if you'll excuse me..." "Of course, Doctor." Gloria gave him a faint smile after she had finished speaking. Gregory got up and left the cafeteria, glancing briefly at Nick and the others as he passed by their table. Nick closed his eyes for a moment and relaxed. Listening to the conversation that Gregory had had with Mrs. Roberts and her daughter proved to be enlightening, and he hoped that what he had heard would help him in conducting his investigation. "What were you able to find out?" Natalie asked. "Were you able to pick up any more clues?" "From what I was able to hear, the cause of the comas may be a malfunction in the bio-electric power cell system. Also, there seems to be some abnormality with Jamie's brain-wave activity. If that's happening to him, the same thing may be happening to Sara." "That's not good." Natalie said, a worried look on her face. "What's our next move, Nick?" Tracy asked. "I'm going to see if I can get a few answers from Doctor Spencer." he told them. "I'm sure that he wouldn't like to see his reputation tarnished by an attempted murder rap. If there was some way that you could get some information about the spinal nerve regenerator, that would be a big help." "I'd need computer access, and perhaps I can find something in one of the databases of the medical publications." Tracy told him. "That's a good idea. Gail may be able to help you with that. She's got access to the mainframe computer at the library, and she may be able to uncover anything that may prove to be useful." "I like the sound of that." Tracy gave Gail a smile. "Well, if I'm to help you out, then I'd better get a good night's rest." Gail said as she got up from the table. "The library opens at nine, and I'll print out as much information as I can from the 'North American Medical Journal's' database, just in case you're not able to get to the library, Detective Vetter." "Anything that you come across will be a big help." "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Detective... I'm glad that I came here and I was able to meet all of you. It's nice to know that Sara's got such good friends." Gail left the table, with Nick, Natalie and Tracy following her. As they left the cafeteria, Nick happened to notice Doctor Spencer standing at the nurse's station, clutching his cell-phone to his ear and looking agitated. Natalie noticed the look on Nick's face and whispered, "What's going on? Do you see something?" "Doctor Spencer seems to be having a problem. You and Tracy make sure that Gail gets to her car. I'm going to see if I can find out who he's talking to." "Okay. Be careful." Natalie and Tracy went to the parking lot with Gail, while Nick moved swiftly toward the nurse's station. He knew that he had to make sure that Doctor Spencer didn't see him right away, but he also wanted to see if he could overhear his conversation with the person at the other end of the phone. Nick was able to use his speed to slip into a nearby corridor that was close to the nurses' station without Gregory noticing that anyone was there. He then used his heightened sense of hearing to listen to the conversation. --- "Look... you told me that the bio-electric power cells were able to last indefinitely. I trusted you to duplicate the formula in the exact specifications that I described, and you assured me that the power cells were safe. Now, I've got two people that are in comas, the power cells in their regenerators are deteriorating, and their brain waves are off the scale!" "Really? This is an interesting development, Doctor." Kincaid said with maddening calm. "You promised me that I'd have fully functional power cells to implant in those people, and now, I've only got four people who've got fully functional power cells in their regenerators! You went back on your word to me! Jamie and Sara could have permanent brain damage, even if they make a full recovery." "I like to think of those malfunctioning power cells as 'insurance', Doctor." " 'Insurance'? Insurance against what?" "I didn't want you to think that you could do whatever you please and leave me out at the crucial moment when you make your announcement. After all, I have a stake in this spinal nerve regenerator project of yours, and I want to make sure that my investment pays off handsomely. As long as we're partners, we'll go places." "Even if it means that two people die or they're left seriously brain-damaged? I won't let you kill them! I want those replacement power cells and I want them now! If I can get them implanted in them as soon as possible, they may have a good chance to recover." "Are you serious about saving them?" Kincaid asked him. "Yes, I am, damn it! I took an oath to save lives, not to destroy them!" Gregory said, the heat evident in his voice. "I'm not going to be a party to their deaths! If they die, their blood will be on your hands, too. I'll make sure of it!" "Are you trying to blackmail me, Gregory?" Kincaid's voice was smooth and menacing. "I didn't think that you were that kind of man." "I am that kind of man. I want those replacement cells, and I want them now! I'm not about to let two of my patients die because of your greed..." "All right..." Kincaid sounded contrite. "You want them and you shall have them. Have you chosen the doctors that you want to have as your assistants when you perform surgery on Jamie and Sara?" "Yes, I have, and they're on their way to the hospital now. Why do you want to know?" "I want you to have the best people on the job. I'd hate to see anything go wrong, and I want to make sure that it doesn't. So, who's going to be working with you?" "Doctors Elena Sandoval and Thomas Williamson. They've worked with me on the regenerator from day one. I trust them to assist me with the surgery. Now, about those replacement power cells - when do I get them?" "They'll be delivered by special courier and you should have them within the hour, along with something extra. I'm constantly amazed that you can drive such a hard bargain, Gregory. Which one were you going to operate on first?" "I'm going to operate on Jamie; he's in the most critical condition, and I may not be able to wait much longer before I have to operate on him. This is my life and career that's on the line. I'm not about to let you mess this up for me, and you'd better not spring any nasty little surprises on me, either. If you and BioCom want to benefit from my spinal nerve regenerator, I need six healthy people who can walk." "You'll get them, I promise. Good night, Gregory." "Good night." Gregory hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. Just as he was about to head toward the cafeteria, Nick suddenly appeared in his path. "How did you get here?" he demanded. "That's not as important as my question. What's wrong with the spinal nerve regenerator, Doctor Spencer?" "What?" Gregory's face was ashen as he looked at Nick. "What are you talking about, Detective Knight?" "There are two people who could die tonight unless you give me some answers! What's going on?" Nick's eyes blazed with fury as Natalie and Tracy came back inside the hospital and saw Nick and Doctor Spencer standing in the corridor. Natalie rushed to Nick's side, with Tracy right behind her. "Is something wrong, Nick?" she asked him, hoping that he was still able to keep the vampire in check. "No, Natalie. I'm fine. I was just asking Doctor Spencer a few questions about the regenerator." Nick's voice was calm, but his eyes told her a different story. "I don't see why you're after me, Detective. I've done nothing wrong." Gregory replied. "I'm simply trying to find out what's wrong with the regenerator and to fix the problem before Sara and Jamie's condition deteriorates. She's holding her own right now, which is a good sign. Jamie's another story, however... His brain waves are off the scale, and I'm afraid that if his regenerator's power cells aren't replaced immediately, he may go into shock and die." "I'm not 'after' you, Doctor. You implanted an experimental medical device that was deemed to be 'safe' in six people and when it suddenly malfunctions in two people, that's cause for suspicion." Nick said bluntly. "If something happens to Jamie and Sara, what about the others who had the device implanted in them? Will they die, too?" --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 11/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 12/? Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 15:14:00 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Some mild profanity here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 12/? ---- Gregory was unnerved by Nick's accusation, and he was looking for a way to keep the detective calm before things got out of hand. "As a matter of fact, Detective Knight, I've called in two of my colleagues to assist me in removing the regenerator, and replacing the defective bio-electric power cells. They should be here shortly, along with the replacement power cells. Just as soon as we get everything set, I'll be performing surgery on them. I'm not about to let them die. I want to save their lives." Nick relented a little, but he didn't seem to be satisfied by Gregory's answer. "I'd still like to know what happened to Sara, Doctor. She was doing fine until she collapsed this afternoon. She hadn't had any problems with the regenerator before this; at least, she hadn't told me that she was having any problems, so what happened to her?" Gregory ran his hand through his dark brown hair nervously. He managed to pacify corporate boards of directors and fact-finding committees with smooth talk and big promises, but now he was facing a man who could have him arrested and charged with attempted murder if anything were to happen to the two people under his care. He glanced at the young blonde haired woman who stood beside Natalie and wondered what connection she had with Detective Knight. "Who are you, Miss?" he asked her. "Detective Tracy Vetter, Metro Homicide." she replied. "I'm Detective Knight's partner." When he heard that, Gregory knew that his back was against the wall. He'd have to tell them something, but he wondered if they'd accept the explanation that he'd give them. "I see." he replied as a feeling of weariness swept over him. "Perhaps it's time that I did explain what happened to Sara and Jamie." "We're listening." Nick replied. "Perhaps we should go someplace a bit more private to discuss this matter, Detective. Why don't you come to my office? It's on the fifth floor, at the end of the hall." "All right, Doctor Spencer, let's go..." Nick told him. They stepped inside the elevator, and headed up to the fifth floor. When they got out, they walked toward an office that was a couple of doors down from the nurses' station. As they approached the nurses' station, Nick suddenly felt a strange sensation as they walked past room 501. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that Sara was inside, and that something wasn't right. A series of powerful images passed before his eyes, and they were random glimpses of a group of people gathered in a room. He couldn't get a handle on what was going on in the room, but he was able to see Sara sitting in a chair, surrounded by a group of people that he didn't recognize. Natalie noticed the odd look on his face as they passed by the room and she was concerned for his well-being. "Is something wrong, Nick?" she wondered. "I don't know, Nat." he replied as he looked back toward room 501. "I'm not sure. I felt... something, and I thought that I saw... something as I passed by the room." Gregory noted Nick's remark with a great deal of interest, and he was curious about what he meant. "I find that interesting, Detective." he said as they stood near room 501. "Sara's told me about her psychic abilities as well as her close friendship with you, and I was wondering if you and she had some sort of mental or spiritual bond." Nick hesitated for a moment before he answered the doctor's question. He didn't want to reveal how deeply intimate his relationship with Sara had become during the past three years, because he didn't wish to risk upsetting Natalie. Their emotions were already intense, and he had to keep his mind on the matter that was before him. "Sara and I are close friends, so it may be possible that we have some sort of bond." he replied, choosing his words carefully. "I've heard of this sort of thing happening between two people, but I hadn't given the matter much thought, until you just mentioned it." "This is very interesting." Gregory said thoughtfully. "The regenerator's working in ways that I didn't expect. First, the electrical 'charging' of Sara's bracelet, and now you say that you saw and felt something as you passed by her room. Curious..." Nick was aware of a strange warmth that was coming from his jacket pocket. He reached inside and pulled out the bracelet that he had given to Sara on their first anniversary. As he looked at it, the gemstones were glowing with brilliant fire and the others were amazed by what they were seeing. "Isn't that the bracelet that you gave Sara a while back, Nick?" Tracy asked him. "Yes, it is..." he said quietly as he held up the bracelet for them to see it clearly. "Why is it glowing like that?" Tracy wondered aloud. "The gemstones shouldn't be glowing. Could this be something that was caused by the regenerator?" "You're right, Trace..." Natalie said as she looked closely at the bracelet and remembered what she had been told about it earlier. "The gemstones are glowing, like they're being lit from within. Are you feeling any pain or discomfort while you're holding it, Nick?" "No, I'm not." Nick replied. "In fact, I'm feeling a strong sensation of peace coming from it." "Hmmmmmmmm...." Gregory muttered as he observed the bracelet's unusual brilliance. "This is very unusual. A couple of my patients have told me about unusual things that have happened to them, such as tripping store security alarms even when they haven't made any purchases, but I've never heard of anything like this. Did she wear this bracelet all the time, Detective?" "Yes, she did. I had given it to her as a gift." Nick watched Natalie carefully for a reaction, but she remained calm. "She said that it was beautiful, and that she'd always wear it." "Ah... that may explain what you're feeling." Gregory said. "I had read an article in a magazine recently about this sort of phenomenon. When an object has been worn or constantly handled by someone, the energy emitted from that person can remain within the object for some time, and that energy can be felt if it's handled by someone who's sensitive to it. I had dismissed it as a lot of unproveable hocus-pocus, but now, I'm not so sure." They looked at the bracelet once more before Nick put it back in his pocket. He felt the warmth that was within the bracelet, and it gave him a sense of comfort. "Will you be all right, Nick?" Natalie wondered as they left room 501 and went toward Doctor Spencer's office. "I'll be fine." he said. "Right now, we need answers about what's happened to Sara, and it's time that we got some." --- Thursday evening... in the Presidential Suite in the Hotel L'Meridien, Montreal... --- Nick Knight's entourage had gathered in the Presidential Suite of the Hotel L'Meridien, awaiting his announcement concerning the rest of the tour. As Sara sat among them, she heard the worried mumblings, murmurings and mutterings of the musicians, roadies and security people as they wondered what Nick was up to. ---- "What are you going to do about the rest of the tour, Nick?" Jack asked him. "You know that we've still got three months worth of sold out tour dates in Europe coming up." "I know that..." Nick replied as he dialed a number on the speakerphone that was on the table near where Marjie and the girls were standing, "but Sara just got out of the hospital, and I can't afford to have her get sick again while we're on the road. The European leg's going to be the most grueling. We'd be going to ten cities in three months, with little time for a break. That would be too much for her to handle, and I don't want to jeopardize her recuperation." "Did you talk to Doctor Cross before you left the hospital last night?" "Yes, I did, Jack." Nick replied, as he tried not to let Jack's questioning get to him. "What did he tell you about her condition?" "He told me all that I needed to know. That's it." Nick's tone left no doubt that he didn't wish to discuss Sara's medical condition any further. "We've been on tour for almost a year, and I'm going to make sure that she's not put under any more stress." After a couple of moments, a voice on the other end of the line answered, and he immediately switched over to the speakerphone. "Mike? Are you there? Can you hear me?" "I can hear you just fine, Nick." Mike Malone, Nick's agent, replied irritably. "I was right in the middle of an early dinner at Spago with a couple of studio execs when you called. They'd like to see if you'd be suitable for the lead role in a new movie that they've got in the works, and I was about to tell them to send you a script. Whatever you're about to tell me had better be good enough for my dinner to have been interrupted." "It's good, believe me." Nick replied, his voice calm and serious. "You knew about Sara getting sick, didn't you?" "Yes. Jack told me about it last night. Is she all right?" he wondered. "He mentioned that she'd been unconscious for a couple of days." "Sara's fine, Mike. She was released earlier this afternoon and she's here with us now." "I'm glad to hear that. So what did you want to tell me, Nick?" Nick looked at the people who were gathered before him, and said, "I wanted to let you know that our concert dates in Toronto are going to be the last ones. I'm cancelling the rest of the tour." The room was plunged into stunned silence for a few moments after the announcement had been made, then the sounds of disbelieving grumbles from band members, roadies and the private security detail filled the room. "What?! Are you out of your freaking mind, Nick?!" Jack's voice was incredulous as the murmers continued to grow louder and looks of surprise and disbelief were on their faces. "We've got three months worth of sold out tour dates in Europe and you're cancelling at the last minute?" "We were in London for a sold out four night stand, just before we came back to the States, and that was enough." Nick replied, matter-of-factly. "I'm not about to risk Sara's health by subjecting her to a long, grueling tour through Europe." "Nick... the label's counting on you to go to Europe. 'Revelation's a big hit there, and it's important to them that you tour in support of it." Mike said sourly, furious at the announcement. "How can you just cancel the rest of the tour like that? This is gonna be a big headache for Jack and myself because we're the ones who'll have to explain your sudden cancellation of the European leg to the press, not to mention the stadium owners and concert promoters who are counting on you to show up and fill those seats! Every date at every venue's been sold out for weeks, and a lot of people are going to be pissed off with you if you cancel out." "I have to think about Sara's well-being, and that's what's important to me right now." Nick looked at her while he spoke. "She needs time to recuperate, and I'm going to make sure that she gets it. Europe can wait." "Why don't you just send her home, man? We can finish the tour without her hanging around!" one of the roadies, a young Hispanic man who was wearing a blue tie-dyed t-shirt and blue jeans, said loudly as he approached him. "If she hadn't gotten sick, we'd have been in Toronto by now." At that moment, Sara wanted to get up and make a mad dash out of the room, but Jack placed his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance and comfort. She looked up and gave him a faint, but genuine, smile. "If she goes home, _you'll_ go home." Nick looked at the roadie with a frosty glare. "If it wasn't for Sara, you wouldn't be here right now. You'd still be in East L.A. hauling furniture for minimum wage, and struggling to make ends meet." His voice was calm, but the anger was there. "You make more money working for me in a month than you would have in five years if you stayed at that furniture store. Are you ready to go back to that life, Antonio? Because if you are... you'll be on the next plane to L.A. - tonight." The silence that filled the room was uncomfortable, and Sara was reluctant to say anything that would break it. Everyone watched intently as a silent clash of wills was fought between Nick and Antonio, and she had a feeling about who'd be the winner. Antonio gazed into Nick's brilliant hazel eyes, and the combativeness that he had felt earlier suddenly fled from him. He knew that Nick was right, and that he couldn't afford to lose the best job that he had ever had. "I'm sorry, Nick..." Antonio replied nervously as he backed away from him. "I didn't mean to say that. I know that this tour's been hard on everyone, and I was just hoping that we'd get to finish it." "Well, you've been fortunate to have seen most of the world, Antonio, and that's not bad." Nick's voice lost its' hardness, and he was more relaxed, but the look in his eyes left no doubt that he didn't tolerate fools gladly. He then turned his attention back to the business that was before him. "Mike, you and Jack make the calls to the promoters and venues and notify them about the cancellations. Be sure to tell Charlie in PR to announce to the press that the remainder of the tour's been cancelled due to illness." "What if they want to know who's ill?" Mike wondered. "Someone's going to be asking me or Charlie about that." "You and Charlie are to tell them that a member of the tour has fallen ill, and the tour's been cut short to allow that person to go home and recover." "They're not going to buy that line, Nick, and you know it." Mike told him. "They know that Sara's been with you since the tour began, and it's too easy for them to put two and two together. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the cheesier tabloids start publishing rumors that she's pregnant." Sara cringed when she heard Mike's remark, but she kept her mouth shut. "If they publish that garbage, then you make it clear that any rumors that claim that Sara's pregnant have absolutely no basis in reality." Nick replied firmly. "She suffered from exhaustion and a mild case of dehydration, which caused her to collapse, and she bumped her head on the arm of a chair. She's under doctor's orders to rest and take it easy, and that's what she's going to do. Therefore, rather than to continue the tour without her, the remaining dates of the tour have been cancelled to allow her as much time as possible for rest and recuperation. Sara is _not_ pregnant. Is that clear?" "Crystal, Nick." Mike sighed wearily. "I'm in for a long night of phone calls to Europe, and a lot of people aren't going to be happy to hear from me. Are all of you going back to L.A. after the tour ends?" "I'm going to be sending the band members, roadies and security people back to L.A. after we finish in Toronto, but I won't be leaving for L.A. right away. I'm going to be spending time with Sara. It'll be just the two of us - alone." "Nick... you don't have to do this..." Sara said, attempting to do what Jack had asked her. "I can go with you to Toronto, and then, I can go back to L.A. after the concerts are over. Go to Europe without me. Finish the tour." "I've made up my mind, Sara, and I'm not going to change it." he replied, his feelings about her made clear to everyone present. "I won't risk your health by subjecting you to a long tour, and I won't go to Europe without you." After a few moments, he glanced at his watch and said briskly, "It's seven-fifteen now, and I'd like for everyone to get packed and be ready to check out before eight-fifteen. We'll meet at the front desk, and all of the buses will be parked out in front of the hotel. Everyone should be on board no later than eight-thirty, so we can leave by eight forty-five. Sara, Jack and I will be on board the first bus, along with Joshua and Fred, our security guys. I'll be spending time in conference calls and working on some songs, so I'll need privacy. The rest of you will be on the other three buses. Is that clear?" "Yes..." the group replied quietly. "What about dinner?" Marjie asked him. "I'd like to grab a bite to eat before we go." "The buses have been stocked with plenty of fresh food and drinks, Marjie, so you can eat while we're on the road. I know that this sounds like you're being rushed, but I'd like for us to get on the road as soon as possible." Nick replied. "So... let's get ready to go. I'll talk to you after I get on the bus, Mike. There are a few more things that we need to discuss before we arrive in Toronto." "I'll be here, Nick." Mike said. "Talk to you later tonight." "Okay. Good night." Nick hung up the phone and spoke to the group that was assembled before him. "I'll see you in the lobby, folks." "All right, people, you heard the man and you know the drill..." Jack said briskly, ''so, let's get moving and start packing." Nick's entourage filed out of the Presidential Suite and back to their own rooms, while he motioned for Sara to come with him to the bedroom. She left the chair and followed him into the bedroom. After she entered the luxurious room and sat down on the edge of the king-sized bed, Nick began the task of getting their bags packed. "Sara... are you sure that you're all right?" He had placed his suitcase on the bed, started taking his clothes off of the hangers and was carefully packing his clothes in the suitcase. "It seemed as though you were someplace else and I wasn't there with you." "I'm okay, Nick. I'm just feeling a little out of it right now. It's going to take me a while to get back into the swing of things." she said, giving him an apologetic glance. "Sorry." "That's understandable." he replied as he completed packing his first suitcase and starting on the next one. "You've had a rough time this week, and you need time to rest and recover. I'm not about to lose the person who encouraged me to become a rock star." "I appreciate your complement. I really do." "I'm delighted to hear that. Now... it's time for you to get ready. Need any help in packing your bags? I'd be more than happy to help you with it, if you'd like." "I'd like that. You're so thoughtful, Nick. Thanks a lot." "You're welcome. I'm your knight in silver lame' armor." His smile was warm, and Sara smiled back. "You're not a knight in shining sequin and rhinestone armor?" she asked him, giggling a little. "I thought that you would be." "No sequins and rhinestones for me." he replied, laughing warmly. "They aren't my style. However, sequins and rhinestones would certainly look good on you." "Thanks... I didn't believe that I was a sequin and rhinestone kind of girl." "Everything looks good on you, even when it's nothing at all." Nick gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and helped her pack her bags. By the time he had finished packing their bags, and quickly changing into a white shirt, black tie, black pants and gray wool jacket, Sara felt better and she was ready for the next part of her adventure. "Well... are you ready to go?" he asked her as she got up from the bed, and he handed her the bags. "Yes, Nick. I'm ready. Let's go." They left the bedroom, left the Presidential Suite, with Nick making sure that the door was locked behind them. They walked the short distance from the Presidential Suite toward the elevators with their personal security guards standing at the elevator entrance, ready to board when it stopped at their floor. They stepped into the elevator and went down to the lobby, where Jack and the others were patiently waiting for them. As soon as Nick emerged, a group of close to three dozen females, ranging in age from ten to well past thirty came rushing toward him. They were screaming, giggling and waving autograph books, posters, compact disc covers and magazines, begging him to sign them. Jack came toward the elevator entrance and managed to get Sara past the group of girls, while Nick was followed closely by his personal security men. The bellhops picked up their baggage and took it out to the bus, and one of the security guards followed them out to the bus to make sure that the bags were put inside the storage compartment on the side of the bus. "Nick... we've got to get going. It's eight-twenty. Everyone else is ready to go and they're already aboard the buses." Jack said as the security guards kept watch over the press of girls that surrounded them. "It's all right, Jack." Nick replied. "I'm going to sign a few autographs. Be with you in a few minutes." While Nick signed autographs, Jack took Sara by the arm and led her safely away from the gaggle of giggling females, while the two burly security guards remained with him, to keep watch and make sure that trouble didn't start. When they were at a safe distance, Jack looked at the scene and said quietly, "Nick Knight is the idol of millions around the world. It doesn't matter how old they are or what color they are... they see the handsome man who sings those songs on MTV and VH-1, whose face is on the covers of Rolling Stone, Teen People and Entertainment Weekly and swoon over him. If they knew that he was a vampire, do you think that they'd still want his autograph, buy his albums, put his posters up on their walls and watch his videos?" Sara was silent for a moment, then she said, "They might be interested in him if they were to find out that he was a vampire. He'd be the embodiment of all of their hopelessly romantic fantasies." "You knew Nick was a vampire long before he picked up a guitar and played his first notes. Was he the embodiment of all of your hopelessly romantic fantasies when you met him?" "I don't know. Romance was the farthest thing from my mind when I met him." she replied, choosing her words carefully. "I thought that he was someone who might become a good friend. If romance entered the picture, it sneaked up on me when I wasn't looking." "A lot of things sneak up on us when we're not looking." Jack replied, giving her a smile. "Yes, they do, don't they?" she replied as they watched him charm the giggling mass of girls and women with grace and smoothness. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 12/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 13/? Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 15:34:42 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 13/? ---- Jack and Sara watched as Nick easily handled the crowd of women and girls in the hotel lobby, signing autographs with a pleasant smile and the polite, yet sweetly shy manner which endeared him to them. He spoke with each of them and they were delighted that they had had the chance to tell him how much they loved his music. He posed for pictures, hugged them and gave each girl a friendly kiss on the cheek. He knew that they had been waiting a long time for him to make an appearance and he made sure that their patience didn't go unrewarded. ---- "I hope that he'll hurry up..." Jack said, glancing at his watch, then back at the crowd. "I'd like to leave here as soon as possible, before traffic gets too heavy." "Nick wants to make them happy, and if it means that he signs a few more autographs and pose for a few more pictures, then that's what he'll do." Sara observed. "After all, if they weren't buying his albums and watching his videos, we wouldn't be here, so we've got to keep them coming back for more." "Actually, we wouldn't be here if you hadn't encouraged Nick to start performing his music in public." he replied, giving her a grin. "Thanks..." she said, her smile giving her face a radiance that Jack found comforting. After the last photo was taken and the last album and poster had been signed, Nick gave the girls a smile and a friendly wave goodbye, leaving them to join Jack and Sara as they stood near the front desk. Their luggage had already been placed aboard the bus, and Jack had finished the process of checking out. Nick approached them and said, "Well, I'm ready to go. Have you finished the check out?" "Yes, I did." Jack told him. "Everyone's already aboard the other buses, and we're just waiting for you." "Let's go." Nick said, taking Sara by the hand and escorting her out of the hotel and into the cool, clear autumn evening. They boarded the black and silver tour bus that was parked in front of the hotel entrance, as passersby stopped to smile, gawk, wave, squeal and giggle with the giddy delight that came with celebrity spotting. As Sara climbed aboard, she noted that the interior of the bus was spacious, roomy and comfortable; perfect for a long road trip. There was an odd feeling of familiarity as she sat in one of the plush reclining seats and got comfortable. She took a deep breath and tried to relax as the bus pulled away from the hotel. "You feeling all right, Sara? Have you had anything to eat?" Jack asked her as the bus left the hotel and made it's way through the evening traffic toward the expressway that would take them to Toronto. "I'm fine, but I don't think that I've had anything to eat since breakfast. So much has happened so fast I feel like I'm falling behind.'' she said as she rummaged through her purse, checking to make sure that she had everything she'd need for the trip. "Is there anything good to eat around here?" "Yes, there is. Nick made sure that the 'fridge and cabinets were stocked with plenty of food before we left. What would you like to have?" "Well... a big mug of chicken noodle soup would be nice." "Fair enough. Nick... have you had anything to eat yet?" "No, but I'm in the mood for something good." Nick said as he stretched out on the blue striped couch. "I'll bring you your usual." Jack replied as he went back toward the small kitchen. "Be back in a few." The silence that fell between Nick and Sara was strained, and she nervously fiddled with her purse while struggling to think of something to say. Finally, she knew that she had to say something, and she hoped that she wouldn't sound stupid. "Nick..." she said hesitantly, "you didn't have to cancel the rest of the tour on account of me. You could've finished it." "I told you I wasn't going to go to Europe without you, Sara, and I meant it." he said quietly as he sat up and faced her. "Doctor Cross said that you were to relax and take it easy, and you're going to follow doctor's orders. After we finish our gigs in Toronto, we'll stay there for a while and spend time together. I know that we haven't been able to do too much of that since the tour started, but that's going to change, I promise." "But there are going to be quite a few people who won't be happy with you because you cancelled the rest of the tour. You'll have a lot of explaining to do, and I don't envy what you, Jack, Mike and Charlie are going to be doing tonight." "I know that you don't envy us, Sara, but this is something that has to be done, much as I wish that we could have avoided it. It's time to do some 'damage control'." Jack said as he approached them, carrying a large blue mug with a spoon resting inside it in one hand and a dark green bottle in the other. He handed the mug to Sara while he gave Nick the bottle. "It'll soon be time to start our conference call with Mike and Charlie, Nick." "Good." Nick said as he opened the bottle and drank the contents with relish. After he had finished the contents of the bottle, it was placed in a nearby trash bag, and he got ready for the night's business. "Get Mike on the line, and we can start getting things together, so we'll have a statement to issue to the press. I want to make sure that the press release is issued tomorrow morning. The last thing that we don't want is to have the gossip rags blowing this up out of proportion." "What else did you want to do?" Jack asked as he took out his cell phone and dialed Mike's number, while Nick switched on his cell phone to get the conference call ready. "I also want to make sure that the European dates are rescheduled for sometime next year. I don't want to disappoint the fans, but I won't risk Sara's health on a three month tour of Europe. She's already been through quite a bit, and I don't want her to wind up in the hospital again." Nick said as he removed his jacket and draped it on the arm of the couch. "Do you think that this option will be acceptable to them?" "I think so." Jack said as he waited for Mike to pick up the phone. "If you make the promise to reschedule the dates, that may soothe the promoters. They're going to lose several million dollars because of the cancellations, and there may be some hurt feelings because of that..." "If the concerts are held sometime next year, Sara will have had a chance to be well-rested, and the promoters will be able to recover what they've lost. Just tell them that we're sorry that this happened, and we're sorry that they've been put through any hardships, but the cancellations were unavoidable. If they're willing to accept it, then the concerts can be rescheduled for late next year." "That sounds reasonable, and they may be willing to accept the rescheduling the European leg of the tour if you explain it to them." The rich aroma of chicken noodle soup filled Sara's nostrils as she stirred it, and as she drank the golden liquid, its' warmth soothed and calmed her. She didn't feel as stressed out as she had been earlier, and she was looking forward to getting some rest. While Jack and Nick were busy talking to Mike, Sara finished her soup, and she took the opportunity to look around the bus. She picked up her purse from a small tray near the chair, got up and walked back toward the kitchen. Jack glanced up at Sara as she passed by, while the two security guards had already gotten settled and comfortable, as they sat at the table across from them, a layout of the SkyDome before them, and their cell phone headsets attached to their heads. The security checkpoints at the SkyDome were their main concern, and they were discussing plans for protecting Nick and his entourage with the security detail that were riding in the the buses that followed behind them.. After placing her mug in the sink, she noticed a brightly colored sheet draped across an entrance way that was to the left of the kitchen. She pulled the sheet back and stepped inside. *Wonder where I am now?* she thought as she slowly moved forward with careful, hesitant steps. The street lights flickered across the partially opened blinds, and she was able to figure out that she was in a bedroom. She reached out and touched a small panel that was against the wall. When she did, an overhead light came on, filling the room with bright light. The brilliance of the light threw her off a bit, but she touched the panel again, and dimmed the light. *That's better.* she thought as she got a good look at the bedroom. The bed was large to hold two people quite comfortably, and the room had a cozy, comfortable look. She hung up her purse on the closet door, sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. *I could use some sleep, so let me see if I can find something more comfortable to wear.* she thought as she poked around the small closet and found a pair of pink floral print satin pajamas. She sat down on the bed and slowly removed her clothes. She got dressed, and placed her shirt and pants inside a laundry bag that was hanging on the back of the closet door. Sleep came slowly as her head rested upon the pillow and she snuggled underneath the quilted comforter. The bus continued to roll on down the highway and into the night, taking Sara into a life that she didn't feel prepared to face and which she desparately wanted to leave. "Nick... Nick... please help me!* she thought as sleep overtook her. *Wherever you are... please help me get back home! Please... please... please... help me...* --- Monday night... in the office of Doctor Gregory Spencer... in the real world... --- Nick Knight, Tracy Vetter and Natalie Lambert sat in Gregory's office, prepared to listen to his explanation about the spinal nerve regenerator and it's apparent malfunction. --- "The bio-electric power cell system was designed to use the body's own energy to power the device." he said, looking upon at the three people who sat across the desk from him. "I had discovered a way to use certain materials that were able to retain and concentrate the natural energy that's within the human body to power a micro-minature device." "I remember reading about that in the 'North American Medical Journal' a few years ago." Natalie said. "This was something that had never been tried before." "Yes, it was, and because it had never been tried, I was certain that it would work. I believed that bio-electric power would prove to be more beneficial to the body than the typical chemical-based battery. The possibility of chemically-based batteries leaking and causing dangerous reactions within the human body would be a thing of the past. Bio-electric power would be safer and less expensive, and it would strengthen the body's own natural healing capabilities." Nick listened carefully as Gregory spoke, and a million questions filled his mind. "How long had you been working on this bio-electric power system?" he asked him. "For over twenty years. I started working on it while I was in graduate school. It began simply enough with the idea of developing a power source for implantable medical devices that was free of potentially toxic metals and which could last indefinitely. I worked on a combination of substances until I finally hit upon a formula for a power cell that would work." "When did you finally get the formula and what does it consist of?" "Ten years ago. I had played around with a combination of minerals and other organic substances that wouldn't harm the body's natural healing processes, but which would strengthen it and make it work more efficently. It was a tough task, but I was able to get the mineral formula concentrated into a power cell that would power a device, such as a pacemaker. As for what's in the power cell, Detective, that's classifed information, but rest assured that the formula was tested by several government health agencies and it was deemed safe enough to power a miniature device." "When did you start testing the power cells?" "Nine years ago. I had done extensive work with lab animals before I tested it out on humans. We had begun extensive work creating and developing devices that would be powered by the bio-electric cells. One of the devices that I had created was a nerve regenerator. It's designed to regrow and heal damaged nerves. I had implanted it in a couple of monkeys who were suffering from spinal cord injuries. Three weeks after the implantation, both of them were able to move around normally, which was a surprising development. After they had died, I performed an autopsy to see how they were able to walk after they had had the device implanted in them. The nerves that had been damaged had been completely regnerated, and in one case, a severed spinal cord was regenerated. The tissue was healthy, and there was no sign of any damage." "That's amazing!" Tracy said, hey eyes wide with amazement. "Incredible!" "I know. No one was more shocked by the results than I was. I didn't think that it was possible for something like this to occur, so I tested the regenerator again on several other lab animals who had different injuries, just to be sure that this wasn't a fluke. I implanted it in those animals and the results were the same with every animal and every injury. Complete regeneration of damaged nerves and tissues." "Was anyone else working with you on this project?" Nick wondered. "Yes, there were five other doctors who worked with me on the regenerator. In fact, two of them will be here in a few minutes to assist me in performing surgery to replace the power cells. Why do you want to know about that, Detective?" "There's always the possibility of deliberate sabotage, Doctor, especially in such a high-profile project like this one. A lot of reputations are on the line with this regenerator, and it's too easy for professional jealousies to get out of hand." "I understand your concern, Detective. The spinal nerve regenerator and bio-electric power cell system was a collaborative effort, and when the announcement about its' development will be made, all of them were going to get their fair share of the credit for it's development. 'Preventative measures', so to speak." "Besides your colleagues, who else worked with you on the project? Were there any major corporations that took an interest in what you were doing?" "Of course. There were several companies that took great interest in what we wanted to accomplish, and they were able to provide funding for our venture. In exchange for their help, we'd be able to decide which company would exclusively manufacture the power cells, the regenerator, and any other medical devices that we'd create in the future." "Which companies were interested in financing the research, development and manufacture of the bio-electric power cells and the regenerator?" Nick asked him, hoping to hear the name 'BioCom' mentioned. "Well... there was Deighton BioTech, RBL Scientific Industries, Halliwell LifeSciences, among several others. They made their resources available to us, and we were able to accomplish a lot of work ahead of schedule." "What about a company called 'BioCom', Doctor? Were they also interested in assisting you in the development and manufacture of the power cells and the regenerator?" The moment Gregory heard Nick mention the name 'BioCom', he did his best to keep calm and not become upset. *How could he have known that I was doing business with them?* he thought while he searched for an explanation to give to the people who were sitting before him. *How could he have known?* "BioCom was one of many companies that we worked with, Detective Knight." he replied calmly. "It helps to have as many people working with you on a project as you can. It lessens the strain on your resources and gives you the opportunity to concentrate on your work." "I'm sure that it does, Doctor." Nick said politely as he noted the change in Gregory's demeanor. "After all, you're working on a project that has the potential to save thousands of lives, and it could also be a potential money maker for the right company." "That may be true, but my interest isn't in making money, Detective. My interest is in saving lives and giving people who believed that they'd never be able to live a normal life after they've suffered a catastrophic injury, the chance to live a normal life." After Gregory had finished speaking, his beeper went off. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and looked at the screen. "My colleagues are here, along with a package that I was expecting. If you'll excuse me, I must get ready for surgery." "Of course... Thank you for talking to us, Doctor Spencer." Nick said as they got up and left the office. "You're welcome, Detective." Gregory said as he sprinted toward the elevator that would take him to the second floor, where the operating rooms were located. During the elevator ride, he was keenly aware that it was only a matter of time before Detective Knight was able to figure out his connection to BioCom, and he hoped that he'd be able to get himself out of the predicament that he suddenly found himself in. --- "When you mentioned 'BioCom', Doctor Spencer looked like he was about to jump out of his chair." Natalie said as they stood in the corridor. "What do you suppose his connection with them is?" "I don't know, but his reaction only seems to establish that there's something suspicious going on." Nick said. "Tracy, I want you to go the precinct and see what you can find out about BioCom. When you talk to Gail tomorrow, she may be able to give you any additional information about it." "All right." Tracy replied. "Were you and Natalie going to stay here?" "I'm going to be here for while. I want to see what else I can find out." he told her. "What were you going to do, Nat?" "I want to stay here and find out if and when Sara will have surgery. I already called Doctor Williams, and he's agreed to cover for me tonight." she said. "Whenever she's scheduled for surgery, I want to make sure that her family's been notified about what's going on." "All right." Nick said. "Trace, I'll call you to check and see if you've found anything interesting." "Sure, Nick. See you later, Nat." Tracy headed off to the elevator, leaving Nick and Natalie in the corridor. "Were you going to try to sneak into her room so you could see her, Nick?" A look of understanding was in Natalie's eyes as she spoke. "Yes, I was. I just need to see her. I want to know if she'll be all right." "I think that we both need to see her." she said softly. "Let's go." They walked toward room 501, and as Nick approached it, he was bombarded by flickering images and sounds that threatened to overwhelm him. He staggered backwards, and the force of what he had felt almost slammed him against the wall. Natalie quickly grabbed his arm in order to steady him. "What's going on, Nick? What's the matter?" "I can see Sara, Nat..." he replied as he struggled to keep steady. "She's sleeping in a bedroom somewhere, but I can't make out the details." "She's still here, isn't she? I mean, she's still in the hospital, right?" she asked, worried about what was happeneing to Nick. "Yes, she's still here, but, she's also somewhere else." he replied. "I'm able to get glimpses of where she is, and I'm able to hear her speaking to me. She's calling out to me, Nat. She's asking me for my help." "Wait a minute... you're able to hear her? She's comatose, Nick, so it's impossible for her to communicate with anyone, let alone ask you for help. How is it possible for you to be able to hear her?" "I don't know how this is happening, but I can hear her and I'm getting glimpses of where she is." he said earnestly. "She's in another time and place, and she wants me to help her come back to this time and place." "What? She's in another time and place?" she said, puzzled by what was happening. "This is becoming stranger with each moment. How and when do you plan to bring her back?" "I don't know how that's going to happen, Nat, or how she wound up in another time and place, but I have to get down to the bottom of what's going on with Doctor Spencer and BioCom. If I don't do that first, Sara may never be able to come back." "Did you still want to see her?" "Not right now. There's still too much work to do before I can help her get back. Let's go!" They took the elevator down to the third floor and went back to the cafeteria. --- "What are you going to do, Nick?" she asked him after they sat down at the table. "I'm going to see what Tracy's been able to come up with concerning BioCom, and if there's any connection between the company and Doctor Spencer." "What are you looking for, specifically? Any potential conflicts of interest that Doctor Spencer or his research team may have had with BioCom or its' competitors?" "I'm looking for anything that would have made him skittish enough to avoid answering questions about the regenerator, the power cells and how they work, and especially about BioCom's role in its' development. If there are any potential conflicts of interest among Doctor Spencer and his research team, we may find out about them during the investigation." "What about Sara's bracelet, as well as your apparent ablilty to see her in another time and place? Do you think that the regenerator may have had something to do with that, too?" "Yes, I do. I'm not sure how this is possible, but if this is happening to her, who knows what's happening to Jamie and the others who have had the device implanted in them. I've got to make sure that Sara and Jamie are safe, and to see if someone may try to sabotage their surgery or their recovery." "If you need my help, I'll do whatever I can." she said quietly. "Thanks. Right now, you can see what's going on with Jamie's family." he said as he glanced over to see that they were still huddled at the table, talking quietly. "I'm certain that Doctor Spencer will talk to them about his upcoming surgery. Find out what you can." "All right. What are you going to do?" "I'm going to check in with Tracy, and see if she's found out anything about BioCom. I'm also going to ask her to run a check on two of Doctor Spencer's colleagues... Doctors Elena Sandoval and Thomas Williamson. They're going to be assisting him in performing surgery to replace the power cells." "Do you suspect that they may want to sabotage the project for their own personal gain?" "That's why I want to run a check on them. They might have potential conflicts of interest with BioCom or one of its' competitiors, and I want to make sure that I don't miss anything." "Makes sense, Nick." she said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tracy's number. "I'll see you in a few." She got up and walked toward the table where the Roberts family had gathered. After a few rings, he said, "Tracy... Nick. Have you come up with anything on BioCom?" "Yes, I have...." Tracy replied as she looked at the printout that she had just gotten from the computer. "You wouldn't believe what I'm looking at... This is amazing!" --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 13/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 14/? Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 01:55:00 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 14/? ---- "What were you able to come up, Trace? Nick asked as he glanced over at Natalie as she was sitting at a nearby table with the Roberts family . "Well, BioCom's one of these new biotech companies that literally appeared from out of nowhere." she replied as she sat down at her desk with the printout. "They went into business about eight years ago, and up until now, they were having problems staying afloat." "So what happened?" "From what I've been able to find out, BioCom put out a huge block of stock for sale when it went public five years ago. Their total from the stock sale was in excess of five hundred and thirty-five million dollars." "Five hundred and thirty-five million dollars?" Nick said in disbelief. "Were you able to find out who bought the stock?" "I wasn't able to find out too much, but there were at least four blind trust funds that bought the stock, as well as three mutual funds. As for who owns those blind trusts, it wasn't disclosed. The mutual funds that purchased some of the stock are owned by three of the biggest banks in North America." "That's interesting. By the time you get finished, you'll have plenty of things to tell Gail in the morning that may help her with her research. Were you able to find out who owns BioCom?" "The founder and CEO is a guy named Jonathan Kincaid. He's one of those 'boy geniuses'. He graduated high school at the age of twelve, and went straight to college. He went to graduate school at McGill University at the age of nineteen. He graduated with honors, and immediately went to medical school. He became the youngest person to recieve a medical degree in North America, and he also had an engineering degree as well. Pretty impressive, huh?" "Yes, it is. When did he decide to get into the corporate world?" "When he was twenty-three. He worked for Deighton BioTech for about six and a half years before he decided to strike out on his own. He started BioCom in his garage while he was still on Deighton's payroll, if you can believe it." "I can believe it." Nick said. "What else were you able to find?" "BioCom's start-up was a bit shaky, because he had trouble getting the funds necessary to start the company. There's also something else..." "What is it?" he asked her. "Seems that Kincaid had a little trouble with his bosses while he was at Deighton." Tracy said as she read the printout carefully. "There were accusations that he had stolen valuable trade secrets and sold them to several competitors for a lot of money, but nothing was ever proven." "So what happened?" "He was let go by Deighton after their internal investigation was completed, and that's when he started working on getting BioCom started." "If that's the case, then he'd need plenty of capital. Were you able to get a handle on where he might have gotten his start-up money from?" "That's where I'm having a problem." Tracy replied as she read the printout. "It's difficult to tell just where he got his money from. He got a couple of business development grants, but as for any other sources of funding that he might have tapped into to start BioCom, I couldn't find anything." "That's curious, Trace. No wealthy family background?" "Nope. From what I've been able to find out, he didn't come from a wealthy background." "Hmmmm... Well, I'm glad that you were able to find out what you could. I'd also like for you to check on a couple of Doctor Spencer's colleagues. Doctors Elena Sandoval and Thomas Williamson." "Sure." Tracy said as she wrote their names down on her notepad. "What did you want to find out about them?" "I want to see if they're connected with Kincaid in some way. Maybe they might have worked with him while he was at Deighton, or perhaps they may have had other dealings with him. I also want to find out who's on BioCom's board of directors. Check and see who might have potential conflicts of interest with BioCom or its' competitors." "Do you suspect that they might attempt to sabotage the regenerator project?" "No, but I want to make sure that nothing's been overlooked. Professional jealousy can surface rather quickly if billions of dollars and a lot of prestige are involved." "I'll see what I else I can dig up tonight, and let you know if I've found out anything." "When you talk to Gail in the morning, you might want to ask her if she'd be able to run a check on them. She may be able to come up with additional information that may shed more light on BioCom and Jonathan Kincaid." "Okay. I'll talk to you later, Nick." "All right, Trace. Good night." Nick hung up the phone, slipped it into his pocket and went about the task of gathering clues. As he got up from the table, Gregory entered the cafeteria, accompanied by a slender, dark-haired woman, and a tall, light-skinned black man. All three of therm were somber as they approached the table where Natalie and the Roberts family were seated. Nick silently approached the table to see what was going on. --- "So, what can you tell us about Jamie's conditon, Doctor?" Sandra asked Gregory. "When will you be able to operate on him?" "We'll be operating on him very soon, Ms. Roberts." Doctor Williamson replied. "I checked his brain wave pattern as well as his other vital signs. They're stable right now, which gives us a window of opportunity to operate on him." "I recieved the replacement power cells just a few minutes ago, so we'll be able to begin the operation shortly." Gregory said, as he handed Gloria a clipboard with a piece of paper attached to it. "I just need to have you sign this consent form, Mrs. Roberts." "All right, Doctor..." she replied after reading the paper and signing it at the bottom. "Here you go. How long will the operation last?" After he was given back the clipboard, Gregory looked at her intently and said, "I can't say for sure just how long it's going to take, but I'm going to do everything in my power to help your son, Mrs. Roberts. I'm not about to lose him." "What about Sara?" Natalie asked. "How is she? Will she have to have surgery soon?" "So far, she's still in stable condition, which is a good sign, Doctor Lambert." he replied. "As long as her vital signs remain stable, her surgery can wait until tomorrow. Jamie's condition is a bit more serious, and we can't afford to wait any longer to replace the power cells in his regenerator." Natalie nodded. "I understand. What about Jamie's brain wave activity? Has it stabilized enough for you and your team to operate on him?" "Yes, it has, I'm happy to say." Gregory said, a look of relief evident on his face. "He's stable enough within the safety parameters for us to operate on him without too many complications." "So what do you think might have caused his condition to deteriorate?" she wondered. "Have you found anything of interest?" "I had some blood drawn from him an hour ago and I examined his blood-chemistry. One of the power cells corroded and some of the material leaked into his system. Although the damage to his nerves or blood cells isn't serious, it's best to remove the regenerator and power cells and put in a fresh system. If the leakage is allowed to continue, it could damage the regenerator and it won't work as effectively as it should." Nick listened carefully to what Gregory was saying and then asked, "What do you think caused the corrosion in the power cell?" "I can't say for certain about the exact cause of the corrosion of the power cell, Detective. I'd have to examine it after it's been removed to check and see how the corrosion happened. The power cell was sealed in such a way that corrosion and leakage shouldn't have occurred." "Have you checked Sara's blood for the same problem?" Natalie asked. "I had a blood sample drawn from her at about the same time that I obtained Jamie's sample, and so far, there's been no indication that there's been a leak in her power cell batteries. However, if there's been a leak from the power cells, the traces of material that may be in her bloodstream are undetectable at the moment. I won't rule out a leak in the power cells as the cause of her problem, though." "Well, Doctor, after you've had an opportunity to examine the power cell, will you be sure to let us know what would cause it to corrode and leak?" Nick asked him. "Of course, I will, Detective Knight. I feel an obligation to make sure that this never happens again. Now, if you'll excuse us, we must get ready." Gregory politely nodded to them, and the doctors left the cafeteria to go the OR to get themselves prepped and ready. Gloria took a deep breath and said softly, "At least we have some idea about what's going on, which gives us some hope. I pray that Jamie will pull through. He was doing so well before he collapsed." "He'll be okay, Mom." Sandra said as she held her hand. "We just have to wait and see how his surgery turns out." "I hope that he'll still be able to walk. He was so delighted when he took his first steps after the surgery. I'd hate to see that taken away from him." Gloria blinked back tears as she spoke. "It's so frustrating to have to sit and wait." "That's always the most difficult thing to do." Nick said, his thoughts turning toward Sara and the visions that he had seen earlier in the evening. "Did you want me to call Sara's family and tell them what's happened?" Natalie asked him. "Yes, if you didn't mind." he replied. "They need to know what's going on with her and how she's doing." "All right. Good thing that I've got plenty of change to make those calls." "Wait... You can use my cell-phone." Nick took the cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "It'll make it easier for you." "Thanks, Nick." She took the cell phone from him and started making the calls to Sara's family. "You're welcome." He knew that a long night was ahead of him, and he hoped that he'd be able to get down to the bottom of what was going on with Jamie and Sara before anything else happened to them. --- Late Thursday night/early Friday morning... aboard a bus that's traveling west toward Toronto... --- Nick and Jack continued to work through the night, fielding calls and listening to complaints from promoters and stadium owners who were upset that the European leg of the tour had been cancelled. Both of them were able to calm them with the promise of a European tour sometime next year. "Well, Jack..." Nick got up from the chair and took a stretch. "I think that we've done quite well tonight." "Yes, we have." Jack put his cell phone in his briefcase and gathered up his paperwork. "The promoters have been calmed down and they're thrilled about the promise of a tour next year. I'm glad that the label understood what was going on, and that they agreed to the cancellations." "So am I. Everything's all set, then. Mike can issue the press release in the morning, and I hope that the tabloids will keep their rumors and speculations to themselves." "You can't stop people from making speculations about you and your personal life, Nick." Jack said as he put his paperwork inside the briefcase and closed it. "Unfortunately, that's part of being a celebrity." "You're right. As long as I'm in the public eye, people will always make speculations about me, no matter what. All I can do is give them what they expect, and not let them know the truth about me. I don't know how much longer I can keep playing this game, though..." Nick replied as he looked around the bus. "Where's Sara?" "She's in the bedroom." came Jack's reply as he put his briefcase away. "She said something about wanting to get some rest." "I know she's had a long day, so I'll check and see if she's okay." Nick got up from the table and walked toward the back of the bus, while Jack went to talk to Josh and Fred about security at the SkyDome for the upcoming concerts. Nick stepped inside the bedroom and reached for the light switch on the wall. When it came on, he carefully dimmed the light so he'd be able to awaken Sara without startling her. He sat near her on the side of the bed, watching her as she slept. As he looked at her, he felt the vampire's desire for her awaken within him once more. She'd been there for him through all of the struggles and challenges as he established his career, even after he had revealed his true nature to her. She accepted him for who he was, and he knew that he wouldn't be where he was if it hadn't been for her faith in him and in the songs that he had written. "Sara... Sara... Sara... wake up. I need to talk to you." he said softly as he touched her arm and caressed her shoulder. "Wake up, Sara. Please..." She squirmed a little in an attempt to get comfortable, but Nick's sensual voice kept calling to her, and she slowly opened her eyes. "What do you want?" she mumbled, a trace of irritation in her voice as she lay in the bed and looked at him through sleep clouded eyes. "I was just starting to get a good night's sleep when you woke me up." "I'm sorry, but we have to talk about a few things." he said quietly. "Oh, great... We have to talk now?" she replied, now fully awake and sitting up in the bed. "Can't it wait until tomorrow night? I'd really like to get some sleep." "No, Sara... it can't wait until tomorrow night." Sara felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she looked at him. She wondered what Nick had on his mind that was important enough for him to rouse her out of what was to have been the first peaceful night's sleep that she had had in a while. "What's this all about, Nick?" she asked as the fog cleared from her eyes and mind and she focused on what was about to come up. "It's about us." he replied. "There's something important that I need to talk you about... and we've been putting it off for too long..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 14/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 15/? Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:56:04 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A mild RickNick/Sara love scene here, so this chapter is rated TV-14. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 15/? ---- "Nick... I know that you want to talk about what happens to us after the tour's over, but I'm not in the mood to discuss it right now." Sara said, feeling irritable about her interrupted sleep. "Can't this wait until another time?" "We've always put off discussing this until 'another time', and it never seems to happen." Nick replied, his voice calm and steady. "Where do I stand with you, Sara?" "Right now, I don't have a clue about where you stand with me. It's late and I was looking forward to getting some sleep." She tried to sound sarcastic, but the attempt failed. Nick had something that he wanted to talk about, and no amount of protesting from her would get him to let her rest, so she let him continue the discussion. "We've been together for seven years, and it's time that we took the next step." He held her hand gently. "I want to marry you, Sara." "What?!" she gasped in astonishment. "You're kidding!" "No, I'm not kidding. I want you to be my wife." Sara turned away from him, upset by what she had just heard. Marriage was the farthest thing from her mind, and she didn't feel that she was ready to become a rock star's wife... or a vampire's wife, for that matter. "What's wrong? I thought that you'd be happy..." "I... I'm not sure about this at all." she replied, gazing at the wall. "This is too sudden, and I'm not sure if I can handle what you're asking me to become." "I know that you can handle it," he said, as he turned her toward him, "and what makes you think that this is sudden? I've been thinking about marriage for a while, and I wanted to propose to you while we were on the road. I was trying to find a romantic place where we could be alone; unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. So, since I couldn't find a romantic place to do this, I'm proposing to you on the road to Toronto." He paused for a moment, gazed into her eyes and said, "Sara Louise McClendon... will you marry me?" "No... I can't marry you, Nick. I - I don't know what else I can tell you." She slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp and tried to keep calm. His hazel eyes were filled with surprise and pain as he listened to her. She didn't want to get into an argument with him now, but a confrontation couldn't be avoided. "There's a lot that you can tell me." he said, his voice taking on a chilly tinge. "After all the things you and I have been through during the past seven years, you don't want to make your commitment to me permanent? I was hoping that you wanted to be a part of my life forever." "That's just it." she replied nervously. "Forever's a long time, and I'm not quite ready to face it. I'm not sure if I can keep on living this life that you want me to lead." "What's wrong with this life?" he asked her. "You've got everything that you could ever want. All your dreams are coming true. How can you turn that down?" "I'm not turning it down, but... I'd like to be able to stay in one place for a while. Touring around the world's been nice, but where's that place we call 'home', Nick." "That place called 'home' is in L.A. You moved in with me five years ago." He smiled at the memory. "They began rehab work on that old movie theatre on Hollywood Boulevard eight years ago. They turned the upper floors of the building into lofts, and you were one of the first ones to move in after the second and third floors had been finished.." "Which old movie theatre was that?" she asked him, looking for more clues about the life that she now had. "I thought that there were quite a few of them in the area." "No, there were only two of them, and we live at the Majestic. The one that had "It's A Wonderful Life" on the marquee. I always thought that it was rather ironic." "Okay." she said quietly. "What floor were you living on? I don't seem to remember..." "I was on the second floor in apartment 201. You were living in apartment 203, right next door to me. I had already had my place done, so all the contractors had to do was work around me. Your place was the first one that they finished." "Good thing that you're a heavy sleeper, so their work didn't bother you during the day. So... we were neighbors, huh? Sounds like a good subject for a cheesy talk show: 'My Next-Door Neighbor's a Vampire' ." Her mood had improved, and the irritability that she had felt earlier faded away. "Yes, it does..." he chuckled softly. "Do you know that I still remember the first time we met? At the time, I didn't think that you'd be interested in someone like me." "Well, I must have been; otherwise, I wouldn't be here with you right now." She relaxed a little, and decided to continue asking a few more questions in the hope of finding out more about how she and this Nick Knight had met. "I'm still just a little fuzzy about exactly how we met. I mean... were you always a teen idol?" Nick laughed, which upset Sara at first. She believed that he was making fun of her, but the look in his eyes told her a different story. "Actually, I was a homicide detective when we first met, remember?" he replied, clasping her hand once again. "I had started playing my music late at night after I got off from work, and I had forgotten to turn the volume down on my amplifier. You came by one night to ask what was going on." "Hmmmmmm...." Sara replied, deep in thought. "You might have done that to see if anyone was listening to your music, so if that was your intention, it worked." "Believe me, I hadn't intended for it to happen, but I'm not sorry that I had my amplifier turned up a little louder that night. My music's a stress reliever." he replied, giving her a smile. "After a while, the stress and pressure of being a homicide detective can get to you, and I wanted another outlet where I could express my feelings. I had been writing songs for a while, but it was something to fill time. I hadn't started working on them seriously until I came to L.A. ten years ago." "Where had you been before you came to L.A.?" "Here and there. When I was younger, I dreamed about seeing the world. I got my wish, but I didn't know that I'd have to trade my mortality for it." A look of sadness was in his eyes, and Sara was beginning to understand him a little better. "I've lived for four hundred years, and I never thought that I'd see the things that I've seen and do the things that I've done." "Well, you probably didn't expect to be transformed into a vampire. You probably had your life all planned, I bet." "Yes, my life was planned for me the moment I was born. I was supposed to become the owner of a chateau in the south of France, and become an aristocrat." He paused for a moment before he spoke. "I was to marry well, have plenty of children, and get involved in the political goings-on at Versailles. It sounds like a great life, but that's not what I wanted. I wasn't ready to settle down yet. There were so many things that I hadn't done, and I wanted to do them before I accepted my pre-planned life." "So, what did you do?" she asked him. "I went to Paris in the hopes of becoming an actor, and I was on my way to doing well, much to the displeasure of my family. After a night of drunken revelry at a tavern, that all changed..." "You met the one who brought you across." Her voice was quiet and calm. "Yes, I did. I met LaCroix, and I became a vampire. I traded mortality for immortality over three hundred years ago. He taught me how to hunt and kill, and it was the thrill of the hunt that got to me. I was able to go among mortals and seduce them, draw them to me and kill them without a second thought. I drank their blood, and in so doing, I felt every emotion, every thought, every desire that was within them as I drank from them. It was a thrill that I had never known before, and I enjoyed it... for a while." Sara was silent for a moment, then she asked, "So what made you decide to give up the life of a predator?" "I grew tired of the nights of killing and LaCroix's control of me." he said, with a sigh. "I was sickened by the things that I had done, and I knew that I couldn't go on living like this, taking human lives with reckless abandon. I wanted redemption. So... I broke free of his influence and set out to live life on my own terms. I had already made some progress over the last hundred years or so, and music became a source of comfort for me during that time. It kept me sane..." "But, he didn't make it easy for you to follow your dream, did he?" "No, he didn't. I was determined to free myself from him once and for all, and I finally got my chance." "When did that happen?" "Do you remember the burglary at the Museum of Natural History a few years ago?" "I think I do..." she said, careful not to show her ignorance. "Were you working on that case?" "Yes, I was. In the process of solving the case, I was able to destroy him once and for all, but not before he had killed the curator, Doctor Alyce Hunter. He had made me into a killer, and I returned the favor by killing him." "At least you don't have to worry about him coming back to haunt you." she replied. "You're free to do what you want, without his interference or disapproval. In fact, I doubt if he'd have wanted you to become a rock star." "Probably, but I couldn't be certain of that." he replied, with a shrug of his shoulders. "When I watched him die, a feeling of freedom came over me, and something had been unlocked within me. I had written songs for over twenty years, but I had to hide them, because I didn't trust LaCroix. If he found out about my songwriting, he might have tried to discourage me from continuing to write them, or worse, he could have searched for the place that I had hidden the notebooks and destroyed them." He paused, recalling the memory of having to hide the notebooks in a bank vault that LaCroix never knew about, then continued. "After I had left LaCroix and started taking my music more seriously, I couldn't risk him discovering my songs. It was after his death, that I really got into my music. I took out the notebooks that I had scribbled the words in over the years, and put those words to music." "And then...?" "And then... two years later, you came along. You were the first person to hear my music. I hadn't performed my songs for anyone else and that was because I didn't think that what I had written was good. You told me that I had real talent, and that it shouldn't be hidden away from the world. You also told me something else..." He moved closer to her and held her hands tenderly. "What else did I tell you?" she asked him. "You told me that I could give something back to the world, after I had spent over two hundred and fifty years taking from it, and that music was the way for me to gain redemption. You believed in me and my talent, and because of your encouragement, I found the courage to sing my songs for a bigger audience. I never thought that I'd get as far as I have if it wasn't for your faith in me..." He paused for a moment, then said, "I also thought that I'd never be capable of loving someone, until I met you. When I was writing those songs, I wasn't sure who I was writing them for or who those songs were about, but now, I know. I wrote those songs about you and for you. I want to keep writing songs for you throughout eternity, Sara..." Nick took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. When Nick's lips touched hers, Sara felt an intense desire ripple through her body. Although she wanted Nick Knight at that moment and was ready to give herself completely to him, Nicholas deBrabant appeared in her arms. She could hear his voice whispering to her, and she felt him caress her body and thrill her with his desire. --- "Sara Louise... I love you... I want you... I need you..." Nicholas whispered as he held her close to him and touched her neck with tender sensuality. "Do you love me? Do you want me? Do you need me?" "Oh, yes, Nick... I love you..." she whispered as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, enjoying his tender caresses and passionate kisses. "I love you with all my heart. I want you and I need you..." "And I love you, too, darling." Nick murmered as he held her close and kissed her hungrily, threatening to devour her with his passion. "I want you so much... I need you..." Her mind was struggling to accept the dark-haired man who was in her arms as he kissed and caressed her body with exquisite tenderness, but she couldn't enjoy the pleasure that he was giving her. Deep within the recesses of her soul, she felt confused about which man she was in love with, and until she could sort out her feelings, she knew that she had to do something to stop him before things reeled out of control. --- Nick had unbuttoned the top two buttons of her pajama top, and slid it off of her right shoulder, exposing her soft dark skin. He had wanted to make love to her ever since she had been released from the hospital, and the vampire's need for the comfort of her arms and the soft warmth of her body became overwhelming. "Sara Louise..." Nick murmered as he kissed her shoulder and caressed her neck, inhaling the soft scent of roses, lavender and lily of the valley. "I want you so much. I've missed loving you like this. Please be mine, Sara... forever..." The vampire was about to emerge and claim her as his own, but she suddenly felt afraid and she had to stop Nick from going too far. "No! ... No! ... NO!" Sara said, opening her eyes and abruptly pushing him away from her with all of the strength that she could muster. "I can't do this, Nick! I can't! This isn't right!" She gasped for breath, and he looked stunned by what she had just done. "What's the matter now?" he said angrily, his eyes a brilliant shade of red. "You told me you loved me, and then you push me away just when I need you most! Tell me what's going on!" "Do you really want to know? Well, do you?" Her voice held an icy chill as she buttoned her pajama top. "I think that I'm entitled to an explanation." came his heated response as the vampire retreated for the moment. "You said that this wasn't right, and I want to know what's wrong." "What's wrong? I hate this life and I don't belong here!" "What are you talking about?" Nick was angry and confused by what she said, and he wanted an answer. "Why do you hate this life?" "Because... I hated going through that security scan when we were at the hotel this afternoon. I wasn't sure if I was being checked out to go to the Pentagon or to the Presidential Suite!" she said, growing more upset with each moment. "I couldn't stand it!" "That's par for the course, Sara." he replied irritably. "You know that as well as I do. Security checks are part of the business of being a celebrity." "Well, I don't like it!" she snapped back. "I don't like having my personal business published for all to see, and I hate all of this traveling! Living out of a suitcase isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and I'm tired of it! I'd like to be able to live a normal life for change! I'd like to be able to have friends, maybe take on a part-time job, and just enjoy my life!" "You have friends, and you also have a job." "Really? And who are my friends? They're people in the music business, not normal people! And what's my job? I have no clue. In fact, I barely remember what I used to do for a living before I met you!" Her voice had risen, but she was determined not to lose control of herself. "What did I do before I met you, Nick?" "You were a receptionist at Benson, Martin and Associates, one of those big law firms in Century City, but you dreamed of becoming a writer." he said quietly. "You had been working on a short story when you came by my apartment and asked me why my music was up so loud." "That may have been what I did then, but, what's my job now?" "Your job is to be the one who's always in my corner, no matter what. You're the one who keeps me going. Don't you understand? I need you!" He tried to reach for her hand again, but she pulled away from him before he could touch her. "Please, Sara... I know that we can work this out." "Will you quit sounding like one of your sappy love songs, Nick!" Sara threw up her hands in a gesture of frustration. "This isn't going to get us anywhere!" Nick got up from the bed and sat in a nearby chair. He chose to ignore her comment about his love songs being 'sappy' in order to find out what was bothering her. "I just want to know what's going to happen to us after the tour's over." His voice was filled with pain as he gazed at her. "Please tell me... I really want to know." "I feel so confused..." Sara sighed. "I care about you, but I don't know if I can keep living the rock-and-roll life. I'm tired of the crowds, the noise and the constant traveling. I just want to get away from the grind." "That's why I've cancelled the rest of the tour. I don't want you to disappear from my life." Nick reached over and held her hand tenderly. "Am I going to lose you, Sara?" "I don't know, Nick..." she said quietly. "I really don't know..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 15/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, October, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 16/? Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 15:08:24 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 16/? ---- The silence that fell between them after she had spoken was becoming stifling, and as the minutes ticked by, Sara was getting more upset. She was painfully aware that she'd be bluffing her way through this conversation, and she hoped that Nick would believe her. --- "Please... tell me," Nick said, unwilling to settle for a less-than-straight answer from her, "what's the matter with you?" "And what makes you think that anything's the matter with me?" she replied, the heat still in her voice as she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Little things. Little things that I hadn't thought about or paid much attention to, until now." "Such as?" she demanded. "The last time we made love was in Tokyo. After that, you didn't seem to be too interested in wanting to make love to me. Tonight would have been the first time that we've made love in months." "How could I be interested in making love to you when we were on the move all the time? I was tired, and you were busy. You were either writing songs, talking to Jack and the other band members, giving interviews, or talking to Mike on the phone. I felt like the odd one out, and there were times when I just wanted to leave, especially after what Antonio said earlier..." "Antonio was upset about the early cancellation, just like everyone else, and he said what was on his mind." he replied. "There were things that I had to do, and I'm sorry you felt neglected. Believe me, I didn't do it deliberately. I told you that I'm going to make it up to you, and I wish that you'd give me the chance to do it." Sara knew that trying to explain to Nick how she felt wasn't going to be easy, but she knew that he had to be told. "Nick..." she said, choosing her words with great care, "have you ever had the feeling that you didn't belong somewhere? That you didn't really have a place there?" "Yes, I've felt that way sometimes," he replied, "but that never stopped me from trying to make a place for myself in the world. If I didn't try to make a place for myself, I'd have taken a short walk into the sunlight a long time ago." He looked at her and asked, "Why did you ask me that? Is there something wrong? Please tell me... I want to know." "Because... that's how I feel right now. I'm not sure if I belong in this life, and... I'm not sure if I want to be with you." "Why don't you want to be with me?" he asked, as a look of pain flickered across his face. "It's because of a lot of things. I'm not comfortable being in the spotlight. I feel so gawky and out-of-place being around you and the others. I'm overwhelmed by huge crowds of people..." She paused for a moment. "I don't want to be a rock star's girlfriend anymore." "Would you rather be a homicide cop's girlfriend again?" "Yes, I would." she replied. "You could go back to it again, if you chose. Besides, you can't be a rock star forever..." "... And I can't be a homicide cop forever." came his quiet reply. "I'd have to leave the force before someone suspected that I wasn't the man that I appeared to be." "How long would that have been? Fifteen years? Twenty? Twenty-five, perhaps? You could have stayed on the force for as long as you wanted." "I might have been able to remain with the LAPD for twenty-five years, but, sooner or later, someone would start asking questions. I'd have to leave before those little questions grew into big problems." "Isn't that part of a vampire's life? Always having to move on... to become someone else." "Yes, it is, but it's also a lonely life. After a while, it's the loneliness that gets to you. You always feel out of place because you're not sure that you belong anywhere. It's rare that you find someone who's able to accept you as you are. You accepted me for who I was, even when you discovered my true nature." He paused, hoping that she understood what he was telling her. "I wish you could see what you mean to me, Sara. You're a special part of my life. I don't want to lose you." She looked at Nick, and as much as she understood what was on his mind and in his heart, she was finding it difficult to tell him how she was feeling. "I know you don't want to lose me, but... I'm not the same woman that you knew when we first met. I've changed..." she said, trying to keep calm. "Do you think I haven't noticed? Believe me, I've noticed. It always starts out with the little things." he said, getting upset with her indirectness. "When we were in London, we sat down for an interview in our hotel suite with the Sun's entertainment editor, and when I told him that I owed my career to your encouragement, you got up and walked out. No explanation, no warning, nothing. I asked Jack where you went, and he didn't know that you were gone. I was worried about you, and I was all set to call the police. You finally came back the next morning, and when you did, you didn't tell me where you had been or what you had done." "I just wanted to get out of there because I felt closed in." she replied. "That's all." "I knew that you were getting bored with the interview, but you didn't have to walk out and disappear without telling me where you were going and how long you'd be gone. I was afraid that you might've gotten hurt." "Well, I didn't get hurt, and I came back in one piece." "Do you realize that you could have been kidnapped or killed because of that little stunt?" His voice had risen a little, but he was determined not to fly off the handle. "I was ready to go out and look for you, even if it took all night. You come back to our suite six hours before sunrise without any explanation about where you were or what you did. I tried to ask you what happened, but you never talked about it. Then, you do more little things, and they're starting to add up. So, I want to know... is there something going on?" "Yes, there is! Has it occurred to you that I'm getting tired of standing on this... this... ivory pedestal you've put me on? I hate it! I hate living in this cramped little fishbowl where everyone can see me!" Her voice was firm and passionate. "It would be nice to live a normal life again!" "You can't live a 'normal' life whether you're a rock star's girlfriend or a vampire's girlfriend, for that matter." he replied. "There are a lot of questions about me that you're going to be asked sooner or later, and you'll have to answer them, whether you like it or not." "That's funny... nobody's asked me any questions about you yet." she said acidly. "You never know when a question about me and my personal life could come up." Nick was doing his best to keep calm under fire, but Sara wasn't about to cut him any slack. "You think that I'm not capable of handling myself if personal questions about you ever came up? Is that it?" she said, her voice rising a bit. "I didn't say that and you know it..." Nick suddenly found himself on the defensive, which was one position that he didn't like being in. "I never said that you couldn't answer any personal questions about me if they ever came up..." "I know exactly what you're saying! You don't trust me!" Her dark eyes blazed with anger, and she was going to give him a piece of her mind. "If I didn't trust you to keep my secret, you wouldn't be here." he said, gazing at her intently. "You knew that I was a vampire; you could have told someone about it, and if you had, you would be a threat to me." "But, you didn't kill me when I found out what you were, and I've never told anyone about it, either. I'm not a fool." Sara replied icily. "Besides, do you realize that Jack, Josh, Fred, Charlie, Mike and myself are the only people who know what you really are? As long as Jack and Charlie keep telling the press about your allergy to sunlight, your secret's safe." "How do I know that you won't tell anyone about what I really am if you were to leave me?" Nick was going to play it cool and not let Sara's comments bother him. "If I left you, I wouldn't tell anyone about what you really are." she said, her voice cool and calm. "Nick... if you can't trust me, even if I'm away from you for a while, maybe it's time for us to end this relationship. Now, if this pointless conversation's over, I'd like to get some sleep. It's been a long day. Good night." She laid back down in the bed, pulled the covers over her, and went back to sleep. Nick slowly got up from the chair and got ready to leave the bedroom. He knew that he could have chosen a better time to talk to Sara, but he needed to know how she felt about him. The fact that Sara hadn't told him where he stood with her unsettled him. He didn't want to consider the end of their relationship, and he'd do anything to keep it from happening. "I love you, Sara, and I always will..." he whispered as he stood near the bed and gazed upon her as she slept. "I'm not about to let you go that easily..." After a moment's pause, he turned off the light, left the bedroom and went back toward the front of the bus. --- Jack had just finished talking to Josh and Fred about security for the concerts when he saw Nick ease himself onto the sofa. "So... how'd it go, Nick? I thought I heard some shouting, and I was about to come back there to see what was going on." Jack said as he leaned back in his chair. "Did things get out of hand?" "No, it didn't..." Nick replied, sighing tiredly. "Sara says that I don't trust her. How can I trust her after that disappearing act she did in London? I've got a feeling that she might try to leave me, but I love her, and I'm not about to let her walk out of my life." "Well, Nick..." Jack said, deliberately choosing his words, "have you ever thought that she may not trust you?" Nick was surprised by Jack's remark, and asked, "What makes you think that she doesn't trust me? What did you tell her before we left Montreal?" "I told her about your recent feeding habits." Jack replied calmly, ready for the verbal blast Nick would give him. "She knows about you feeding on some of your fans backstage after the concerts." "It was a couple of times, Jack!" Nick said heatedly. "I got carried away because I was hungry after the concert. Putting on a good show takes a lot of energy. I figured that I could take a little bit from one of those girls without causing any problems." "The only reason why it didn't cause any problems was because nobody was looking for you. If some reporter goes backstage wanting to talk to you after the concert and sees you feeding from a girl, it could cause problems, and I don't like running interference for you with the police." "I know, Jack. I know... We've been through this before, and I'm trying to stick to the bottled stuff and solid food, but I get an occasional craving for the taste of warm blood sometimes. It's a temptation that's difficult for me to resist." "Nick, if you want Sara to trust you, you've got to stop feeding on those girls, even though it may be tempting. How can you trust her if she's unable to trust you? It can't be one-sided. Trust is mutual, and it has to be earned. You make a big fuss about all of the things that she does, while you're doing those same things. If you keep doing that, she'll have plenty of reasons to walk away from you." "Okay, okay..." Nick said, leaning back on the couch. "I'll do my best to try to get her to trust me, and I'll try not to feed on those girls who come backstage. I don't want to lose her, Jack." "Don't _try_, Nick. You do it or you don't do it." Jack's voice left no doubt about where he stood on the matter. "If you don't want Sara to walk away from you, clean up your act." "You've got a point. It's all or nothing. I'll do my best not to feed on the girls when we get to Toronto, and that may help me earn her trust. Sara's the kind of woman who comes along only once in a lifetime. I don't want to lose her." "Good for you." Jack said, giving him a smile. "Are you sleeping up here tonight?" "Looks like it." Nick replied. "Sara's not in the mood." "Okay, then... time to close the blinds. Josh, Fred... are you finished with your business?" "Almost." Josh replied. "There are still a couple of things that I wanted to check on before we called it a night, though." "I'm glad to hear that." He got up from the chair and shut the blinds so no sunlight could slip inside the bus and burn Nick. "The blinds are closed, and that should take care of it. Will you be all right?" "I'll be all right. I just want things to work out between Sara and myself. I'll be glad when the tour's over, though. We've got a lot of catching up to do... I just hope that it's not too late for us..." Nick closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. After Jack finished talking to Fred and Josh about security at the SkyDome, and their business was completed, Jack turned out the overhead lights, and they settled in for a long morning's sleep as the line of gleaming black and silver buses sped down the highway toward Toronto as dawn's first light would brighten the sky in just a few more hours. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 16/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, November, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 17/? Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 00:53:22 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 17/? ---- Late Monday night/Early Tuesday morning... in the real world. Harbourside Memorial Hospital... Operating Room 4... --- As the three doctors and the surgical team gathered in Operating Room 4, to prepare to operate, an orderly wheeled Jamie Roberts into the operating room. Gregory stood at a nearby table, carefully checking the power cells, which were encased in a sterilized container, to make sure that nothing would jeopardize their proper functioning. He held the pocket transmitter against the case to make sure that the power cells were fully charged, and noted the green light that appeared on the screen with a mixture of pleasure and relief. "Good..." he murmered softly as he looked at the case which housed the power cells. "All of the power cells have been sterilized, they're fully charged and ready to be implanted." The surgical team had gathered around the operating table and were about to begin. Jamie had been placed on the table, face down, and his back was exposed. Thomas was making sure that the incision was going to be made in the proper area on Jamie's lower back, while Elena double-checked the instruments that they would be using to perform the surgery to make sure that they had been properly sterilized. "Is everything ready?" Gregory asked his surgical team, hoping to beging the operation as soon as possible. "Everything's ready, Doctor." the head surgical nurse replied. "We're just waiting for you to begin." "Good... Make sure that anesthesia's properly administered. I'd risk a local anesthetic, but because I want to monitor Jamie's EKG and EEG to make sure that he remains stabilized, I think that general anesthesia would be best." he said, while he looked at the monitor to check on Jamie's vital signs. "Are you sure that's a wise move?" Doctor Sandoval asked him curiously. "Since we'd be replacing the power cells in the regenerator, there'd be no need for a general anesthetic, because we'd be doing a simple incision near his spinal column in order to remove the regenerator, replace the bio-electric cells and then put it back." "I understand your point, Elena, but since his brain waves have stabilized, I don't want to run the risk of using a local anesthetic on him." Gregory said. "I don't want him to abruptly wake up before we've completed the procedure or go into shock or cardiac arrest at the wrong time. That's the last thing that we need to worry about." "All right... That would make sense." Doctor Williamson said thoughtfully as the time to begin the operation drew near. "I was told before I came here that we'd have an observer present to make sure that everything went smoothly." "Yes... Get Jamie prepped and ready. Hopefully, this will be smooth sailing." Gregory said to the nurses. While the nurses got Jamie prepared for surgery, he continued, "After the power cells are removed, I want to take a look at them. Some of the material from the bio-electric cells leaked into Jamie's bloodstream, and I want to know how that happened. The bio-electric power cells were designed not to corrode and leak." After a brief pause, Gregory said frostily, "As for our 'observer', I'd like to know who he or she is before I allow them to come in here and watch the procedure..." "Our 'observer' is Doctor Paul Clifford. He's with BioCom's R&D department... He's some sort of 'Project Manager'." Thomas replied. "Apparently, Mr. Kincaid wants to make sure that the power cells are checked on by a neutral party.." "Well, I want to look at them first before he does." Gregory said, the icy chill remaining in his voice. "I'm not about to see all of our hard work go up in smoke now, and I wouldn't exactly call Paul Clifford a 'neutral party', Thomas." "I know that both of you don't get along very well, Gregory, but Kincaid's holding the purse strings, and we've got to make sure that there are no screw-ups, so he doesn't pull the plug just as we're close to getting things together." Elena's brow was furrowed in thought. "As for the battery leakage, that shouldn't have happened. The cells were hermetically sealed and specially coated to prevent corrosion and leakage. What do you think may have happened?" "That's what I want to find out." Gregory told her. "I want to make sure that this doesn't happen to someone else before we go into mass production." "Of course." Thomas noted as he watched the nurses complete their preparations for the surgery. "This is definitely unusual, and I'd hate to see something go wrong before we've made the announcement about the regenerator." "I want to examine the power cells after the surgery's been completed, so I don't want them to be discarded or to be taken by anyone else." Gregory continued. "If I can find out what happened, perhaps the battery covering can be reformulated in order to prevent them from corroding and leakage." Just as Thomas was about to reply, a middle-aged man, with a pleasant face and graying hair, dressed in green surgical scrubs, entered the OR. The moment Gregory saw him, a frown crossed his face and he was less than pleased with the intrusion. He deeply resented any interference when it came to performing a surgical procedure, and the fact that Jonathan sent one of his 'yes-men' to be an observer during the procedure was going to pose a problem. "I'm sorry to barge in on such short notice, Doctors, but Jonathan insisted that I be present for the procedure." Paul Clifford said as he placed the green protective cap on his head. "He told me that I'd have your full cooperation, Gregory, as well as that of your team." "I don't know what possessed him to want an observer present." Gregory said sourly as he glared at Paul. "That'll slow things down, especially since you're the one who will be observing the procedure." "It shouldn't. He's simply looking out for his investment. After all, he doesn't want to see your pet project fail before it's made public, and he'd also like to know what caused the bio-electric batteries to corrode and leak." Paul blandly replied. "If the problem's caught in time, we may be able to prevent it from happening again before we go public with the regenerator." "Before you get your hands on them, Paul, I want to examine them first!" There was heat in Gregory's voice and everyone wondered what would happen next. "I'd like to know what caused the corrosion and leakage in those batteries." "Certainly..." Paul said with cool politeness as he took his position near the operating table to observe the surgery that was about to take place. "I'd never presume to step into your territory, Greg." "I hope that you won't, Paul." Gregory gave him an icy glare as he spoke. "Now, we're about to begin the surgery, so please take your places everyone and make sure that we've got everything ready." The surgical staff was in place, and the preparations for the operation had been completed. Gregory was satisfied that everything was in order, and that the procedure woud go smoothly despite Paul's unwelcome prescence. "All right, let's get to work, shall we?" Gregory said as he made the incision on Jamie's back, not too far from his spinal column.. ---- Three hours later... --- The surgery to replace the regenerator's power cells went better than was expected, and Gregory would have some good news for Jamie's family, although he wasn't too happy about Paul's attempts to interfere with the replacement of the bio-electric power cells and the storage of the defective batteries. As the surgery was completed, a nurse placed the defective power cells on a small tray, under Paul's all-too-watchful eye. After Jamie was taken to the Intensive Care Unit to recuperate, Paul was about to take a look at one of the cells when Gregory saw him looming over the tray. "I said that I want to take a look at those power cells first before you get your hands on them, Paul." he said as he picked up the small plexiglass box that the replacement power cells had been housed and opened it. "I want to make a thorough inspection to see where the leakage came from, and to find out how it could have happened. This is my project, and I'm going to see it through, so I'd appreciate you not interfering with me and with what I plan to do." "Who said that I was interfering, Gregory?" Paul replied mildly as Doctor Spencer took a pair of tweezers from the tray, picked up the power cells and carefully placed them inside the sterilized box. "I just wanted to take a look at them, and see the problem for myself. Jonathan will be quite interested in my analysis of what may have happened to cause the leakage and corrosion of the power cells." "Let's just say that I want to make sure that he gets an accurate report on what the problem is, and I'll make recommendations about how to correct it." Gregory's voice was chilly, and everyone knew that he didn't like any interference from anyone when it came to his life's work. "I don't like being second-guessed by anyone, especially you..." "Fine..." Paul said as he watched Gregory slip the small box into the pocket of his lab coat. "I'm just hoping that you'll have something interesting to tell me tomorrow." When Gregory heard that, the look on his face was one of displeasure, and the tension between them could be felt by everyone present. "What are you saying? Are you planning on staying here?" he asked. "Of course. I'll be here for as long as it take to get everything done. Jonathan's orders were very specific." Paul replied evenly. "I was to observe the procedure to replace the power cells, and then I'm to analyze the defective cells in order to see what's causing the leakage and corrosion. After I've done that, I'll hand in my analysis to Jonathan after everything's been completed, and a decision will be made on how to reformulate the power cells so they don't corrode and leak, yet retain their effectiveness." "The formula for the bio-electric power cells was _mine_, and I should be the one who does that report, not you! You know nothing about the complex formulations that went into the creation of the power cells, and you may not give an accurate report about what went wrong!" Gregory's face was a mask of controlled fury as he spoke, and Thomas and Elena looked on nervously as they were about to leave the operating room. "I've been following your project for the last eight years as Project Manager, and I'm just as qualified to make an unbiased analysis about the bio-electric power cell's problems as you are." Paul said, unruffled by his fellow doctor's outburst. "Jonathan wanted to make sure that any reports about the spinal nerve regenerator and the bio-electric power cells were balanced, accurate and fair." "Somehow, those words don't apply to you... especially since I haven't checked on Sara yet." Gregory said heatedly. "I'm telling you right now, Paul - back off! When I operate on Sara and replace the power cells in her regenerator, then I can analyze both sets of power cells to see what's causing the problem. I'm not about to turn in my report until I have all of the facts." "Certainly..." Paul said as he headed toward the doors of the OR. "I'll be waiting to see what happens. When will you operate on Ms. McClendon?" "Her vital signs need to be stabilized before an operation can be scheduled, and I want to double-check her bloodwork, among other things." Gregory said. "I don't want to run the risk of doing back-to-back procedures. Perhaps she'll be operated on sometime tomorrow." He didn't trust Paul and he wanted to make sure that he knew as little as possible about what he was going to do. "That's fine." Paul said, still calm. "I'll be in the doctor's lounge when you get ready to operate on her. Good night everyone." After Paul had left the OR, Thomas heaved a sigh of relief. "That was becoming a little too intense for me." he said. "It amazes me that you two didn't come to blows during the procedure." "We almost did." Gregory replied gruffly. "Apparently, Kincaid doesn't trust me to do the job, so he sends one of his "lap dogs" to keep an eye on me so nothing happens to his precious little investment." "I'm sorry that this happened." Elena said, a worried look on her face. "What are you going to do about Paul's attempt to interfere with your analysis of the bio-electric cells?" "I'm going to run a check on the ones that I removed from Jamie in my office. I have the equipment to do the job, and to make sure that the report's as accurate as it can be. I also want to make sure that I get Sara's power cells analyzed and see if her problem's related to what happened to Jamie. I'll want some more blood samples from her so I can find out if any of the battery components have leaked into her bloodstream." Gregory replied briskly as they left the OR and headed toward the waiting room where Jamie's family had gathered to await the news. "I can take some samples from her and get them analyzed tonight." Thomas said. "What else did you want to have done?" "I'd like for you to compare the chemical content of Sara's blood with Jamie's to see what you can find. Look for anything unusual that might pop up." "Sure. Was there anything specific that you wanted me to look for during my analysis?" "Yes... Look for anything that might have interfered with the normal functioning of their blood chemistry." Gregory replied. "There might have been something in the power cells which may have caused their blood chemistry to change in some way. If that's the case, then the minerals could have reacted to their blood chemistry, and that chemical reaction may have caused them to lapse into comas." "If I find the chemical link, did you want them to undergo a total blood cleansing and replacement?" Thomas asked him. "No. I want to avoid that." Gregory replied briskly. "There may be a risk of toxic shock or cardiac arrest if the procedure's performed on them while they're comatose and their brain waves are still unstable, and I don't want to put them in jeopardy. A blood transfusion may be the best route, but total blood cleansing and replacement should be the last resort." "What did you want me to do?" Elena asked him. "Did you want me to make arrangements to begin the blood transfusion?" "Jamie already had a transfusion during surgery, so I'm hopeful that another transfusion won't be necessary, but I want to make sure that I have that as an available option. As for Sara, I want to analyze the results of her bloodwork first before I recommend a transfusion.. and I want both of you to make sure that nothing happens to Sara and Jamie." Gregory replied. "They're to be monitored around the clock for any changes." "Is something wrong?" she wondered. "Do you think that Paul might try to sabotage your report and make sure that Jonathan doesn't know the truth about it?" "I'm not sure, but since Paul's become involved in our project, I don't want to take any chances. While he's here, I want to make sure that he's kept out of the loop as often as possible. Both of you know that he's got a reputation for using 'strong-arm' tactics to get what he wants, and he may try something while he's with us. Just be careful and make sure that he knows as little as possible..." he said as they entered the waiting room, and approached the family, while Natalie and Nick were sitting nearby, also awaiting the outcome of Jamie's surgery. Gloria looked up and asked, "Well, Doctor... what happened? Will Jamie be all right?" "Mrs. Roberts..." Gregory said with a smile, "I'm pleased to say that I have some very good news for you..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 17/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, December, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 18/? Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 14:54:30 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 18/? ---- "Yes, Doctor Spencer?" Gloria asked him nervously, daring to hope that he would have some good news for her and her family after they had spent too many agonizing hours of waiting, wondering and worrying. "Did Jamie's surgery go well?" "I'm pleased to say that the operation was a success, Mrs. Roberts." Gregory said, feeling a sense of relief for the first time during the night's ordeal began. "The power cells were replaced, the regenerator should be functioning properly and Jamie should make a full and complete recovery." "When will you begin to activate the regenerator to make sure that it's working?" Sandra asked him, a look of joy on her face. "When will he be able to walk again? Do you know?" "Well... I'm hopeful that we'll be able to activate it sometime within the next forty-eight hours after his condition has stabilized. When the regenerator's activated and functioning properly, that may help to rouse him from his comatose state." he told her. "Once he's awake and fully recovered, he'll have to undergo physical therapy for six to eight weeks, just to be sure that everything's working properly. By then, we should know the extent of any damage that was done to the spinal nerves. I'm hoping that there won't be any problems, though." "That's good news, Doctor." Gloria said, smiling. "I was hoping for a miracle... and I got one." "Were you able to find out what could have caused him to lapse into a coma?" Sandra wondered. "Did something happen to the regenerator?" "As I told you earlier, there were traces of the minerals that power the bio-electric battery found in his bloodstream. Thomas will be analyzing his blood work to see if any of the minerals may have interfered with the chemistry of his brain." he replied. "I'd like to get another blood sample from him in a few hours to see if my hunch is right about the battery leakage. The regenerator itself was replaced to make sure that it functions at peak efficiency." Nick was listening to Gregory's explanation and although he felt a bit of reassurance about what he had heard, there were still some questions that nagged at his mind, and he wanted to be sure that his hunch was right. "Since you found traces of the bio-electric power cell materials in Jamie's bloodstream, when were you going to analyze Sara's blood to see if she may have the same problem?" he asked him. "Thomas will be taking a sample from her shortly, and he'll compare her blood chemistry with Jamie's." Gregory told Nick. "I want to see how much of the bio-electric battery components have leaked into her bloodstream. There's a possibility that the batteries might not have been properly sealed before they were implanted in the regenerator, and corrosion and leakage may have occurred, but until I get Sara's power cells and inspect them, I won't be able to make a complete analysis." "Well, I'd better get started on that blood analysis, then..." Thomas said. "Will you excuse me?" "Will both of them have to have blood replacements to remove the minerals from their bloodstreams, Doctor?" Natalie asked after Thomas had left the waiting room. "Do you think that re-activating the regenerator may affect them in some way if the minerals aren't removed?" "I'm hoping that we won't have to perform a blood replacement, Doctor Lambert." Gregory replied. "I don't want to jeopardize their health by subjecting them to a procedure that could adversely affect them. Total blood replacement can be a tricky procedure and I didn't want to perform it on someone who's comatose. The minerals that were found in Jamie's bloodstream shouldn't cause any problems when the regenerator's re-activated." "When will you find out the cause of the corrosion and leakage of the power cells?" Nick asked, awaiting Doctor Spencer's answer. "I'm going to make a preliminary analysis on Jamie's power cells tonight, and I hope to have something by tomorrow morning." he replied. "I'm also going to check on Jamie and Sara's bloodwork, and see what I can come up with, Detective Knight. After Sara has her surgery sometime tomorrow, I'll be able to analyze and inspect her power cells to see if any leakage has occurred. If I find any leakage in her bio-electric cells, I'll be able to recommend any changes in the manufacture of the bio-electric cells." "Thank you, Doctor." Nick said quietly. "You're welcome, Detective." Gregory said pleasantly. "I'd better get started on my analysis of the bio-electric cells. If there's any change in Jamie's condition, I'll make sure that you're notified, Mrs. Roberts." "Thank you, Doctor. This takes a load off of my mind, and I'm glad that we know what's going on." Gloria said as she held Sandra's hand gently.. "I guess that means we can go home, Mom.." Sandra said, a smile lighting up her face. "It'll be nice to get some rest without having to worry about Jamie being okay." "Well, that's not a bad idea." Gregory said as he got up from the chair. "I'd like to talk to you before you leave, Mrs. Roberts." "Of course..." she said as she and the other members of the family got up from the sofa and prepared to leave the waiting room and go home. She turned to Nick and Natalie and said, "I hope that your friend Sara will be all right, too. It was nice to have met both of you." "And it was a pleasure to have met you, Mrs. Roberts." Nick said, giving her a smile. "Goodnight, Detective Knight... Doctor Lambert." "Good night, Mrs. Roberts..." Natalie said as she watched the Roberts family exit the waiting room. After the family had left the waiting room, she turned to Nick and asked, "So, what now? Are you still convinced that someone's out to sabotage Doctor's Spencer's project?" "Yes, I am, Nat." he replied. "Jamie's power cells haven't been examined yet, and there's the matter of who else might know about the replacement surgery other than Doctor Spencer and his medical team, and don't forget about Sara's surgery. Once it's been performed, Doctor Spencer will be able to examine the other power cells and find out what the problem was." "And that means what?" Natalie asked. "That means that if anyone else other than Doctor Spencer and his team know about the surgeries and the power cells, that could pose a problem. So, who else would know about it?" "Well..." Natalie said, after giving the question some thought, "other than Doctor Spencer and his surgical team, the only other people who might know about the surgeries would be whoever's bankrolling the project." "Exactly." Nick replied. "Since we know that BioCom's funding the regenerator project, Kincaid and whoever's part of the project would know about it." "You think that someone connected with BioCom might want to sabotage Doctor Spencer's project?" she asked. "How could that be done and when do you think that something might happen?" "I don't know yet, Nat, but I want to make sure that I don't miss anything." He pulled out his cell-phone and dialed the precinct. "I want to see if Trace has come up with anything on Doctors Williamson and Sandoval. I'm not sure when something might happen, but I want to be ready just in case..." After a few seconds, Nick said, "Tracy... Nick. Were you able to run a check on Doctors Thomas Williamson and Elena Sandoval?" "Yes, I was..." Tracy replied as he looked at the printout that was on her desk. "What were you able to find out? Is there anything in their records that would link them to BioCom?" "Not so far. I'm looking at Doctor Williamson's record right now. Let's see... Graduated with honors from the University of Toronto back in 1989, and he's been with Doctor Spencer for the last eleven years. He plucked him fresh out of graduate school to work with him on the regenerator project." "Was he working anywhere before Doctor Spencer recruited him?" Nick asked, in search of some link to Jonathan Kincaid. "Was he an intern at any laboratory or bio-tech company before Spencer hired him?" "Yep. Williamson had been working at Halliwell LifeSciences as a summer intern before Doctor Spencer tapped him to become part of his team. His special field is hemotology." "I see.... What about Doctor Sandoval? What do you know about her?" "Let's see here." Tracy said as she perused the other printout. "Doctor Elena Sandoval... She graduated from the University of Vancouver in 1987, two years before Doctor Williamson's graduation. As for her employment.... hmmm... here's something interesting..." "What have you found, Trace?" Nick asked, expecting to hear something that would arouse his interest. "She was an intern at Deighton Bio-Tech before she was tapped to join Doctor Spencer's team in 1990. That's around the same time that Jonathan Kincaid was making a name for himself there." Tracy said. "When Kincaid left two years later to start BioCom, Doctor Spencer was looking for another hemotologist to help him work on the regenerator's bio-electric power cell formula. Guess who got the job?" "Doctor Sandoval, right?" "That's right... and she came personally recommended by Jonathan Kincaid." "Looks like my hunch was right." Nick said. "Were you able to find out anything about anyone from BioCom who might have worked on the project with Spencer?" "Oddly enough.... there's someone named Doctor Paul Clifford. He was Doctor Sandoval's supervisor while they were at Deighton. When Doctor Spencer came to BioCom with the project, Doctor Clifford left Deighton to become the 'Project Manager' for the spinal nerve regenerator." "Do you have any information about him?" Nick asked, as he wrote in his notebook. "Where he went to school, how long he worked for Deighton...?" "I haven't been able to find any information on him, yet." Tracy said as she looked at the printout with a frown. "Perhaps Gail may be able to find out something about him tomorrow." "Well, you've given me enough to work with, so I think that I can take it from here." "What's happened so far, Nick?" "Surgery was already performed on Jamie Roberts tonight to remove the leaking bio-electric power cells, and Doctor Spencer wants to find out what caused the corrosion and leakage of the bio-electric battery. I have the feeling that someone might want to stop him from conducting his investigation into how and why those power cells malfunctioned." "That's a very serious hunch you're playing." Tracy replied. "You think that you can prove that Doctor Spencer's investigation is going to be sabotaged?" "Yes, but we've got to wait and see what happens tonight. If there's a potential threat coming, someone's got to make a move very soon." "Keep me posted, Nick. See you." "Bye, Trace..." Nick said, and slipped the cell-phone back into his pocket. "What was Tracy able to find out?" Natalie asked. "Anything interesting?" "Yes, she did, as a matter of fact..." Nick replied as he filled her in on what Tracy had found out about Doctor Spencer's colleagues. After he had finished speaking, Natalie was amazed by what she had heard. "So, do you think that someone might try to sabotage Doctor Spencer's investigation?" she asked him. "Perhaps..." Nick said. "Jamie's recovering from his surgery right now and Sara's about to undergo surgery soon, so they may be vulnerable to an attack." "What do we do now?" she wondered. "We wait until after Sara's undergone her surgery. If something's going to happen, it may happen after her bio-electric power cells have been removed and are examined." "Looks like we'll be in for a long night, Nick." "Yes, it does, Natalie..." he replied, giving her a slight smile. "Thanks for being here. I don't think that I could have gone through this without you." "You're welcome." She gave him a smile, and squeezed his hand gently. "Sara's going to be all right." "I'm sure that she will... " he replied. Doctor Spencer came back to the waiting room and approached Nick and Natalie. Both of them wondered what he'd tell them about Sara's surgery. "When will you operate on Sara, Doctor?" Nick asked him. "I've got her scheduled for surgery at about four-fifteen in the afternoon." he replied. "I want to make sure that my team and I are well-rested. We've got a long night of research ahead of us, and I can't afford to operate on her if we're tired. This is a delicate procedure, and it carries a certain risk, but if we're all rested, then the risk should be minimal." "I understand." Natalie replied. "When should I come back so I can sign the surgical consent form?" "Could you come back at about three-thirty, Doctor Lambert? I'll have the surgical consent forms ready for you to sign." Gregory told her. "That way, we'll be able to make preparations for the surgery and get started as soon as possible." "That wll be fine." she told him. "Does this mean that we can go home now?" "Well, there's not much that we can do until later this afternoon." Gregory replied. "Sara's condition will be carefully monitored, and I'll be sure to notify you and Detective Knight if there's been any change in her condition." "Thank you, Doctor." Nick said politely. "Good night." "You're welcome... Good night, Detective Knight... Doctor Lambert..." Gregory smiled and left the waiting room. "I guess that it's time for us to go, then..." Natalie said as she and Nick left the waiting room and headed for the exit. After they left the hospital and walked toward the the parking lot, Nick still had a lot on his mind and she was well aware of it. "Nick... I know that you're worried about Sara, but Doctor Spencer said that he won't operate on her until this afternoon. By then, Tracy and Gail may have found out more about Doctor Clifford and BioCom." she said as they approached their cars. "I know." he said, attempting to reassure her. "I just hope that my hunch is right about this." "Like you said, we just have to wait and see what happens." she replied. "Will you be all right?" "I'll be fine, Natalie. Thanks for being concerned. I'll stop by the precinct on my way home to see if Tracy's found out anything else... and I'll see you tomorrow night." "You're welcome. Bye, Nick..." She gave him a friendly wave and a smile, got into her car and drove away. Nick got into the Caddy and drove to the precinct to see what else Tracy was able to find out. The next hours would be a test of endurance for both of them, and they would have to wait until late afternoon before they would know if Sara and Jamie would pull through... and Nick hoped that he would be able to prevent their murders before it was too late... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 18/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, December, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 19/? Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 14:53:09 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 19/? ---- Early Friday morning... aboard a tour bus that's approaching Toronto... --- Nick's attempts to relax were fitful, and he was unable to rest. He sat up and peered through the blinds. The sky was brightening quickly and sunrise wasn't too far away. He got up from the couch and went to the bedroom. As he entered, he saw Sara lying in bed, sleeping peacefully. In spite of what she had said to him earlier that night about ending their relationship, he knew that they'd always be together. He slipped off his shirt and shoes and climbed in the bed, taking care not to awaken her. "I love you, Sara... and I know that you love me. I'm not ready to lose you after all of the struggles that we've gone through..." he whispered. It had been a while since they were able to sleep in the same bed together since the tour started, and he wasn't about to let this special moment slip away. He gently gathered her in his arms and held her, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. "You'll always be my girl, Sara... forever." Nick whispered as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, listening to the soft beating of her heart and the hum of the open road. --- As the line of gleaming black and silver tour buses continued their westward cruise down Highway 401, and getting closer to Toronto with each passing moment, Jack awakened slowly from sleep, and prepared himself for the task of making sure that Nick and his entourage got to the hotel with a minimum of trouble. When he noticed that Nick wasn't sleeping on the couch, he went back toward the bedroom to see if he was there. When he got to the bedroom, he peered inside and saw Nick holding Sara in his arms as they slept. A wry smile crossed Jack's lips as he looked at them, but his smile was mixed with a sense of relief. He had caught little snippets of their conversation last night, and he knew that all wasn't well between the two of them, especially since her brief disappearance in London a few months ago. He hoped that any problems Nick and Sara were having with their relationship could be worked out far away from the harsh light of public scrutiny, and Nick's decision to cancel the rest of the tour was actually a blessing in disguise. The last thing that Jack wanted was to have their break-up go public after they were in Europe and a potential problem arise if the press were to start asking her too many probing questions about her life with Nick. *Well, all's quiet between them for now...* Jack thought as he went back to the front of the bus to wake Josh and Fred and prepare the briefing that he would give the other tour members for their entrance into Toronto. *I just want them to make nice for the press until after the tour's over. If they call it quits before the tour ends, it would make front-page news... and I don't want to be caught in the middle of a big mess.* He sat down at a small table, took out his briefcase from the nearby storage cabinet, opened it, and went through the sheaf of papers, double-checking the schedule to make sure that they arrived at the Royal York Hotel, which wasn't far from the SkyDome where the concerts would be held. Josh and Fred were already awake and getting ready for the pandemonium that would ensue when Nick Knight and his "Revelation" world tour finally arrived at the hotel. "What time is it, Jack?" Josh asked as he went toward the kitchen to fix a pot of coffee. "It's eight-thirty-five now..." Jack replied, glancing at his watch. "Looks like we may get downtown just as rush hour's underway." "Oh, great... Rush hour traffic." Fred groaned as Josh came back with a pot of freshly-brewed coffee and three cups. "That's just what we don't need. It'll be tough getting Nick inside the hotel unnoticed, especially when the sun's up. When we pull up to the front entrance, we won't be able to get him inside without a few wisps of smoke appearing." "I know what you mean, Fred. If Nick starts smoking, that's not good news." Jack said as coffee was poured into a cup and handed to him. "If we turn off into the alley five blocks from the hotel, that'll provide Nick with some protection from the sun until we can get him inside. Also, if we go through the back entrance, the press and the paparazzi won't know that we're here. By the time we're checked in and settled, the press release about the European tour cancellation will have been sent out, and then... we'll be able to deal with the press." "Have you heard from Mike yet?" Fred asked as he looked at the city map that Jack was reading. "I'd been hearing rumors that 'Revelation' will go double platinum today, and the label's planning to make the most of it. If they're planning something for this weekend, I'd like some advance warning so we can have adequate security on hand just in case a few of the suits from the label show up." "I'll get the news from him later today." Jack took a sip of coffee while he double-checked the paperwork that was before him. "When the certification of record sales has been made official, then, the label will hold a ceremony to celebrate... and that's when our problems will really begin." "When do you think that'll happen?" Josh wondered as he poured some coffee for Fred and himself. "If the press gets wind of it early enough, they'll turn the SkyDome into total chaos. If we're short-handed when it comes to security... who knows what'll happen." "From what Mike told me last night, the label wants to hold the ceremony on Monday night, during Nick's final concert." Jack heaved a weary sigh. "Which means that the press, people from the local radio stations and the paparazzi will be out in force that night, and I don't want anything to go wrong. I'd hate to have everything that we've worked so hard to achieve get screwed up..." "Tell me about it..." Josh said sourly as he placed his cup on the table. "You think that Nick and Sara will be able to keep their problems from going public while we're here? They've managed to keep them private so far, and I hope it'll stay that way." "I hope so, too, but I want to talk to her about it before we get to the hotel so we can avoid any problems." Jack told him. "I've managed to keep their domestic squabbles out of the tabloids, but I'm wondering how long we can keep this charade going before something happens that will reveal that Nick Knight's not the man everyone thought he was." "Well... it better not happen on my watch. The negative publicity would wipe us out," Josh replied as he finished the last of his coffee, "and the headlines that would be splashed all over every newspaper and magazine cover if Nick's true nature was revealed would ensure that we'd never get a job anywhere." "I know what you mean, Josh. We'd be gossip rag fodder for a long time, and that's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." was Jack's sober reply. "Let's hope that Nick and Sara will behave themselves this weekend and not do anything stupid." "As long as they put on a good show in public, that's all that matters to me." Fred replied as he double-checked the security procedures that would be in place upon their arrival at the hotel. "When were you going to call the others and get the briefing set up?" "I'll do that in a few minutes." Jack pulled out his cell phone from his briefcase and placed it on the table. "I want to make sure that our security detail's ready when we get there, and we won't have to put too much strain on the local police." "Were you going to let them know that we're coming?" Josh asked him. "I don't want to get into any conflicts with the police while we're here." "Yes... I'll call them after the briefing, and let them know that we're coming here ahead of schedule." Jack said. "I didn't think that we'd arrive early, so that may help." --- The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee reached Sara's nose and roused her from sleep. As she opened her eyes, she felt someone lying next to her, and she turned around to see who was sleeping beside her. "Nick..." she murmered as she sat up in the bed and looked at him. "How did you manage to sneak in here last night?" As she gazed down at his handsome face, she recalled their little talk, and her emotions were in a state of termoil. Last night, he had asked her to marry him, but she couldn't say 'yes'. The prospect of becoming Nick Knight's wife overwhelmed her and she wasn't ready to face up to it yet. "Oh, Nick..." she sighed softly, "I think I love you, but I'm not sure..." For a moment, she thought about staying in bed with him, but the sound of voices coming from the front of the bus aroused her curiosity more. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After she washed her face and combed her hair, she found some clothes in a small dresser, took them out and got dressed. She put on a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black canvas sneakers and a pale pink cotton pullover sweater, checking herself carefully to make sure that she looked good for the morning's events. After she finished getting dressed and checking to make sure that no stray shatfs of sunlight were able to enter the bedroom, she walked toward the front of the bus to see what was happening. Jack looked up from his paperwork to see her approaching, and he was pleasantly surprised to see her. --- "Hey, Sara... Nice to see you this morning." he said, giving her a smile. "Usually, you're not awake until after noon..." "Well, I wanted to do something different to surprise you, Jack." she replied with a smile as she sat down on the sofa. "Besides... I thought I smelled coffee. Is there enough left for me to have a cup?" "Sure. Care for some cream and sugar?" Jack asked her as he leaned back in his chair, grateful for a brief break. "Yes, please. Thank you..." she replied as Josh got another cup from the cupboard and handed it to her. While Jack took the pot and poured the coffee into her cup, she asked, "So... are we there yet?" "We're not too far away. Looks like we may get downtown just as the rush hour starts." Jack gave the pot back to Josh, and he put it on the table. "I'm not too thrilled about it, though. When our buses roll into the city, and we get closer to the Royal York Hotel, someone's bound to spot us and notify the press about our arrival before we're ready to deal with them." "This isn't good, right?" She put the cream and sugar in the coffee and stirred it slowly, savoring the aroma and warmth. "I was under the impression that getting somewhere before rush hour was good." "Well, it's good if you're not Nick Knight, rock star. But if you are, that's a different story. There will be a lot of people around by the time we get to the hotel, and I want to make sure that Nick gets inside before someone spots him." Jack replied. "If anyone were to see him at the front entrance, it would be absolutely crazy." "I understand. How were we going to get inside the hotel without causing too much trouble?" she wondered. "We're going to go through the back entrance, and a security detail will be standing by when we get there." Jack replied while Sara sipped her coffee. "That way, we don't have to worry about Nick getting hit by a stray shaft of sunlight and going 'poof'. That's one major complication we don't need." "That's true. We'd all be in big trouble if he were a no-show for his last three concert dates." "Yes, we would. Hopefully, we shouldn't have any problems getting both of you inside before someone notices. I'll be making some calls in a few minutes, and everything should be ready when we get to the hotel." Jack knew that he'd have to ask her about the little discussion that she and Nick had last night, but he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. He took a deep breath and asked, "How are you and Nick getting along?" "Why are you so interested in our domestic problems, Jack?" she asked him after finishing her coffee. "It's the same old stuff." "No, it isn't, and you know it. I heard both of you arguing last night, and I want to know if you're going to be all right while we're here." There was a note of concern in his voice. "I don't want anything to go wrong when the press comes calling and they happen to overhear you and Nick arguing." "We didn't have an argument last night; it was a 'difference of opinion'." she told him as she placed her empty cup on the table. "We couldn't find any common ground, so we agreed to disagree; that's it. Period." "I understand that, but I don't want your personal problems to go public. If they do, the press will surround you like a school of hungry sharks. They'll be asking you questions about your life with Nick, and they'll be looking for anything that they can use to make him look bad." "Nick brought that up last night. He says that I can't handle myself if someone were to ask me a lot of questions about him." she replied, as the memory of their conversation came to mind. "He thinks that he can't trust me to keep his secret. I told him that I wouldn't say anything about what he is to anyone, and I meant it." "You might be able to get out of answering their questions with a 'no comment', but after a while, they won't accept it." Jack said as his cup was refilled with steaming black coffee, and Sara politely declined another cup. "They're going to keep after you until you tell them something, and what they want to hear is something juicy that'll sell papers and generate big ratings. If that happens, Nick's reputation will be damaged, possibly beyond repair. He'd become a liability that the record company couldn't afford... Need I go on?" "Do you think I don't know that?" she replied icily. "If you're worried about me slipping up and saying something to the press that I shouldn't, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not going to tell them what Nick really is. He doesn't need any more problems, and I'm not going to say anything that could hurt him." "I trust you to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with the press, but you can't be too careful." Jack was hesitant to bring up what happened between Nick and herself last night, but he needed to know what was going on. "Sara... I talked to Nick after he left your bedroom last night..." "Did he tell you his side of the story?" She glanced at her empty coffee cup for a moment. "Yes." he replied, wondering what she was about to say. "So... what did he tell you?" Sara appeared to be relaxed and calm, and Jack took it as a good omen. "He told me that he loves you... and he... he thinks that you're slipping away from him. That's why he cancelled the rest of the tour. He's afraid of losing you, and he wants to make sure that any problems you're having can be worked out before you decide to walk away from him. If you were to leave him, he would be devastated. Who knows what he might do?" "Why should that bother you? Our problems are nobody else's business." she said firmly. "It's a personal matter that's between us and it's going to stay that way." "If you and Nick have a 'discussion' that suddenly turns into a squabble, then it becomes my business." came his sharp reply. "If anyone else other than our entourage hears the two of you getting into an argument, they're bound to tell somebody about it. Next thing you know, the press will be swarming all over us, and I'll have to go on 'damage control' duty just to keep them at bay. It's not a job that I enjoy, and I've done it too many times during this tour. I hope that I won't have to do it again while we're here." As Sara listened to him carefully, she saw the look of displeasure in his eyes, and knew that he was serious. "Of course. You've done an excellent job of handling things, and I don't want to cause any problems for you." she said, her voice calm and neutral. "So... what do you need from me?" "I need you to pose for photo ops with Nick whenever they come up. I need you to sit for interviews, even though they bore you to death, and you're to be nice and gracious to the press... and for goodness sake, don't pull another disappearing act on us here like you did in London." Jack felt a little uncomfortable barking orders to her, but his main concern was that nothing go wrong. "I don't want Nick going crazy over where you are and doing something stupid that could blow his cover. Just look happy and be charming, even though you may not be feeling that way." "Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it." Her voice gave no indication that she was displeased with what he had told her. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll do my part to make things pleasant." "I'm delighted to hear that, Sara." Jack said, relieved that there would be at least one less problem that he'd have to worry about. "I'll have my hands full dealing with the press, the promoters and the suits from the record company over that platinum record ceremony on Monday night, so, will you and Nick please be on your best behavior this weekend?" "I'll be on my best behavior this weekend, Jack. I promise..." was Sara's sweet reply as she peered out the window and saw the Toronto skyline coming into view. A surge of childlike excitement flowed through her body as she saw the familiar skyline as it shimmered in the brilliant early morning sunlight. She hoped that while she was here, she'd be able to find the clues that would lead her back to her old life... and to the man who had changed her life in so many wonderful ways. As she continued to look out of the window as the bus sped down Highway 401 toward the Yonge Street exit, Sara felt exhilarated and the look on her face was radiant with delight at what was yet to come. Jack glanced up from his paperwork to see her sitting in the sunlight, and he wondered if Nick knew how fortunate he was to have Sara in his life. *If things were different, Sara, you might have been with me instead of Nick...* he thought wistfully as he looked at her. *Perhaps you might have been happy being a Medical Examiner's wife... then again, maybe not, I don't know. I hope that Nick realizes what a lucky man he is to have your love...* After a moment, Jack placed a call to the security people who were traveling on the other buses to let them know that they had arrived in Toronto, and to get everyone ready for another long weekend... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 19/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, December, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 20/? Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 01:00:57 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU The Usual Disclaimer Stuff is in part 1... Mild profanity here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 20/? ---- Dr. Spencer's office... Tuesday morning... in the real world... 2:15 am... --- Gregory Spencer rubbed his eyes wearily after examining the power cells that had been removed from Jamie Roberts' regenerator. There were obvious signs of corrosion around the battery casing, and he noticed that at least ten percent of the material that had powered each battery had leaked into Jamie's bloodstream, and this was disturbing. What disturbed him even more were the early test results that Thomas had sent him after he had drawn Sara's blood and had it analyzed in comparison with Jamie's blood sample. "This isn't good... not at all..." Gregory muttered as he read Thomas's report carefully. "Both of them have had serious battery leakage, and the material from the bio-electric cells are in their bloodstream... Possible brain chemistry changes from the introduction of the minerals from the battery into their bloodstreams may have caused their comas." A sour look was on his face as he kept reading. "Highly possible that some of the minerals may have entered their bloodstreams and went straight to their brains... a CAT scan may be necessary to find out what part of the brain the minerals may have settled in... Great... this is just what I didn't need to know..." "Damn it all..." he sighed wearily as he put the folder down on his desk, "the bio-electric cells shouldn't have leaked, but there are enough traces of the minerals in their blood that could have disrupted their brain chemistry and especially if some of those minerals are in their brain tissue. I'll have to operate on Sara later today and find out if her bio-electric cells are leaking as badly as Jamie's. This isn't what I expected... not at all. I'll also run a CAT scan on both of them tomorrow. Looks like I'll have an interesting preliminary report to send off to Kincaid soon." He got up from the chair, took out a set of keys from his pants pocket and locked the door to his office just to make sure that nobody walked in on him unexpectedly. After he had done that, he put the folder in his top desk drawer, locked it, slipped the keys in his pants pocket, sat down in his chair and relaxed. He wanted to get as much rest as he could before he operated on Sara. This was no time for him to make a mistake that could cost Sara her mobility or her life, and he was all too aware that he'd be watched carefully while he was operating on her, and the fact that Kincaid felt the need to send Paul to the hospital to be an observer rankled him deeply. *I'm sure that this'll go off without a hitch....* he thought as he leaned back in the chair and slowly drifted off to sleep. *After I get some rest, I'll perform her surgery this afternoon. The OR won't be too busy, and after her surgery's done, I can find out what happened to her bio-electric cells. I just hope that I can keep Paul out of it...* --- Meanwhile... at the nurses station on the fifth floor... 2:28 am.. ---- Doctor Elena Sandoval had just finished looking over Jamie and Sara's blood chemistry reports that Thomas had prepared, and she wasn't happy with what she read. *If what Thomas discovered is right, then Sara and Jamie have been affected by the minerals in those bio-electric cells even more than we had imagined...* she thought as she read the papers carefully. *This is definitely something to consider, and it may be time to reformulate the chemical shield so corrosion and leakage won't occur. Who knows what those minerals may have done to the chemical balance of their brains? I need to check on something... just to make sure that I'm right...* She tucked the report under her arm and left the desk. She needed some answers to the questions that had been raised by Thomas's report, and she went to Sara's room to get those answers. As she stepped inside the room, switched on the light and approached the bed where Sara lay, she noticed that the EEG monitor had an unusual pattern that she had never seen before. "This is curious..." Elena muttered softly as she glanced at the monitor. "Her brain wave patterns are off the scale, yet she's breathing on her own, just like Jamie. They aren't supposed to be like this. I wonder... Did she have these brain wave patterns before she went into the coma? If she did, then that might explain what happened to her... and to Jamie, if my hunch is right." She opened the file and checked Thomas's initial analysis on Jamie and Sara's bloodwork and noted that both of them had an unusual amount of certain minerals in their bloodstream which had the capability of changing their blood chemistry. "If this is the case... then their brain chemistry may have been affected as well..." she muttered softly. "This would certainly be an interesting development, especially if the minerals in their bloodstream went to their brains... and settled in an area of the brain that we may not have known about..." As she stood with her back to the door, deep in thought, she was unaware that the door to Sara's room had opened and someone was approaching her from behind, trying to make sure that she didn't become aware of his presence right away. Just as she was about to turn around to see who was approaching her, there was a surge of pain that raced across the back of her head and everything suddenly went pitch black... "So sorry about this, Elena..." a man's voice whispered, "but I need this file. Hope that you don't mind..." He picked up the file from off the floor, and slipped out of room 501 before Elena became aware of what had happened to her. After a few minutes, Elena regained conciousness, as she moaned and rubbed the back of her head. The blow that she had taken was hard enough to cause her some discomfort and she wondered who could have sneaked up behind her and struck her on the head.. "Ohhhhhhhhhh.... that hurts..." she said, wincing in pain as she tried to stand up. As Thomas was passing by room 501 on his way from the lab, he looked inside and saw Elena as she attempted to get up from the floor. He rushed in and helped her over to a nearby chair. "Elena... What happened? Are you all right?" he asked her after she sat down in the chair. "I came in to check on Sara to see how she was doing and to find out something that you had written in your report... the next thing I know, I was struck from behind..." she said, still in pain from the blow. "I had that report that you had written up on Jamie and Sara's blood chemistry when I came in here... and I couldn't find it when I regained conciousness! It's gone!" "Oh, no!" Thomas said as he looked around the room in search of the report that he had given her. "Do you know who hit you?" "No, I don't, Thomas... It happened so fast that I couldn't see who hit me or what he hit me with." "Oh, man..." he muttered. "I don't believe it!" "Well, believe it, because it happened." she replied, gingerly touching the back of her head for any sort of bump. "Who do you think might have attacked me and stolen the report?" "I have a good idea about who did this... because he's done it before, Elena... and you know it." "No..." Elena said slowly. "He wouldn't do this. Why would he?" "You know why he'd do it." Thomas replied angrily. "Paul Clifford's been wanting to get our project derailed for the past six years and if he can sabotage us to make us look bad, then what makes you think that he wouldn't try to doctor my blood chemistry analysis to make it look like the regenerator was killing them." "Does Gregory know about what Paul may have planned?" "Yes, he does, and we're going to make sure that he doesn't shut us down. Are you going to be all right? Will you be able to assist us with the surgery later this afternoon?" "Yeah, I think so...." she said. "I'm still a little sore, though. Do you think that Paul can get access to your report and the blood samples? If he does, he could sabotage them... and do enough damage which would make sure that Jonathan cuts off our funding." "No. I made sure that he can't get to any of the blood samples or what I've been able to come up with so far." Thomas replied as he led Elena out of room 501 and took her back to the nurses station. "Whatever he managed to get is still preliminary, and blood samples are to taken later today and analyzed to see if the mineral content of Jamie's blood has changed, and if Sara's got any more minerals from the bio-electric cell in her bloodstream as well. I also recommended that both of them have CAT scans done, and we can see if I'm right about possible mineral depositis in their brain tissue." "Do you think that we should tell Gregory about my attack?" she asked. "No... not yet." Thomas replied firmly as he checked the back of her neck for any bruises. "He's already got enough to worry about, and he doesn't need anything else that will add to his worries. Besides, if Paul finds out that we're on to him, who knows what he might do. We've got to keep him distracted as much as possible." "I know...." she said with a weary sigh, as Thomas was able to find a cold pack and placed it on the back of her head. "I don't know why Jonathan wanted him to oversee the regenerator project. He's tried to oppose us at every step, from the development of the regenerator to the production of the bio-electric cells, and this would be a golden opportunity to mess things up for us. I'm not going to let that happen. We've got two lives that are at stake, and I don't want to sacrifice them at the altar of Paul's ambition." She paused for a moment, then asked, "What do we do, then? How can we keep him away from our investigation without letting him know that we're on to him? "We just wait and see what he does." Thomas told her. "If we can feed him enough false information to keep him on a wild-goose chase, that may keep him away from us long enough so we can remove Sara's bio-electric cells and get them examined. As long as we don't know what's causing the bio-electric power cells to leak, who knows what may happen to Sara if we delay the procedure. Are you going to be all right?" "Yeah, I think so. Nothing that a cold compress and a couple of aspirin can't handle." Elena's faint smile reassured him that she'd be okay, but he knew that she'd have to be watched carefully to make sure that the injury didn't interfere whith her ability to assist them with the procedure. "Good. I'll make sure that Gregory gets those CAT scan recommendations later today, and we might be able to get Jamie scanned before we operate on Sara. I don't want Paul to screw this up for us." "I know." Elena replied soberly. "I know..." "Let's go. We've got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. I just hope that nothing's happened..." Both of them left the nurse's station and headed back to the blood chemistry lab, whenere his investigation had yielded some interesting results that he wanted to share with her. --- The doctor's lounge.... 2:38 am... --- Paul Clifford sat on the couch in the doctor's lounge, thrilled with the file that he now possessed. No longer would Gregory and his team try to shut him out of their project; he was going to find out exactly what Spencer and his team had been doing behind his back when it came to working on the spinal nerve regenerator. As he read the file, he noted that the report was sketchy and contained a few hints about what may have happened to Sara and Jamie, but there was nothing that he could seize upon as a way to discredit the spinal nerve regenerator project. *I'll just have to wait until I can get the rest of the test results...* he thought as he closed the file and laid it down on his lap. *There's nothing in this file that I can use, but that will change.. and it'll change very soon. Then, I can make my move... and get what I so richly deserve...* He was reluctant to return the file right away, but he felt that Jonathan should know what was going on and he was going to have the privilege of telling him all about it. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, dialed Jonathan Kincaid's number and waited for him to answer. "Hello, Jonathan.... this is Paul. I have some very interesting news for you about the spinal nerve regenerator..." "You do?" Kincaid's voice held a note of surprise. "What have you found out, Paul? Is it something interesting?" "Yes, it is..." he replied as he opened the file and found what he was looking for. "You'll be interested in what I've learned, Mr. Kincaid... believe me..." "I'm very interested in what you've learned, Paul." Kincaid replied. "I want this project to be successful, and I hope that there's nothing that could... derail it. Have you found something that may be cause for concern?" "Well, sir... there's a glitch that may hold up the project, but it's nothing that can't be fixed." "Tell me about it, then..." he said, wondering what he would find out. Paul filled him in on what he was able to find out about the regenerator and the leaking batteries. After he had listened to Paul's report, Kincaid said, "What you've told me isn't much. Until all of the test results are in from Ms. McClendon and Mr. Roberts, there's very little that can be done. When will Ms. McClendon have her surgery?" "I don't know, sir. I haven't been told when that will be." Paul replied. Kincaid was silent for a moment before he answered. "When you find out when her surgery's scheduled, be sure that you're there in the OR to observe, and to make sure that the implantation's successful. After that's been done, I expect a report on what's wrong with the regenerator. I sent you to work with Gregory on it, and I want both of you to cooperate." Paul caught the note of suspicion in Kincaid's voice, and he hoped that he'd be able to do the job that he wanted to do. "Of course..." he replied. "I'll make sure that there are no problems, and I'll make sure that you get the report shortly." "Thank you, Paul. We've got a lot riding on this project... and I don't want any mistakes." Kincaid replied, apparently satisfied with what he'd been told. "Good night then..." Good night, sir..." Paul hung up the cell phone, put it in his jacket pocket, sat on the sofa with the file still on his lap, and pondered his next move. After planning what he'd do, he left the doctor's lounge and managed to sneak back to the nurses' station on the fifth floor. Nobody was at the desk, which made it easy for him to place the file there without having to answer any questions. He went back to the lounge, stretched out on the sofa and drifted off to sleep just as dawn was about to come upon the city... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 20/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, December, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 21A/? Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 00:21:26 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A lil' mild profanity... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 21A/? ---- Early Tuesday morning... at the 96th Precinct... in the real world... --- Nick Knight checked into the 96th Precinct a little after two-thirty in the morning, and headed toward his desk. He wanted to find out if Tracy was able to find out anything else about BioCom, Jonathan Kincaid and Paul Clifford and their connection to Gregory Spencer and his spinal nerve regenerator. He had enough suspicions about what was going on to contemplate ordering an official investigation, but he also knew that he'd have to come up with something more substantial in order to satisfy Captain Reese. --- "Hey, Trace..." Nick said as he sat down at his desk. "Were you able to find out anything about Paul Clifford?" "Not much so far..." Tracy replied as she handed him the printouts and he took them from her. "According to the little bit of information that I could get, Paul Clifford is a man with some question marks in his past, and so far, he's managed to hide them well." "All the more reason for us to dig a little deeper." he replied, carefully studying the printouts for anything useful. "This is very strange." "What is?" she asked him. "We have a bio-tech company whose CEO is a genius, but he's also got a checkered past as far as corporate espionage is concerned." Nick replied. "The man that he chose to be manager of a project that could save thousands of lives and make billions of dollars also has a questionable past. Add to that the fact that just before the project's about to go public, two people who had the regenerator implanted in them suddenly lapse into comas, along with some lingering questions about how BioCom got it's startup money. There's a lot more going on here than meets the eye." "You may be right, Nick." Tracy said thoughtfully. "We've got plenty of information that would help to establish a motive for the potential sabotage of Doctor Spencer's project, but unless we've got a clear suspect who'd actually make an attempt to sabotage the project, we've got very little to go on." "I have a feeling that something may happen soon, especially after Sara's had her surgery done, and her blood's been analyzed to see if there's any traces of the bio-electric battery materials in her bloodstream." Nick told her. "If Doctor Spencer or one of his team finds anything unusual, someone may make sure that that information never sees the light of day." "That's something to consider. When will Sara's surgery happen?" "Sometime late this afternoon. Natalie will call me and let me know how things went." Nick said, a weary sigh escaping from his lips. "I'll be at the hospital after sunset, just in case something happens." Captain Reese had come out of his office and went over to talk to Nick and Tracy. There was a look of concern on his face, and he wanted to find out how their investigation was proceeding. "Have either of you come up with anything new?" he asked them. "Not yet, Cap." Tracy replied. "So far, we've got very little to go on. There are a lot of things which aren't adding up, but nothing's happened yet that will help us to put this together." "That's not much help to us right now. How's Sara doing?" he asked Nick. "Is there any change in her condition?" "She's stable," Nick said, "but still in a coma. They're going to perform surgery on her to remove the regenerator and to see if the bio-electric batteries may have leaked and if some of the material from the batteries may have entered her bloodstream." "You think that the regenerator may have caused her coma?" Reese wondered. "Perhaps." Nick replied. "From what Doctor Spencer's told me, the minerals in the battery that powered her regenerator may have leaked and went into her bloodstream. He's going to have her blood analyzed and find out if that's the case." "And do you suspect that the project may be sabotaged sometime later tonight?" "Yes, Cap." Nick said. "Right now, there's not much for us to go on. I hope that we'll be able to get more information about Jonathan Kincaid and BioCom later today and find out if there's any connection between him and the members of Doctor Spencer's research team. We can also find out about his company's financial support for the regenerator. As long as Sara hasn't been operated on, I doubt that the saboteur will make a move, but after her surgery's been performed... that's when we'll have to keep an eye on things." "Of course..." Reese said. "If you suspect that there's enough probable cause that an attempt on her life may be made later tonight, I'm willing to back you up on this, Knight. Let's just hope that you're right." "I want to be sure that I'm right." Nick replied, knowing that he had gone too far to turn back. "When are you going back to the hospital?" "Tonight. I'll be with her after the surgery's been performed on her, and to make sure that she'll be all right." "Good. Tracy... I want you to go with Nick to the hospital." Reese told her. "If anything comes up, I want to make sure that both of you are on it." "We'll be sure to let you know, Cap." Nick told him. "And I'd like to have a report from you on my desk by Friday. If there's any merit to your investigation, I want to make sure that the Crown Prosecutor's kept informed." Reese told them. "If you're right about any sabotage taking place after Ms. McClendon's surgery later tonight, this may be a lot more serious than we thought..." "Of course..." Tracy replied. "Hopefully, we may have come up with something useful by then." "All right. Both of you have put in a long night, so why don't you go home and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow night." "Will do." Nick said, giving him a faint smile. "Talk to you tomorrow." "Good night...." Reese nodded, left the two detectives and headed back to his office. "Looks like that's our cue to call it a night." Tracy said as she put her paperwork away and got ready to go home. "When did you want me to get in touch with Gail?" "Why don't you call her at about ten this morning, and see if she's come up with anything. She may be able to find out more about Paul Clifford and perhaps both of you can do some brainstorming. I'll drop by here just before we go to the hospital and you can brief me on anything new that you and Gail were able to find." Nick said as he put a file away in his desk drawer. "She may have been able to find out more about Kincaid, BioCom and Doctor Clifford by then, and I'm interested in what she may have found out." "Sounds good to me. See you tomorrow night..." Tracy got up from her desk and went to the coat rack to get he coat. "Bye, Nick..." "Bye, Trace..." Nick said as he watched her leave the precinct. He picked up the small framed photograph of Sara that sat on his desk and looked at it, recalling the memories of their time together. He had put the photo on his desk three months ago, much to the delight and good-natured teasing of some of his fellow cops. The photo had been taken last Valentine's Day at Azure, and he recalled her surprise and delight when they arrived at their table and it was surrounded by a dozen dozen roses. Sara was radiant as she sat among the bouquets of brightly colored roses, smiling happily with the warmth that came from knowing that she was loved. After a brief moment, he placed the photo back on his desk and left the precinct. As he drove back to the loft, he knew that something would happen after Sara had had her surgery, and that he'd have to be ready for anything, and he hoped that he wouldn't be too late to save her... --- Friday morning... in Toronto... --- As the line of buses went down Yonge Street and approached the alley behind the Royal York, Jack was manning the phone, and getting things together for their arrival, while Sara sat by quietly, waiting to see how they'd be able to get Nick inside without getting struck by the sun. It was eight-fifteen and rush hour was already underway. --- "All right, Jim..." Jack said, holding his cell phone and looking out the window every few seconds as the buses made their approach toward the hotel. "Is everything ready for our arrival? I want to make sure that Nick gets inside before the sun gets to our part of the alley." "Yes, Jack, everything's ready..." Jim replied. "The police have been notified and they've set up a discreet security cordon around the hotel, so that should keep crashers out. If we don't have to worry about crashers, that should enable us to check in and get settled with few problems." "Good... What about the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors? Have they been prepared, especially the suite where Nick and Sara will be staying? I want to make sure that the bedroom's dark enough so Nick can rest, and that a good supply of his usual drink is in the suite when we arrive. We don't need to have the window shades open just as we get him inside; otherwise... we're history." "That's all been taken care of, and the back entrance has been prepared, so the check in should be no problem. Have you heard from Mike about the ceremony yet?" "I'll talk to him this evening, Jim, and find out what's going on. When Mike tells me that the sales numbers are official, and what the label wants to do, then we can make our plans accordingly." "Great..." Jim replied. "Everyone on the other buses are ready to go, so we can make our move." "We're turning off into the alley right now, so have everyone ready to go inside as soon as we get to the rear entrance." Jack told him. "Josh and Fred will get Nick and Sara inside, then we'll go to the front desk to get us checked in. Make sure that everyone's off the buses and in the hotel... and that the security teams makes a sweep of the buses. I'll talk to you after we get inside and get ourselves settled. Bye." "Bye, Jack..." Jim said "See you later." The line of buses had turned off into a nearby alley, and with each minute, the rear entrance of the Royal York drew closer and closer. Jack had hung up the phone, placed it inside his jacket pocket, and placed his paperwork in his briefcase. "Okay, Sara... time for us to get ready. Do you have everything you need?" he asked her. "Yes, I do." she replied as she slung her purse over her right shoulder. "What about Nick? What do we do?" "Simple...." Jack replied as they headed toward the bedroom and stepped inside. "We wake him, make sure that he's covered up, and get him inside the hotel before the sun gets to our part of the alley." He looked down at Nick, and woke him up. "Nick... Nick... wake up. We're here." Jack said as he grasped his left arm and attempted to pull him out of bed. "We've got to get you checked in before the sun rises. You don't want to become a pile of ashes, do you?" "Oh, no..." Nick groaned sleepily as he slowly opened his eyes to see Jack and Sara standing before him. "We can't be here already?" "We're here, Nick..." Sara told him as she busied herself looking for something to protect Nick from the sunlight. "I just hope that we can get you inside before the sun's up too high." "That shouldn't be much of a problem..." he mumbled sleepily as he looked for his shirt. Jack picked it up from the floor, tossed it into a bag, then he got a clean shirt out of the small dresser and handed it to him. Nick slipped it on and prepared himself for their entrance into the hotel. "Is everything ready, Jack?" "Yes, Nick. The security detail has both floors secured, the surveillance equipment's already been set up, and you should have no problems getting to your suite. Your luggage will be checked after we get you and Sara inside... and your usual beverage is inside a cooler in the suite." Jack replied as the bus slowed down as it moved through the alley and came to a stop behind the Royal York. "All right. Josh... Fred... are you ready to get Nick inside?" "We're all set." they replied in unison as they got the woolen blankets out from a nearby cabinet, ready to drape them over Nick before they left the bus. "Let's get going..." Jack left the bedroom first, followed by Nick and Sara. Nick picked up his gray jacket from off of the couch and put it on while Sara picked up her overnight bag from the floor, and made sure that she had everything that she'd need. "We're livin' "La Vida Rock and Roll", Sara..." Nick said as Josh handed him a pair of dark glasses, while Fred covered him with a heavy wool blanket, making sure that his upper body was completely covered. The bus doors opened, and Nick, Jack and Sara were immediately rushed inside the rear entrance of the hotel, surrounded by a small group of private security agents, while the police kept a discreet distance. They went to the front desk to check in, and were greeted by puzzled looks from the people who were in the lobby. However, that all changed when Fred removed the blanket from the figure that stood at the front desk. As soon as everyone got a good look at who was about to check in, the lobby was filled with squeals, cheers and applause from all who were there. Jack wasn't thrilled about what was happening around them, but he managed to see the other members of Nick's entourage filing into the lobby, and he hoped that he'd be able to get everyone to their rooms without too much trouble. As they stood at the front desk, gasps, giggles and squeals of delight could be heard as word spread that Nick Knight had arrived, and it wasn't long before the police had to step in to make sure that Nick and the rest of his entourage were able to get checked in. Sara stood close to Nick, clutching her purse and overnight bag tightly, worried about the press of the crowd that gathered to see what was happening. --- *I hope that we can get through this in one piece...* Sara thought as she nervously glanced at the growing crowd while Jack finished checking everyone in. The police and Nick's private security detail were able to keep the crowd at bay while the group headed toward the bank of elevators that would take them to their floors. They stepped inside the elevator, followed by an attendant who wheeled in a cart that was filled with their luggage. The elevator doors closed and they were whisked to the twenty-fourth floor. When they got out of the elevator, Jack, Nick and Sara were given a security sweep by one of the security guards, and each of them were given a special holographic pass which identified them as members of the "Revelation" tour. "I feel like I'm at a military base, Nick." Sara muttered as the security guards inspected her luggage and the pass was placed around her neck. "I'll be so glad when this is over." "Just three more days, Sara." Nick said quietly, after his luggage had been inspected and put back on the cart. "Can you be patient a just little longer, baby?" "I'll try, but it's not going to be easy." she replied. "I know that, and I promise that things will be different.'' he said as they boarded the elevator that took them to the twenty-fifth floor. "I love you, Sara." "Thanks... I love you, too, Nick." she said, her voice calm and quiet as he reached out and held her hand tenderly. The elevator whisked them to the twenty-fifth floor. As soon as they arrived, the doors opened, they left the elevator and walked down the corridor toward the Ambassador's Suite. Jack took the key card, slipped it into the electronic lock and the door opened slowly, revealing a spacious, comfortable living area furnished with all of the amenities that they'd need for their stay. "Wow, Jack..." Sara said as they entered the suite, and she looked around the well-furnished room, with it's pastel-blue walls, and comfortable furniture, including a big-screen tv. "This is so nice! I like this." "Glad you approve." Jack said as Josh and Fred checked to make sure that Nick had what he needed, while Nick picked up a couple of his bags and headed for the bedroom. "This will be perfect for our little get togethers. Marjie and the girls will love it." "I'm sure that they'll be delighted to hang out here." Sara said, sitting down on the sofa and trying to relax. "Jack... you did a great job of getting us inside before the crowd got out of hand. I was so glad that the security detail was able to keep the crowd back so we could get to the elevator." "Thanks, Sara. It's nice to know someone appreciates the work that you do." he said as he sat down beside her. "You're welcome." She knew that she had to say something else to Jack about what he had done during the last few days, and she decided to tell him what was on her mind. "I'm sorry that I wound up in the hospital on Sunday. I - I didn't expect that to happen." "There's no need for you to apologize. The stress of the touring that we've done finally took it's toll on you. You certainly didn't plan to have a fainting spell, did you?" Jack's eyes twinkled softly as he spoke. "I didn't plan to have that happen, believe me." she said as Josh and Fred nodded to Jack, and made a discreet exit from the suite. "Are you upset about it?" "No." Jack replied. He had been attracted to Sara ever since he started working for Nick, and he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but he was at a loss about what to say. "Sara... I... uh... I wanted to thank you." "Thank me for what?" she asked, wondering what he had on his mind. "For... just being yourself. I know that things between you and Nick haven't been too good recently and..." "Nick and I... we've got problems, and they'll be worked out, but I'm worried about you.'' she said. "Are you going to be all right? I mean, you'll be dealing with the promoters and the record company guys this weekend and you've done so much for us already..." "I'll be all right, Sara. Thanks for being concerned about me. I really appreciate it." he replied. Jack didn't want things to get out of hand if Nick were to come back and catch him and Sara in a compromising situation, and he hoped that it could be avoided. In the meantime... Nick had showered, changed his clothes, and left the bedroom to see if Sara was comfortable. As he walked down the hall toward the living room, he could hear Jack and Sara talking. He wondered what was going on, so he stood near the end of the hallway, and peered into the room to see what was happening. --- "You've managed to keep the tour going, and I wanted to thank you for covering for our... mistakes," Sara told him, "especially when I passed out on Sunday. I know that it wasn't easy for you to keep my hospitalization out of the papers, but you did, and I wanted you to know that I appreciate it. Thank you..." She leaned over and and kissed him on the cheek. Jack took her in his arms and held her tenderly, as Nick felt a surge of jealousy while he watched them. "You're welcome..." Jack said softly, stroking her hair, holding her, and enjoying the comfort of her arms. "I was so afraid that you'd never wake up. I don't know what would've happened if..." "I know..." Sara replied, releasing him from her tender embrace. "Doctor Cross told me about Nick not wanting to do those shows at the Molson Centre because I was in the hospital, and you were able to persuade him to perform. I'm glad that you told him to go on with the shows, because that's exactly what I would have wanted him to do..." "Nick's a lucky man, Sara." Jack said tenderly as they got up from the sofa and walked to the front door. "I hope that he won't let you won't slip away from him." "Time will tell." She paused for a moment, then said, "So, when will you be hearing from Mike?" "Sometime this evening, I think. When the final record sales numbers are confirmed, the record company suits will throw a party on Monday night after Nick's final concert. That should give us enough time to make sure that our security team's out in force so trouble won't have a chance to pop up." "Well, I'll be on my best behavior when they get here on Monday. You won't have too much to worry about, I hope." She smiled, and Jack felt relieved. "What about the press?" "The press won't be bothering us today, but I'd suggest that you enjoy your day off, because you'll be smiling for them during the next three days. When they get here, please be nice to them... Okay?" "I'll be nice to them, Jack, I promise." she said, giving him a smile. "Where will you, Josh and Fred be if we need you?" "If you need me, I'm right down the hall in room 2503 and Josh and Fred are in room 2504. Everyone else is getting settled in their rooms and we'll all be taking it easy. The security teams are stationed in the corridors near the elevators and around all of the exits, so when you get ready to leave your room, make sure that you're wearing your pass." "Great... Thanks for letting me know." "You're welcome. Talk to you later, Sara. Bye..." "Okay, Jack. See you then... Bye." She opened the door, let Jack out, and locked it. When she turned around, Nick was sitting on the couch, dressed in a white tank top and black cotton pants, his hazel eyes burning with anger. "Sara... why did you kiss Jack?" he snapped as she sat down in a nearby chair and looked at him coolly. "Because... he deserves to know that someone gives a damn about what he does to keep your - our - antics out of the papers!" Sara shot back as she fingered the pass around her neck nervously. "I wanted him to know that I care about him... and that I love him as a friend." "So you give him a kiss to prove your friendship?" Nick demanded. "And what's wrong with that? There's nothing romantic going on between us and you know it. Jack's kept this tour together, and I appreciate what he's done for us. Besides, it was just a kiss on the cheek, for goodness sake, nothing more!" She paused briefly as a thought occurred to her. "Are you jealous, Nick? Is that why you're acting like this?" "Yes... I'm jealous. How am I supposed to feel, especially since we haven't made love in months?" The pain was evident in Nick's voice as he looked at her. "You never told me last night where I stood with you, and I'm wondering if you're still my girl. When you kissed Jack, I had a sick feeling that I was going to lose you to him." "I told you last night that if you can't trust me, we're history." she replied. "How can I tell you where you stand with me if I can't trust you and you won't trust me? You heard what we were talking about, so you know better than to accuse Jack of being romantically interested in me." She got up from the chair, picked up her purse, and walked toward the front door. "I've had enough of this nonsense from you, Nick. I can't keep living with your suspicions about me anymore. I'm out of here..." "Sara... Sara... Sara? Where are you going?" Nick said, quickly getting up from the sofa and approaching her just as she was about to open the door and leave the suite. "Are you about to pull another disappearing act on me like you did when we were in London?" "I haven't made up my mind about what I want to do." she replied, leaning against the door, gazing upon him with an icy chill, daring him to do something to stop her. "Give me a reason not to disappear from your life, Nick. Give me a reason why I shouldn't walk away from you." "I can give you a reason not to disappear from my life, Sara. I can give you a reason not to walk away from me..." Nick pulled her to him, kissed her passionately... and her plan to escape from him slowly slid away with every kiss and tender caress. He picked her up, carried her into the darkened bedroom, placed her gently on top of the bed and kissed her like she had never been kissed before. The memory of Nicholas deBrabant was fading from her mind as Nick showed her how much he wanted - no, needed - her and her love... --- A RickNick/Sara Louise love scene which was too hot for the FKFic-L adult header is in part 21B, which is available upon request... and will also be available at the FTP site. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 21A/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, December, 2000 Subject: In Another Life---Part 21B/? Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 00:21:40 EST From: SFryar@aol.com To: SFryar@aol.com CC: stephke@iglou.com It's vampire/mortal erotica time... let me know if you enjoyed this part... :) In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 21B/? --- Nick carried Sara into their bedroom, and placed her gently upon the king-sized bed. He sat on the side of the bed and kissed her, caressing her tenderly. She struggled to resist him and his passionate kisses, but her resistance to his advances slipped away with each passing moment. After he had finished kissing her, he turned on the lamp on the bedside table, climbed in the bed and sat on his knees facing her. "Nick? What are you doing?" she asked as a wave of confusion swept over her. "Something we haven't done since we left Tokyo." Nick replied, after he pulled his shirt up over his head and flung it to the floor. "I want to make love to you, Sara. I miss loving you, and I wonder if you're still in love with me." "Nick..." Sara sat up in the bed and looked at him curiously, "what makes you think that I'm not in love with you?" "Because..." he said quietly. "Because I kissed Jack? Is that what's bothering you?" she asked, trying not to let Nick's handsome face, well-sculptured physique, delicately pale skin and warm, sensual voice distract her. "I told you that it was a friendly kiss; that's all." "It's much more than that..." he replied, gazing into her dark eyes and touching her face with a tenderness that surprised her. "I'm afraid that I'll lose you forever, and I don't know what we'd do if you walked away." ' 'We'? Who's 'we', Nick?" she asked, confused and puzzled by his remark. "The vampire and the human that live inside me." he replied, taking her hand and placing it upon his chest. "Both parts of me are in love with you. The vampire loves you deeply, even more than the human. He needs your love and he'd be lost without you." "Why do you say that the vampire would be lost without me?" Sara tried to cling to the memory of Nicholas de Brabant, and not give in to the Nick Knight who was sitting before her, but it was becoming more difficult with each passing moment. "How does he feel about me? Does he love me?" "Yes, he loves you." Nick said, the passion evident in his voice. "You showed him that he could be loved and cherished for who he was. He was afraid that no one would accept him because he was a vampire, but you were able to see beyond the monster. You were able to find the humanity that was locked within him. He accepted the love you freely gave him and you accepted his." Nick held her close, delighting in the softness and warmth of her body and her slowly awakening desire for him. "Without your love, I'm incomplete." he whispered softly. "Sara Louise... I'm yours... forever." Sara felt a powerful wave of desire for him as his mouth kissed hers hungrily, and the memory of Nicholas de Brabant grew fainter and fainter with every kiss and touch that Nick gave her... until Nicholas vanished from her mind and heart. She looked at the dark-haired man who bore the name of "Nick Knight", whose passionate need for her warmth, kindness and love became too strong for her to escape from, and she gave herself to him without hesitation. --- Nick removed the pass from around Sara's neck and placed it on the bedside table, then he tugged at the hem of her sweater, pulled it up over her head, and let it drift down to the floor. As his eyes feasted upon her dark, sensual beauty, he felt the vampire stirring to life within him. He couldn't deny or ignore the vampire's need for her, and he yielded to the passion that burned within his soul. He unfastened her bra, slipped it off of her shoulders, and let it flutter to the floor. "You're so beautiful, baby..." Nick whispered, his voice husky with his desire. "I love you." "I love you, too, baby..." she gasped softly as he caressed her breasts, and tickled each nipple with his fingers until they were hard. She caressed his shoulders, ran her fingers through his dark hair and kissed him tenderly, hesitant about what to do. Nick moved away from Sara for a moment, which was long enough for him to unfasten her jeans and slip them off of her, allowing them to drop to the floor. He removed his pants and tossed them on top of the small pile of clothes near the bed, along with the rest of their underwear. They were naked and their desire for each other couldn't be held back. "I want you to remember this, Sara..." Nick whispered, savoring the warmth and softness of her body as he pressed his body against hers. "I want you to remember how much I love you... how much I want you... how much I need you..." He gently fondled her soft, dark breasts, enjoying the smooth texture of her skin against his hands. Sara closed her eyes and moaned as Nick's tongue gently flickered across each nipple, teasing them gently. His soft, cool lips kissed her breasts and the warmth of her body filled him with an intense pleasure that he hadn't experienced in quite a while. She held him in her arms and accepted the pleasure that he was giving her, and he was going to make the most of their time together. Just as Nick was about to continue his loving exploration of her body, Sara asked him suddenly, "Wait! How will you be able to...?" "How will I be able to make love to you?" he asked her, a look of concern in his eyes. "You're not going to feed from me, are you?" She was nervous and frightened, unsure about what Nick was about to do to her. "I just got out of the hospital... It's too soon..." "Don't worry, Sara... I've taken care of that." Nick kissed her and held her trembling body close to him, inhaling the soft scent of her skin. "I'm not going to feed from you. Please... don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you. Trust me." "All right... I trust you, Nick." she replied, her voice filled with passion and a touch of nervousness. He held her close and kissed her once more, allowing his tongue to slip inside her mouth and lightly brush against her tongue. He continued to kiss her, his lips moving across her right cheek and traveling down her throat toward her breasts once again. Her nerve endings tingled as he licked and suckled her breasts; first the right nipple, then the left one. Sara's body shuddered and shook as the passion ran through her body and she wanted to give him the same pleasure that he had given to her. She climbed on top of him, slowly kissing his neck and shoulders, while her hands glided down his chest, caressing him tenderly. She kissed his throat, and little moans of pleasure were coming from him as he stroked her arms and shoulders. Her warm lips pressed against his cool, velvety skin as she kissed her way down his chest. With each sweet kiss, Nick moaned and ran his fingers through her soft black curly hair, thrilled with the delight that came from being loved by her. As she felt the need for him burning inside her, she licked, sucked and kissed the nipples of his chest, and as she did, Nick moaned with desire. When she had finished kissing his chest, her hands moved down toward his navel, and she tenderly kissed the soft cool flesh. He pulled her on top of him as the vampire hungered for her, wanting more of her tender kisses and caresses. The passion between them had grown in intensity as their bodies burned for each other. Sara was surprised by her desire for him and she was going to enjoy every moment of pleasure. She reached down and gently stroked his penis, which was cool, smooth and not yet hard. He moaned as she continued to stroke it tenderly, and she moved down a little in order to kiss the tip. When she kissed it, Nick cried out with delight. Sara looked up at him and smiled, then she lowered her head and kissed the tip some more, flickering her tongue against it. When she looked at him again, his head was tilted back, and a smile on his lips as he was thrilled with the pleasure she was giving to him. She continued to tickle the tip of Nick's penis with her tongue, and as the vampire took control of his mind and body, she felt it slowly harden as it pressed against her breasts. He reached underneath her arms and pulled her upward, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again. Sara yielded to his passionate kisses, and as they continued to kiss, the hunger she felt grew in intensity, and they pressed their bodies against each other with a sense of urgency, yearning for satisfaction. Fully aware of the need that was within them, Nick moved over and gently laid her down upon the bed, licking, kissing and sucking on her nipples once more. With each lick, kiss and suck, Sara felt the burning between her legs growing stronger and she wanted him now. He had manuvered himself between her legs and she felt the hardness of his penis as it pressed against her leg. He looked at her, and his hazel eyes slowly transformed into a brilliant shade of red. The vampire was here, and his need for her was even stronger than she had imagined. Sara shifted her body a little, and opened her legs wider so he could move easily within her, while he carefully positioned himself on top of her, his eyes glowing in the dark bedroom. The hunger within them had grown stronger with each moment, and she couldn't wait much longer for her need to be fulfilled. ''I want you, Sara!" Nick whispered as he postioned his penis above her moist, pulsating cunt and thrust inside her. "Nick... Oh, I want you!" Sara cried out with delight as she felt it slide into her, filling her, while he lay on top of her and the warmth of her body soothed and excited him. They moved in a steady rhythm, back and forth, each movement stirring up the passions that burned within them. Nick moved faster as Sara pressed her hips upward, straining to have him fill her. Their passionate need burned within them and she cried out in ecstasy as he thrust inside her again and again. Nick was moving within her, and Sara wrapped her legs around his waist so he could fill her completely. Their hunger was about to be satisfied, as their bodies were locked in a passionate embrace. Nick and Sara's moans and cries of pleasure filled the bedroom, as she felt him moving in time to the rhythm of her pounding heart. Sara let her need for this dark-haired man take over her mind and body, and the vampire's movements were faster now, as she looked into his brilliant red eyes and their moans and gasps of pleasure increased. As the first waves of orgasm rushed through their bodies, she cried out his name, closed her eyes and clung to him tightly. She pressed her lips against his shoulder as the first wave of orgasmic pleasure surged through her body, and she bit him, drawing just a little bit of blood. His blood tasted sweet and it felt like liquid fire as she licked the drops of blood from the wound. He cried out, made one last thrust, and moaned her name as heavy spurts of coldness flowed inside her, filling her, and it felt good. Nick lay on top of her, kissing her and holding her close as the waves of passion that had washed over them slowly receded and the hunger within them was satisfied. --- "I love you, Sara." Nick murmered after he covered their damp bodies with the bedcovers and held her in his arms. "I know..." she whispered, looking into his eyes. "I love you, too, Nick. I - I'm sorry that I bit your shoulder. I didn't mean to do that..." "That's all right, baby. It was a nice twist." he replied, giving her a smile. "I liked it." He reached over to switch off the lamp, then he wrapped his arms around her once more, and kissed her cheek. It had been too long since they made love, and he hoped that this was a sign of better times to come. As sleep slowly overtook her, Sara heard him singing softly; his words and music telling her about the wonderful changes in his life that had come about because of the love that he felt for her... and that his heart would be hers... forever. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 21B/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 22/? Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 15:13:38 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Part 21B had a RickNick/Sara Louise love scene which was a lil' too hot to be posted under the FKFic-L adult header , so if you want it, please send me an honest age statement, and I'll send it out to you! Part 21B will also be available at the FTP site. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 22/? ---- Sara slowly awakened to find herself lying in a king-sized bed, her naked body wrapped in soft cotton sheets and warm blankets. Nick was lying next to her, a look of peaceful contentment on his face as he slept. She peered over his shoulder at the clock on the bedside table; it was three-fifteen in the afternoon, and she wondered how long she had slept after they had made love. As she sat up in bed and relived the memory of their lovemaking, she could feel his hands caressing her body, feel him moving inside her and taste his sweet hot blood on her lips. "Oh, boy..." she murmered softly as she got out of bed, turned on the bedside table lamp and searched for her clothes. After she had picked them up from the floor and put them in a nearby chair, she opened her suitcase, took out some clean clothes, put on her pink bathrobe, and went to the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. As she stepped into the stall, and scrubbed herself down underneath the cascade of warm, soothing water and fragrant soap bubbles, the memory of what she and Nick had done earlier in the day continued to linger, and her reaction to it troubled her. Sara thought she had betrayed the man she loved by making love to another man, but the guilt that she had expected to feel never came, and it bothered her. She didn't fully understand why she wanted Nick Knight, the rock star, as badly as she did, while trying to hang on to the memory of Nicholas deBrabant. The conflicting emotions that filled her mind confused her, and there were no easy answers to her questions. Her passion for the dark-haired Nick frightened her because of the intensity of desire she felt when he kissed her, but when he made love to her, her need for him was even stronger. Sara knew that she loved Nick Knight in this life, but in that other life which seemed so far away, yet so close, she loved Nicholas deBrabant, and it was her desire for both of them that left her puzzled and confused. Two men - two vampires - both of whom were named "Nick Knight", who were as different as night and day, loved her with a passion that delighted, thrilled and amazed her... and she loved them just as passionately. Sara shut off the water, stepped out of the shower, dried herself off and got dressed. As she put on a gray tank top, a rose-print cotton shirt and gray pants, she was aware that destiny - fate - whatever one wished to call it, had sent her into this time and place for a reason, and she'd have to make a choice about the path she'd take and which Nick Knight would be traveling that path with her. She hoped that she'd be able to delay making that choice for a while longer, because there were lingering questions about the life she was living in that needed answers, and she wanted to be certain that she'd make the right choice. After combing and brushing her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail, Sara took one last look in the mirror and heaved a sigh. The next three days would prove to be challenging as she traveled through the hazardous maze of fame and celebrity, and along the way, perhaps she'd be able to find the elusive clues that would take her back to her old life and to the man that she had come to care about and love... --- Tuesday morning... in the real world... Harbourside Memorial Hospital... 10:45 am... --- Gregory Spencer had spent most of the morning running CAT scans on Sara and Jamie, and what he found when he studied their brain scans proved to be both enlightening and disturbing. Thomas and Elena were with him in his office as they studied the scans on the lighted screen, along with the latest blood samples that had been taken from them. Thomas had retrieved the missing blood chemistry analysis file from one of the nurses earlier in the morning when he had gone to take more blood samples from Jamie and Sara in order to analyze the mineral content. He decided not to say anything to Gregory about the file or Elena's attack, because there was too much at stake to allow for anything to go wrong. He knew that it was simply a matter of waiting for Paul to make his move, and Thomas was sure that something would happen very soon. --- 11:15 am... Doctor Spencer's office... --- "Take a look at this..." Gregory said as he carefully checked an area of Sara's brain scan. "There appears to be a dark spot on the lower left side of her brain near the cerebral cortex." "Yes... you can also see that same dark spot on Jamie's scan." Elena placed Jamie's brain scan next to Sara's so they could see the comparison. "That's definitely unusual. Do you think that it might have something to do with their comas?" "Perhaps..." Gregory replied thoughtfully. "According to the last samples that I took from them this morning, the mineral content of their bloodstreams is very high. So, it's possible that the minerals from the bio-electric batteries may have affected their brain chemistry in some way." "Do you think that it's possible that the minerals may have affected a part of their brains?" Thomas wondered aloud. "I was doing some reading last night, and one of the medical journals that I read had an article about a part of the brain known as the "white zone". The article mentioned that some researchers think that it may have something to do with how the brain is able to harness cognitive power, but it's not known how the "white zone" affects cognitive or other brain function, and I'm wondering if that part of the brain may have been affected by the minerals that came from the bio-electric battery." "Hmmmmmm... That's highly possible. Sara has psychic abilities, and she told me that they've become very unpredictable recently." Gregory said thoughtfully. "I told you about the electrical 'charging' of a bracelet that she wore when she was admitted, and that's definitely unusual. Perhaps the 'white zone' of her brain has been awakened, and if these things are happening to her, it's possible that Jamie may have been undergoing the same types of things that Sara's already experienced." "Of course..." Elena said as a thought came to mind, "when Jamie came to my office three months ago for his checkup, he mentioned that when he was in a department store a couple of days before, he had set off one of the shoplifting alarms as he was leaving the store. He was searched by store security guards, but they couldn't find out what tripped off the alarm. He also mentioned that he'd been having occurrences where he was able to 'see' things that were happening in a different time and place. I didn't think much about it at the time, but after you told me about Sara and her bracelet yesterday, this is starting to make sense." "That settles it. We've definitely got something on our hands, which means Paul's to be kept out of this." Gregory said tersely. "If he finds out that the bio-electric batteries are able to affect brain function and to allow a person to harness the power within the 'white zone' of the brain, who knows what he might do with that information. We've got to make sure that we keep him away from our research until we can write that report. If he attempts to sabotage our work... we're finished. How's Jamie holding up, Thomas?" "Jamie's still stable, but his alpha brain waves are off the scale." Thomas told him. "He's able to breathe on his own, and his other vital signs are stable, so it may be possible that the minerals are affecting his brain in a way that doesn't seem to affect his basic bodily functions, such as breathing and heart rate." "Hmmmmm... Sara's overall condition hasn't changed, so what's happening to Jamie may be happening to her, too." Elena replied. "Her condition's stabilized enough for the surgery to be performed, and we can examine the power cells in her regenerator to see how much material has leaked into her bloodstream." "All right. We'll schedule her surgery for four-thirty, then..." Gregory said as he removed the brain scans from the screen and put them back in their folders, along with the blood chemistry analysis reports. "The power cells are in safekeeping, and I'll bring them with me. Make sure that you don't say anything to Paul about what we're doing." "I understand," Thomas replied, "but he's bound to find out about the surgery, especially if he sees plenty of activity around the OR's this afternoon." "If he finds out about it, I'm hopeful that we'll be able to have the power cells replaced and the regenerator re-implanted in Sara before he shows up." Gregory said as he handed the files to Thomas. "After I've had a chance to examine the power cells, and to get another blood sample from them to be analyzed, I'll be able to send Kincaid a complete report sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning." "When did you want to activate Jamie's regenerator?" Elena asked. "Do you think that his brain waves may stabilize enough for it to be activated?" "If I don't activate his regenerator within the next twenty-four hours, the nerves around his spinal column may start to die, and if he regained consciousness, he may not be able to walk, so... I'm caught in a dilemma." Gregory's voice was filled with concern. "I hope that the minerals that are in his brain won't be affected when the regenerator's turned on. If his condition improves, then I'll activate Sara's regenerator. After both regenerators have been activated, I want to make sure that both of them are monitored around the clock for any changes. I'm still not sure about Paul's intentions, and I want to make sure that he doesn't have an opportunity to try anything to sabotage us." "All right..." Thomas said. "We'll get Sara prepped and ready for surgery. Does she have someone who can give permission for the surgery so it can be done this afternoon?" "Yes, she does. Doctor Natalie Lambert is Sara's emergency contact. I'll call her this afternoon, and she'll come here to sign the consent forms." Gregory said. "After she signs them, we can get Sara into the OR. Let's get busy, because we don't have a lot of time." Thomas and Elena left Gregory's office and began the preparations for the surgery, while Gregory called Natalie to ask her to come to the hospital to sign the surgical consent form. She agreed and told him that she would be at the hospital at around three-thirty. After he completed the call, Gregory took a deep breath, knowing that Paul would be snooping around, looking for any information about Jamie and Sara. If he could keep Paul away from their research, he'd consider it a small victory. He had warned Kincaid about Paul's sabotage of the regenerator before, but he didn't have any proof that could back up his claim, until now. If Paul did anything to sabotage the project, Gregory would have all the proof he needed.. --- Natalie Lambert headed to the hospital at a little past three-thirty, fully prepared for anything that would happen, especially when Nick would arrive later in the evening. She hoped that Sara's surgery would go well, and that Nick and Tracy would be able to keep her and Jamie safe from harm. When she arrived at the admissions desk, Gregory was waiting for her. "Doctor Lambert... I'm glad to see you." he saiid, approaching her with a smile. "How are you?" "I'm fine, Doctor Spencer. How's Sara? Is she still stable?" she asked him. "Sara's vital signs have stabilized enough so we can operate on her." he replied, as he handed her a clipboard. "She's being prepped for surgery right now, and after you've signed the consent forms, we can begin the procedure." "All right..." Natalie took the clipboard from him, read the forms carefully, and signed them. "Here you go. When will her surgery begin?" "In an hour. I want to double check her vital signs to make sure that they're still stable, then she'll be prepped for surgery." Gregory replied after Natalie had given him the clipboard. "We'll be in Operating Room 4." "Great." Natalie said, a small smile on her lips. "Have you pinpointed what may have cause them to lapse into comas?" "Well... I think that we have found something, Doctor, but I want to be sure that I'm right about it." Gregory's remark piqued Natalie's interest, and she asked him, "What have you found out, Doctor?" "Some of the materials in the bio-electric batteries may have changed their blood chemistry, Doctor. I also believe that some of the minerals may have gotten into their bloodstreams and may have deposited in their brain tissue." he replied quietly, nervously glancing around. "The change in their brain and blood chemistries may have caused them to lapse into comas." "This is interesting." she said quietly. "When will you be able to find out more?" "I've already taken several blood samples from both of them, along with CAT scans of their brains." Gregory said as they walked toward his office. "I've found some things that are unusual, to say the least. After I've examined Sara's power cells, I'll be able to make a complete analysis of what might have caused the power cells to leak." "When will you activate the regenerators?" "I want to wait a few more hours before I activate Jamie's regenerator." Gregory said as he opened the door and stepped into the office, with Natalie following him inside. "There's a window of twenty-four hours before the spinal nerves start to deteriorate. If he's not out of his coma by then, I may not have much choice; the regenerator will have to be activated in order to stimulate the spinal nerves to keep them from dying." "That's a tough choice, and I don't envy you. I hope that things will go well this afternoon." she said as he busied himself with the last of the paperwork for Sara's surgery. "Thank you, Doctor Lambert." He took a small box out of his desk drawer and put it in his jacket pocket. "I appreciate your kind thoughts. I hope that we'll be able to help Jamie and Sara. They were doing so well before this happened. I'd hate to see all of our hard work go down in flames because of this." He locked the drawer and finished working on the consent forms. "You're welcome." Natalie wanted to ask him a question that had been on her mind since last night, but she wasn't sure whether she should bring it up. "Did you notice anything... unusual last night after Jamie's surgery was performed?" she asked. "No, not that I'm aware of. I understand your concern, and I thank you." he replied as they got ready to leave the office. "Will Detective Knight be here this evening?" "Yes. He thinks that someone may try to harm you, your team, Sara or Jamie tonight. He wants to make sure that if trouble happens, he'll be able to stop it." she told him as they left the office and walked down the corridor toward the elevators. "I hope that tonight will be uneventful, Doctor." he said as they stepped inside the elevator and went to the second floor where the operating rooms were located. "So do I..." she said quietly. The elevator stopped on the second floor and they got out. Natalie still felt a little uneasy about Sara's surgery and the possible saboteur that was lurking somewhere in the hospital, but she was determined to keep calm. "If you'll excuse me, I'd better get ready." Gregory told her. "I hope to have good news for you very soon, Doctor Lambert." "Thank you, Doctor Spencer." Natalie went to the waiting room, sat down on the sofa and murmered a prayer that Sara's surgery would be successful... ---- End of "In Another Life''---Part 22/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 23/? Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 20:02:46 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 23/? ---- Harbourside Memorial Hospital... Operating Room 4... late Tuesday afternoon... around 4:30 pm. --- Gregory gathered his surgical team in the operating room, to prepare them for Sara's surgery. He noticed that Elena was rubbing the back of her neck while he briefed them on the procedure that would be followed. She had done it earlier while she was in his office, and he wondered if she was all right. --- "Elena... are you okay?" he asked her, giving her a concerned look. "Will you be able to assist us with the operation this afternoon? If you're not up to it, Thomas and I can perform the surgery while you get some rest..." "Gregory... I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all." she replied, trying to keep him from asking her too many questions. "I put in a lot of late hours going over the preliminary reports on Jamie and Sara's condition, and it's not easy to sleep on those couches in the doctor's lounge. I'll be all right." "Thanks. I wanted to make sure that that you'd be ready for the surgery. I'd hate for anything to go wrong." Gregory said as Thomas glanced at her, a look of concern on his face. "Have Sara's vital signs changed since last night?" "Her vital signs are stable." Thomas replied. "Her alpha brain waves are still erratic, but they've settled well within the safety parameters for us to operate." "That's good. Just make sure that someone keeps an eye on her EEG during the surgery to make sure that there's no change in her brain wave pattern." Gregory replied as he picked up the scalpel. "So... let's begin..." --- Between 4:30 and 6:30 pm... --- Natalie had spent some of her time in the waiting room talking on the phone with Sara's mother, and bringing her up to date on her daughter's condition. After she had reassured her that Sara would be all right, Natalie hung up the phone, and went to the operating rooms. She had hesitated asking Doctor Spencer if she could be an observer during Sara's surgery because of his well known dislike of having observers present while he was performing surgery, but her concern for Sara's well-being was foremost in her mind, so Natalie made a brief stop at the dressing room to put on a pair of green surgical scrubs. Once she was dressed, she entered the bustling corridor and made her way to Operating Room Number 4. Paul had been making the rounds of the hospital in an attempt to find out as much as he could about Gregory and the spinal nerve regenerator. His search for information had been fruitless so far, and his frustrations were building with each passing moment. As soon as he thought he had a lead on what Gregory had been up to, he'd get there just after Gregory and his team had finished their business. What frustrated him even more was when he questioned the nurses about what Gregory had done, they were less than cooperative. He had gone to the second floor, and noted a flurry of activity in the operating rooms. Something was going on, so he decided to check and see if Gregory might be performing an operation. Paul had changed into a pair of surgical scrubs and checked out each operating room in the hope of finding Gregory and his team. Natalie noticed the man as he passed by, and she followed him, keeping a discreet distance in order not to arouse his suspicions. When Paul approached Operating Room 4, Gregory and his team were just completing the operation, and the bio-electric cells had been removed from Sara's regenerator and were placed in a sterilized dish. Gregory looked up from his visual inspection of the power cells to see Paul barging his way into the operating room, and there was an angry look in his eyes. Natalie was grateful that she changed into a pair of scrubs and donned a surgical mask, so she could enter the OR and blend in easily in order to find out what was happening. --- "Well, Paul.... what brings you here?" Gregory asked him coolly as the surgical staff completed the surgery and started prepping Sara to be taken to the Intensive Care Unit, while Natalie kept busy by checking Sara's vital signs monitor. "Is there a problem?" "Yes, there is, damn it!" Paul bellowed, not bothering to hide his anger. "Why have you kept me out of the loop, you bastard? You know Jonathan wanted me to monitor both procedures, so why are you doing this behind my back?" "I have my reasons, Paul, and you know what they are." Gregory took a pair of tweezers, placed the power cells inside the sterilized box and closed it. Elena glanced nervously at Paul for a moment, then returned to the task of making sure that Sara's stitches were intact before she was sent to the Intensive Care Unit. Thomas noticed Elena's reaction to Paul's arrival, and he wondered if his suspicions about who might have attacked Elena were on track. Natalie's curiosity about the man who was talking to Gregory was aroused, and she managed to move over a little so she could hear what they were talking about.. "And what reason do you have for shutting me out, Gregory? What have I done to you?" he demanded while some of the members of the surgical team looked on, and Natalie took note of what was being said. "It's simple... I don't trust you to be fair, honest or objective." Gregory brusquely replied as he slipped the case in his jacket pocket and led him away from the operating table, while Natalie remained near the vital signs monitor. "I don't want you putting this project at risk with a report that's not based on the facts. I've spent too many years working on the regenerator, and if it proves to be successful with regenerating injured spinal nerves, it could open up a new realm of medical science. I don't like outside interference when I'm doing my research, Paul... and you're 'outside interference'." "I'm simply looking out for the company's interest." Paul replied. "BioCom's been rather generous in funding your project during the past eight years and Jonathan wants to make sure that he gets the most out of his investment." "I'm well aware of that, but I don't want to have the regenerator project compromised at this crucial stage." he told him. "We still don't know what's causing the bio-electric batteries to leak, and until we know the exact cause of the leak, the project may be in jeopardy." Gregory knew that he was taking a risk by giving Paul this bit of information, but he wanted to see what he'd do. "Of course. I'd hate to see all of your hard work go down the drain." came Paul's frosty reply. "There's a lot riding on this project, and I'd like to be kept informed on your progress." "When I've found anything of interest, I'll be sure to inform you." Gregory looked at him warily. "After all, Jonathan's expecting great things from the regenerator, and I'd hate to disappoint him. Now, if you'll excuse me... I've got some work to finish." "Certainly." Paul said, the coldness still in his voice. "I hope we'll get to talk this evening." He left the OR, rushing past Natalie, oblivious of her presence. "I'm sure that we will. See you later." The stress of having to placate Paul was clear in Gregory's voice, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when he left the operating room. Natalie was tempted to stay and listen to Doctor Spencer's consultation with his team members, but the conversation that she heard earlier proved to be interesting, so after a couple of moments, she left the OR, slipped out of her scrubs and hurried back to the waiting room. She sat down on the sofa and relaxed. Gregory had been too busy with Paul to notice her presence in the OR, and even though she had missed most of the surgery, she was glad that everything had gone well. "I thought he'd never leave..." Elena said as the nurses took Sara to the Intensive Care Unit. "So did I." Thomas replied as he took a vial of Sara's blood and placed it in the small centrifuge that was in a corner of the operating room. "If he were to have come in here at the wrong time, we'd have been in big trouble." "Well, we were able to perform the surgery without him interfering, which takes a load off of my shoulders." Gregory replied, removing his surgical mask and giving everyone a broad smile. "Now, all I have to do is analyze Sara's bio-electric batteries and see how bad the leakage was. If it's as serious as Jamie's was, I'll be able to make recommendations how the formula for the hermetic seal can be changed... or if it needs to be changed." "I'll be checking Sara's recent blood sample to see if the mineral content has changed, and I'll compare it with the blood samples that I've already taken from her. I should be able to get a handle on the exact mineral content of their blood after I've analyzed all of the samples." Thomas said. "When did you want to activate Jamie's regenerator to see if it's working properly?" "I hope that I'll be able to activate it later this evening. I don't want to wait too long to reactivate it; otherwise, there's a possibility that the regenerated nerves could die." Gregory told them as he slipped the box into the pocket of his lab coat. "Perhaps it might stimulate the minerals that are in his brain and it could rouse him out of his coma. If that happens, we'll know what to do in Sara's case. You and Elena can finish up and I'll go talk to Doctor Lambert. She'll be pleased to hear some good news.'' Gregory left the OR and went to the waiting room where Natalie was sitting patiently, thinking about the interesting conversation that she heard while she was there. "Well, how'd it go, Doctor Spencer?" she asked him eagerly, hoping that she'd have some good news to tell Nick and Tracy. "Doctor Lambert, I'm happy to say that Sara's surgery was a success, and she should be out of danger soon." Gregory said as a smile lit up Natalie's face. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 23/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 24/? Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:20:13 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 24/? ---- "I'm so glad that Sara's surgery was successful, Doctor." Natalie said, as a wave of relief swept over her after she heard Gregory's good news. "Nick and her family will be happy to hear this. What's her condition, and where is she now?" "She's stable, and she's been moved to intensive care for the next couple of hours." Gregory told her. "I want to be sure that are no complications with her recovery before she's taken back to her room. If any problems should arise, we'll be able to take care of them, but I'm hoping that there won't be any problems." "That's a relief. Do you know when she'll be leaving Intensive Care and taken back to her room?" "Probably around ten o'clock. Right now, she needs to be monitored to make sure that her stitches are holding, and that there's no bleeding from the incision." Gregory sighed wearily. "I'll have my hands full with analyzing both sets of bio-electric batteries, but I want to make sure that Sara's all right before I begin my research." "All right. I'll call Nick and let him know that she's okay. He'd like to be with her tonight. I hope that it's all right with you if he wants to stay with her in her room for a while..." she said. "Of course it is, Doctor Lambert. I hope I'll have a chance to talk to him tonight. I'd better get back to my office. I'll see you later..." Gregory smiled and left the waiting room while Natalie headed for the pay phone in order to call Nick and tell him the good news. --- The 96th Precinct... around 8:15 pm. --- Nick Knight was sitting at his desk, looking over the printouts that Tracy had gotten from Gail earlier in the day. The information that they had uncovered about BioCom, Jonathan Kincaid and Paul Clifford during the time she spent at the library was interesting enough for him to consider launching a full-scale investigation, but without the evidence that he needed, he didn't have enough grounds for it. "Well, Trace..." Nick said as they went over the printouts, carefully noting several items of interest. "I'm glad that Gail was able to find out quite a few things about Paul Clifford and Jonathan Kincaid for us. What she's uncovered will prove to be helpful in our investigation." "Yes...." Tracy replied as something of interest in one of the printouts caught her eye. "Apparently, Doctor Clifford had a checkered past. Something happened when he when he was working for Deighton BioTech at about the same time that Kincaid was working there." "Really?" Nick's interest was alerted to this new discovery. "What happened?" "He was implicated in a scheme to sell some of Deighton's exclusive patents to a competing bio tech company." Tracy replied as she showed him the printout. "Although nothing was ever proven that pointed to him as one of the members of the scheme, he was suspended, then a few months later he was let go as part of a 'corporate restructuring'. Shortly afterwards, he's named as one of the new R&D project managers at BioCom. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?" "Yes, it does. After Deighton lets him go under a cloud of suspicion, along with Jonathan Kincaid, Clifford winds up working for Kincaid at BioCom in the company's Research and Development unit... and the spinal nerve regenerator is one of its' high profile projects." Nick said as he read the printout. "This is becoming more interesting as we go along. Was Gail able to find out anything else?" "She found out that Kincaid and Clifford had worked in Deighton's Research and Development division at the time of the alleged "thefts". They had access to several scientific and medical projects that were being developed at Deighton. Both of them had high security clearance, including access to at least one medical research project for the U.S. military." "What about BioCom's financial status?" he asked. "Were you able to find out anything?" "Nope." Tracy replied, which a shrug of her shoulders."BioCom's financial information is kept under wraps. Something about 'disclosure of BioCom's financial status would violate shareholder privacy'..." "Well, if something goes wrong, their financial status will be made public, whether the shareholders like it or not..." The ringing of the phone interrupted Nick's musings. He picked up the phone and said, "Hello..." "Nick, it's Natalie. Sara just had her surgery." "How is she?" he asked, hoping that she'd have some good news for him. "The surgery was a success." she replied, a note of relief in her voice. "She's stable, and in Intensive Care. Doctor Spencer thinks that after the regenerators have been activated, Sara and Jamie might awaken from their comas." "I'm glad to hear that." Nick said as a smile crossed his lips. "When was he going to activate them?" "He's going to activate Jamie's regenerator either later this evening or sometime tomorrow." Natalie replied. "If his condition stabilizes or improves, he'll activate Sara's regenerator tomorrow and that may help her condition." A look of happiness was on Nick's face as he listened to what Natalie was telling him. "That's wonderful news." he told her. "Tracy and I will be there in a few minutes." "Do you think something might happen tonight since both of them have undergone surgery?" she asked him. "Perhaps, Nat. That's why we need to be there. If anything happens, I look for it to happen sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning. I hope that we can save them before it's too late..." "So do I, Nick." she replied. "So do I... I'll see you later tonight, then." "See you later, Natalie. Thanks for the good news. Bye." "You're welcome. Bye, Nick." she said. Nick hung up the phone just as Captain Reese approached their desks. He was interested in any new developments that they were able to come up with during the course of their investigation. "So... have you been able to find anything interesting?" he asked the two detectives. "Yes, we have, Cap..." Tracy replied as she handed the printouts to him. "There's plenty of information here that would warrant an investigation, but we'll have to be at the hospital to confirm what we've found out." "Very interesting..." Reese said as he read the printouts. "Looks like you've got at least one person who might have a motive for sabotaging Doctor Spencer's project, which makes it clear that he needs to be checked out. How's Sara doing, Nick? Has she had her surgery yet?" "She had it performed this afternoon. Nat told me that it was successful, and that she's in stable condition. Since Sara and Jamie have had their surgery done, there may be an attempt on their lives sometime tonight." Nick told him. "I want to be sure that nothing happens to either of them." "Good. I want you and Tracy to keep me informed. When will you be going to the hospital?" "We'll be ready to leave in a few minutes." Nick replied as Reese handed him the printouts. "Doctor Spencer and his team will have begun their analysis into what might have gone wrong with the bio-electric batteries, and if that happens, our sabotuer may attempt to make a move." Nick put the printouts in a folder and slipped it inside his desk drawer. "Nick... I hope you're right." Reese said soberly. "I don't want to see either one of you make fools out of yourselves by pursuing an investigation that's not going to go anywhere. Still... there's a question that's been bothering me ever since you told me about this." "What is it?" Nick asked him. "If you're concerned about Jamie and Sara's well being, have you thought about putting a twenty-four hour guard on them?" Reese asked him. "If the guards were disguised as private nurses, that might prevent our sabotuer from going after them, and you and Tracy would be able to patrol the areas where the doctors might be." "I understand, Cap, and I thought about it, but... there are too many things that could go wrong, especially if Jamie and Sara are in prolonged comas." Nick replied. "Our sabotuer might get spooked if he saw too much activity outside Jamie and Sara's rooms, but there's no guarantee that the doctors who are treating them would be safe if he were to go after them, and having twenty-four hour guards in and around the hospital might not be a practical move." "That's something to consider." Reese said thoughtfully. "All right... I'm going to trust your judgment, Knight. In the time that I've known you, your hunches haven't been wrong yet. Just be careful, and be sure to let me know what's going on." "I will, Cap. You can count on it." "Good. Talk to you later tonight..." Reese left the two detectives and went back to his office. "Let's go, Trace..." Nick said as he and Tracy left the precinct, got into the Caddy and drove to Harbourside Memorial, ready for whatever the night would bring. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 24/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 25/? Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:00:29 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 25/? ---- Tuesday evening... 9:35 pm --- When Nick and Tracy arrived at Harbourside Memorial, Natalie was in the waiting room. A smile was on her face as they approached her and she was delighted to see them.. --- "Nick!" she said, giving them a smile. "I'm so glad that you and Tracy are here." "I'm glad to see you, too, Natalie." he replied, after they sat down on the sofa. "How's Sara doing?" "She's doing well..." Natalie told them. "Doctor Spencer will be moving her out of Intensive Care in another hour or so. He says that if her condition stabilizes, he'll be able to activate her regenerator sometime tomorrow. He thinks that it may help to rouse her out of her coma." "All right. Tracy and I have found out a few things about Doctor Spencer's project that may prove to be interesting." he told her. "I found out something interesting today, too." Natalie told them. "What were you able to find out?" Nick and Tracy filled her in on what they were able to find out about the regenerator and the people who were behind its' development. After they finished, Natalie told them about the heated conversation that Gregory had with a fellow doctor after Sara's operation, then she asked Nick, "Do you think that something might happen tonight?" "I look for it." he replied tersely. "Now that their surgery has been performed, and the investigation into what might have gone wrong has begun, if anyone's planning to sabotage the project by attacking them, Doctor Spencer, or the members of his surgical team, this would certainly be a good time for that to happen, especially after the argument that Doctor Spencer had in the OR this afternoon." "So, Nick... what do we do?" Tracy asked him. "Well... we can check the fifth floor." Nick replied. "That's where Jamie and Sara's rooms are, and it's highly possible that someone might attack them in their rooms. Doctor Spencer's office can be monitored for anything suspicious, along with the labs where the bloodwork's being performed. We'll have a lot of ground to cover." "That makes sense." Natalie said. "How long were you and Tracy planning on staying here?" "Until Jamie and Sara are out of danger." Nick replied. "I don't want anything to happen to them. How long were you going to stay here, Nat?" "As long as I can." she replied. "I want to make sure that Sara's going to be okay, too. She means a lot to us, Nick, and I don't want anything to happen to her." "I know. Anything that can happen tonight probably will, and I don't want to miss a thing, so let's get ready..." Nick replied, as he made plans for their next move. --- Friday evening... 11:45 pm Royal York Hotel... The Ambassador Suite... --- Sara and the other members of Nick Knight's entourage were gathered in the spacious living room of the suite to eat, talk and have a good time. She felt relaxed and more at ease with them now than she had been earlier, and Jack seemed to be in an especially good mood as he made his way toward the sofa where she was sitting. --- "Well, Jack... you're very happy this evening." she said as he sat down on the sofa next to her. "Did you from Mike about the record sales?" "Yes, I did, Sara... I just got off the phone with him about ten minutes ago." he replied, giving her a smile. "And?" she asked, smiling back. "And... the news was much better than I expected." he replied. His smile was warm and friendly, and Sara couldn't resist asking him the question that had been on her mind for a while. "What did he tell you? Please tell me! After all, if anything's going to happen during Nick's last concert, I'd like to be ready for it." "I'm just as curious about this as you are, Sara." Nick said as he sat next to her, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "When are you going to tell us the good news, Jack?" "I may as well do it now..." Jack said with a grin. He got up from the sofa and walked toward the middle of the room, so everyone could see him. "All right, folks... can I have your attention please? Can I have your attention please?" The stereo was turned down and the room grew quiet in anticipation of Jack's announcement. "Well, folks... it's official... as of today, "Revelation" has gone quadruple platinum!" Jack said. Everyone cheered and applauded after he had spoken, and Sara suddenly felt a wave of nervousness sweep over her. After the applause died down, he continued, "And... Nick Knight is the first artist in the history of Blue Sun Records to have four albums to go triple platinum or higher in the past four years." Nick smiled and held Sara's hand gently as everyone burst into applause and cheers. She gave him a faint smile and wondered if Jack was going to be more forthcoming about what would happen on Monday night. "So... what does that mean?" Marjie asked, grinning. "Are we going to have a big party after the show?" "It means that the suits from the label want to celebrate that achievement with a ceremony and a big party that will take place after Nick's last show on Monday night." he told her. "They'll be here on Sunday afternoon to make the arrangements. It also means that the press is going to be out in force, so I want all of you to behave yourselves." "I think we'll be able to behave ourselves on Monday night, Jack." Susannah replied, giggling like a schoolgirl as she glanced at Marjie and Lilly. "I'm really looking forward to this." "Well... I'm looking forward to Monday night for a lot of reasons..." Nick replied, as he gazed at Sara. "This will be a special night for me... and for you, Sara. After all, if it hadn't been for your faith in me... my dreams wouldn't be coming true." "Oh, Nick... stop that!" Sara replied sweetly, turning her head away in a gesture of modesty. "You had the talent..." "I had the talent, but it was your faith in me and my talent that encouraged me to perform my songs in public." Nick's voice was filled with emotion as he spoke. "I wouldn't have what I've been able to achieve without your encouragement, Sara." "You two aren't going to get all mushy and romantic on us now, are you?" Marjie asked them teasingly, as Lilly and Susannah tried to stop giggling. "No, Marjie, I'm going to save the ''mushy stuff'' for Monday night," Nick replied, smiling back at her, "along with a surprise." "A surprise?" Jack asked him as a sinking feeling was about to overtake him. "What kind of 'surprise' have you got in mind to spring on us Monday night, Nick?" "It's nothing bad, Jack..." Nick replied, attempting to put him at ease. "It's just something that I've been thinking about for a while." Jack still felt a bit unnerved and he wanted to know what Nick was going to do. "I'd like to know what you've got in mind for Monday night, though." he said. "I don't want the suits from the label complaining that you've upstaged them." "I don't think that will be a problem. Why don't we go to my bedroom for a few minutes so we can talk about it?" Nick said, getting up from the couch. "I'll be right back, Sara." "Okay..." Sara replied nervously as Nick and Jack went to the bedroom to discuss his little "surprise". She knew that if Nick had something up his sleeve, he'd do his best to keep her in the dark about it. She hoped that she'd be able to handle any curve balls he was going to toss her way with charm and grace, but she also knew that he wasn't going to make it easy. Nick and Jack came out of the bedroom after about ten minutes, and she noticed that they were smiling. *Well... whatever Nick's got planned for Monday night met with Jack's approval, so that will ease his mind, but it's not easing mine.* she thought as they made their way back to the sofa. "So... Jack approves of that little 'surprise' that you've got planned for Monday night?" Sara asked Nick after he sat down beside her. "He likes it, and it'll be the perfect ending to the tour." he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Monday night's going to be amazing, baby." "I'm sure that it will be." Sara still felt nervous about Nick's surprise, and even though she wanted to ask him what his surprise was going to be, she knew that if she did, the atmosphere of suspense that Jack wanted to create around Monday night's ceremony would be ruined. She knew that Nick had worked hard to reach the level of success that he already had, and she wasn't about to take that away from him. She took a deep breath and relaxed, hoping that Monday night would come quickly and she'd find out what little surprise Nick had up his sleeve... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 25/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 26/? Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 15:35:42 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A reference to "Dancing In The Shadows" is here, along with a mild profanity. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 26/? ---- Tuesday night... 10:05 pm... Fifth floor, Harbourside Memorial Hospital... Room 501... --- Nick thought that it would be best if someone were to be with Sara after she was released from Intensive Care, and he was surprised when Natalie wanted to sit with her. He reluctantly agreed to her request, but he warned her to be careful and alert for anything unusual. After they left Room 501, Nick and Tracy split up and searched the fifth floor corridors for any unusual activity. So far... nothing was happening yet, but both of them knew that something would happen... soon. As Natalie approached Sara's bedside, she recalled the first time they met. It was three years ago at Eaton Centre when their paths first crossed, and the encounter with the woman who had captured Nick's heart had stirred up a feeling of jealousy within Natalie. After all, she had spent six years with him, she believed that she understood him, and no other woman could care about him like she did, but after she met and talked with Sara, Natalie realized her misconceptions about Sara's intentions toward Nick had been wrong, and that she was exactly the kind of woman Nick needed. Natalie hadn't expected to like Sara in the beginning, and she was amazed at how easily she had been won over by Sara's warmth, charm and genuine love. There was something about her that made Natalie feel at ease, and she knew that Nick was in very good hands. Sara had freely given her love to the vampire within Nick without hesitation or fear, and Natalie felt a touch of envy because there was a part of her that was still afraid of the vampire within Nick. Although she tried to convince herself during the time they were together that she loved the vampire, the fear that lingered within her made it difficult for her to fully love the vampire. When Doctor Spencer had given her Sara's bracelet after she had been admitted, and she read the inscription on the back of the bracelet, Natalie was keenly aware that her feelings for Nick were still strong even after their breakup. The pang of jealousy that ran through her as she held the bracelet was a reminder that it would take time for the emotional wounds to heal. She knew that the healing process would have its' ups and downs, but she was determined to not to become a prisoner of the past. There was a brief moment when she wished that things had been different between herself and Nick; that she could have been Nick's "Forever Dearest" instead of Sara, but there was also an awareness deep within her soul that she and Nick couldn't be together for long without tearing into each other and destroying the fragile emotional connection that they might have forged. To be engaged in a bitter emotional war about the vampire that lived within him wasn't the way that Natalie wanted to live, and as difficult as it was for her to relinquish the dream of being with Nick, she knew that in the long run, both of them were better off being apart. Natalie sat in the chair next to Sara's bed, and looked at her with a mixture of love and affection. As she took her hand and held it gently, she noticed how pale, small and fragile it looked in comparison to her own. It seemed strange that this usually vibrant, strong woman had become so frail and delicate as she lay unconscious in a hospital bed, and Natalie breathed a silent prayer that she would wake up soon. "Sara... Sara... I know you can hear me..." Natalie said softly as she stroked her hand. "I hope that you'll wake up soon. I miss you very much, and I've got so much to tell you..." --- 10:20 pm... Laboratory No. 2... Seventh floor... ---- Thomas had finished up the last of his blood chemistry analysis reports when Elena entered the lab. A file folder was tucked under her arm, and she looked a little better than she had earlier in the day. "Are you feeling all right, Elena?" he asked as he looked up from his paperwork. "Yes, I'm fine..." she replied, a faint smile on her lips. "Have you seen Paul anywhere?" "Not since he barged into the OR this afternoon and tried to interfere with the surgery." he said, giving her a curious look. "Why do you want to know?" "It's not like him to be so quiet, and I'm wondering what he's up to." she said, as a worried look crept across her face. "I'm wondering the same thing. If he's lurking around anywhere, we've got to be on our guard." Thomas gathered up his paperwork and placed it inside a file folder that was on the table. "I've just completed my analysis on Jamie and Sara's bloodwork and I'm going to Gregory's office to tell him about the results." "What were you able to find out?" she wondered. "Well..." Thomas said as he opened one of the folders and found the page that he wanted, "So far, the mineral level in their bloodstreams has started to drop a little, which may mean that the minerals are leaving their bodies. If the minerals are leaving their bodies at a steady rate, that should help to stabilize or improve their blood chemistry. If their blood chemistry improves, that could have a positive effect on their brain chemistry as well." "What about the dark area that we found on each of their CAT scans? Do you think that they may start to shrink over time?" she asked. "Perhaps... perhaps not." he replied. "They'll have to go through another scan to see if each of them still have that dark area near their cerebral cortex. If the area has diminished... they could be out of the woods very soon." "That will be a relief. If the dark area in each of their brains start to diminish, their regenerators could be safely activated before their spinal nerves start to degenerate." she said. "I know that Gregory wants to delay the procedure for as long as possible so their conditions don't become worse, but he won't be able to wait much longer." "I know. I'm going to brief him on what I've discovered, and he can take it from there. Come on..." Thomas gathered up the file folders, tucked them under his arm, and left the lab, with Elena following. As they walked down the corridor, a shadowy figure lurked unseen in a nearby corner, attempting to find out where the doctors were going. "So... what do you think he'll do after you tell him about the test results?" she asked as they approached the bank of elevators. "Are you hoping that he'll approve a CAT scan for them?" "Well, if the mineral content of their blood is diminishing, we need to know where those minerals are going." Thomas said as he pressed the down button. "If they're being eliminated through their urine, we should see that when I analyze their samples later this evening. If the minerals aren't showing up in their urine, then those minerals are going somewhere, and we need to know where they're going." As they stepped into the elevator, the shadowy figure walked down the corridor toward the lab, making sure that nobody was following him. As he approached the door of the lab, Paul took a deep breath and tried to keep calm. He had spent too much time following Doctor Spencer's regenerator project, and he knew that he had to come up with enough evidence to make sure that Doctor Spencer's project could be slowed down enough for him to win Jonathan over to his own regenerator project. As Paul entered the lab and poked around, he was looking for something - anything that he could use against Gregory, and so far, he was coming up empty. There had to be something that he could do to sabotage the project, and he was sure that he'd find something soon. It was simply a matter of time... and that was when he found what he'd been looking for. The spectro-analysis computer that was used to test urine samples had been left on, and it was simply a matter of making sure that the results wouldn't be as accurate as they usually were. He was determined to make sure that Gregory paid a heavy price for shutting him out when the regenerator project had been launched at Deighton BioTech, and he had tried to obtain information about it so he could use the data for his own project. "All right, Gregory.... you want to play rough, fine. We'll see just how smart you are, you bastard..." Paul murmered as put on his gloves and carefully reset the computer. When he was satisfied with the results of his handiwork, he left the lab and went down to the cafeteria, smug in the knowledge that he had thrown a monkeywrench into his rival's project, unaware that his black pen with the BioCom logo had fallen out of his pocket, and landed on the floor next to the computer... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 26/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 27/? Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 15:34:47 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 27/? ---- 10:40 pm... Doctor Spencer's office --- Elena and Thomas were sitting in Gregory's office, discussing the battery of blood and urine tests that had been run earlier that evening and they were planning what additional research they would do during the next few hours. --- "From what you've told me, the mineral count in Jamie and Sara's blood is decreasing, which is good news." Gregory said to Thomas. "When were you going to run an analysis on their urine to see if the minerals are present?" "I'm going to be running an analysis on the latest urine samples that were taken from them shortly, but the preliminary test results that I gave you earlier today should help." he replied. "I also wanted you to see the results of their recent bloodwork so you could include them in your report." "I appreciate that, Thomas." Gregory said as the files were handed to him. "Jonathan will be quite interested in what you've found out. Good work." "What about the bio-electric cells?" Elena asked him curiously. "Were you able to pinpoint the cause of the leak?" "My analysis of the cells indicate that the hermetic seal compound was compromised when the batteries were manufactured." Gregory replied. "This is certainly unusual, because all of the bio-electric batteries were made at the same time. So far, I haven't heard from my other patients about any problems that they've had with the regenerator, but I'll notify them about it, beginning tomorrow. I want to avoid any major complications before we go public with this. Jamie and Sara's bio-electric cells had major leakage, and I want to make sure that the other patients are checked on as soon as possible." "Do you think that the manufacturing process could have been sabotaged in some way?" Elena wondered. "Perhaps it might have been, but I'd need concrete proof that I could take to Jonathan about it." Gregory said. "I understand your concern about this problem, Elena, and we've spent too many years of hard work to see the regenerator project fail." "Did you want CAT scans run on them?" Thomas asked. "We need to know if those dark lesions we found on their brain scans have diminished. I told you that the mineral content of their blood has decreased, but if I don't find traces of minerals in their urine, then those minerals are going somewhere... and those minerals could be accumulating in their brain tissue." "That's what's bothering me." Gregory said, as he removed his glasses for a moment. "We've got to be certain about where those minerals are going, and if their regenerators can be activated safely. If your analysis of their urine samples prove that the minerals aren't leaving their bodies, Thomas, I'll have CAT scans run on them tomorrow just to be on the safe side." He put his glasses back on and said, "I'm proud of the work that both of you have done on this. We're going to make sure that the regenerator is a success." "Thanks..." Thomas said, as Elena smiled. "I hope that Jamie and Sara will recover. They've been the ones who've benefited the most from the regenerator. I'd hate to see anything happen to them." "Yes, they have... and I don't want them to be harmed. In fact, a couple of detectives from Metro Homicide are here to make sure that nothing goes wrong." Gregory said as he placed the files on his desk and got up from his chair. "That's the main objective right now, and I want both of you to keep alert for anything unusual." "You think someone might try to kill us?" Thomas said, a look of surprise on his face. "Remember that Paul's still lurking around here, and I wouldn't put anything past him." Gregory replied after he had taken a stretch and sat back down. "You think that Paul might try to sabotage our work tonight?" Elena asked as the memory of her attack was still fresh in her mind. "Yes, I do," Gregory said, ''especially after we performed Sara's surgery this afternoon without informing him. That didn't sit well with him, and he may try to get back at us. I don't want to say anything more to Jonathan about his sabotage of our project until I've got hard evidence that will back me up." "What do you think he might try to do?" Thomas asked, tempted to tell Gregory about Elena's attack earlier that morning. "I'm not sure what he's got planned, which means that we've got to be ready for anything tonight. Did you make sure that Jamie and Sara's urine specimens were placed in the refrigerator and locked? He may try to tamper with them in some way, and I want to make sure that we don't give him an opportunity to sabotage our research." "Yes, I made sure that they were locked before I came here. Elena and I were going to go back to the lab to run those tests and check on the last blood samples that I took from Jamie and Sara this evening." Thomas said. "Good. I'm going to finish my initial report and fax it to Jonathan." Gregory said as he placed the folders on top of his desk. "Afterwards... I'm going to check on Jamie and see if his brain waves have stabilized enough so the regenerator can be activated safely." "You didn't want to wait for the results of Jamie's CAT scan tomorrow?" Elena asked. "By tomorrow morning, the window of safety will close, and I don't want to wait too much longer to reactivate Jamie's regenerator." Gregory said. "His spinal column nerves were severely damaged, and I don't want to run the risk of possible nerve degeneration if the regenerator isn't activated." "You're right about that, of course." Elena replied. "I was amazed at how well the nerves around his spinal column reacted to the regenerator. They seemed to regrow almost instantly after the regenerator was activated." "I know, Elena. That was also the case with Sara and the others. Once the spinal nerves have been stimulated, I'll be able to set Jamie's regenerator at a low level so it won't interfere with the other medical equipment, so he can have a CAT scan done safely." Gregory told them. "All right..." Thomas said as he and Elena got up from their chairs and headed toward the office door. "We're going to finish the urine specimens and the remaining bloodwork. If we come up with anything, I'll be sure to let you know." "Very good." Gregory got up from behind his desk and walked with Thomas and Elena into the corridor. As they stood in front of the office and chatted for a bit, Nick approached them on his way back toward the elevators. "Is everything all right, Doctor Spencer?" he asked him. "Yes, Detective, everything's fine." Gregory replied, giving him a smile. "In fact, I'd like you to meet a couple of my colleagues. This is Doctor Thomas Williamson, and Doctor Elena Sandoval." "Nick Knight, Metro Homicide..." he replied after he had shaken their hands. "Gregory told us that someone might try to harm us tonight, Detective." Elena said nervously. "Do you think that will happen?" "I'm going to make sure that it doesn't happen, Doctor Sandoval." Nick told her. "From what I've been told, there's a lot riding on the success of this project, and someone wants to make sure that it fails." 'Thank you for coming here, Detective Knight. The regenerator project means a lot to us and I don't want to see all that we've managed to achieve in the last eight years come crashing down." Thomas replied. "Six people have already benefited from the regenerator, and we'd like to see more people benefit from it, too." "Yes." Gregory replied. "Thomas and Elena were going back to the lab to finish up some research, Detective." "Where will you be?" Nick asked them. "My partner and I may come by there to check on things." "We'll be on the seventh floor lab area which is on your left as you step out of the elevators." Elena told him. "We'll be in Laboratory Number Two. We've got a long night's work ahead of us, and I hope that we'll be able to get it done in time." "We've got too much work and too little time to get it all done. If you'll excuse us, Detective Knight, we'd better get going." Thomas said, giving Nick a smile. "We'll see you later." With that, Thomas and Elena headed toward the elevators, while Nick stayed to talk with Gregory. "Have you seen or heard anything unusual since Sara's surgery was performed, Doctor?" Nick asked him as they entered his office. "Not that I'm aware of." Gregory said as he sat at his desk. "I know that Ms. McClendon is a friend of yours and you don't want to see her harmed. She was one of a handful of people who were treated with the regenerator, and she responded to the treatment better than any of us could have hoped. I want to make sure that other people are able to get that same kind of treatment. I want to give people hope that they can have a better life." "I understand, Doctor." Nick replied as he sat in the chair across from Gregory's desk. "I want to make sure that nothing happens to her or to Jamie Roberts. If something were to happen to them, the damage to your reputation would be terrible." "That's an understatement, Detective Knight. I put everything I had into the development of the regenerator, and if it works on spinal column nerves... who knows where it could lead? I've come too far to see my work ruined." Gregory said. "I thank you for coming here to make sure that we're all right. By the way, have you seen Doctor Lambert this evening? I had spoken with her a couple of hours ago..." "She's with Sara in Room 501." Nick replied. "She wanted to be with her after she came out of Intensive Care." "That was kind of her to do that." Gregory said, a faint smile on his lips. "I hope that she'll be all right. If someone tries to attack us, I don't want her to be in danger." "So do I..." Nick said as he got up from his chair. "I'm going to check with my partner, and I hope to see you later. Good night, Doctor..." "Good night, Detective.'' Gregory said as he left his desk and accompanied Nick to his office door, and watched as Nick left his office and head down the corridor. As Nick arrived at the nurses' station, Tracy was waiting for him. "Have you seen anything unusal, Trace?" he asked her. "No... All's quiet here." she said. "What did you want to do?" "We'll stop by Sara's room first to check on her and Natalie, then we'll check on Jamie." Nick said. "After that, we'll go to the seventh floor." "What's on the seventh floor?" Tracy asked him. "The lab area. They're analyzing Sara and Jamie's blood samples, and their research could be sabotaged." Nick said briskly as they walked down the corridor toward Sara's room. "I want to make sure that the doctors who are doing the research are safe..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 27/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 28/? Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 15:35:13 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU A mild profanity is here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 28/? ---- Room 501... 10:50 pm... ---- As Nick and Tracy approached Room 501, he could still catch glimpses of Sara, still in another time and place, but the images weren't as strong as they had been last night. The fact that he was able to see and hear those images in his mind left him a little shaken, but he knew that he couldn't let what he had seen deter him from doing his job. --- Nick slowly opened the door, and peered inside. Natalie was sitting at Sara's bedside, holding her hand and talking to her. He didn't want to interrupt what she was doing, but he wanted to know how she was holding up and if Sara's condition had changed. "How are you, Nat?" Nick said as he and Tracy entered the room. "How's Sara doing?" "I'm okay, Nick." she replied, looking up at them. "Sara's vital signs are stable, which is good...." At that moment, a shrill beep came from the EEG monitor. Natalie looked up at the monitor to see what was happening, just as a slender, middle-aged nurse with graying black hair entered the room. "What's going on?" the nurse demanded when she saw the three people in the room as they stood next to Sara's bedside. "What are you people doing in here?" "I'm Detective Nick Knight, Metro Homicide; this is my partner, Detective Tracy Vetter, and that's Doctor Natalie Lambert." he replied, attempting to keep everyone calm. "We're here to check on a patient of Doctor Spencer's... Her name is Sara McClendon..." "Oh, my God...." Natalie gasped as she looked at the EEG monitor as the images on the screen began to shimmer and sparkle. "I don't believe it! Look at this!" All of them took a look at the monitor as it began to glow with a brilliance that they hadn't seen before, accompanied by strange sounds. "Listen... that sounds like music!" Tracy said, as she listened carefully to the sounds that filled the room. The light that came from the monitor was brilliant as the sun, and yet, Nick wasn't harmed by the light as it shone within the room. He felt an odd warmth in his jacket pocket, and reached inside. His fingers touched cool metal and stones. Sara's bracelet had suddenly materialized in his jacket pocket, and Nick was at a loss to explain how or why it happened. After a brief moment, the brilliant white light and the music vanished and everyone looked surprised about what had just occurred. "What happened?" the nurse asked them, blinking a bit. "What did we just see?" "I don't know, but Sara's vital signs are still normal. There was a moment when her EEG monitor showed some unusual images, just before we saw that light..." Natalie said as she tried to rationalize what she had seen on the monitor. "I thought that I saw her with a group of people somewhere... and I thought that I heard music." She shook her head in an attempt to dismiss what had just occurred. "I must have been seeing things. Her brain wave patterns are still off, but they seem to be stabilizing. Did you see those images on the EEG monitor, too, Nick?" "I'm not sure, Nat... I think I did, and I also heard music..." Nick said as he took out the silver bracelet that he had given to Sara on their first anniversary and looked at it carefully, "This is definitely unusual." "I saw those images, too, Nat." Tracy replied. "Looks like we're in for a strange night." The nurse got a good look at the bracelet that Nick was holding and said, "That's the bracelet the paramedics brought to my station Monday afternoon. It shocked two of the paramedics as they were taking it off if Ms. McClendon's arm, and it burned a guy who tried to steal it." "Really?" Tracy said, a look of surprise on her face. "Wow! That's amazing! How did the bracelet get in your pocket, Nick? You're wearing a different jacket tonight." "I took the bracelet out of my pocket last night and left it at my place. I don't know how it got here, but, apparently, Doctor Spencer's little project is able to do some things that nobody was aware of." Nick replied as he put the bracelet back in his pocket. "Which means that we'd better go check out the seventh floor labs now. Let's go, Trace..." The two detectives left Sara's room, and headed toward the elevators. --- Laboratory Number 2 10:55 pm --- Thomas and Elena were busily working on the urine samples that had been taken from Jamie and Sara just a couple of hours earlier. As Elena was checking the printout that she had gotten from the computer, she noticed that there was something unusual about the numbers that were coming up. "Thomas... take a look at this..." she said, handing him the printout. "Weren't these numbers a lot lower this morning when you did your analysis on their urine samples?" "Let me double-check that, Elena..." he murmered as he went over to a file cabinet, unlocked it and took out a file. As he thumbed through it carefully, he found what he was looking for."All right... let's see what we've got...." He placed the paper on the table and compared them with the printout that Elena handed him. "These numbers don't make a lot of sense..." "You think that the computer may have been tampered with?" she asked him. "I'm not sure, Elena..." he muttered softly. "We may have miscalculated our findings, but I won't rule out computer tampering. Let's got to Lab One and see if you're right." They gathered up the specimens and went to Laboratory Number One to perform their bloodwork and urine analysis. When the test results were printed out and compared with the printout that had been done earlier, Thomas said, "Our research has been compromised. The numbers that we got back earlier about the mineral content of their urine samples are off by at least ten percent. These new results show a much lower concentration of minerals in their systems, than the results that we got back earlier today." "Oh, no!" she said, a shocked look on her face. "You think that Paul might have done this?" "Who else would have had access to the labs?" Thomas asked her. "We were downstairs with Greg, and there was nobody else in the lab area. We haven't seen Paul since he left the OR, and that was several hours ago." "Damn him!" she said angrily. "Why does he want to sabotage our project now?" "Think about it for a second. We've got two people in comas, and this happens just when we're about to go public with this." he replied sharply. "Paul's been trying to find a way to discredit us, and he'd stoop to anything to make sure that we look bad." "You're right. If he did this, where could he be now?" she said, looking pale and nervous. "Do you think that Gregory may be in danger?" "Those are good questions." Thomas replied. "When the detectives get here, you'd better tell them about your attack. If Paul was the one attacked you and stole Sara's bloodwork file last night, then he may be capable of doing something else... something much, much worse." "You don't think that he'd...?" Elena said, as she tried not to think about what Paul was capable of doing in the name of blind ambition. "Yes, I do." Thomas replied soberly. "I think that he may try to kill one of us tonight..." --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 28/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 29/? Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 15:35:30 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 29/? ---- Seventh floor... Laboratory area... 11:07pm --- Nick and Tracy got out of the elevator and hurried down the corridor toward the lab area when Thomas and Elena left Laboratory Number One. "Detective Knight..." Thomas said as Nick and Tracy approached them. "We think that someone may have sabotaged our equipment in the lab in order to cause inaccurate results on some tests that we were running on Jamie and Sara's blood and urine samples... and I have a pretty good idea who may be doing this." "Are you sure about that, Doctor Willamson?" he asked. "Yes..." Elena replied. "We were checking up on some work that we'd been doing on Jamie and Sara's urine samples, and when we ran the samples through the computer testing system to be analyzed, we were getting screwy numbers. So, we went to Lab One to see if Thomas's hunch was right... and we found out that the spectro-analysis computer that we'd been using in Lab Two in order to confirm the mineral count in the blood and urine specimens, had been tampered with to ensure that the test results we got back were incorrect." "I see." Nick said quietly. "You said something about someone who might have tampered with the computer." Tracy said. "Can you tell us who it might be?" "Who are you?" Elena asked her. "I'm Tracy Vetter, Metro Homicide." she replied. "There's someone who works for BioCom who's been trying to ruin our project for some time..." Thomas replied, as he lowered his voice. "We've been trying to get proof that he's been behind the problems that we've been having with the regenerator recently, and I think that we may be getting close to catching him in the act." "It might be a good idea if we were to go to the lab and talk about this, Detectives..." Elena said quietly. "You never know who might be listening if we were to stay here in the corridor." "That's a good idea..." Nick replied. "Let's go..." They went back to Laboratory Number Two to ask Thomas and Elena some questions and to get some answers from them about the spinal nerve regenerator project. --- 11:20 pm... Doctor Spencer's office... --- Gregory had finished up the last page of the report, and patiently waited for his fax machine to warm up, while making several copies of his report for safekeeping. He knew that Jonathan would have a lot of paperwork to wade through, but what he would be reading would be enough to help keep funding for the project going. A soft chiming came from the fax machine, which meant that it was ready to be used. "All right...." Gregory said as he dialed Jonathan's home fax number and waited for the connection. "I think that you'll be interested in what I've got for you." He put a copy of his cover letter into the machine and waited for it to be sent. After he saw the signal that it had been sent off, Gregory fed the remaining sheets of paper into the fax. By the time he was finished, the complete report would be in Jonathan's machine within a few minutes. "Now, that I've sent off the report, I can check and see how Jamie and Sara are doing...." he said softly as he locked up the remaining files in his file cabinet. "I want to make sure that everything's going to be fine." He walked over to another cabinet, and carefully unlocked it. He removed a small device from the drawer and checked it over carefully to make sure that it was working properly. When he was satisfied with the results, he closed the drawer, locked it, picked up his lab coat from the arm of a nearby chair, and put the device in his shirt pocket. "Now.... time to see how you're doing, Jamie..." he murmered as he slipped on his lab coat and left his office, making sure to lock the door. As Gregory walked down the corridor toward the nurse's station, one of the nurses came up to him, looking excited and confused. "Doctor! Doctor!" she said excitedly. "You wouldn't believe what happened in Room 501!" "Uh... what happened in Room 501, Nurse...?" he said, looking puzzled and confused. "Blakemore, Doctor Spencer..." she replied. "We saw the strangest thing." "What did you see?" he asked her, wondering what had happened in Sara's room that would have gotten her so excited. "Ms. McClendon's EEG monitor lit up like a Christmas tree." she said, a note of excitement in her voice. "The monitor began to glow, and the light filled the room. I also heard music, and I saw some strange images on the monitor just before the screen brightened up. I couldn't believe it!" "Who was in the room with you when this happened? Who saw this happen, besides you?" he asked, concerned about this new development. "Two police detectives and someone named Doctor Lambert. They're Ms. McClendon's friends..." she replied as Gregory ran down the corridor and toward Room 501. "Wait! What's going on?" When Gregory entered Room 501, he saw Natalie sitting at Sara's bedside, holding her hand and talking to her in gentle, hushed tones. She looked up to see him enter the room. "Nurse Blakemore told me that something odd happened here a few minutes ago, Doctor Lambert." he said as he approached the monitors that were near the bed. "Something about a strange light coming from the EEG monitor." "I couldn't believe it either, Doctor Spencer." Natalie replied. "Nick and Tracy came by to check on Sara, and that's when the EEG monitor started acting strangely. For a moment... I thought that I saw images on the monitor, and then, the screen brightened and the light that came from it filled the room. It was very bright, like the sun... but it didn't harm us. We also heard music. I'm not sure what kind of music it was, though." "Did anything else happen?" he asked her curiously. "Well, I don't know if this means anything or not, but Nick found Sara's bracelet in his jacket pocket just before the light faded. He said that he left it at his place, but somehow, it appeared in his pocket." she replied. "Do you think that it means anything?" "I'm not sure, Doctor... but I think that my regenerator may be capable of doing a lot more than I thought was possible." he said. "I was about to check on Jamie to see how he's doing. Where did Detectives Knight and Vetter go?" "They went to the seventh floor labs, I think... Nick said that he wanted to check on something." Natalie said. "Good... If word of what happened in here gets out, I'm afraid that someone may try to make sure that my project is shut down for good." he told her, his voice holding a note of urgency. "Please don't tell anyone else about this, Doctor Lambert. Professional courtesy..." "Of course." she said, glancing at Sara briefly before she turned toward Doctor Spencer. "Will you be checking on Sara soon?" "After I activate Jamie's regenerator and making sure that he's still stable." he said. "The risk of possible nerve degeneration will be too great if I wait much longer to activate the regenerator." "I understand." she said. "When will you activate Sara's regenerator?" "I want to wait at least one more day before I activated it." he replied, ''especially after what you've told me about those strange images that appeared on Sara's EEG, and after I've run another CAT scan on her. I'm sorry that I was busy with other things when this happened. I wish that I had been there to see what you and the others saw." "It was quite a sight, believe me." she said, giving him a smile. "Yes, I'm sure that it was, Doctor Lambert." he said, smiling back at her. "If' you'll excuse me, I'd better check on Jamie, then I've got to send my report to Jonathan. I'll see you later, then..." "Of course, Doctor Spencer..." Natalie said as she watched him leave the room. After Gregory had gone, she sat in the chair beside Sara, held her hand and talked to her once more. "That was quite a show you you put on for us tonight, Sara..." she said, smiling faintly. "How did you do that?" --- 11:22 pm Room 502 --- Gregory entered Jamie's room, accompanied by Nurse Blakemore. He took out the small device from his shirt pocket and switched it on. "What are you going to do, Doctor?" she asked him while he double-checked Jamie's vital signs to make sure that his condition was still stable before he switched on the bio-electric battery activator. "I'm going to try and wake him up, Nurse..." he replied. "I hope that this works." Gregory took a deep breath and pressed the button on the device that would activate the spinal nerve regenerator. A faint beep from the activator and a bright green light on the screen let him know that the bio-electric batteries were activated and functioning, but he didn't expect what was about to happen next. As he carefully studied the EEG monitor, Gregory noticed something unusual. The brain wave patterns had shifted and began to change into images, and along with it, some strange noises were coming from the EEG monitor. "What the...?" he muttered as he couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes. "I don't believe it!" "That's exactly what I saw on Ms. McClendon's EEG monitor, Doctor." Nurse Blakemore replied as they watched the images flicker and shift. "It looks like there are people walking around... and I'm hearing music. What's going on here?" "I don't know...." Gregory said as he watched the monitor screen begin to shimmer and sparkle.They were able to step away from the monitor just as a brilliant burst of white light came from the monitor and filled the room. As Paul was walking down the corridor in search of Doctor Spencer, the door to Room 502 flew open and the dazzling light and music filled the corridor. Paul stumbled backwards against the wall and covered his eyes in order to shield them from the almost blinding light. Just as quickly as the light had appeared, it vanished, and the door to Room 502 closed. Gregory and Nurse Blakemore were standing next to Jamie's bedside, amazed by what had just occurred. "Are you all right, Doctor Spencer?" she asked him, worried about what had just happened. "I'm fine, Nurse..." he said, as he blinked for a moment in order to get his bearings. "We should have been blinded by the light, but that didn't happen. This is unbelievable!" He checked the EEG monitor, and it was back to normal. He then checked the bio-electric battery activator and noticed that it was functioning perfectly. "I don't know what's going on here, but I may be onto something..." Gregory left Room 502 and hurried back to his office, unaware that Paul was in the corridor and had witnessed the unusual ocurrence. *I know that Gregory's up to something....* Paul thought as he tried to get himself together, and made sure that his plan to bury Gregory's project would go off without a hitch. *I need to know what happened in that room, and once I do... I'll have his little project shut down for good.* After a couple of moments, he walked down the corridor, making a brief stop at the pharmacy which was located near the nurses' station. He opened the door and peered inside. The pharmacy was empty and quiet during the time between shifts, which made it ideal for him to find what he needed, and to avoid answering any questions about what he was doing there. He took a pair of latex gloves from a box that was located on the counter and put them on. He prowled through the aisles of cabinets carefully, looking for one that might not have been locked. He noticed an open cabinet near the back of the pharmacy wall, and opened it slowly, looking for something that he could use. When he found what he was looking for, he slipped the small bottle and four syringes into his jacket pocket, and stood in one of the aisles, waiting a moment before he did his work. Paul took the bottle out of his pocket and read the label. Methyldoxin was a powerful muscle relaxant which was lethal in high doses, and it was just what he wanted. He carefully filled each syringe with the relaxant, making sure that the cap was placed on each needle before he put them back in his pocket. The last thing that he wanted was to inject himself at the crucial moment. When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he took off the gloves and put them in his left jacket pocket and tossed the empty bottle in the trash. He stopped briefly at the sterilized storage area where the surgical instruments were kept. He smiled faintly as he tested the one of the cabinet doors and found that it had been unlocked. He looked at the instruments that were laid out before him and found a scalpel. *If the injection doesn't work, a nice little slit to his throat will do nicely. It's amazing how lax security is around here...* he thought as he slipped the scalpel into his pocket, left the pharmacy, and went toward Gregory's office, fully prepared to make sure that his rival's project would be shut down for good, and to pave the way for his own version of the spinal nerve regenerator... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 29/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 41/48 Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 15:02:39 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Subject: In Another Life---Part 30/? Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 15:35:00 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Round up the usual disclaimers and find them in part 1. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 30/? ---- Doctor Spencer's office... 11:35 pm. --- Gregory was on the phone, talking to Jonathan, and doing his best to keep his excitement over what had just happened in Room 501 under control. He hadn't been too thrilled to get a call from him so late in the evening, but what Gregory told him made any irritation about his interrupted sleep fade away. --- "Are you sure about all of this, Gregory?" Jonathan asked as he sat at the desk in his small home office and waded through the sheaf of papers that he had gotten out of his fax. "I've got your report, and I find it all very interesting, but are you absolutely certain about what you saw and heard after you re-activated Jamie's regenerator?" "Yes, sir, I am..." Gregory replied truthfully. "I saw a bright light coming from the EEG monitor, then I heard music... and I saw images on that monitor that aren't supposed to appear." "You think that this may be connected with the leakage of the bio-electric batteries? It's certainly a bizarre bio-chemical fluke." "I think so.'' came Gregory's reply. "Some of the minerals that travelled through their bloodstreams were deposited into their brain tissue, and the minerals may have affected the "white zone" of their brains. I was able to confirm this after I had CAT scans of their brains done earlier today. When I activated Jamie's regenerator, that's when the strange light from the monitor appeared, but I was also told that shortly after Sara's surgery had been performed and she was taken back to her room this evening, the same thing occurred, and her regenerator hadn't been activated yet. There's also something else..." "What else, Gregory?" Jonathan wondered. "A bracelet that belonged to Ms. McClendon suddenly appeared in her room shortly before the light from her EEG monitor faded." Gregory told him, careful not to reveal too much. "It was the most incredible thing that I had ever seen." Jonathan was silent for a few moments, then he said, "Gregory... your device is exhibiting properties that we hadn't thought about or even imagined, so I'm going to make sure that the existence of the regenerator isn't made public right away." "What? You've got to be kidding me?" Gregory exclaimed. "We've got something here that could revolutionize medical science as we've known it, and you want to lock it up and throw away the key. I don't believe this! First, you were all for announcing the the development of the regenerator within the next six months, and now you don't want anyone to know about it?" "I can't afford to make the announcement about the regenerator after what you've just told me, and what I've read in your report." he replied. "I don't think that we could afford the kind of collateral damage that could come about if something were to happen to Ms. McClendon or Mr. Roberts if they are impaired by the materials that leaked out of the bio-electric batteries." Jonathan paused for a minute, then continued, "I realize I may have been too hasty in pressuring you for immediate results with the regenerator, and if this device can harness the power that's believed to be within the ''white zone'' of the brain as you claim it can, I'd be in the middle of an ethical firestorm, and that's one place I don't want to be." "But, Jonathan... who knows how many people could be helped by the regenerator. You can't pull the plug on it now!" "Gregory... I know that this is a disappointment for you, but you've got to understand that what's happening with Ms. McClendon and Mr. Roberts is very unusual, and it could cause a financial headache for me, as well as our investors, if we're on the recieving end of any lawsuits because the regenerator malfunctioned and caused certain... problems. I'm not going to pull the plug on it; I'm just saying that we should wait a while." Jonathan replied patiently. "Have you heard from the other regenerator patients about about any problems that they've had since the device was implanted in them?" "A couple of other patients have had odd things happen to them recently, but that's nothing compared to what's been happening with Jamie and Sara. This is the most incredible thing to come along in a millennium of medical science." Gregory said, trying to appeal to Jonathan's reason and hoping that his sudden desire to play it safe wouldn't cloud his better judgement. "Wouldn't you like for BioCom have the exclusive rights to a device that nobody else has been able to come up with?" "Yes, I would, but not while you've still got two comatose patients." Jonathan said, his tone indicating that he had undergone a change of attitude which Gregory found heartening after their unpleasant discussion on Monday night. "I'll consider letting you go public with the regenerator after Ms. McClendon and Mr. Roberts are out of their comas, and they're walking again. You told me Monday that before you made the announcement about the regenerator, that you wanted six healthy people who are able to walk, and so do I." After a brief pause, Jonathan brought up a subject that Gregory didn't want to discuss, "How are you and Paul getting along?" "I told you that I didn't want him as an observer while I performed the surgeries, Jonathan." Gregory icily replied, as he struggled to remain calm. "I've told you for the past five years that he's been trying to make sure that the regenerator is a failure, and you still don't believe me." "I'm not sure what to believe..." Jonathan said as he looked at a particular page of Gregory's report. "I'm comparing what Paul told me about the regenerator last night, and what you've told me about the regenerator tonight, and I'm finding a few... discrepancies here." "That's because Paul gave you an incomplete and inaccurate report." came the chilly reply. "I told you that he isn't objective..." "Yes, you've told me that several times since I assigned him to be your Project Manager seven years ago." Jonathan said, trying to calm Gregory down. "I'm still not fully convinced about your accusations against him. I worked with him when I was at Deighton, and he's a good man." "Sure, he was!" Gregory snapped back. "If he's such a good guy, then why was he accused of corporate espionage while both of you were working at Deighton a few years ago?" "There was never any proof of his involvement in any corporate espionage scheme when we worked at Deighton, Gregory." Jonathan's voice was frosty. "No charges were ever filed against him or myself, for that matter, and you know that." "Just because nothing was ever proven against him doesn't mean that he's any less dangerous. In the last five years, I've had several important pieces of data regarding the regenerator turn up missing, and each time it happened, Paul was overseeing the transmission and storage of data in the R&D department." Gregory's voice was filled with controlled fury. "I've told you to replace him as Project Manager, and my requests have repeatedly been denied -" "...Because you've given me no solid proof that he's behind the missing data files or the attempted sabotage of the bio-electric battery production line." Jonathan replied, his impatience with Gregory's complaints about Paul beginning to show. "I'm hard pressed to believe your accusations against him, when you've given me no solid evidence that proves that Paul's the one behind those little glitches that have been dogging the regenerator recently." "I know what I'm talking about, Jonathan, and all the proof that you need is in my report..." Gregory said, as Paul lurked in a shadowy part of the corridor not too far from his office, carefully pondering his next move. --- Laboratory Number Two... Seventh floor... 11:45 pm.. --- Nick and Tracy were discussing the sabotage of the lab equipment with Thomas and Elena, when Thomas said, "We've suspected for some time that someone's been trying to sabotage the regenerator project. All of us who've been working on the project had our suspicions about who might try to do something like this, and until recently, we didn't have any proof that would pinpoint to a potential saboteur." "Who do you think might try to sabotage your project?" Nick asked him. "Paul Clifford. He's Project Manager for the regenerator." Thomas replied. "During the last few months, I noticed that there were several pieces of research data that were missing when I went to retrieve them from the mainframe computer from the R&D department. When I told Gregory about it, we were able to put together a pattern concerning the missing data. We didn't have enough to take to Kincaid at the time, but we were sure that Paul was behind the missing data files." "At first, I didn't want to believe it. After all, Paul had been a big help to me when we worked at Deighton, and I didn't want to believe that someone that I considered to be a friend could do something like this." Elena said slowly. "But, when I found several of my own files missing, including some patient information files, I knew that something was happening, but there was a part of me that didn't want to believe that he'd ber capable of doing something like this... until last night." "What happened to you last night, Doctor Sandoval?" Tracy asked her, as Nick listened carefully to what the doctors were telling them. "I was attacked while I was checking on Ms. McClendon's vital signs." she replied nervously as the memory of the attack came to her mind. "I wanted to check on something that Thomas had mentioned in his report when I was attacked from behind. I turned around to see who was behind me... I saw a glimpse of a face, then.... everything went black." She paused for a moment, then she continued, "Thomas found me in Sara's room, and as I tried to get my bearings, the file that I had with me was gone." "Paul wants to see us fail, and he'd do anything to make sure that it happens," Thomas said, a hint of controlled anger in his voice, "but we don't intend to let him mess up our hard work." "When you started working on the regenerator, did you notice any unusual properties that came up during your research and testing?" Nick asked as the incident in Sara's room was still fresh in his mind. "There were certain things that happened when we first used the regenerator on our animal test subjects, Detective, but we didn't consider them to be too unusual. They were minor things, such as triggering retail anti-shoplifting devices. Why do you ask?" Elena said. "Did something happen?" "Something happened just a while ago that I couldn't believe..." Nick said. "Your project is capable of doing things that nobody would have imagined." "Other than the electrical 'charging' of certain items, such as a bracelet that was frequently worn?" Thomas said, giving Nick a smile. "Gregory told us about that yesterday, Detective, and I'm sorry that neither of us were here to have witnessed it." "So... what did the regenerator do?" Elena asked Nick. "It was able to teleport that bracelet from my apartment into my jacket pocket, and we were able to see and hear things from a different time and place..." Nick said, as he told the doctors about what he and Tracy had seen and heard in Sara's room earlier in the evening. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 30/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, January, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 31/? Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 15:36:26 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 31/? ---- Laboratory Number Two... Seventh floor... 11:55 pm.. --- After Nick had finished telling Thomas and Elena about the light and music that came from Sara's EEG monitor as well as the sudden appearance of her bracelet in his pocket, both doctors were amazed and surprised by what they had been told. "What you've told us is incredible, Detective Knight." Thomas said, an amazed look on his face. "Usually, this sort of thing is the stuff of science fiction, not science fact." "Had the regenerator been activated when this happened?" Elena asked him. "No, it hadn't." Nick told them. "It happened shortly after she had been released from Intensive Care and taken back to her room." "This is definitely unusual, to say the least." Thomas said, his brow furrowed in thought. "Gregory was going to reactivate Jamie's regenerator sometime tonight, and I wonder if the same thing that happened to Sara earlier might have happened to him." "It's possible, especially since there may still be a build-up of minerals in their brain tissue, and it could have affected them in ways that we don't know about. Maybe we should check and see if he's all right." Elena said as she gathered up her files and tucked them under her arm. "If Gregory's around, he might be able to shed some light on what happened." Nick nodded and said, "From what you've told me, Doctor Clifford may be lurking around somewhere, and if he's determined to shut your project down, now would be the time for him to make his move." "All right..." Thomas said after he had finished working on the last of the paperwork before him, and slipped them into three file folders. "We're going to tell Gregory about the test results and how the computer that was to have analyzed the samples had been tampered with. I also think that he'll be interested in what happened in Sara's room this evening." "All right. Let's go. I'm sure that he'll be interested in what's going on." Nick said. They left the lab, walked down the corridor, and boarded the elevator just as it stopped on the seventh floor. The elevator took them down to the fifth floor, and after they got out, they headed toward Doctor Spencer's office. --- 12:01 am... Wednesday morning... --- >From his place in the shadows near the corridor, Paul watched the people that emerged from the elevator with great interest. He knew that Gregory would be occupied for a while with Thomas, Elena and two other people that he didn't recognize, so he knew that it would be too much of a risk if he were to go after him now. Instead, he decided to check and see what happened in Room 502. The main corridor was empty as Paul was about to step out of the shadows and head toward Room 502, when he noticed a dark-haired woman leaving Room 501. She was headed toward the ladies' room, and Paul wondered what connection the woman might have had with the person who was in Room 501. He waited until the woman was gone, then he sprinted across the corridor and carefully slipped inside Room 501. He approached the bed where a lovely, fragile-looking, dark-skinned woman rested quietly, surrounded by the constant low beeps and hums of the EEG and EKG monitors. "Hmmmmmmmmm... " Paul muttered as he looked at the woman carefully, in an attempt to identify her, "And who might you be, my dear?" He poked around her bed looking for an identification tag of some sort. He checked her left wrist and smiled wryly at the name that was written on the ID band. "Sara Louise McClendon. Oh, yes, I remember you. You're one of Gregory's dear little 'lab rats', aren't you? He spoke of you and your friend, Jamie, quite often. I always wondered what he saw in both of you. Well, Ms. McClendon.... you and Jamie Roberts are about to become part of one of those regrettable little 'accidents' that can occur on the road of medical science." He took out the pair of gloves from his left jacket pocket and put them on, then he pulled out one of the syringes from his right jacket pocket. After checking to make sure that there were no air bubbles inside the syringe, he was all set to complete his business. "Good night, Ms. McClendon. Sweet dreams, my dear... forever." he said softly. Just as he was about to inject the contents into Sara's left arm, Natalie came back into the room. She gasped and was ready to scream when Paul said, "If you don't want to see Ms. McClendon die, you'll close that door, keep your mouth shut, and try not to be a hero..." "Who are you?" she said, her dark eyes filled with a mixture of fear and anger as she let the door slowly close behind her. "What are you doing here?" "I'm simply taking care of some business." he replied calmly. "Ms. McClendon and her friend in the next room are a couple of 'loose ends' that I can't afford to have lying around." Natalie stood in front of the closed door, too frightened to try and attack the stranger as he stuck the hypodermic needle into Sara's arm. She noticed that he hadn't depressed the plunger on the syringe yet, but she knew that if she went after him, he'd inject Sara with the contents of the syringe. "Who are you?" Natalie asked him, in an attempt to keep him talking in order to buy herself and Sara some time. She thought she had heard his voice before, so she had to keep him talking in order for her to recall exactly where she had heard it. "Someone who's getting tired of being upstaged..." Paul replied as he watched her carefully. "I've had to watch from the sidelines while other people came up with great inventions and they got all the glory. No more. It's time for me to step up and take my place among the great inventors." After he had spoken, Natalie knew where she had heard his voice before. He was the man who had argued with Doctor Spencer in the operating room earlier in the day. Even though she knew it, she didn't want to agitate him any further, so she kept calm and didn't mention it. "What have you invented?" Natalie asked, as she moved away from the door very slowly, hoping that he wouldn't inject Sara with the contents of the syringe. "The spinal nerve regenerator, of course..." Paul said, a faint smile on his lips. "I can make a better device than Doctor Spencer, and I'm just about ready to try it out, but there can't be two devices out at the same time. That would ruin everything, and I'd lose out on funding for my project. So... I'm going to make sure that Doctor Spencer's project gets buried, along with Sara Louise McClendon and Jamie Roberts. Once I do that, I can make my announcement..." Natalie's slow movement toward the chair distracted him, and he said angrily, "What do you think you're doing? Didn't I tell you not to try and be a hero?" "I'm not going to do that." Natalie replied, conciously keeping her voice calm and neutral as she looked at him. "I just want to sit with Sara. Please don't hurt her. She's... she's my friend." A smile twisted across Paul's lips after she had spoken. "Of course... " he said. "You've probably got some deep and meaningful things to say to her, and it would be a shame if you weren't able to say goodbye to your girlfriend. Why don't you move your chair over to the other side of the bed so you can see her better?" "Why would I do that?" she asked him curiously. "Because..." he replied as he took the scalpel from his left hand jacket pocket and brandished it in front of her, "you never know who might decide to drop by, and I'd hate to have all of my plans ruined if you were to do something incredibly stupid. Now, move your chair over here, please. I don't have all night." Natalie had to find out what was inside the syringe, so she'd have some idea of what she'd have to deal with if Sara was injected. "What's in the syringe?" she asked him as she carefully picked up the chair and carried it over to the left side of the bed. "You said that you were going to kill Sara and Jamie, and I want to know what you're going to do to them." 'You want to know about that?" he asked her, surprised by her question. "Yes, I do. What's in the syringe?" she replied quietly as she sat in the chair near the bed, while he stood between her and Sara. "It's Methyldoxin. When taken in small doses, it relaxes the muscles, but when taken in larger doses, the results can be quite fatal." he told her as he put his left arm across her chest and put the tip of the scalpel against her throat. "Now... we're going to be patient and wait for Doctor Spencer to drop in on one of his favorite patients, and when he does, he'll be in for an interesting surprise..." Natalie held Sara's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. For a brief moment, she thought that she felt Sara's hand squeeze hers tightly, in a gesture of friendship and reassurance. *Don't worry, Sara,* Natalie thought as she glanced at her friend, *help is coming. We're going to be all right...* --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 31/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 32/? Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:50:01 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity here. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 32/? ---- 12:04 am... Doctor Spencer's office... --- Gregory had finished his phone conversation with Jonathan when Thomas and Elena arrived at his office, accompanied by Detectives Knight and Vetter. When he was told about the sabotage of the spectro-analysis computer, the inaccurate urine test results, and Elena's attack early that morning, his suspicions about the sabotage of the project had been confirmed, and he hoped that they'd finally be able to catch Paul red-handed. --- "I was right." Gregory said firmly. "The regenerator project's being sabotaged, and if your hunch is right, Detective Knight, Doctor Clifford may make his move against us tonight. Jamie and Sara have had their surgeries, so they'd be the most vulnerable to an attack." "Where do you think Doctor Clifford might be now?" Nick asked him. "I can't say for sure, Detective. I've never really trusted him, especially since Jonathan insisted that he'd be the Project Manager for the regenerator. There was something about Paul that made me nervous." Gregory replied as he fiddled around with the bio-electric power cell activation device before he slipped into the right hand pocket of his lab coat. "I activated Jamie's regenerator around a half-hour or so ago. Some very unusual things happened after it had been activated." "What did you see?" Nick asked him. "The EEG monitor lit up, and I saw some images that shouldn't be able to appear on a medical monitor." Gregory told him, still feeling a little awed by what he had seen. "I also heard music, and music shouldn't be coming from a vital signs monitor." "We were in Sara's room a while ago, and the same thing that you described happened to her as well." Nick said. "We saw a brilliant light coming from her monitor, saw images that shouldn't appear on a medical monitor, and we heard music." "Doctor Lambert told me about it when I came to check on Sara a while ago." Gregory told him. "I didn't know that the regenerator was capable of producing this type of phenomena and if the mineral deposits from the leaking batteries are still inside Jamie and Sara's brain tissue... who knows what might happen after the regenerator has been active for a while." "I guess we'll find that out soon enough." Elena replied. "Do you think that Doctor Clifford may still be inside the hospital, Doctor Spencer?" Tracy asked him. "It's possible that he might be around, but I can't be absolutely certain where he'd be." Gregory said. "He was very upset when he found out that I had performed Sara's surgery without notifying him about it, so there's no telling what he might do or where he might be." "Let's find out where he is." Nick said as he and Tracy left the office, followed by the three doctors. As they slowly walked down the corridor toward Room 501, Nick's sharpened sense of hearing picked up the sound of Natalie's voice, along with that of a man. He deliberately slowed his pace in order not to be detected. "I think it would be best if you were to keep back..." he said quietly to the doctors. "Do you think that something's going on inside Sara's room, Detective Knight?" Elena whispered. "Perhaps." Nick whispered back, as he motioned for Tracy to move alongside him. "That's what we're going to find out." The three doctors kept their distance as Nick and Tracy carefully made their way toward the door. Nick pulled out out his gun, while Tracy moved to the other side of the door. After a couple of moments, he slowly opened the door. "Nick Knight, Metro Homicide!" he said as they rushed into the room, and Tracy stood on the left side of the doorway, while Nick stood on the right side of the doorway. "Well, well, well..." Paul said as he glanced at Sara and Natalie for a brief moment before he looked at Nick. "Doctor Spencer finally got someone to believe his stories about me. I'm surprised that he'd call the cops, though." "All right, Doctor Clifford..." Nick said as he kept his gun drawn on him as Paul stood between the two women, with a scalpel at Natalie's throat, and a syringe inserted into Sara's left arm, "put the scalpel down, let Doctor Lambert go, and remove the syringe from Ms. McClendon's arm." "Doctor Lambert?" Paul said, giving Natalie a surprised look. "Natalie Lambert, our Provincial Medical Examiner? Isn't this a nice surprise! Well, Doctor, if you live through this, you'll get the chance to autopsy your friend here, and find out what happens when someone takes an overdose of Methyldoxin. It's a really ugly way to go." Natalie was frightened by Paul's tone of voice and she hoped that Nick wouldn't do anything that would cause him to attack her and Sara. "You're a doctor. You wouldn't do this..." she said softly, attempting to appeal to whatever remained of his sense of reason. "Please don't hurt Sara..." "You don't get it, do you. If it wasn't for Sara, Jamie and the others, Doctor Spencer wouldn't be having his little moment in the sun." Paul replied, a strange gleam in his eyes as he spoke. "I got tired of sitting on the sidelines and being shut out at the crucial moment of glory. I wanted to get noticed, so I had to take some... extraordinary measures to make sure that I'd have some attention paid to me for a change." Gregory and the others moved a little closer toward the open door, so they could hear what Paul was saying. "What kind of 'extraordinary measures', Doctor Clifford?" Nick asked him, his voice calm and steady as he looked at him. "What did you do to sabotage Doctor Spencer's project?" "It's quite simple, Detective Knight," Paul replied as his hands held the weapons that he had chosen to destroy his colleague's dream, "I borrowed a few files here, and a few files there. Nothing too big that would be missed right away, but just enough for me to read and then to do a little tinkering around with. I thought that I'd be able to come up with my own version of the spinal nerve regenerator, especially after I read the reports about the unusual things that were happening to the patients who had the regenerator implanted in them." Gregory's face was ashen as he listened to Paul speak. *I don't believe this...* he thought. *I told Jonathan about what he was up to, and he didn't believe me.* Thomas and Elena remained silent as they listened to the frustrated man who wanted fame and glory at any price. "Why did you want to sabotage the regenerator project, Doctor Clifford?" Tracy asked him, recalling the conversation between him and Doctor Spencer that Natalie had told them about. "I was so tired of hearing about the great Doctor Gregory Spencer and his miracle medical device." Paul's voice held a touch of anger, as he held the scalpel tightly, and threatened to pierce Natalie's flesh. "I knew that it was capable of doing things that nobody could've imagined, but tonight... after I saw the light that came from Room 502, I knew that I was onto something. If his regenerator could do that, I knew that I could make one that was even more powerful than his." He paused for a moment, then said, "Since I was Project Manager, it wasn't too difficult for me to get all the information that I'd need in order for me to duplicate the regenerator, and improve it. I knew that if I came up with one that was better than Doctor Spencer's, they'd be writing about me in the 'North American Medical Journal' instead of him." "How were you going to 'improve' my regenerator, Paul?" Gregory said as he stood in the doorway and gave him a frosty glare. "What were you planning to do to destroy my life's work?" --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 32/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 33/? Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:50:20 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 33/? ---- 12:15 am Room 501.. --- The standoff between Doctor Paul Clifford and Detectives Knight and Vetter was still continuing when Gregory appeared in the doorway of Room 501, listening carefully to everything that Paul was telling the detectives. When he heard Paul admit that he had stolen the files concerning the spinal nerve regenerator in order to come up with his own version of it, Gregory was angered and saddened by Paul's confession. --- "Doctor Spencer, I told you to stay back!" Nick said sharply, unwilling to take his eyes off of Paul while he was holding hostage the two women that Nick cared about. "I want to find out what's going on, Detective Knight, and I've got the right to know; after all, this is my project and Paul was - is - the Project Manager." Gregory replied firmly. "What were you intending to do about 'improving' the regenerator, Paul?" "I was going to concentrate the mineral compound for the bio-electric batteries to give it even more power." Paul told him. "If the regenerator could cause unusual phenomena, such as causing the EEG monitor to light up to a brillance that's as great as the sun, if the mineral compound in the bio-electric power cells were in a higher concentrated formula, who knows what could happen?" "How could you have known about that?" Gregory asked him. "When did you see it happen?" "I was passing by Room 502 earlier tonight, and I was able to get a look inside, after the door swung open by itself. What I saw was amazing, and I wanted to be the one who could create something that would change the world... and you didn't want me to have my time in the spotlight. So, I'm going to get rid of two of your cute little 'lab rats', Gregory, and you'll be out of the spotlight for good." "You're willing to sabotage my project by killing two innocent people?" he asked him. "I can't believe that you'd do this!" "I'll do much more than that..." Paul replied smoothly, a crazed grin on his lips. "I'm going to make sure that you're discredited among your peers. You're going to be the laughingstock of the medical community because you created a device that's a hazard to human health." "You'll also take down BioCom, Doctor Clifford." Nick said, as he kept his gun trained upon him, while Tracy stood on the other side of the room. "Do you really want to make your former colleague, Jonathan Kincaid, look bad?" "What?" Paul said, surprised by what Nick had said. Although his grip on the syringe and the scalpel was still tight, Nick noticed that he seemed to weaken a bit, and he hoped that he could use it to his advantage. "Jonathan and I are old friends, Detective. What make you think that I'd want to ruin him?" "That's exactly what you'll do if you kill Sara McClendon and Jamie Roberts." Nick said. "Didn't Jonathan watch out for you when you both worked at Deighton BioTech? When you left under a cloud of scandal, he was already getting BioCom launched, and he wanted to help out an old friend who got into some trouble. Who knows how much the regenerator project could cost BioCom if it were to fail?" "What happened to us when we worked at Deighton is ancient history, Detective." Paul's voice was eerily calm as he spoke. "Nothing was ever proven that I engaged in corporate espionage, or theft of valuable corporate secrets, but... then again, if someone wants to cover their tracks badly enough to make sure that they didn't get caught, it can be done. As for BioCom's financial standing... if I'm able to bring my regenerator project online within the next three months, BioCom would make a lot more than they would have from Gregory's regenerator." "You bastard!" Gregory exclaimed. "How dare you steal my life's work? I spent twenty years on it, and you're going to steal it out from under me? Do you really think you'll get away with it?" He was about to come barging into the room when Paul pressed the scalpel against Natalie's throat and the skin where the scalpel tip rested turned a bright shade of red. "No big heroics, Gregory; that's not your style." Paul said, a faint hint of glee in his voice. "If you try to be a hero, the Provincial Medical Examiner and your pretty little 'lab rat' will die a swift and painful death, so, I'd advise you to back off. Rescuing damsels in distress is a job for our two Metro Homicide cops here. I'm sure that they wouldn't dare fire their guns in this room; after all, who knows what might get hit by a stray bullet." He paused for a moment, then he gazed at Gregory and said, "I've gotten away with several things before, and I can do it again..." Gregory took a couple of steps backward, but he didn't leave the room, much to Nick and Tracy's surprise. "Why don't you let Doctor Lambert and Sara go, Paul." he said sadly. "Their deaths won't make you a hero, and you'll be the one who will be discredited, not me." "I want what you've got! I want fame and glory for a change!" Paul's hands were still clutching the scalpel and the hypodermic plunger as he spoke. Nick and Tracy held their positions, knowing that if they made any sudden moves toward Paul, Natalie and Sara would be dead before they could capture him. "You smug son-of-a-bitch, Gregory." Paul said bitterly, the hatred for his colleague evident in his voice. "Everyone who worked for you on the regenerator was going to get their fair share of the credit whenever you made the announcement about it... everyone but me, you bastard! I'm not going to let you ignore me anymore. I'm not going to let you keep me out of the loop!" "I couldn't trust you, Paul. That's why I kept you out of the loop when it came to treating Jamie and Sara." Gregory said quietly as he stood before him. "How could I trust you when you were stealing from me? Did you think that I'd hand over my life's work to you on a silver platter so you could claim it as your own? I wasn't going to let you do that to me or the other members of the team." "What was I supposed to do? Let you, Thomas, Elena and the others get the spotlight while I remained in the shadows?" Paul retorted. "Jonathan thinks that you're the man who's going to make BioCom a big player in the bio-tech field, while I'm the one who sits by and watches you bask in the glory that should also be mine. I'm the Project Manager, and I should get some of the credit, too!" "You'd get the credit that you deserved if you hadn't tried to sabotage my project." Gregory said as he casually slipped his hands into the pockets of his lab coat, taking care not to startle Paul in any way. "If I can't trust the people that I work with, how can I possibly give them credit for contributing to the work on the regenerator?" "I wanted you to trust me!" Paul said heatedly. "I thought that if I improved the regenerator, you'd be grateful for my help." "I tried a couple of the ideas that you recommended about strengthening the mineral compound for the bio-electric batteries... and they didn't work." Grgeory said as his hand brushed against the bio-electric battery activator that rested in his pocket. "The minerals were too heavily concentrated for the chemically-based hermetic seal to work. The hermetic seal on the bio-electric cells would have been compromised, and the batteries would have corroded and leaked." "They should have worked! I tested the bio-electric batteries out in two of the regenerators, and they worked perfectly. There should haven't been any corrosion or leakage." Paul said earnestly, still holding on to the scalpel and the hypodermic syringe. "I made sure of that." "How?" Gregory asked, curious about what Paul said. "What did you do?" "When production for the bio-electric power cells was launched, I managed to put four of my concentrated bio-electric power cells into the production line. They were already functioning, but they needed to have the chemical hermetic seal placed on them to make sure that they wouldn't corrode and leak." Paul replied, hoping that Gregory would listen to him. "I slipped them in to the hermetic sealing process, and that was it." "Hmmmmmmmmm...." Gregory said, as he pressed a button on the activation device, hoping that Paul would remain distracted enough so he wouldn't be able to hear the faint beep that came from it. "This is interesting. Did the bio-electric batteries have a batch number on each one?" "Yes, they did." Paul replied. "Batch Numbers E 104 and E 105." "How could you do this without telling me about what you did?" Gregory said, astonished by Paul's revelation. "When I took the batteries out of Jamie and Sara's regenerators to examine them, I checked the batch numbers on the back of them to see if they matched the battery batch numbers that I had on file, and they didn't match. The chemical hermetic seal was compromised because of a chemical reaction to the concentrated battery formula. You put those batteries into their regenerators, Paul, and you're responsible for putting them into comas." "I didn't put them into comas, Gregory." Paul replied as he continued to watch the doctor and the two detectives warily. "I was only trying to help you with your project, not to ruin it." "Well, that's what you've done. I told you to keep your distance while we completed our work, but you wouldn't do that." Gregory replied as he pressed the button on the activation device. "Now, you've put in jeopardy everything that I've worked hard for." As Gregory was speaking, the monitor behind Paul began to brighten very slowly as the images on the monitor screen began to flicker and shift. Natalie held Sara's hand tightly, while Nick and Tracy kept their guns drawn on Paul, wondering what was going to happen next... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 33/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 34/? Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 14:50:47 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 34/? ---- 12:28 am... Room 501.. ---- As Sara's EEG monitor began to glow softly, Nick and Tracy had to figure out a way to disarm Paul without putting Natalie and Sara in jeopardy. Gregory stood in the doorway of Room 501, determined to make sure that Paul didn't harm the them or anyone else. --- "Look, Paul... can't we be reasonable about this?" Gregory asked him. "You thought that you were being helpful by changing the formula for the bio-electric batteries, but you've actually done more harm than good. Nothing will be gained if you kill Doctor Lambert, Sara and Jamie..." "At least I'll be noticed." Paul replied, a smirk on his lips. "For too long, you've walked away with all the glory, while I got nothing. This time, everyone will remember me..." Nick and Tracy moved away from the door very slowly, while the light from the monitor screen grew more and more intense. Paul began to notice the light that surrounded him, and strange sounds were beginning to fill the room. "What's going on here?" Paul demanded as his left hand began to waver a bit. The edge of the scalpel blade wasn't as close to Natalie's throat as it had been earlier, but she wasn't ready to try and make her escape from him as long as that hypodermic needle was still stuck in Sara's arm, and his fingers were still on the plunger. "What's happening? What have you done, Gregory?" "I didn't do anything. Please let them go!" Gregory said, in an attempt to persuade Paul to surrender. "You can't win!" "I know that, Gregory, but if I'm going to go down, at least I can take one of your little 'lab rats' with me." Paul lifted up his left arm from around Natalie's chest, and removed the scalpel from her throat. "Go, Doctor Lambert!" he said harshly. "Go, now!" "But what about Sara? I'm not going to let you kill her, Doctor!" she replied sharply. "This is between Gregory and me, Doctor Lambert! I said, GO!" Paul said, taking the scalpel and placing it against his own throat. Natalie reluctantly released Sara's hand from her grip, got up from the chair and took her place next to Gregory as both of them stood in the doorway. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at Paul. "How could you do this to Sara? She's innocent!" she said to him, her voice breaking with fear and anger as tears streamed down her face. "She didn't do anything to you!" "Oh, but she will. She'll make me famous, Doctor Lambert. After I inject her with a lethal dose of Methyldoxin, I'll slit my throat before these two brave cops from Metro Homicide can stop me. The great Doctor Gregory Spencer won't be able to save his favorite patient or his own Project Manager from death. This is all too perfect..." he replied, a note of maniacal glee in his voice. As he turned toward the monitor to find out where those odd noises were coming from, he couldn't believe what he was seeing on the monitor screen. At the same time, Nick felt a warm glow in his pocket. He knew that the bracelet was there, and a powerful feeling of peace and comfort radiated from it. The feeling calmed him, and he was grateful for it. *Sara,* Nick thought as he watched Paul loom over her, ready to inject the contents of the needle into her arm, *I love you... I won't let you die.* "What the hell...?" Paul said, looking astonished at the images that danced on the screen before him as the light from the monitor grew brighter and brighter. "This can't be happening! This isn't supposed to happen! No... NO... NO!" Suddenly, a high-pitched electronic screech filled the room, and as everyone covered their ears, Paul attempted to depress the plunger of the hypodermic needle into Sara's arm. When he did, the syringe shattered before the contents of it could be injected into Sara's bloodstream. "NO! IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! DAMN IT!" he cried out in a fit of rage, swinging the scalpel around wildly as the light dazzled him and the screeching grew louder. "GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" Nick shouted to Natalie and Gregory as the monitor's brilliance grew more intense. They quickly dove to the floor as an odd sound, similar to a great wind, filled the room. Paul continued to gaze upon the monitor in dumbfounded shock. Suddenly... there was a brilliant flash of light, he felt a great pressure pushing against his chest, and he was catapulted out of the room, his body hitting against the wall with a hard smack while the light still shone upon him. He slid down to the floor, his limbs flopping around like a rag doll, and the scalpel was jammed into his right shoulder. After a few moments, the light vanished, and everyone was stunned by what they had just seen. "What the hell was that?" Elena asked, her voice shaky as she saw Paul's limp form leaning against the wall. "What did we just see?" "I think Sara was trying to help us, Doctor Sandoval." Nick replied as he put his gun back in its holster. "Somehow, she knew that we were in danger, and she managed to find a way to help us." "Captain Reese won't believe us when we tell him about this, Nick" Tracy said after she put her gun away and went to check to see if Gregory and Natalie were okay. Natalie got up from the floor and walked over toward Nick while Tracy helped Gregory up, then he walked toward Sara's bed, taking care not to step on the shattered bits of the syringe. "Are you okay, Nick?" she asked him, her voice filled with concern. "Yes, Natalie. I'm all right." he replied. "What about Sara?" Gregory was standing beside Sara, and examining her left arm carefully. "Here's the needle..." he said, taking a tissue from his shirt pocket and carefully placing it around the edge of the broken syringe. He pulled the needle out slowly, making sure that what remained of the contents of the syringe didn't get onto his hands or into Sara's bloodstream. "I've got the needle, Detective. Will you be needing it as evidence?" "Yes, we will..." Nick replied as he looked at Sara for a few moments before he got ready to leave the room. Thomas was at Paul's side, checking his vital signs. "He's still alive." he said as Nick, Tracy, Natalie and Gregory came out of the room. "He's got that scalpel stuck in his right shoulder. He took a nasty hit when he smacked against the wall. He'll be bruised and sore for a while, but if he's got no internal injuries after he's been examined, he should live." Paul moaned feebly as he looked at the people who were standing before him. He knew that he had lost his chance for fame and glory, and the pain of his injuries was minor compared to the pain of his shattered ambitions. "Damn it... Oh, damn it..." he murmered as the pain ran through his body. "I could have had it all..." "Well, Paul, you'll have your time in the spotlight, only it will be in a court of law." Gregory said quietly, while Nick took out his cell phone and made the call to Captain Reese. Elena had found a piece of plastic wrap on top of the desk at the nurse's station. She knelt beside Paul, and slowly pulled out the scalpel from his shoulder, making sure that any fingerprints that might have been on it weren't disturbed. "There we go..." she said, as Paul moaned in pain again. "I removed the scalpel, Detective Vetter." "Great..." Tracy said as she carefully wrapped the scalpel in the plastic sheet. "I think that we'll have enough evidence against Doctor Clifford that should keep him in jail for a while." "I'm sorry that we couldn't have gotten that syringe, Detective Knight." Gregory said. "If we had that, we'd have plenty of evidence to prove that Paul was going to kill Sara and Jamie." "I called Captain Reese, and he should be here in a few minutes, along with the Forensics technicians." Nick said, as he tried not to let the scent of Paul's blood awaken the vampire. Natalie stood nearby, watching for any signs of the vampire's appearance. So far, the vampire remained quiet, and Natalie hoped he would stay that way. "When Forensics inspects the room, they should be able to find the remains of the syringe, along with any traces of Methyldoxin. The needle that you removed from Sara's arm will be a big help." Nick replied as he moved away from Paul's limp, but semi-concious form. "I'll call the paramedics." Elena said as she hurried to the nurse's station to use the phone. Nurse Blakemore had just finished making her rounds when she came upon the group of people who were standing in the hallway. "What happened, Doctor Spencer? Did I miss something?" she asked them, a puzzled note in her voice. "Yes, you missed quite a show, Nurse Blakemore." Gregory replied, as he glanced back toward Sara's room, grateful for her intervention, even though he was a loss to explain how she could have known that they were in trouble. "It was quite a show, indeed..." "I think we can thank Sara for that." Natalie murmered as Nick gave her a smile. "Yes, we can, and I think we should..." Nick said as he and Natalie went inside Sara's room to get a quick look around before the Forensics technicians arrived. They stood on the right side of the bed, looking at the woman who changed their lives in ways that neither of them thought possible. "Thank you, Sara..." Natalie said softly as she held her hand. "Thank you for helping us." After a moment, she smiled at Nick and left the room, leaving him alone with her. "Sara..." Nick said hesitantly as he clasped her hand tenderly, "I don't know what to say, except... thank you. I hope you'll wake up soon. I miss you, dearest." He took the bracelet out of his pocket and looked at it for a moment. It glowed with a brilliance he had never seen before, and he was tempted to put it on her wrist, but he thought better of it and slipped it back into his pocket. "I hope to see you soon, Sara." he said as he reluctantly released her hand and placed it on the bed. "I love you..." He gave her a kiss on the forehead, left the room, and joined the others in the corridor, just as Captain Reese and the Forensics technicians arrived at the hospital... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 34/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 35/? Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:26:49 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity here. In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 35/? ---- 12:45 am... Fifth floor corridor, Harbourside Memorial Hospital... --- The Forensics technicians were gathering up the last bits of evidence as Captain Reese stood in the corridor talking with Nick, Natalie and Tracy. Several incriminating pieces of evidence against Doctor Paul Clifford had been found, including the bottle of Methyldoxin that he had used, along with the latex gloves that he was wearing. Lab Two had been inspected by Forensics, and the black pen with the BioCom logo was found on the floor next to the spectro-analysis computer. One of the Forensics technicians had found three intact hypodermic syringes in Paul's jacket pocket, which surprised everyone, because Paul had been slammed into the fifth floor corridor wall with a powerful force. --- "Doctor Clifford hit the wall rather hard from what you've told me, Vetter, and the hypodermic syringes were still intact after the impact." Reese said, amazed by what he had been told by the Forensics technician. "This is amazing." "I know, Cap." Tracy replied. "I told Nick that we'd be in for an unusual night, and that's what happened." "It's still a damn shame, though..." Reese said softly as they watched the paramedics take Paul away in a stretcher. "Paul Clifford was ready to kill two people in order to discredit Doctor Spencer and steal his project. I've got to hand it to you, Knight... your hunch was right on the money, as usual." "Thanks, Cap." Nick replied quietly as Doctor Spencer approached them. "I just got off the phone with Jonathan Kincaid, Captain Reese." he said quietly. "I told him about what happened tonight, and what Paul had said about sabotaging the regenerator project. He's shocked and saddened about this incident. He considered Paul to be a good friend..." "Well, Mr. Kincaid can expect a visit from the Crown Prosecutor's office, along with several other agencies who will be very interested in his friend's activities." Reese told him. "You think you know someone well... and then, you find out differently." "I know. He's ordered an internal investigation into Paul's conduct during the past five years, and he'll cooperate with the Crown Prosecutor regarding any criminal investigations that may be conducted." Gregory sighed wearily. "After all the years that I spent working on this, it almost came crashing down tonight. I hope we'll be able to salvage the project, because I still think that this device will be able to help others." "I hope so, too." Nick said. "Sara had been doing so well, and I'd hate to see her lose the life that she's worked so hard to reclaim." "Well, it's up to her to reclaim it, but she might need a little push." Gregory told him. "I believe that comatose patients are able to hear what's going on around them, and if someone that they know is there to talk to them, that can be a powerful incentive for them to wake up." "It's worth a try, Nick." Natalie said. "She seemed to respond to me when I was talking to her. She didn't open her eyes, or speak, but when I held her hand, I thought I felt her squeezing my hand in response." "That's a good sign, Doctor Lambert." Gregory said pleasantly. "Do you think that you might be able to visit Sara after you've completed your investigation, Detective Knight? I'll make sure that you're not disturbed, since you're only able to be with her at night." Nick smiled and said, "How did you know that I worked nights, Doctor?" "Sara's told me quite a bit about you, Detective." the doctor replied, with a smile. "She thinks you're quite a man, and now, I know why." "I think that I might be able to give you some time off after you've finished up your current caseload, Knight." Reese said, a smile crossing his broad face. "If memory serves, you've got quite a bit of time off coming..." Nick smiled as Reese spoke, but said nothing. "Well, it looks like things are finishing up here, so I'll be going back to the precinct." Reese said. "Knight, Vetter... you've done an excellent job. I'll be expecting a report on my desk tomorrow night. Good night, Natalie, Doctor Spencer..." Reese left the corridor, shortly after the Forensics technicians finished up their work. "Where's Sara now?" Nick wondered aloud. "I thought that I saw the nurses moving her out of the room just before Forensics came in." "She's been moved to Room 503." Gregory told him. "Since Room 501's a crime scene, it was best that she be moved until Forensics had a chance to inspect the room, and to collect the remaining evidence before the crime sceme became contaminated." "That was a good idea." Nick said. "I think that we'll have more than enough evidence to convict Doctor Clifford of attempted murder." "Paul could be facing even more serious charges against him after Jonathan's conducted his investigation." A sad look flickered across Gregory's face. "I'm sorry that it's come to this, Detective Knight. I wish things had been different." "I know, Gregory, I know..." Thomas said as he and Elena approached them. "Unfortunately, hindsight is always 20/20. Paul was an ambitious man, but I didn't think his ambitions would lead him to do something like this." After a brief moment of silence, Elena said, "We'll be happy to cooperate with your investigation, Detectives. I hope that Paul will be all right. He hit that wall rather hard, and he was bleeding badly. It looked like he might have a broken jaw, and possible internal injuries." "We should find out what his condition is very soon." Tracy told them. "He's been taken to Toronto General." "If you need us, Detectives, you know how to get in touch with us." Gregory said. "I've got a few calls to make. Good night, Detectives... Doctor Lambert..." He left the corridor and went back to his office while Thomas and Elena lingered a little longer. "Jamie and Sara will be monitored throughout the night for any changes in their condition. I was going to call his family tomorrow, and see if they'll be able to visit him. Their presence might help him to wake up." Elena said. "Will you be able to visit Sara, Detective Knight? She spoke of you often..." "I hope to be able to see her Thursday night." Nick said, as Tracy grinned. "That will be great." Thomas said. "I hope to see you then... Goodnight, Detective Knight... Detective Vetter... Doctor Lambert." "I'd better get going, too." Elena said, with a smile. "We've still got some work to do in the lab, and we'll be in Lab Three if you need us. Good night." She left them to accompany Thomas back to the lab. After a few moments, Nick, Natalie and Tracy remained in the corridor. "This has been quite an evening, to say the least." Natalie said. "I'm still wondering how Sara knew that we were in danger?" "Doctor Spencer said that it's possible that she might have heard something, and somehow... she was able to help us." Nick said, still amazed by what he had witnessed earlier in the evening. "Sara's quite a woman. Were you going to stay with her a little longer, Nat?" "Yes, I was." she replied. "I was going to stay with her for another half-hour or so; then I'm going home. When were you going to visit her, Nick?" "Well, I might be able to drop by on Thursday night after we find out what Paul's condition is." he told her. "I think she'd like that, Nick." She gave him a smile, then she glanced at her watch. "I'd better get going. Talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight." Natalie headed off to Room 503, while Nick and Tracy went to Toronto General before they headed back to the precinct to file their report. The corridor was quiet, except for the soft swishing of the mop as the janitor busied himself with mopping up the floor and the faint sound of rock music that was coming from Room 502. --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 35/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 36/? Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:27:00 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 36/? ---- Sunday night... 6:45 pm... Backstage at the SkyDome... --- Jack was busy making sure that everything went off without a hitch, as the time for Nick's concert drew near. Although he was able to easily handle the hustle and bustle that went on around him, and to make sure that Nick was behaving himself, he noticed that Sara was distracted, and he wanted to find out what was going on. "Sara? Sara? Are you all right?" he asked her as she stood in the corridor, leaning against the corridor wall and looking upon the activity around her with an air of detachment. "What?" She looked at him strangely for a moment, her mind still on the strange dreams that had disturbed her sleep on Saturday. "What's the matter, Jack?" "You." he replied, as he took her by the arm and led her to a quiet part of the backstage area. "You've been floating around in a haze since yesterday; like you're in a different world. What's going on? Are you and Nick having problems?" "No, we're not having problems, if that's what you're worried about." she said calmly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all. Ever since we've been here, it's been one party after another, and it's been difficult for me to get enough rest." She pulled her pale blue cardigan sweater around her and tried to relax, but she knew that it wasn't going to be easy. "I'll admit that it's been tough, but I'm counting on you to be on your best behavior tomorrow night. The platinum record ceremony's important to me and to Nick." He looked at her carefully in order to figure out if she had been taking any drugs, but she appeared to show no sign of drug abuse. "The suits from the record company will be here tomorrow night, along with a lot of people from the local radio stations and the press." "I know, Jack." she replied, irritably brushing away a bit of lint from her jeans. "I told you that I'd be on my best behavior Monday night, and I intend to keep my end of the bargain. Please try not to worry, okay?" "I can't help but worry about you, Sara." he said, giving her a faint smile. "You gave everyone a bad scare when you fainted last week, and I hope that you'll be able to get through tonight and tomorrow night without too much trouble." "I'll be okay." Sara gave Jack a reassuring smile, and a kiss on the cheek. "After this, I think that I could sleep for a thousand years." "To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to a nice long rest after the tour's over." Jack replied as a short, dark-haired man, wearing a gray suit, white shirt and a bright red tie, approached them. "There you are!" the man said, a delighted smile on his face. "I'd been looking for you all over the place. I'm Dave Purvis of HotSounds Promotions; we're promoting the Toronto leg of the "Revelation" tour. You must be Jack Brittington, Nick Knight's tour manager." "Yes, I am..." Jack said as he clasped Dave's hand in greeting. "How's the crowd out there shaping up?" "From what I've seen, I can safely say that we'll have another sell-out just like last night. If tomorrow night's like this, we'll have done quite well, especially since the press has made a big thing about the platinum record ceremony. We could rack up at least two, possibly three million from this three-night stand." Dave looked at Sara, and said, "I don't think that I've met you before, Miss. You are...?" "I'm Sara McClendon, Mr. Purvis. I'm pleased to meet you." she said, as she shook Dave's hand firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. McClendon. Are you with the band?" he asked her teasingly. "No... I'm with Nick Knight." Sara replied, her voice warm and friendly. She was beginning to take a little more interest in what was going on, and Jack hoped that tonight would be uneventful. As Jack and Dave were talking about Sunday night's platinum record ceremony, Nick approached them and said, "Well, Jack... are you taking care of some business?" "As a matter of fact, we were just finishing up some business concerning tomorrow night's ceremony." he told him. "Nick, I'd like you to meet Dave Purvis of HotSounds Promotions. They're the promoters for our stop here." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Purvis." Nick said as he shook Dave's hand. "Thank you. Has everything been to your satisfaction so far, Mr. Knight?" he asked him. "We've done our best to make sure that you and your entourage are comfortable during your stay in our lovely city..." "Everything's been perfect, including the hotel suites. We've had a very enjoyable stay, and thank you for making us feel so welcome here." Nick replied pleasantly, as he put his arm around Sara's shoulders. "Do you mind if I talk to Sara for a few minutes, Jack?" "Not at all... See you in a few minutes." Jack replied as Nick and Sara walked down the corridor. Sara felt a little uncomfortable, and she wondered what he had on his mind. When Nick found a quiet area far from the controlled chaos backstage, he found a couple of chairs and they sat down. After they had gotten comfortable, Nick asked, "Are you all right, baby? Last night, you seemed out of it, especially during the press conference after the show..." "I'm okay, Nick, really." she said, giving him a weak smile. "All the partying that we did got to me and I didn't sleep well. I told you that I'm not cut out for this life any more..." "After tomorrow night, we'll go someplace nice." he said tenderly as he held her hand. "Anywhere you want to go, just tell me, and we'll be there before you know it. Where would you like to go?" "I want to go home!" Her voice held a tone of desparation. "I'd like to get some rest." "Do you want to go back to L.A.?" Nick gave her a puzzled look. "Or would you rather go back to Chicago for a while?" "It doesn't matter, Nick," she said, knowing that if she were to tell him about the bizarre dream that had troubled her sleep, he'd think that she was crazy, "as long as I can forget about groupies, soundchecks, promoters and parties for a while." "All right. You don't have to decide where you want to go right now, but we'll go somewhere; just me and you." Nick said as they got up from their chairs, while Sara was relieved that they didn't get into an argument. "One more day, and after that, we'll enjoy some peace and quiet. Just promise me that you'll be nice to everyone tomorrow night." "Okay, Nick." she said, giving him a smile. "I'll be nice, sweet and charming to everyone, especially the suits from the label." "Thanks, baby." Nick kissed her and held her for a few moments, delighting in the warmth of her arms. "It'll soon be time for you to go up to the skybox with Jack, and I want to run through the songs that we'll be performing tonight. This is going to be a great night." "I'm sure that it will be; after all, this is what you've dreamed of for a long time." Sara replied as he released her from his embrace. "None of this would have been possible without you." Nick said as they walked down the corridor toward Dave and Jack. "Do you know that I've written three new songs for you that I'm going to perform tonight?" "You did?" she said, looking a little surprised. "That's nice of you to do that. Thank you." "You're welcome. I told you that you're the kind of woman who inspires love songs, and I think you'll like them." he told her. When they arrived at the corridor near the backstage area, Jack and Dave had finished their conversation, and both of them looked pleased. "So... is everything okay with you two?" Jack wondered. "Everything's fine, Jack." Nick replied, giving Sara's left shoulder a gentle squeeze and planting a kiss on her cheek. "It's time for you to get up to the skybox, and I'll see you after the show. Laters!" Nick sprinted down the corridor to join his bandmates and prepare for the concert, while Jack, Dave and Sara made the trek up to the skybox area. When the three of them arrived at the well-appointed skybox, Sara was amazed at the view of the stadium that greeted her as she entered. Her eyes lit up as she gazed through the large window and saw the massive stage as it was being prepared for the show. Jack was pleased to see that she was enjoying the excitement that came just before the show was about to get underway, and he knew that tonight's show was going to be awesome. "Are you ready to enjoy the show?" Dave asked Sara as they took their seats and got comfortable. "Looks Like Nick's going to pull out all the stops tonight." "Yes, I am." she replied. "I'm sure that we'll see a good show. I can't wait!" Jack relaxed in his seat with a glass of cola in his hand and surveyed the scene with satisfaction, pleased that Sara was showing enthusiasm for tonight's show, and he hoped that Monday night would go off smoothly. After Fairlight warmed up the crowd with their mixture of hard-charging rock and roll, the stage lights dimmed briefly, and the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen... NICK KNIGHT!" When Nick appeared onstage, dressed in a bright magenta t-shirt, black jeans and a black leather jacket with his guitar slung over his right shoulder, the crowd let out a roar. Nick stood before the crowd, surrounded by a halo of bright multi-colored lights and Sara noticed that he looked alive and energized by their cheers, shouts and squeals. After a brief moment, he took the microphone and asked the excited audience, "How are you tonight, Toronto? Are you ready to party?" The crowd shouted their reply with glee, and a smile lit up Nick's face. "ALL RIGHT! LET'S PARTY TONIGHT!" he shouted, and Sara watched in rapt fascination as Nick and the band played their first song... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 36/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 37/? Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:27:12 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 37/? ---- Sunday night... SkyBox No.1... 10:45 pm... --- Jack leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath as he watched Nick perform on stage, wowing the crowd with his music. At that moment, he had a lot of blessings to count; most notably, the fact that Sara was watching and she seemed to be interested in what was going on. He had also managed to squeeze in a little business with Dave Purvis while the show went on, and he was gratified that a couple of executives from Blue Sun Records were able to attend the concert and get some ideas about how they wanted to conduct the ceremony. *After tomorrow night... I'll have done well.* Jack thought as the show continued. *Nick and Sara have behaved themselves around the press... 'Revelation's done better than anyone could have imagined... and the publicity that we'll get because of tomorrow night's platinum record ceremony will mean even more record sales. Life is good...* He picked up a glass of cola from the table next to him and drank deeply, satisfied in the contentment that came from a job well done. Nick strutted on stage, his performance electrifying the screaming crowd, and as Sara watched, she noted that he possessed an onstage presence that was almost godlike, and the thrill of watching him gave her a shiver of excitement. As she listened carefully to each song, she noted that a common theme of love yearned for and desired was weaved throughout them, whether it was a love song or a hard-driving dance tune. The raw passion could be heard in each lyric, and powerful emotions could be felt in his sensual, soulful voice as his music excited and thrilled everyone who listened to him. As he finished up the last song for the night, Sara knew that there was a part of her that loved this Nick, but her feelings for the other Nick couldn't be denied, especially after the troubling dreams that had bothered her last night... She was in a hospital bed, and Natalie was sitting by her side, talking to her and holding her hand. Sara had wanted to speak to her, but she was unable to, which frustrated her... then, a man appeared in the room, there was a faint pinprick in her left arm, and she knew that she and Natalie were being threatened. She felt helpless in the face of this attack, but Natalie had told her that help was coming, and it came in the form of Nick Knight, the homicide detective. She vaguely remembered that the man was standing above her, and he was going to kill her, but she wasn't sure why. Doctor Spencer was in the room with Nick, and he was saying something, but Sara wasn't sure what he was saying. She didn't want to die, and at that moment, a darkness boiled within her soul, and she unleashed it at the man who threatened to take her away from the people that she loved. The last thing she was able to recall was an image of the man flying out of her hospital room, and hitting against a wall. Afterwards, a feeling of peace came over her, and she was dimly aware of Nick's presence. She heard him whisper "thank you"... and "I love you", which thrilled her. When she awoke, she was back in her hotel suite, with the dark-haired Nick sleeping peacefully beside her. The dream disturbed her, and as she pondered what the dream might have meant, she looked at her left arm for a moment, unsure of what she expected to see. There was a clue to her old life locked within that dream, but she wasn't sure what that clue was. Perhaps she'd be able to figure out what the dream meant later, but right now, she had to get ready to become the girlfriend of Nick Knight, the rock and roll vampire. After the last note had been played, and the last "Goodnight" had been said, Jack, Sara and Dave left the skybox, heading toward backstage while the crowd made one last cheer... --- Backstage at the SkyDome... 11:30 pm.. --- The crowd that had gathered backstage after Nick's concert was a mixture of the local press, people from the local radio stations, the people who worked for the promoters and others who were connected with the tour, along with some lucky fans who had won backstage passes in a contest. Sara sat in the dressing room that had been set up, and watched Nick as he changed his clothes, and got ready for the party that was about to begin. "Did you like tonight's show?" he asked her as he put on a pair of jeans and looked around for a clean shirt to wear. "It was great!" she replied. "I had a wonderful time tonight." "I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself." Nick found a blue multi-striped t-shirt and slipped it on. "Did you like those songs I wrote?" "Yes, I did. They were very nice." "Nice? Nice?" he said, giving her a puzzled look as he reached for his black leather jacket and put it on. "The crowd thought they were awesome, and you tell me they're nice? I must be losing my touch!" "You haven't lost your touch, Nick." she said, seeking to reassure him. "I really enjoyed them. I never knew how deep your feelings for me went until you started singing about them. I feel very fortunate." "Thanks, baby." Nick approached her, pulled her up from the chair and took her in his arms. He held her close and inhaled the soft scent of roses, jasmine and orchids. "Are you my number one fan, Sara Louise?" he asked her tenderly, giving her a charming smile. "Yes, I'm your number one fan, Nick... always." she replied sweetly. After he kissed her, they left the dressing room, and plunged into the eager crowd of reporters and fans that eagerly awaited their arrival backstage... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 37/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 38/? Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:01:57 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Brief reference to "Be My Valentine" and my story, "Dancing In The Shadows" here... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 38/? ---- Thursday night... in the real world... Harbourside Memorial Hospital... Room 503... 8:30 pm... --- Nick Knight was sitting at Sara's bedside, looking at her with loving affection. He was amazed that she loved him so deeply, and there were times when he wondered if she would become his true love. The thought of her actually being his true love exhilarated and terrified him. He recalled that Valentine's Day several years ago when LaCroix had confronted him about how he had felt about Natalie, and he had to lie about how deep his feelings for her went. He had to tell LaCroix that he had no feelings for her when he obviously did, but he knew that if he hadn't, Natalie would have been dead at the hands of LaCroix. His parting words about taking away the woman who would become his true love still chilled Nick's soul, and even though time had passed since that long ago Valentine's Day, there were still times when he wondered if LaCroix would make good on his promise and he would claim Sara as his own. So far, LaCroix hadn't said anything to him about his relationship with her, and he hoped that he'd allow him a measure of happiness. The thought of life without Sara was something that he didn't want to face, and as he sat by her bedside, holding her hand tenderly, he wondered if God would hear the prayer of a repentant vampire and if He would help him find a way to bring her back to him and the others who loved her. Nick whispered a prayer in the language of his youth; a prayer filled with faith and the hope of seeing Sara's smile and hearing her tell him how much she loved him. After a few moments, Nick reached into the pocket of his gray jacket and pulled out the bracelet that he had given to her on their first anniversary. He gazed upon the gemstones that spelled out the word "dearest", and watched them sparkle and glow. He put the bracelet on her right wrist, held her hand once more and said, "Sara... where are you, darling? I miss you so much." In response to his question, the bracelet softly twinkled and shimmered with an intensity that surprised him. As he looked at the sparkling stones, the colors jumped out at him, they began to twist and swirl around, and he felt himself being pulled into the whirlpool of brilliant color. At first he wanted to resist the spinning mass of brilliance, but then, a feeling of peace flooded over him, and he let himself be swept into the whirlpool and to be taken to wherever Sara might be. --- Monday evening... in the other world... CERK Radio... 6:10 pm... --- "Nick... Nick... Nick? Wake up!" a woman's voice called out to him as he found himself floating through the darkness. "Wake up! We've got to be at the SkyDome by seven!" Nick opened his eyes and blinked. The images were fuzzy and unclear, but after a few moments, the fuzziness faded away, and he found himself sitting inside a radio studio, and a young woman with a familiar face was standing next to him, looking at him and smiling warmly. "Tracy?" he said as he got a good look at her and tried to figure out what happened to him. "What's going on?" "Glad that you finally woke up from your nap, Nick. We've got to be at the SkyDome by seven." she said while rummaging through her purse for a few things. "What's going on at the SkyDome tonight?" he asked. "We're supposed to cover Nick Knight's concert and the platinum record ceremony tonight." she replied. "It's been talked about for weeks, and now... it's finally going to happen!" Nick was a little surprised to hear his name spoken in connection with rock and roll music. "Really?" he said, a note of curiousity in his voice. "I didn't know that." "Of course!" Tracy said, giving him a grin. "I can't wait to get there and see him in person. His latest album, "Revelation", is a smash, and it's gone triple platinum. Take a look at the article in today's Toronto Post..." She took a copy of the Toronto Post's entertainment section which was lying on top of a table and handed it to him. The front page headline read "NICK KNIGHT ROCKS THE SKYDOME", while the article underneath the headline breathlessly chronicled Nick's Sunday night concert, and how Monday night's concert would feature a special ceremony to celebrate Blue Sun Records' biggest selling artist. The photograph that accompanied the article showed a handsome dark-haired man as he stood on the stage at the SkyDome, wearing a bright magenta t-shirt and blue jeans, cradling a guitar and smiling at the crowd. "So... what do you think?" she asked him. "Well..." Nick said, "I'm sure that he's quite talented, but my tastes run to those 'golden oldies'." Tracy laughed and said, "That's true, and you get to play that stuff on your show, but... we've got a job to do, and we'd better get going. You'll have plenty of things to tell your 'Nightwatch' listeners tomorrow night!" She handed him the all access media pass for the concert, and as they walked down the hall, he took a look at the name that was written on it. It read, "Nick Bradley, CERK RADIO." *So... I'm Nick Bradley; I'm working at CERK and I'm about to cover Nick Knight's rock concert...* he thought as they left the station, got into his black 1959 Cadillac and sped off toward the SkyDome. *This is going to be an interesting night...* --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 38/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 39/? Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:02:54 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU Mild profanity... In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 39/? ---- Monday night... Royal York Hotel...The Ambassador's Suite... 6:15 pm... --- Sara was curled up on the couch, clad in a soft pink fleece sweatsuit, watching tv, and still upset about what happened after last night's concert. As she reviewed last night's events in her mind, what infuriated her most was Nick's blatant violation of her trust. After the concert ended, and a reporter from Entertainment Weekly had buttonholed her in order to ask her a few softball questions about life as the girlfriend of a rock and roll superstar, Sara wandered around backstage looking for Nick. When she approached a softly-lit area where the sound equipment had been kept, she heard soft moanings coming from behind the huge cases. She decided to take a peek to see what was going on, and she found Nick with a young woman she didn't recognize. The sight of him embracing another woman surprised her and she gasped in shock. He looked up at her and streaks of blood were on his lips and chin. "How could you do this to me, you son-of-a-bitch? You promised that you wouldn't do this!" she hissed at him angrily, then made a mad dash back toward the backstage area. Jack noticed that Sara looked agitated and he took her aside and tried to calm her down after she had told him about what she had seen, but she wasn't in the mood to be calmed. When Nick finally showed up a few minutes later, the young woman was nowhere to be seen, and his evasiveness concerning her whereabouts made Sara furious. Their ride back to the hotel was spent in stony silence, and after they had gotten settled in their suite, he wanted to make amends by making love to her. His advances were greeted by a blistering torrent of invective, followed by the slamming of the bedroom door. After he retreated to the living room couch, Nick was painfully aware that he had goofed up big time by feeding from the young woman, and that his mistake could shatter their fragile relationship. All he wanted now was to make it up to Sara, but he wasn't sure whether she'd be receptive to the way he wanted to make it up to her. All he could do was hope that she'd be happy with the special surprise that he had planned for her after the ceremony... --- 6:30 pm... --- Nick got dressed for the final night of the concert, and as he checked himself out in the bathroom mirror one more time to make sure that his hair was in place and that there were no specks of lint on his blue suit, he sighed deeply. It would soon be time to make rock and roll magic on stage, but his heart wasn't in it, especially after he'd violated Sara's trust. He'd have to apologize to her and Jack for his actions last night, but he wasn't sure if his apology would be accepted. "Sara? Sara?" he said hesitantly, approaching the couch where she was resting. "It's time for us to go, baby." "Go where?" she said icily, glaring at him with unveiled fury. "The concert. Tonight's the platinum record ceremony. I want you to be there." he replied quietly as he picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned off the tv. "How can I go anywhere with you after what you did last night?" she snapped. "You said that you'd stop feeding on your fans, but you did it anyway! How can I trust you after this?" "Baby, I'm sorry..." he began, but Sara harshly interrupted him. " 'Sorry'? You're sorry after you broke your promise to Jack and me?!" Her voice was cold and bitter, and Nick knew that he deserved every word that she dished out. "You told us that you'd try eating small amounts of food, and you'd been doing well. Unfortunately, you've fallen back to your old habits..." "I know that!" There was a note of pleading in his voice, and he hoped that she'd listen to reason. "It was an accident. I got hungry after the concert... and I thought that if I took just a little from that girl, it would be all right." "Sure, it would be all right..." The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she glared at him. "Do you realize what could've happened if it had been someone else who found you with her, instead of me? That was a stupid thing to do, Nick! It could've been a disaster for all of us!" "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? I'll never do it again, I promise!" Nick said, sitting down on the couch beside her. "Please, baby, I want you to be with me at tonight's concert for the ceremony. It's important to me, to Jack, to the label and it should be important to you." "Why?" she asked him angrily. "Why should it be important to me?" "Everything I've got... the money, success and fame, don't mean a thing without you. Please don't walk out on me after everything we've been through!" "If I left, you'd find someone else." she said, brushing back a stray lock of hair from across her face. "I'm sure that some lucky woman would want you..." "There won't be 'someone else' for me!" Nick said, his voice filled with raw pain as the vampire took control and his eyes briefly glowed bright red. "I love you, Sara, and my life will never be the same without you. How could I love someone else after I've given you my heart? I can't do it!" A silence descended over the room after he had spoken, and Sara looked down at her hands. Nick reached over and took her hands in his, caressing them with tender sensuality. "Sara, baby..." he whispered, "I promise that I'll make it up to you; just give me a chance. Will you come with me to the concert? Please?" She looked into his burning red eyes and the pain the vampire felt because he'd broken her trust was clear to see. Although she wasn't fully convinced that Nick would keep his promise, she promised Jack that she'd be at the concert, and she wasn't going to let him down. "All right, Nick. I'll go." she said quietly, much to the vampire's delight. "Thank you..." He took her in his arms, hugged her tenderly and the vampire felt at peace. After he released her from his embrace, she went to the bedroom and found a lovely pale gray satin suit and a shimmery sapphire blue tunic lying on the bed. It was new, and she guessed that Nick must have had Jack buy it for her earlier in the day. She didn't want to hurt his feelings by not wearing the outfit, so she put it on, along with a silver watch, a pair of silver button earrings and a pair of charcoal gray pumps. She put on a little bit of makeup and a spritz of perfume, and after she was satisfied with her appearance, she left the bedroom. "You look beautiful, Sara..." he said quietly after he had put the passes around their necks. "Are you ready to go?" "Yes..." she replied, after she picked up her purse from a nearby chair. "Let's go." They left the Ambassador Suite, and Jack joined them. After they climbed into the elevator, they were whisked down to the main lobby, and after they emerged from the elevator to giggles, squeals and cheers from those who were in ther lobby, they got inside the limo which took them to the SkyDome for Nick's final concert... --- End of "In Another Life''---Part 39/? SFryar@aol.com Copyright, February, 2001 Subject: In Another Life---Part 40/48 Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 15:03:13 EST From: SFryar@AOL.COM To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU In Another Life by StephiLyn Fryar---Part 40/48 ---- Outside the SkyDome 7:00 pm... --- Nick and Tracy managed to find the parking area that had been reserved for special events, flanked by a brightly colored tent. By the time they arrived at the rear entrance, the group of press people had grown larger, while the police and security guards kept the growing crowd of screaming fans back, as a line of limos made their way toward the SkyDome. --- "Isn't this exciting, Nick? We'll have plenty to tell our listeners tomorrow." Tracy asked as she and Nick stood in the press area waiting for Nick Knight and the rest of his entourage to arrive backstage. "Yes, it is." Nick replied as he looked for a spot where he could get a good look at who would be emerging from the limos. "I'm sure that we'll see a lot of interesting things tonight." After he had spoken, the first limo pulled up to the entrance, and three young women, clad in a mixture of bright pastel-colored leather and spandex, emerged to a wave of cheers and screams. They waved and blew kisses at the cheering crowd, then they scampered inside the backstage area where the press clamored to talk to them. Nick wasn't interested in interviewing the three young women, and he let Tracy handle it. After a couple more limos with the members of Nick's band had pulled up to the entrance, the last limo arrived, and when the occupants emerged from it, the crowd of fans that had been waiting outside the gate erupted into screams, squeals and cheers as they waved their homemade signs, posters, compact disc covers and magazines in the air. Tracy had just finished interviewing the three young women, and she took her place alongside Nick in order to see who was coming. Nick heard the noise of the crowd and as he and Tracy watched, a dark-haired man, accompanied by a black woman, walked down the corridor, while flashbulbs popped and the cheers of the crowd outside grew fainter. When Nick saw the woman approaching the spot where he stood, he was suddenly aware that his heart was beating rapidly, and he wanted to find a way to get the woman's attention as she got closer to him, but he wasn't sure what to do. A smile brightened his face as she walked by and glanced at him, smiling warmly. He had found Sara at last, and he hoped that he'd be able to be alone with her As Sara passed by, she noticed the blond-haired man that stood behind the red velvet rope, and her heart nearly stopped when she got a good look at him. It was Nick; her Nick, and she wanted to break away and run toward him at that moment, but she knew that she couldn't do that in full view of the press. Too many questions would be raised, and even though she wanted to be with the blond-haired man, there was a part of her that didn't want to hurt Nick Knight on the biggest night of his life. She simply gave the blond-haired man a smile, and she'd bide her time until she could find a way to spend time with him... --- SkyBox No.1... 8:15 pm --- Sara was mingling among the record company executives, promoters, magazine writers and people from the various radio and television stations, when she decided to take a breather from being a social butterfly. She sat down on the couch, after watching Jack make deals and talk shop, when she heard a man's voice speaking to her... "Are you having a pleasant night, Sara?" the blond-haired man asked with a smile, as he sat next to her. "It's pleasant now that you're here." she replied, giving him a light kiss on the cheek and holding his hand tenderly. "How did you find me, Nick?" "I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm glad I found you." He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but it wasn't the right time yet. "I missed you so much." "I missed you, too." she said. "It's been so crazy. I'm amazed that I've bee