Richard finished his breakfast and sat back in his chair. “So… you think if I show an interest in children, it will win brownie points with Donna?”
Joyce glanced at Ruth. “I don’t know Richard…” Ruth responded, “… but Donna sounded pretty keen on the idea of having children. Sam, on the other hand – as you might have guessed – dodged the issue. Well… mainly dodged it. When he realised Donna wasn’t kidding, he started covering his ass, but he never gave her a definite answer.”
Richard grinned and glanced at his watch. “I guess I’ll just have to work on that,” he said and stood. “Thank you Ruth, Joyce. I’ve had a very enjoyable breakfast, but I need to get back upstairs.”
“Are we still on for tonight?” Ruth asked.
“Depends on whether or not I’m free. I’ll call you.” Richard left.
Joyce frowned. “I didn’t know you were going out with Richard?”
Ruth chuckled and stood. “Like I said, if I were you, I’d forget about Sam.” Ruth stood and left.
------------
When Donna left the lab, she felt as though someone were tightening a noose around her neck. Could life get any worse? Remembering what Forrest had said about pressing charges against her and Jared, she could think of only one reason why Forrest would be in the UK. What didn’t make sense were the conflicting newscasts. One showed him, being wheeled into the hotel on a gurney. The other showed him standing before a press conference announcing that he was moving the research department of D’Netics to the UK and would be devoting it entirely toward stem cell research.
Richard saw Donna staggering down the corridor as he stepped off the lift on his way to Melissa’s room. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “Pet, what’s wrong?” Donna stared at Richard as if she were looking through him, confused and dismayed. “Donna?”
She blinked a few times before responding. She’d forgotten about the test results, tucked in her lab coat pocket. “What…?”
Richard frowned. “Pet, you’re pale as a ghost. What’s wrong?”
“He’s here,” Donna murmured. “Forrest is in the UK. When I gave him my resignation, Forrest said he was thinking of pressing charges against me and Jared. Now he’s… here.” She swallowed hard. “You have to warn Jared.”
He helped her back to the small sofa beside the lift. “What do you mean Donna?”
“Richard, I know Jared’s in the UK somewhere. He won’t have anything to do with me, but you have to tell him about Forrest.”
“Donna, Forrest isn’t in the UK.”
“Yes he is!” she snapped. “I just saw the story on the TV in the lab. Ian was listening to the news. Forrest is staying at the Vermont Hotel, in Castle Garth, wherever that is.”
“It was on the telly – just now?”
“Yes, Richard! Forrest is all over the news. The media are speculating about a corporate showdown between Triplet International and Forrest Enterprises. Something else, I dropped by Linda Wilson’s room, and she was gone. I didn’t release her. She shouldn’t be leaving the infirmary. I’m very concerned about her and the baby.”
------------
“Sam, what’s going on? What happened?”
Sam hurried to the respirator and checked the controls. He smiled. “I’ll be damned. Nothing is wrong. Missy is trying to breathe on her own, John. The alarm sounded because she’s fighting against the respirator.” Sam changed the setting to assisted breathing again and waited. He watched Melissa’s heart rate on the monitor. It stayed strong and steady. A few seconds later, Melissa took a breath. Sam left the respirator on that setting until Melissa had taken several more breaths.
John looked worried. “Sam… talk to me. What’s going on?”
“She’s getting stronger, John. I’ve changed the setting back to where it was before. It will only come on now if she stops breathing again.” Sam unlocked his cell phone. “Ian, it’s Sam. Do you have the results on Missy’s blood gases?”
“Yeah Sam. I gave them to Donna. She should have been back, by now. Did you know Forrest was in the UK? Donna, and I were just listening to a BBC news story about it.”
“Yes, Ian,” Sam groaned. “How long ago did Donna leave?”
“About five or ten minutes. Why?”
Sam forced the air from his lungs. “She hasn’t come back yet,” he said and ended the call.
John’s eyes widened. “Sam, what’s wrong?”
“Ian said Donna left the lab about five or ten minutes ago.”
------------
Richard gave Donna an incredulous look. “Maybe Sam released Linda Wilson.”
“He wouldn’t do that, Richard. Just as, Missy is Sam’s patient, Linda was mine. Doctors don’t step on each other’s toes like that. It goes against our professional etiquette.”
One of Richard’s eyebrows arched. “Donna, I think when it comes to professional etiquette, you’ll find it doesn’t mean as much to Sam as it would to you or Jared.”
Donna studied his eyes. “And what about you, Richard? How much would professional etiquette mean to you? How far would you go to get what you want?”
“What do you mean, Donna?”
“Are you deliberately trying to sabotage my relationship with Sam?”
Richard frowned. “If I answer that honestly, you’ll hate me.”
For a few seconds, Donna turned that thought over in her mind. “Why would I hate you, Richard? Honesty is extremely important to me, especially now.”
“What’s so different about now?”
Donna’s cell phone rang. She unlocked it, glanced at the name, swallowed hard and ignored it. “Because if I’d been honest with Jared, I might not have…” she broke off and shook her head. “Never mind, it’s not going to change anything.” She stood and accepted the call. “Sam… we need to talk.”
“Yes we do. Where are you? I rang the lab to tell you about Missy, but Ian said you’d already….”
Donna’s eyes widened. “I got a little… distracted,” she said, locking her eyes with Richard’s. “What about Missy?” She turned, disregarding her conversation with Richard.
“Well… I’m waiting on the results of Missy’s blood gases, but I think we’re about ready to take her off the respirator. I wanted to make sure, and I thought maybe you might want to be here.”
“We’re on our way!” Donna ended the call.
“What’s wrong with Missy?” Richard asked.
“Nothing!” She smiled. “Sam is waiting on me to get back. He’s getting ready to take her off the respirator. I have to go, but before I do, take some advice. For some reason, Euphoria doesn’t work on me or Sam, so stop wasting your time and money on it. I know you gave it to Joyce, and I know you gave it to Ruth, and I’m flattered that you’re willing to risk almost as much as Jared was, but next time, try your unwitting charm. It seems to be what you’re best at.” Donna turned to leave. Richard held her wrist.
“Sam will never give you what you want Donna. It’s not in him. He’s afraid of commitment.”
Donna looked down at her wrist. The corners of her mouth turned up. She frowned and slowly lifted her head to meet his eyes, staring at him impassively. “And you think you could give me what I want?”
“I wouldn’t walk away from my responsibilities, like he will.”
Donna slowly arched an eyebrow and shook her head in dismay as she pulled her wrist free. “I have to go Richard.” She left him standing there.
Richard waited until she was out of earshot. He unlocked his cell phone. “It’s me. The deal is off.”
“Did you try the Euphoria again?”
“Yes, I did,” Richard forced through his teeth.
“And…?”
“It didn’t work. She knows, and I’m not doing it again. I won’t risk having her hate me, so I’m done. Donna will fall for me my way, or she won’t fall for me at all. I want her to love me, not hate me for the rest of her life.”
“We had an agreement. I hold up my end of the deal. You hold up yours. Everybody is happy.”
“Everybody but Donna….”
“Do you realise what you’re risking for the sake of your feelings, for this girl? You renege, and she’ll die. You have no idea what’s at stake here!”
One of Richard’s eyebrows slowly rose. “Neither do you…” he countered. “Like I said… I’m done doing things your way. Touch Donna… and you… will die.” He ended the call.
------------
“The Little Shit!” Forrest growled and paced the floor.
Eli looked up from his tablet. “What’s wrong?”
Forrest glared at him. “Your enhanced Euphoria did not work on the good doctor – again! Thundercloud is in the UK, and Triplet said he’s done. This whole crock of shit is coming unravelled. I don’t know why I ever trusted any of them.”
“I warned you unless we had a genetic match, the Euphoria may take some tweaking. It works on the majority of people. Perhaps there is something in Dr. Rigden and Dr. Kaliea’s DNA that’s blocking the effects of the pheromones.”
“And what about the Indian? All your magic potion did was piss him off. Even then he controlled his.”
Eli sighed. “As far as Dr. Thundercloud is concerned, it will never work on him. His immune system is too strong. It sees the threat and eliminates it. He is a lost cause. The other one is a different story. Get me a sample of his DNA and I can send the good doctor – as you put it – on the trip of his life.”
“If you can’t prevent him from remembering, it will be a lost cause. He loves the girl.”
Eli grinned. “So he says, but love is just an emotion, and emotions can be manipulated. You’ve already witnessed that.”
“You know, if they figure out what’s really going on, somebody is going to end up behind bars.”
Eli grinned again. “Ah – yes… but it will not be either of us.”
“What about Wilson and his wife?”
“Her release has been arranged. Wilson and his wife can be dealt with whenever you choose.”
“She can’t know!”
“She won’t,” Eli responded with confidence.
Forrest pushed a button on his cell phone. “It’s me. I need a sample of Sam Kaliea’s DNA or this is never going to work.”
“You’ll have it!”
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Sam furrowed his brow. “We’re?” he mused, shook his head and went back in the room. “Donna is on her way. She said she got a little distracted.” A few minutes later, Donna tapped on the door and stuck her head in. Sam was pleased to see her until Richard stepped in right behind her and closed the door. Sam held out his hand. “Can I have the test results now, please?”
Donna frowned. “Oh, yes,” she responded, reaching into her pocket. “I’m so sorry, John. After seeing that newscast about Forrest, I was so upset I forgot all about it. Sam, did you know about this?”
Sam shared a wary glance with John. “Ah – yeah, sweetheart, I did.”
“And considering that I was gunned down in the cemetery, it didn’t occur to you that I might have wanted to know about that?”
“It would make sense to me,” Richard murmured and focused his attention on his feet, a sly grin turning up the corners of his mouth.
Sam cut his eyes at Richard and then turned his attention back to Donna. “I was going to tell you.”
“When? After I’d bumped into him on the street?”
“Sweetheart, Forrest was taken into the hotel on a gurney. The only place you might bump into him would be the morgue. I honestly didn’t think there was a reason to upset you.”
Richard propped his back against the door and folded his arms across his chest. He lifted his head and pressed his lips into a thin line. Sam was digging his own grave. He stepped closer to John.
Donna leaned close to Sam’s ear. “Oh really? We’ll settle this later!” She motioned to the form in his hand. “Is that proof enough to you that I know what I’m doing?”
Sam grinned. “OK, Smart Ass, rub it in.”
Donna narrowed her eyes and picked up the IV solution with the stem cells in it. “Oh, I intend to – every chance I get,” she said, connecting the tubing. “Are we ready to take her off the resuscitator, Dr. Kaliea?”
Sam arched an eyebrow. One side of his mouth turned up. “Yes, Dr. Rigden.”
Richard and John watched, while Sam and Donna took Melissa off the respirator. Donna checked Melissa’s pupils. Although they were responsive and the scars on her face were starting to heal, Melissa did not respond to verbal or physical stimuli. Sam was pleased that Melissa’s blood gases and electrolytes were back to normal. Good indications that the EHG was countering the cerbera poisoning as well.
Donna stepped closer to John. “Have you decided what you want to say to her when she wakes up?”
John smiled. “Oh yeah. I’ve been rehearsing that speech for a long time. Thank you Donna. If it hadn’t been for you, and Jared, and Sam, I would have lost her.”
Donna’s eyes glossed. She swallowed hard. “You’re welcome, John. I’m just glad we could help.”
There was a knock on the door. Ian stuck his head in. “Sam, could I see you for a second?”
“I’ll be right back,” Sam said and left the room. “What is it Ian?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but, I’m beginning to wonder if Tina had something to do with Linda Wilson’s records disappearing off the system. She did walk off with the amniocentesis results I gave her.”
“Yes, she did, but why would Tina do something like this, Ian? She’s one of us.”
“Who knows, Sam, but I can tell you this. I don’t know when she did it, but the day she left, she cleared out her locker completely. Tina had no intention of coming back to work.”
Sam frowned and scratched the back of his neck. “Do me a favour; don’t mention this to anybody else, until I’ve had a chance to talk to Sir Richard.” Sam turned to leave. “Ow!” he whirled and rubbed the back of his head. “What the bloody hell are you doing?”
“You’re worrying too much.” Ian held up the silver hair between his fingers. “You’re going grey, Sam,” Ian chuckled.
Sam frowned and reached for the door handle. The door opened. Richard and Donna stepped out and headed down the corridor. “Where are you going?” he called out.
“To find out who released Linda Wilson.”
Sam ran his hand through his hair. “Oh shit!” he hissed.
Donna whirled. “What is it?”
Sam studied her eyes for a few seconds. “I did,” he groaned.
Richard raised an eyebrow and waited. Donna stared at Sam in bemusement. “You did?” she echoed.
“Yes, Donna. I discharged Linda, but I can explain.”
“I’ll bet,” Donna snorted.
Richard stopped at the lift and turned. “Are you coming, pet?”
Donna forced the air from her lungs. “Yeah, I’m coming.”
Sam grabbed her elbow. “Now where are you going?”
Donna moved his hand out of the way. “Upstairs.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a patient. I was hired to work in the genetics lab. You don’t need me here anymore. You’ve got everything under control, Sam. Oh! Don’t forget to run another set of tests on Missy in an hour and let me know the results. I need them for my research.”
Richard rested his hand at the small of her back and guided her into the lift. He flashed Sam a condescending grin as the doors slid together.
“This is why I stayed single,” Sam groaned to himself. “Women are too fucking complicated.”