Families and friends weigh in

Behind the wheel of his rented sports car, Jeff was feeling frustrated.

His conversation with the family had not gone well. Virgil and Gordon were angry that they'd been lied to, as was Eleanor. Scott was angry that Jeff hadn't been keeping them all up to date on the whole situation. Alan was weary and confused because of the task Jeff had given him. Tin-Tin was upset about what had happened to Lou. John was the only level-headed one of the bunch. After Jeff explained how Lou got the files, and her theory that Interpol was being used merely because they were best at the kind of investigation that resulted in the files, the young astronaut asked two succinct questions, "Who gave the orders to investigate? And why?"

"Good questions, John," Jeff replied. "Lou has contacts in Unity City and they say that there's a scheme afoot to either expose us or to blackmail us by threatening exposure, and getting us to work for... whoever." Jeff's jaw clenched at the thought. "But no one knows just who's doing the scheming. Just that it's coming from somewhere in the World Government." He cleared his throat. "Lou knew that whoever was behind this would come after her to get the files. So when those five intruders broke in and hauled us out of bed, Lou was prepared, in a way. She had created a dummy disk, altering the identikit sketches, rewriting things, putting in different fingerprints. Not only that, but she appended a termite to each file she altered. I don't know what else she did, but that dummy is what the home invaders got this morning."

"Brains said that Lou recognized one of the voices," Virgil stated.

"Yes, she did. A former partner of hers, one James Clayton Franks. Brains and I are on our way to her house to get the information she has on this man. Scott, I'll email it to you right away, and I want you to disseminate this to all our agents, and red-flag it for those in Unity City. Lou thinks our intruders have gone there to deliver the files to whoever's behind all this. I'll also want you to send a copy of everything I've sent you to Penny, along with the description of this bastard. Finding him is to be the agents' top priority."

"If Lou did what she said she did, why worry?" Gordon wanted to know. "The altered files should direct attention away from us, and the termite would take care of any other information they may already have."

"True enough, Gordon, but once they've discovered that the disk is a phony, and their other data has been corrupted, there's nothing to keep them from starting over," Jeff replied. "Nothing, that is, unless we do something to make it more difficult for them to get the information they want."

There was a moment of quiet, then Scott said, "There's a file in here with security suggestions."

"That's from Lou, and may hold some of the solutions we need to keep people from connecting us to IR," Jeff explained. "We'll go over it when I get home and implement the items I deem are feasible."

"And when will you be home, Jeff?" Eleanor asked, coming to the forefront, scowling at him.

"When I'm certain that Lou is safe," Jeff shot back. "Tin-Tin, would you please prepare a guest room? I'm going to try to talk Lou into coming to the island when she's released from the hospital."

Eleanor's scowl deepened, and Jeff said, "Mother, she's my friend. And she's proven herself trustworthy, at least to me. When those bastards find out that they've been had, they'll be after her again. She needs to drop out of sight. So get used to the idea." He looked up to see that Brains was pulling into Lou's driveway. "We're at Lou's house. Expect that email from us within the hour, Scott."

"Do you need us to come out and lend a hand?" John asked.

Jeff shook his head. "No, John. I think that Brains and I have it covered. We called in our Tennessee agent as well."

"Please keep us current on what's happening, okay, Dad? If you need us, call. And please stay out of trouble," Scott admonished.

Jeff said he would and disconnected the call, happy to have that particular interview over with.

Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than expected to get into Lou's little room. Jeff was pleased to see that the detector light in the workshop came up green on the first try, but he still turned on the jammer, explaining to Brains what Lou had told him about the tandem devices. Brains was fascinated, but was soon immersed in another puzzle: defeating the fingerprint scanner. Several attempts were made using Deirdre's hints before the door slid open to admit them. Then there was finding the proper disk. Lou had hundreds of data disks, all looking much the same and all filed in some arcane system that Brains was sure only Lou's mind could fathom. They found several disks tagged with titles that nearly resembled the one she had given Brains, and each was tried until the two men finally found the information they were looking for. Uploading it and emailing it didn't take long, and was simple by comparison. Jeff put in a second call to base to make sure they had the email and its attachment, and to remind Scott how important it was to disseminate it quickly.

Jeff took some time to read Lou's dossier on the disgraced officer. The man was a womanizer, of that there was no doubt. He preferred women without any attachments to those who had steady men in their lives; Lou's sarcastic note indicated that he didn't want any angry husbands, boyfriends, or fathers coming after him. Jeff did a quick calculation and was relieved; Lou and Greg were still married when the agent was her partner. Franks liked blondes more than brunettes or redheads, and tended to get rough with his women. The final nail in his coffin was pounded in when he romanced a key witness in a case involving one of the biggest software companies on the face of the planet. He got her to change her story to fit the existing evidence, but it was discovered that he had done so and her testimony was judged to be tainted. The case was thrown out of court, leaving the software company with staggering losses from the theft of their proprietary codes. Interpol moved quickly; they fired Franks, then reviewed all of his past cases to see if the same thing had happened before. It was a black eye for the agency, but their swift work was appreciated by the public and the whole thing was forgotten within a year or so. This guy is one nasty piece of work, Jeff realized. It's no wonder that he was the one to... touch... Lou... His mind refused to go any further on that subject.

Before he left her place, he retrieved the sports car from the garage, leaving Brains with the sedan. The scientist managed to snag a room at the comfortable little inn down the road from Lou's and he reminded his employer that he had to leave before noon the next day. He still had obligations to speak at the conference, and he intended to honor them. Jeff understood.

But, as a result of the extra time the trip took, it was after ten before Jeff could get back to the hospital... and visiting hours ended at nine. He had hoped that dropping his name and whispering something about a "substantial donation" would get him in to see Lou again, but it didn't work. The security officers said that the visiting hours were over and that was that. He figured they were sore because they had to fend off a bunch of nosy reporters who were looking for him all evening. He dearly hoped that Mrs. Soo had found a way to stay with Lou.

She had. When the dieticians came in with the evening meal, Lou mentioned that the leftovers from her lunch had been taken to the kitchenette. Mrs. Soo offered to nip out and grab them, warming them up in the kitchenette's small nuclear oven, and snagging a drink for herself in the process. She ate Lou's meal, and Lou finished the leftovers from Vincenzo's. The returning dietician's aide wrinkled her nose at the scent of garlic in the air, but since Lou's meal tray was empty, she said nothing.

The two women chatted as they played Mrs. Soo's game. Lou discovered that Maru Soo was an old friend of Eleanor Tracy, and that she taught both Tai Chi and fencing and had studied dance as a girl.

"Why fencing?" Lou asked.

"Well, it was the only Western sport that approximated Taji Sword, a Chinese sport my grandmother used to enjoy and taught me. Western fencing is different, as I soon found out, but I liked it, found I was good at it and became an instructor. It's fun because no one expects li'l ol' me behind that mask. Plus, there's something very swashbuckling about waving an epée around."

Lou chuckled. "I'm sure there is."

"I don't do it too much anymore. My Tai Chi classes are more than enough for a woman my age."

"How did you meet Mrs. Tracy?"

Mrs. Soo smiled, then answered, "We were roommates in college. Eleanor was a feisty one, that's for sure. Pretty, popular, a good student, and somehow she found the way to balance campus life with her studies. Even when Grant came along. He was quite the ladies' man back then; handsome, charismatic, but with an easy-going manner that made him as popular as she was. She was smitten with him from the moment she saw him. Problem is, so were a lot of other women, especially those in the agriculture and agronomy department. He was two years ahead of us. But Eleanor set her sights on him, and the poor guy didn't have a chance. They were married during Eleanor's senior year and Jeff was born... ahem... seven months later. So I've known him since they cut the umbilical cord."

Lou laughed. "I bet that's one detail that Jeff has never told his boys."

Mrs. Soo smiled again. "I agree." She gave Lou a keen glance, then asked. "How did you meet the Tracys?"

"Through my work," Lou said. She explained about her former employer and the case that brought her into the Tracys' lives. "Lucy and I became good friends, very best friends in fact. I was lost for a while when she died. I wish I could have been there when it happened, but I was on an overseas assignment. I barely made it back for the funeral." She sighed. "I didn't approach Jeff at the time. He was surrounded by his family and... his mother was there. I didn't want to cause a scene."

Mrs. Soo frowned a bit. "Why would your presence have done that? Didn't you like her?"

"It's not that," Lou replied, making a rueful face. "I respect Mrs. Tracy a lot. But unfortunately, she doesn't like me very much. She thought that Jeff and I were having an affair during my investigation."

The agent looked thoughtful. "Were you?"

Lou shook her head slowly. "No, we weren't. To my knowledge, Jeff was never unfaithful. Lucy trusted him, and I know he honored that trust." She yawned, then winced as the action stretched her sore face. "I wish I knew why Mrs. Tracy thinks what she does. Over twenty years have come and gone since that investigation, and nothing has changed her mind about me, it seems." Smiling slightly, she turned to her companion. "I did meet Grant Tracy once. At the hospital when Alan was born. I could see where Jeff got his looks and charismatic personality."

"Hmm. Yes," Mrs. Soo's thoughtfulness created a silence between them for a moment. Then she took in a deep breath, let it out, and smiled. "You sound tired." She glanced at her watch. "It's getting late. I wonder where Jeff is?"

Their conversation was suspended momentarily as an announcement came over the hospital loudspeakers. "Visiting hours are from nine a.m. to nine p.m. and will be over in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes? Hmm. That may pose a problem. Especially if Jeff doesn't come back in time," Mrs. Soo said, frowning.

"Why? I don't want to keep you here all night, and I'm sure Jeff wouldn't want you to stay either."

"Well, you're right and wrong about Jeff. He wants me to stay and keep an eye on you and if he doesn't get back in time, I've still got my duty to do. Even if it means spending the night." She brightened. "I can hide out for a bit while the nurses do their thing. But I'm sticking by your side until he comes back."

Lou covered a second yawn. "I'm too sleepy to argue with you. Why don't I ask for another pillow and blanket so you'll be comfortable?"

"That sounds like a plan," Mrs. Soo replied. "I'll make it look like I'm leaving and be right back."

And that is what they did. Mrs. Soo said her good byes, then took a quick walk around the floor and watched as the nurses made their rounds. As soon as they had finished with Lou, she returned. Lou smiled to see her, and showed her the extra pillow and blanket she had requested.

"I don't know what you're going to do if a nurse shows up in the middle of the night," Lou said.

"I'm going to try and stay awake. I think that if I manage it, I'll hear the nurses start to make the rounds and will duck into the bathroom," Mrs. Soo answered, a twinkle in her eye. "This will be fun. It's been a long time since I've had a slumber party."

Lou laughed, a good solid laugh that hurt her still bruised face, but she didn't care. It felt good to laugh and to relax knowing that someone was looking after her welfare.

Jeff cautiously opened the door to Lou's little cottage. Somehow, he had found his way there after his expulsion from the hospital. He stepped inside, fumbled for the hallway light, and closed the door behind him. The house was quiet, quiet in a way that was more than just lack of noise. Something was missing; the heart of the house was gone and Jeff knew it. He moved over to the alarm system only to find it was still offline. Shaking his head, he locked the front door, and entered his bedroom, surprised to find the rumpled bedclothes smoothed out and in place. He slung his jacket over the foot of the sleigh bed, yawned, and stretched, scratching the back of his neck.

Wandering out to the kitchen, he found the remainder of the wine they had shared over the enchiladas. Was that only last night? He poured himself a glass, and rummaged around in the cryofridge for something that looked appetizing. The roast beef and its trimmings appealed to him, and he made himself a thick sandwich. Turning from the sideboard, he was faced with the clean kitchen table, the ladderback chairs now rearranged neatly around it. He stared at it for a long moment, then leaned up against the counter and ate his meal standing up.

Midnight came from somewhere, drawn by the scent of food, and wound his way between Jeff's ankles, meowing with his loud, trilling "Mrrraow!" Jeff looked down at the cat and said in a friendly manner, "Sorry, boy, but I don't think you'd appreciate the mayonnaise." A few fruitless moments later, the black cat gave up and padded over to the self-feeder, which was filled to the brim with kibble. Jeff smiled slightly. He finished his sandwich, drained his wine glass and put the dishes in the autowasher. The soiled plates from the evening before were still in there, so he rummaged under the sink to find a detergent tab, sliding it in the dispenser as he had seen his mother and Kyrano do, then pressing the button that would start the machine.

Rising from the task, he noticed for the first time that Lou's bedroom door was ajar. Wonder if one of the cats got in? Better check. He approached the door and swung it open, light from the kitchen spilling into the room again as it had when he woke Lou from her nightmare. His hand found the light switch and the bright overhead showed him all of her room, neat and clean. Someone had made the bed, and lying in the center of the quilt was the fluffy gray cat. "Muffins," Jeff said, using the only name he could think of for the cat. "What are you doing here?" The gray one gave him an inscrutable look, and her bushy tail twitched once.

Jeff noticed that the bedside light was gone, a probable victim in the struggle of the morning. He sat on the edge of the bed, on the side where Lou slept, and smoothed his hand over the quilt. The cat sniffed his hand as it came near, and he reached over to scratch her between the ears. "Do you miss your mistress?" he asked, moving his hand back to smooth the soft fur. She began to purr deep in her throat, her body vibrating under his hand. He stroked her absently as he looked around the room and said softly, "So do I."

He left the cat on the bed and the door open so the feline could get out if she desired. Snowball put in an appearance, preening herself and ignoring him much like she had when Jeff first encountered her. He returned to the guest room, changed into pajamas, took out his toiletries kit and entered the bathroom. To his surprise, Spot was nowhere to be found. I hope she didn't get out again, he thought with a frown. He combed his hair, brushed and flossed his teeth, removed the gauze that covered the abrasion, and used the toilet, all the while expecting the door to creak open and the skinny tortoiseshell cat to slink in and meow at him in a demanding voice. But there was no sign of her.

"Better see what the evening news has to say about the... incident," he murmured to himself as he crossed the hall to the living room. Once again, he pressed the button on the side of the sound system as Lou had. The tiny light came up a gratifying green, but Jeff took no chances. He turned on the jammer. Then he sprawled out on Lou's sofa and turned on the televid. After a few moments of channel surfing, he found what he wanted.

"Multi-billionaire Jefferson Tracy was a victim in an early morning home invasion in Asheville, North Carolina. He was a guest at the home of Lucinda Myles, reported to be an old friend of Tracy and his late wife, Lucille. He and Myles were taken to the hospital, where Tracy was treated for his injuries and released. Ms. Myles was admitted to the hospital overnight for observation. Local officials had this to say."

The picture changed from the brunette anchorwoman to a rugged looking man in a suit, a badge pinned to his jacket's handkerchief pocket. The name "Gerald Browning, Sheriff" flashed at the bottom of the screen. A cluster of microphones had been shoved near his face, all of them bearing the logo of a different station or network. A voice asked, "Sheriff Browning, do you have any suspects in this case yet?"

"Not at this time, but we are pursuing every possible lead," the law officer replied curtly.

"Sheriff, is there a motive behind the assault on one of the world's richest men?" another disembodied voice shouted.

"It seems that whoever perpetrated this crime was unaware of Mr. Tracy's identity," the sheriff answered. "The assault appears to have been a simple attempt at robbery."

The picture switched back to the newsroom. "A spokesperson for Tracy Industries had no comment on the incident, and the Tracy family could not be reached for a reaction. Mr. Tracy was seen leaving the hospital after the incident, and returning to visit Ms. Myles, but his current whereabouts are unknown. Ms. Myles herself is still under observation at Mission Hospital." The anchorwoman turned to her male companion. "Steve?"

Jeff muted the program, then turned it off. He switched on his telecomm and raised it so he could see the screen. The identikit picture of Virgil flashed through his mind momentarily and, with an increased awareness of the need for security, he altered his usual call sign. "Commander to Thunderbird Five. Come in, Thunderbird Five."

Alan's face appeared quickly. "Thunderbird Five, here. Hey, D..."

Jeff cut him off. "Use the words I just used, Thunderbird Five," he said.

Alan looked puzzled for a moment, then replied, "Thunderbird Five here... Commander. Go ahead."

"That's better," Jeff said with a small smile. "Report on flights to Unity City."

"It's a wash, uh, Commander," Alan replied ruefully. "I've tracked down each and every flight to Unity City within a two hundred mile radius from Asheville. There's no telling when they left or what flight they took, especially since we don't know if they flew private or commercial."

Jeff drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "It was worth a shot. Thanks, Thunderbird Five. Please inform Base that I am back at... the scene of the crime, and will be spending the night here."

"Is that safe, Da..., uh, Commander?" Alan asked, concerned.

"Safe or not, it's where I need to be at the moment. Agent 27 is hopefully holding down the fort with our... former castaway." Jeff smiled, remembering Lou's letter. "Tell Base they can reach me on my satellite phone until roughly 0900 hours, when I intend to return to the hospital."

"F-A-B, Commander," Alan acknowledged. "Anything else?"

"Negative, Thunderbird Five." Jeff yawned widely. "Just goodnight."

"Goodnight, Commander," Alan said with a grin. "Thunderbird Five out."

The transmission was disconnected and Jeff deactivated his watch. He padded back to the guest room. Just inside the open door, he pulled up short. Curled up in the middle of the bed, seemingly asleep, was Spot. He chuckled, and sat down, reaching out to scratch the skinny feline between the ears. "Where'd you come from?" he asked.

The cat lifted a sleepy head and yawned, her pink tongue curling. "Mayow," she softly replied, the sound muting down into the loud purr he remembered from the other day.

He reached out and slid his hands under the cat, gently moving her over to the other side of the bed. "You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine and you can sleep here tonight, okay?"

The cat got up, stretched her front legs, claws extended, butt in the air, then reached back with each hind leg in turn. Having flexed her muscles, she turned around in a circle twice, then lay back down, curling up in a donut shape again. Jeff snorted a laugh, then pulled back the covers and slipped between them, setting his head down on the pillow. For a long time he listened to the quiet of the house and thought about how he was going to persuade Lou to come with him to the safety of his home. Eventually, his exhaustion overtook him and he slept.

He was awakened in the morning by a loud pounding on the front door. What the hell? He glanced at the clock. 0800 hours! Damn! I meant to be out of here by now! Getting up, he put on his dressing gown, ran a hand through his hair and went to the door. Peering out through the small window, he saw a woman, short and slightly plump, with salt and pepper hair. She raised her hand to the door knocker again, and pressed the doorbell for good measure.

He unlocked the door and swung it open. "Can I help you?"

The woman took a step back in surprise, a frown creasing her face. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I could ask you the same question, ma'am," Jeff replied, trying to keep his face neutral.

She huffed, then said, "I'm Shelly Clarendon and this is my sister's house!"

Jeff's face cleared, and he smiled slightly, then held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Clarendon. I'm Jeff Tracy, an old friend of Lou's and her guest."

Shelly's frown changed to a look of surprise. "Oh!" She took the proffered hand, and squinted as she studied his face. "Mr. Tracy. I should have known. You look a lot like your son, Scott."

He chuckled. "A lot of people say that." Something brushed against his leg, and he glanced down to see Spot trying to edge her way outside. "Oh, no, you don't. C'mere, Spot." He reached down to pick up the cat, and opened the door wider. "Come in, Mrs. Clarendon."

Shelly came in, followed by a young woman that she introduced as, "Rachel, my daughter." Jeff shook hands with Rachel, and as soon as the door was closed, he let Spot down.

"So, where's Lou?" Shelly asked, removing her jacket and hanging it up in the hall closet with familiar ease.

"Uh, she's still at the hospital, I'm afraid," Jeff told her. "The doctors admitted her for observation. She's supposed to be released this morning. In fact, I am going over there as soon as visiting hours start."

"She's still at the hospital?" Shelly queried, frowning again. "Then why are you here?"

He silently counted to ten. "Lou gave me permission to stay another night..."

Her eyebrows went up, and her face took on a speculative expression. Jeff could almost read the assumptions that flitted across the woman's face and groaned internally.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to go with you to the hospital," she said. "Is there anything she needs? Clothes to come home in?"

"I don't mind at all. But one of her friends put together a bag for her. It's in my car," he explained. "I didn't make it back to the hospital before visiting hours were over."

"Oh, I see." Shelly glanced around. "Then I guess I'd better let you get dressed."

"Mom," Rachel piped up. "I think her cats are hungry. Should I feed them?"

Her mother looked to Jeff, who nodded and said, "I just got up and haven't had a chance to."

"Go ahead, honey. Then Mr. Tracy here can drive us over to the hospital. And tell us everything that happened."

Jeff dressed quickly, and when he came out of the guest room, he found that Shelly was making breakfast for him.

"I don't know how you like your eggs, but I know that if I let you leave the house without eating, I'll never hear the end of it from Lou," she said, her former manner thawed a bit. He sat down at the table this time, Shelly and Rachel joining him, each with a cup of coffee. "I have to apologize, Mr. Tracy, for my reaction when you first opened the door. I expected either Lou herself or maybe Mrs. Mason here if anyone was home at all."

"Apology accepted, Mrs. Clarendon," Jeff replied, forking up a bit of scrambled egg. "And please excuse me for being so short with you. Your knocking woke me up, which was actually a good thing because I'd forgotten to set the alarm." He ate the forkful, then followed it with a swig of coffee. "Thank you for breakfast. It's just what I needed."

Shelly smiled and nodded, then sat silently while Jeff ate. He could feel the eyes of both women on him, and knew that they were politely waiting for him to finish before asking any questions. He downed the eggs and toast quickly, then Rachel took his dishes to the sink.

"Shall we go?" he asked, finishing his coffee.

"Yes," Shelly answered simply.

Jeff grabbed his jacket and strode out to the sports car, the two women following.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Shelly knew as much as Jeff was willing to tell her about the incident. Jeff learned that Shelly had heard about the home invasion on the news and called Lou right away to find out what happened. Jadzia had answered and told her that her sister had been taken to the hospital, but had no other information than that at the time. She had tried to call the hospital, but when no one there would give her a room number or any kind of update, the older woman had grabbed one of her children and impulsively set off to discover what was wrong on her own.

Now they were on the floor where Lou had spent the night. The door to the room was open, and Jeff indicated that the ladies should take Lou's bag and proceed. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen a familiar face in the waiting area and he detoured to talk to Mrs. Soo.

"She's not in her room. They took her down to imaging so they could scan her shoulder," the tiny lady said. She yawned. "When I knew you weren't going to make it back, I managed to stay and keep out of the nurses' sight."

"Good work, Mrs. Soo," Jeff praised. "You look like you could use some rest before returning to Knoxville. Why don't I arrange for a room here in town..."

"Not necessary," Mrs. Soo said, waving a dismissive hand. "My grandson lives nearby. I'll take a cab and spend a day or two with him. He won't be suspicious; I've done it before."

Jeff grinned. "You are a treasure, Mrs. Soo. Thanks for coming and helping out." He embraced the lady briefly, then she looked up at him and poked a finger in his abdomen.

"It was a pleasure. What are agents for, anyway? You tell Eleanor from me to cut you some slack as far as your friend is concerned," Mrs. Soo admonished. "I'll give her a call later this week to see how she's feeling. Thanks for telling me about her illness. I was worried when I didn't get my weekly email from her."

"You're welcome. You'd better get going before Lou's kinfolk come back here and ask some uncomfortable questions."

"F-A-B, Jeff." She kissed him on the cheek and left, handbag and Mahjongg case in hand.

Jeff waited until she was in the elevator, then headed down the hall to Lou's room. The door was now closed, and he knocked on it with a knuckle. The door opened fractionally, and Rachel peered out.

"Oh, Mr. Tracy. Lou is getting a shower now. Can you come back in a few minutes?"

"Oh, uh, sure. I'll be down in the waiting room." Slightly annoyed that he was on the other side of the door, Jeff put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked back toward the waiting area.

He was still there when Brains put in an appearance. "I w-wanted to say goodbye to, uh, Lou," the scientist explained. "And check in with, uh, y-you before I left."

"How was the inn?" Jeff asked, impatiently jiggling the foot that rested on his opposite knee.

"Comfortable. The b-breakfast was unique and d-delicious."

"I might end up staying there myself," Jeff stated. "Lou's sister and niece have arrived."

"O-Oh," Brains replied, startled.

At that moment, Rachel came to the door of the waiting room. "Aunt Lou is asking for you, Mr. Tracy."

Jeff sprang to his feet. "I'm coming."

He nearly left Rachel and Brains in the dust as he strode down the hall. But he waited for Rachel at the door and let her enter first. The sound of raised voices met his ears just before he entered the room.

"I don't understand!" Shelly cried. "It doesn't make any sense! Why would they come for Mama's old emerald necklace or that painting Grandma left you? Why would they beat you up so badly? Why would you let them?"

Lou, sitting on the bed and dressed neatly in black slacks and a red camp shirt, scowled at her sister. "Shelly, that's what they were after. End of discussion." She reached out to Jeff with her good hand. "I'm glad you're here."

Jeff took her hand and squeezed it, then let it go. He stood next to the bed, close to Lou. Shelly noticed Brains for the first time and asked, "Are you going to introduce me to your other friend here?"

"Yes. Shelly, Rachel, meet Hiram Hackenbacker. He's a friend of Jeff's and the one who doctored me when I washed up on Jeff's island. Hiram, meet my sister, Shelly Clarendon, and her daughter, Rachel."

Brains held out his hand, and said, "A-A pleasure to m-meet you, Mrs., uh, Clarendon."

Shelly took his hand, shook it once and said, less than graciously, "Likewise." Her eyes flitted from Jeff to Brains and back to Lou again. "Wait. Did this attack have something to do with you washing up on Mr. Tracy's island?"

Lou sighed wearily. "Just... don't go there, Shelly, okay?" She leaned her head back against the mattress. "Where's the doctor? I want to get out of here."

There was a knock on the door, but before Rachel could reach it, it swung open on its own, and a tall, thin woman with curly, highlighted hair, walked in.

"Dee! What are you doing here?" Lou asked, gaping.

"Lou! I heard what happened! Rey called me and I just had to come!" The woman came straight over to Lou's bed and embraced her, then stepped back. "Oh, Lou! You look awful!"

The effect of this new arrival on Brains was noteworthy. His jaw dropped and he managed to stutter, "D-D-Deirdre?"

At the sound of his call, Dee turned and her eyes widened. "Hiram? What are you doing here?"

Jeff and Lou exchanged glances, and Dee and Brains both looked at Lou, then back at the other. All three asked in near unison, "You two know each other?"

The trio's question caused the whole group to chuckle, and Lou replied, "I guess I'd better make some introductions. Jeff, Shelly, Rachel, meet Dr. Deirdre Macias, PhD Dee, my sister, Shelly Clarendon, her daughter, Rachel, and my good friend, Jeff Tracy." She turned to Jeff. "Dee's the one who came up with the alarm system that I've been beta testing."

"Wait a minute!" Dee said, turning to Brains. "Is Lou's fingerprint entry system the one you were asking about yesterday?"

"Y-Yes, it was," he replied. "And it was hard to, uh, b-bypass, even with your instructions."

"Ah! I thought you might have trouble," she stated, shaking her head. "If I only knew that it was Lou's, I would have come down myself to help. It will activate for my fingerprint, too."

"Oh ho!" Lou exclaimed in surprise. "I never knew that!"

Dee colored. "Well, I did want to program in a fail-safe..." She moved over and sat on the edge of the bed, facing Lou. Her eyes roamed over Lou's still battered face. "That alarm system was useless though," she said sadly. "It couldn't prevent this..."

"Don't think that at all, Dee," Lou replied stoutly. "Whoever it was took out some of the stations, and probably thought they'd deactivated the lot, but that fourth unit put out a shout to the police. Probably kept them from killing me." She laid her hand on Dee's arm. "It's just a matter of recalibration, that's all."

"I hope so. I want to take a look at it today, if possible."

"It should be... if that doctor ever gets here with my discharge papers," Lou said, scowling.

Brains shuffled his feet a bit. "I-I have to go, Lou. I've g-got a lecture at, uh, three." He turned to Deirdre. "Are you c-coming back to the conference?"

"Yes, probably later tonight, or early tomorrow morning. I've got panel discussions to chair."

Lou glanced between them. "You were at the same conference? And here I thought I was supposed to come visit you yesterday."

Dee waved a hand, rolling her eyes. "No, silly girl. That's next week. I swear your memory is going."

"You're not the only one to say so," Lou quipped, giving Jeff a little dig in the gut with her good elbow. Then she beckoned to Brains. He came close and she wrapped her good arm around his neck, pulling him down for a peck on the cheek. "Have a good trip, Hiram. And thanks for everything you've done. I owe you."

Brains blushed slightly and nodded. "Goodbye, L-Lou. I m-might, uh, collect some day." He waved to the rest of those in the room. "G-Goodbye. Nice to meet you, Mrs. C-Clarendon, Rachel. See you t-tomorrow, Deirdre. See you Friday, M-Mr. Tracy?"

Jeff started, caught off guard, then he nodded. "Yes, Friday. If I change my plans, I'll call."

"Right. G-Goodbye." Brains waved once more, then left the room.

There was a moment of awkward silence, then Dee asked. "Tell me what happened. I want to hear every detail."

"Oh, Dee," Lou complained. "I've told the story so many times now. I feel like I should record it or something." She sighed heavily, but began to tell the tale again. Jeff noticed that Shelly was listening intently, perhaps waiting for some slip or discrepancy on her sister's part. But Lou's days as an investigator held her in good stead, and she told the story almost exactly the same way she had told it to everyone else outside of Jeff.

When she finished, Dee remarked, "Oh, you poor thing! I'm so glad that the police came when they did." She glanced over at Jeff. "And you were so lucky, Mr. Tracy. If those hoodlums had known who you were..."

"But they didn't and so he's safe, and I'm safe," Lou cut in. "Now all I want to do is get home and..."

Just then the doctor walked in, a smile on his face. He looked around at the assemblage, then focused on Lou. "Good news, Ms. Myles. Your shoulder is doing fine. Everything is settling back into place. I've got your discharge here, and a nurse will be along momentarily with a wheelchair. There's a prescription for some pain reliever and anti-inflammatory, and you're to wear the sling during the day for the next two weeks. Then follow up with your regular doctor." He offered her a data pad and a stylus. "Read this through, then sign it, indicating you've read and understand the instructions. The nurse will bring you a paper copy and your prescription."

"Oh, thank you, Doctor!" Lou replied fervently. She read through the instructions quickly, then signed the pad. He smiled at her again, taking the pad and heading out the door.

Lou smiled as best she could. Dee got off the bed and started helping Lou with the shoes that Jadzia had sent. Seeing this, Shelly came around and helped with the other foot. By the time they were done, the nurse was there.

"Ah, our celebrity patient," she said, her dark face lighting up with a smile. " There are reporters downstairs waiting for you."

Jeff and Lou exchanged glances, and Jeff frowned. "Who are they waiting for?" he asked.

The nurse looked over at him. "Why, they want to talk to Ms. Myles here. All about her ordeal."

"What can we do?" Shelly asked, her face troubled. "Lou doesn't need to be running a gauntlet of reporters."

Jeff faced the nurse. "Is there another exit that Ms. Myles could use? One where the reporters wouldn't be likely to see her?"

"Well, yes, but..."

He turned to Dee. "Did you bring a car?"

Her face brightened. "Yes, I did. I flew home and drove up; it's less than an hour."

"Okay. Here's the plan." He pointed to Dee. "Get your car and bring it up to the other entrance. I'll run interference at the main entrance." Dee smiled mischievously and, saluting, left the room. He turned to Rachel. "Do you remember where I parked the car?"

Startled, she said, "Uh, yeah. I remember."

He tossed the keys to her. "Please bring it around front so I can just hop in when I get through with the press." He grinned. "Take my word for it; they will not miss a chance to ask me questions and will be focused on me instead of Lou."

Rachel grinned back, and left immediately. Lou eased herself into the wheelchair, and the nurse settled her feet in the proper places. Jeff took out Lou's house keys and handed them back to her. "I'll meet you at your place," he told her, giving her hand a squeeze.

Lou gazed back up at him. "Okay, Jeff. See you there."

He let the women precede him, and waited for the visitor's elevator, while they took a staff and patients' lift. In the elevator car, he adjusted his clothes and hair. Taking a deep breath, he counted to ten. "Into the breach," he muttered to himself, then he stepped out into the lobby. He was spotted, recognized and, as he'd hoped, the press clustered around, focused on him, hopefully forgetting all about his friend.