Welllll, if anyone read the previous one, I said this would be part three. Looks like there's also going to be a part 4/D. Maybe a fifth, depending on how much quiet time I can get when doing the next section. That's the real barrier right now, being able put aside other things and get it out of my head and onto the screen.

Anyway, here it is

"Lightstorm, help him sit up, I need to get Eternus back in bed."

"On it, chief."

And she was. The Doctor was trembling and failing to speak because of it, and she's got more experience with such things. Her dad had Parkinson's. All Don needed was some muscle and a quick survey for new injury. I generated a dupe of myself to go get John from the office. Called up another one to help lift Don. I could hear The Doctor stammering n over and over.

Don seemed to be okay. No shaking, no signs of injury from falling out of the bed, but I'd leave that for John; I have picked up some field medic skills over the years, but no formal training.

"Lightstorm, you good?"

"Yeah chief, I think so. He's trying to say something, we just have to be patient and let him get it out until your brother can examine them."

Kerry, The Doctor, started shaking his head, trying to stand and talk, "n-n-n-n-n". I crossed the room and brought a duplicate in to give him extra support.

John came in at a jog and started cursing, "Fucking hell! Why the bloody hell are you moving my patient!?"

"I'm not. He's moving, I'm trying to keep him from falling."

"Don't. Kerry, sit your ass back on that bed until I can examine you!"

Kerry firmly shook his head, "uh-uh! G-g-g-g-d-d-dmp"

John moved in front of him, "Okay, okay, but you can't dump that into anyone here. At least let me make sure your vitals are solid."

Kerry growled and grabbed for John's lab coat, fumbling at the pocket where he kept a pen. He snagged it and grabbed it like a toddler with a crayon, all fist and willpower. He leaned into John and started scrawling something on the lab coat.

It was one word, when he pulled back to show it: NUKE. I didn't figure he meant a bomb, and it only took a second to get what he meant, "You can't. He's a prisoner. He's not an option."

Kerry garbled a scream at me that sounded suspiciously like a fuck you, and tried to push past John. Mandy stayed with him, and gave me a glare, "Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know! But he can't just push whatever he picked up from Don onto a prisoner!"

She rolled her eyes and there was a flash. They were both gone once the spots cleared from my vision. Fucking photonic speed. I took off down to the secure detention unit. No way would I get there in time to stop them, but I had to try. John was cursing up a storm of his own, but was moving to examine Don.

By the time I got to Nuke's cell, the door was open and The Doctor was exiting; walking perfectly fine, but scowling. He grunted at me, "Got any fentanyl? Maybe some ketamine?" Mandy laughed.

"I did not laugh. I was busy not punching either of them. I settled for ranting at them about violating a prisoner's rights. Mandy gave me the eye roll again and flashed away. I keep trying to break her of that. She keeps rolling her eyes and flashing away when I do. You know how she is, Del."

"Yeah, holy hell do I. That's one of a dozen reasons we only had one date. But ignore her, what did the new guy do to Nuke?"

"He took the brain damage he pulled out of Don and dumped it into him. Apparently he dumped everything he was carrying.The herpes, the syphilis, two or three cancers, some minor problems Don had that weren't noticeable yet, plus his own addiction."

"That's fucking terrifying. What are you going to do about Nuke?"

"I have no fucking clue. John dosed him up with what he could, but he's a dead man if I can't talk The Doctor into pulling the cancer back out. The syphilis too. He said it was Don's idea to use Nuke. But it's freaky; he sounds like Don. He's even doing that little finger drumming thing Don does when he wants to yell at me but can't."

"You are so fucked, man. Anything I can do?"

"Yeah, take over as senior agent."

"Hell no! I love you man, but I don't love you that much. Besides, I'd fuck it up."

"Yeah. Probably."

"Fuck you!"

"Seriously Del, unless you know a healer that can wipe out what he put into Nuke, this is going to be a shitstorm pouring right on my neck."

"Uh, Max?"

"Yeah Del?"

"I kinda do. You remember that guy I used to date? Back before I joined up here?"

"The beardy one with the tattoos?"

"That's the one. He, uh, asked me to never tell anyone, but, uh, he's kind of a healer. Or can be. He's some kind of magic user, but I saw him fix this stray dog once. Thing was mangy, infested with fleas and ticks, was limping and stank. He drew a little circle, did some mumbo jumbo and the damn thing started hopping around all happy while fleas and ticks were dropping off of it. He still has the dog, last I saw him post on Mammoth."

"Call him."

"Shit. I was afraid you'd ask me to. Yeah, I'll call him. But Max? You gotta promise me, and him, you can't tell anyone. He didn't even like dating me because of the job. Doesn't want the life, you dig? The breakup was friendly, but if he starts getting recruited, he'll hate me."

"Yeah. I can do that. No problem Del."