So tired

Though still groggy, Kyle's eyes widen. "Overdose?" He blinks. The look of surprise on his face was genuine. "But how...?" Furrowing his brow, he thinks, still bewildered.

"Well, Mr. Mitts. It's good to see you back among the living." The doctor appears in the doorway, having heard voices. He approaches, offering a smile to both Kyle and Alice.

Kyle quirks an eyebrow. "I'd say it felt good to be back, but I don't remember not being here."

"I'm not surprised." The doctor eases down on the other side of the bed, giving a soft nod to Alice before continuing with Kyle. "How are you feeling?"

"Um... kinda foggy. My throat hurts... tired."

"Mm... having had a tube down your throat will probably make it sore for a while. And the meds should wear of fairly quickly." He doctor looks at his clipboard. "Do you remember anything? Perhaps about last night?"

"Um..." Kyle frowns in thought. "I... I was swimming. And then... I think I went to bed. Next thing I know, I'm here."

"Did you take any pain killers?"

"Oh yeah." Kyle nods, starting to remember. "I guess I did. Chloe gave me some for my headache. Alice just said that you said I overdosed?"

The doctor doesn't yet answer the question. "Do you remember how many painkillers you took?"

"I don't know... whatever I was supposed to, I guess." Kyle scrunches his nose, trying to think. "I think I took the max... maybe? So I'd be able to sleep." He tries to recall the previous night's events, and suddenly his eyes widen. "Uh-oh."

The doctor lifts an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I think I might have..." Kyle keeps trying to think. "It seems like when I went to bed, I remember realizing that I hadn't taken the pills yet. So I got up and downed the max dose, but... then I thought it felt familiar, and I wondered if I'd fallen asleep without knowing it, and had forgotten I'd already taken a dose. I was already so drowsy by that time though, that I didn't get back up again."

"You mean you took them twice?"

"I might have. I was really tired and I wasn't thinking all that straight." Kyle's eyes remain wide. "That's a scary thought."

"Well, it's not just scary, it's reality." The doctor nods grimly. "You did overdose. It's a good thing your friends called when they did. Those painkillers were high-power to begin with, so it didn't take much to really hurt yourself." He glances down at his notes. "You have been on depression medication as well?"

Kyle looks down, then up again. "Yeah... for a while. I stopped taking it though, a few days ago." He glances to Alice. If it wasn't for her, he'd still be on it.

"Were you feeling depressed last night?"

"I don't know. I mean... I was tired. I'd felt worse."

"Kyle, I'll be frank with you. Is there a possibility that you intentionally overdosed?"

Kyle's eyes widen even more. "No way! I might have been stupid, but it wasn't on purpose." He looks at Alice for reassurance before continuing. "It was an accident."

"But you said yourself that you don't remember much. People often deny their desperation, and sometimes don't even remember wanting to take their lives. I need to-"

"I said it was an accident!" Now Kyle was getting a little irritated. "I couldn't feel more stupid than I do at the moment, but I'm telling you, I was fine. I don't want to take my own life, I've got too much life left to live!"

"Okay, okay." The doctor puts a hand on Kyle's arm to calm him down. "I just had to rule that out before writing up my report. I believe you. But you were stupid, and I hope that you don't have any more of these little accidents." He stands up, making a couple notes. "I want you to stay here until tonight, but by suppertime, you will be free to go."

Watching the doctor leave, Kyle lets his head sink back in his pillow, and he gives a frustrated sigh. "Could I be even more of an idiot?" He puts his hands on his head and gives a groan. His mind was starting to clear, and he could now imagine how he must have made the others feel. "I really caused a ruckus didn't I? All because I got careless."


Laura can't help a sleepy smile. "Stop worrying about me," she chides. Moving her hand from his lips, she runs it down his cheek. "I've been hit worse than this."

She lets her head rest on her pillow, fighting sleep. "I'd love to have Maggie cook"

Her eyes start to close, but she suddenly opens them again. "Oh, would you tell Ryder to make sure Henry gets taken care of? I think he's still under my desk." After saying it, she giggles. "Henry, that is."


Ryder escorts the girl out of the van and into TJY as the others take off for the hospital. He had offered to go later, in order to take care of this first and fill in those who had stayed. Part of him was antsy to go though... to find out how both Katie and Laura were.

Getting the girl into the interrogation room, he knows Gage is in the other one, and Alec is still downstairs. It was starting to be a full house in here.

He gets the girl to sit down at the table and is just ready to turn and leave, when her voice surprises him. Turning back around, he just stares at her for a moment. Her words cut right to his heart. "Aw, you're kidding me," he mutters under his breath. A whole new form of pity washes over him. He looks to the door, then back at Thirteen. Him being at the hospital wouldn't change a thing... maybe this was where he was supposed to be for now.

Going back to the table, he leans down and takes a good hard look at Thirteen, studying her eyes. He could usually tell when someone was lying or pretending to be someone they weren't. Either she was the best he'd ever encountered, or she truly had been a victim of the Agency. He believed it was the latter.

Straightening up, Ryder locks the door, just in case, then returns. Fishing in his pocket, he reaches down and unlocks the handcuffs, freeing up her hands. "They just keep getting better and better, don't they?" His irritated question isn't intended to receive a response... he was sick of the Agency and their ways of dealing with people.

"Thirteen, ay?" He clips the cuffs to his beltloop, then reaches down to tuck her hair behind her ear, spying a cut on her temple. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to have bled a bit. He goes to the corner of the room where there is a high locked cabinet for emergencies. Inside is a small first aid kit. Coming back, he dabs some disinfectant on a swab and as gently as possible, cleans the small wound. "Nobody deserves to be raised by the Agency." It made him sick that she had called it "home." But if that's all she knew...

Finished, Ryder returns the first aid kit, then sighs, setting his hands on his hips. He couldn't treat her like the others. Her spirit was completely and utterly crushed, probably destroyed in just the first few years of her life. He wouldn't treat her like Gage or Alec - he sensed no threat. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Need to use the bathroom?" He'd even offer a clean set of clothes, if he knew where to find one.


Jason lowers himself to sit on the edge of the bed as gently as possible. Reaching out, he takes Katie's hand in his, never having had a more tender touch. A coma. His worst fears were coming true.

It was hours later. Amazingly, none of Katie's injuries had been life-threatening, persay. Jason wasn't sure all what the doctors had said... he was so exhausted, that he thought he probably only caught about half of the explanations. He thought he remembered them saying that Katie might have to have some rehab for her hand, and they wouldn't be sure about how well it was healing until she woke up. They had gone ahead and don e some reconstruction where the acid burns had been. Though scars would remain, the doctors were confident that those wounds would heal and that they would not be too obvious in appearance. Not that Jason cared as much about that... Katie would be beautiful no matter what.

But as he sat here, alone, after others had filtered in and out... the weight of the situation bore heavily down upon him.

Standing, he goes to get a chair and bring it close, sitting down and taking Katie's hand again. Physical touch... that was what intensified their connection. He would stay... he would wait... he would pray.

He leans forward and rests his head on the bed. He was so tired.