SUSPICIONS, PART EIGHT

The police and the paramedics were called, and it was established that, although she had suffered massive head trauma, Sofia was still alive. She was rushed to BCUH.

"I'm going to the hospital with her!" said Matthew.

Lila, who was still accusing herself, was taken into custody.

"She probably threw the weapon into the bay," said Joe, "I'll get a diver down there at first light."

****

"Oh Sergei – be serious!" said Felicia.

"I am serious! If Sergei marries American, they cannot send me back to Russia."

"It's impossible!"

"But - Sergei loves you, Beautiful Felicia!"

****

"I've got good news for you, Remy." said Nick.

"Oh? What?"

"I spoke to Dr Baxley. He's willing to take your case. All you need to do is have your regular doctor send your medical records to his clinic in New Orleans."

"But - the expense! He's not going to work for nothing!"

"I can afford it." said Nick.

"Oh Nick - are you sure? It's so much money!"

****

Meanwhile, the Lone Gunmen were buying their informant a hamburger.

"I wasn't always like this." said Wally, "I used to work for Cory Publishing. Then one day, when I was doing a little private hacking, I got into the Lumina Foundation's database. You wouldn't believe what goes on there! It's worse than that place in New Mexico!"

"You mean Dulce?"

Wally ignored the interruption. "When I tried to warn people about Lumina, they called me a paranoid schizophrenic and locked me up! After all the drugs and shock treatments, I'm not the man I was - but I'm not crazy!"

Byers, Langley and Frohike looked at one another. Wally probably WAS crazy, but as the saying goes 'just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you'.

"Can you get back into Lumina's database for us?" said Byers.

****

"I'm looking for my donkey!" said Lama Tensing. (It was the punchline of one of his parables.)

"But - he was riding the donkey!" said Zack.

"Exactly."

"I don't understand." Zack confessed, "In fact, I don't understand most of your stories."

"A wise man can learn, even from a fool, but a fool cannot learn, even from a wise man." said the Lama.

"Are you saying that I'm a fool?"

"I will tell you another story: Once there was a man who wanted enlightenment," said the Lama, "So he started lying, cheating, and hurting innocent people. Was He a fool?"

"You're talking about Me!" said Zack."Do you think I enjoy doing those things? I don't! I feel really bad about them! "

"Then - why do them?"

"Like Jordan says, 'Emotions don't matter - only our goal matters!' "

"And what is your goal - or Jordan's goal?"

"He didn't tell me." said Zack, "But I'm sure it's something Good!"

The Lama muttered something that sounded like 'piddock' into his beard.

****

Matthew sat beside Sofia's bed in the ICU all night. There was no sound, except for the noises made by the machines she was hooked up to.

Around the time the birds began to sing, Sofia's eyelids started to flutter.

"Sofia?" Matthew whispered.

Her eyes opened. "M- Matt?"

"Yes!" Matthew smiled through tears of relief. After a few seconds, her eyes closed again.

****

"Don't worry, Lila," said Cass, " We can plead temporary insanity, due to post-partum depression!"

"Cain't we jist plead Not Guilty?" said Lila, "Ah didn't do it!"

Note: a 'piddock' is a kind of clam that glows in the dark, and is of no practical use whatsoever.