*A Good Start* by Karen Evans

__<DuchessKE@aol.com>__

Lt. Colonel Tyrus Cassius McQueen gave Dr. Valerie Van Putten one of his best ice cold stares, but Dr. Van Putten was neither amused or repelled. Ty knew it didn't have anything to do with his InVitro status, she treated everyone around her with that same brand of cold professionalism.

"Well, Colonel, it seems that the treatment is working nicely.Your leg is growing right on schedule," she said in that crisp, clear, South African accent. "You''ve responded well to treatment. Foolish to put you at the end of the hall though."

McQueen suddenly didn't want to meet those determined blackeyes. He fixed his gaze somewhere above her head. "The nurses thoughtit was better...because of the nightmares I have sometimes."

Valerie's eyes met McQueen's. She nodded, then wrote some-thing down on the chart in her hand, his chart.

"Hope you're not putting me down to see a shrink or something," he said.

She sighed. "Sometimes you military types can be so close minded. Sometimes it helps to talk to people about your problems."

McQueen cleared his throat. "Is that why you're here? To talk about my problems?"

Valerie raised the sheet on McQueen's right side. He fought theurge to tear her to pieces. He hated it when they treated him like he was a guniea pig, like he wasn't a person.

"Colonel McQueen, I'm here because I'm your doctor and..."

"So when am I getting out of here?" he asked.

She gave a long sigh, as if she wanted to avoid that question.

"I'd say in about two months, a month an a half if everything works," now she gave a slight smile.

Ty shot her his meanest gaze. At that moment, Nurse Lyn Robertson entered the room. One look at McQueen told her that whatever the doctor had just told him, was not good news.

"Oh, Lyn, you're just in time. I was just telling the colonel that he'll be our guest here for another two months."

Lyn looked at Valerie and nodded. She hadn't told her about the mysterious pills, in fact, she hadn't told anybody about them. Then, she looked at McQueen, his hands were balled up into fists and clutching thebedsheets.

"Colonel, you'll be just fine," Valerie said. She scribbled some more on the chart, nodded to Lyn and left.

"Is she always that cheerful?" McQueen said.

Lyn shut the door and walked closer to Ty. "Are you alright?"

He looked into her green eyes. "No. I can't stay here anothertwo months. I've got to get out of here, and soon."

Lyn just stared at him, then she pulled up a chair and sat down.

"I was talking to one of the orderlies who was on duty that night. He told me he thought he saw a man he didn't know, walking towards the fire exit."

"Did he get a good look at him?"

Lyn shrugged. "Just that he was tall, and wore dark clothes."

McQueen nodded. Dark clothes, the colors of an assassin.

"Colonel, if you're concerned about your safety, I could arrange to have a guard..."

"No," he said suddenly. Lyn just didn't get it. If Aerotech was involved, no one could be trusted, including a guard employed by God knows who. He wasn't worried so much for his safety, as he was for Nathan and Cooper. If someone would stoop to murder, in a hospital, Lordknows what else they'd try.

"So what am I supposed to do? The next time they might try something more direct."

Perhaps, Ty thought. The pills were a wake up call. "we can get to you, easily," it said. "Think of what we can do to the 58th."

McQueen looked at the nurse. "I can't stay here," he said.

Lyn frowned. "What do you mean, Colonel, you want to betransferred to another hospital?"

"I mean I can't stay in this hospital, or any hospital."

"What?" Lyn put her hand over her mouth, when she realized she'd nearly shouted. "You heard what Dr. Van Putten said..."

"Yes, I did, but I also know that if I stay here, a lot more than one murder is going to occur."

Lyn rose quickly. She looked at McQueen again. His blue eyeswere stareing at her, probing her. She sighed. Another time, another place, she'd be more than just attracted to the man, InVitro or not; but this was not the time, nor the place for silly romantic fantasies. She headed for the

door.

"I'll need help getting out of here."

Lyn stopped. She wanted to turn around, but she knew that if shelooked into those eyes, she'd say something she'd regret.

"Colonel...you know that's against..."

"Damnit Lyn. This isn't a joke. I'm not being paranoid. Now what did you think when you found out what those drugs were? You said that you weren't going to stand by and let a murder happen on your floor. You said that I needed you, well I do, I need you to help me break out of this place."

"Break out, just like that, Colonel? And when they find out you're gone? Who do you think they'll look for?" Lyn still hadn't looked at him.

"Why would they look for you? We just play chess, that's all."

Ty reached over and pulled out the brown chess case from the drawer. Lyn knew that the correct thing would be to walk out of the room, request a transfer to another floor, and never have any more contact with Colonel Tyrus Cassius McQueen again. But every time that thought appeared, another thought followed: What if he's right?

She slowly turned around and met his eyes. Then, she nodded.

"Chess," she said.

His expression didn't change. "You'll help."

Lyn felt herself nod.

Ty set up the chessboard on his bed. Lyn slowly walked over to him, she looked at McQueen, her face hard like stone.

"One more thing," he said.

"Don't tell me you want a police escort."

He almost smiled. "That's not such a bad idea...no...Lyn...I want you to stay calm, don't act different. I know what I'm doing."

"I hope so, for both our sakes."

******************************************************************************

END OF PART TEN

Karen Evans

DuchessKE@aol.com