Hello readers if you exist! Welcome to Last Illusion Chapter 23! It only took me a day to write this so I might be finished in a few weeks at most. Unless I run out of ideas... That would suck, after this long... Please Review :D

BUNNY

Chapter 23- The Snake In The Grass

Ethan was the first in the police station, Pearl not far behind. "Where is Colonel Fisher, Maim?" He asked the surprised secretary. "Uh, I think the Colonel made left to go to hospital with a young boy after an accident. May I help you?" She asked nervously. "Do you know If a teenage girl about this tall is still here?" Pearl asked the next question. "I'm afraid the Colonel took custody of the arrested girl, if that's who your talking about." She answered. Ethan thanked the lady and hastily left the building. His gut wrenched when there was a fresh blood splatter near the entrance, where Josh had been badly hurt. With Bianca explaining where the closest hospital was, they made their way, all hoping their good friend was okay.

Voices. Lots of voices. Thats all Joshua Kaye could hear. Is it in my head? No, they sound to realistic. He thought. He couldn't understand what they were saying and his eyelids refused to open. He didn't feel anything. Any emotion, any pain. And then all just hit him. He forced his eyes open, the sudden pain causing him to cry out. Around him were paramedics, and though a glass door he saw Taylor, hand on mouth, crying. The pain intensified when a doctor brushed against his badly broken arm. He tried to get to Taylor, just to say everything was fine. But he knew he couldn't. Josh focused on the voice of a man next to him. "I need you to calm down, Josh. You were hit by a car. My name is Doctor Sullivan and I need you too tell me where it hurts." Josh looked at the doctor as if he was the cause of the agony. He looked one last time to Taylor before his eyes rolled back.

Ethan looked out the window, seeing the large Children's Hospital. He knew this was what Fisher wanted, all gathering in the one place, but they had no choice. They were nearly half the way back home, in a small city. In the mirror he saw Primrose waring with herself wether or not she should go in. While she was deciding, Marcus jumped out as soon as possible, practically running inside. The secretary looked up, not expecting eight kids, nine when Primrose came in, to come in without an adult. "We're here for Joshua Kaye, he came in about an hour ago." The adult looked Josh up on the computer. "I'm afraid you can't see him at the moment, but your welcome to stay in room 203, that's where he will go." After being directed to where that was, Pearl spotted Taylor sitting on a chair in a waiting area.

Taylor had stood and hugged Pearl tightly. "They took him to surgery, something about broken ribs causing a collapsed lung or something." Taylor rubbed her eyes. "The Colonel went to answer a phone call, but he'll be back soon." She looked down, not expecting Primrose to be able to stay. "How long has he been gone?" Marcus asked, speaking up finally. He was trying to act his cool usual self, hands in his pocket. But in his eyes you could tell this wasn't the normal Marcus. "I don't know, about an hour or so." He nodded in response. And so they waited.

It wasn't actually long before Josh was taken back. He looked somewhat peaceful, the gash on his head had stitches. He was still sleeping and His right arm had temporary dressing, probably awaiting another operation to be fixed. The others went to eat, it already getting late, while Marcus decided to stay behind, accidentally acting exactly how Ashton had when Bailey was shot. "Am I dead yet?" Marcus looked over, smirking. "No, but you tried your hardest. Josh briefly smiled, but then frowned. "I'm a jerk." He muttered. "I made Taylor cry." Marcus rolled his eyes. "Hey, you gotta better chance then I have with her." Marcus pointed out. "I don't like her, you idiot. I just hate making girls cry."

"Hey, Marcus? What happened? I got hit by a car or something?" Marcus nodded. "If thats the case, am I still allowed to eat some ice cream? I kinda want some at the moment. It feels like years since I had one." Josh looked down on him self, accessing his injuries. The medication had helped with the pain, and his brain was a little frazzled, but the only thing it took Josh to feel better was a small ice cream cone. "Wheres Fisher?" Josh asked all of a sudden, eyes narrowed. "Uh, haven't even seen him, now that I think about it. Why?" Josh started coughing violently. "No reason." Josh commented, still coughing.

When he stopped, there was blood on his hand. He looked over to Marcus with scared eyes. "I think the snake poisoned me." Marcus' gut wrenched. "But, he helped save your life, why would he poison you? Unless... He needed more of a reason to put us out of action. With two of the twelve infected, he can claim he has no choice but to keep watch on the rest of us." Josh nodded. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "But maybe it's just side affects of the drugs." Marcus suggested. Josh shook his head. "I once asked Taylor what it felt like to have the deadliest virus on Earth. She's been suffering much more than what we thought." Josh looked at the IV in his arm which was used as a blood transfusion. It was doubled. Then he looked up at Marcus and there were two of him. His head was thumping. So this was what it was like to be dying of the Pandora virus.

Taylor closed her eyes, then looked back up at Marcus. Ethan had clenched his fists and Primrose's lip quivered. She still hadn't come close to a cure. And if she ever did, Josh and Taylor would already be long dead. There was silence. Only interrupted by Colonel Fisher coming to the table they were eating at, all the food forgotten. "I'm afraid I have horrible news." He said hesitantly. "It seems Joshua has, shall I say, gotten sick. With the Pandora Virus to be exact. For the safety of the other patients, I have to transfer Joshua, and you kids, back to Base Three for examination. It is in my best interest in your health and safety that you come quietly." Examination. Primrose's favorite word when it comes to the virus. It wasn't that he wanted to heal Josh, or even Taylor, more that he wants to experiment like what they did with Dora two and a half years ago.

"I understand." Ethan closed his eyes. Kaitlin objected but felt Pearl's hand on her shoulder. They were planning something. "I will allow us to be transferred, but only when Josh is in the clear. I don't want to risk his life by traveling." Fisher's vein pulsed in anger but it was covered up. "As you wish." The Colonel walked away. Ashton grinned. "Hey Bailey, you up to a round yet?" Bailey smiled in return. "You still won't be able to beat me." He commented. "But I guess my injury will lower my level of fighting, just not down to your level." Bianca rolled her eyes. And here they go again.

Bailey and Ashton walked outside, carful not to be spotted by doctors, otherwise they would probably be in trouble. Colonel Fisher was in Josh's room, keeping an unneeded close eye on the twelve year old boy. The adult looked out the window on the second floor, seeing the teenagers gathering on ground level. He curiously watched them. Zeke spoke. "You know the rules. Hands and feet only, loser is the one to admit defeat or when I decide. My decision is final, blah blah blah. Go!" Ashton went straight for a punch, which was avoided easily. Bailey carefully countered a kick and landed a few of his own, making his friend stagger. Using the opportunity, he got ready to perform his trade mark flip. But half way though his chest clenched and he stumbled, falling to the ground. Ashton wasn't fast enough to attack before Bailey lifted himself up again.

After a few jabs, he went for another flip which again failed due to his chest. He stood up again, dusted of his jacket and walked away a few meters. Then he ran, borderline tears. "I know it was a show, but he sure packs a punch." Ashton complained, rubbing his sore arm. "The one thing Bailey is confident in and he gets beaten easily, I don't know how he's going to handle this. Let's just hope he finds Jacob." Zeke said sadly, arms crossed. Fisher's eyes narrowed and he rushed out of the room with Josh still breathing heavily.

"Where has that fool gone?" Colonel Fisher demanded. Ethan paled and took a second to turn around. "He's just a little upset, he's smart, so he won't go far Sir." Ethan said confidently. "That's it. I have to take you into custody, I can't risk the public getting infected any more." Primrose rolled her eyes. "Your acting like it's contagious." She muttered. "You say something, Little Girl?" Fisher asked threateningly. "No Sir!" She mock saluted.

I know, I know. Horrible and unrealistic. Why would Fisher want them 'out of action' when they hadn't done anything. The answer lies in the letter from Rowen ages ago. Josh is technically the fifth person in history to be infected, after of corse Dora and Brandon Frost two and a half years ago, Sammy a few months ago, Taylor six, nearly seven, days ago and Josh who got infected on the rush to hospital. Next chapter will have heaps of fluff!

BUNNY