Colt Knox

"How long until she wakes up, Doc?" I stand guard at the foot of the bed where Mikki lays, unconscious.. After she had fainted in Lacey's living room, we'd brought her upstairs to try and figure out just what the hell is going on with her..

She looks like the sleeping princess that she is.. Fragile.. And so damn fine..

Flawless really..

A tight constricting empathy chokes me everytime I look at her, so instead I avoid it, keeping my eyes on the tiny doctor as she assesses Mikki carefully..

Lacey looks up from her seat beside Mikki on the bed where she holds her wrist, timing her pulse.. "Her vitals are stable for now.. But, I really can't say, I'm not even sure what exactly happened.. It may be a preexisting condition, or a reaction to something.. I just don't know enough to diagnose her here, Col.. We should take her to SPC Medical.."

I shake my head.. Moving Mikki into Specter's patient care facility has to be a last resort, the city is teaming with Angelo's eyes and ears, and that may very well include SPC staffers for all I know..

Still, I doubt my decision.. Maybe I am too suspicious?.. Maybe I should take her?..

Fuck.. I've never second guessed myself like this..

"I took her, Lace.. Every mobster in the city will be on the look out.. If we're spotted uptown, she's as good as found.. I only came here because people downtown know how to keep their mouths shut.."

Lost in thought I begin to pace, cracking my knuckles, one hand after the other..

"Uhh, Knox.. What exactly do you mean when you say 'you took her'? Cus the mission brief was to infiltrate.. Not abduct.." Lacey's husband, Ace Greyson pipes up from the doorway where he cradles his sleeping daughter..

To say he'd taken it well when he arrived home to discover the mess I'd made wouldn't be generous enough.. Over the many years we've known each other, Ace has become the more solid and dependable of us Delta dickheads.. A Marine I am proud to have served beside and call my brother in arms to this day..

Even if he is a smart-mouthed son-of-a-bitch..

"Yeah well.. Shit happens.. I made a last minute call.. One that saved her ass since she-- there was a situation.. " I snap my mouth shut, deciding not to mention Dax and his untimely demise.. Even though I am still convinced she killed the guy, I don't have the details yet, and for ressons that are beyond my comprehension, I don't want my friends thinking badly of Mikki before I have had a chance to figure out how I feel about her..

I scrub a hand down my face, huffing in frustration. If my job was to infiltrate Mikki's life.. Id definitely done that.. If my job were to protect her, and keep her safe.. Then I have already failed..

Still, something in Lacey's words triggers a memory.. "Wait-- you said 'preexisting condition'?" I snatch up Mikki's bag, digging around to find the pills I'd seen her taking earlier at the gas station.. She was on some kind of medication.. Possibly a goddamn antipsychotic, given how crazy she'd been acting..

"Yes.. Do you know of any?"

In the process of searching Mikki's bag, I come across the cold, sleek steel of a special, small Smith and Wesson, but I ignore it.. For now.. I'll for sure be coming back to why the fuck she is carrying..

I mean.. What exactly had she been planning to do with a pistol?
It would makes sense to for her to carry for her own protection I guess..
Not that it had done her much good..

"She was taking these.." I toss the yellow pillbox to Lacey who reads the label in disbelief before popping the lid, tipping out the little pills to inspect them in her hand..

"S-seriously?! She was taking these?!.. Are you sure?" Laceys gasps..

I nod with certainty.. "Two at a time.."

Her eyes widen.. "I don't understand why she would be-- This-- This is Belladonna.."

I don't know what that is, and the look on my face must say as much because Lacey puts into layman's terms for me.. Nice and simple.. "Colt.. Its poison.."

Poison?

Who would want to poison her?

Maybe Dax?

Or that pissant cousin's of hers, Vinny?

Shit.. Maybe she had intentionally been poisoning herself.. Is she that messed up that she'd actually try to harm herself?.. I hate the terrible thought..

"What do we do?" I question, an edge of despair to my tone..

Lacey tucks the Belladonna away into her pocket, turning to Ace.. "Honey, I need you to go and get Lori's Reminyl pills from the main house..Please.."

Ace doesn't ask questions, striding off obediently, calling out over his shoulder.. "I'm on it, doll.."

"What's that?"

Lacey sighs.. "Reminyl? Its galantamine, mainly used to treat early symptoms of dementia, but it contains anticholinesterase.. The antidote to Belladonna.. So, it should work to counteract the effects of the toxin.."

Mikki stirs atop the sheets, twisting uncomfortably to her side as Ace returns with the pills.. "Here ya go, Baby-doll.." He hands the small white pill bottle over to Lacey..

"Mmmmphhh... Porca Eva, Mama Maria.. My head-- w-where am I?" Mikki blinks in confusion and my feet are moving to the bedside before I can stop myself..

I sink to my knees on the floor beside her and she turns to me, those effervescent, gilded emerald eyes fizzing with fear and confusion.. "C-Colt?.. What the fuck is going on?.."

"Hey there, Sugar.. Scared the shit outta me, ya did.. How are ya feeling?.." By some miracle, she reaches out for me, grabbing my hand.. Seeking comfort in me.. The asshole who abducted her..

Then again, I suppose I am the only person in the room she is familiar with.. I remind myself not to get my hopes up.. It doesn't mean anything..

She is just scared, looking for anything to hold onto..
Still.. I won't lie.. It feels good to be the comfort she seeks..
A bittersweet sensation.. Since Mikki is going to hate me by the time this is all over, and the sooner I accept that.. The better..

This tug-of-war in my head between duty and conscious needs to stop.. I have a job to do and there can be no distractions..

"Mercy.. Everything hurts.. Everything.." Her head falls back to the pillows and she groans..

Lacey clears her throat with a tiny forced cough.. "Uhm.. Mikki, sweetie?.. I need you to take these.. They will counteract the poison you've been ingesting.."

Her eyes snap open to fix on Lacey with a disbelieving stare.. "What?-- Poison? - - no.. I haven't been--"

Lacey lifts the yellow pillbox, giving it a little shake, rattling the toxic contents.. "These, Mikki, where did you get them?.."

Mikki shakes her head.. "No.. T-they were prescribed to me after Charlie's death, for the--" She looks to me uncomfortably, as though she isn't sure if she should be talking or keeping quiet..

"It's alright, Sugar.. You can trust Lacey, she's tryna help ya, I swear.."

She nods slowly, but her eyes remain unconvinced.. "I was having terrible panic attacks.. Almost every day.. Eventually, It got so bad my father brought in the family physician.."

Lacey hums.. "Have you noticed any changes since you started taking them?.. Mood swings, nausea, fevers, itchy skin?"

Mikki's delicate brow furrows as she considers.. "Um-- Y-yes.. I-- I thought it was the anxiety.."

Lacey hands Mikki two tiny antidote pills and a glass of water.. "The good news is you'll start to feel better as soon as you stop taking them.."

A thought occurs to me as I watch Mikki hesitantly take her medicine.. "Lacey, that stuff.. The Belladonna.. Does it cause memory loss? Blackouts?"

Lacey nods gravely.. "It can, yes.."

I turn back to Mikki.. I hadn't believed her.. This whole time she'd been telling me the truth.. "That explains why you can't remember what happened back at the estate, Sugar.. Fuck.. Im-- Im sorry, Mikki.."

She shakes her head, but her bottom lip quivers as her eyes become glassy with tears.. "Oh.. Oh no.." She sniffles, bravely wiping her tears before her gaze falls away from mine.. "Its-- it's fine, Cowboy.. You didn't do this to me.."

My stomach twists with guilt.. If I had been paying closer attention, maybe I'd have noticed something was off sooner.. "I'm gonna find who did, Mikki.. Sugar, you don't deserve this.."

"Yeah.. I think maybe I do.." She reaches up to brush a hand over my cheek, her eyes awash with emotions, reflected in them I see her pain.. Her guilt, her fear and shame.. In that moment, all I want is to cure her of them all..