"Rose, we have an injury in the field," Hanna said, pulling a steel cart with medical equipment neatly laid out.

"Who?" Rose frowned, "it can't be Tina. I would have known ... we all would've."

"Craig," Hanna said, "I'm sorry, Tina doesn't know yet."

The two women gasped in fright as a tightly knit group appeared in the infirmary.

"I'm never getting used to that," Rose shook her head, "there is a bed open in the general area."

"Nice, landing," Jonathan nodded, grinning at Jasmine, "you've been practising."

Jasmine grinned, "A little. Seems to make things quicker and easier."

"What happened?" Hana asked.

"Don't touch him directly," Birgit sputtered, "Val says he still holds a charge."

"Where is Val?" Tania frowned.

"Updating Jesse," Birgit said, "those two share everything. No secrets."

Tania nodded, "Okay, we can expect Bre here shortly. David just went to update her."

Rose came forward with a strange-looking blanket. The group stared questioningly while she wrapped Craig in the contraption.

"It's made from bamboo," she said, "we can lift him without being shocked."

"Good thinking," Hana nodded, "let's get him onto a bed."

Jonathan, Frank and Simon lifted Craig, moving him to the bed Hana indicated.

"Birgit," Rose called, "can you drain him?"

"I can try," Birgit nodded, moving to Craig's side, unwrapping the man and placing her hand on his chest.

Mesmerised, everyone watched her arm jolt, her quick air intake before she began to hum.

"Jasmine," Birgit held out her hand, "take my hand. You'll like this."

Jasmine grinned quickly, taking Birgit's hand. A smile slowly spread over her lips, and a slight hum filled the air, joining Birgit's.

Rose turned as the infirmary door opened, tapping Tania's arm when she found Breanna staring at the group around the still form of her brother.

Breanna halted, staring at her brother's large, limp form on the bed. He was barely breathing. Birgit / Valencia and Jasmine stood beside him, eyes closed, humming.

"What is going on?" Breanna whispered, looking at Rose and Tania for answers, "how badly is he injured?"

"We don't know if there is an injury," Rose murmured, "he may be unconscious from overuse of an ability."

"He doesn't have that kind of an ability," Breanna hissed, "how bad is it?"

"Bre, Craig used a new ability," Tania supplied, catching Breanna's attention, "to protect the innocents, the team and Tina, he lost control. Simon was amazing with, I'm guessing, a new defensive ability. David protected us from all being wiped out, and Craig is unsurprisingly unconscious."

"O ...kay," Breanna nodded, exhaling, "explain that?"

Tania followed her pointing finger to Birgit and Jasmine next to Craig's body.

"Oh," Tania nodded, "Craig is still holding a charge. Before Rose and Hana can assist him, they need it drained to an acceptable level, so they don't get ... fried."

"You're telling me Craig is holding and wielding an electrical charge?"

"Yes," Tania nodded, "rather explosive. No one would have gotten away without Simon and his ability to protect us."

Breanna shook her head, not understanding Tania's explanation.

"Hana, Rose, is he alive?" Breanna asked.

"Yes," Hana nodded, "he is still in there."

"Bre," Rose murmured, "let us work on him, and we will let you know what we find."

Breanna nodded, "How you doing, Birgit?"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Nearly finished," Birgit hummed, "Jasmine will have a fully charged pendant after this."

"Wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up with a hangover of sorts," Jasmine said, glancing at Breanna, "that's the last of it."

The two women stepped away from the bed.

"He's all yours," Birgit nodded to Hana and Rose.

"Thanks," Hana nodded, "now ... everyone out! We need space to work."

The group turned as one heading out of the infirmary.

"Who is hungry?" Simon asked into the silence.

A murmur of acknowledgement rose in the group.

"Good," Jonathan smiled, "we meet in the kitchen on the ground floor in fifteen."

"See you all there," David nodded as he headed into the infirmary, "are you okay?" David whispered, pulling Breanna to his side, "you're pale."

"Out of everything that could have happened," Breanna shook her head, "I did not think something like this would."

"He did it to protect everyone," David said, "so did Simon."

"What am I going to tell Tina?" Breanna rubbed at her forehead.

"The truth, she would expect nothing less," David said, "she was there; this may not be a surprise."

Breanna nodded, "You're right. I think she has had enough lies and omissions for a lifetime. Sometimes protection is the last thing that anyone needs."

"Agreed," David nodded, "let me get cleaned up, and we can all debrief over food in fifteen."

Breanna nodded, "I'm going back in there; I need to know if he'll survive. See you in a few."

David watched Breanna re-enter the infirmary moving to the glass windows and tracking her progress as she moved toward her brother's bed. The tension in her shoulders and upper back warned David's ever-vigilant gaze of Breanna's emotional state. Breanna would be forced to do something she never wanted to.

Bench her eldest brother or make him face his issues.

Craig would be asked to give up the leadership of a team until he had worked through whatever was happening to him.

Sighing, David's heart ached for Breanna. She would look for any other solution than the one that stared directly at her. All he could do was look after her and love her. It was going to be a rough few days.

Craig opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. Rolling his head on the pillow, he took in the cream walls, metal chairs and stark white ceiling. For a moment, panic slammed into him.

Blinking quickly, he breathed in, finding the defining smell between "The Madhouse" and the infirmary. A smile of relief tugged at his lips, and recognition calmed him. He was in the infirmary. Frowning at the sense of doom settling in his chest, he realised he had no recollection of getting there.

Reaching for the call button, Craig frowned as something shot from his finger, hitting the button, causing a small puff of smoke to come from the device.

"What the …?" Craig frowned, looking at his rotating hand, "where did that come from?"

"It came from your fingers," Hana said, pushing into the makeshift private room, "you exploded in the field, Craig. If it wasn't for Simon and David, you would have taken out everyone around you … including your team … and Tina."

Craig stared at Hana uncomprehendingly. What was she saying? Tina wasn't with them in the field ... frowning as a sensation of her mind being nearby filtered through his memories.

"What are you talking about, Hana?" Craig shook his head, "I would never intentionally harm anyone I care for."

"Rose and I don't think this was intentional," Hana said, "we still stand by our findings. There is a warning... don't touch anything electrical and be very careful of whom you touch. You still have a current flowing in you."

"Current?" Craig frowned, "what current? Did someone shock me?"

"What is the last thing you remember?" Hana asked, frowning as she replaced the call bell.

"About twenty fanatics approaching from the rear of the truck," Craig murmured, "I was holding all their minds, but one slipped away. I was forced to engage, but they started firing at once ... I remember needing to protect the exposed families and my team. My ability to command them wasn't enough. I kept thinking there had to be something else I could do to stop the bullets and protect everyone. I felt anger, then heat running through my body ... after that ..." Craig shook his head, "...I don't remember."

Hana nodded, "Fair enough."

"Is everyone okay?" Craig tried to sit up, but a heaviness in his limbs kept him restrained, "why can't I move?"

"I put that in place until you relaxed enough to stop shooting lightning bolts," Hana said, holding up the charred remains of the buzzer, "looks like you still are."

"What about the others?" Craig groaned, "did I hurt anyone?"

"Thankfully, no," Hana said, "you can thank Simon and Birgit for keeping you away from the others while they got away. David protected your team and you ... from your new abilities backlash."

"You said something about Tina?" Craig rubbed at his face, "is she … did I?"

"Tina is fine, and so are your offspring. She was phased in to drive the families to the safe house. Saw you in all your electrifying energetic glory," Hana sighed, "I've never seen Tina cry like that. Still, we saw one of your offspring saving her life."

"What? Where is she? I need to talk to her, make sure she is okay ... that they are okay," Craig grunted in frustration as he tried again to get up from the bed.

"At the safe house settling the families," Hana said, checking his chart before moving to the door, "she asked me to let you know she will come through as soon as possible. We'll take the temporary partition down as soon as you are safe enough for everyone."

Craig nodded as Hana left the room. Concern rode him. He never knew he had a new ability. He held no recollection of being able to electrically fry anyone.

How could he not remember having it?

How could he not know that Tina was physically nearby?

Swallowing on his dry throat, Craig flung an arm over his eyes. He felt vulnerable, exposed and alone. All the evidence Hana had presented regarding his actions reduced him to tears.

How did he come back from this?

Would he be allowed to come back from this?

Would he be benched?

Would Tina want to be around him now that this unknown ability had come to life?

Was he safe for his family to be around him?

Sighing as he swiped at his wet cheeks, Craig stared unseeing at the ceiling.