Dr. Edward Marcase awoke with a cold and tingly sensation.Everything around him was blurry and he had trouble thinking through the dark fog surrounding his mind.He was lying on something chilly and hard.Soon, he realized it was a cement floor. Things began to clear in his field of vision and he could see a row of metal framed hospital beds.They had slim mattresses and sterile-looking white sheets.In between the beds were tiny wooden night-stands covered with small bottles, tin bowls, towels, and syringes.
    Edward couldn't remember how he had gotten there. As he stood up, a dizzy spell struck him and dark spots danced across his vision.Steadying himself, he looked around and saw two black skinned people lying in beds.A basic instinct told Edward to go help them, but he decided to ignore it for the time being.Slowly, he began to remember this room.The only difference is that it had been a lot more crowded.His movements had been stiff and restricted then and things had seemed blurry as though looking through a piece of glass.  In the present, he noticed a woman with red short hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a space-suit like blue suit that fully covered her body and sealed her off from the world around her.
    Edward approached her feeling light headed, hoping to ask her some questions.She didn't seem to notice him at all as she simply walked by.He called out after her, trying to get her attention."Excuse me, miss.I need some help..."He trailed off.She wasn't listening at all.
    Marcase turned away from her and began walking in the direction she had come from.She must be going deaf or something, he thought to himself, shaking his head.He continued down a long whitewashed hallway which was quite depressing.At the end of the hallway, there was a partially closed door.Edward suddenly remembered that this particular door which, when moved on its hinges, made the most terrible screeching noise.How he knew this, he didn't know. Since it was early morning and he didn't want to wake anyone, Edward simply squeezed through the gap.He expected to brush against the door as he went through, but where his arms would have touched the wood and metal, there was the most terrible chill.It was as though the area had been momentarily covered in ice.
    Marcase shrugged off the odd feeling as he stepped outdoors.Colorful, early morning birds fluttered through the branches of the over hanging trees.Looking at the tropical foliage and the alien buildings, he remembered that he was in south-central Africa, Zimbabwe. He turned around to look at the door which he had come through.There was a florescent orange sign with a flowery black symbol and writing which read: BIOHAZARD.The word seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall anything definite.With a shake of his head, he walked towards a small camp of canvas tents surrounded by a moat of dirty liquid. He remembered that this was bleach and was for keeping the sickness from entering the camp.
    Sickness? Marcase thought to himself.Yes, there was something about a disease that struck him as significant. As he reached the moat, he realized that he was supposed to disinfect his suit; however, since he wasn't wearing one of the strange plastic suits, he simply stomped his sneakers in the dirty liquid.He noted that this action made no ripples in the puddle but made his feet feel like ice.
    Ignoring the peculiar sensation, he continued into the camp and recalled that one of these tents belonged to him.Searching for one that seemed familiar, he noticed crying sounds emanating from a tent close by. The front flap was hung open and he quietly let himself inside.An Asian woman in a dirty medical smock was sitting in a folding chair by a make-shift bed in the dimly lit corner.One of her small hands was holding her forehead, the other was twirling something tiny through her fingers.The light occasionally caught it and bounced back a flash of gold.She was crying and letting the tears slide down her cheeks.Her smooth dark hair was mattered and out of order. He immediately recognized her as a close friend; someone he had known for a very long time.
    "Dr. Shiroma?" Marcase asked softly as he walked towards her and bent down on his toes before the chair."What's the matter?What happened?"
    She continued sobbing, not acknowledging him.
    "Please, Kimberly! What's wrong?I want to know."
    She stood and wiped idly at her large dark eyes and face which was wet from her ceaseless crying. Slowly, she put the small object in her hand back into a little black box.Edward noticed it was a gold engagement ring without a stone.He remembered the ring, who had given it to Shiroma, what had happened to that man...how it was all his fault.He felt his stomach sink.Abruptly, Kimberly walked out of her tent.Edward followed close behind.She began walking about the camp and Marcase was determined to find out why she was so upset.
    "Is it something about Alan?I'm still sorry about that.Stop, please. Listen to me!"Edward was getting frustrated.Why would no one listen to him?
    Soon, Shiroma arrived at a closed tent.She lifted the flap in the front and called quietly to the person inside, "Dr. Cassian?"
    "Yes?"A stern emotionless voice answered her from within the tent.Marcase recognized the voiceinstantly.  Shiroma lifted the flap fully open and walked inside with Edward following in her wake.Dr. Daniel Cassian was sitting at a simple desk made of cement bricks and two sheets of plywood.He wasfilling out several forms.As Shiroma walked towards him, he stood to place a hand on her back.
    "Dr. Shiroma, you should have gotten some rest."
    "I couldn't sleep," she replied, making another wipe at her face.
    "I know this has been hard on you, more so than the rest of us.."
    "What?What's been so difficult?Someone answer me!!" Marcase cut into the conversation but was still ignored.
    "Where do we go from here?Must we bury him here like the rest?"Shiroma answered tearfully.
    "Him who!?"Marcase's temper began to flare.
    "No, I don't think so.We'll need to get his will when we get back to Washington DC.We won't be able to bury him quite yet.There are some tests that need to be run."He sat down and looked up to Kimberly who had a look of disapproval on her face."I know that doesn't seem like an appropriate thing to do, but that's only because we knew him."
    As she turned away from him, Cassian returned to his paper work.Trying to continue the conversation, Cassian said, "I contacted Michael.He's agreed to help make some arrangements." He looked back up to her."Kimberly, if you need to, you can always talk to me."
    She finally looked up to him. "I just don't understand how he could have died!" she suddenly burst out.Cassian jumped slightly at the outburst but let her continue."It was a weaker mutation of Ebola.Why did it kill him?"Marcase's heart sunk into his stomach.He didn't like the way this was sounding.
    "I understand how you feel, Kim." Cassian was chilled by Shiroma's icy look that said, No you don't. "Okay, you're right," he admitted."I don't.But I'm just as confused as you are about this. Edward should have survived it fully."
    If Marcase had a heartbeat, he knew that it would have stopped.He thought desperately, They're talking about me. I'm the one who died!

    Seven figures stood in the distance.All were dressed in black except for one.All had their heads bowed except for one.The outstanding one was the late Dr. Edward Marcase. The other six were Daniel Cassian, Michael Hailey, Kimberly Shiroma, Bryan Taft, Jake Lightman and a priest.
    Kimberly Shiroma was gently dabbing at her puffy eyes which were swollen from countless hours of crying and lack of sleep. Michael Hailey stood next to her, holding his arm around her and trying his best to comfort her.Daniel Cassian stood a few feet apart from the rest of the mourners.Inside, he felt an extreme regret for acting the way he had over the short time that he knew Edward Marcase.He had always wanted to apologize to Edward, but it seemed he never had time to.Now, it was too late.Bryan Taft felt out of place. He had never met the man who's service he was attending, yet he felt obligated to be there.He had heard many stories about Marcase and would have loved to have met him.Jake Lightman felt like both Taft and Cassian combined; out of place and in extreme regret for acting the way he had.
    Then, there was Edward Marcase.He was probably the most out of place as he was attending his own service.He shifted uncomfortably, trying to overcome the strange, new feeling he felt throughout his entire body.Slowly, he began to accept that fact that he could actually be dead.*But why am I still here?Edward thought questioningly.Do I have some duty to fulfill?*
    His reverie was broken by the quiet closure of the service with everyone shaking hands or hugging accordingly.Soon, everyone departed to their cars.Everyone except for Kimberly who stayed behind for a few moments.She stooped down over Edward's headstone and placed a single, white rose on it.Tracing the silver engraved letters with her fingers, she said,"Edward, I'm going to find out why you died.Nothing should have happened to you.You should have been safe from any harm."Slowly, she stood up and patted gently at her eyes again as she headed back to her car.
    Marcase stood there, staring at his headstone.  It wasn't a grave yet; his body was being kept at the lab for further study into the disease.Before leaving to work in Zimbabwe, both he and Shiroma had signedseveral agreements that would allow any research to be performed on their bodies if the disease were to strike them.
    Marcase didn't jump out of the way in time and Kimberly walked right through him.A sudden chill enveloped him.It was then when Edward realized that he had to get someone to notice him.

    Edward followed Hailey who was on his way to the medical lab.Hailey didn't know why he was going there.He wasn't needed.All Cassian and Shiroma were doing were tests to look into the disease.
    However, when he got to the observation bay, his ideas changed.It was now only Cassian
trying to perform the tests.He held a syringe in his hand, ready to draw tissue samples from Edward's stiff body.He was being held at bay by Shiroma who held a scalpel in her right hand, ready to strike.
    "I won't let you do this!Edward has rights."
    "He's dead, Kimberly," Cassian said, desperately trying to talk some sense into her."He signed contracts agreeing to this!"
    Edward suddenly got a cold chill.It was as though he knew what Shiroma was thinking.She's ready to castrate the guy! Edward thought with humorless amusement.I wonder how's she going to get through his suit?
    The thought of the blue bio-hazard suits triggered a disturbing thought from Edward's past.

    "He's going into hemorrhagic shock!" Marcase yelled as he tried to hold down the young boy who had suddenly gone into convulsions.
    "You want the usual?" Shiroma asked simply, already handing him a hypodermic needle.Edward grabbed it and stuck it into the boy's arm, sending the drug directly into his blood stream.The boy began to calm; however, when Marcase began to withdraw the needle, the boy returned to his convulsing state and sent the needle into Edward's right side.Shiroma gasped instantly at the sight as Marcase let out a surprised cry of pain.
    "Edward, we have to get you into decon NOW!" Kimberly yelled desperately.
    Edward shook his head."No, it's okay. I'll be all right."
    Little did he know that within a few days, he would be dead.

    Edward shook his head at the thought and looked up to realize that Cassian had not succeeded in getting past Shiroma yet. Hailey had moved over to them and was trying to disarm Kimberly of her scalpel weapon.*Now is a good time as any to try this,* Marcase thought with ambition.He quickly thought back to all the movies he had seen which included a ghost who had not passed onto the next life and struggled to be seen.Walking up to Shiroma, he began to concentrate as hard as he could.He placed his hand on hers, feeling a little more resistance than he would have normally.Concentrating harder, Edward tried to move Shiroma's hand which firmly grasped the scalpel. He succeeded only enough to startle her, dropping the scalpel-turned-weapon.
    "What was that?" she gasped, looking around her.
    "What was what?" Cassian asked, slipping behind the confused Shiroma to get the tissue samples.
    "It...it felt like someone moved my hand, but there wasn't anyone there."
    Edward wanted to try something else, but after dropping to his knees in sudden dizziness and nearly passing out, he decided against it.If this is what he could expect every time, he decided to do this on a must-only basis.At least he knew it worked.

    Marcase rolled onto his back, not remembering the past few hours.He felt dizzy, disoriented and extremely tired. He opened his eyes only to be blinded by a bright white light. *This is it.I'm passing onto the next level.* He tried to move but found it extremely difficult.His vision soon cleared and he found himself not in Heaven, but still in the lab of one of the estates. After looking around for a while, he finally found enough strength to pull himself to his feet.Shiroma was over in a corner, silently sulking to herself.Cassian was at one of the computer stations, looking at what appeared to be a virus.Hailey was nowhere to be found.
    Within minutes, Marcase remembered where he was, why he was there, and what had happened.He now knew what he must do.Trying to sit down in one of the nearby chairs, he found this would be useless without concentrating, so he happily accepted the floor. He wondered why he didn't fall through the floor but decided not to think about it.There were more important things to worry about.
    Now that Edward knew he was able to manipulate things, he went through the list of people he could try to "contact."There was no way he would try Jake.He'd probably kill himself.Not Shiroma either.She'd probably die of shock.He had to think long and hard about Cassian since he would understand this having died himself. *Listen to yourself, Edward.Going on about this as though you know what you're talking about.* He decided against Cassian, wondering if he would fully understand his situation.Not Hailey, either.He was too grounded.
    Finally, Edward chose Taft.Edward didn't know him that well, but he guessed that would be an advantage.There wouldn't be any worry about past conflicts and it just seemed like a good choice.
    *Now,* Edward thought, *all I need to do is find out where he's staying.*

    Bryan Taft sat down at the nook table and removed his tie.Throwing it on the beds in his small hotel room, he picked up his coffee mug and took a sip from it, glad that the day was over. Just as he finished that thought, his cell phone rang.
    "Taft," he said as he answered it.
    "Hey, Bryan!It's Michael.Listen, I was wondering if you want to go around town and see some sights. There's a couple of really nice golf courses in the area.Maybe hit a round?"
    "No, not tonight.I'm gonna sit here and relax."
    "Well, that's too bad 'cause I'm on my way over to your place right now.In fact, I'm about five minutes away."
    "What?!C'mon, Michael!I took a midnight flight to get here!" he complained.
    Michael still wasn't listening."Like I said, too bad."
    Before long, Taft heard a car pull up outside and a horn honk.He ignored it.Looking around the room, he spotted a newspaper on the counter next to the table.He picked it up and thumbed through it but was soon disturbed by a knocking atthe door. He cursed under his breath knowing exactly who it was.
    "Go away, Michael," Taft snapped.As though he had said nothing, the door opened and in stepped Michael.Although he was not seen, Marcase entered close after him, sliding in just as Hailey closed the door.Edward wandered to where Taft sat and stood behind the chair.
     *This is the guy Cassian hired to replace Shiroma and me?* Edward asked himself in disbelief.
    "Look, Michael.Maybe tomorrow.All I want to do right now is just sit back and relax, " Taft whined, still looking through the paper although he lost all interest in it. "There is no way you're going to be able to get me out of here."Taft stood his ground, mentally cementing himself into the chair.
    "Fine.Be that way.Of course, when I take you to all the up-town bars, they won't be too interested in you after some of the things I say about you."
    "Sure, whatever.I don't care.Just leave me alone."
    With that, Hailey turned around and left, not wanting to try any further.
    *Perfect!* Edward thought. *Now I have to see if Taft will believe me.....*

    Taft sat quietly at the table, relieved that Hailey decided not to pester him any further.Now that he no longer needed a prop, he tossed the paper aside and put his feet up on the nook table. "Mmm.This is much better," he commented to himself as he quickly got comfy.
    But just as he did, he suddenly bolted up and picked up the phone. Marcase watched him as he dialed, then waited for someone to pick up."Hey, Margaret? Yeah!This is Bryan.What do you mean Bryan who?We were supposed to...have a.....aww, nuts!" he exclaimed as she hung up, remembering their date last night.He had stood Margaret up."Dammit!"Marcase watched him as he dialed another number.
    *Bet it's another girl,* Edward thought.
    "Hey, Jennifer!......Yeah, well, um, that's what I called about.Listen, I can't make it tonight......I'm in DC for a funeral.........Yeah, he was a great guy....Yeah, it's been kind of hard."
Edward didn't like this guy.He bent down to Taft's ear level to see if he could hear the other side of the conversation.
    "Are you going to be all right?" he heard a woman's voice ask.
    "Yeah, I'll be okay."Edward started hating this guy now.He began to re-think which person he wanted to try and communicate with, but Taft still seemed like the logical choice.
    "Is there anything I can do for you?" he heard her speak again.
    "No, I'll be all right," Taft said with mock-hurt.
    Marcase wanted to strangle this guy.
    "Maybe we can get together after I get back?" He made his voice sound like his eyes would look.
    "Yeah, I guess.Look, are you sure you're going to be all right?" she asked again.
    *And she's buying this?!?* Marcase was astounded.
    "Yes, I'm sure I'm all right.Look, I've still got to unpack and I still want a little more time to settle down here for the next few days.I'll call you later, all right?"
    Marcase stood up not wanting to hear anymore. He watched as Taft hung up the phone. Edward could have sworn he looked pleased with himself.
    "You BASTARD!!!!!" Marcase screamed, knowing that Taft wasn't able to hear him."You use my death for your own love-life?!?" In a rage, he looked about the room for something he could start to wreak havoc with.He spotted a coffee pot that he could break and use to cut him with-
    *No, Edward.That wouldn't be right. Just get him to notice you.* He looked around the room again, forgetting about the coffee pot.He spotted the light switch and headed over to it.He stood there, concentrating, and flipped it off.
    "What the...?" Taft asked to no one, looking up to see why the lights had suddenly turned off.He spotted the problem immediately."Now how did this happen?"He walked over to the panel by the door and turned the switch back to the on position. Just as he did that, the light in the bathroom turned on.Taft furrowed his brow and walked over to the bathroom door.He turned that one off, but it resulted in the turning on of the small lamp on the night-stand. "What the hell is going on?" Taft asked himself walking over to the night-stand to turn off the lamp.When he stepped up to the table, he noticed that there was a pencil on it with a pad of paper on it.The pencil was rolling back and forth.Taft dismissed this as he reached for the lamp but was distracted once again by the pencil."Jesus!" he yelled as he jumped back, tripping over his suitcase."Ouch!" he cried as his head hit the floor soundly.He rubbed it as he got back to his feet, thinking that what he had just seen was his imagination.  He crawled over to the table, keeping the pencil and paper just out of sight.He peered up over the edge of the stand, relieved to notice that the pencil had stopped moving."Oh my God." he said under his breath.
    On the paper was written: "U use my death to get date?"
    Taft smacked himself in the head."No. I'm not seeing this.This is not happening."He closed his eyes and opened them to look back to the paper.The message was still there."C'mon, Bryan.Get a grip.Edward is dead. He is NOT writing to you."He watched the pencil rise once again and followed it's slow, deliberated writing.
     "Yes I m."
    Taft nodded his head."Okay.This is a dream.If you follow it out, it will end," he said, deciding to play along.He sat down on the bed, thinking of a question to ask Marcase."So.Are you a ghost?"
    "I guess."*Must be writing like that to save time,* Taft noted to himself.
    "Um, do you think there is something we can do about it?"
    "Getting tired.Y or N ?s only."
    "All right.Do you want me to tell Hailey about this?"
    "Y"
    "Do you want me to tell Kimberly?"
    "Y"
    "Do you want me to tell Cassian?"
    "N"
    "Well, why not?"
    "!"
    "Sorry!Yes or no only.Okay, I'll go with that.Do you want me to tell Jake?"
    "N," only this time, it was huge.
    "Okay, I wouldn't really want to either." Taft watched the pencil as it sunk slowly to the table.*If this is real, this is INCREDIBLE!*He thought for a moment, then out loud. "You don't have to reply to any of this.I just want to see what it sounds like out loud."He paused for a moment again, gathering his thoughts once more.
    "Okay.First, why is your consciousness is still here?Maybe, you aren't supposed to die yet. Your time isn't up.Why?To do some task?"
    Marcase was listening intently to his thinking but decided to interrupt."N" he wrote on the paper.He didn't think that was true.He set the pencil back down.He watched Taft look upon the paper.
    "What?You don't think that's right?"
    "Y"
    "Oh.How do you know?No wait. Never mind."He furrowed his brow in thought."Hey!Maybe we can bring you back!"
    Marcase thought this was an excellent time to comment by putting a giant "?" down.
    "Well, there have been documented cases where people have been frozen for extended periods of time and they have been brought back to life."
    "Y or N!"Marcase was getting exhausted from concentrating too hard.
    "Right!Sorry again.Umm, I think we could do the same thing with you."
    "?I died naturally."
    "So?It's worth a shot, isn't it?"
    "Y!"
    "Okay, good.I'll call Kimberly and Hailey and tell them what we're planning to do."
Taft didn't expect a response after the pencil fell from the table to the floor.

    Shiroma sat on her bed, confused about what had happened that day.When she was holding the scalpel, it felt like someone had tried to move her hand.Only it felt--abstract, like a thought. Several thoughts swam in her head as she pulled the covers up to her chin, not noticing Marcase in the shadows.
    *No wonder she didn't answer,* he thought as he noticed the phone lying off the hook on a small table.He walked over to the edge of her bed, kneeling down beside her.He concentrated for a moment, then leaned over to kiss her slightly on the cheek. Before he knew it, he slipped into her dream.

    Edward instantly knew where he was.He was in Africa at the time he was working with Alan.
    "Edward!" a voice shouted from behind.He turned, recognizing Alan."Edward!We need you in the hospital!"
    Edward was confused. *How can he see me? I'm not part of Kimberly's dream.* However, he followed Alan into the hospital and saw several patients in hemorrhagic shock.Edward and Alan immediately went to help a young boy.
    "He's the worst of them!"Someone handed Edward a hypo, not knowing what to do with it.He handed it over to Alan who proceeded to inject the vial into the boy.
    *No!This isn't happening.This isn't happening!* Edward told himself.He watched in horror as the boy calmed and Alan withdrew the needle. Just as he did, the boy went back into convulsions, sending the needle into Alan's own stomach.
    Edward felt the urge to say something.Instead, he grabbed a nearby syringe filled with a light pink fluid and stuck it into Alan's arm.He knew Alan permitted this since it was serum from an Ebola survivor.
    Edward looked around as the area around him disappeared, turning into a large room filled with people.He noticed that it was a funeral parlor.He saw Alan's fiancée, Kimberly, sitting on a chair crying softly to herself.He walked over to her, knowing exactly what to say.
    "Alan's dead, but I'm not," he told her, watching her look up in horror.

    Kimberly woke up with a start, not sure what had just happened.She had this dream several times before but not with Marcase acting the way he did.She pulled the covers up around her, cold, and not sure why.It was the same feeling she had felt at Edward's memorial service, only slightly different.She sat thinking for a moment, but her reverie was interrupted by a worried knocking at the door.
    "Kimberly?Are you all right?"
    Although she didn't recognize the voice at first, she got up to answer the door and found Bryan Taft standing there. "Bryan, what are you doing here?It's two am!"
    "Um, can we talk inside?"
    "Sure."She stepped aside to let him in, keeping an eye on him.He turned to look at her.
    "Um, Kim, you're gonna think I'm crazy for saying this, but..." he paused again, "Edward isn't dead.I know you don't believe me, but I'm serious.Over at my hotel room, I was talking to him."
    Kimberly just stared at him.
    "You don't believe me.Look, um," he pulled a pad of paper and pencil out of his pocket and set it down on the entry way table."Edward, are you here?"They both watched as the pencil began to twitch, then rise into the air.Shiroma was confused, amazed and scared all at the same time.Taft just stood back and watched as though it were a normal occurrence in his life.
    "Y"
    "Okay, good.You didn't fall out of the car on the way over here."Taft chuckled a bit but stopped as he noticed a sad face drawn on the paper."Oh, um, sorry."
    "Bryan, what is going on?" Shiroma demanded.
    "That's Edward!" he shouted, pointing to the paper and pencil.Shiroma stared at him again."I don't think he's dead.I think that if we get over to the medical facility and try to revive him-"
    "Bryan, even if this IS him and we aren't imagining this and even if we ARE able to revive him, what about the brain damage? He's been dead for almost two weeks!"Even her own words stung. She struggled to hold back the pain of her realization.
    "I know that, but what if it works?"Bryan didn't notice the pain she was trying so dearly to hide. "There have been cases where people have been frozen and then brought back to life."
    Shiroma thought, then spoke."I don't see how it would be possible to."She walked back towards the steps, but Bryan laid a hand gently on her shoulder to stop her.
    "I have a feeling about this."For some reason, he felt that this truly would work.
    She turned around and looked into his face.  "For some strange reason, so do I."She thought for a moment, her mind accepting this concept a bit more. "We'll need to get Cassian and-"
    Taft interrupted her."No!He doesn't want Cassian there.Only you, me, and Hailey."He watched her as she thought for a moment, then turned to go up the stairs to her room to get dressed.
    "I'll be right down.Call Hailey and he'll get the lab ready for us."She disappeared at the top into her room as Taft picked up the phone."Hey, Michael?Yeah, I know it's late and you're not gonna believe this but...."

    Hailey trudged through his house, finally awake after the call from Taft. *That guy has got to be nuts,* he complained to himself, finding his keys and heading to the garage.He got into his car and headed for the estate where they were keeping Edward's body.He continued to gripe as he pulled up to the gate, stopping to verify his ID with the guards that seemed just as sleepy as he did.
    "What are you doing here so late, Agent Hailey," one of the guards asked.
    "I think I left something here.Not sure, though.If it is, Dr. Shiroma and Dr. Taft will be here shortly," he lied. *Hopefully they won't alert Cassian.* Hailey pulled into the large garage that was provided for workers.He entered the medical facility, blinking as bright lights flickered on.He pulled on a bio-hazard suit, not sure what Taft and Shiroma were going to do. Standing next to the cold-drawer where they were keeping Edward's body, he opened it and prepared himself mentally for what Taft and Shiroma were about to attempt. *Just go along with them.They both seem fairly sure of themselves.*
    Just as he finished moving the body, Michael looked up to see Shiroma handing Taft a bio-hazard suit.Hailey laughed slightly as Taft grimaced at the thought of having to put one on. "C'mon, Taft. They aren't that bad," Hailey teased him.
    Shiroma exchanged a few words with Taft and after that, he accepted the suit and put it on with no further words.Hailey waited a moment while Taft and Shiroma made their way into the lab.
    "Okay, what should we do first?" Taft asked.
    "I don't know.You're the one with the idea," Shiroma stated, shivering at the sight of Marcase's lifeless body. She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out an EKG monitor, paddles, and several other instruments.Turning around, she set them in their appropriate places while Taft read over some files and Hailey sat off to the side, not knowing what to do.Taft stopped reading the files and set them down.
    "Um, let me think," Taft replied, going into deep thought.
    Shiroma tried her hardest not to let her jaw drop, although she rolled her eyes. *My God!Cassian actually hired this guy?* She turned her head, not letting her eyes fall upon Marcase's lifeless body."Bryan, when you come up with something, will you let me know?" she remarked sarcastically as she turned and headed for the decon room.
    Marcase looked wearily about the room, exhausted from the strenuous and tedious concentrating he had to do in order to communicate. *Brilliant, Edward!Why didn't you think of that earlier?* he scolded himself, remembering the incident with Kimberly's dreams.He braced himself for what he was about to do. Standing in front of Taft, he took a deep breath and stepped straight into him.They both gasped at thechilling sensation that lingered for what seemed forever. Marcase cleared his thoughts, focusing on what he wanted Taft to do. Taft jerked away slightly but not to avoid the inevitable flood of thoughts.
    Within a few seconds, he knew what Marcase wanted to do.

    The phone rang next to Cassian's bed, disturbing him from his sleep."Cassian," he answered groggily, greeted by an equally drowsy Newland.
    "Would you mind telling me why your people are at the medical facility at three in the morning?"
    "What?" Cassian asked, not sure if he was hearing correctly."What do you mean?"
    "One of the security guards called me to ask what was going on.I want you down there to see what they're up to."
    "Fine," Cassian replied grudgingly, clicking the "flash" button to connect him to the other
line.He proceeded to hit the speed-dial button.He waited as twelve rings went by, then tried another number.After unsuccessfully getting someone to pick up, he pulled himself out from under the blankets and got dressed before leaving for the compound.

    Shouting had became normal in the operating room of the compound.Taft and Shiroma were busy shouting commands to each other, while Hailey ran from one side of the room to the other, retrieving what they were demanding.After injecting several vials directly into Marcase's heart, Taft paused momentarily, only to begin working again.
    "Okay, I think we're ready to give this another shot," Taft said as he picked up the paddles of the defibrillator, rubbing them together to make sure there was still lubricant on them."Take it up 100 more," he instructed Shiroma.
    "All right.Charging 360."She pressed a button, listening for the whine of it charging.
    "Clear!" Taft called out, placing the paddles on Marcase's chest.Pressing the buttons on the handles, he watched as the body jolted from the shock.The EKG monitor blipped momentarily, then returning to a steady whine."Again!" he called out, repeating the process.After finishing, he was jerked away by Hailey.
    "Bryan, don't you see this isn't going to work?  It's time you stop."Without warning, Hailey was thrown off balance and he fell to the floor.He looked around and saw no one but Taft and Shiroma.

    Marcase felt an intense pain rip through his body, sending him reeling to the floor.He yelled out, knowing that no one would hear him.He opened his eyes only to see a bright flash, making him close his eyes again.Cautiously, he opened them again, relieved to not see the same light.He managed to pull himself to all fours, then his knees, and finally into a standing position. Just as he managed to nearly recover his balance, another intense jolt rocked him.He doubled up on the floor, curling up as tightly as he could to try and subside the pain.He waited for another one, but none came.He again managed to pull himself to the semi-standing position, only to see Hailey talking to Taft.He listened and was immediately infuriated.
    "You son of a bitch!" Marcase screamed as he swung his fist at Hailey, using all of his body to put as much force as he could into it.He was instantly startled as the touch of hitting Hailey was almost solid.He caught himself as he fell by bracing himself against the table, causing it to quiver slightly.Looking to Hailey, he saw the man sitting up on the floor, completely confused.
    *We have to keep trying,* he thought, willing it so that the other three in the room could hear him.

    Cassian pulled up to the guard house outside the gates of the compound, waiting for one of the men on duty to check his ID.
    "Good morning, Dr. Cassian," the young man said as he held up the palm scanner for Cassian to place hishand on.
    "I guess it is, isn't it?" he replied, rubbing the lingering sleep out of his eyes.The panel beeped, then allowed the gate to open."By the way, who was the first to enter here?"
    "Agent Hailey was, sir.He said he thought he had left something here.He also mentioned that Drs. Shiroma and Taft might be in sooner and they were."
    "Thank you," Cassian said as he headed onto the grounds of the compound.After pulling into the spacious garage, he looked around a bit, not seeing anyone else around.Soon, he heard shouting from inside.He took off in a slow jog in the direction of the commotion, quickening his pace as it grew in volume, then ceased. *What the hell's going on in there?* he asked himself.He stopped only to have his ID checked once more before entering the main building.

    Taft looked up suddenly as the EKG monitor bleeped at him."We've got minor response!" he shouted, bringing Shiroma quickly to his side.Within moments, it went dead again."I think this is a good sign," he said, looking up to her.
    "Bryan, we still don't know if there will be brain damage." she informed him.
    "Well, we can find out soon.I think there are enough drugs in him to try this again.I want it charged at 500." Without question, Shiroma complied. After hearing the device signal, he called out "Clear!" and pressed the buttons on both the paddles. Both were startled as the EKG continued a shallow, erratic heart beat. Within seconds, Edward's body began coughing, then ceased as the monitor did.

    Marcase screamed in agony at the pain that was tearing him apart.It receded for a moment, followed by a familiar sensation. He was breathing! As quickly as it came, it left, returning the original pain.
    "We almost had him," Taft commented.
    *What do you mean, you almost had me?* Marcase thought.
    "I think we can get this, Kimberly," Taft added.  When he got no response, he looked up at her.Her eyes were looking at Edward's body in disbelief."Kimberly?"
    "Huh?What?" she said, jumping out of her reverie.
    "I said, I think we can get this."
    Shiroma nodded in agreement."All right. I'll reposition the respirator tube."
    "Good.I want the paddles charged at 560 this time."
    Shiroma simply reached over and hit a button. "You ready?"Shiroma nodded.
    Edward braced himself as best he could, awaiting the unmerciful pain.He screamed briefly, then blacked out.

    Cassian strode down the stairs into the complex, no longer hurrying. *Wonder what their excuse is going to be,* he grumbled to himself.He stopped in the decon room, noting that three of the suits were missing.He made a quick assumption and donned one himself.After checking the panels, he looked out the window. He noted Taft and Shiroma hovering over one of the tables. *What the hell are they doing?* he asked himself. Suddenly, the realization of their actions hit him.
    Not bothering with the set of four steps into the medical area, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the body of Edward Marcase, sitting upright, fully conscious and aware.
    Completely astounded, Cassian asked, "Would someone care to explain to me what is going on?"
 

Epilogue
 
    Jake Lightman pulled up to the curb, scanning the burial grounds for Kimberly Shiroma. He spotted her several yards away, dressed in old tattered overalls and a thin white t-shirt. She was using a shovel at the spot that appeared to be Marcase's head stone. *What is she doing?* he thought to himself. He got out of the car and ran over to her, grabbing the shovel from her.He could see that she was sweating heavily. The strands of hair that were hanging from her messy bun were sticking to her neck.
    "What do you think you're doing?!?" He looked into her face which, much to his surprise, was creased by a broad grin. He was completely baffled by her mood. He would have thought that digging up her own friend's head stone would have a negative effect on her. *Oh, God!She's not drugs, is she?* "What's wrong, Kimberly?Are you feeling all right?" Jake didn't know how, but he was genuinely concerned for her. He dropped the shovel to the ground and began leading her to his car.
    She jerked away from him, picked up the shovel and resumed digging."I called you here to help me dig this thing up."
    *Just great!She's on drugs.I KNEW she needed to see that shrink.Now the depression has driven her to drug use.* Jake tried once again to take her to his car so he could take her to the hospital. Yet again, she pulled away from him and returned to shoveling. He only shook his head this time and decided that it might be safer for her and himself if he helped her. After all, she could be delirious. Finally, they had uprooted the marker and Shiroma mad him carry it all the way to her car to put in the trunk.
    "Aahhhh!" he screamed as he set the stone into her trunk, not removing his fingers in enough time. Shiroma seemed to care less as she closed the trunk, smacking his head after he had bent down to cradle his injured fingers. He inspected them, more than half of his fingernails were turning a decided shade of purple. "I'm probably gonna lose those ones." He yelped quickly, jumping out of the way as Shiroma nearly backed over his foot to pull out from behind his car. She stopped right in front of him and rolled down her window.
    "Get in your car and follow me." She rolled the window back up and set off at a slow pace to the exit of the burial grounds. Jake just shook his head as he got into his car and started it up.
    Before long, they arrived at a small, two story house that was painted white with light blue trim. There was a white picket fence around the small yard and a porch with small bushes in front of it.Jake recognized this house as the one of the late Edward Marcase. *As soon as she's done with this little excursion, I'm gonna have her committed.*
    Kimberly instructed him to remove the head stone from her trunk and take it up to the house.She knocked on the door in total innocence, Jake staring at her. When the door opened, he nearly dropped the head stone on his foot. The coffee that the person was holding who opened the door splashed all over his leg. He was too stunned to notice as the man apologized.
    "Ed-Ed-" the man stammered, not fully believing his eyes. "BUT YOU'RE DEAD!!!" Jake gawked at the sight of Edward Marcase standing on the porch, fully alive. His skin was as white as the shirt he was wearing and he looked very weak. *Well, of course he's weak you-Wait a minute! This man is supposed to be dead! He's not supposed to be standing on this porch! He's supposed to be in the-*
    Jake suddenly came to his senses, both Marcase and Shiroma staring at him. Only then did it hit him that what he had just thought he actually said out loud. He could feel his face turn unnaturally red in his embarrassment and confusion. Marcase and Shiroma laughed at him, Marcase inviting them inside.
    "Um, Jake, there's something I need to tell you," Marcase attempted to say with a straight face, still looking at the head stone. "Before that, I think we should do something else with that head stone other than just leaving it there."
    As if on cue, Jake absent-mindedly picked up the head stone, not caring any more about his singed leg or his smashed fingers or his bruised head. All he cared about was the explanation for what was going on. Jake followed the two in, carrying the stone.
    As Edward closed the door, he began, "Jake, it pretty much starts like this...."