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OOC: This is where those going back to the hospital will resume posting.

Colin and Sarah take Sarah's usual short cut, and go back to the hospital. They find Sammy still sitting close to Elrod talking softly into his ear.

Colin chews on his lower lip as he walks back into the room.

"Hi. We're back. How are you two?"

Sammy wipes her eyes as she turns toward Colin and Sarah.  She quietly replies to Colin's inquiry. "OK, I  guess.  He's still sleeping.  Lisa hasn't come back, and  I guess Dave is with her because I haven't seen him either."

"We've got... news. we could tell you everything, but... you have to stay calm Sammy. It's not a nice story. And we're already dealing with it." Colin says, looking down.

This does little to keep Sammy calm.  She actually tenses up a bit, and tightly asks "What?  Was somebody else hurt too?  What happened, Colin?"

"When Elrod wakes up, he'll remember who did this to him. It was Donnie. He believed El has bean really mean to you, and wanted to teach him a lesson. The reason he believed this is that someone planted this idea into his brain. We've found Donnie and we have untied his memory. He's been used, Sammy. He hopes you and El will forgive him."

Storm clouds begin gathering in Sammy's eyes.  In a dark voice she asks  "Donnie did this?  You say 'Someone' put the idea in his mind? Do you know who it was?  Was it Torrance?"  The privacy curtain beside Elrod's bed begins to flutter in a growing breeze.

"I know who it was. But Sammy, Elrod would want you to be here when he wakes up, not somewhere tearing a girl to shreds in vengeance. Please, calm down, we're taking care of it. It won't be a problem ever again."

Sammy turns her head and looks back at Elrod.  "I'm not as sure as you are that this is where I should be, Colin.  And who exactly is taking care of it?  I see you and Sarah here.  That leaves Donnie and Sylvia.  Alone.  Against someone who has just proved she can make Donnie dance to whatever tune she plays. You saw what he did to Elrod!  How can you think it won't be a problem?  Did you call for the paranormal crimes division to stop her?"

Sarah nods to Colin's comment.  She says, "Sylvia was contacting Smith.  He can turn off Torrence's powers.  If he feels like it he could probably let her walk around in a living hell for the rest of her life.  Syl was going to take John with her to check out if Torrence was deactivated.  I think the next step is to undue the damage Torrence caused and get some people to testify against her.  They can lock her away for a while.  I think she's going to have a really unpleasant taste of reality once she can't twist people to her whims."

Sammy looks back and forth between Sarah and Colin, clearly wanting to go rip something to shreds and not at all certain she believes that the problem is solved.  With sheer force of will, she spits out "OK.  I'll choose to do what you ask for a little while.  But if it turns out you're wrong... don't try to stop me."

Sarah says, "As soon as we can get some proof for the Super Cops we'll give it to them.  Donnie might testify but I'd like to get the accounts of at least a couple more students in school.  Sylvia can unlock the truth... or maybe if Smith can stop her powers everyone's memories will get fixed."

Or you can just drop her into the lake.  But I don't want you to kill anyone.  Sammy you don't need the nightmares.  No matter how much someone deserves it.

Sammy grunts skeptically at Sarah.  "Yah.  I hope you're right."  She shuffles restlessly and repeats "I hope you're right."

A few minutes later a nurse comes in with a police officer.  "Which one of you is Samantha Jameson?"  The officer asks.

Sammy looks over at the nurse and steps forward.  "That's me."  She looks at the nurse and wonders why she's being tagged by a nurse and a cop.  Did something happen somewhere else?  School - did Torrence go after Steffie?

"Miss, I need you to come with me."  The officer says.

"You two will have to go."  The nurse says to Colin and Sarah.

Sammy looks at the policeman, concern written on her face.  "Yeah, sure.  Let me get my coat.  See ya later, El."  She pulls her coat off the chair and leans over toward Elrod to give him a kiss on the cheek.

The officer grabs her wrist abruptly, "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to stay away from him.  We need to get going."

"Where are you going?" asks Sarah to the policeman.  She quietly squeezes Colin's hand.

"Excuse me, officer, what's the problem here? Why should she stay away from her boyfriend?" Colin asks, trying not to frown.

"That's not your concern young man."  The officer says.  He turns his attention back to Sammy.  "Your parents are being notified and they'll be meeting us downtown.  We need to go miss."

"Is she being arrested?  And don't say that's none of our concern.  You can't take her anywhere without an explanation."   

And I'll do my best to have you buying us all donuts and coffees if you try it.  I wish Megan were here.  She knew the law.  She'd just bat her eyes and if that didn't work, reciting laws or mentioning that her father ran the town wouldn't hurt either.  "Colin?  Maybe you should call Chris."

Sammy is really confused, and a bit skittish.  She says, as calmly as she can,  "Officer?  I'm not saying I won't go with you.  I'll walk out of the room and go with you as far as the nurse's station, but... enough weird things have happened to and around me lately to make me not trust anybody.  Can I see some ID, please?  I'm going to get your badge number and call downtown and make sure you're really a policeman.  If you are, I'll go with you, no arguments, ok?

And if you aren't you are in so much trouble... Sarah wishes Sylvia were here for a little mental chatting.

"Okay.  That seems fair enough."  The office says escorting the kids from the room.  A quick call to the Oak Park PD reveals that he is in deed who he says and indeed was sent to bring Sammy down for questioning.

Still looking a little confused, Sammy says to Colin and Sarah.  "It's ok.  He's legit.  They want me to come in for questioning."  She does what the officer asks her to do.

Sarah bites her lower lip and looks at Samantha with a worried expression.  "Are you going to be okay Sammy?" she asks.  "Can we do anything?"

"I guess I'm ok," Sammy says uncertainly.  "I need to find out what they want to ask me."

Sarah watches Sammy go with a touch of fear.  They wouldn't mean to hurt Sammy but if they exposed her?  She was always worried about that. 

I'm scared of that to but fortunately I have the attention span of a gnat so I get on with my life and don't dwell on the fact that at any moment my entire life could be wrecked. 

She reaches down and puts her hand on Elrod's shoulder.  "Don't you worry El.  We'll take good care of Sammy.  You get your rest and we'll check back in later."

She looks at Colin and says, "I think we should go hunting for people affected by Torrence's powers.  We need to get them fixed and confessing.  Let's start with the clubs she joined and suddenly took charge of.  We'll have to get a hold of Sylvia as well."

"I'm afraid Sylvia's plan is just going to make things more complicated, but it's too late now."

Colin thinks, he looks at Sarah, and he seems not to like what he's thinking. He chases the thought away shaking his head.

"I should call Stan. He helped Darla, I hope he can tell us what's best to do."

Sarah nods and says, "Sure.  Give a call.  Maybe we need proof that can only be found by another mentalist.  Maybe they can see the same signs that you and Sylvia found.  If we can find a few of her other victims we can ask the SuperCops to check on it.  Did Sylvia fix Elrod's buddies?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, though."

Colin dials Stan's number.

"Stan Juszkowski? It's Colin Crow. I'm sorry to disturb, but I think I have a problem, and I wondered if you could help me."

"Well, I'd certainly be willing to try."  The older man said.  "Is it something you can explain over the phone or should we meet?"

"Let's meet. You deserve at least a coffee if you're willing to listen to this."

Stan gives directions to a greasy spoon diner near an El station.

OOC: We'll move this to another thread.