1"We're here to visit a patient," said Kim to the uncomfortably perky receptionist.
"Name?"
"Bonnie Rockwaller."
"Hmm, looks like you're her first visitors. Does she not have any family?" Kim and Ron were taken aback by this revelation. After the two of them returned to Middleton, they had successfully avoided the remaining Rockwallers, who never asked Kim and Ron about the whereabouts of the youngest member of their family.
"You mean, her family hasn't been here?"
"Let me look through our records...her family was contacted several times with information on her condition and location, but they apparently have not been here." Kim pulled Ron aside for a minute.
"It doesn't feel right. Her family should be here for her."
"You're more familiar with her family than I am," said Ron, "but from what I've seen and heard, do you really think those are the sort of people who you would want around you if you were in her condition?"
"I know, but still..."
"If you two would still like to see her, please sign here." Kim and Ron did so, and the receptionist paged one of the doctors. "Dr. Allen to the front desk, Dr. Allen to the front desk." Shortly thereafter, a short, balding man met Kim and Ron.
"You're here to visit Bonnie? Come with me." They followed the doctor down a long hallway.
"We heard some things about her condition from Dr. Director, but she was fairly vague." The director of Global Justice had contacted Kim and Ron that morning with the news of Bonnie's condition. They were under the impression that Bonnie was just laying low, waiting to strike again; they assumed that if the truth was anything different, the Rockwallers would have heard first and conveyed such information to Team Possible.
"The patient had suffered extensive severe burns, mostly on her limbs. Gangrene had set in by the time she had arrived here, so we had to take drastic measures to save her life. As a result of the initial impact, explosion and fire, she appears to have massive damage to her vision and hearing, and likely will never speak again. However, other tests indicate that her brain is almost completely intact, which is a big reason we are keeping her alive."
Kim and Ron were prepared for the worst when they entered the room. Kim saw her high school nemesis lying on a bed; only her face, with a bandage across her eyes, was visible. At first glance, this seemed to be the only sign of injury. But as they got closer, a few things seemed to be missing.
"I can see what you mean by drastic measures, doctor," said Ron, looking towards where Bonnie's arms would have been.
"If we can figure out a way to communicate with her, we could really start thinking about a more intensive rehabilitation."
"Does she know that we're here?" asked Kim.
"It possible that she knows that there is someone here. We believe she can feel our footsteps. But she would have no idea at this point who is in the room."
--
There are some more people in the room. I don't have any way of knowing who they are. I certainly wouldn't have any way of telling anyone if I did know anyhow, so there's no point, although there must be some more people in here. Wait, one of them is touching me! It must be a guy...women don't have hands like that. Maybe it's a cute doctor or something; no, no one's poking me with some kind of needle or changing one of these tubes...there's just so many of them. Who would be here just to visit me, to have the nerve to...just touch me? Now he's tracing something on my forehead...I can't tell what it is. Hold on...guy, big hands, has the nerve to touch me...no, it can't be...we took care of him, right? But if he's here, that means...oh no, please no...don't let her see me like this! If they're here, then...please God don't let my family be here! Ron's probably writing his name on me...he's doing that a lot...how can I let him know that I understood that?
--
After tracing out "Ron" a few times on Bonnie's forehead, he stopped for a moment. As soon as he stopped, the ex-cheerleader began to nod her head slightly.
"I think she knows we're here," said Ron. "If only there was an easier way for us to communicate with her."
"Some GJ scientists, as well as one of our mutual acquaintances, have been working on related projects, but we won't really have anything for her for a while." Bonnie began to nod her head a bit more, but this time there seemed to be a distinct, but inconsistent rhythm to the motion.
--
I can't believe it took me so long to think of this! Now, as long as one of the doctors here is as much of a survivalist nut as Tara's dad was, I can at least talk with someone...at least until Kim's nerd can make me some sort of artificial eyes, ears and voice. It's not like they're going think I'm a threat any more. Besides, the crash may have taken a lot from me, but I can still do Kim's stupid puppy dog pout. Plus, a few more things are still intact, things that have always helped me get what I want, when I want it. Wait, what are you doing? I'm not spazzing, I'm trying to talk to you...ooh, that takes the edge off...but I like the edge...that's why I did what I did...and...
--
"We'd better be going," said Kim. "Let us know if she makes any breakthroughs."
"OK," said Dr. Allen. "Or maybe she could." Kim and Ron turned around and saw a familiar face, complete with eyepatch.
"Dr. Director?"
"Come with me, we have things to talk about." The three of them left Bonnie alone with Dr. Allen and a few other medical personnel.
"So, what's up, doc?" asked Ron.
"That is no way to greet the head of Global Justice!" Kim scolded Ron.
"In this job, I need all the levity I can get," said Dr. Elizabeth Director. "Anyway, I wanted to discuss what to do about Bonnie from a legal perspective. Since her family is either unwilling or unable to talk with her or us, and she is incapacitated without having granted, to our knowledge, power of attorney to anyone, we're still trying to figure things out. Of course, if you were to drop the charges..."
"Are you serious?" Kim was astonished that the director would even bring up such a possibility.
"Her attempt on your lives has taken her sight, taken her speech, taken her hearing, taken her arms, taken her legs...she is not going to be able to leave this hospital barring a miracle, so in a way, she will be living in Global Justice facilities for the rest of her life."
"She's got a point there, KP," added Ron. "Besides, we've had a rough summer. Wouldn't it be nice to just take a break for a little while? At least until, you know, some one tries to take over the world again." Kim thought about this as the three of them left the secure wing of the hospital and headed back out into the lobby.
"No. I don't care what she can or can't do, she is going to answer for what she did."
"I've got a feeling I'll never change your mind about that."
"Same here." Kim and Ron turned to face Will Du.
"What do you want?" Kim asked with more than a little venom.
"I have been working the legal side of this case, and I'd like to run something by you. There is a clause in Global Justice's penal code for this sort of situation. Miss Possible, we have the right to hold an incapacitated defendant indefinitely until such time as said defendant is capable of standing trial. I was on my way to meet with her doctors to see if they had any idea when that would be. We'll keep you posted."
"I understand." Kim and Ron left the hospital and began the trip back to Middleton. The whole situation with Bonnie's family left a very odd taste in Kim's mouth, and they decided that as soon as they returned home, even before they hit Bueno Nacho, they would visit the Rockwaller residence. This was only the third time that Kim and Ron had talked with them since the fateful mission. The first time, they merely told Connie that her sister had split, leaving out the part about her actions on the trip itself. A week later, Bonnie's mother called Kim, saying that according to Lonnie, the youngest Rockwaller had reunited with Señor Senior, Junior. However, Dr. Director's call and Kim and Ron's subsequent sojourn had made it clear the this was a lie.
There was also the matter of telling everyone else back in Middleton, especially Tara. Even though their relationship had clearly deteriorated over the past year, she would not have wanted Bonnie to end up the way she did; alone, crippled, cut off from the world. And truthfully, neither did Kim or Ron. But clearly the first stop would have to be the Rockwallers. Bonnie's mother deserved the truth about her daughter, while Connie and Lonnie...well, Kim wasn't sure what they deserved. She didn't have time to decide on that; they were at Bonnie's house, and it looked like only her mother was home. Kim took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
"Kim, what brings you here?" Mrs. Rockwaller asked in a voice that would give DNAmy diabetes. "My Bon-Bon doesn't live here anymore, you know. She's off with that nice young man who has been buying her all these nice things. Her sisters are so jealous!"
"Mind if we come inside?" asked Kim, dreading the conversation that she would have to have.
--
How long have I been here? God, it must have been like a month or something. No one else has come to see me. My mom probably doesn't know I'm here, and my sisters don't care, unless Kim went and ratted me out. There have been people coming in and out of here a lot...are they talking about me? Every time I try to talk to them, they just shoot me full of drugs. Maybe they should have let me die out there? No, no, that's just what everyone wants! If that's what everyone wants, everyone can go suck a lemon. I guess I'll go back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow someone will let me say something.
--
ANs: This chapter was hard to write. I thought about writing the whole thing from Bonnie's perspective, but I decided against it; I thought it would be too gimmicky.
Well, it's over. Originally, I was thinking that the story would last a good deal longer than it did, but I guess I just got tired of it and cut to the chase. I would like to thank the following for reviewing: Mr. Wizard, Nutzkie, acosta perez jose ramiro, screaming phoenix, StarReader86, Shrike176, CajunBear73, KP's Man, Joe Stoppinghem, The Enduring Man-Child, aedan cameron, RonHeartbreaker, MrDrP, Samurai Crunchbird, XoXoGigglieGirl1, Donteatacowman, and whoever reviews this last chapter that hasn't left a review yet.