Soo-Yeon Nam was new to Kadic Academy and was surprised when she saw four of her classmates heading for the forest, she was even more shocked when they met up with Dr. Oliver there and went down into the sewers. She waited a few minutes and headed down after them. Running along the trail of wheel marks to the ladder to the factory. She climbed up not knowing what she would find.

"What is this?" she wondered to herself and continued on into the factory.

Jeremy gasped in horror as he saw the new girl walking into the factory.

"Guys we have a big problem" Jeremy said

"How big, Jeremy?" Tommy asked

"We were followed," Jeremy replied

"Just sit tight, whoever it is will probably think they lost us and go away." Ulrich said calmly.

"Okay, I hope you're right" Jeremy sighed as he watched the girl in the factory. She seemed she wouldn't be lost so easily

"I wonder... does this thing still work?" she thought aloud as she pressed the call button for the elevator. It came up.

"Oh you do work" she smiled and got in riding it down to wherever it took her.

"Oh no, she's in the elevator!" Jeremy exclaimed in shock

"Jeremy, calm down! We'll just have to either return to the past or swear her to secrecy." Ulrich said still calm.

"Okay." Jeremy sighed.

The elevator doors opened and the new girl emerged.

"Nam, what are you doing here?" Jeremy asked

"You can call me Soo-Yeon, and I was going to ask you the same thing Belpois"

"Soo-Yeon, you can call me Jeremy and it's kind of a long story," Jeremy said.

"Well start talking," Soo-Yeon said sitting down by the holo-map, "it appears I have nothing but time, after that girl was rushed to the hospital they canceled class. I think the teachers are scrambling to reassure parents that whatever caused this isn't contagious."

Jeremy shot Soo-Yeon a glare.

"Her name is Yumi Ishiyama," Jeremy said flatly

"Oh, I assume she's Japanese, correct?" Soo-Yeon said

"And you aren't?"

Soo-Yeon gave him a pointed glare "Nope, I'm Korean, but I do speak Japanese, I recognized the name as being Japanese and funny thing is, written in her own language her name would be Ishiyama Yumi."

"Why the flip?"

"In most Asian countries the family name is written first, and, in Korean at least, spoken first, like in Korea and most international venues I would be introduced as Nam Soo-Yeon. But we seem to have wandered off topic, what is this thing?"

"This is a super computer, but before I tell you any more I need to know if you can keep a secret."

"Sure, I can keep a secret"

Jeremy told her the story.

Meanwhile after a few tests It was discovered that Yumi needed surgery.

"Mrs. Ishiyama the infection in your daughter's appendix means that it needs to come out, the sooner the better." Dr Graham stated

"Okay" was the stunned reply

"I have her set up for an emergency appendectomy and one of our best pediatric surgeons is handling the case from here." Dr. Graham stated

Yumi meanwhile was dreading the operation, she had never been in surgery before and if she were to be honest she was terrified.

"Don't worry, Yumi, everything will be find" the nurse said as she prepared for the IV.

Yumi visibly flinched from the needle

"Don't worry, this will only sting for a minute" the nurse stated warmly, "if it bothers you, look away."

"Okay" Yumi closed her eyes

"That works as well" she got the IV in and Yumi was rushed to the operating room and set up for the procedure.

"Okay, Yumi-chan, just relax this will all be over soon" the nurse stated having switched to speaking to Yumi in Japanese after learning that was her first language

They had started cleaning the incision sight and Yumi became tense she soon felt a gloved hand in her own, it was the nurse that had been speaking to her in Japanese. She gave Yumi's hand a light squeeze and Yumi returned the action slowly relaxing.

A mask was placed over Yumi's nose and mouth and soon she felt herself falling asleep.

"You will feel better soon," That was the last thing Yumi heard before she succumb to the anesthesia. They inserted the tracheal tube and went to work.

It didn't take long for the team on Lyoko to finish.

Tommy sighed a he got a phone call as he got up to the control room.

"Hello... Yes... yes I'll let her friends know" Tommy hung up and turned to the Lyoko teens "They just took Yumi in for surgery."

"What?" Ulrich said in shock

"Her appendix is on the verge of rupture, they have to get it out now." Tommy sighed

"Oh man" Ulrich muttered looking up at the ceiling his fists balled at his sides.

"Well It looks as if we aren't returning to the past this time," Odd said.

"Why would we, it wouldn't change anything," Ulrich said "Except for putting Yumi through the same mess she just went through all over again. You wouldn't guess it but Yumi isn't a big fan of needles,"

"Who is?" Tommy asked then looked among Odd and Ulrich "You guys did great in there, especially given the circumstances, I know you were worried about Yumi but you managed to keep it together in there and that's saying something."

"It isn't the first time we've had to run through Lyoko while one of our own was suffering an uncertain fate, but usually that ends with the Xana attack, but... not this time. She was sick before the tower activated, she needs this operation." Ulrich sighed and they all started back to the school except him

"Ulrich, is there something you want to talk about?" Tommy asked turning back to talk to the teenager.

"Na, Dr. Oliver, I'm fine"

"Ulrich... look you're worried about her, I get it but she wouldn't want you to stress yourself out." Tommy said "this is a routine procedure she should be fine."

"I can't help it, Dr. Oliver... I... I care about her, a lot." Ulrich said from where he sat by the holo-map.

"Just care or love?" Tommy asked sitting by Ulrich

Ulrich gave a harsh sigh "Love, okay I'm in love with her, are you happy?"

Tommy put a hand on Ulrich's shoulder.

"Does she know?"

"No, sir, she doesn't" Ulrich replied looking away.

"Maybe it's time you told her how you felt," Tommy said.

"It's not that easy," Ulrich sighed standing up and taking a few steps away.

"Ulrich, listen you're nervous about all this I understand that, but she deserves to know how you feel," Tommy said.

"But what if she doesn't feel the same way, what if this ruins our friendship, the team can't bear that, not now." Ulrich rebutted, and Tommy had to admit he had a good point.

"That is true, but what if she feels the same way about you?" he said, "what if you coming clean leads to her doing the same and your relationship becomes stronger for it."

"How do I know?"

"I can't answer that, Ulrich," Tommy sighed.

They left the factory and Ulrich went up to the hospital to check on Yumi.

Hiroki looked up to see Ulrich enter the waiting room.

"Ulrich!" he said in excitement.

"Ulrich, what brings you here?" Mrs. Ishiyama asked.

"I just wanted to be here for Yumi." Ulrich said rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Okay" she said "come, sit down."

About forty minutes later the surgeon approached the family

To be continued...