The Rocket Team

Leonard laid in his hospital room under the oxygen tent, awaiting a chance for escape. He was determined not to go back to the institution no matter what. He had a twenty-four hour police guard right outside the door. His room had no windows so the only way out was through the front door. He spent three days timing his nurse and the policeman. The officer always took a five minute smoking break, after the nurse checked his vital signs, every two hours. There would be plenty of chances. At 1:00 the nurse came in as usual. Leonard waited until she raised the tent cover and put her stethoscope on his chest. He grabbed her arm and hair and pulled her close to him. She began to scream and fight back, something Leonard hadn’t thought about. The policeman ran inside the door, cigarette still in his mouth and joined in the struggle to free the nurse. Leonard hit the policeman, causing him to drop the cigarette on the bed. They struggled more, no one had really realized Leonard was so strong and no longer helpless. The struggle became intense, neither participant giving out. All three fell on the bed. The cigarette had caught the sheets up in a smoldering fire. As the three struggled on the bed, the plastic tent was pulled and it toppled. The free running oxygen fueled the small fire into a flash flame. The fire quickly worked its way across the bedding onto Leonard’s clothing. The screams of the 3 could be heard throughout the hospital floor. The nurse ran out of the room with her hair in flames, blazing. She was quickly subdued by two interns. The policeman’s left arm and back had caught fire, fusing his uniform onto his skin. But Leonard hadn’t been as fortunate. His face, and whole left side of his body burned badly. Leonard had only succeeded in sealing more of his own illl-fate himself..

Jake-Daniel’s phone buzzer-rang. "Yes Cindi?" he answered.He pushed another button on the phone. "This is Colonel DeVRoe, may I help you?" he answered. He listened to the voice on the phone for a few moments."Thank you for the information Doctor, and please, keep me posted on all three of their conditions if you can. Thank you again.goodbye." He hung-up the phone and turned to Paladin. "Paladin, that was the County Hospital." Paladin looked up from his papers."What did they want Jake?" Paladin asked. "They wanted us to know Leonard attempted an escape. He somehow caused a fire, injuring a nurse and the police guard at his door." Jake-Daniel explained. "So what now? Do we have to answer for everything he does? Scout is barely getting over his last antic, and now this..." Paladin was visibly upset. He had been told about Leonard’s last undertakings which put him in the hospital and now he attempted to escape. "Paladin," Jake-Daniel interrupted. "He’s been badly injured too. , His head, face and the entire upper left portion of his body sustained third degree bums. They’re not sure as of yet what his outcome will be." Jake-Daniel shook his head slowly, "What makes people like that tick?" he said. Paladin just looked at him. "Are you going to tell Danna and Jase?" he asked. Jake-Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Jason-David ,yeah. But I dont’ think we should tell Danna-Scout. You know how she is. Always taking the blame for someone else. No, she’ll just get bent all out of shape about it." Jake-Daniel picked-up the phone and immediately called his brother. He explained the situation and hung-up. There was no more talk of Leonard and the Doctor only called once to let Jake-Daniel know how well the skin graphs were not going, but at best, he may look hideous, but Leonard would still be alive and that was all he could promise. But for now, to Jake-Daniel and Paladin Snowowl none of that mattered, so long as he stayed out of their family’s life forever.

The treach had been removed early that day. Although Leonard still felt some pain from his skin graphs, Still, all he could think about was getting out. The nurse on the unit peeked in and decided he was asleep and turned out the light. "I’m going to get you for this Jackson DeVRoe." he whispered angrily to himself, and went to sleep.