Mr '. . .'

[Kira & Lee Norris]

When Kira had been pulled out of maths by Prof. Thandie, she'd been enthralled. Gathering up her stuff happily, she'd bounded across the room and out into the hall.
"Something you need, Professor?" she asked cheerfully.
Then she'd heard the news.
It was funny. Prof. Thandie didn't really go into details, or anything. Just the facts. This afternoon, eighth period, Lee had gone up to see Prof. Hoodham. Lee had tried to kill Prof. Hoodham under the influence of the enemy. And now... Lee was in hospital.
Cold, raw disbelief choked Kira. She'd stared at Prof. Thandie for what seemed like forever; just stared- searching for some sign on the woman's grave, worn face that this was a joke. Just some sort of twisted joke which they would all laugh about later.
But Prof. Thandie wouldn't joke about something like that.
And when reality finally sank in, Kira sank with it. She sat down in the middle of the hall, and stared straight ahead.
"Is he bad?" she had asked finally, her voice dry.
"No. He's sitting up. Seems quite alert. But, Kira... there is something you should know-"
"Does Madeleine know?" Kira asked suddenly. It wasn't something she'd expected to hear herself say... but there it was.
Prof. Thandie pulled Kira up onto her feet. "Another teacher has gone to fetch her. Come on. Come down to the hospital wing. You both can see Lee there."
And now Kira stood outside the great doors, waiting for Madeleine... and terrified of what was waiting for her on the other side.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

If Professor Raven hadn't been walking at her side, Madeleine would have flown up on ahead to the hospital wing.
As it was, she was having to walk at an unbelievably slow pace alongside him, forcing her feet to walk normally instead of running ahead.
When Professor Raven, the Warrior's teacher, had called her out of Air Control, the look on his face had sent chills running through Madeleine's spine. His grave, slightly worried look had convinced her immediately that the enemy were just about to attack, or that the school was quietly under siege.
He'd asked her to pack up and to step outside with him, and all eyes had been on her as she left the room. Levi had watched her leave with eyes dark and worried, wondering.
When the door had closed behind her, Professor Raven told her something that to her mind was far, far worse than a siege.
In eighth period this afternoon, Lee's mind had been completely overtaken by the enemy, and he had tried to assassinate Professor Hoodham. It had resulted in a power battle, and Lee was now in the hospital wing.
There had been no disbelief running through Madeleine's head; she'd known from her group's head teacher's face that he wasn't lying, that he wasn't joking.
Her words had come out in a soft, shaky tone. "Is... is he okay?"
"Physically, he's fine," Professor Raven had replied. "Mentally... he's..."
At that point, she'd closed her eyes and held up her hand to stop him talking. "And Kira? Is Kira already there?"
"Professor Thandie went to summon her."
Now, they were walking up the corridor, two sets of feet clicking along the floor.
No... oh, God... Lee... Maddie, how did you not see this happening? You were with him at lunchtime, you, you...you should have been able to stop this, you shouldn't have...
Her thoughts were a mess. Everything was blurred, whirring, and a sickening, horrible sense of... of what? Guilt? Fear?
She wasn't scared of anything, was she?
She wasn't supposed to be scared.
Her stomach suddenly gave a lurch as they approached the doors to the hospital wing.
Professor Raven's silence wasn't doing anything to calm her fears. Nothing at all.
Kira was standing at the door to the hospital wing, and Madeleine's stomach lurched again as she saw the look on her face.
"Is he... have you been in?"

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Kira looked round at Madeleine, shaking her head. "N- no. Not yet. I wanted to wait... for you."
Professor Raven nodded gravely at them both. "You two can go in together. I'll leave you to have some privacy."
And he moved on, plodding up the hallway; his footsteps slow and steady.
Kira gulped. "Okay, so should we... em... go in?"
It felt awkward, even now, talking to Madeleine. But she had to swallow that. She didn't care anymore. This was about Lee.
Madeleine nodded, and they pushed the doors open.
The hospital was empty, all except for Lee, who sat at the very end bed, beside the window. He looked up at the sound of their entrance, and as they walked towards him, he tilted his head, and smiled shyly.
And all of Kira's fears imploded. With a sigh of relief, Kira ran down the length of the beds and threw herself at Lee. He seemed absolutely terrified by her, and tried to push her off. Stepping back, giggling weakly, she tilted her head, and smiled back.
"Wow," he said blankly. "Um. Hi, visitors."
"Hey, Lee," she replied, beaming.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

The moment Madeleine saw Lee sitting up in his bed, smiling shyly across at them, her stomach suddenly returned - and she had never been more relieved in her life. All the scary thoughts that she'd just had vanished into oblivion.
He was alright.
He was fine.
"Oh, thank God," she breathed, starting towards him, as Kira ran down the aisle and launched herself at him.
However, instead of hugging her like she thought he would have, he looked completely... well, terrified was the word, and pushed her off.
It's just the morphine.
The voice in her head surprised her, but she took comfort from it - not realising that Lee hadn't been given any morphine.
"Wow," he blinked, as Kira stepped back. "Um, hi, visitors."
Madeleine's feet suddenly flew down the wooden floor of the hospital wing to land at his side at the sound of his voice. "Oh my God, don't scare me like that again," she murmured, her voice husky, leaning forward to kiss him.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Lee's arms flew out at that, catching Madeleine in the chest and pushing her back. Madeleine thudded back beside Kira, straightening up. Kira stared at him blankly.
"I don't mean to be rude," Lee said slowly, looking back and forth between them. "But... who are you?"

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine winced as Lee pushed her away. He wasn't strong enough to hurt her physically, but...
He pushed her away.
Then, something in the look on his face stopped her question. He looked so confused.
His voice was slow as he looked at her. "I don't mean to be rude, but... who are you?"
With those three words, Madeleine's stomach lurched again - but her mind was too completely taken up with confusion to register this.
She glanced at Kira before turning back to Lee, an awkward, confused smile on her face. "I'm sorry, what?"
Then, it struck her. He was messing about because of what had happened at lunchtime, wasn't he? Because he was mad.
It was a little sick, but she didn't care. Couldn't care.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

"Sorry, it's weird," he half-laughed, addressing Madeleine now. "Who are you?"
Kira stepped in front of Madeleine, one eyebrow raised, her arms folded. "Lee, what are you playing that? It's us- it's me. Kira. Your cousin. Remember?"
"Nope," he grinned.
Kira stared at him. What was he playing at, grinning stupidly up at her like that? Was this his twisted idea of a joke? Had the enemy left him a little out of it?
Or maybe...
No. Couldn't be.
"Of course you remember, Lee," she reprimanded him fiercely.
His face fell slightly. "I... who are you?" He was looking at Madeleine now.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

What?!
Madeleine looked at him, torn between concern and anger. "Lee, this ... this isn't funny."
No, it wasn't.
But could it just be the morphine again?
But ... he was so alert. It couldn't be morphine.
"I know you're mad at me," she said, in a soft, low voice. "I'm really sorry. But please, don't take it out on Kira."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

"Look, I'm sorry," Lee said, looking a little desperate now. "I really am. I just... I don't know who you are. And if I was mad at you, again, I'm sorry-"
Kira cut him off sharply. "Madeleine's right, Lee. You stop it. Now."
She hated this. What was he doing?
WhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoingWhatwashedoing...?
Then something new caught her attention.
What had happened to his eyes?

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine frowned at Kira before looking back on him.
Something was different... she didn't know what. Maybe it was the confused, desperate expression on his face.
"Lee, seriously," she said, a pleading note in her voice. "Of course you know us. Stop messing around, it's sick."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Lee mouthed something silently for a few seconds, then closed his eyes, and exhaled. Then inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. And exhaled once more.
"Okay," he said, his eyes opening once more. "Right. Can you please tell me who you are?"

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

A small seed of doubt started to creep into Madeleine's mind at the look on his face.
Maybe he ...
No. No. That's not it. That's not.
He was fine, he was just... just messing about. He had to be. He was still mad at her, that was all. It was just some sort of sick joke. Who knew what sort of twisted ideas spring up in guys' minds?
He was just mad. That was it.
Her tone was measured, careful, unsure. "Lee, it's me. It's Madeleine. Come on, you know this."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Lee's eyes flashed, and Kira's heart sank.
"No, Madeleine," he snapped. "I don't know who you are! Me? I don't know nothing! So, please, for God's sake, can someone here actually explain to me why you two are here, or am I gonna' get to see my family?"
"I'm your cousin," repeated Kira, stepping forward.
He relaxed slightly, noticing her again. "Yeah. Okay. Is Madeleine?"
"No, but-"
"Okay, then I s'pose you should probably go," he told her apologetically. "It's just... agh. I'm confused. I can't help it. Ask the nurse. She knows stuff. But you should go- if you ain't family you should go."

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

"I'm your girlfriend," Madeleine said softly. "This isn't funny, Lee."
Those words and his tone - he'd told her to go away - the way he'd spat her name, felt like a stinging slap across her face. It hurt. Even though he was mad at her - and he had every right to be, after the way she'd behaved - surely this was taking it too far?
Surely he'd never do this to her.
This wasn't like Lee.
Lee wouldn't hurt her like this... right?

[Kira & Lee Norris]

The tiniest of frowns creased Lee's forehead, those new, unfamiliar black eyes widening as they surveyed Madeleine. Kira felt she should speak, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Madeleine hadn't realized properly yet... but Kira knew. In her gut she knew.
Lee sighed, and looked up, away from Madeleine.
"I don't remember you. And no matter what you say, I won't. It won't work. Madeleine- I can honestly say that... well... I feel like I've never met you before in my life."