Answers.

[Will Wright]

Will carefully had her hands behind his back while Paul took of the old bandages. The sword wound was very deep. It wasn't a very pretty sight and she knew he was in a great deal of pain; that is if he wasn't currently sedated.
"Poor guys. You know, sometimes I'm glad I'm a Carer and not a Warrior. I think I prefer healing wounds as opposed to inflicting them." she said matter of factly.
"I'm right there with you sister." he smiled as he placed new bandages around Andrew's wound.
"Sister, eh? Since when did I become your sister?" she asked her voice flooded with amusement as she gently lay Andrew back down after Paul had secured the bandages. They started to walk down the ward to the door that led to the next one. Paul swung his arm around her neck and smiled down at her.
"Are you kidding me Miss. Wright? You have been a sister to me since you joined Orchid."
"Really?" she asked surprised.
"Yep. And the rest of the Hospital Wing," he grinned wickedly.
"Paul! That's not funny. Though, on the serious side of things, I wouldn't mind becoming one. It's nice to heal people and see them back to health," she mused at the idea.
"Oh, come on, Will. I was joking. Don't go all mummy-ish on me now.” He begged her. Paul really didn’t like it when she did this.
“I’m not going mummy-ish Paul. I’m being serious, I honestly wouldn’t mind becoming one and staying here to help out once I’ve finished school. In fact I’m going to...if Nurse Gornray allows it, of course,” she smiled to herself.
They were through the door and into the ward were most of the patients were comatose or had been quite heavily sedated and put into a coma. IT was very quiet unlike the other wards which were filled with deafening screams of agony and blood and vomit and other such fluids. This ward was clean and less cramped but eerily quiet.
“Do you get the feeling like we have to whisper in here or be it on our heads? You know, like the library and the psychotic librarian that we have?” Will walked over to the nearest bed and checked the persons wounds. They had already been replaced.
Paul had the one across from her, “I get what you mean and kind of. Except these guys won’t shout at us for being loud.” They moved onto the next beds though these patients also had been refreshed.
“Hey, Will? I think all these guys have been done, should we go into the ear-drum bursting zone?”
“Erm...I suppose. I’m going to check just in case. You go on?”
“Sure. See you in a few?”
“Yep.” She smiled at him and went onto the next to find a boy, his eyes open and looking quite angry. And as far as she could see....he had no wounds whatsoever.
Lee?
If he had no wounds then why the hell was he here?
“Lee?” Will moved over to his head and looked at him, “Lee? Why are you here?”

[Kira & Lee Norris]

At least they were going to let him out soon.
They couldn’t really keep him anyway. They’d no right to. Hospital beds were freeing up fast anyway, now that the Healing was beginning to take its effect. Lee was one of a number due to be released today. After the initial aftermath of the battle, work in the Hospital Wing had- if not slowed- calmed, slightly. Most people were stable. And hardly anyone was dying anymore.
Haha.
Weren’t they lucky?
Weren’t they all so fúcking lucky to be alive?
Just like Toothy over there had said, huh?
Funny. Lee wasn’t quite feeling it. And he’d be dámned if everyone else wasn’t, either. Toothy was what you called an, ‘optimist’. Either that, or a flaming, bloody idiot. Whatever you like.
Lee had never felt so dámn useless. He was useless. He was pathetic. He was hopeless.
Because- surprise, surprise- of Kira.
Not only had she taken away his one chance- his one and only chance to save the woman he loved- but she had now taken away not only his but everyone elses’ chances of rescuing her from the camps.
People knew what had happened to Macy.
And they kept speculating about what could be happening to Maddie.
The idea- the very dámn idea- of someone doing that to her… of touching her life that… It just didn’t bear thinking about. He didn’t want to think about it. He refused to.
But the thoughts wouldn’t stop.
But, hey!
At least he was alive. At least she was alive. At least they were all alive and kicking- which of course did a fat lot of good when you’d been ordered to do nothing. Nothing. Not a single. Bloody. Thing.
Maddie was left to rot.
While they sat from a distance, and watched.
“Lee?”
He flinched.
“Lee, what are you doing here?”
Will’s face was a shock to the surroundings. Her hair was too bright. It looked too much like blood.
“Didn’t you hear?” he responded dully. “Kira sedated me before the battle. I’ve been hear ever since.”

[Will Wright]

Sedated.
Kira.
Ever since.
Wait, back up.
Kira sedated him. Before the battle. And he's been here ever since? That sounds completely mental. He's telling the truth though. Why the hell would Kira-
Confused, "You what now?" blink, "Kira sedated you? Kira. Sedated you?" that made no sense to Will whatsoever.
I must sound mentally challenged...
"Wh-ho-why? Did Nurse Gornray allow it? That hardly seems fair. And also not like Kira," she sat on the edge of his bed and looked at him. If he had just been sedated..why was he still here? There was nothing wrong with him.
Physically.
Mentally...well..no.
Nothing.
Not. A. Thing.
"Lee, what are you still doing here? I'm not trying to be rude or mean or anything but there's nothing wrong with you that I can see off. So why are you still in this bed? In the Hospital Wing?" she paused and thought on, "I know I'm stating the obvioues facts and questions here but humour me."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

“I suppose,” Lee said witheringly, “it’s got something to do with the fact that although I only woke up yesterday afternoon, I caused a slight scene,” he paused here delicately, looking at Will sharply.
Had the Head of the Carers herself not been informed?
Perhaps Will wasn’t one for gossip. Still, she had the right to know what happened in her own hospital, had she not? Though some may say it wasn’t Lee’s finest hour (and he was beginning to begrudgingly concede to that) he thought perhaps she would be someone who would’ve understood exactly what he felt.
She was friends with Madeleine.
She was a Head.
She was friends with Macy.
And she knew what it was like to lose someone you loved to the war.
“What? You don’t know all about it?” Lee made an effort to be as civil as he presently could manage. “I expected it would’ve been all over the school by now.”

[Will Wright]

Will's frown increased as Lee spoke.
It didn't seem right.
It wasn't right.
It wasn't fair.
Hell, it had been uncalled for.
"No, I haven't really been listening to the gossip. I want to help the patients not gossip about the battle.." god, why anyone would gossip about a battle was beyond her. It was painful for her.
She'd already lost one person in the last one.
Two Heads had been kidnapped.
Macy was back and safe from a bloody awful experience and Madeleine.
Will sighed and looked away from Lee. Madeleine still wasn't back. Nobody knew what was happening to her. Nobody was doing anythng about it and only Kira, Macy, Jack and herself knew why. Though she couldn't help feel a little hatred towards the Headmaster. They could do it. They could.
It was understandable he didn't want to risk any more lives than they already had but to leave Madeleine alone. Will knew she could fend for herself even if she was in a cell where you couldn't use magic but she was only one person.
She looked back at Lee and put a hand on his shoulder to give him some comfort, she hoped, "It's not fair. Lee id I had known, I would've tried to stop her. I can relate to how you must feel but I don't know exactly. What I do know is that we will get her back. Safe and sound."
She gave the tiniest smile.
God, Lee....I'm sorry.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Will’s compassion soothed his anger slightly. The comforting heat of her hand on his shoulder relaxed some of the tension that was wound up there. He wanted to believe her words; her good words; her wonderful, soft, soothing words.
“What I do know is that we will get her back. Safe and sound.”
Safe.
And sound.
What a glorious assumption. One Lee wished he could so confidently make. But hope was dangerous in a desperate situation, and it was all too easy to have your heart crushed.
Yet as she spoke, he could still feel it fluttering- albeit weakly- in his chest.
He wished other people had been so understanding. Perhaps they might have been, if they weren’t all so bloody sympathetic to his cousin. As it was, Lee found it difficult to feel any pity for her. Anxious letters had arrived from his family, enquiring after him and Madeleine, of course, but mainly enquiring after Kira. It had angered him. Why? Why did they care about her? Why weren’t they angry at her for what she’d done?
In fact, as far as Lee could tell from his mother’s letter, she was happy that Kira had sedated Lee.
Happy.
How could she?
“I know you,” he looked up meaningfully, speaking in a much softer voice, “would have. I know you would have tried. I can’t believe Nurse Gornray allowed her to- to…” He shook his head slowly. “Kira did it because she thought I would’ve lost control and done something stupid in battle. That’s ridiculous. Right?”
He looked at Will sharply; a little aggressively.
“Right?"

[Will Wright]

"Right?" Lee gave her a pointed look.
Put on the spot.
Lee just put her on the spot.
He put me on the spot?!
Here she was trying to be sympathetic, empathetic, supportive and god knows what else to help him and there he goes and throws it back in her face by putting her on the freaking spot!
She breathed in deeply and blew it out again and closed her eyes. Will was not a very patient person, everyone knew that. She was not always the nicest person either and she was very short tempered. There was one thing that Will did have though. A kind heart and the patience to try. To persevere, even when there were total idiots who were fuming and still hostile towards people even when they had done nothing wrong. So Will just sat there, keeping quiet, being patient and thinking of a way to answer him without being decapitated for it.
Yes- Kira had been unfair.
No- she hadn't been ridiculous.
Yes- Lee probably was better sedated.
No- he had a right to fight for someone he held near and dear.
Yes- Kira had the right to protect her family.
No- Kira did not have the right to take his rights away from him.
Yes- Lee was right. Nurse Gornray nor Kira had told her what they had done.
No- Lee's emotions clouds his judgement more than he meant them to.
Yes- Kira had thought it through and took the right course of action in some shape and form.
No- Kira shouldn't have gone behind her cousins or friend and fellow Head backs.
Yes- Lee was rash and didn't think everything through.
No- Lee was very smart and could hold his own.
Will opened her mouth and spoke, "Lee, I think that she was being unfair and didn't allow you to have a say in this. Then again, I also think she was right to do it, even though she also went behind my back as did Nurse Gornray. You're right though, she was being a bit ridiculous and it hurts, I know. But you're putting me on the spot here and I can say that both of you are right and both of you are wrong. I'm not going to side here. I'm sideless but don't you dare get short tempered with me Lee, don't you dare get aggressive with me. I'm trying to help you here. Trying to be sympathetic, empathetic, supportive. Hell, I'm trying to care for you feelings but if you're going to put me on the spot and aggressively like that, then you better just forget it because I'll leave you here so you can drown in your own self pity."
She let out her breath slowly and stood up while folding her arms at the same time. She could understand where he was coming from in all of this. Yes, he'd lost Madeleine. She'd lost Anton. He had wanted to fight for her and to the death. She would have done the same thing for Anton had she been a Warrior or a Spy. Well, she kind of had anyway...
The truth be told; nobody knew a person, not really. They could have grown up together since they were born, sure. But nobody ever really knew a person. Kira didn't really know Lee; for all she knew he could have gone out onto the field and done brilliantly and not have lost his head or he could've gone out onto the field killed many, lost his head and either have died or gotten himself kidnapped. So yeah, nobody knew which way it would have turned. Nobody knew what Lee might've done. She wasn't sure if Lee really knew what he would have done.
"Lee?" she paused, wondering if it was good question to ask right about now, "Lee? What would have you had done if you had been out there?"

[Kira & Lee Norris]

“Lee, I think that she was being unfair and didn't allow you to have a say in this.”
There. Lee nodded ferociously. That was all he needed to here. Confirmation from someone that what Kira had done had actually been wrong-
“Then again, I also think she was right to do it, even though she also went behind my back as did Nurse Gornray.”
… but she went behind Will’s back! How the hell was that fair?! Was Lee missing something here- was there some kind of Heads-code thing where they all had to agree with each other no matter wha-
“You're right though, she was being a bit ridiculous and it hurts, I know. But you're putting me on the spot here and I can say that both of you are right and both of you are wrong.”
… uh huh. Right. That was diplomacy for you.
“I'm not going to side here.”
She may as well have.
“I'm side-less but don't you dare get short tempered with me, Lee, don't you dare get aggressive with me. I'm trying to help you here. Trying to be sympathetic, empathetic, supportive. Hell, I'm trying to care for you feelings but if you're going to put me on the spot and aggressively like that, then you better just forget it because I'll leave you here so you can drown in your own self pity.”
Was that what she was doing? Really? Because that little speech right there had given Lee no sympathy, empathy or support. Frankly, it had just made him all the madder. Getting at him for being a little edgy (d@mn it, he had a right to be edgy) wasn’t helpful in the slightest.
Just as Lee was about to open his mouth and give his helper a piece of his mind, he was cut short.
“Lee?” she paused, wondering if it was good question to ask right about now, “Lee? What would have you had done if you had been out there?”
Lee almost laughed out loud. Wasn’t that answer obvious?
“I would’ve saved her,” he responded. “I would’ve killed the b@stard that took her- and then I would’ve saved her.”

[Will Wright]

Ok.
Will was siding with Kira now.
"No offence, Lee but I don't think that would have been the best idea. Don't get at me here for saying this but look at what happened to Jack, one of the strongest Warriors the school has. He got beaten to a bloody pulp out there! By the person who took Madeleine. Lee, I don't think anyone here would have been able to actually take him on in hand-to-hand combat and live to tell the tale. They were just lucky that Ailith had the chance to shoot him. While and when he had his back turned. Even if you were out there, how would you have taken him out? What would've you used?" Will was trying to get him to see the reason behind this. Ok, Kira had the right idea...she still went behind my back and didn't tell me as did Nurse Gornray... in sedating him.
"Lee, can't you see? Can't you see at all why Kira did this? Yes, you're pissed off and I obviously haven't helped but try to see past the fury. What would you have done? How would you have done it?" she did feel pity for him.
He hadn't been out there to fight for what was his.
But he wouldn't have been reasonable about it.
"I mean, you can't just charge someone like that." she stared at him, trying to plead reason with him.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Oh, for god's sake.
There went his only chance for an ally.
He would've killed that guy. Why did everything keep making such a big deal out of the fact Jack got trashed? Jack could be clumsy. Jack was under pressure.
That was all.
"Lee, can't you see-"
No.
No.
Lee wasn't listening anymore. She was trying to reason with him, for God's sake. Had Kira put Will up to this? How pathetic. She couldn't even reason with him in person. Funny, he'd never had her marked out for such a coward.
And still, Will kept talking. Talking cr@p.
"I mean, you can't just charge someone like that."
Heaven above- was she actually trying to plead with him?
"I could," Lee snapped, sitting up straight. "You don't know. I could've flown at him for above- surprise attack- whatever you like. I could've shot him down from the sky."

[Will Wright]

Whatever.
Lee was blind. Guys, in general, were blind. They just didn't use their heads...that or they didn't know how...very few at any rate. Will rolled her eyes with her eyelids closed.
Seriously?
Flown from above.
Seriously?
"No, Lee, you couldn't have. You could have tried but you wouldn't have made it and you know d**n well I'm right. If you're just content on sitting there in your hatred for Kira and blaming it on me, fine! Do that. I won't stop you. Take it out on me all you want to but sooner or later you'll see where she was coming from. See that everyone not just Jack but anyone who went up against him, would've died or at least be seriously injured. For gods sake Lee. Look around you!" she was through with men trying to act like they could handle anything.
Jack had almost died, granted it had been his own fault.
Kira, had almost died.
"Lee," she sat back on the bed, "Lee, were you really so desperate to go out on the field and be killed or injured? Think. If you had been beaten to death or stabbed and put into a coma, how do you think Madeleine would feel coming back to that. Think of what it did to you when you found her like that. Would you really want put her through the same horrible experience?" she spoke softly as she asked this.
"I know your upset and pissed off but please don't get angry at me. Please. Shout at me all you want to. Vent your anger, ask your questions but I don't want to be shouted at, plus you're in a room full of critical patients."

[Kira & Lee Norris]

The moment she mentioned Maddie's name, Lee was caught off-guard.
Madeleine.
Oh, God, Madeleine.
Lately, it'd had all been going so well. It'd all been so calm- so peaceful. Lee had thought: would this be what marriage was like? One beautiful day after the next? No arguments. Only conversations about nothing and laughter that hovered in their heads long after they'd left each others' sides. And walks. And sitting around, watching the sunlight dapple its way through their place in the forest-
But now their place was burned and shrivelled up. Now their place was dead.
Were all of Lee's dreams of the future now dead, too?
Will could tell him to calm down. Will could tell him not to be angry. But it just... didn't seem fair. And Kira- Kira had taken away his chance at bringing his dream back to him; at bringing her back.
He wanted her back.
He wanted Maddie.
Oh, God, he wanted her so badly back.
Defeated, he slumped backwards into his pillows and groaned softly.
"Alright, Will. Alright."
And that was it.

[Will Wright]

Just like that.
She used his weak spot against him.
If there was one thing Will had learned from her past and from the people presently around them it was that they all had weak spots. And those weak spots were either family or friends 99% of the time. It was like a sedative for some people; a way to see them to sense.
She frowned as she stared at him. She felt so sorry for him. So she did the next thing she could think of to comfort him. She held his hand lightly.
"We'll find her Lee. We'll get her back." and she believed it. Someone had to. If there was no one there to believe in a good outcome...there'd never be one.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Will's touch- Will's voice- had now lost that wonderful, reassuring quality it had held mere moments ago. Suddenly, Will's hand felt cold in Lee's. Suddenly, her voice stank of dishonesty- of lies, and deceit.
False hope.
She was trying to give him false hope.
Didn't she know how dangerous false hope was?
"Will," Lee spoke slowly, wearily. "You don't know that."
And she didn't. So where did she get off, sitting there, saying it so bloody calmly- so confidently? And really- what grounds had she for even saying it? The school was doing nothing to save Maddie.
The school was sitting on its @ss.

[Will Wright]

"Will, you don't know that."
So what if she didn't.
Nobody knew.
"You know what? You're right. I don't know that. Nobody does. But I'm not going to give up. You want to know why I'm not giving up? Because, Lee, if I give up then it's done. And then if she does come back, I'll have this horrible feeling inside of me for ever thinking that she wasn't. I'll feel guilty. Now, I'm not doing this for me. But I know that if I was kidnapped, I wouldn't want everyone here to give up hope. I wouldn't really give a damñ if it was stupid to hope if they knew I wasn't coming back. And I don't think Madeleine would want everybody to lose hope. Somebody has to keep up moral here even if everybody's to d**n stubborn and close minded to believe it. So yeah, I don't know but I'm sure as hell not going to start losing hope and letting her down."
Why was everybody so bloody sure that this was the end?
Sure, they hadn't won. Madeleine was back and the Warriors and Spies weren't allowed to fa about it. Yes, she didn't have much hope but at least she had some. More than most of the people around here. Lee shouldn't be acting so hopeless. He should be haivng the littlest bit of hope. And it annoys me to see him acting so.
"Lee, don't give up."