And quite the picture they made, stumbling together to the car.  Nick had certainly noticed the mess made of what used to be the Good Doctor's beloved assistant... but he said nothing.  Inwardly, he smiled; there was no doubt as to who'd been responsible.  Well, at least that was one taken care of.  He gave the strange car that had obviously been driven through the wall a glance, then shifted his gaze past the hole and to the only other vehicle in the lot.  It was that moment when it occurred to him how his neighbor had gotten that limp, making him wince with the memories of something completely foreign having taken over.  An apology seemed too ludicrous, really.
        "Wait a second."  Ally realized something very important all of a sudden.  "There's no room in your car for three people."
        Rex shrugged.  "Gotta hook it up to the Bronco, anyway.  Don't trust this thing on the road until I inspect it."
        Alright, so that was her fault.  "Oh.  Right."
        He turned a joking gaze to a still relatively stunned Nick.  "You didn't teach her how to drive, did you?"
        Exactly why he wasn't horrified that the large hole in the wall had been her fault, he could only guess.  He smiled a little, glad to be out of whatever hell he'd been thrust into.  "No, I didn't.  But maybe she could teach me a thing or two."
        "Not if you'd rather the police not trail you for the rest of your life."  Rex pulled a chain and a variety of hitches from the general area where the back seat should have been.
        "I didn't get caught."  She threw back, leaning against the car and trying to think of anything that would distract her from the increasing discomfort of her shoulder.  Not that she wasn't glad to get that hunk of metal out, but...
        "Well you're not gonna be driving again."  The ex-Marine assured her, limping over to take a look at the Bronco.
        Not that she was surprised... but it wasn't like she enjoyed driving that much anyway.  At least not when she couldn't crash through walls and stuff, instead.  A shame she'd been too young to really enjoy Evel Knievel. 

        The actual process of hooking the cars together was a cinch--mostly because any problem encountered was instantly solved by the sheer amount of "just in case" objects hidden within various parts of the Frankenmobile.  Nick demonstrated the "unique" way in which he started his old beast, involving a screwdriver, some wires, and to a lesser degree, a small wad of electrical tape.  Rex only glanced at Ally as she took it all in silently, pretending as if not to care... but they both knew that she was taking note of every step.  Not that anyone could find it in them to mind, exactly.  Her skills had gotten her that far, after all.
        "Where are we going?" Nick finally asked.
        "I'll drive." Rex offered, not in the least bit sure if he actually could.  The subject change hadn't quite been intentional... but he found that perhaps it was a nice touch.
        The other man shook his head.  "I doubt that's a good idea with your leg.  You can just give me directions."
        Well, there was that option, yes...  Silently, the ex-Marine walked around to take shotgun--a term winced at internally.  May as well get on with the show.
        Ally mumbled something to herself about having to sit in the back, but with a complete understanding of how much worse it had just been--and could be.  Didn't stop her from taking that one moment in time to bitch to herself, however. 

        The driving was silent save for directions for quite some time.  When the last order had been to follow a straight road for about ten miles, Nick finally decided a bit of conversation was in order.  Or at least an attempt at getting some questions answered.  "You live... down the road, right?"
        "Yup.  Or did, before all this.  Probably not a good idea to go back for... a while."  Rex responded.  He paused for a moment, wondering... and then decided to jump in for his turn at the questions.  "What were you doing there?"
        He cringed, visibly.  "I... I don't know.  I don't remember ever being there... I didn't even know it existed."
        Ally shivered, listening a little too closely in the back.  No, none of this was right... and none of it made sense...  She suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl up in a nice warm bed and sleep for a goddamn long time.  And wake to a big breakfast in Nick's house, forgetting about all the rest of it.  Just her luck, wasn't it... once things seemed to be looking up, so bright and shiny and comfortably new...
        "How's it goin' back there?"
        It took her a few seconds to realize Rex had directed that question toward her.  Maybe he felt her silence was unusual if not the least bit uncharacteristic.  "Achy."  She complained very little about the pain in her shoulder.  Truth be told, she was getting used to it... not that that fact alone made it any more pleasant.  "But alright."
        There was silence again for a couple of miles.  Every second stretched out like the age of an empire, and fell just as hard.  Nick tried to concentrate on driving alone, but that wasn't really cutting it.  "And now... what can we expect."  Strange that it hadn't come out exactly like a question...
        Rex had the distinct impression that he was the one being asked.  "I'll stretch my connections as far as they'll reach and get us all out of this without attracting attention."  He was honest, giving the most direct answer he was capable of.  As for after that, well... he hoped no one would ask about that part.
        And they didn't.  There wasn't exactly much time before the hospital building was clearly drawing nearer, anyway.  A blessing and a curse.  The nervousness was hitting hard--enough for some very quick stops and unnecessary tire spinning.
        Faced with all of the possibilities of things that could go wrong, the ex-Marine didn't exactly notice.  He had his papers--he always had his papers--with all his past experience and preparation... and still so much could go wrong.  He'd picked that hospital specifically for little more than rumors he'd overheard, expressed between two former teammates in the shower joking about how easy it was to get unquestioned treatment for various venereal diseases.  Granted, that was quite the different situation, but...  "You two stay in the car until I get you."  He ordered.  "And keep the doors locked."
        They weren't exactly ready to ask a million questions about that, let alone disobey.  Left alone together, though... things were just a touch weird.  Not so much uncomfortable as simply... foreign.
        "How are you really?" Nick asked quietly in his strange new voice without turning around, nor using the rear-view mirror.
        "Scared shitless."  She admitted, deadpan.  "You?"
        "About the same."  He gripped the wheel hard in little pulses of tension, unconsciously trying to work out some nervous energy.  "Not thrilled about being in a hospital."  He paused with a searing swallow.  "Or near any medical buildings, ever again."
        She shuddered.  "I know what you mean."
        "I didn't mean to do it, Ally."  His words were utterly out of the blue, even to him.
        "I know."  She answered with an even tone.  "What... happened?"
        He shook his head with some discomfort--a move she saw only in the mirror.  He just couldn't look back at her yet.  "I think... the Good Doctor knew I was coming.  Switched drugs on me.  But I'm not sure.  It could be that... I just..."
        "Got used to the medicine?" she tried to pick up where he'd failed.
        Several beats of silence passed as he tried to gather the crippled remnants of his voice.  The simplicity of her words and the ease in which she'd stated them... for some reason, it was all nearly causing him to break down into sobs.  He managed not to, controlled himself... but, still...  "Something like that."  He stared straight ahead, concentrating on keeping his breathing steady.  Normal.  "It could happen again."
        "Yeah."  She acknowledged, her shoulder starting to twitch on its own.  Not a pleasant sensation, by any means.
        That made him turn, revved up by anger--until he saw her pathetically clutching at the still-bleeding wound to get the pain to let off.  His tone fell extremely short of rage.  "Shouldn't that worry you a bit more?"
        She'd have shrugged if she'd had the ability.  "I imagine it would worry most people, yes."
        He turned back to the front, ultimately dumbfounded.  Too much so to respond, anyway.  She seemed to be a smart girl.  Or so he'd have said if asked, certainly.  Why was she so eager to stick around?  She may have been a foster child, but she couldn't be the sort that looked for mental abuse...
        "I'm not ready to give up yet."  She admitted after a long silence.
        As infuriating as her attitude was... it was also the most wonderful, strange and impossible leap of faith he thought he'd ever heard of.  And yet... it was so stupid.  He wanted to tell her as much.  He wanted to scream it at her so that she knew...  But it didn't happen.  He just kept a hard grip on the steering wheel... waiting.
        It may have seemed like hours, but Rex made quick work with his fast talking in minutes.  At least, he was able to get some people together to escort his new friends and take care of them.  The rest... well, that was next in line.  When he approached the car, several staff members walking at a distance behind him, he got only the most undivided of their attention.  "Relax."  He assured quickly.  "I got it covered."
        Well... they hoped so.  But neither of them were going to say that much. 

        Ugh, hospitals.  For all the cleanliness they were supposed to exude... it was all just too goddamned creepy.  People coughing, shaking, muttering and bleeding, everywhere... and whether the half-hearted effort made to hide them was comforting or frightening wasn't really something that anyone cared to delve into.
        The doctors seemed nice... but didn't they always until it was too late?  That gave her a shudder... and Rex noticed.
        He grasped her good shoulder, certain to make eye contact.  "It'll be alright.  I promise."
        In all honesty, she just wasn't sure what to believe... or whether or not he actually believed what he was saying.  Not that it mattered entirely, anyway.  One of the nurses had made a "come with me" gesture... and she was pretty sure refusal would be looked down upon.  With one last glance behind her at the other two... she followed.
        Another nurse murmured something low and horrified under her breath before trying to maintain her composure and lead Nick into a room of his own.  Obviously they'd never encountered... quite that degree of neck gore.  Well.  Must be a new nurse.
        With a nod, Rex stayed back and tried to suppress a hard swallow.  Yeah, it was a promise, alright... but the only way to make good on it was to show his paperwork... and maybe someone that completely understood it.  Much easier said than done.  But possible... he took off as quickly as his leg would carry him to take a look at the names of everyone working shifts that night.  Just maybe... 

        Ally could feel her heartbeat pulse in her throat as the nurse escorted her into one of the many frightening rooms within the hospital.  Always such awful places... smelling and feeling of death and antibacterial cleanser.  Not really the best combination for an already quivering stomach.  Nor was the spread in front of her as she walked into the room that would be hers; needles, gauze, bottles of... stuff...  She wouldn't have been surprised if someone pulled a needle and thread from their pocket to stitch her back up--though, luckily, they seemed to have that covered with more sanitary methods.
        Not fun.  This would not, be, fun. 

        Rex had done some rounds by himself.  It'd been a while, but... he did think he recognized one of those names.  Maybe he could recognize the face, as well. 

        Nick was only nervous up until the point when the doctor that walked in was old, grumpy, and not in the mood to deal with anything.  Exactly why that was reassuring...  Well, it didn't really matter at that point.  He was falling into a gloriously drug-induced sleep that made him feel... fuzzy. 

        Perhaps it would have been a good idea to have informed the medical staff that she was not very fond of needles.  At all.  In the least bit.  And yet somehow, Ally maintained some irrational sense of calm.  She wasn't entirely happy about the process... but when they were finally done and she could live with glancing over without feeling her stomach at her throat, she did actually feel better.  She knew she'd be in pain again very soon after, but that wasn't really her major concern.  Plus, they gave her pills, so hey.
        Be it a matter of luck or planning, Rex stumbled somewhat casually by--then stopped short, realizing who he'd nearly walked past.  He looked like an odd combination of anxiety-ridden and satisfied with the situation... and that didn't really sit well with her.  He tried to quell her growing fears with a simplistic, "How's it going?"
        The edge of a glare met his question... but it was nice to see him around, anyway.  "A few minutes from feeling these stitches.  You?"
        There was actually a moment when he pondered that question...  "I could really use a shower."
        She agreed with a grunt, waiting until the last nurse left the room before voicing her main concern.  "And Nick?"
        "Almost done, I think."
        Somehow, that made her feel far less than confident.  "W-what... are they doing?"
        He'd already glanced in on Nick's room, happy that it wasn't all that far from hers.  His leg was really starting to kill--but he was committed to getting the others set, first.  He could dig the bullet out himself, if he had to.  "Right now... only making sure he doesn't have a big hole in his neck."
        She felt immensely relieved, to a point.  They wouldn't be... prodding around in his brain.  At that time, it just... wouldn't have been... good.  "And how did..." she paused to indicate the whole of the situation with her good hand, spinning her fingers in something like a circle, "This happen?"
        "I found someone that fully understood my papers."
        That was enough.  She could... almost rest easy with that one.
        "Let's just wait outside, then."  Rex suggested.
        A little... surprising.  "Shouldn't I stay here and wait for... someone?"
        He shook his head patiently.  "Let's just say this is all I get, okay?"
        She wasn't particularly certain of why she was grinning... 

        They waited.  In the waiting room.  With the TV, stupid local news, and all the other sick people.  It was... strangely compelling--compelling them to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.
        Finally, a meek-looking med student walked over to Rex and whispered something to him.  He nodded, excusing the student and standing.  Without need for words, Ally followed him to the front desk, finding an exceptionally uncomfortable but bandaged Nick waiting.
        No words.  Just a nod between Rex and a doctor walking by, then they were out.  Away.  Breathing fresh air.
        It was only when they were safely in the Bronco again that anything was spoken.  The youngest amongst them voiced the shared question.  "And now?"
        "Now..."  Rex trailed off in thought, carefully maneuvering through the parking lot.  Hey, that was a good question.  One he... wished he had the right answer to.  "Now... here comes... the time to plan what happens next."
        Well, not the best answer...  Another long moment of silence was interrupted by Ally's bluntness.  "I'm a little too tired to give much of a damn right now."
        Rex grinned, but didn't dare turn around to let her see it.  "I know of a hotel that's not... too seedy."
        "I could use that, too."  Nick agreed, quietly.  His throat hurt--but anything felt better than being in that damned hospital.