
"I'll take this wing, and you take the other," Napoleon told Illya. The two agents had been sent to investigate possible THRUSH activity in a local mental hospital. It was suspected that THRUSH agents masquerading as surgeons were performing unethical and inhumane procedures on psychiatric patients, and Illya and Napoleon, disguised as psychiatrists, had been sent to investigate.
Illya was halfway down the hall when a half-naked female patient ran past him, screaming. He followed her and grabbed her by the arms. She screamed again and tried desperately to wrench away from him but failed. Half-crazed hazel eyes turned to face him, partially hidden by wisps of damp dark blonde hair which flew crazily in all directions.
"Do not be afraid," Illya told her. "I am not going to hurt you, but you must calm down and tell me what is going on."
"He tried to rape me!" The woman pointed down the hallway, from which a figure dressed as a physician menacingly approached.
"What's happening?" Napoleon had heard the commotion and came to investigate. As the figure drew closer, Illya recognized him as a dangerous THRUSH agent.
"What are you planning to do to her?" With narrowed eyes, Illya confronted the agent as Napoleon comforted the sobbing young woman.
"It's time for her medicine!" the THRUSH agent barked.
"She does not need your kind of 'medicine', and I will not permit you to give it to her," Illya said calmly.
"Try and stop me," the THRUSH agent challenged. He swung a fist at Illya, but the Russian grabbed his arm and flipped him over his head, banging the villain's head on the floor and knocking him out. The police were alerted and promised to arrive soon.
"He is going to be in for one nasty surprise when he comes to," Illya remarked.
"Thanks for saving me," sniffled the young woman, who by now had calmed considerably.
"It is no problem," said Illya.
"I'm Trudy," the young woman offered with a shaky smile.
"I'm Napoleon, and this is Illya," Napoleon told her.
"I shouldn't even still be here," Trudy went on. "I have a chemical imbalance in my brain which caused me to fall into a deep depression where I stopped eating completely, and if my parents hadn't had me committed, I would have starved to death. My doctor put me on new medication and I'm doing much better now, but they won't let me go. They told me that during the time I can't remember I volunteered for an experiment and and that now I have to stay here until it's completed."
"We're going to check with your doctor and find out what he says about this 'experiment'." Napoleon suspected that the psychiatrist knew nothing whatever of the experiment and probably would have vehemently objected to it if he had. "If he recommends it, we'll see about getting you released."
"Oh, thank you!" Trudy cried gratefully.