The back door bursts open to reveal a bloody and dirty trio; Sarah has John's right arm around her neck and is holding his right wrist with her left hand, her other arm is behind his back to support him as he hobbles inside. To his left Cameron is holding the door open with her right hand and carrying a duffle bag filled with guns of all types and sizes.

When they reach the kitchen Sarah helps John to get his back against the table but when he attempts to put weight on his arms to lift himself up his left arm gives way and it takes all of an exhausted Sarah's strength to keep him from falling. The next instant John is lifted off the floor and placed onto the table like a two year old. Sarah moves behind him and lifts a piece of cloth that was hastily stuck to his left shoulder blade, re-applying enough pressure to get a groan from John she looks up to find Cameron standing in the doorway with the larger first-aid kit that they kept in the bathroom.

Sarah: "I don't think that's work this time, we need to get him to a hospital."

John: "No."

Sarah: "John..."

John: "No, mom. How many times have you needed to go to the hospital and wouldn't?"

Sarah: "That different."

John (raising his voice): "How... how is it different?"

Sarah: "You have to be kept save."

Cameron: "Your mother knows that it is your destiny to save mankind, your life is the most important thing and hence she has concluded that her own life is insignificant."

John: "Mom, is that true?"

Sarah squares her jaw and throws Cameron a death glare but does not respond.

John: "Mom?"

Sarah: "We don't have time for this; you're losing too much blood."

John (trying to sound resolute): "Fine, but we are going to talk about this... (his voice changing to that of a much younger John) ... right?"

Sarah (looking at the wound): "Fine. (tone of voice change) This is too deep, you need stitches...I can't...John I don't know how."

John turns his attention to Cameron, "You've seen Charlie do it right?"

Cameron: "Yes."

John: "Can you do it?"

Cameron: "Yes."

John: "Ok well then it's settled."

Cameron immediately steps closer with a syringe but Sarah grabs her wrist.

John: "Mom...please ok, Cameron can do this – you let her stay in the house; go with me to school; she has full, unrestricted access to the guns...please don't try to pretend like you don't trust her – I know you do and it's ok cause I trust her too, trust is earned and she's done it many times over."

Sarah releases her grip from the terminator's wrist and willingly accepts that the only reason for it freezing mid-air is because Cameron is programmed not to harm John or her, at the same time re-convincing herself that there was no way that the tingling that originated at her fingertips upon making contact with the terminator's skin could have any anything affect on Cameron. She quickly and quietly steadies herself by swallowing the lump she finds in her throat before turning her full attention to John.

Sarah: "How did you become so wise and stubborn?"

John smiles weakly but before he can reply Cameron steps forward.

Cameron: "I believe those qualities to be hereditary - John got them from you."

This gets a chuckle from John, which suddenly turns into a hissing sound as he sucks air in through clenched teeth when the needle disappears into his upper arm.

John: "Uurg Cameron, I thought you said you know what you're doing."

Cameron: "I do."

He just rolls his eyes at this. Cameron and Sarah help him to lie down on his right side on the kitchen table.

Sarah glances at Cameron who is pulling a piece of thread through a needle, then leans over John and runs her right hand over his forehead and the hair that he's allowed to grow a little longer.

Sarah: "Everything's gonna be okay; your gonna be fine and I'm gonna be right here."

John eyelids drift open and close as she talks to him.

Cameron: "The sedative is taking effect."

After John's breathing slows and becomes shallow Cameron moves around to begin. Sarah moves around John to watch what Cameron is doing, but this passive position only lasts for a few minutes as she moves around and hunches in front of John to monitor his pulse and ruffle his hair. Upon her third time taking John's pulse in 20 minutes Cameron glances up from where she is working to look at Sarah.

Cameron: "You are scared for your son." Sarah didn't know if it was a statement or a question but she finds herself answering without a hint of sarcasm, "Yes."

Cameron: "I believe that I am worried as well, but John is young and you have ensured a healthy diet and he does regular exercise which increases his chances of making a full recovery."

Sarah: "You mean that his running for his life from a machine that's trying to kill him on a regular basis."

Cameron: "The activity has the same effect on John's body as a regular exercise program; he has increased his long capacity, and his muscles are suppler than that of the average 21 year old –so in this instance running for his life has increased his chances of survival."

Sarah opens her mouth to reply but discovers that she does not know what to say and closes her mouth again, just looking from Cameron to her son on the table.

Sarah: "Just get it done will you."

Cameron immediately looks down and continues, after a few seconds she speaks without raising her head.

Cameron: "I believe that you will experience less stress if you occupy yourself with doing something constructive."

Sarah: "Oh really, and what constructive activity would that be."

Cameron: "You could remove the two bullets wedged in my back; I know that you prefer I do it myself but I will require assistance with these as they are beyond the point my arms can reach."

Sarah: "Fine, as long as I don't have to stand around being useless."

As Sarah moves around the other woman places the needle on the table next to John and moves her hands to the hem of her shirt.

Sarah: "What are you doing?"

Cameron: "I would prefer if you could see what you are doing."

Sarah: "Is that sarcasm?" But before Cameron can answer she continues, "Listen, this was your idea; besides if you could see you'd know taking off your shirt wouldn't be much of an improvement back here, so just focus on John okay?"

Cameron was already back to stitching up John when she answered with a simple "Okay."

While working Sarah notices Cameron's neck twitch. After finishing with the two bullet wounds Sarah steps back to resume surveying Cameron as she works, but she's only able to do it for a few moments when Cameron steps back. Sarah's about to ask how it looks when she notices the twitch again.

Sarah: "What is that, what's happening?"

Cameron looks down at her right hand; covered in John's blood.

Sarah: "Cameron?"

Cameron: "My system is running an unknown program."

Sarah: "What do you mean 'an unknown program'?" She glances at John, then the shotgun lying on the kitchen floor where she had disregarded it when they first brought John in, then back at Cameron. "What's it doing?"

Cameron follows Sarah's eyes to the shotgun, and then shifts her focus to John, "Analysing John's blood."

Sarah moves backward to the shotgun as she speaks, "That's all, do you know why?"

Cameron: "Yes. No."

Sarah picks up the gun: "Are you...going evil on us?"

This makes Cameron's gaze move to lock onto Sarah's, "I will not harm John...or you." With this she turns on her heal and quietly walks to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Sarah stares after her; releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding as the door clicked close. She moves to John, choosing to keep a loose grip on the shotgun as she glances at the closed bathroom door again.

In the bathroom

Cameron opens the tap as her neck twitches again. She proceeds to wash John's blood from her hands; looking up at her reflection she sees that for once she did not sustain any significant damage to her face. A few scratches on her left check and a cut above her right eye, revealing a thin line of gleaming metal could hardly be considered damage compared to what she usually looks like. While watching her reflection a message starts flickering in front of her eyes: In green: Analyses complete. Age of John Connor: 21. And in red: Mission complete.

Suddenly Cameron's eyes go wide and she only manages a soft "Sarah" before dropping to the bathroom floor.