Miraculously, Sydney responded to the drug treatment. Yet, he slept through his ordeal as his family waited patiently for his awakening. Broots sat in his chair, every now and then he'd doze off. Jarod grew restless as his watchful eye on Miss Parker impatiently pacing the floor had begun to irritate him. Debbie stood quietly next to the "pretender".
"Sit down, Parker," Jarod whispered loudly. "I know you're worried, but, pacing won't do any good."
"I could kill for a cigarette right now," she snarled.
"You quit smoking, remember? It's bad for your health."
"Then how about my scotch and soda?"
"Bad for your ulcers."
"Shit! Sydney didn't smoke, doesn't really drink, look at him! He goes and get a stroke! Shit!" She said swearing loudly that Broots jumped up out of an almost sound sleep.
"Parker! Watch your language!" He pointed to Debbie.
The little girl tugged at Jarod's shirt.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"Is Sydney going to be alright?"
"I hope so. I sure hope so," sadly, he answered.
"Is it breakfast yet?"
He glanced at his wristwatch. "It's almost lunchtime. I'm sorry, with everything happening, no one's even thought about eating." He rose from his chair, stretched, then held out his hand to Debbie.
"Come on, sweetheart, let's go get something to eat."
"Daddy, Miss Parker, do you want anything?" She politely asked, tucking her hand into Jarod's.
Broots fumbled through the pockets of his pants for his wallet. "Maybe a sandwich and coffee."
"I got it, Broots. Parker?"
"Surprise me," she growled.
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"For a little girl, you sure have a huge appetite." Jarod reached over stealing a french fry off of Debbie's plate dipping it into a packet of ketchup.
"Uh-huh", she answered slurping on her drink. She looked around the hospital cafeteria. "Are these people all here to see their sick love ones?"
"Well, yes. But, some of them are the hospital staff."
"Is Sydney going to die?" Wide-eyed, she asked innocently.
Alarmed by her question, he fought back his tears. "I hope not. The medicine seems to be working, we just have to wait for him to wake up."
"Then, he'll be all better?"
"In time. That's where we all come in. He needs to know how much we love him and that we'll be with him through all of this."
"Miss Parker's mommy died when she was a little girl and she cries all the time for her. If my daddy dies, I won't have any family."
"We're your family, too. And your daddy's going to be with us for a long time."
She smiled. "Sydney is like your daddy? I'm sorry for your daddy, Jarod."
"Thank you, Debbie. Yes, he's like my daddy. You see, when I was little he was the one who took care of me. Taught me a lot of things." His dark chocolates had a far away look. "He even taught me how to tie a tie."
"I help daddy with his tie, when we go to church."
"You go to church?"
"Yes, daddy said it helps to pray. Sometimes we don't understand why things happen, but, we have to deal with it the best way we can."
"How old are you? Ten?"
"Yes."
"You're a very wise little girl. Your daddy taught you things very well."
"Did you and Sydney go fishing a lot? Have snowball fights and make snow angels? Play baseball?"
"No, I was...we...we just didn't have any time for that." He said, blinking back the water which built up in his eyes.
Debbie grabbed his hand squeezing it lightly. "Oh, that's okay. You can do all that when he gets better. I'll even teach you two how to throw a catch. Would you like that, Jarod?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I'd like that very much. Hey, we should be going. Your daddy's waiting and Miss Parker's probably growling at him."
She laughed. "I think he's scared of her sometimes, but, she's not really mean. How come they call her "ice queen"?
It was Jarod's turn to laugh. "Oh, it's just a nickname."
"Like when she calls you pezhead? Who's Einstein?"
"Ah, I see she talks about me to you."
"All the time. And you want to know a secret?"
"What?"
"I know Miss Parker loves you."
"Oh? Did she tell you that?"
"Uh-uh. I just know." The little girl grabbed her last piece of french fry. "Daddy yelled at me yesterday because I played with his computer and I lost something in it."
"He didn't mean to yell at you. Sometimes you yell at the ones you love the most," Jarod said sympathetically.
"So, that means that Miss Parker loves you a lot."
He smiled. "You think?"
"Well, she yells at you all the time."
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Jarod and Debbie headed back to Sydney's room with their arms full of drinks and sandwiches when they were greeted excitedly by Broots running towards them. By the look on the computer tech's smiling face, he knew his mentor had finally awakened.
"He's up. Sydney's up and asking for you, Jarod. He's up!"
Hurriedly, the "pretender" dashed to his bedside. "Sydney? It's Jarod. Can you hear me?"
"Ja...rod." The psychiatrist slurred.
"Yes, it's me. How are you feeling?"
He replied by nodding.
"We've been here all morning. You gave us quite a scare."
Sydney roamed his eyes around his hospital room, staring first at Broots, then Debbie. He smiled at them crookedly. Feeling the soft touch of someone's hand on his arm, he turned his head to the side. Tears leaked out of his eyes.
"Sydney. Welcome back. You bloody scared the hell out of all of us. Thank god you're back."
"Cathe...rine. You're he...here. Where...ha...have...you...be...been all..thi...this...time?"
"Jarod! No, Sydney, it's me, it's Parker. Jarod, tell him who I am," she said in a panic-stricken voice.
Jarod stood beside Sydney's long-time friend's daughter. "Sydney, she's not Catherine. This is Miss Parker. She's all grown up now. You do remember her, don't you?"
"Cathe...rine," he repeated.
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"He thinks I'm my dead mother!" Miss Parker yelled at Jarod in the hospital corridor. "What the hell did that drug do to him? Fuck! He remembers the three of you, but, not me!"
"Okay, okay, calm down. Let's just wait what the doctor has to say."
"What the hell do you care? He knows you, me, he forgets! I'm the little "Miss Parker" he comforted when my mother died! Catherine's dead, Sydney!" Angrily she said, then, burst into tears. Jarod tried to comfort her, but, she shoved him hard against the wall. "Get away from me! He has selective memory. And I don't seem to exist to him anymore. Why? What happened? I was the one with him every single day during our "you run, I chase" games. How can he not know me?
"I don't know, Parker. I just don't know." Jarod lent his head back against the wall. "I don't know."
"You don't know? You're supposed to be the genius here! Don't you know a thing?" She snapped.
"No! I don't know everything! I don't know all the answers. If I did, you think he'd be laying in there right now? He just had a stroke and you can't expect him to get better overnight, as much as we want him to. It will take time, lots of time, patience. Take it a day at a time. It will get better. I promise. Sooner or later Sydney will remember you."
Miss Parker fell into Jarod's arms tucking her head under his chin. "Promise? Do you promise?"
"Don't worry. The fact that he's up is a step to his recovery. He'll remember every single thing about you, alright?" He ran his fingers through her hair. "Every single thing. Now that's a scary thought," he said kissing the top of her head."
"I heard that," she said stroking his face.
TBC - Chapter 11