January, 2001
Bright blue eyes stared at the small pink bike in front of her, wider than they'd ever been before. Her foster-mother knelt on the floor beside her, flicking the tassels with a slender finger. "Do you want to have a go then?" She asked, tilting her head to face the little brunette girl.
"Can I?" Julie laughed, the surprise and wonder in her voice made her curious as to whether she'd ever had anything that was just hers, something that she'd always wanted.
"You don't need to ask, it's yours."
Jayme grinned such a large smile even her foster-father, Michael, had laughed. She was such a special girl, one he cherished with all his heart. A mere two months she'd been with them, and he couldn't have asked for a better daughter to care for. She was such a gentle soul.
"But first, you need to suit up," Michael told her, fishing out the new object from the back of the car and wandering over towards his wife and daughter. "A bike helmet, we don't want you to go breaking that little head of yours do we?"
Jayme giggled, looking up at him as he placed the pink helmet on her head, fastening the straps so it didn't wobble. "Thank you, daddy."
He broke into a smile, looking down at his wife as she glanced up at him, her eyes glossy. That had been the first time she'd ever called him her dad. They'd told her she could, though they hadn't wanted to pressure her. After all, she was eight years old, and they weren't the only parents this girl had had. But even as an eight year old, the little brunette knew there was something special about this couple, and she planned on loving them as if she'd had them as parents her whole life.
"C'mon then, let's set you off on a little journey down the street," he told her, holding the bike still as she got on. Her legs were a little shaky as she got settled, but she had ridden a bike before, and it all came back to her as if it were only yesterday. He gave the bike a gentle push as she began peddling, setting off down the pavement.
Julie stood back up, feeling an arm wrap around her waist as Michael held her close. "She's the one isn't she?"
Michael smiled, gently kissing her forehead. "She's definitely our daughter. I couldn't ask for anyone to be a better fit into our family." He glanced over to her, laughing as she smiled at Jayme, a tear rolling down her cheek. He held a finger to it, brushing it away. "I love you."
She smiled, looking up to him. "I love you too."
"There's been an accident."
Those were the last words the brunette heard before she walked out.
Everyone had remained in the control room, not even Becker daring to follow. He wasn't sure walking was a possibility right now, the words echoing still in his own head. He watched the skin of Lester's knuckles slowly turn white, his grip on the phone tightening with every passing second. The thought of speaking was overwhelmed by the sickly taste in the back of his throat, and he realised he daren't even open his mouth.
"What does that mean? Is Jess ok?" Abby questioned, finally stepping forward, and Becker instantly noticed how pale her skin had become. He couldn't even imagine what his own looked like.
"We don't know yet," Lester stated, keeping his voice calm for his team. "All I've been told is that she's unconscious. I don't know the severity of it." He watched the expressions all turn from bad to worse and he took it upon himself to give any comfort he could. "She's alive, that's what matters."
Jayme continued down the corridor, a desperate run in each step as she moved quickly towards the parking lot. Never had she felt such uneasiness shake through her. Legs trembling, she paused by the doors and leaned against the wall, hands running through her hair. Her breathing was sharp against her lungs, and she was beginning to worry she couldn't get the air through. Sliding down the wall, the brunette wrapped a pair of arms around herself, trying to slow down the jagged breaths that were tormenting her. She couldn't believe what she'd heard, what Lester had said, and she wasn't planning on sticking around to find out more, she just had to find her.
"I have cars all waiting outside, we'll get to the hospital to assess the situation, and decide what our next move will be," Lester told the team, and though the following silence unnerved them all, one by one they headed towards the elevator. Abby and Connor remained close as they walked, hands occasionally brushing against each other as they moved, though neither felt as though they could control their muscles long enough to hold hands. Matt kept his arm around Emily, who walked firmly in the direction of the elevator, wanting to get to Jess as quickly as possible. Danny hung back a little, exchanging words with Lester, though no matter what he asked, he knew the man didn't have the answers, and Becker simply remained behind them all, legs feeling hollow as he walked.
She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, blue eyes burning holes in the wall opposite, but by the time she adjusted herself, she realised just how stiff her muscles had become. She'd been there a while. Her fingers trembled as she picked out her phone from her pocket, the message from earlier on her screen.
'I don't know how much time there is left to stop this. In a matter of seconds, minutes or hours, Jessica Parker will be killed in a car crash. Be careful.'
Whoever had sent this knew what was going to happen, and there was no chance in hell that they'd get away with it so easily. There had been no time to stop the accident, the crash, and Jess had paid the price, whatever price that may be. Jayme didn't know yet. She stood up slowly, gripping against the wall as she rose, body aching. Glancing around the corridor, thankful it was empty, the brunette finally walked through the doors, the cold outside air snaking its way around her. Within seconds she was in the car, engine started, and without another thought, she drove off in the direction of the nearest hospital. Jess had to be ok, she just had to be.
Abby watched with solemn eyes as she watched the soldier pace the room, gaze averting to the door at every fleeting moment. Beside her, Jess lay motionless on the bed. The monitor continued to beep, the only indication that her heart was still beating, the sound cutting through each second of silence. She glanced over, blue eyes falling on the field co-ordinator. Her hair lay sullen to her side, so unlike the way she usually had it. Her eyes were closed, a dark bruise staining her left, growing all the way up and beyond the white bandage wrapped around her head. No one had ever seen her so damaged before. Around the room the team were placed, all unsure of how long they'd been there, as silent and still as the unconscious brunette. Lester had left earlier to go find information from the doctors. No one had told them anything about Jess' condition. All they knew was that she'd had significant head trauma and a broken leg. They just didn't know how severe the damage was.
Heads all looked up as footsteps grew closer to the room, a frantic pace echoing through the busy hospital corridors. Becker sighed a breath of relief, feet falling to a stop as Jayme entered the room, frozen as soon as her eyes hit Jess.
"Is she..." The brunette drew closer, eyes not daring to leave the body. "Is she ok?"
"We don't know," Abby responded. "The doctors haven't told us anything yet, we-"
"We know now," Lester interjected, stepping into the room, a sombre expression gently etched across his features.
Jayme turned slowly, catching her boss' gaze. "How bad is it?"
"It appears the accident was worse than we thought," Lester began, walking further into the room, his eyes resting on Jess for a moment before he pulled away. "She's broken her leg, her knee and her wrist. There's bruising and breaks on the ribs, and there's a possibility of internal bleeding, they can't be sure yet. They also can't be sure of the head trauma, there may be brain damage, but we'll not know until she wakes up."
Jayme hesitated, tears clouding her vision as she turned away. Connor was by Abby's side in an instant, holding her in his arms, Matt was silent and unmoving, though he had taken Emily's hand in his, and she was sure he wouldn't be able to let go. Becker had sunk into the chair behind him, brown eyes pinned to the field co-ordinator, and his body dangerously still. It was only the brunette who managed to break the silence. "When will that be?"
"There's no way to be sure, it could be anything from days to months, even years. I'm sorry."
"So am I," she whispered, keeping eye contact for a second before she stepped forward, walking past him without a second glance.
Lester let his gaze fall upon his team, each one broken from the news, Abby, Connor, Becker, Matt, Emily... And finally he managed the strength to face his field co-ordinator. Her spark had disappeared, the light she always brought with her had faded, and all the strength that this young woman had became invisible to the naked eye. But he knew. He knew she'd keep on fighting. Their Jess was strong, as strong as each and every one of them, and he wouldn't let anything happen to them without a fight.
"I should make some calls," he told the team, turning away from the unconscious brunette and leaving the room, where silence once more feasted on their grief.
January, 2001
"Make sure your shoes are on before you go outside, Jayme!"
"They're on," the little brunette responded to her foster-mother, not pausing as she passed through the house and out the open door, a smile on her face. The heat of the sun fell hard on her skin as she entered the outside world, and her blue eyes were ablaze with joy as she looked up into the sky. She'd never seen a day in winter so full of light.
Without wasting a second, she wheeled the bike from out beside the garage, the pink tassels dancing in the air. Her smile didn't falter as she placed the helmet on her head and jumped on the bike, more confident now after a week of riding. She'd been allowed to play on it every day this week, and she hadn't felt happier. With a little wave to her foster-parents in the living room window, the brunette peddled away down the street. The wave of cool air felt nice against her skin, and she no longer felt the burning of the sun.
Near the end of the street she found the path she was looking for, the one that led into the Forest of Dean. The deal was that she was allowed to play in the forest, as long as she didn't wander too far into it. If she could still see the gaps of the trees facing onto the street, she was ok. Setting the bike down on the ground, she wandered across the soft pine floor, looking around at the trees that touched the very edge of the sky. This would be the perfect place to camp, maybe she should ask if they could one day. She'd never been camping before.
"Hi."
Jayme spun around at the little voice, turning to see a young girl, around her own age.
"I'm Kayla," she told her, running up to the brunette and smiling brightly. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, a bright blue bobble wrapped around it, and she had the biggest brown eyes she'd ever seen.
"I'm Jayme," the brunette told her. "Do you live around here? I do, I live in number 21." The brunette finished off with a smile, content with the idea of having a friend here.
"Yeah, I live at 25. I'm just down the road. My parents are friends with yours I think. I didn't know they had a daughter, I haven't seen you around before." The curiosity in the blonde's voice was obvious, but Jayme didn't mind, she was just happy to be here.
"I didn't used to have parents," Jayme explained, though her smile died a little as she spoke. "I used to live in a foster home."
"What's a foster home?" Kayla asked, sitting crossed legged on the floor as she picked up a pinecone from the floor. She looked up, big brown eyes watching the brunette.
"It's where children go who don't have parents," Jayme told her, sitting down on the ground. "Until someone decides they want you."
"Oh," the blonde smiled, not fully understanding the whole of the situation. "Ok, well I want you. I want you to be my friend. We could play together, and annoy my brother, Kevin, he's ten. We'll have so much fun, and you could come camping with me and my family. We go every month in the forest. It'll be a lot more fun if you could come."
Jayme's smile lit up the forest, blue eyes sparkling. "I'd have to ask my parents but I want to go."
"Great! Come on, Jayme. I'll show you the forest, it's so much fun. We could have an adventure; do you want to have an adventure?"
She smiled. "I'd like that."
Jayme held on tightly to the cup of coffee in her hand, another tear falling down her face. Her hands were shaking, and she could only hope the warmth of the drink would give her some comfort, though she found her hope to be a little farfetched. She touched the outside of her pocket, feeling the outline of the paper. She knew it was time. After her foster-parents, Jess... She had to tell them before she put anyone else's life in danger.
The brunette hesitated outside of the hospital room, gently resting her head against the wall. She could practically taste the sickly clean smell of the hospital, and it made her nose crinkle. She set the cup on the table as she entered the room, noticing the addition of Riley and Danny in the room who, like all, sat in silence. He glanced up as she entered the room, and from the look in her eyes, he had a fair strong feeling about what the brunette was planning.
"I have to..." She took a breath, watching their eyes all hit her. "I have to tell you all something." There was a pause, and she realised she had no idea how to break this to them. "I knew something was going to happen to Jess because I got a note about it. I've been getting notes for a while now. Whoever did this to her, they were the ones who killed my foster-parents, they wrecked the apartment, and I didn't know how to tell you guys. I guess I thought I could deal with this on my own..."
Matt stood up, resting Emily's hand on the arm of the chair. "Who's sending you the notes, Jayme?"
She hesitated. "I don't know for sure," she told them, looking over towards Danny and Becker. "It's something to do with Amanda."
"But she's dead," Connor stated.
"Yeah, I know. But I don't think Antonio is."
Danny's eyes widened as she spoke, he hadn't thought she'd mention that, not yet.
"Antonio?"
She turned to face Connor. "The terrorist, the one who was helping Amanda." She turned back to face the group. "He left before Amanda... We don't know for sure that he didn't escape, he's certainly clever enough."
"We already talked about this, Jayme. He wasn't emotionally involved."
"Wait, you knew about this?" Becker asked, glancing between Danny and Jayme. "I thought you'd only told me and Nick?"
She sighed. "I told him at the anomaly, it's not important." She looked back over to Danny. "He may not have been emotionally involved, but it doesn't mean he wasn't hoping their plan would work. He was still working with her, he still wanted the anomalies, there's no reason to not believe that maybe that's why he wants payback."
"To go this far seems a little much," Danny stated.
"I know, but what else is there..."
Matt sighed, glancing around at his team members. "Look, we'll deal with this, but not here. Have a day off, all of you. What happened today, it's not going to be easy for us to deal with, but like Jayme's told us, we clearly have bigger problems that aren't going to wait around until we feel better. We'll meet in the control room the day after tomorrow, early start. We'll figure out where to go from there, ok?"
They all nodded, eyes sending glances around the room every so often. "I'm going home." Jayme told Becker, watching as he looked up at her.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
She shook her head. "No, just stay here. I'll be fine." She fell quiet after the final words left her lips, and her eyes avoided falling on Jess as she left the room, leaving the empty silence to succumb them.
