Injustice
By Christine and Providencelover
We do not own the characters from Providence, The Pretender or ER. But we did enjoy combining them in this story, and we hope you like it. ~~ The Authors
Providence, Rhode Island
A tall, dark-haired man stood under the shadow of a tree across the street from St. Clare's Clinic. In his hand he held a small red notebook, filled with newspaper and magazine clippings. The man adjusted his sunglasses as he opened the notebook to the last filled page. XIADEX ANNOUNCES DRUG TRIALS, one headline read in emblazoned black letters. Beside it was an article that began with LOCAL DOCTOR ACCUSES DRUG COMPANY OF CORRUPTION. The last article's headline was CONNELLY HEADQUARTERS RELOCATED TO PROVIDENCE.
The man, whose name was Jarod, shook his head and sighed. Of anything he had seen since he'd escaped The Centre, cruelty to children was what bothered his keen sense of justice the most. Jarod's jaw set in grim determination. Something was wrong in Providence, and he wasn't about to sit idly by. First, however, he must find someone he could trust to help him penetrate the world of Xiadex and Congressman Joe Connelly. Someone who knew what was going on, someone who had the knowledge needed to assist him.
Jarod removed his dark sport coat and donned a white doctor's coat. Taking off his sunglasses, he strode toward St. Clare's with purpose. A bit of research had told him exactly where he could locate his helper.
St. Clare's
Dr. Sydney Hansen was having a hectic morning. She and her staff had seen nearly everything, and it wasn't even noon. Toddlers with ear infections, flu, aspiring high school athletes with sprained ankles or broken legs, sore throats and nasty coughs had filled their schedule and kept them incredibly busy. Nevertheless, the clinic could also become suddenly silent in as much time as it took it to become crowded, it was impossible to predict.
"Izzy, is that all for now?" Sydney asked her assistant with a note of weariness in her voice.
Izzy nodded, relief all over her face. "Looks like it's gone from rush hour to ghost town."
Syd laughed. "You want some coffee? I was just going to get some for myself."
"Sure, that would be great," Izzy said as she sank into a chair in what served as a waiting room. Since St. Clare's was housed in an old church, the waiting room and some of the other areas of the clinic did not have distinct rooms; only the exam rooms and offices had walls and doors. "Cream and sugar."
"Got it," Syd replied, walking back to the table which housed the coffee and rolls.
As soon as both Syd and Izzy were sitting down to enjoy their coffee and the newfound silence, they heard the front door open. Syd turned to see a tall, handsome man in a white coat standing in the entryway.
She stood up. "Can I help you?"
"Hello," the man looked around him and smiled. "My name is Dr. Jarod Stafford. I'm sure you've received a fax about my coming down to Providence to lend a hand?"
Izzy shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Dr. Hansen. Things got so busy, I forgot to give you the fax."
"That's all right, Izzy, we were so swamped." She gave Jarod a grateful smile. "If the pace we had this morning keeps up, we'll wish they'd sent three helpers instead of one! Come on back to my office, I'll show you where you can keep your things, and give you the five-cent tour."
Jarod smiled and followed Syd. It seemed that things were off to a good start.
Chicago, Illinois
Miss Parker was not in a good mood. Yet another time, she and her team, which consisted of Sydney and Broots, had been too many steps behind Jarod to catch him. Would this nightmare ever end? The more she got to know of Jarod, the more Miss Parker secretly identified with him, The Centre and all of its secrets and lies had also stolen her childhood and most of her adult life. However, her father would not let her leave The Centre and pursue her own agenda in life until she brought back the missing Pretender. Days of travel and nights with limited sleep had certainly taken their toll.
"Go back to the jet," she told Sydney and Broots, brushing a strand of long black hair out of her eyes. "there's nothing here for us to do."
"Should I call and send in a sweeper team?" Broots, the technical expert, asked, referring to the team of Centre employees who collected data and evidence of Jarod's activities.
"Whatever," Miss Parker answered, closing her eyes as she sat down in sheer exhaustion.
"Are you all right, Miss Parker?" Sydney, part research psychologist and part substitute parent to both Miss Parker and Jarod, asked with concern in his Belgian-accented voice.
"Yes, I'm just great," Miss Parker's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I just want to find him so I can go on with things." Her voice was now small and quiet, like a child's.
Sydney resisted the urge to put his arm around her. She was clearly not in the mood for affection. However, he, too, was a virtual captive of The Centre, and he knew exactly how she felt. His profession had taught him that listening was sometimes better than trying to figure out what to say.
"Go onto the jet," Miss Parker said to the two men. "I'm going to go take a walk, maybe it will clear my head."
The men left without saying a word.
Providence, Rhode Island
After showing Jarod around, Syd returned to her cup of coffee in the waiting area. Not having much to do at the moment, Jarod joined them.
He glanced over Syd's shoulder to the stained-glass windows. "Those windows are beautiful," he commented.
"Part of the original interior, in case you hadn't noticed," Syd joked.
"They remind me of a church near where I grew up," Jarod added.
"Where are you from, Dr. Stafford?" Izzy inquired.
"Delaware," Jarod answered. "At least that's where I've spent most of my life, before I decided to travel around the country." It was the truth.
"Very interesting," Syd said.
Late that night, Syd walked into the house to find Joanie and Jim preparing dinner. "Hey, Syd," Joanie said. She put Hannah in her high chair. "How was work?" "Long," Syd said sitting down at the bar. "I went from playing the hero to playing the bad witch in one afternoon." Joanie laughed. "How's that?" "Well, it was busy this morning, and then, this afternoon it got really quiet. I did meet this guy though, a new doctor that's going to help me out." "Ohhh," Joanie said. Syd gave her sister an annoyed look. "I have Joe, remember." "Speaking of Joe, have you talked to him recently?" Joanie asked as she stirred something on the stove. "No," Syd said as she poured herself some juice. "He's been busy." "So much for that relationship." "I'll have you know that Joe and I are very happy together," Syd snapped. She walked into the living room without another word.
St. Clare's Clinic
Around eleven o'clock that night, Jarod locked the clinic door to ensure that he would be alone. He had some investigating to do, and having anyone know about it at this early stage could only do harm. Alone in his office, Jarod opened his laptop,connected it to the Internet and immediately ran a search on Joe Connelly. He had a gut feeling that there was something suspicious about the man, but he wasn't free to say anything about it until he had figured out more of the situation.
Jarod's eyes widened in surprise as he clicked on the first link of latest news on Congressman Connelly. There in a black-and-white newspaper photograph was Joe Connelly, seated next to Syd Hansen in an upscale restaurant. "No wonder you're not suspicious of him," Jarod whispered into the dark. His keen insight into people had allowed him to discern that Syd Hansen was one of the fairest, most level-headed people he'd known. Knowing this, Jarod had been confused as to why Syd didn't seem to suspect that anything was going wrong. His next click revealed even more. A few months ago, Syd had been the doctor who organized the protest against Xiadex, about which he had read in his newspaper clippings. "Now it all makes sense," Jarod said. "But how do we uncover it?"
Chicago
It was unlike Miss Parker to turn her back on her Centre duties, but this time, she'd had enough. Why couldn't she just live a normal life, like other people? As it turned out, sending Sydney and Broots back to the jet, hopefully now en route to Blue Cove, Delaware, was the best thing she could have done. But why hadn't Sydney given her an argument? Could he see how weary she had become?
It was questions like these which filled Miss Parker's mind as she walked along the streets of Chicago, nearly in a daze. She didn't care if she was temporarily stranded, she could always call her father at The Centre and have a jet sent right away. For now, her few hours of freedom were all she wished to concentrate upon. But the questions continued. She remembered how elite members of The Centre were constantly interrogating her as to why she had been unable to catch Jarod. The only people she felt she could occasionally be her true self with were Sydney and Broots. Not her father. Especially not her father. He had to be helping the unsavory characters who were trying to gain and keep control of things. She couldn't trust him anymore.
Miss Parker rubbed her eyes. It was the typical time of day for one of her headaches, undoubtedly stress-induced. "Which way should I go?" she asked no one in particular. She was not very familiar with Chicago, and had gotten turned around. Sighing a deep sigh, she chose to continue going straight along the road she was already on. Because of her worsening headache, she didn't see the car speeding in from her left. She only felt the blow, aware of the pain for only a few moments before the world went black.
Cook County Hospital
"We've got an MVA coming in," Abby Lockhart announced after conferring with the paramedics on the radio. "Hit and run. Probable head trauma."
Dr. Kerry Weaver nodded and pulled on her gloves. "OK, people, let's get a room ready." This had to be one of the longest nights of her medical career, Kerry thought.
The ambulance pulled up. "We've got a Jane Doe," the driver told Kerry. "Hit in the crosswalk a few blocks from here. Looks like a nasty concussion." He reached inside the rig. "The interesting part is, all she's got is a gun and a cell phone."
Neither Kerry nor Abby were much surprised about the gun, they were in the middle of urban Chicago, after all.
Kerry nodded and summoned Abby. "Come on, let's get going."
They worked on the woman long enough to assess that while her injuries were not life-threatening, she did need immediate surgery to stop internal bleeding caused by the impact of the crash. Abby called Dr. Elizabeth Corday, who was on call that day. "You have no idea who she is?" Elizabeth asked as she waited for the elevator doors to open.
Abby and Kerry shook their heads.
"Let us know how she does," Abby called to Elizabeth, who nodded her head in agreement. Abby could imagine nothing worse than being alone in a strange city, hit by a car with no one around who knew your name.
A few hours later
She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids wouldn't obey her mind's command. When they finally did, everything looked blurry. She blinked several times, trying to bring the room into focus. Where was she? What was going on?
A tall, curly-haired woman came into the room. "I see you're back with us," she said in a British accent, smiling. "You're going to be just fine."
"What happened?" she asked once she found her voice.
"A nasty car plowed right into you. We had to operate, but you're fine now. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Corday. And you are?"
She tried to think. All she could remember was one name. Her first name.
"Margaret, but my mother always called me Maggie," she replied. "But I don't remember anything else."
"It's OK, it will come." Elizabeth's voice was reassuring. "There's no damage to your brain, so it's most likely the trauma of what's happened to you that's making you forget." Elizabeth picked up the phone in the corner of the room. "There are some people downstairs, the doctor and nurse who saw you when you first came in, who will be thrilled to know how well you're doing." Maggie closed her eyes. How had she gotten into this mess?
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod was already at the clinic when Syd and Izzy arrived the following morning. He was making coffee when they walked through the waiting area.
"Wow," Syd said, yawning. "You must get up at four in the morning to be so prepared."
"Five-thirty, actually," answered Jarod. "My hotel was close, just a few blocks from here."
Syd shook her head.
"Here goes," Izzy whispered to herself. She had worked with Syd long enough to know that she saw no one as a stranger.
"How long are you planning to stay in Providence?" Syd asked. "If you're going to be here long, there's no sense in you staying in a hotel the entire time. I doubt the board would like to pay for all of those nights. There's an extra room in my house. We've got plenty of space, we have to, since my dad, my brother, my sister, my niece and I all live there. Not to mention, my dad has a veterinary practice in the basement."
"That sounds wonderful," Jarod said wistfully. He was still on the search for his own family, and while he was searching, he enjoyed nothing more than meeting other people's families. "All right, so it's settled." Syd nodded decisively. "We'll get you settled in over the noon hour."
Noon time: Hansen home: Syd walked into the house at 12:00. It was her lunch break, so Syd had decided to get Jarod settled in at the Hansen house. "My dad is downstairs in the vet clinic. If you want to have the rest of the day off to get settled, we're pretty well covered at the clinic," Syd said. She showed Jarod the guestroom upstairs. "This is nice," Jarod said gazing around the room. He made a mental note to make sure to check things out while there. "Well, I'm going to go grab some lunch and then head back to the clinic," Syd said. She walked downstairs to fix lunch. Jarod put his suitcase on the bed and walked around. He came to a room with pink all over it and assumed it must be the room of Syd's niece. Jarod took a step closer into the room and noticed tons of toys. He picked up a green piggy and studied it. He had never seen a toy like this before, and it fascinated him. Jarod put the piggy in his pocket, making sure no one saw him he walked out of the room. He went into his room and quietly closed the door. He took the piggy out of his pocket and studied it. He discovered that it walked and realized that he could put a small tape recorder in the piggy's battery pack. Jarod went into his suitcase and found his small tape recorder. He put the recorder in the battery pack of the piggy and closed it. This would give him a chance to see what was really going on.
As he went downstairs, Jarod noticed a plastic package of what appeared to be some sort of cookie sitting on the kitchen counter. They were different from any other cookie he'd encountered since escaping The Centre. Two thin, black wafers were cemented together by a white substance, like a more solid version of Twinkie filling. Jarod knew all about Twinkies, he had discovered them on a previous adventure. "Oreo," he read from the outside of the package. He opened it and took one out. "Wow, cookie on the outside, frosting in the middle." He was so entranced, he didn't even hear Syd come up behind him.
"I see you've found the Oreos, Jarod. Don't eat them all, or Joanie will have a fit. It's her favorite snack." Syd reached into the package and took a couple of Oreos out. Jarod watched in fascination as she twisted the black parts apart and ate the filling first.
She noticed his steady gaze. "What? You're acting like you've never seen anyone eat and Oreo before." Syd laughed as she finished her cookies before leaving to go back to the clinic.
Jarod smiled, deciding to keep the truth to himself. He imitated the way Syd had twisted the cookie, and discovered how good they were. "Oreos," he said to himself. "I have to remember this!"
Chicago, Illinois
Four days after the accident, Maggie still could remember nothing about her life, other than her name. Elizabeth had brought Kerry up to meet their patient, and the two of them had hit it off at once. As soon as Kerry got off work, she would head upstairs to see how Maggie was doing. She'd only mean to stay for a while, but their conversations sometimes lasted for over an hour. On the fifth day, Maggie was beginning to regain a little of her memory.
"I seem to remember my mother dying," she told Kerry. "I was maybe ten or eleven." Her face portrayed all the sadness which her words could not.
Kerry grew quiet. "I know how you feel. I never knew my real parents. I was adopted, and then my adopted parents died in a car accident a few years ago. For a while I searched for my mother, and I thought I'd found her, but it turned out to be a mistake. So I've never had any real family, not till I married John." She was referring to John Carter, her fellow ER doctor, who had swept her off her feet a little over a year ago.
Maggie nodded, sympathetic. She was beginning to get the feeling that she usually didn't tell many personal things, not even to those she knew well and trusted. But it was all different with Kerry. She felt as if she could tell Kerry anything, and not have to worry about how it sounded. Maggie was sure she'd never had a friend like that before. She closed her eyes, more images flooding her brain.
"What else do you remember?" Kerry asked.
"A large building. Huge, with lots of floors. Even floors underground. There weren't any other children there, just one boy. I remember him. And my father. He told me not to tell anyone my first name, not even the boy. But I did tell him, I'm sure of it. But in front of my father he always called me..." she hesitated, the memories pouring over her like a sudden shower of rain, "Miss Parker," she whispered.
St. Clare's Clinic
"So, Syd," Jarod tried to sound nonchalant. "I see we've got some company in the parking lot. A congressman?"
Syd blushed three shades of crimson. "Yeah, his name is Joe Connelly."
"Joe Connelly," Jarod said. "I'm sure I've heard that name before. What's he like?"
Syd squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. Should she confide her secret doubts in a man she'd only known for a week?
Syd sat up again and faced Jarod with a confident look on her face. "Well..um...he's very nice and kind..." Syd didn't know what else to say. She didn't want to give away the secret. "I need to go talk to him." Syd stood up and headed for the door. "Hi," Joe said when Syd approached him. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I was hoping we could grab some dinner later." Syd pulled him aside, out of Jarod's earshot. "Joe, there's a man here by the name of Jarod, he claims to be a doctor. We need to keep this quiet, OK?" "Sure, anything," Joe said. "Now how about dinner?" "Can't. I have to baby-sit Hannah for my sister Joanie," Syd said. She smiled. "But maybe you could help me baby-sit."
"OK, sounds like a plan," Joe said. "I've never been around children much, but there's always room in life to learn something new." He headed for the door. "I'll see you around six, then?" Syd nodded and smiled as she watched him go. She never thought she'd be happy with a man like Joe. Later that night, Syd was in the guesthouse, getting ready, when Joanie came into the room. "OK, so who's going on the date, me or you?" Joanie asked with a puzzled expression on her face. "Joe's coming over to help me baby-sit," Syd said and smiled. "I hope you don't mind?" "Syd, has Joe ever been around a three-year-old before?" Joanie asked, sitting down on Syd's bed. "No, but I'm sure he can handle it," Syd said. "Why?" "Oh, no reason," Joanie said. She stood up. "I just don't want my child left with a guy who has friends in the drug department." "Joanie!" Syd said. Joanie headed for the door. "Do what you want, but leave my daughter out of it." Joanie slammed the door before Syd had time to say anything more.
Chicago, Illinois
Two days later, Maggie, or Miss Parker, was ready to leave the hospital.
She got dressed in her street clothes and was in the process of gathering her belongings when Kerry came into the room.
"I take it you haven't told the people you came to Chicago with that you're here?" Kerry asked, showing her keen intuition once again.
Miss Parker shook her head. "No, they have no idea where I am." She sighed and sat down on the bed. Even after remembering who she was, and how secretive she had to be about her life, she knew she could still open up to Kerry, as much as she could to anyone. "Kerry, I finally remember what I was doing when I got hit by the car. I had sent Sydney and Broots, the men I work with, back to the plane because I wanted to be alone. To tell you the truth, I have no idea if I want to go back." Tears welled up in her eyes. She struggled to keep them in, she couldn't let anyone see her cry.
Kerry nodded sadly. "I understand. Where are you going to stay?" "I don't know," Miss Parker answered, the self-assured independent tone coming back into her voice. "I can take care of myself."
"That's fine," Kerry said, "but I was just talking to Elizabeth, and she said you could come and stay with her and Mark for a while. Only if you want to."
Miss Parker tried to fight against her nature of never letting anyone in. These people are your friends, she reminded herself. Even if you've only known them for a few days. "Maybe I'll go for a couple of days."
Kerry smiled, satisfied that her new friend would be taken care of until she made up her mind about what she wanted to do.
"Kerry, one more thing." Miss Parker's voice fell to a hush. "I'm sure you found my gun when I was brought in here. I can't explain it, but it's a part of my job. Is there somewhere around here where it could be kept safe until I decide? It's too much of a reminder of what I may be going back to."
"Sure," Kerry said. "We have a place for things like that." She remembered how Miss Parker had told her about how she had felt when her fiancee, Thomas, had stared when he accidentally found the gun in her house in Delaware. Miss Parker hadn't been able to tell him what her job really was, either. It made sense to Kerry that, in the same way, she didn't want any of her new friends to discover the truth.
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod was sitting alone in Syd's office. Since the renovated church didn't have much extra room, Syd had let him share her office during his time in Providence. It was the noon hour, and things were extremely slow. Syd had gone to have lunch with Joe Connelly, so it was just him and Izzy. Izzy was doing some paperwork in the waiting area, so he figured she wouldn't notice if he made a phone call. He reached into his briefcase for his cellular phone. There was no way he would take the chance of using a conventional phone for this kind of call.
"Hello?" A Belgian-accented male voice answered on the other end. It suddenly hit Jarod's mind that his mentor and the woman with whom he was working had the same name. Sydney.
"Sydney," Jarod spoke softly, not wanting to be discovered. "I've got to ask you a question."
"What is it, Jarod?" Sydney asked, patient as ever. Jarod routinely contacted Sydney when he had questions about some aspect of life in the world, but Sydney always denied their communication to the evil men who controlled The Centre.
"What makes people go to all lengths to deny the truth about someone else?" Jarod couldn't imagine what Syd Hansen saw in Joe Connelly, but he knew she was sharp enough to detect that he was part of something unsavory. Yet, she didn't want to believe it.
"Like what?" Sydney asked.
"There's this woman. She's a good woman, smart and caring. But she's involved with a man who could rival anybody at The Centre, Mr. Lyle, Raines, anyone, for deceit. And if she keeps on denying it, she's going to get hurt in the process. Or, worse yet, some of the people she's trying so hard to protect will become hurt."
"I see," Sydney replied. "That is a good question, Jarod." Immediately, Sydney's thoughts drifted to the turmoil of working for a corporation that was corrupt. If he had known what was going on, and had believed that one man could make a difference, he might have stood up against it. Though he not dare admit it to anyone else, it was only when Jarod had escaped and started to do his good deeds out in the world that Sydney had seen exactly how much difference one person can make. "You've got to make her see the truth," Sydney continued. "If she sees the truth, and truly believes that she can change things, she will stop denying what's going on."
A wave of relief swept over Jarod. There was nothing like talking to Sydney to clear up his thoughts. He was still new enough to the world that he sometimes felt the need to discuss matters like this with Sydney. "Thanks, Sydney. I'd better go."
"Goodbye, Jarod. Take care of yourself." The caring in Sydney's voice was unmistakable. He hung up before someone at The Centre could find out that he'd had contact with Jarod.
Jarod turned his cellular phone off and put it away. "Syd Hansen, I know you're a good woman," he said to the empty room. "How can I make you see the truth?" A plan began to form in his mind. He also began to wonder why Miss Parker hadn't closed in on his location yet. It was all for the best, as progress was going much more slowly in the Joe Connelly case, but it made him concerned. It just wasn't like her not to be two steps behind him.
Chicago, Illinois.
Miss Parker followed Elizabeth into her house.
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Elizabeth said. A tall man entered the room, carrying a baby. "This is my husband, Mark, and our daughter Ella."
"Hi," Mark greeted her. He handed Ella to Elizabeth. "She's had a good nap, so it looks like she'll be pretty active tonight."
The sternness melted from Miss Parker's face as she saw Ella. "She's darling. I have a half-brother a little older than her."
"Really?" Mark asked, wondering how someone in their thirties would have an infant brother.
Seeing Mark's confused expression, she explained. "My father married a much younger woman a couple of years ago, and they had a child." It was the truth, but had given away nothing secret.
"Well, I'll show you to the guest room," Elizabeth said. "You must be tired." The room at the end of the hall was decorated in mauves and greens, very welcoming. Miss Parker nodded, suddenly realizing how tired she was. "Thanks, Elizabeth."
St. Clare's Clinic
"Syd?" Jarod asked as they were filling out a chart for a patient they'd just seen, "who would I get in touch with if I wanted to inquire about a Glyphenerol trial?"
Syd looked puzzled. "How do you know about those?"
"I get around," Jarod answered. "Actually, since I'm sent all over the country, I make it a practice to stay informed on the latest developments."
A feeling like being immersed in ice water shot through Syd. How much did he know? Did he know that she had created that demonstration at the hearing? Was he also suspicious of Joe, as she was? She did her best to hide it and just go with the flow of the relationship, but she couldn't stop the nagging doubts that assaulted her mind when she let her guard down. "That's good," Syd said, finding her voice. "No use in getting behind."
"Syd, I can tell something is bothering you," Jarod said in a gentle voice. "If it's about Glyphenerol, it's best that you tell me. It's a priority of mine to help those babies, so, I'm going to need all the help I can get."
Syd's head was spinning. Something about Jarod's eyes let her know that she could trust him completely. "Let's go into my office for a bit," she told him. "Izzy," she called to her assistant. "Dr. Stafford and I are going into my office to go over some charts. Let us know if we have a patient?"
"Sure, Dr. Hansen," Izzy replied.
As soon as the door shut behind them, Syd began telling Jarod about everything that had gone on with Xiadex, from the first baby she'd treated with Glycogen Enzyme Deficiency. She cried as she remembered how she tried nearly in vain to get the medicine for him. It had been too late, by the time she had been able to get the Glyphenerol, he had died. Syd also told Jarod how she had brought the mothers with Glycogen Enzyme Deficiency babies into the hearing, and how she did not know what side of the fence Joe Connelly was standing on. Jarod listened intently to everything she was telling him.
"Syd," he said as soon as she was finished. "We've got to make this right. Will you help me?"
Syd sat back in her chair. How much did he know? She bit her lip, wondering what she should say. She didn't want to give away the secret and risk losing Joe. Syd looked at Jarod nervously, hoping he'd say something to break the silence. "Syd?" Jarod asked calmly. "Will you help me?" Syd tried to speak but no words came out. She was trapped, and the only way she was going to get out of this mess was to reveal what was going on and risk losing everything with Joe. Then there was a knock at the door, and Syd almost fainted with relief. Izzy popped her head into the room.
"Joe's here, Syd," Izzy said. Syd smiled and got up. She went out front where Joe was waiting. "Hi," Joe said. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night to help baby-sit." "It's OK, Joanie is pretty mad at us anyway," Syd said. Joe gave Syd a puzzled look. "Is there something wrong?" "I'll tell you later," Syd said, hoping Jarod was not ease dropping on their conversation. "I am really over loaded with patients right now, can we talk later?" "Sure! River Club, eight o'clock?" Joe asked. Syd nodded. "OK." Joe smiled. "OK, see you tonight." Syd sighed as she watched him go. He was so handsome and so sweet, she didn't want to give him up, but, with Jarod around, she didn't know if she had a choice. Syd came home later that evening to find Joanie and Jim in the kitchen, preparing dinner. "Hi, Syd," Jim said. "How was work?" "OK," Syd said. She decided to leave out the details of Jarod and the visit from Joe. "Hungry?" Jim asked. "Dinner will be ready shortly." "Actually, I'm going out with Joe," Syd said. Joanie turned around at the mention of Joe's name. "Really?" "Joanie, I can't believe you're still mad at me for last night?" Syd snapped. "Yes, I'm going out with Joe, he is my boyfriend, after all." Syd stood up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Syd walked outside, slamming the door behind her. She went into the guesthouse and laid down on her bed. Would things ever be normal between she and Joe?
Two hours later, Joe came to pick her up for their date. Syd's mind was still spinning with everything that had gone on with Jarod, but she began to feel a bit more like herself as they were seated at the River Club.
"Are you all right, Syd?" Joe asked, concerned. "You've been acting like something's bothering you for about a week." Was it that apparent? Syd wondered. "No, I'm fine." She forced a smile to convince Joe that she was telling him the truth. No matter what she did, the suspicions were always in the back of her mind. Since her talk with Jarod, they had moved from the back of her mind to something she couldn't stop thinking about. She noticed a waiter approach the table, so she didn't say anything more.
Joe smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Let's see the wine list," he said to the waiter. The waiter nodded obediently and disappeared into the back. "Well, then, if you're really OK, I have something important to ask you. It's about the drug trials..." His voice trailed off because the waiter had once again appeared with the wine list.
"Here you go, Congressman. Take your time deciding." The waiter gave him the list and menus.
Joe glanced over his shoulder to make sure that he wouldn't be heard. "Joe," Syd began, "if it's this secretive, why are you going to tell me here, in the River Club, of all places? We could go back to your office and..." Joe cut her off. "No, we can't go there. There could be a tap on the phone, or some other kind of surveillance. This has to be absolutely top secret. What I need from you is to submit a report to Xiadex. About the Glyphenerol."
A rush of emotion ran through Syd, remembering the details of her involvement with the drug trials. She felt the sheer injustice of the drug's limited supply as if it were happening all over again. When she closed her eyes, she saw the unspeakable sadness on the face of the dead boy's mother. Syd struggled to regain composure of herself. "And what kind of report would that be, Joe?" Had she sounded too accusatory?
Joe didn't miss a beat. He was too practiced, Syd thought. Cool as a cucumber. No one was that composed unless they're rehearsed what they were going to say over and over. He reached across the table to caress her hand. "Well, Syd, it would be the kind of report only a doctor can write. Something to get them to stop the drug trials. It's draining the company's funding, which, in effect, really belongs to me." Syd's eyes widened. "But there's nothing wrong with the drug! It's helping people! Joe, you're asking me to kill people!"
"Shh!" Joe didn't want anyone to overhear, and Syd's voice was getting dangerously loud. "Syd, calm down. All I'm asking is for you to put a little slant on the data, that's all. Killing people, that's certainly an exaggeration."
Syd was so angry, she couldn't think straight. So Jarod had been right! She had to find him, at once, had to get him to help her stop all of this... this madness!
She stood up, grabbing her coat and purse. "I have to leave now, Joe."
Jarod sitting in the guest room at the Hansens', reading a magazine and eating an entire package of Oreos, when he heard the door open. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and an insistent knock on his door.
"Jarod, it's me, Syd. Are you awake?" Syd had tears in her voice.
Jarod opened the door and let Syd in. "What happened?" he asked, alarmed by how upset she was.
"You were right," Syd told him in between sobs. "About Joe Connelly, about Xiadex, about the whole thing."
Jarod retrieved a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to Syd. "And he just told you this?"
Syd nodded as she wiped her eyes. "He wanted me to falsify a report to stop the drug trials, because it's costing him too much money! Can you imagine that, Jarod? Someone who would put a price on human life?"
Jarod knew several such people at The Centre, such as scheming Mr. Lyle and revolting Mr. Raines. He simply nodded. "I've seen a lot in my life," he answered. He remembered the stuffed piggy he had seen in Hannah's room. "Syd, listen to me." He bent down to look straight into her eyes. "I've got a plan. We won't allow this to continue."
Sheer gratitude was written all over Syd's face as she looked at him. "How?" Was it too good to be true?
Chicago, Illinois
Miss Parker sat on the sofa in Mark and Elizabeth's house, watching Mark play with Ella while Elizabeth was at the grocery store. There was so much love in a home like this, she reflected. Part of her wanted to stay there forever, but the rest of her knew that it was fruitless to spend the rest of her life hiding out in Chicago. There was one person in her life who gave her the feeling that she felt around her new friends, Sydney. They didn't always agree with each other, in fact, she thought his head was in the clouds way too much, but he had always been there for her. He'd been the only one to comfort her after the death of her mother, and they'd been in numerous scrapes together during the chase after Jarod. Jarod... if she caught him, she would be free. Free to go off and start living according to her own agenda. When Elizabeth came home, Miss Parker thanked her for everything she'd done for her, but she had to go back to Delaware.
Early the next morning, she strolled into her office at The Centre, pretending not to be touched by the concern of Sydney and Broots over her strange disappearance.
"Let's go get Jarod," she said.
Broots shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Mr. Lyle's already on the case. We tried to keep your absence a secret, but he got impatient."
"That would figure. Where'd he go this time?" Miss Parker was formulating a plan.
"Providence, Rhode Island," replied Broots.
"Then call for the jet. We're going too." Miss Parker smiled. She was back!
St. Clare's Clinic
"Joe, that was fast!" Syd had called Joe over to her office that morning. "Yeah," Joe said. "I'm hoping you're wanting to reconsider."
Syd smiled at him. "That, and I wanted to apologize for how I acted in the restaurant last night. I was way too quick to jump to conclusions." The door opened and Jarod came inside. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I didn't know anyone was in here. I was just looking for my little stuffed pig." He found it on the shelf, picked it up and surreptitiously turned the tape recorder inside to the "record" mode.
"Dr. Stafford!" Izzy called from the waiting area. "You've got a patient!"
"Oops, sorry, gotta run." Jarod smiled at Joe and Syd, leaving the piggy on Syd's file cabinet.
"Thanks, Izzy," Jarod said when he reached the waiting area.
Izzy nodded. "Is it working?"
"It should," replied Jarod. "It's all set up. Now it's up to Syd."
Inside the office, Syd cleared her throat. "So, I hope you'll accept my apology and we can just move on." Joe smiled. "No problem. About that letter, how soon can you write it?"
"Soon, but you'll have to tell me again what you want it to say. I was too shook up last night to remember exactly what it was you wanted."
"No problem, I can get you up to speed," Joe replied.
Syd felt a tiny bolt of triumph. It was working.
"Just say that too many patients had adverse side effects to the drug, so it is best if Xiadex stops all trials at once. That will save them, and me, at least a million dollars."
Syd hoped the piggy was recording everything. "OK, I'll try to get it done today, depending on how busy we are." She stood up and showed Joe to the door. Then she motioned to Jarod.
Syd, Jarod and Izzy went into the office and locked the door. Jarod carefully removed the recorder from the piggy and played the tape back. It was perfect. One anonymous call to the local press, and Joe Connelly's Mr. Nice Guy reputation wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
Providence Airport
"Come on!" Miss Parker yelled over the noise of the jet's engine. "Jarod is somewhere in this city and I want to find him before Lyle does!" She turned to Broots. "Any clues, Sherlock?"
"Just that he's been working as a doctor. Heaven only knows how many medical facilities there are in Providence." Broots rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long day.
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod saw the familiar black towncars from the window in Syd's office. "Uh-oh," he said under his breath. The Centre. They were onto him. "Syd!" Jarod called down the hall. Syd was sitting, in a daze, on the couch in the waiting area. She really loves him, Jarod thought. He felt a sharp sense of sadness for her, but he knew they had done the right thing, saving the lives of innocent babies who could benefit greatly from the drug trials.
"I've got to go, Syd. Is there an inconspicuous way out of here?" Jarod's voice was urgent. Miss Parker and her team could walk into the clinic at any moment. "I can't explain why, but if a tall lady with long, dark hair comes looking for me, you've never heard of me, OK?" "What?" Syd turned to him, her eyes puffy from crying, as if she hadn't heard a word he said.
"I'll show you," Izzy led him to a discreet exit out by the offices. She glanced at him with curiosity in her eyes. "Just who are you, really?" Jarod smiled. "Someone who thinks children's lives are more important than congressmen's pocketbooks." He opened the window. "Take care of Syd, will you?"
Izzy nodded. "I will."
Jarod slid out the window and hailed a taxi, just as a tall, dark-haired woman walked in the door.
"Hi, I'm from the Blue Cove Gazette," she said. "We heard there's a story here?"
"No, you must be mistaken," Izzy told her. "The only story here is how busy we've been during flu season."
Miss Parker was growing impatient. A tall, good-looking older man with graying hair showed Izzy a picture of Jarod. "Have you seen this man?"
Izzy shook her head. "No, I've never seen him before."
Frustrated, Miss Parker and her team left. They had been baffled by Jarod yet again. Miss Parker's only satisfaction was that Lyle had also come up empty-handed. We'll get you next time, she thought. Just wait.
Syd watched them leave from her office window. She didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, so she shut and locked her door. With a heavy heart, Syd sank into her office chair and started to cry softly. Every time she started to get close to a man, something went wrong. While she could never be happy with a man as evil as Joe Connelly, she couldn't help but feel that the entire fiasco was yet another failure in her love life.
"Am I always going to be alone?" she asked the empty room. What would it take for things to go right? Deciding she didn't want to go home for a bit, Syd stretched out on her sofa and closed her eyes. Maybe some sleep was what she needed.
"If it means anything," Lynda Hansen, still wearing her blue dress, appeared beside the sofa, "I know you did the right thing."
"Then why does it hurt so much, Mom? Why?" Syd started to cry again.
"Shh, honey, it's OK." Lynda sat down beside Syd on the sofa, holding her close. "There's injustice in the world, and love can be one of the most unfair things in life. But keep trying, keep your heart open. You never know what tomorrow will bring." "Stay with me tonight, Mom, can you?" Syd asked.
Lynda smiled. "I think that can be arranged."
THE END
By Christine and Providencelover
We do not own the characters from Providence, The Pretender or ER. But we did enjoy combining them in this story, and we hope you like it. ~~ The Authors
Providence, Rhode Island
A tall, dark-haired man stood under the shadow of a tree across the street from St. Clare's Clinic. In his hand he held a small red notebook, filled with newspaper and magazine clippings. The man adjusted his sunglasses as he opened the notebook to the last filled page. XIADEX ANNOUNCES DRUG TRIALS, one headline read in emblazoned black letters. Beside it was an article that began with LOCAL DOCTOR ACCUSES DRUG COMPANY OF CORRUPTION. The last article's headline was CONNELLY HEADQUARTERS RELOCATED TO PROVIDENCE.
The man, whose name was Jarod, shook his head and sighed. Of anything he had seen since he'd escaped The Centre, cruelty to children was what bothered his keen sense of justice the most. Jarod's jaw set in grim determination. Something was wrong in Providence, and he wasn't about to sit idly by. First, however, he must find someone he could trust to help him penetrate the world of Xiadex and Congressman Joe Connelly. Someone who knew what was going on, someone who had the knowledge needed to assist him.
Jarod removed his dark sport coat and donned a white doctor's coat. Taking off his sunglasses, he strode toward St. Clare's with purpose. A bit of research had told him exactly where he could locate his helper.
St. Clare's
Dr. Sydney Hansen was having a hectic morning. She and her staff had seen nearly everything, and it wasn't even noon. Toddlers with ear infections, flu, aspiring high school athletes with sprained ankles or broken legs, sore throats and nasty coughs had filled their schedule and kept them incredibly busy. Nevertheless, the clinic could also become suddenly silent in as much time as it took it to become crowded, it was impossible to predict.
"Izzy, is that all for now?" Sydney asked her assistant with a note of weariness in her voice.
Izzy nodded, relief all over her face. "Looks like it's gone from rush hour to ghost town."
Syd laughed. "You want some coffee? I was just going to get some for myself."
"Sure, that would be great," Izzy said as she sank into a chair in what served as a waiting room. Since St. Clare's was housed in an old church, the waiting room and some of the other areas of the clinic did not have distinct rooms; only the exam rooms and offices had walls and doors. "Cream and sugar."
"Got it," Syd replied, walking back to the table which housed the coffee and rolls.
As soon as both Syd and Izzy were sitting down to enjoy their coffee and the newfound silence, they heard the front door open. Syd turned to see a tall, handsome man in a white coat standing in the entryway.
She stood up. "Can I help you?"
"Hello," the man looked around him and smiled. "My name is Dr. Jarod Stafford. I'm sure you've received a fax about my coming down to Providence to lend a hand?"
Izzy shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Dr. Hansen. Things got so busy, I forgot to give you the fax."
"That's all right, Izzy, we were so swamped." She gave Jarod a grateful smile. "If the pace we had this morning keeps up, we'll wish they'd sent three helpers instead of one! Come on back to my office, I'll show you where you can keep your things, and give you the five-cent tour."
Jarod smiled and followed Syd. It seemed that things were off to a good start.
Chicago, Illinois
Miss Parker was not in a good mood. Yet another time, she and her team, which consisted of Sydney and Broots, had been too many steps behind Jarod to catch him. Would this nightmare ever end? The more she got to know of Jarod, the more Miss Parker secretly identified with him, The Centre and all of its secrets and lies had also stolen her childhood and most of her adult life. However, her father would not let her leave The Centre and pursue her own agenda in life until she brought back the missing Pretender. Days of travel and nights with limited sleep had certainly taken their toll.
"Go back to the jet," she told Sydney and Broots, brushing a strand of long black hair out of her eyes. "there's nothing here for us to do."
"Should I call and send in a sweeper team?" Broots, the technical expert, asked, referring to the team of Centre employees who collected data and evidence of Jarod's activities.
"Whatever," Miss Parker answered, closing her eyes as she sat down in sheer exhaustion.
"Are you all right, Miss Parker?" Sydney, part research psychologist and part substitute parent to both Miss Parker and Jarod, asked with concern in his Belgian-accented voice.
"Yes, I'm just great," Miss Parker's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I just want to find him so I can go on with things." Her voice was now small and quiet, like a child's.
Sydney resisted the urge to put his arm around her. She was clearly not in the mood for affection. However, he, too, was a virtual captive of The Centre, and he knew exactly how she felt. His profession had taught him that listening was sometimes better than trying to figure out what to say.
"Go onto the jet," Miss Parker said to the two men. "I'm going to go take a walk, maybe it will clear my head."
The men left without saying a word.
Providence, Rhode Island
After showing Jarod around, Syd returned to her cup of coffee in the waiting area. Not having much to do at the moment, Jarod joined them.
He glanced over Syd's shoulder to the stained-glass windows. "Those windows are beautiful," he commented.
"Part of the original interior, in case you hadn't noticed," Syd joked.
"They remind me of a church near where I grew up," Jarod added.
"Where are you from, Dr. Stafford?" Izzy inquired.
"Delaware," Jarod answered. "At least that's where I've spent most of my life, before I decided to travel around the country." It was the truth.
"Very interesting," Syd said.
Late that night, Syd walked into the house to find Joanie and Jim preparing dinner. "Hey, Syd," Joanie said. She put Hannah in her high chair. "How was work?" "Long," Syd said sitting down at the bar. "I went from playing the hero to playing the bad witch in one afternoon." Joanie laughed. "How's that?" "Well, it was busy this morning, and then, this afternoon it got really quiet. I did meet this guy though, a new doctor that's going to help me out." "Ohhh," Joanie said. Syd gave her sister an annoyed look. "I have Joe, remember." "Speaking of Joe, have you talked to him recently?" Joanie asked as she stirred something on the stove. "No," Syd said as she poured herself some juice. "He's been busy." "So much for that relationship." "I'll have you know that Joe and I are very happy together," Syd snapped. She walked into the living room without another word.
St. Clare's Clinic
Around eleven o'clock that night, Jarod locked the clinic door to ensure that he would be alone. He had some investigating to do, and having anyone know about it at this early stage could only do harm. Alone in his office, Jarod opened his laptop,connected it to the Internet and immediately ran a search on Joe Connelly. He had a gut feeling that there was something suspicious about the man, but he wasn't free to say anything about it until he had figured out more of the situation.
Jarod's eyes widened in surprise as he clicked on the first link of latest news on Congressman Connelly. There in a black-and-white newspaper photograph was Joe Connelly, seated next to Syd Hansen in an upscale restaurant. "No wonder you're not suspicious of him," Jarod whispered into the dark. His keen insight into people had allowed him to discern that Syd Hansen was one of the fairest, most level-headed people he'd known. Knowing this, Jarod had been confused as to why Syd didn't seem to suspect that anything was going wrong. His next click revealed even more. A few months ago, Syd had been the doctor who organized the protest against Xiadex, about which he had read in his newspaper clippings. "Now it all makes sense," Jarod said. "But how do we uncover it?"
Chicago
It was unlike Miss Parker to turn her back on her Centre duties, but this time, she'd had enough. Why couldn't she just live a normal life, like other people? As it turned out, sending Sydney and Broots back to the jet, hopefully now en route to Blue Cove, Delaware, was the best thing she could have done. But why hadn't Sydney given her an argument? Could he see how weary she had become?
It was questions like these which filled Miss Parker's mind as she walked along the streets of Chicago, nearly in a daze. She didn't care if she was temporarily stranded, she could always call her father at The Centre and have a jet sent right away. For now, her few hours of freedom were all she wished to concentrate upon. But the questions continued. She remembered how elite members of The Centre were constantly interrogating her as to why she had been unable to catch Jarod. The only people she felt she could occasionally be her true self with were Sydney and Broots. Not her father. Especially not her father. He had to be helping the unsavory characters who were trying to gain and keep control of things. She couldn't trust him anymore.
Miss Parker rubbed her eyes. It was the typical time of day for one of her headaches, undoubtedly stress-induced. "Which way should I go?" she asked no one in particular. She was not very familiar with Chicago, and had gotten turned around. Sighing a deep sigh, she chose to continue going straight along the road she was already on. Because of her worsening headache, she didn't see the car speeding in from her left. She only felt the blow, aware of the pain for only a few moments before the world went black.
Cook County Hospital
"We've got an MVA coming in," Abby Lockhart announced after conferring with the paramedics on the radio. "Hit and run. Probable head trauma."
Dr. Kerry Weaver nodded and pulled on her gloves. "OK, people, let's get a room ready." This had to be one of the longest nights of her medical career, Kerry thought.
The ambulance pulled up. "We've got a Jane Doe," the driver told Kerry. "Hit in the crosswalk a few blocks from here. Looks like a nasty concussion." He reached inside the rig. "The interesting part is, all she's got is a gun and a cell phone."
Neither Kerry nor Abby were much surprised about the gun, they were in the middle of urban Chicago, after all.
Kerry nodded and summoned Abby. "Come on, let's get going."
They worked on the woman long enough to assess that while her injuries were not life-threatening, she did need immediate surgery to stop internal bleeding caused by the impact of the crash. Abby called Dr. Elizabeth Corday, who was on call that day. "You have no idea who she is?" Elizabeth asked as she waited for the elevator doors to open.
Abby and Kerry shook their heads.
"Let us know how she does," Abby called to Elizabeth, who nodded her head in agreement. Abby could imagine nothing worse than being alone in a strange city, hit by a car with no one around who knew your name.
A few hours later
She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids wouldn't obey her mind's command. When they finally did, everything looked blurry. She blinked several times, trying to bring the room into focus. Where was she? What was going on?
A tall, curly-haired woman came into the room. "I see you're back with us," she said in a British accent, smiling. "You're going to be just fine."
"What happened?" she asked once she found her voice.
"A nasty car plowed right into you. We had to operate, but you're fine now. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Corday. And you are?"
She tried to think. All she could remember was one name. Her first name.
"Margaret, but my mother always called me Maggie," she replied. "But I don't remember anything else."
"It's OK, it will come." Elizabeth's voice was reassuring. "There's no damage to your brain, so it's most likely the trauma of what's happened to you that's making you forget." Elizabeth picked up the phone in the corner of the room. "There are some people downstairs, the doctor and nurse who saw you when you first came in, who will be thrilled to know how well you're doing." Maggie closed her eyes. How had she gotten into this mess?
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod was already at the clinic when Syd and Izzy arrived the following morning. He was making coffee when they walked through the waiting area.
"Wow," Syd said, yawning. "You must get up at four in the morning to be so prepared."
"Five-thirty, actually," answered Jarod. "My hotel was close, just a few blocks from here."
Syd shook her head.
"Here goes," Izzy whispered to herself. She had worked with Syd long enough to know that she saw no one as a stranger.
"How long are you planning to stay in Providence?" Syd asked. "If you're going to be here long, there's no sense in you staying in a hotel the entire time. I doubt the board would like to pay for all of those nights. There's an extra room in my house. We've got plenty of space, we have to, since my dad, my brother, my sister, my niece and I all live there. Not to mention, my dad has a veterinary practice in the basement."
"That sounds wonderful," Jarod said wistfully. He was still on the search for his own family, and while he was searching, he enjoyed nothing more than meeting other people's families. "All right, so it's settled." Syd nodded decisively. "We'll get you settled in over the noon hour."
Noon time: Hansen home: Syd walked into the house at 12:00. It was her lunch break, so Syd had decided to get Jarod settled in at the Hansen house. "My dad is downstairs in the vet clinic. If you want to have the rest of the day off to get settled, we're pretty well covered at the clinic," Syd said. She showed Jarod the guestroom upstairs. "This is nice," Jarod said gazing around the room. He made a mental note to make sure to check things out while there. "Well, I'm going to go grab some lunch and then head back to the clinic," Syd said. She walked downstairs to fix lunch. Jarod put his suitcase on the bed and walked around. He came to a room with pink all over it and assumed it must be the room of Syd's niece. Jarod took a step closer into the room and noticed tons of toys. He picked up a green piggy and studied it. He had never seen a toy like this before, and it fascinated him. Jarod put the piggy in his pocket, making sure no one saw him he walked out of the room. He went into his room and quietly closed the door. He took the piggy out of his pocket and studied it. He discovered that it walked and realized that he could put a small tape recorder in the piggy's battery pack. Jarod went into his suitcase and found his small tape recorder. He put the recorder in the battery pack of the piggy and closed it. This would give him a chance to see what was really going on.
As he went downstairs, Jarod noticed a plastic package of what appeared to be some sort of cookie sitting on the kitchen counter. They were different from any other cookie he'd encountered since escaping The Centre. Two thin, black wafers were cemented together by a white substance, like a more solid version of Twinkie filling. Jarod knew all about Twinkies, he had discovered them on a previous adventure. "Oreo," he read from the outside of the package. He opened it and took one out. "Wow, cookie on the outside, frosting in the middle." He was so entranced, he didn't even hear Syd come up behind him.
"I see you've found the Oreos, Jarod. Don't eat them all, or Joanie will have a fit. It's her favorite snack." Syd reached into the package and took a couple of Oreos out. Jarod watched in fascination as she twisted the black parts apart and ate the filling first.
She noticed his steady gaze. "What? You're acting like you've never seen anyone eat and Oreo before." Syd laughed as she finished her cookies before leaving to go back to the clinic.
Jarod smiled, deciding to keep the truth to himself. He imitated the way Syd had twisted the cookie, and discovered how good they were. "Oreos," he said to himself. "I have to remember this!"
Chicago, Illinois
Four days after the accident, Maggie still could remember nothing about her life, other than her name. Elizabeth had brought Kerry up to meet their patient, and the two of them had hit it off at once. As soon as Kerry got off work, she would head upstairs to see how Maggie was doing. She'd only mean to stay for a while, but their conversations sometimes lasted for over an hour. On the fifth day, Maggie was beginning to regain a little of her memory.
"I seem to remember my mother dying," she told Kerry. "I was maybe ten or eleven." Her face portrayed all the sadness which her words could not.
Kerry grew quiet. "I know how you feel. I never knew my real parents. I was adopted, and then my adopted parents died in a car accident a few years ago. For a while I searched for my mother, and I thought I'd found her, but it turned out to be a mistake. So I've never had any real family, not till I married John." She was referring to John Carter, her fellow ER doctor, who had swept her off her feet a little over a year ago.
Maggie nodded, sympathetic. She was beginning to get the feeling that she usually didn't tell many personal things, not even to those she knew well and trusted. But it was all different with Kerry. She felt as if she could tell Kerry anything, and not have to worry about how it sounded. Maggie was sure she'd never had a friend like that before. She closed her eyes, more images flooding her brain.
"What else do you remember?" Kerry asked.
"A large building. Huge, with lots of floors. Even floors underground. There weren't any other children there, just one boy. I remember him. And my father. He told me not to tell anyone my first name, not even the boy. But I did tell him, I'm sure of it. But in front of my father he always called me..." she hesitated, the memories pouring over her like a sudden shower of rain, "Miss Parker," she whispered.
St. Clare's Clinic
"So, Syd," Jarod tried to sound nonchalant. "I see we've got some company in the parking lot. A congressman?"
Syd blushed three shades of crimson. "Yeah, his name is Joe Connelly."
"Joe Connelly," Jarod said. "I'm sure I've heard that name before. What's he like?"
Syd squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. Should she confide her secret doubts in a man she'd only known for a week?
Syd sat up again and faced Jarod with a confident look on her face. "Well..um...he's very nice and kind..." Syd didn't know what else to say. She didn't want to give away the secret. "I need to go talk to him." Syd stood up and headed for the door. "Hi," Joe said when Syd approached him. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I was hoping we could grab some dinner later." Syd pulled him aside, out of Jarod's earshot. "Joe, there's a man here by the name of Jarod, he claims to be a doctor. We need to keep this quiet, OK?" "Sure, anything," Joe said. "Now how about dinner?" "Can't. I have to baby-sit Hannah for my sister Joanie," Syd said. She smiled. "But maybe you could help me baby-sit."
"OK, sounds like a plan," Joe said. "I've never been around children much, but there's always room in life to learn something new." He headed for the door. "I'll see you around six, then?" Syd nodded and smiled as she watched him go. She never thought she'd be happy with a man like Joe. Later that night, Syd was in the guesthouse, getting ready, when Joanie came into the room. "OK, so who's going on the date, me or you?" Joanie asked with a puzzled expression on her face. "Joe's coming over to help me baby-sit," Syd said and smiled. "I hope you don't mind?" "Syd, has Joe ever been around a three-year-old before?" Joanie asked, sitting down on Syd's bed. "No, but I'm sure he can handle it," Syd said. "Why?" "Oh, no reason," Joanie said. She stood up. "I just don't want my child left with a guy who has friends in the drug department." "Joanie!" Syd said. Joanie headed for the door. "Do what you want, but leave my daughter out of it." Joanie slammed the door before Syd had time to say anything more.
Chicago, Illinois
Two days later, Maggie, or Miss Parker, was ready to leave the hospital.
She got dressed in her street clothes and was in the process of gathering her belongings when Kerry came into the room.
"I take it you haven't told the people you came to Chicago with that you're here?" Kerry asked, showing her keen intuition once again.
Miss Parker shook her head. "No, they have no idea where I am." She sighed and sat down on the bed. Even after remembering who she was, and how secretive she had to be about her life, she knew she could still open up to Kerry, as much as she could to anyone. "Kerry, I finally remember what I was doing when I got hit by the car. I had sent Sydney and Broots, the men I work with, back to the plane because I wanted to be alone. To tell you the truth, I have no idea if I want to go back." Tears welled up in her eyes. She struggled to keep them in, she couldn't let anyone see her cry.
Kerry nodded sadly. "I understand. Where are you going to stay?" "I don't know," Miss Parker answered, the self-assured independent tone coming back into her voice. "I can take care of myself."
"That's fine," Kerry said, "but I was just talking to Elizabeth, and she said you could come and stay with her and Mark for a while. Only if you want to."
Miss Parker tried to fight against her nature of never letting anyone in. These people are your friends, she reminded herself. Even if you've only known them for a few days. "Maybe I'll go for a couple of days."
Kerry smiled, satisfied that her new friend would be taken care of until she made up her mind about what she wanted to do.
"Kerry, one more thing." Miss Parker's voice fell to a hush. "I'm sure you found my gun when I was brought in here. I can't explain it, but it's a part of my job. Is there somewhere around here where it could be kept safe until I decide? It's too much of a reminder of what I may be going back to."
"Sure," Kerry said. "We have a place for things like that." She remembered how Miss Parker had told her about how she had felt when her fiancee, Thomas, had stared when he accidentally found the gun in her house in Delaware. Miss Parker hadn't been able to tell him what her job really was, either. It made sense to Kerry that, in the same way, she didn't want any of her new friends to discover the truth.
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod was sitting alone in Syd's office. Since the renovated church didn't have much extra room, Syd had let him share her office during his time in Providence. It was the noon hour, and things were extremely slow. Syd had gone to have lunch with Joe Connelly, so it was just him and Izzy. Izzy was doing some paperwork in the waiting area, so he figured she wouldn't notice if he made a phone call. He reached into his briefcase for his cellular phone. There was no way he would take the chance of using a conventional phone for this kind of call.
"Hello?" A Belgian-accented male voice answered on the other end. It suddenly hit Jarod's mind that his mentor and the woman with whom he was working had the same name. Sydney.
"Sydney," Jarod spoke softly, not wanting to be discovered. "I've got to ask you a question."
"What is it, Jarod?" Sydney asked, patient as ever. Jarod routinely contacted Sydney when he had questions about some aspect of life in the world, but Sydney always denied their communication to the evil men who controlled The Centre.
"What makes people go to all lengths to deny the truth about someone else?" Jarod couldn't imagine what Syd Hansen saw in Joe Connelly, but he knew she was sharp enough to detect that he was part of something unsavory. Yet, she didn't want to believe it.
"Like what?" Sydney asked.
"There's this woman. She's a good woman, smart and caring. But she's involved with a man who could rival anybody at The Centre, Mr. Lyle, Raines, anyone, for deceit. And if she keeps on denying it, she's going to get hurt in the process. Or, worse yet, some of the people she's trying so hard to protect will become hurt."
"I see," Sydney replied. "That is a good question, Jarod." Immediately, Sydney's thoughts drifted to the turmoil of working for a corporation that was corrupt. If he had known what was going on, and had believed that one man could make a difference, he might have stood up against it. Though he not dare admit it to anyone else, it was only when Jarod had escaped and started to do his good deeds out in the world that Sydney had seen exactly how much difference one person can make. "You've got to make her see the truth," Sydney continued. "If she sees the truth, and truly believes that she can change things, she will stop denying what's going on."
A wave of relief swept over Jarod. There was nothing like talking to Sydney to clear up his thoughts. He was still new enough to the world that he sometimes felt the need to discuss matters like this with Sydney. "Thanks, Sydney. I'd better go."
"Goodbye, Jarod. Take care of yourself." The caring in Sydney's voice was unmistakable. He hung up before someone at The Centre could find out that he'd had contact with Jarod.
Jarod turned his cellular phone off and put it away. "Syd Hansen, I know you're a good woman," he said to the empty room. "How can I make you see the truth?" A plan began to form in his mind. He also began to wonder why Miss Parker hadn't closed in on his location yet. It was all for the best, as progress was going much more slowly in the Joe Connelly case, but it made him concerned. It just wasn't like her not to be two steps behind him.
Chicago, Illinois.
Miss Parker followed Elizabeth into her house.
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Elizabeth said. A tall man entered the room, carrying a baby. "This is my husband, Mark, and our daughter Ella."
"Hi," Mark greeted her. He handed Ella to Elizabeth. "She's had a good nap, so it looks like she'll be pretty active tonight."
The sternness melted from Miss Parker's face as she saw Ella. "She's darling. I have a half-brother a little older than her."
"Really?" Mark asked, wondering how someone in their thirties would have an infant brother.
Seeing Mark's confused expression, she explained. "My father married a much younger woman a couple of years ago, and they had a child." It was the truth, but had given away nothing secret.
"Well, I'll show you to the guest room," Elizabeth said. "You must be tired." The room at the end of the hall was decorated in mauves and greens, very welcoming. Miss Parker nodded, suddenly realizing how tired she was. "Thanks, Elizabeth."
St. Clare's Clinic
"Syd?" Jarod asked as they were filling out a chart for a patient they'd just seen, "who would I get in touch with if I wanted to inquire about a Glyphenerol trial?"
Syd looked puzzled. "How do you know about those?"
"I get around," Jarod answered. "Actually, since I'm sent all over the country, I make it a practice to stay informed on the latest developments."
A feeling like being immersed in ice water shot through Syd. How much did he know? Did he know that she had created that demonstration at the hearing? Was he also suspicious of Joe, as she was? She did her best to hide it and just go with the flow of the relationship, but she couldn't stop the nagging doubts that assaulted her mind when she let her guard down. "That's good," Syd said, finding her voice. "No use in getting behind."
"Syd, I can tell something is bothering you," Jarod said in a gentle voice. "If it's about Glyphenerol, it's best that you tell me. It's a priority of mine to help those babies, so, I'm going to need all the help I can get."
Syd's head was spinning. Something about Jarod's eyes let her know that she could trust him completely. "Let's go into my office for a bit," she told him. "Izzy," she called to her assistant. "Dr. Stafford and I are going into my office to go over some charts. Let us know if we have a patient?"
"Sure, Dr. Hansen," Izzy replied.
As soon as the door shut behind them, Syd began telling Jarod about everything that had gone on with Xiadex, from the first baby she'd treated with Glycogen Enzyme Deficiency. She cried as she remembered how she tried nearly in vain to get the medicine for him. It had been too late, by the time she had been able to get the Glyphenerol, he had died. Syd also told Jarod how she had brought the mothers with Glycogen Enzyme Deficiency babies into the hearing, and how she did not know what side of the fence Joe Connelly was standing on. Jarod listened intently to everything she was telling him.
"Syd," he said as soon as she was finished. "We've got to make this right. Will you help me?"
Syd sat back in her chair. How much did he know? She bit her lip, wondering what she should say. She didn't want to give away the secret and risk losing Joe. Syd looked at Jarod nervously, hoping he'd say something to break the silence. "Syd?" Jarod asked calmly. "Will you help me?" Syd tried to speak but no words came out. She was trapped, and the only way she was going to get out of this mess was to reveal what was going on and risk losing everything with Joe. Then there was a knock at the door, and Syd almost fainted with relief. Izzy popped her head into the room.
"Joe's here, Syd," Izzy said. Syd smiled and got up. She went out front where Joe was waiting. "Hi," Joe said. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night to help baby-sit." "It's OK, Joanie is pretty mad at us anyway," Syd said. Joe gave Syd a puzzled look. "Is there something wrong?" "I'll tell you later," Syd said, hoping Jarod was not ease dropping on their conversation. "I am really over loaded with patients right now, can we talk later?" "Sure! River Club, eight o'clock?" Joe asked. Syd nodded. "OK." Joe smiled. "OK, see you tonight." Syd sighed as she watched him go. He was so handsome and so sweet, she didn't want to give him up, but, with Jarod around, she didn't know if she had a choice. Syd came home later that evening to find Joanie and Jim in the kitchen, preparing dinner. "Hi, Syd," Jim said. "How was work?" "OK," Syd said. She decided to leave out the details of Jarod and the visit from Joe. "Hungry?" Jim asked. "Dinner will be ready shortly." "Actually, I'm going out with Joe," Syd said. Joanie turned around at the mention of Joe's name. "Really?" "Joanie, I can't believe you're still mad at me for last night?" Syd snapped. "Yes, I'm going out with Joe, he is my boyfriend, after all." Syd stood up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Syd walked outside, slamming the door behind her. She went into the guesthouse and laid down on her bed. Would things ever be normal between she and Joe?
Two hours later, Joe came to pick her up for their date. Syd's mind was still spinning with everything that had gone on with Jarod, but she began to feel a bit more like herself as they were seated at the River Club.
"Are you all right, Syd?" Joe asked, concerned. "You've been acting like something's bothering you for about a week." Was it that apparent? Syd wondered. "No, I'm fine." She forced a smile to convince Joe that she was telling him the truth. No matter what she did, the suspicions were always in the back of her mind. Since her talk with Jarod, they had moved from the back of her mind to something she couldn't stop thinking about. She noticed a waiter approach the table, so she didn't say anything more.
Joe smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Let's see the wine list," he said to the waiter. The waiter nodded obediently and disappeared into the back. "Well, then, if you're really OK, I have something important to ask you. It's about the drug trials..." His voice trailed off because the waiter had once again appeared with the wine list.
"Here you go, Congressman. Take your time deciding." The waiter gave him the list and menus.
Joe glanced over his shoulder to make sure that he wouldn't be heard. "Joe," Syd began, "if it's this secretive, why are you going to tell me here, in the River Club, of all places? We could go back to your office and..." Joe cut her off. "No, we can't go there. There could be a tap on the phone, or some other kind of surveillance. This has to be absolutely top secret. What I need from you is to submit a report to Xiadex. About the Glyphenerol."
A rush of emotion ran through Syd, remembering the details of her involvement with the drug trials. She felt the sheer injustice of the drug's limited supply as if it were happening all over again. When she closed her eyes, she saw the unspeakable sadness on the face of the dead boy's mother. Syd struggled to regain composure of herself. "And what kind of report would that be, Joe?" Had she sounded too accusatory?
Joe didn't miss a beat. He was too practiced, Syd thought. Cool as a cucumber. No one was that composed unless they're rehearsed what they were going to say over and over. He reached across the table to caress her hand. "Well, Syd, it would be the kind of report only a doctor can write. Something to get them to stop the drug trials. It's draining the company's funding, which, in effect, really belongs to me." Syd's eyes widened. "But there's nothing wrong with the drug! It's helping people! Joe, you're asking me to kill people!"
"Shh!" Joe didn't want anyone to overhear, and Syd's voice was getting dangerously loud. "Syd, calm down. All I'm asking is for you to put a little slant on the data, that's all. Killing people, that's certainly an exaggeration."
Syd was so angry, she couldn't think straight. So Jarod had been right! She had to find him, at once, had to get him to help her stop all of this... this madness!
She stood up, grabbing her coat and purse. "I have to leave now, Joe."
Jarod sitting in the guest room at the Hansens', reading a magazine and eating an entire package of Oreos, when he heard the door open. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and an insistent knock on his door.
"Jarod, it's me, Syd. Are you awake?" Syd had tears in her voice.
Jarod opened the door and let Syd in. "What happened?" he asked, alarmed by how upset she was.
"You were right," Syd told him in between sobs. "About Joe Connelly, about Xiadex, about the whole thing."
Jarod retrieved a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to Syd. "And he just told you this?"
Syd nodded as she wiped her eyes. "He wanted me to falsify a report to stop the drug trials, because it's costing him too much money! Can you imagine that, Jarod? Someone who would put a price on human life?"
Jarod knew several such people at The Centre, such as scheming Mr. Lyle and revolting Mr. Raines. He simply nodded. "I've seen a lot in my life," he answered. He remembered the stuffed piggy he had seen in Hannah's room. "Syd, listen to me." He bent down to look straight into her eyes. "I've got a plan. We won't allow this to continue."
Sheer gratitude was written all over Syd's face as she looked at him. "How?" Was it too good to be true?
Chicago, Illinois
Miss Parker sat on the sofa in Mark and Elizabeth's house, watching Mark play with Ella while Elizabeth was at the grocery store. There was so much love in a home like this, she reflected. Part of her wanted to stay there forever, but the rest of her knew that it was fruitless to spend the rest of her life hiding out in Chicago. There was one person in her life who gave her the feeling that she felt around her new friends, Sydney. They didn't always agree with each other, in fact, she thought his head was in the clouds way too much, but he had always been there for her. He'd been the only one to comfort her after the death of her mother, and they'd been in numerous scrapes together during the chase after Jarod. Jarod... if she caught him, she would be free. Free to go off and start living according to her own agenda. When Elizabeth came home, Miss Parker thanked her for everything she'd done for her, but she had to go back to Delaware.
Early the next morning, she strolled into her office at The Centre, pretending not to be touched by the concern of Sydney and Broots over her strange disappearance.
"Let's go get Jarod," she said.
Broots shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Mr. Lyle's already on the case. We tried to keep your absence a secret, but he got impatient."
"That would figure. Where'd he go this time?" Miss Parker was formulating a plan.
"Providence, Rhode Island," replied Broots.
"Then call for the jet. We're going too." Miss Parker smiled. She was back!
St. Clare's Clinic
"Joe, that was fast!" Syd had called Joe over to her office that morning. "Yeah," Joe said. "I'm hoping you're wanting to reconsider."
Syd smiled at him. "That, and I wanted to apologize for how I acted in the restaurant last night. I was way too quick to jump to conclusions." The door opened and Jarod came inside. "Oh, sorry," he said. "I didn't know anyone was in here. I was just looking for my little stuffed pig." He found it on the shelf, picked it up and surreptitiously turned the tape recorder inside to the "record" mode.
"Dr. Stafford!" Izzy called from the waiting area. "You've got a patient!"
"Oops, sorry, gotta run." Jarod smiled at Joe and Syd, leaving the piggy on Syd's file cabinet.
"Thanks, Izzy," Jarod said when he reached the waiting area.
Izzy nodded. "Is it working?"
"It should," replied Jarod. "It's all set up. Now it's up to Syd."
Inside the office, Syd cleared her throat. "So, I hope you'll accept my apology and we can just move on." Joe smiled. "No problem. About that letter, how soon can you write it?"
"Soon, but you'll have to tell me again what you want it to say. I was too shook up last night to remember exactly what it was you wanted."
"No problem, I can get you up to speed," Joe replied.
Syd felt a tiny bolt of triumph. It was working.
"Just say that too many patients had adverse side effects to the drug, so it is best if Xiadex stops all trials at once. That will save them, and me, at least a million dollars."
Syd hoped the piggy was recording everything. "OK, I'll try to get it done today, depending on how busy we are." She stood up and showed Joe to the door. Then she motioned to Jarod.
Syd, Jarod and Izzy went into the office and locked the door. Jarod carefully removed the recorder from the piggy and played the tape back. It was perfect. One anonymous call to the local press, and Joe Connelly's Mr. Nice Guy reputation wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
Providence Airport
"Come on!" Miss Parker yelled over the noise of the jet's engine. "Jarod is somewhere in this city and I want to find him before Lyle does!" She turned to Broots. "Any clues, Sherlock?"
"Just that he's been working as a doctor. Heaven only knows how many medical facilities there are in Providence." Broots rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long day.
St. Clare's Clinic
Jarod saw the familiar black towncars from the window in Syd's office. "Uh-oh," he said under his breath. The Centre. They were onto him. "Syd!" Jarod called down the hall. Syd was sitting, in a daze, on the couch in the waiting area. She really loves him, Jarod thought. He felt a sharp sense of sadness for her, but he knew they had done the right thing, saving the lives of innocent babies who could benefit greatly from the drug trials.
"I've got to go, Syd. Is there an inconspicuous way out of here?" Jarod's voice was urgent. Miss Parker and her team could walk into the clinic at any moment. "I can't explain why, but if a tall lady with long, dark hair comes looking for me, you've never heard of me, OK?" "What?" Syd turned to him, her eyes puffy from crying, as if she hadn't heard a word he said.
"I'll show you," Izzy led him to a discreet exit out by the offices. She glanced at him with curiosity in her eyes. "Just who are you, really?" Jarod smiled. "Someone who thinks children's lives are more important than congressmen's pocketbooks." He opened the window. "Take care of Syd, will you?"
Izzy nodded. "I will."
Jarod slid out the window and hailed a taxi, just as a tall, dark-haired woman walked in the door.
"Hi, I'm from the Blue Cove Gazette," she said. "We heard there's a story here?"
"No, you must be mistaken," Izzy told her. "The only story here is how busy we've been during flu season."
Miss Parker was growing impatient. A tall, good-looking older man with graying hair showed Izzy a picture of Jarod. "Have you seen this man?"
Izzy shook her head. "No, I've never seen him before."
Frustrated, Miss Parker and her team left. They had been baffled by Jarod yet again. Miss Parker's only satisfaction was that Lyle had also come up empty-handed. We'll get you next time, she thought. Just wait.
Syd watched them leave from her office window. She didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, so she shut and locked her door. With a heavy heart, Syd sank into her office chair and started to cry softly. Every time she started to get close to a man, something went wrong. While she could never be happy with a man as evil as Joe Connelly, she couldn't help but feel that the entire fiasco was yet another failure in her love life.
"Am I always going to be alone?" she asked the empty room. What would it take for things to go right? Deciding she didn't want to go home for a bit, Syd stretched out on her sofa and closed her eyes. Maybe some sleep was what she needed.
"If it means anything," Lynda Hansen, still wearing her blue dress, appeared beside the sofa, "I know you did the right thing."
"Then why does it hurt so much, Mom? Why?" Syd started to cry again.
"Shh, honey, it's OK." Lynda sat down beside Syd on the sofa, holding her close. "There's injustice in the world, and love can be one of the most unfair things in life. But keep trying, keep your heart open. You never know what tomorrow will bring." "Stay with me tonight, Mom, can you?" Syd asked.
Lynda smiled. "I think that can be arranged."
THE END