After landing at the Centre landing strip, they boarded the
Centre helicopter for the short trip to the Centre. There was a crowd on the roof when they landed. Mr. Parker was quick to open the cockpit
door.
Miss Parker took her father's hand and stepped out of the
helicopter.
The sweepers quickly stepped aside but Mr. Raines and Lyle
were slower about stepping aside. The
Centre medics pulled the gurney out of the helicopter and extended the
legs. Rearranging the medical monitors
and I.V.'s they began their trip from the roof to the infirmary. The sweepers shadowed them the entire route
then took up places in and outside of the infirmary. A doctor stepped forward and read the medical report that was
handed to him.
He began his examination and when done, turned to the group
waiting around the bed.
"He's still in a coma.
It's too soon to judge the severity of the injury. We'll know more in forty-eight hours. Everything that can be done has been done.
"Fine. Let me know
immediately if his condition changes."
Mr. Parker commanded. "Angel,
this calls for a celebration."
"Of course Daddy. I
want to talk to the doctor, I'll join you in your office."
Jarod was watched throughout the day. Like all of the rooms in the Centre, the
infirmary was equipped with surveillance cameras. The room was quiet except for the beeping of monitors and the
thrumming sound of the Centre's air ventilation system.
In the early hours of the morning, after the hourly check by
a doctor, a shadow quietly opened the air vent cover and slipped over to
Jarod's bedside. Smiling at the
disabled camera, the shadow leaned over and took Jarod's head into his
hands. With an intense expression on his
face Angelo continued.
Angelo straightened up and stepped away from the unconscious
Jarod. He had created a parallel dream
world for Jarod knowing that he would be caught in his childhood memories until
a pre-set time. No one knew of his abilities
in this area of mind manipulation. It
was another side affect of Mr. Raines experiments but one that he had kept to
himself. Even at a young age, he knew
that this was a secret he needed to keep to himself. He just knew that it would
be very bad if Mr. Raines found out he could do this. He looked at the infirmary security camera and seeing the light
still out, smiled. Just as silently as
he had arrived, he slipped back into the vent and disappeared.
Centre Infirmary
Morning came with both Miss Parker and Sydney arriving at
the infirmary at the same time. Several
sweepers watched them as they entered through the doors. Sydney asked the Doctor at the bedside how
Jarod was. The doctor updated Sydney on
Jarod's medical condition.
"What about brain damage?
When will you be able to tell?"
After a moment's hesitation, the doctor estimated twelve
hours.
It was actually ten hours later that Jarod woke for the
first time since he went into the coma.
For the rest of the day he drifted in and out of consciousness. Never staying awake for more than a few
moments. Each time he displayed signs
of head trauma. He couldn't remember
what had happened to him. He couldn't
remember what they had told him each time he had awakened.
Sydney and the doctor exchanged concerned looks. Miss Parker caught the looks.
"What?"
"This lack of ability to retain information would seem to
indicate severe brain damage. It is
possible that it is a result of the swelling in his brain. If the damage persists after the swelling
goes down, I'm afraid it is permanent and Jarod will never recover."
Miss Parker looked at the pale man strapped to the bed. Struggling to keep her emotions under
control she sat on the edge of the bed.
"So it may have all been for nothing then."
Sydney put a comforting hand on her shoulder then turned and
walked from the room. Broots wiped a
tear from his eye and hurried after him.
Jarod continued to drift in and out of consciousness. As the hours progressed, the amnesia
persisted but the confusion became less and less. Miss Parker remained in the room. She felt a driving need to see this through.
Jarod drifted back to consciousness. He felt so sore and hazy. When he opened his eyes, he saw several
people in the room. An older man that
he remembered from before was there. He
remembered he had said his name was Sydney.
"How are you feeling Jarod?"
"Sore. I know you
have told me, but can you tell me what happened again?"
Sydney and Miss Parker shared a look of concern.
"You were in an automobile accident. The jeep you were driving was caught in a
rockslide and you were trapped. You
injured your head."
"I don't remember any of that, I guess that's probably a
good thing based on how much EVERYTHING hurts right now. I do remember seeing both of you several
times. You said your name was Sydney…do
I know you? Are we friends?"
"Veeery good Jarod!
My name is Sydney. I raised you,
tutored you. This is Miss Parker. You were childhood friends. We have been very worried about you."
Miss Parker stepped closer to the bed and asked, "What else
do you remember? A silver briefcase?"
Jarod looked at her and tried to remember. Trying to remember make his head hurt. He tried to raise his hand to rub his head
but was stopped by the restraints he is in.
He moved his hands and feet but found himself restrained. He panicked.
"What's wrong? Why am I tied up?"
Sydney put a comforting hand on Jarod's shoulder and
soothingly said, "We were worried that you would injure yourself by thrashing while
you were unconscious. We needed to
prevent further injury."
Something inside Jarod understood and agreed with this
explanation. Before he could ask his
next question, several men entered the room.
Most predominate among them was a stocky, older man in an expensive
suit, a well dressed, handsome young man and a frumpily suited, bald man
pulling a oxygen tank on wheels. The
climate in the room went tense. These
people were apparently important.
The stocky older man spoke with a commanding voice, "Ah,
good he's awake. What's his condition?"
The doctor that had been standing at the foot of the bed
rattled off a medical explanation that was interrupted by the younger man. "He's faking it. Give it up Jarod, you don't really expect us to believe this
little Pretend do you?"
"Is it a Pretend Sydney?" rasped the bald man. His manner implied that he expected a denial
and wasn't about to believe it.
"No, Doctor Bennet and I both believe the amnesia to be real
at this time. I suggest we test the
degree of injury to the brain after the swelling has completely regressed. There is one way of knowing for sure, have
Angelo test him."
This was met by a moment of silence, which was finally
broken by the young man. "I don't
believe it. He's faking it. This is just a trick!"
"Mr. Raines, can
Angelo tell if Jarod is pretending?"
"Yes, Angelo will feel the deceit if Jarod is pretending
it." Rasped the now named bald man.
"Do it. Get Angelo
up here at once. I want a full report
yesterday!" that said, the stocky man turned and walked from the room.
The younger man shook his head, "I'm not buying it Sis. I want to be involved in the testing. Whatever you and this lab rat are planning
isn't going to work!" Looking to his
left, Miss Parker's brother made eye contact with a dark suited man behind him
and followed after the older man.
The bald man had been quietly observing the
conversation. "Willie, get
Angelo. I'll be conducting some
tests."
Willie the sweeper scanned the room occupants as if daring
them to protest and rapidly left the room.
Miss Parker crossed her arms and shook her head in
disgust. Lyle was such a jerk!
"What is it? What's happening? Who is Angelo?"
"It will be alright Jarod.
Angelo is an empath. He will be
able to tell us if you are going to be alright just by touching you." Sydney tried to put all of his powers of
persuasion into his voice.
A short time later, Willie opened the door and pulled Angelo
into the room followed by Lyle.
Angelo must be the rough looking man that looked like he was
trying to hide from all of the attention.
His bearing and actions were familiar to Jarod but his mind couldn't put
things into place. His head started to
hurt again. He closed his eyes and
grimaced.
"Angelo, tell us what Jarod is thinking. Is he pretending to be sick?"
Angelo shuffled hesitantly up to the man in the bed. Jarod opened his eyes as the man sat on the
bed beside him and watched nervously as the hand approached and touched him on
the forehead.
"Hurt. Lost. Afraid.
Only emptiness." Jerking his
hand back, Angelo began to sob. Turning
to Sydney and Miss Parker he sobbed, "Jarod gone. Brain hurt, body hurt but no Jarod."
Sydney looked away and fought off the emotions he was
feeling. Had this accident destroyed
Jarod's super intellect? Pain lanced
through his heart of the loss of the man he had loved like a son.
Miss Parker clenched her fists in fury. Everything that had happened in the last few
years had been for nothing. Lab rat and
all of his genius was gone. She had
spent every waking hour the last few years trying to bring this man back to the
center and all of that was for nothing!
"What does that mean?" Jarod asked quietly.
"Angelo, tell us again.
How is Jarod hurt?" Sydney asked.
"Body is hurt but will heal. Brain is hurt but will heal.
Almost better now." Angelo said with his voice becoming steadier.
"What did you mean about Jarod being gone?" Miss Parker
blurted out.
Angelo looked confused but added, "Part of man that makes
Jarod who he is away. This man is
new. Like baby. Not Pretending."
"I think what Angelo is trying to tell us is that the
identity, the personality that we knew as 'Jarod' has been lost. It would seem
that no other significant damage has been done to the brain."
Lyle's brain was spinning with the implications. If 'Jarod' was really gone, then they could
tell this person anything they wanted.
He could go back to being the useful property of the Centre as if
nothing had happened. His plans could
take a giant step forward if he could just take control of this situation.
Mr. Raines was apparently thinking along the same lines for
he quickly said, "I want him quarantined immediately so that he is not exposed
to any "unacceptable" influences."
Turning to the remaining sweepers he continued. "You have my orders, no
one enters this room without permission from Mr. Parker or myself."
"Oh no you don't! I
haven't busted my ass the last few years to be shut out now. I am going to see my father about this now."
"I have worked just as hard on this as you have…"
Arguing loudly, Miss Parker, Sydney, Lyle and Mr. Raines all
moved for the door and quickly were gone.
Angelo turned to Jarod. "It will
be alright. Angelo will help Jarod get
Jarod back."
"How about helping me get my hands free to start with?"
Angelo nodded and quickly complied. The sweepers watched but since their orders
had not included instructions on that, they didn't stop him from unbuckling the
hand and foot restraints.
Jarod moved his uninjured leg and rubbed his arms. His head hurt from his injury. A lot had just happened and his brain was
having trouble processing it all. He looked
at Angelo hoping for reassurance.
Angelo nodded and smiled. He
stood up and went over to a chair in the corner and started humming to
himself. Jarod closed his eyes and fell
asleep.
Mr. Parker's office - Centre
In Mr. Parker's office the argument continued. Sydney currently had the attention of Mr.
Parker.
"He may have lost his memory but we have to make him want to
stay and cooperate. You could create a
peaceful, willing past for him. One
where he has worked here for all of his life, this is his job, his ambition. Give him what he has been searching for, a
life, a family and a reason to stay here at the Centre. Get his cooperation. If you let Raines and Lyle proceed with
experiments and abuse you could re-create the Jarod that ran away. You only get one chance at this. You must listen to me!"
"Daddy, please!
Sydney knows Jarod better than anyone." Miss Parker pleaded. Sydney's plan made her feel sick to her
stomach but it was better than what Raines and Lyle had planned. The level of Sydney's deviousness shocked
her.
As Mr. Raines and Lyle opened their mouths to speak, Mr.
Parker commanded the floor. "I
agree. We make up a past life for him
and convince him to cooperate." Before
they could object he added, "If he doesn't cooperate, then Mr. Raines will take
over his re-education. Angel, I want
you to monitor him. Write yourself into
his new life so you can be his confidant.
If he remembers anything from his past I want you to find out about it!"
"You want me to Pretend to be his friend?"
"Whatever it takes Angel, this is your plan as much as it is
Sydney's. I know I can count on
you." Raising his hands to her
shoulders, he gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Turning to an angry Raines and Lyle he continued. "I want your total cooperation on this. I don't want him running away this time do
you hear me?" Giving them both a
meaningful glare he turned his back to the group. "I want the details on his new life by tomorrow. Until then, Jarod is quarantined." His dismissal was evident and they filed out
with angry glares at each other.
"My office Sydney! Now!"
Sydney took a deep breath and followed the briskly walking
Miss Parker.
Mr. Raines headed for his office pulling his squeaky oxygen
tank and plotting his contingency plan.
Lyle continued to stand and glare in the direction of his
sister, his own plans forming.