Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else in this piece of fiction related to The Pretender. I wish I did but I don't. The Pretender belongs to TNT now (I guess) and to Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle.
Author's Note: This part is a little more intense than the last one. I tried to avoid getting too technical about the medical stuff because I really don't know anything about that. Once again, I hope you like it!
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 2: A RACE AGAINST TIME
Everyone stood there not knowing what to do, stunned by what they saw. "Well, why are you all just standing there? Somebody call an ambulance..." repeated Sydney. He still didn't move. Even Miss Parker could not move.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds, Parker, Broots and Lyle began to react. Parker tentatively walked over and leaned down to check his pulse. Lyle took out his phone and began dialing. Broots said "Excuse me" very quietly and stepped away for a second to throw up on the pavement. Sydney still did not move.
As Lyle's phone rang, he casually asked Miss Parker "Is he still alive?"
All of Miss Parker's attention had been focused on Jarod's wrist so when she looked up to reply to Lyle, she shuddered and had to turn away at the gruesome scene in front of her to look directly at Lyle. "Yes. Yes he is Lyle. Barely, if you care... We have to get him to a hospital." Her comment hung in the air for a moment, giving it time to sink in. "I'm on it." he replied.
Miss Parker noticed that Sydney still hadn't moved. She got up slowly and walked towards him, genuinely concerned. "Syd..." she said. "Are you OK?"
For a moment it looked as though he was still in shock. Finally, he carefully and slowly answered "Yes, Miss Parker. I'm fine. I think it's Jarod we should be worried about right now." He looked as though he was about to start sobbing right there in the alley.
"Yeah, I know Syd. I just wanted to make sure you were still with us." replied Miss Parker.
Their conversation was cut short when Miss Parker heard who Lyle was talking to.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Miss Parker shouted. "There is no way in hell that we are taking him back to the Centre now. Not like this. We have to get him to a hospital!" She ripped his phone out of his hand mid-conversation. It fell hard on the pavement and shattered into several pieces.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lyle yelled. "I was getting a Centre helicopter to come pick us up and take him to the Centre infirmary. That's what you said, 'Get him to a hospital'. That's what I was doing! Did you have something else in mind?"
"Yes," replied Miss Parker, quickly covering for her moment of weakness. "We take him to a closer hospital. He may not make it to the Centre."
"The chopper could make it here in 10 minutes," replied Lyle. "It would take me that long just to get through to 911. Besides, the helicopter would have paramedics and doctors on board. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let the Centre's greatest asset die Parker? Believe me when I tell you that the Centre doctors will take way better care of him than any hospital you could possibly get him to."
Parker looked at Sydney who still looked not quite all there. Then she looked at Broots who was leaning against the brick looking very sick. It looked as though the decision would be up to her. She shot a glance at Jarod, but again had to turn away in anger and sadness. Tentatively, she took her phone out of her purse and handed it to Lyle. "Here, you can use my phone."
"No," said Sydney quietly.
"What?" said Parker, while Lyle dialed.
"No," Sydney said again. "You can't let them do this, Miss Parker. He can't go back to the Centre like this." As he said this, he began to cry. "He could die. And even if he lives..." His words stung Miss Parker worse than anything anyone had ever said to her. Even Lyle looked almost upset while giving the Centre their location.
"Syd, we haven't got much of a choice."
Sydney was quiet for a few moments, obviously realizing that there was no real argument left. In silence, the four of them stood there, with Parker occasionally checking Jarod's pulse until the helicopter arrived and the paramedics moved him to a stretcher and strapped him in. Then they quickly began hooking him up to machines that would monitor his life signs and the helicopter took off.
Once the helicopter took off, everyone except the paramedics sat in silence, listening to the beeping of the monitors and the beating of the propeller. Meanwhile, the paramedics discussed Jarod's condition in terms that noone else there except perhaps Sydney could understand. Parker noticed that Sydney held Jarod's hand the whole way there. About five minutes from Blue Cove, Miss Parker's heart skipped a beat as the monitors went crazy and the paramedics informed them that Jarod might not even make it back to the Centre. They asked the four of them questions while they frantically tried to keep him alive about how long he'd been out there, what exactly had happened and did he he have any medical conditions they should know about. They didn't know the answers to any of the questions except the last. At this point Sydney began reciting Jarod's entire medical history and Broots began to chant "Oh my God" over and over. Normally Parker would have told him to shut up, but she was very close to behaving the same way herself. The paramedics stabilized him and they finally landed at the Centre, where Jarod was rushed into the building with Sydney, Parker and Broots following close behind. The paramedics informed them that he would be going into surgery immediately.
Sydney still held Jarod's hand the whole way into the Centre, but the three of them were stopped at an elevator by Mr. Parker, who was flanked by two sweepers. "Angel!" he said happily. Miss Parker was shocked that he seemed so upbeat.
"Daddy. I see you've heard the news. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm here to make sure that the Centre's prize possesion doesn't die, obviously." he said.
"We have to..." said Miss Parker nervously, "We have to stay with Jarod Daddy. We're worried about him we want to make sure he's all right. You have to let us through."
"Sorry, no can do Pumpkin. The three of you should head home for the night. I'm giving you all the night off. When you come back tommorow Jarod should be out of surgery and you can see him them."
"But Mr. Parker..." interrupted Sydney, more composed, but looking very worried.
"No buts Sydney. Take the night off. You too Mr. Broots. I'll see you all tommorow." Mr. Parker said, completely dismissive as he stepped into the elevator and followed the paramedics up, leaving the sweepers behind. Miss Parker tried to push her way through them but they wouldn't let her. She decided against trying again and reached in her pockets for her car keys, coming up with Jarod's Pez dispenser. She began to cry, but stopped herself, focusing on the trinket for a moment. Finally she put it back in her pocket and turned to Sydney.
"Come on Syd. We can come back tommorow," she said without emotion. Sydney gave one last hopeful glance at the elevator before he turned around and followed Miss Parker and Broots out of the building.
Author's Note: This part is a little more intense than the last one. I tried to avoid getting too technical about the medical stuff because I really don't know anything about that. Once again, I hope you like it!
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 2: A RACE AGAINST TIME
Everyone stood there not knowing what to do, stunned by what they saw. "Well, why are you all just standing there? Somebody call an ambulance..." repeated Sydney. He still didn't move. Even Miss Parker could not move.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds, Parker, Broots and Lyle began to react. Parker tentatively walked over and leaned down to check his pulse. Lyle took out his phone and began dialing. Broots said "Excuse me" very quietly and stepped away for a second to throw up on the pavement. Sydney still did not move.
As Lyle's phone rang, he casually asked Miss Parker "Is he still alive?"
All of Miss Parker's attention had been focused on Jarod's wrist so when she looked up to reply to Lyle, she shuddered and had to turn away at the gruesome scene in front of her to look directly at Lyle. "Yes. Yes he is Lyle. Barely, if you care... We have to get him to a hospital." Her comment hung in the air for a moment, giving it time to sink in. "I'm on it." he replied.
Miss Parker noticed that Sydney still hadn't moved. She got up slowly and walked towards him, genuinely concerned. "Syd..." she said. "Are you OK?"
For a moment it looked as though he was still in shock. Finally, he carefully and slowly answered "Yes, Miss Parker. I'm fine. I think it's Jarod we should be worried about right now." He looked as though he was about to start sobbing right there in the alley.
"Yeah, I know Syd. I just wanted to make sure you were still with us." replied Miss Parker.
Their conversation was cut short when Miss Parker heard who Lyle was talking to.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Miss Parker shouted. "There is no way in hell that we are taking him back to the Centre now. Not like this. We have to get him to a hospital!" She ripped his phone out of his hand mid-conversation. It fell hard on the pavement and shattered into several pieces.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lyle yelled. "I was getting a Centre helicopter to come pick us up and take him to the Centre infirmary. That's what you said, 'Get him to a hospital'. That's what I was doing! Did you have something else in mind?"
"Yes," replied Miss Parker, quickly covering for her moment of weakness. "We take him to a closer hospital. He may not make it to the Centre."
"The chopper could make it here in 10 minutes," replied Lyle. "It would take me that long just to get through to 911. Besides, the helicopter would have paramedics and doctors on board. Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let the Centre's greatest asset die Parker? Believe me when I tell you that the Centre doctors will take way better care of him than any hospital you could possibly get him to."
Parker looked at Sydney who still looked not quite all there. Then she looked at Broots who was leaning against the brick looking very sick. It looked as though the decision would be up to her. She shot a glance at Jarod, but again had to turn away in anger and sadness. Tentatively, she took her phone out of her purse and handed it to Lyle. "Here, you can use my phone."
"No," said Sydney quietly.
"What?" said Parker, while Lyle dialed.
"No," Sydney said again. "You can't let them do this, Miss Parker. He can't go back to the Centre like this." As he said this, he began to cry. "He could die. And even if he lives..." His words stung Miss Parker worse than anything anyone had ever said to her. Even Lyle looked almost upset while giving the Centre their location.
"Syd, we haven't got much of a choice."
Sydney was quiet for a few moments, obviously realizing that there was no real argument left. In silence, the four of them stood there, with Parker occasionally checking Jarod's pulse until the helicopter arrived and the paramedics moved him to a stretcher and strapped him in. Then they quickly began hooking him up to machines that would monitor his life signs and the helicopter took off.
Once the helicopter took off, everyone except the paramedics sat in silence, listening to the beeping of the monitors and the beating of the propeller. Meanwhile, the paramedics discussed Jarod's condition in terms that noone else there except perhaps Sydney could understand. Parker noticed that Sydney held Jarod's hand the whole way there. About five minutes from Blue Cove, Miss Parker's heart skipped a beat as the monitors went crazy and the paramedics informed them that Jarod might not even make it back to the Centre. They asked the four of them questions while they frantically tried to keep him alive about how long he'd been out there, what exactly had happened and did he he have any medical conditions they should know about. They didn't know the answers to any of the questions except the last. At this point Sydney began reciting Jarod's entire medical history and Broots began to chant "Oh my God" over and over. Normally Parker would have told him to shut up, but she was very close to behaving the same way herself. The paramedics stabilized him and they finally landed at the Centre, where Jarod was rushed into the building with Sydney, Parker and Broots following close behind. The paramedics informed them that he would be going into surgery immediately.
Sydney still held Jarod's hand the whole way into the Centre, but the three of them were stopped at an elevator by Mr. Parker, who was flanked by two sweepers. "Angel!" he said happily. Miss Parker was shocked that he seemed so upbeat.
"Daddy. I see you've heard the news. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm here to make sure that the Centre's prize possesion doesn't die, obviously." he said.
"We have to..." said Miss Parker nervously, "We have to stay with Jarod Daddy. We're worried about him we want to make sure he's all right. You have to let us through."
"Sorry, no can do Pumpkin. The three of you should head home for the night. I'm giving you all the night off. When you come back tommorow Jarod should be out of surgery and you can see him them."
"But Mr. Parker..." interrupted Sydney, more composed, but looking very worried.
"No buts Sydney. Take the night off. You too Mr. Broots. I'll see you all tommorow." Mr. Parker said, completely dismissive as he stepped into the elevator and followed the paramedics up, leaving the sweepers behind. Miss Parker tried to push her way through them but they wouldn't let her. She decided against trying again and reached in her pockets for her car keys, coming up with Jarod's Pez dispenser. She began to cry, but stopped herself, focusing on the trinket for a moment. Finally she put it back in her pocket and turned to Sydney.
"Come on Syd. We can come back tommorow," she said without emotion. Sydney gave one last hopeful glance at the elevator before he turned around and followed Miss Parker and Broots out of the building.