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: Sorry it's been so long between parts. I've had a bit of a case of writer's block. My apologies and I hope you like this new part!
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 3: MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS
From the moment Parker stepped out of the Centre doors and stepped into her car, she felt as if time had slowed to a stand-still. The drive home seemed like it took hours, even though Parker's house wasn't far away. When she finally walked through the door of her house, the only thing she could do was collapse instinctively onto her couch and sob uncontrollably. She wept openly for hours, unable to stop herself no matter how much she tried. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was scared. She was genuinely scared not just for Jarod, but for Sydney. She knew that if something were to happen to Jarod, Sydney would never get over it. It would crush him. If only there was something more she could have done...
The next morning, as early as was possible, it was a completely different Parker who walked through the doors to her fathers office. She had shed her tears and then pushed her emotions back inside her, making sure that she was calm, cool and composed. She didn't want to show any weakness, not only in front of her father but in front of Sydney. She needed to be strong for him, to keep him going no matter what happened. As she entered his office, he looked up at her, jovial as always. "Angel!" he exclaimed. "I was just going to see if you were in. We have to have a talk."
"I want to see Jarod, Daddy." she stated very clearly, not wanting to waste any time. Her father seemed taken aback at her abruptness.
"Did you hear me?" she asked. At this his broad grin disappeared, and he looked more concerned.
"Sweetheart, why don't we go out and get a big breakfast at Lowell's Diner this morning. It's so beautiful out after all." he replied, obviously trying to avoid the question. Parker's stomach did a flip-flop.
"Lowell's Diner, Daddy. But we haven't eaten there since Mom..." she trailed off, as a realization hit her.
"Angel..." her father began. "I just think that maybe it might be a good idea today."
"Daddy I want to see Jarod. Right now." said Miss Parker sternly, feeling as though she would collapse.
"Well, I'm afraid that might not be possible, Angel." he replied, causing Parker to force her tears back. "Jarod... well he didn't make it through the surgery. He died last night from massive head trauma."
Hearing this, Parker couldn't hold back anymore. She stifled a cry before telling her father to excuse her and bolting for a bathroom in which to throw up. She locked herself in a stall and sobbed to no end, not caring about anything- the Centre, her father, her job. She only thought about Jarod and all that he had been through in his life, all the pain that the Centre had caused him- that SHE had caused him. Then she thought about Sydney. 'Oh my God..." she thought. Then she sobbed some more.
What must have been several hours later -she hadn't been keeping track- she heard the door creak open and someone enter the bathroom. "He... hello?" said a raw quiet voice slowly. "Miss Parker?" It was Broots. He could hear her wracked sobs from inside the stall.
"B...broots..." said Miss Parker between moans, "This is a ladies room."
"Yeah... I, I know..." he said breaking down himself. "I had to find you. To make... to make sure you're ok."
His concern touched her deeply, causing her to break down again. "Will... will you come out?" he said next, leaning down against the door to sit on the floor.
"No." she replied, her voice almost a whisper.
"OK." he said, and he left it at that.
They sat there, the two of them in the ladies room for the rest of the day sharing in each other's grief. Broots had never seen this side of Parker before, and he hoped he would never have to again. It hurt him, but also scared him to see Parker like this. She had always been the one he had looked up to for her cool headedness and her strengh. He didn't blame her for being upset though. Broots had only known Jarod for a short time and only met him twice but he had had a deep respect for the man who helped him so many times. Without Jarod, he wouldn't have Debbie. He was so thankful for that. Jarod had helped him, even though he had chased him for so long, and now Broots would never be able to pay back the favour. So, he sat there with Parker in silence for hours on end while the rest of the Centre's employees worked on as usual.
There was one other person for whom the day was not business as usual though. Several floors below Broots and Parker in a cluttered white room, Sydney sat in a desk chair watching a projection play out on a screen attached to the wall. As he watched the specifications of one of Jarod's old sims play out in front of him, surrounded by souvenirs of Jarod's time at the Centre, he remembered all the pain that Jarod had experienced as a child. He remembered all the ways he had let him down, had failed to protect him, had lied to him. He couldn't bring himself to cry, because he couldn't believe that Jarod was really dead. He simply couldn't. He had trained him better than that. After all the things that Jarod had survived in his life Sydney could not believe that he had been taken down by something as simple as a bullet. No, Sydney was certain that Jarod was still alive. He had to be.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Deleware
SL-27
Far below the Centre, there was a place that very few people in the Centre knew about, and even fewer had been in, a cold clean hallway with doors leading to equally cold, clean rooms. This area was seperated from the charred remains of Mr. Raines' former labs by large steel walls. Dr. Cox sat in one room, a small sanitized hospital room in a chair next to the cold, still form of Jarod. He was hooked up to many different machines and tubes ran in and out of him. His eyes were taped shut, and there was a large machine hooked up to breath for him. His head was wrapped tightly in gauze bandages. The only sound in the room was the steady beeps of his heart monitor and the humming of the machines. Slowly, Dr. Cox took his hand and a small grin crept over his face. His eyes lit up with anticipation. "Jarod," he said quietly. "You and I are going to have a lot of fun together..."
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long between parts. I've had a bit of a case of writer's block. My apologies and I hope you like this new part!
LIFE OR DEATH
PART 3: MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS
From the moment Parker stepped out of the Centre doors and stepped into her car, she felt as if time had slowed to a stand-still. The drive home seemed like it took hours, even though Parker's house wasn't far away. When she finally walked through the door of her house, the only thing she could do was collapse instinctively onto her couch and sob uncontrollably. She wept openly for hours, unable to stop herself no matter how much she tried. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was scared. She was genuinely scared not just for Jarod, but for Sydney. She knew that if something were to happen to Jarod, Sydney would never get over it. It would crush him. If only there was something more she could have done...
The next morning, as early as was possible, it was a completely different Parker who walked through the doors to her fathers office. She had shed her tears and then pushed her emotions back inside her, making sure that she was calm, cool and composed. She didn't want to show any weakness, not only in front of her father but in front of Sydney. She needed to be strong for him, to keep him going no matter what happened. As she entered his office, he looked up at her, jovial as always. "Angel!" he exclaimed. "I was just going to see if you were in. We have to have a talk."
"I want to see Jarod, Daddy." she stated very clearly, not wanting to waste any time. Her father seemed taken aback at her abruptness.
"Did you hear me?" she asked. At this his broad grin disappeared, and he looked more concerned.
"Sweetheart, why don't we go out and get a big breakfast at Lowell's Diner this morning. It's so beautiful out after all." he replied, obviously trying to avoid the question. Parker's stomach did a flip-flop.
"Lowell's Diner, Daddy. But we haven't eaten there since Mom..." she trailed off, as a realization hit her.
"Angel..." her father began. "I just think that maybe it might be a good idea today."
"Daddy I want to see Jarod. Right now." said Miss Parker sternly, feeling as though she would collapse.
"Well, I'm afraid that might not be possible, Angel." he replied, causing Parker to force her tears back. "Jarod... well he didn't make it through the surgery. He died last night from massive head trauma."
Hearing this, Parker couldn't hold back anymore. She stifled a cry before telling her father to excuse her and bolting for a bathroom in which to throw up. She locked herself in a stall and sobbed to no end, not caring about anything- the Centre, her father, her job. She only thought about Jarod and all that he had been through in his life, all the pain that the Centre had caused him- that SHE had caused him. Then she thought about Sydney. 'Oh my God..." she thought. Then she sobbed some more.
What must have been several hours later -she hadn't been keeping track- she heard the door creak open and someone enter the bathroom. "He... hello?" said a raw quiet voice slowly. "Miss Parker?" It was Broots. He could hear her wracked sobs from inside the stall.
"B...broots..." said Miss Parker between moans, "This is a ladies room."
"Yeah... I, I know..." he said breaking down himself. "I had to find you. To make... to make sure you're ok."
His concern touched her deeply, causing her to break down again. "Will... will you come out?" he said next, leaning down against the door to sit on the floor.
"No." she replied, her voice almost a whisper.
"OK." he said, and he left it at that.
They sat there, the two of them in the ladies room for the rest of the day sharing in each other's grief. Broots had never seen this side of Parker before, and he hoped he would never have to again. It hurt him, but also scared him to see Parker like this. She had always been the one he had looked up to for her cool headedness and her strengh. He didn't blame her for being upset though. Broots had only known Jarod for a short time and only met him twice but he had had a deep respect for the man who helped him so many times. Without Jarod, he wouldn't have Debbie. He was so thankful for that. Jarod had helped him, even though he had chased him for so long, and now Broots would never be able to pay back the favour. So, he sat there with Parker in silence for hours on end while the rest of the Centre's employees worked on as usual.
There was one other person for whom the day was not business as usual though. Several floors below Broots and Parker in a cluttered white room, Sydney sat in a desk chair watching a projection play out on a screen attached to the wall. As he watched the specifications of one of Jarod's old sims play out in front of him, surrounded by souvenirs of Jarod's time at the Centre, he remembered all the pain that Jarod had experienced as a child. He remembered all the ways he had let him down, had failed to protect him, had lied to him. He couldn't bring himself to cry, because he couldn't believe that Jarod was really dead. He simply couldn't. He had trained him better than that. After all the things that Jarod had survived in his life Sydney could not believe that he had been taken down by something as simple as a bullet. No, Sydney was certain that Jarod was still alive. He had to be.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Deleware
SL-27
Far below the Centre, there was a place that very few people in the Centre knew about, and even fewer had been in, a cold clean hallway with doors leading to equally cold, clean rooms. This area was seperated from the charred remains of Mr. Raines' former labs by large steel walls. Dr. Cox sat in one room, a small sanitized hospital room in a chair next to the cold, still form of Jarod. He was hooked up to many different machines and tubes ran in and out of him. His eyes were taped shut, and there was a large machine hooked up to breath for him. His head was wrapped tightly in gauze bandages. The only sound in the room was the steady beeps of his heart monitor and the humming of the machines. Slowly, Dr. Cox took his hand and a small grin crept over his face. His eyes lit up with anticipation. "Jarod," he said quietly. "You and I are going to have a lot of fun together..."