LIFE OR DEATH
Part 5: Priorities Change
Disclaimer: The Pretender does not belong to me, but it does belong to TNT at the moment.
Author's Note: I had no idea where I wanted to go with this after I wrote that last chapter. Now, I have an inkling, but it's still going to be a ride. I really hope that this chapter isn't too terrible! ^_^ Oh yeah, the thoughts of the characters are noted by a hyphen or dash, whatever you call it. --Samantha
Parker's Office
Parker sat at her desk, staring blankly at her Caesar salad. She played with her food, something she did only when she was deep in thought. Jarod weighed heavily on her mind. -How dare you, Jarod. How dare you die when I had so much to say!- She mentally cursed his bad timing. His face appeared in her mind. Tears began to form in her eyes at the mental picture. His deep brown eyes were glittering. His smile one of pure joy. It was a look Parker rarely saw. She would have given anything to be able to see it again, just once.
"Daughter." Parker jumped. The whispered voice brought her out of her far off place and focused her back on the present.
"Angelo?" she asked, questions in her eyes. The boyish man looked straight at her before he spoke again.
"Don't be sad. Jarod need help," he murmured, just loud enough so that the taps couldn't detect him. Parker looked upward before closing her eyes against the rush of tears that threatened to spill over at the mention of his name.
"Angelo," she whispered painfully, "he's dead. He doesn't need help anymore." She opened her eyes in time to see Angelo shaking his head.
"No, Daughter. He alive. I see him. Cox keep him." Parker was dumbfounded. She didn't know whether or not to believe him.
"Where?" she asked in a gravelly voice.
SL27
Parker looked around nervously, not wanting to get caught. She knew that if someone did happen to find her there, her father would not be very happy. And that was an understatement.
Angelo crawled in front of her, leading the way to Jarod's comatose body. Suddenly, he stopped. He moved out of the way so Parker could see through the vent covering.
She looked at Angelo, unsure of if she really wanted to see. She moved forward slowly and peered through the grate. She gasped at what she saw.
Sure enough, there lay Jarod. He was hooked up to many tubes and wires, and his head was bandaged with thick, white gauze. But it was Jarod; a living, breathing Jarod! She covered her mouth with a trembling hand, not wanting to cry. She sat for a long time, just watching Jarod's face, and his chest, which was rising and falling rhythmically. She looked at Angelo after a while. She nodded her thanks, then moved back the way she came. Angelo sat alone, looking at Jarod.
Parker's Office
Parker chewed her lower lip nervously. She didn't know what to do. Should she go along with the Centre's actions, and let him stay down there in that horrid place? Or, should she try to get him out? Maybe the better question was what did she want for herself? Did she want to stay on at the Centre, doing the same terrible things? Or, did she want a new life; a new life with Jarod?
She held her head in her hands, working not to sob. Then, almost as if in a vision, her mother was standing in front of her. Catherine placed a hand on her daughter's shaking shoulder and waited. Parker looked up with tears falling down her cheeks. Looking into a face that was nearly identical to her own, she whispered incredulously, "Mamma?" Her mother's voice seemed to float out of a dream.
"Yes, baby. I'm here. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you, sweetie. And also, that I know you'll do the right thing. . . ." the voice faded away, as did the image before her. Parker sat straight up in her chair, her eyes frantically darting back and forth over the room. She absently wiped her tears away. She knew what she had to do.
Parker marched off once more to Sydney's office.
Disclaimer: The Pretender does not belong to me, but it does belong to TNT at the moment.
Author's Note: I had no idea where I wanted to go with this after I wrote that last chapter. Now, I have an inkling, but it's still going to be a ride. I really hope that this chapter isn't too terrible! ^_^ Oh yeah, the thoughts of the characters are noted by a hyphen or dash, whatever you call it. --Samantha
Parker's Office
Parker sat at her desk, staring blankly at her Caesar salad. She played with her food, something she did only when she was deep in thought. Jarod weighed heavily on her mind. -How dare you, Jarod. How dare you die when I had so much to say!- She mentally cursed his bad timing. His face appeared in her mind. Tears began to form in her eyes at the mental picture. His deep brown eyes were glittering. His smile one of pure joy. It was a look Parker rarely saw. She would have given anything to be able to see it again, just once.
"Daughter." Parker jumped. The whispered voice brought her out of her far off place and focused her back on the present.
"Angelo?" she asked, questions in her eyes. The boyish man looked straight at her before he spoke again.
"Don't be sad. Jarod need help," he murmured, just loud enough so that the taps couldn't detect him. Parker looked upward before closing her eyes against the rush of tears that threatened to spill over at the mention of his name.
"Angelo," she whispered painfully, "he's dead. He doesn't need help anymore." She opened her eyes in time to see Angelo shaking his head.
"No, Daughter. He alive. I see him. Cox keep him." Parker was dumbfounded. She didn't know whether or not to believe him.
"Where?" she asked in a gravelly voice.
SL27
Parker looked around nervously, not wanting to get caught. She knew that if someone did happen to find her there, her father would not be very happy. And that was an understatement.
Angelo crawled in front of her, leading the way to Jarod's comatose body. Suddenly, he stopped. He moved out of the way so Parker could see through the vent covering.
She looked at Angelo, unsure of if she really wanted to see. She moved forward slowly and peered through the grate. She gasped at what she saw.
Sure enough, there lay Jarod. He was hooked up to many tubes and wires, and his head was bandaged with thick, white gauze. But it was Jarod; a living, breathing Jarod! She covered her mouth with a trembling hand, not wanting to cry. She sat for a long time, just watching Jarod's face, and his chest, which was rising and falling rhythmically. She looked at Angelo after a while. She nodded her thanks, then moved back the way she came. Angelo sat alone, looking at Jarod.
Parker's Office
Parker chewed her lower lip nervously. She didn't know what to do. Should she go along with the Centre's actions, and let him stay down there in that horrid place? Or, should she try to get him out? Maybe the better question was what did she want for herself? Did she want to stay on at the Centre, doing the same terrible things? Or, did she want a new life; a new life with Jarod?
She held her head in her hands, working not to sob. Then, almost as if in a vision, her mother was standing in front of her. Catherine placed a hand on her daughter's shaking shoulder and waited. Parker looked up with tears falling down her cheeks. Looking into a face that was nearly identical to her own, she whispered incredulously, "Mamma?" Her mother's voice seemed to float out of a dream.
"Yes, baby. I'm here. I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you, sweetie. And also, that I know you'll do the right thing. . . ." the voice faded away, as did the image before her. Parker sat straight up in her chair, her eyes frantically darting back and forth over the room. She absently wiped her tears away. She knew what she had to do.
Parker marched off once more to Sydney's office.