The Way of Seeming
I own nothing. All character's belong to someone with much more money than me.
Author's note: This is the (hopefully) fully corrected version.
If you find ANY mistakes PLEASE leave me a review saying where.
I was reading this story over and the number of mistakes I found drove me INSANE!
........And now it begins.
Don't forget to review. They make me happy. :)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The silence in the room was immense. As he sat there Will could see the doctor
preparing himself. This was in no way good news.
The doctor looked up at Jack and sighed. "I wish we didn't always have to meet like
this Jack."
The ghost of a smile appeared on Jack's lips. "There is no other way for us, for me.
You know that."
"I know."
Before Will or Francie ask any questions the doctor continued.
"She has three broken ribs, two bruised ones, bruises, cuts, and abrasions to numerous
to count. We believe she has a mild concussion, probably resulting from the same trauma
that cause the bump on the back of her head. All of that workable, nothing overly serious.
The problem that we are seeing is the needle marks."
Jack's eyes snapped open. "What kind of needle marks?"
The doctor looked nervous then sighed. "A lot of them. The ones we're particularly
worried about are the two in her neck. The residue from one has been confirmed as a
sedative. And a damn powerful one at that. We think that's why she's still out. She's
been unconscious for at least a day. We've got her on IV's to keep her glucose levels up
and to try and balance out her blood chemistry."
"What was the other one?"
"We don't know. The guys at the lab are stumped. Our CIA guy says he's seen it but
he refuses to say where or what it does."
He folded up a piece of paper and handed it to Jack who slipped it into his jacket
pocket.
The doctor picked up his clipboard, but before he could speak Francie broke in.
"Are you trying to tell me that Sydney did drugs?! Because I'm telling you right now
that she wouldn't- she couldn't- do that to herself."
"We don't know whether she did it to herself or it was done to her. The marks are
inconclusive. It would help if we knew where she's been for the last week," he glanced
quickly at Jack, "but that's probably a mystery that will go unsolved."
Francie looked incredulous. "She was going on a business trip to San Diego."
The Doctor looked straight into her eyes. "I see." He wrote something down on his
chart. "That's good to know."
Jack broke in before the tension could become any heavier. "What about the other
needle marks? Do you know what was in them?"
The doctor flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "Heroine, cocaine, and
amphetamines are the ones we have been able to identify. There are also some hybrid
drugs unlike anything we've ever seen. One seems to have an extasy-like effect, but we
have no idea about the others."
"How many?"
"We've been able to separate a number of drugs, but others have broken down to far
for us to-"
"How many?"
"The two in her neck, and six in each arm."
"Withdrawal?"
The doctor rubbed his hand against his forehead. "Once she wakes up it's gonna be a
bitch. Worse than before." He took at deep breath and glanced at Francie and Will
quickly before turning back to Jack and continuing. "I know your reservations last time,
but now she's an adult and she's responsible for her own actions. She'll be better off in a
detox center than anywhere else."
"No. There are even more reasons against it now. That's not an option at this point."
Jack jumped to his feet and walked towards the door. "She has to be under constant
supervision." He spun around to face him again. "I want to see her."
The doctor stood up. "She's in ICU. Her vitals are still fluctuating. No visitors. I'm
sorry."
"How long before she's out?"
"We don't know how much sedative she was giving or how strong it was. There's
really no way to know when she'll wake up. However, as soon as her vitals are stable
she'll be moved out of ICU. Then she can have visitors. Even if she's still out."
Jack nodded.
He stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks Matthew. You have my cell
number?"
He nodded. "I'll call you as soon as there's news."
Jack walked out with Will and Francie following close behind.
Will couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Jack by the shoulder and turned him
around. "That's it?! You're just going to leave her here? And what the hell did he mean
'worse than before'?"
Jack pulled away and walked to his car. As he opened the door he called back over his
shoulder. "It's none of your concern." He got in and started the engine. "And you don't
want to know," he muttered as he pulled away, leaving two very confused people
standing by the entrance.
Review, review, review. Reviews are equivalent to the elixir of life.
I own nothing. All character's belong to someone with much more money than me.
Author's note: This is the (hopefully) fully corrected version.
If you find ANY mistakes PLEASE leave me a review saying where.
I was reading this story over and the number of mistakes I found drove me INSANE!
........And now it begins.
Don't forget to review. They make me happy. :)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The silence in the room was immense. As he sat there Will could see the doctor
preparing himself. This was in no way good news.
The doctor looked up at Jack and sighed. "I wish we didn't always have to meet like
this Jack."
The ghost of a smile appeared on Jack's lips. "There is no other way for us, for me.
You know that."
"I know."
Before Will or Francie ask any questions the doctor continued.
"She has three broken ribs, two bruised ones, bruises, cuts, and abrasions to numerous
to count. We believe she has a mild concussion, probably resulting from the same trauma
that cause the bump on the back of her head. All of that workable, nothing overly serious.
The problem that we are seeing is the needle marks."
Jack's eyes snapped open. "What kind of needle marks?"
The doctor looked nervous then sighed. "A lot of them. The ones we're particularly
worried about are the two in her neck. The residue from one has been confirmed as a
sedative. And a damn powerful one at that. We think that's why she's still out. She's
been unconscious for at least a day. We've got her on IV's to keep her glucose levels up
and to try and balance out her blood chemistry."
"What was the other one?"
"We don't know. The guys at the lab are stumped. Our CIA guy says he's seen it but
he refuses to say where or what it does."
He folded up a piece of paper and handed it to Jack who slipped it into his jacket
pocket.
The doctor picked up his clipboard, but before he could speak Francie broke in.
"Are you trying to tell me that Sydney did drugs?! Because I'm telling you right now
that she wouldn't- she couldn't- do that to herself."
"We don't know whether she did it to herself or it was done to her. The marks are
inconclusive. It would help if we knew where she's been for the last week," he glanced
quickly at Jack, "but that's probably a mystery that will go unsolved."
Francie looked incredulous. "She was going on a business trip to San Diego."
The Doctor looked straight into her eyes. "I see." He wrote something down on his
chart. "That's good to know."
Jack broke in before the tension could become any heavier. "What about the other
needle marks? Do you know what was in them?"
The doctor flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "Heroine, cocaine, and
amphetamines are the ones we have been able to identify. There are also some hybrid
drugs unlike anything we've ever seen. One seems to have an extasy-like effect, but we
have no idea about the others."
"How many?"
"We've been able to separate a number of drugs, but others have broken down to far
for us to-"
"How many?"
"The two in her neck, and six in each arm."
"Withdrawal?"
The doctor rubbed his hand against his forehead. "Once she wakes up it's gonna be a
bitch. Worse than before." He took at deep breath and glanced at Francie and Will
quickly before turning back to Jack and continuing. "I know your reservations last time,
but now she's an adult and she's responsible for her own actions. She'll be better off in a
detox center than anywhere else."
"No. There are even more reasons against it now. That's not an option at this point."
Jack jumped to his feet and walked towards the door. "She has to be under constant
supervision." He spun around to face him again. "I want to see her."
The doctor stood up. "She's in ICU. Her vitals are still fluctuating. No visitors. I'm
sorry."
"How long before she's out?"
"We don't know how much sedative she was giving or how strong it was. There's
really no way to know when she'll wake up. However, as soon as her vitals are stable
she'll be moved out of ICU. Then she can have visitors. Even if she's still out."
Jack nodded.
He stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks Matthew. You have my cell
number?"
He nodded. "I'll call you as soon as there's news."
Jack walked out with Will and Francie following close behind.
Will couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Jack by the shoulder and turned him
around. "That's it?! You're just going to leave her here? And what the hell did he mean
'worse than before'?"
Jack pulled away and walked to his car. As he opened the door he called back over his
shoulder. "It's none of your concern." He got in and started the engine. "And you don't
want to know," he muttered as he pulled away, leaving two very confused people
standing by the entrance.
Review, review, review. Reviews are equivalent to the elixir of life.