(Sorry this is a short baby chapter but I wanted you to know I haven't abandoned this story!!)
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With his heart pounding with fear, Jarod made the trek across the sand, careful to not jostle Parker. To his surprise, the villa door swung open at his approach.
As Jarod entered the hallway with his precious burden, Gina beckoned, "Come. We have a room set up with medical supplies." Jarod obediently followed her down the basement stairs and into a room hidden behind a false wall. He voiced no judgement about the need for such a room. The only concern he had in the world, he held in his arms.
Tenderly Jarod laid Parker unto the bed and lightly brushed her hair off her bloodied face. Rage, fear and self-hatred warred within him at the sight of Parker's injuries. Clenching his jaw, he swallowed down his emotions. He needed to be the consummate doctor now.
"I'll call our doctor," Gina stammered and started for the door. Jarod caught her wrist, halting her motion and met her eyes.
"No. I'll take care of her myself," his voice hard and possessive. Any objections Gina had, she discarded as she saw Jarod's pain filled eyes. Without a doubt, she knew Jarod would never put Miss Parker's life in danger...not for pride or power or even for his own survival. Gina nodded and, sensing that Jarod would not even welcome assistance, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
When Gina left, Jarod, for the first time, spared a look of inspection at the room. It was like looking at a doctor's examination room, complete with sink, equipment and medial supplies most ambulances could not boast. The bed was the only thing non medical, though Jarod would have bet that a rubber matting could be found under the bedspread to stem any blood from ruining the mattress. But what sickened Jarod most was the thought that presently it was Parker's blood that threatened to soak into the bedding.
That thought was powerful enough to snap him out of his haze. Instantly, Jarod the doctor was in. After scouring the drawers for the equipment and supplies he would need, Jarod sterilized his hands with disinfectant soap and hot water. But when he turned to tend to Parker, seeing her lying so still, covered in blood and bruises, it was like a knife in his heart all over again.
'Stop being the man that loves her and start being the doctor that will save her life!' Jarod silently commanded to himself. With resolve, he became what she needed him to be and began to tend to her injuries with the skill of a top ranking doctor but with the tenderness of the man that loved her more than his own life.
The nightmare began for Parker as it always did..in the room in Mr. Raines' house. She could see her mother so clearly, it was almost as if she could stretch out her hand and brush her mother's damp hair. But Parker couldn't move, she never could in this horrible dream that spoke of the past. No, as always she was forced to watch helplessly as the events occurred in the room.
However this dream wasn't a carbon copy of the one that had haunted her nightly. No, this time Parker found her wrists were cuffed to a pipe in the ceiling and she could see a knife flashing against sunlight. And when she turned to see who brandished the knife, Lyle's face came into focus.
His ever taunting smile was covering his face, "Tell me where the package is, Parker. Tell me and I'll let you save our mommie," he sneered.
Parker's eyes shot to see her mother when a mere second later Mr. Raines entered the room. She knew what came next, what always came next. Brutally Lyle grabbed onto her face and forced her eyes to met his, "Tell me where the package is?!"
"There is no package, you moron!" Parker growled.
But Lyle laughed, "Sure there is, sis. Jarod's the package."
Parker's heart thudded even more painfully in her chest. She knew where Jarod was, for once she actually knew. Here was her opportunity to make everything right, to save her mother and to free herself from the Centre. But the words wouldn't come.
Lyle's knife sliced into Parker's face and a moan of pain escaped her clenched jaw. "Where's Jarod?!" Lyle yelled before he stepped aside to give Parker a front seat view of Mr. Raines raising the gun, poised to shoot her mother. Lyle whispered in Parker's ear, "You can save her. You can change your whole life right here and now."
Indecision tore at Parker like never before. But then, for the first time, her mother's eyes sought hers from across the room. And Parker read understanding and compassion in Catherine Parker's eyes, almost as if she knew Parker stood in that room and faced the horrible decision before her.
Then Catherine's love filled voice floated into Parker's ears, "I thought I could keep you safe but now I know only Jarod can truly save you. Give yourself to Jarod and you will remember the best part of me and save the best part of you."
Suddenly Parker found herself, not in the hellish room at Raines house, but standing in a field of vibrant flowers. At the sound of laughter, she looked down to see Catherine Parker seated on the ground, a joyous smile on her face. "Mother?" Parker breathed and sank down into her mother's arms. For the first time in so many lonely, painful years, Parker felt her mother's arms hold her tightly.
"It's time to walk away from the past," Catherine tenderly advised in Parker's ear even as she held fast to her daughter."You're free if you choose to be."
"Mom...I don't ..know ..how..." Parker sobbed, grasping more tightly to her mother.
Catherine stroked Parker's hair just as she had done in Parker's childhood., "Yes, you do know how to walk away. And you're strong enough to break free of the Centre, with Jarod's love."
Startled, Parker pulled back to look into her mother's eyes. Catherine tapped Parker playfully on the nose, "Don't look so surprised. A mother knows these things."
A strangled laugh and sob caught in Parker's throat. "I miss you mom."
Catherine wiped away a tear that streamed down Parker's face. "And I miss you. But it's time for you to let your heart lead you." Then Catherine stood and kissed Parker on the head. "We will be together again. I'll be waiting here for you when it's time but not a moment sooner. Always remember that I love you..forever." And she gave a soft smile to her daughter before she disappeared.
TBC
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With his heart pounding with fear, Jarod made the trek across the sand, careful to not jostle Parker. To his surprise, the villa door swung open at his approach.
As Jarod entered the hallway with his precious burden, Gina beckoned, "Come. We have a room set up with medical supplies." Jarod obediently followed her down the basement stairs and into a room hidden behind a false wall. He voiced no judgement about the need for such a room. The only concern he had in the world, he held in his arms.
Tenderly Jarod laid Parker unto the bed and lightly brushed her hair off her bloodied face. Rage, fear and self-hatred warred within him at the sight of Parker's injuries. Clenching his jaw, he swallowed down his emotions. He needed to be the consummate doctor now.
"I'll call our doctor," Gina stammered and started for the door. Jarod caught her wrist, halting her motion and met her eyes.
"No. I'll take care of her myself," his voice hard and possessive. Any objections Gina had, she discarded as she saw Jarod's pain filled eyes. Without a doubt, she knew Jarod would never put Miss Parker's life in danger...not for pride or power or even for his own survival. Gina nodded and, sensing that Jarod would not even welcome assistance, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
When Gina left, Jarod, for the first time, spared a look of inspection at the room. It was like looking at a doctor's examination room, complete with sink, equipment and medial supplies most ambulances could not boast. The bed was the only thing non medical, though Jarod would have bet that a rubber matting could be found under the bedspread to stem any blood from ruining the mattress. But what sickened Jarod most was the thought that presently it was Parker's blood that threatened to soak into the bedding.
That thought was powerful enough to snap him out of his haze. Instantly, Jarod the doctor was in. After scouring the drawers for the equipment and supplies he would need, Jarod sterilized his hands with disinfectant soap and hot water. But when he turned to tend to Parker, seeing her lying so still, covered in blood and bruises, it was like a knife in his heart all over again.
'Stop being the man that loves her and start being the doctor that will save her life!' Jarod silently commanded to himself. With resolve, he became what she needed him to be and began to tend to her injuries with the skill of a top ranking doctor but with the tenderness of the man that loved her more than his own life.
The nightmare began for Parker as it always did..in the room in Mr. Raines' house. She could see her mother so clearly, it was almost as if she could stretch out her hand and brush her mother's damp hair. But Parker couldn't move, she never could in this horrible dream that spoke of the past. No, as always she was forced to watch helplessly as the events occurred in the room.
However this dream wasn't a carbon copy of the one that had haunted her nightly. No, this time Parker found her wrists were cuffed to a pipe in the ceiling and she could see a knife flashing against sunlight. And when she turned to see who brandished the knife, Lyle's face came into focus.
His ever taunting smile was covering his face, "Tell me where the package is, Parker. Tell me and I'll let you save our mommie," he sneered.
Parker's eyes shot to see her mother when a mere second later Mr. Raines entered the room. She knew what came next, what always came next. Brutally Lyle grabbed onto her face and forced her eyes to met his, "Tell me where the package is?!"
"There is no package, you moron!" Parker growled.
But Lyle laughed, "Sure there is, sis. Jarod's the package."
Parker's heart thudded even more painfully in her chest. She knew where Jarod was, for once she actually knew. Here was her opportunity to make everything right, to save her mother and to free herself from the Centre. But the words wouldn't come.
Lyle's knife sliced into Parker's face and a moan of pain escaped her clenched jaw. "Where's Jarod?!" Lyle yelled before he stepped aside to give Parker a front seat view of Mr. Raines raising the gun, poised to shoot her mother. Lyle whispered in Parker's ear, "You can save her. You can change your whole life right here and now."
Indecision tore at Parker like never before. But then, for the first time, her mother's eyes sought hers from across the room. And Parker read understanding and compassion in Catherine Parker's eyes, almost as if she knew Parker stood in that room and faced the horrible decision before her.
Then Catherine's love filled voice floated into Parker's ears, "I thought I could keep you safe but now I know only Jarod can truly save you. Give yourself to Jarod and you will remember the best part of me and save the best part of you."
Suddenly Parker found herself, not in the hellish room at Raines house, but standing in a field of vibrant flowers. At the sound of laughter, she looked down to see Catherine Parker seated on the ground, a joyous smile on her face. "Mother?" Parker breathed and sank down into her mother's arms. For the first time in so many lonely, painful years, Parker felt her mother's arms hold her tightly.
"It's time to walk away from the past," Catherine tenderly advised in Parker's ear even as she held fast to her daughter."You're free if you choose to be."
"Mom...I don't ..know ..how..." Parker sobbed, grasping more tightly to her mother.
Catherine stroked Parker's hair just as she had done in Parker's childhood., "Yes, you do know how to walk away. And you're strong enough to break free of the Centre, with Jarod's love."
Startled, Parker pulled back to look into her mother's eyes. Catherine tapped Parker playfully on the nose, "Don't look so surprised. A mother knows these things."
A strangled laugh and sob caught in Parker's throat. "I miss you mom."
Catherine wiped away a tear that streamed down Parker's face. "And I miss you. But it's time for you to let your heart lead you." Then Catherine stood and kissed Parker on the head. "We will be together again. I'll be waiting here for you when it's time but not a moment sooner. Always remember that I love you..forever." And she gave a soft smile to her daughter before she disappeared.
TBC