Disclaimer: The characters are not my own, I'm only borrowing them to put them into situations of my own imagining.
Finding Family
Part Thirteen: Reunions of Friends…
Rating: G
Category: S
Timeline: Sometime in the middle of the series
Spoilers: None
Keywords: MPJF, JOF
Summary: Miss Parker accidentally shoots Jarod, which forces her to confront her feelings towards him. Meanwhile, a seriously injured Jarod has to learn to trust someone to help him and finds out a little about his family history.
Houston, Texas, Friday, Noon
Emily wound her way deftly through the throngs of people crowding into the cafeteria balancing two cartons of milk on top of the to-go boxes. She had sent her children home with their grandmother for their afternoon naps, and was returning to the blood lab with some lunch for Jarod and herself. She was mentally berating herself for not questioning more fully about the probe he had mentioned. She hadn't imagined that they would make it from his DNA, but in hindsight it seemed perfectly obvious. You certainly couldn't order up a probe from any of the medical supply companies for a "pretender" gene. She was just concerned about Jarod giving too much blood. She really had no idea how much he had lost when he had gotten shot, and given how weak and fevered he had been just two days ago, he could hardly be said to be recovered. In fact, his stamina and determination to come do this analysis was impressive. The least she could do was make sure that he kept his strength up by having some healthy food.
She peeked into the waiting room where they had been before and didn't see Jarod. Having spent several years doing research in the adjoining Jones Research facility she knew her way around quite well, and quickly walked down the hall to the big lab that processed blood samples for all sorts of basic analyses. It took her a moment to talk her way in the door, but Dr. White had left her name as she had requested that morning and she was admitted to the big room full of lab benches in the center and large equipment like centrifuges and refrigerators around the walls of the room. There were four people in white lab coats working intently at the benches and off in the corner she spotted Jarod. He was sitting sideways at one of the desks along the far wall. He had his feet up on a desk and he was reclining dangerously back in the chair in a delicate balance with his eyes closed peacefully. She shook her head in amusement. Who else could possibly "relax" in such a precarious position with their chair liable to slide out from under them at any moment. One of the technicians turned and smiled at her. She recognized the woman Yvonne who had drawn their blood earlier. Giving the technician's a brief smile and nod, she walked quietly across the room afraid to startle Jarod and cause him to tumble out of the chair.
The various mechanical sounds in the room disguised her footsteps, but the aroma of the hot lunch proceeded her and Jarod blinked his eyes open, languidly turning his head and looking at Emily at she walked towards him. He gave her one of his brilliant smiles and slowly rocked his center of mass forward rotating the chair on its two back legs and allowing the two front legs to land smartly on the floor with a snap. "We're waiting for the centrifuge to finish with the sucrose gradient spin to separate the white and red blood cells," he explained.
Emily carefully set the to-go boxes down and handed him a carton of milk, "Here, you should get your blood sugar levels up."
"Thanks," he replied, "Yvonne already helped me with a small can of apple juice, and putting my feet up sure helped, but I think I'm still a little dizzy."
"Dizzy?" she echoed with concern.
"I'll be alright. You're here now and I can tell you what to do," he reassured her.
Emily studied him carefully finally beginning to see through his bravado to realize how weak he was. She reached in her purse and pulled out two plastic packets with a napkin and disposable silverware wrapped inside. Handing him one, she slid a lunch box in front of him and ordered, "Eat!"
Jarod tipped back the lid and smiled at the big serving of lasagna and two big helpings of vegetables that she had brought him. He began eating hungrily and Emily pulled another chair next to his and opened up her own half sized serving of lasagna. They ate in silence until Emily finally got brave enough to begin questioning about the preparation of the probe they needed. "What do we need to do in order to make this probe? Do you need any particular restriction enzymes?"
Jarod answered by pulling a tablet off a shelf and tearing a page out of the back. He tapped a pen idly on his leg, as he stared off at a far distance at the wall. He didn't see the wall, but something in his memory. Suddenly, he began writing rapidly, covering the page with neat square print outlining a purification protocol for the sample of DNA that they needed to prepare from his own blood. Emily watched in growing amazement as he wrote. No one could remember anything that complicated. She stared at his profile as her jaw dropped slightly, thinking to herself, 'There's no way I share any of his genes.'
Jarod nonchalantly dropped the pen and picked up the fork in the same motion, taking a big bite out of the last of his lasagna and turned to her pushing the paper towards his cousin. She was staring at him in wonder. "What?" he said stupidly with his mouth full.
The spell was broken and Emily laughed nervously, "Let me study the procedure now." Most of it was a basic DNA purification procedure but two of enzymes he specified were not ones that she recognized, "I've never heard of these," she said pointing to the two steps in the outline.
Jarod nodded in agreement, "Yes, they are rather uncommon, but surely somewhere in this huge complex of the Medical Center there is a lab that has them in their freezer."
Fortunately, Emily was spared trying to think of a solution to their dilemma by the arrival of none other than her friend, Dr. Evelyn White. The older woman pushed open the door of the lab and strode in confidently nodding at the technicians. She spied Emily immediately and crossed the room with her starched white lab coat streaming behind her like a wake. She was a tall, thin woman with a permanent frown etched in her forehead, but her eyes were kind as she smiled at Emily reaching out to shake her hand. "Nonsense," she declared and gathered Emily in a hug. "It's so good to see you, Emily! I was surprised to get your call this morning but when you said it was urgent I tried to get everything set up for you as best I could. Did you bring your sweet children?" she asked looking around half curiously, finally noticing Jarod. "Is this your cousin?"
"I already sent the kids home with my mother for their naps, but I want you to meet Jarod," Emily said stepping back out of the hug and gesturing over to him, "Jarod this is…" Emily stopped speaking at the dark look on his face. "What…?" she faltered.
His dark brown eyes were filled with anger, "Have you understood nothing that I've told you," he snapped at her. Emily's face fell in shock at his reaction. Immediately, his own face softened and his eyes filled with concern, "I don't want you or your family to be hurt because of me. You know what they're capable of doing," he said and reached up to take her hand. Emily nodded like a small child her eyes obviously full of tears that she kept blinking back. "Will you check on how Yvonne is doing with purifying the DNA?" he asked gently. "I need to talk to Dr. White alone."
Again Emily nodded, then she glanced at the older woman saying, "Excuse me a moment," and walked back towards the center of the room where the technician was working.
Dr. Evelyn White had watched the exchange curiously, worry for her young friend, Emily, growing and turned stern eyes on this man who had just ordered her around like a child. Before she could say anything however, he pushed a chair towards her and gestured with an incline of his head for her to sit. "Dr. Evelyn White. Or should I call you Eleanor Black?" he said in his rich deep voice. She stared at his dark brown, almost hypnotic eyes and found herself sinking slowly into the chair.
"Please forget anything you know about us being related," he asked her earnestly.
"Why does it matter so much?" she asked on edge that he called her by her real name.
"I can't let the Centre find out about her," he replied in a quiet voice studying her face carefully for her reaction.
The older woman's face blanched and she swallowed hard, "The Centre," she echoed in fear.
He leaned forward to talk even more quietly, "I know you ran away from your job there many years ago. I know you faked your own death four years ago to get away from them again. You had to so you could protect your family. Well, I've run away from them too and I'm just trying to protect my family."
"I understand," she whispered back and glanced over her shoulder at the room to make sure that know one was listening to them.
"There's more," Jarod said reaching out and taking one of her hands gently, "I became friends with your daughter, Amanda. I was trying to help her find you. I think she's on her way here now."
Dr. White pulled back in shock, "I can't see her!" she exclaimed loudly. Glancing at the room she continued in a lower voice but with a firm tone, "I will not have her put in danger, besides she'll never forgive me for what I've done."
"She'll understand if you explain that you were trying to protect her," Jarod began.
Dr. White stood up quickly scowling down on him, her forehead wrinkled in a customary frown, "You had no right to mess around with my family. Don't worry, I'll protect your family. Mostly because I don't want to see Emily get hurt. What do you need these tests for if you know you're cousins already?"
"We don't know for sure, and if Emily is related to me, then we need to know if she has inherited the same abilities as me. Please, we need your help. I'm sorry if what I've done has hurt you. I'm just trying to help people and make up for some of the hurt I've caused," Jarod said earnestly.
Dr. White stared down at him as her frown deepened, not in anger now, but in concentration. She said his name softly like she had just heard it for the first time, "Jarod. Your name is Jarod. You are the boy Catherine wanted to rescue all those years ago," she stated rather than questioned and slowly sank back down into the chair staring at him.
"Yes," he said breathlessly, "Did she ever tell you about me or my family?"
She shook her head sadly, "No, she only mentioned you once. She wanted to take her daughter, you and another boy, Tommy or Timmy, I think, away from the Centre. But then she was gone. Suicide they said, but she had too much to live for, too many plans to throw her life away. No, they took her life and I ran away so they couldn't take mine. But now you are here and just when I've thought I'd gotten away, here they come again." She put her hand to her head and rested her elbow on her knee with her head bowed. "I was really helping to make a difference here too," she sighed sadly.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I don't think the Centre knows about you. Well, Miss Parker does, but my sources tell me she's coming here without official orders to do so. I'm pretty sure she's helping your daughter too."
"Catherine's daughter could only be helpful and gentle like her mother," she nodded hopefully.
"I wouldn't say that," Jarod chuckled to himself. "Miss Parker is anything but gentle."
Dr. White looked in confusion at him and then seemed to make up her mind, "Well, I'll take you over to the Clinical Research Building and set you two up with a bench for the weekend. Then I'm going back to my lab and clearing out of here. I can't afford to let the Centre find me after all I've gone through, and I don't want my daughter to find me either," she declared firmly.
"She loves you and needs you. If you have any chance to be with your family you should take it, not throw it away. Don't do that to her or yourself," Jarod pleaded. "I'd give anything for just a hug from my own parents," he admitted wistfully.
The sound of a throat clearing startled the pair and they looked to see Emily walking up with a test tube rack full of vials in her hands. "The samples are ready. Do you have those enzymes, Evelyn?"
Dr. White looked at Emily in confusion, "What enzymes?"
"Jarod, weren't you showing her the protocol that you wrote out?"
"Ah, we had a few other things to discuss first," he hedged.
"Here it is," Emily said leaning between the two seated on chairs and pulling the protocol Jarod had written off the desk and handing it to Dr. White. "Do you have these enzymes in your lab?" she asked pointing to a line in the middle of the long procedure.
"Hmm, most unusual, hmm," murmured Dr. White as she quickly scanned the sheet. "We have most of these reagents, but these restriction enzymes are unusual. I'd have to check the inventory list to be sure. They might have them over at Baylor where they're working on sequencing the human genome. I've worked with a number of the researchers there and I'm sure they'd lend me some if I promised to replace it right away."
"That would be great, wouldn't it Jarod?" said Emily trying to cut through the tension she felt between her two friends.
"Yes," he nodded, "we'd appreciate any help you can give us." He put his good left hand on the desk to lever himself out of the chair and swayed on to his feet. "Emily, that lunch has taken all the blood down to my stomach to digest it. I think I'm still a bit dizzy," and he leaned over unsteadily.
Emily thrust the rack of vials at the older woman and quickly slid under his good arm planting her shoulder into his armpit and her arm around his waist as he couldn't help but lean heavily on her. "I knew you shouldn't have given so much blood!" she exclaimed. "I should probably check your bandage soon too."
"Are you injured," Dr. White asked in surprise. He had given no previous indication of injury except perhaps having never risen from the chair.
"Bullet hole courtesy of our "gentle" Miss Parker," he said sarcastically, his eyes focusing on her as the dizziness passed and he got used to being on his feet. "Please help us finish this DNA analysis."
"I guess I can stay for the afternoon and leave this evening," Dr. White relented slowly.
Jarod smiled encouragingly and Emily started to maneuver him towards the door, "Let's get going already," she complained and they all chuckled. The tension between Jarod and Dr. White was reduced considerably and they headed off to the clinical lab to work for the afternoon.
Houston Intercontinental Airport, Friday, 1 PM
"I told you to catch the first plane out," scolded Parker as Broots cowered in front of her.
To his credit, he looked her in the eye as he defended himself, "I d-d-did. I had to change planes in D-d-dallas and they're having thunderstorms up there. It d-d-delayed everything. The news said they'll be in Houston by evening."
"You've been watching the news while I've been pacing this barn of an airport," she exclaimed.
"Well, they have TV's in all the waiting areas now days," he defended himself quietly.
"Whatever! Show me what you found out in the car." Parker turned to Amanda who had been standing to one side all but forgotten until now. "You'll drive," she snapped her fingers at Amanda and strode out of the baggage claim area where they had finally met up with Broots.
Broots glanced over at Amanda and gave her a small smile, "Hi again."
"Why do you work for her?" Amanda asked.
He shrugged, "She's not so bad, once you get to know her."
"Comimg?" Miss Parker hissed from the door that led outside to the lot where the Hertz rental cars were parked.
The two quickly caught up with Miss Parker as she led the way through the parking lot to the numbered stall that they were told held their rental car. She held out the electronic key and was rewarded with the snapping sound of the doors unlocking and then the trunk lid rising silently as she pushed the buttons. They tossed their overnight bags in the trunk and Parker handed the keys to Amanda as she climbed in the back seat, "Okay, Broots, boot up your lap top."
Amanda climbed into the driver's seat, adjusting it to her leg length, and then pulled out a Houston map to study the roadways and how to get to the Medical Center from the airport. If she could get to the main north-south highway I-45 it would take her right into downtown and then the Medical Center was just a short distance west on another highway.
"Today!" snapped Parker interrupting Amanda's studying.
Amanda turned angrily in her seat and stared fiercely into Parker's eyes, "I do not work for you. I'm here to find my mother. I have never been to this town before. If you want me to drive, then you have to let me study a map for a few minutes."
Parker sat back in the seat realizing that Amanda was right and secretly feeling guilty about treating the young woman so badly. "You're right, of course. I'm sorry. Carry on with plotting our route," she said in a sincere voice. She turned to Broots who was gaping at her in surprise for her open apology, and continuing in the gentler voice she asked, "Please show me what you found out about the Leucogenesis project."
He grinned happily at her, flipped open his laptop and began the process of pulling up the files he had copied the night before, "Let me lead you through the highlights," he began eagerly.
Amanda turned the key in the ignition and maneuvered the car out of the lot and onto the road. She didn't pay attention to the quiet voices in the back seat as she navigated her way out of the airport and onto the highway. When she was finally comfortable with cruising on the interstate sometime later, she finally looked back in her rearview mirror at them and was startled at the stricken expression she saw on Miss Parker's face. Broots was busy looking at the computer screen and murmuring something about medical procedures and didn't see her expression.
Parker was staring sadly at the computer screen but wasn't actually seeing anything there. She was reliving the childhood memory of losing Faith, the adopted sister she had only briefly known. Slowly her face hardened as Broots' words sunk in. Raines had killed her. In the interests of science, ha! The eight children that were part of the leukemia study all had identical forms of the disease. Raines and his fellow doctors had made significant strides in understanding the process of differentiation from a single stem cell whose daughter cells could become any of the various types of blood cells that the body made for the immune defense system. There were many places where that process could go wrong and cause diseases. By manipulating growth factors in the bone marrow of the children by injecting them with different drugs, they had sorted out many of the factors that controlled the process. While one boy's regimen had been changed to match that of the two children who showed the fastest recovery, her sister's had not been changed. In fact, she continued to worsen while all the other children's treatment regimens had been adjusted to that they all ultimately showed signs of remission of the disease. He hadn't just withheld the right course of treatment for her; he had actually exacerbated her condition. Parker clenched her jaw in anger and determination. She would see that fiend go to the hell where he belonged.
Amanda had to keep an eye on the road, but found herself continually glancing back at Parker as her expression slowly hardened. The mercurial nature of the woman was hard to understand. Just when you started to empathize with her, she'd get so cold and distant it was frightening. Whatever happened that day, she definitely didn't want the murderous look Miss Parker had on her face turned on to her. So she focused back on the road and carefully avoided looking in the rear view mirror again.
M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, 2 PM
Andy Morgan, the security guard who had spotted Jarod that morning, sat in the security office still watching the display of monitors. His shift had ended at noon, but he wasn't about to leave early. He had received a reply fax from a Mr. Lyle telling him to keep the suspect under surveillance, but to do nothing else if he expected to get his reward. Most of the screens were on a continuous switching scan from the various cameras around the hospital, but the center monitor was set to continuous view on the corridor that held the blood lab. It was the last place he had seen the oddly old fashioned looking man go in to with the help of a black woman in a white, lab coat. She had come out an hour ago, but he hadn't seen the man come out yet, and he was certain the man was still inside.
The monitor on the immediate left was also set to continuous recording of the front entrance and a group of men just entering caught his eye. The older man in the center of the group looked like he could have been a patient with his stooped walk as he dragged an oxygen tank on wheels behind himself. The burly black man at his side looked out of place as he was clearly a bodyguard despite his natty black suit. But, it was the other tall man dressed in a clearly expensive and perfectly tailored suit that caught Andy's eye. He watched as the man coolly assessed the camera and flashed a wolfish grin at it. He stepped up to the guard on duty and asked directions for the main security office giving Andy Morgan's name as a reference. Andy smiled as he realized this must be the Mr. Lyle he had been waiting for and couldn't help but quiver with expectation of the easy ten grand he was just about to earn for having kept his eyes open. He could just imagine himself watching football on the big screen TV he was going to buy.
"Hey, Joe," Andy called to a another guard in the office, "Keep on eye on this monitor and call me if a man with a mustache comes out of the door will you?" he asked as he handed Joe a walkie-talkie. "I gotta go meet a friend." He quickly walked out into the corridor and met the three men just as they turned down it. "Mr. Lyle?" he asked as he held out his hand to shake hands.
Lyle pointedly ignored the extended hand and merely tilted his head in acknowledgment, "Mr. Morgan, take us to the suspect. You'll understand if we're in a hurry," with a smug smile that held no warmth in his eyes.
"Uh, sure, I've kept on eye on where he went and haven't done anything to spook him like you asked," Andy began expectantly.
Lyle narrowed his eyes at him, reached into his lapel pocket, pulled out a fat envelope and handed it to him, "Now will you lead the way," Lyle demanded.
Andy fingered the envelope briefly and then stuffed it in the side pocket of his coat grinning. "He went into the blood lab just before noon and hasn't come out yet," he said confidently as he led the way through the main hospital corridors.
When they arrived in front of the doors to the blood lab, the old man took up a stance out in the corridor looking both ways to make sure no one was coming and then nodded at the two younger men. Andy was shocked as they both pulled guns out of their coats and the before he could protest, the black man kicked in the door and they went in with their guns held out, their elbows locked straight in front of them to steady their shot. They pivoted slowly scanning the room and Lyle exclaimed, "Damn!" He inclined his head towards the room and in effect ordered the other man to search the room just by saying his name expectantly, "Willie."
Andy followed a step into the door and saw three technicians with shocked faces looking back at them. The burly black man was quickly stomping around the room as he searched behind the counters and finally turned to shake his head at Lyle.
Lyle slipped his gun back into his holster under his jacket and pulled a photograph out of his pocket. He walked over to the three frightened employees and held out the photo, "Have you seen this man today?" he demanded.
"He left about 12:30," replied one in a small voice.
"12:30," echoed Lyle.
"Yeah, they left out the emergency exit," said another hoping these men would leave soon too.
"They?" questioned Lyle. "Who was he with?" he demanded.
"Two women," the man answered. "I don't know the red head, but Dr. White met them and she was the one who sent the okay for them to be in here."
"Where's this Dr. White's office?" growled Lyle.
"I'm not sure exactly, somewhere in the Basic Research wing?" he replied starting to get frightened of the cold look that crossed Lyle's face.
The other two shrugged their shoulders as Lyle raked his questioning look over them. He spun sharply on his heels and strode back to the befuddled Andy. He stuffed his hand into Andy's coat pocket and withdrew the envelope that had just been placed there, "You haven't earned this yet. Find me Dr. White's office," he demanded icily.
They stepped out into the corridor, and the old man stepped up to them with a cold look of his own. He spoke for the first time, and his wheezing voice sent chills down Andy's spine, "We will use your office and its resources as we continue our search," he declared rather than asked and led the way himself back to the main security office.
Marriott Hotel, Houston, 2:30 PM
While they drove past downtown Houston, Miss Parker had worked her cell phone trying to track down Evelyn White from the lead of the research paper they had found. The second name, Dr. Barry Stone had led to a chatty secretary who had left Parker's head reeling. The secretary explained that since Dr. Stone traveled a lot, Evelyn White usually ran the lab, but that she had left early that day at lunch, and so no one was there who could answer her questions, although she often came in on Saturday mornings to check on long term projects. So Parker had commanded they find a hotel and Amanda was only too grateful to comply after dealing with all the traffic.
Amanda gratefully stopped the car and rolled her head in circles as she rubbed her neck. They had woven in and out of the congested roadways of the medical center, Broots calling out the names of one enormous medical building or hospital after another as they got a feel for the place and looked for a hotel near MD Anderson.
Now Broots felt car sick from looking all around the huge medical center complex. He tumbled out of the car lugging his laptop and the DSA player he had brought, hoping they would have time for a little rest. It had been a long day of traveling after a long night with little rest. He watched in amusement as Miss Parker approached the valet with all her charm turned on. She stroked him seductively under the chin with one long finger and handed him a twenty as she asked him to keep the car up front so it would be available at a moment's notice.
"She knows how to get what she wants, doesn't she?" observed Amanda wryly from the trunk where she was pulling out her overnight bag.
"Yeah, she's the best," agreed Broots in open admiration.
"You're hopeless," said Amanda dismissively and turned away to walk into the lobby.
Miss Parker quickly arranged for them to each have their own room and as they rode up in the elevator Broots looked even more queasy. "I have to lie down awhile, Miss Parker," he said begging permission with his eyes.
Her face softened and she smiled gently, "You did good with the files, Broots. Take a rest and we'll meet back together later to go over them more. I'm sure Amanda here won't mind accompanying me on a reconnaissance mission to find out where the research labs are located in this huge medical center." She looked over at Amanda with her clear blue eyes open and inviting.
Amanda found herself smiling and nodding yes, and found it hard to believe she had ever seen a murderous look in this beautiful woman's eyes.
They dropped their things in their room and met back out in the hallway in a few minutes. Parker had changed her high heeled shoes for a more comfortable pair of boots to walk in and Amanda had taken a light jacket out of her bag in expectation of the rain Broots had warned was on the way. Indeed, as they walked out of the lobby and on to the street, the sky was thickening with clouds and gusts of wind blew first from the south and then from the north as the warm air off the Gulf of Mexico battled the cold front that was approaching from the north. It reminded Amanda of Miss Parker's personality that changed without warning just like the directions that the wind was coming from. She looked sideways out of her eye at Miss Parker as she strode confidently beside her. Parker's dark hair blew back off her face and her keen eyes scanned all around her noting every detail as she cataloged this new city. She looked ready to face whatever came her way; Amanda just hoped she would be too.
TBC
