A season for change: part seven
(A while later. Kat and Hank managed to make it on to campus unseen by any of the others. They are not avoiding them, but Kat wants to tell Hank alone. She also wants time to see how she'll react to seeing the place after what had happened.)
Kat and Hank walk through the cafeteria. Most of the groups are in therapy and it's about two hours before lunch, so they didn't have to worry about running into anyone. Kat and Hank walk towards the kitchen. When they reach the doorway, Kat stops suddenly. She is transported back a month.
Kat had gone to the administration building looking for Peter. She knew it was late, but many times he stayed late to work on paperwork. She also knew it was unlikely, but she'd promised to tell him. She had to tell him what she'd discovered about Jack. She checked his office, but he wasn't there. Kat sighed she'd have to wait until the next morning to tell him. She was headed out when Jeff came into the building.
"Kat, just the person I was looking for." Jeff said.
"What is it, Jeff?" She had asked.
"Jack's missing, he's not in his cabin." Kat sighed. This couldn't be good.
"Jeff, go get Roger, he can help us search." Kat said.
Kat headed for the cafeteria. That's where she'd seen him last. Kat flipped the light switch on to the cafeteria and walked to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway when she spotted Jack.
Suddenly Kat turned around. " I can't do this Hank. I'm not ready."
Hank looked at her. " Kat, you're ready. Just tell me what happened."
"I don't want to, besides you were there." She says turning on him. " You were there. You saw him, just like I did."
"Kat, your right. I did see him, but I only know what I saw. I was only there for a few minutes before they took him away. Tell me what happened."
Kat shook her head. Not wanting to remember. Hank now loses his temper. "You're the one who said Jack was sick. That he shouldn't be punished for what happened that he needed help. So tell me why that is."
Kat turns back to the kitchen, again going back to that night.
Jack was laying on the floor crying. There was a knife on the floor and he had a small gash on his arm. Kat had shuddered. She knew Jack had been a cutter, but his parents had said he hadn't cut in months when they'd brought him in.
"Jack?" Kat had said, leaning down to see the boy. " Are you OK?"
The boy didn't even seem to see her. " I don't deserve this. What did I do to you?" He cried.
"Jack, its Kat." She'd said again a little louder trying to snap him out of it. " I'm here. Talk to me."
"Your all the same, your all the same." He yelled, still not acknowledging Kat. "You all think I deserve this. You all think I need help." He cried standing up.
Kat noticed he was shaking. " Jack, Jack. Who are you arguing with?" Kat asked, but she still got no response from Jack. She reached over taking his arm. Jack turned around swinging. Kat managed to duck his first few punches, but one caught her squarely on the jaw. The next thing she knew, Kat was flailing backwards. She hit the counter with a loud crash and sunk to the floor the wind knocked out of her.
"I hate you!" Jack cried and headed for the door. But Roger who had heard the noise was in the doorway. Roger reached for Jack, but Jack sidestepped him, running around the counter and grabbing Kat by the arm. He twisted her arm up behind her.
"Let her go, Jack." Roger had said. Trying to calm the boy down.
"I have to make them stop. You have to stop." He said jerking on Kat's arm and making her wince.
"Jack, we can't make them stop, unless you tell us who they are." Roger said. "Now just let Kat go and we'll talk about it."
"Do what he says Jack." Kat had huffed.
"We won't hurt you, we just want to help you." Roger added.
"You all want to hurt me. You all think you know what's best. My parents, my friends." Jack who had already been crying began to cry harder. " You don't know. I want them to go away. I want them to leave me alone. I want her to leave me alone." With that he again shoved Kat. This time though, Roger caught her before she hit anything.
"You OK?" He asked.
"I think so." She said breathing hard. Roger got up and headed for Jack who had grabbed the knife and was sitting in the corner of the room.
"I just want them to go away. I told you I would make them go away." Jack said holding the knife over his wrist. "I don't want to listen to them. STOP TALKING TO ME." He cried his voice cracking from having screamed so much. Roger and Kat looked at each other. Kat was certain now that Jack was dillusional. It explained much of his behavior over the last month. The extreme mood swings, talking to himself, the sudden outbursts.
"Jack, this isn't the way out." Roger said taking a step forward.
"Get away from me. I told you I had a way to make them stop." He said looking at Kat and moving the knife closer to his wrist. "They'll stop now. They'll listen to me." He looked up. "You'll listen to me now, won't you? You'll have to, because I control you now, not the other way around." He moved the knife even closer to his wrist.
"Don't!" Kat cried. "Jack! Jack it's me Kat." She said desperately trying to get through to him. "I'm not one of them. I really can help. Just talk to me."
Jack looked at her, but then suddenly he shook his head and began to cry harder. " Go away!" He yelled again. "I want them to go away." He kicked the trashcan across the room. Roger intercepted it and pushed it behind him and Kat.
"Kat try to get him to talk to you about something. He seemed to respond to you." Roger said. Kat gave him a questioning look. As if to say talk about what? "Talk about that quest you guys went on." Roger said to Kat. Kat nodded and turned towards Jack.
"Jack? Jack, do you remember that quest we went on." Jack looked up at her. " Yea, you'd said it was going to be your first camp out." Kat said evenly taking a step forward. "Remember. You were so happy. You said you wanted to write home about it." Jack put his hand to his head. "Jack, do you remember? We went on the quest and that's when you found out I went to Yale. We talked about our majors." She paused taking another step forward. "And how I was leaving soon." She took another step.
"Careful Kat." Roger said from behind her. As the boy kicked something else across the room. Kat nodded.
"And how you wanted to go to Yale too?" Jack started sniffling.
"Do you remember?" She asked and kneeled beside him. He looked up at her.
"I remember." He said quietly.
"Do you remember me telling you about my time here at Horizon? It wasn't during the quest, but..." Her voice trailed off as he nodded.
"You said Peter really helped you." He said sniffling and wiped his eyes with his shirt.
"That's right." She took a deep breath, praying that this worked. " Jack. I want to help you."
He looked up at her. And staring right into her eyes asked, "You want to help me?"
Kat nodded. " I do. But I need you to put the knife down."
Jack looked down at his hand, as if just realizing he had one. He stared at the knife. "I want it to stop." He said crying again.
"It will Jack. You got to believe me it will. But first you have to put down the knife." Kat looked at him expectantly. She waited. Watching him debate.
Jack closed his eyes. He wanted the voices to stop. If only he could believe they would. " Put down the knife, Jack. I'm begging you. Please, put down the knife." Kat said choking on tears.
He made up his mind. He opened his hand and the knife fell to the floor with a clatter. Roger quickly stepped forward removing the knife from its fallen place. A guy from the police station, who had been in the doorway, came over and helped Jack out of the room. Roger followed them.
Kat's legs suddenly gave way and she slumped back against the wall sobbing. Peter came into the kitchen and knelt beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.
"Hank, Jack needed help. I know that during the weeks I worked with him, I was scared and upset, but I couldn't press charges against him. He needed help and now he'll get it." She said "He didn't know what he was doing. He was dillusional and scared. He just wanted help. I could have sent him to juvie, made him pay for harming me and scaring me, but he needed help." She turns to face Hank. "I know that all you wanted to do was protect me and help me be safe. I know that since we waited so long to talk, that you didn't have all the facts of what happened. But Jack was dillusional and he's now getting help." She pauses for a moment. " Because of me. I helped him Jack. I decided to counsel at Horizon to give back. And that's what I did."
Hank hugs her. Then kisses her forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you until now. I could have saved us both some time. But when I saw him grab you like that and had seen him with the knife earlier... I was scared." He looks her in the eyes and says, "Kat, your one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I love you. And I think you made the right choice in choosing to help Jack, instead of giving up on him." Kat smiled and then leaned up and kissed him.
"You know, those two are almost as bad as Scott and Shelby." The couple broke apart at the sound of Daisy's voice. Hank turned around, keeping one arm around Kat. Before him and Kat stood the cliffhangers, who were grinning widely at seeing Kat, and having caught her and Hank together.
"So how much did you guys hear?" Kat asked.
"I love you, you made the right choice, hug hug, kiss kiss." Shelby said sarcastically.
"Yea, just enough to know that our beloved Kat is OK." Daisy added and walked over and gave Kat a hug. The other cliffhangers followed.
"You guys on kitchen duty?" Kat asked after having hugged and greeted them. They nodded and as the other cliffhangers began their work in the kitchen Kat proceeded to tell them about college and life after Horizon.
(On the other side of the cafeteria, Peter and Sophie are standing side by side, watching the cliffhangers talk.)
"Looks like Kat's going to be OK." Sophie says.
"Looks like they'll all be OK." Peter replies.
"Things have changed a lot over the last few months." Sophie says putting her arms around Peter. Indicating that one of the things that has changed is their relationship.
"I guess they have." He says and kisses her. He pulls back, "Maybe it's just that time of year."
"Autumn always seems to bring about change."
"Well, Sophie Becker, maybe it's just the season."
"Yea, a season for change." She says and rolls her eyes, but then she kisses him.
(Closing credits)
Next time on Higher Ground Fan Fic - "Father of Mine" - Daisy's father comes for a visit. Sara Hannington shows up and everyone wonders how somebody so normal, could end up in a place like Horizon. Peter names a scholarship in his father's name.
(A while later. Kat and Hank managed to make it on to campus unseen by any of the others. They are not avoiding them, but Kat wants to tell Hank alone. She also wants time to see how she'll react to seeing the place after what had happened.)
Kat and Hank walk through the cafeteria. Most of the groups are in therapy and it's about two hours before lunch, so they didn't have to worry about running into anyone. Kat and Hank walk towards the kitchen. When they reach the doorway, Kat stops suddenly. She is transported back a month.
Kat had gone to the administration building looking for Peter. She knew it was late, but many times he stayed late to work on paperwork. She also knew it was unlikely, but she'd promised to tell him. She had to tell him what she'd discovered about Jack. She checked his office, but he wasn't there. Kat sighed she'd have to wait until the next morning to tell him. She was headed out when Jeff came into the building.
"Kat, just the person I was looking for." Jeff said.
"What is it, Jeff?" She had asked.
"Jack's missing, he's not in his cabin." Kat sighed. This couldn't be good.
"Jeff, go get Roger, he can help us search." Kat said.
Kat headed for the cafeteria. That's where she'd seen him last. Kat flipped the light switch on to the cafeteria and walked to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway when she spotted Jack.
Suddenly Kat turned around. " I can't do this Hank. I'm not ready."
Hank looked at her. " Kat, you're ready. Just tell me what happened."
"I don't want to, besides you were there." She says turning on him. " You were there. You saw him, just like I did."
"Kat, your right. I did see him, but I only know what I saw. I was only there for a few minutes before they took him away. Tell me what happened."
Kat shook her head. Not wanting to remember. Hank now loses his temper. "You're the one who said Jack was sick. That he shouldn't be punished for what happened that he needed help. So tell me why that is."
Kat turns back to the kitchen, again going back to that night.
Jack was laying on the floor crying. There was a knife on the floor and he had a small gash on his arm. Kat had shuddered. She knew Jack had been a cutter, but his parents had said he hadn't cut in months when they'd brought him in.
"Jack?" Kat had said, leaning down to see the boy. " Are you OK?"
The boy didn't even seem to see her. " I don't deserve this. What did I do to you?" He cried.
"Jack, its Kat." She'd said again a little louder trying to snap him out of it. " I'm here. Talk to me."
"Your all the same, your all the same." He yelled, still not acknowledging Kat. "You all think I deserve this. You all think I need help." He cried standing up.
Kat noticed he was shaking. " Jack, Jack. Who are you arguing with?" Kat asked, but she still got no response from Jack. She reached over taking his arm. Jack turned around swinging. Kat managed to duck his first few punches, but one caught her squarely on the jaw. The next thing she knew, Kat was flailing backwards. She hit the counter with a loud crash and sunk to the floor the wind knocked out of her.
"I hate you!" Jack cried and headed for the door. But Roger who had heard the noise was in the doorway. Roger reached for Jack, but Jack sidestepped him, running around the counter and grabbing Kat by the arm. He twisted her arm up behind her.
"Let her go, Jack." Roger had said. Trying to calm the boy down.
"I have to make them stop. You have to stop." He said jerking on Kat's arm and making her wince.
"Jack, we can't make them stop, unless you tell us who they are." Roger said. "Now just let Kat go and we'll talk about it."
"Do what he says Jack." Kat had huffed.
"We won't hurt you, we just want to help you." Roger added.
"You all want to hurt me. You all think you know what's best. My parents, my friends." Jack who had already been crying began to cry harder. " You don't know. I want them to go away. I want them to leave me alone. I want her to leave me alone." With that he again shoved Kat. This time though, Roger caught her before she hit anything.
"You OK?" He asked.
"I think so." She said breathing hard. Roger got up and headed for Jack who had grabbed the knife and was sitting in the corner of the room.
"I just want them to go away. I told you I would make them go away." Jack said holding the knife over his wrist. "I don't want to listen to them. STOP TALKING TO ME." He cried his voice cracking from having screamed so much. Roger and Kat looked at each other. Kat was certain now that Jack was dillusional. It explained much of his behavior over the last month. The extreme mood swings, talking to himself, the sudden outbursts.
"Jack, this isn't the way out." Roger said taking a step forward.
"Get away from me. I told you I had a way to make them stop." He said looking at Kat and moving the knife closer to his wrist. "They'll stop now. They'll listen to me." He looked up. "You'll listen to me now, won't you? You'll have to, because I control you now, not the other way around." He moved the knife even closer to his wrist.
"Don't!" Kat cried. "Jack! Jack it's me Kat." She said desperately trying to get through to him. "I'm not one of them. I really can help. Just talk to me."
Jack looked at her, but then suddenly he shook his head and began to cry harder. " Go away!" He yelled again. "I want them to go away." He kicked the trashcan across the room. Roger intercepted it and pushed it behind him and Kat.
"Kat try to get him to talk to you about something. He seemed to respond to you." Roger said. Kat gave him a questioning look. As if to say talk about what? "Talk about that quest you guys went on." Roger said to Kat. Kat nodded and turned towards Jack.
"Jack? Jack, do you remember that quest we went on." Jack looked up at her. " Yea, you'd said it was going to be your first camp out." Kat said evenly taking a step forward. "Remember. You were so happy. You said you wanted to write home about it." Jack put his hand to his head. "Jack, do you remember? We went on the quest and that's when you found out I went to Yale. We talked about our majors." She paused taking another step forward. "And how I was leaving soon." She took another step.
"Careful Kat." Roger said from behind her. As the boy kicked something else across the room. Kat nodded.
"And how you wanted to go to Yale too?" Jack started sniffling.
"Do you remember?" She asked and kneeled beside him. He looked up at her.
"I remember." He said quietly.
"Do you remember me telling you about my time here at Horizon? It wasn't during the quest, but..." Her voice trailed off as he nodded.
"You said Peter really helped you." He said sniffling and wiped his eyes with his shirt.
"That's right." She took a deep breath, praying that this worked. " Jack. I want to help you."
He looked up at her. And staring right into her eyes asked, "You want to help me?"
Kat nodded. " I do. But I need you to put the knife down."
Jack looked down at his hand, as if just realizing he had one. He stared at the knife. "I want it to stop." He said crying again.
"It will Jack. You got to believe me it will. But first you have to put down the knife." Kat looked at him expectantly. She waited. Watching him debate.
Jack closed his eyes. He wanted the voices to stop. If only he could believe they would. " Put down the knife, Jack. I'm begging you. Please, put down the knife." Kat said choking on tears.
He made up his mind. He opened his hand and the knife fell to the floor with a clatter. Roger quickly stepped forward removing the knife from its fallen place. A guy from the police station, who had been in the doorway, came over and helped Jack out of the room. Roger followed them.
Kat's legs suddenly gave way and she slumped back against the wall sobbing. Peter came into the kitchen and knelt beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried.
"Hank, Jack needed help. I know that during the weeks I worked with him, I was scared and upset, but I couldn't press charges against him. He needed help and now he'll get it." She said "He didn't know what he was doing. He was dillusional and scared. He just wanted help. I could have sent him to juvie, made him pay for harming me and scaring me, but he needed help." She turns to face Hank. "I know that all you wanted to do was protect me and help me be safe. I know that since we waited so long to talk, that you didn't have all the facts of what happened. But Jack was dillusional and he's now getting help." She pauses for a moment. " Because of me. I helped him Jack. I decided to counsel at Horizon to give back. And that's what I did."
Hank hugs her. Then kisses her forehead. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you until now. I could have saved us both some time. But when I saw him grab you like that and had seen him with the knife earlier... I was scared." He looks her in the eyes and says, "Kat, your one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I love you. And I think you made the right choice in choosing to help Jack, instead of giving up on him." Kat smiled and then leaned up and kissed him.
"You know, those two are almost as bad as Scott and Shelby." The couple broke apart at the sound of Daisy's voice. Hank turned around, keeping one arm around Kat. Before him and Kat stood the cliffhangers, who were grinning widely at seeing Kat, and having caught her and Hank together.
"So how much did you guys hear?" Kat asked.
"I love you, you made the right choice, hug hug, kiss kiss." Shelby said sarcastically.
"Yea, just enough to know that our beloved Kat is OK." Daisy added and walked over and gave Kat a hug. The other cliffhangers followed.
"You guys on kitchen duty?" Kat asked after having hugged and greeted them. They nodded and as the other cliffhangers began their work in the kitchen Kat proceeded to tell them about college and life after Horizon.
(On the other side of the cafeteria, Peter and Sophie are standing side by side, watching the cliffhangers talk.)
"Looks like Kat's going to be OK." Sophie says.
"Looks like they'll all be OK." Peter replies.
"Things have changed a lot over the last few months." Sophie says putting her arms around Peter. Indicating that one of the things that has changed is their relationship.
"I guess they have." He says and kisses her. He pulls back, "Maybe it's just that time of year."
"Autumn always seems to bring about change."
"Well, Sophie Becker, maybe it's just the season."
"Yea, a season for change." She says and rolls her eyes, but then she kisses him.
(Closing credits)
Next time on Higher Ground Fan Fic - "Father of Mine" - Daisy's father comes for a visit. Sara Hannington shows up and everyone wonders how somebody so normal, could end up in a place like Horizon. Peter names a scholarship in his father's name.
