Chapter Eighteen
Parker had gone home. Angelo had filled her in about Jarods answers. Now all they could do was waiting. Waiting on how things developed. She poured herself a glass of Scotch an sat down on her couch. She sipped and enjoyed the malty taste. Scotch always made her relax. It remembered her of good times, happy days with her friends during college. There she had been herself. She had created herself average parents and an average home. She was accepted by her schoolmates and she had dated nice guys.
She had been free then. But after finishing college everything had changed. That was, nothing had changed - at the Centre. It still was the scary place she remembered from her early days. Always dark and cold.
Then, Jarod had been the only reason she had wanted to go there. Jarod was the only person that showed interest in herself. She was no subject with him. She was his friend and he cared for her dearly. She had always seen that in his eyes. She always would.
Now he sat there in the cell. He waited for the things to come and Parker couldn't stand the uncertainty. She hated waiting. And she hated the Centre more, every second. At least a thousand times she had thought about calling Broots and Sydney. She had their adress. But calling them could mean to give away their cover.
The doorbell rang and Parker started. She almost spilled the scotch over her dress. Sighing she answered the door. In front of her was a messenger.
"There is a telegram here for you, Mam. Please sign at the line."
Parker hesitated. Who would be sending her a telegram? She signed and the messenger left. Some moments she watched him drive away. Was this a test? Did the Centre get suspicious? Or could it be...
She opened it with trembling fingers. Standing in the middle of her living room she read the short sentences.
We're in safety - stop - what's up with J. - stop - need frequency of cameras on high security level - stop - tell how we can help - stop - S & B - stop
Parker laughed relievedly. So Broots was already digging on the Mainframe. Her friends knew Jarod was captive again and offered help. Now she realized how she had missed them both. They were a good team and a team was only as good as its members. Angelo would give her the frequency. Maybe he could contact them. Broots could be using Jarods laptop.
Cheered up she grabbed her glass again and made her way into the kitchen.
***
Jarod lay on his back and stared at the wall. Still he couldn't banish the pictures out of his head. He hadn't slept because of the dreams that were haunting him. Dark rings showed under his eyes. Even the extensive breakfast he had been served couldn't cheer him up. He ate half a croissant and some jam, then returned to his bunk. This way he stayed the whole day.
He didn't shift. Not even when Lyle entered.
Lyle was somehow worried. The Sweepers had reported Jarod to be calm. But Lyle knew that Jarod loved sweets. He loved jam. But he almost ate nothing. He should have been hungry. Maybe it was Jarods way to show Lyle, he cooperated only under protest. Maybe he tried to starve himself. Some religious leaders did so, to purifiy their soul.
So far Lyle didn't know which confession Jarod had. Probably all. So this idea didn't seem very logical to him.
The other possibility was that the DSA had disturbed him more than Lyle had calculated. Lyle hadn't imagined which impact it would have on Jarod. The Pretender had always coped with everything done to him. He was taught to. But now it seemed that Jarods mind had problems with accepting things nobody could change anymore.
Watching the Pretender Lyle carefully got closer. Jarod did not move. He stared to the ceiling. Lyle went closer again. He saw the glassy look in Jarods eyes and hastily knelt next to him. Feeling his pulse and his forehead Lyle cursed inwardly. Jarod was cold, too cold. His pulse was very slow, almost not perceptable. He was in shock.
Shouting he left the cell and ran into Parker. She gave him an annoyed look. Lyle gave some short orders.
"Call a doctor. Jarod's in shock. Get me some blankets and something I can put his feet on..."
The sweepers blasted away. Lyle entered the cell again. Jarods position had not changed. Parker followed him in. First she had to fight for her composure. Jarod looked bad. But then she reminded herself what Jarod had told Angelo. She should not worry if he acted strange.
"What's up, Lyle?"
Lyle didn't answer. He checked Jarods pulse again and checked his breathing. Parker got closer.
"What happened?"
She asked, but she kept all her worry out of her voice. Lyle stood up and stuffed Jarods blanked around him. Then he pulled out his cushion from under his head and placed it beneath his feet.
"Keep his feet up. He's in shock. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea at all to show him the DSA..."
Parker followed his orders.
"Don't you think he's just pretending?"
Lyle shook his head.
"No, this feels real. Jarods in danger."
The doctor stormed in. He looked over to Lyle and kneeled next to Jarod. Checking pulse and temperature was one thing. Then he took a bag of salt solution out of his case. Parker watched him set the infusion. Jarod was really good. Even the doctor believed Jarod was in shock.
"He has to be brought into renewal wing for treatment. I need to know what triggered this reaction."
Lyle had a bad feeling about renewal wing, but the Pretender was worth too much. He gestured his Sweepers and they went for a guerney. Parker still held Jarods feet up. The doctor talked to Lyle.
"What happened?"
Lyle shrugged.
"I don't know. We didn't even start treatment. I found him that way."
Parker added.
"Don't you think the DSA might have been the trigger?"
Lyle shot her an angry glance.
"Maybe, but usually he's not so highly sensitive..."
The doctor shrugged and followed the Sweepers who brought Jarod out in the hallway.
Parker stayed in the cell. She had a strange knot in her stomach and she was totally sure it was not her ulcer. Lyle was right. This felt real. She had to find Angelo.
Parker had gone home. Angelo had filled her in about Jarods answers. Now all they could do was waiting. Waiting on how things developed. She poured herself a glass of Scotch an sat down on her couch. She sipped and enjoyed the malty taste. Scotch always made her relax. It remembered her of good times, happy days with her friends during college. There she had been herself. She had created herself average parents and an average home. She was accepted by her schoolmates and she had dated nice guys.
She had been free then. But after finishing college everything had changed. That was, nothing had changed - at the Centre. It still was the scary place she remembered from her early days. Always dark and cold.
Then, Jarod had been the only reason she had wanted to go there. Jarod was the only person that showed interest in herself. She was no subject with him. She was his friend and he cared for her dearly. She had always seen that in his eyes. She always would.
Now he sat there in the cell. He waited for the things to come and Parker couldn't stand the uncertainty. She hated waiting. And she hated the Centre more, every second. At least a thousand times she had thought about calling Broots and Sydney. She had their adress. But calling them could mean to give away their cover.
The doorbell rang and Parker started. She almost spilled the scotch over her dress. Sighing she answered the door. In front of her was a messenger.
"There is a telegram here for you, Mam. Please sign at the line."
Parker hesitated. Who would be sending her a telegram? She signed and the messenger left. Some moments she watched him drive away. Was this a test? Did the Centre get suspicious? Or could it be...
She opened it with trembling fingers. Standing in the middle of her living room she read the short sentences.
We're in safety - stop - what's up with J. - stop - need frequency of cameras on high security level - stop - tell how we can help - stop - S & B - stop
Parker laughed relievedly. So Broots was already digging on the Mainframe. Her friends knew Jarod was captive again and offered help. Now she realized how she had missed them both. They were a good team and a team was only as good as its members. Angelo would give her the frequency. Maybe he could contact them. Broots could be using Jarods laptop.
Cheered up she grabbed her glass again and made her way into the kitchen.
***
Jarod lay on his back and stared at the wall. Still he couldn't banish the pictures out of his head. He hadn't slept because of the dreams that were haunting him. Dark rings showed under his eyes. Even the extensive breakfast he had been served couldn't cheer him up. He ate half a croissant and some jam, then returned to his bunk. This way he stayed the whole day.
He didn't shift. Not even when Lyle entered.
Lyle was somehow worried. The Sweepers had reported Jarod to be calm. But Lyle knew that Jarod loved sweets. He loved jam. But he almost ate nothing. He should have been hungry. Maybe it was Jarods way to show Lyle, he cooperated only under protest. Maybe he tried to starve himself. Some religious leaders did so, to purifiy their soul.
So far Lyle didn't know which confession Jarod had. Probably all. So this idea didn't seem very logical to him.
The other possibility was that the DSA had disturbed him more than Lyle had calculated. Lyle hadn't imagined which impact it would have on Jarod. The Pretender had always coped with everything done to him. He was taught to. But now it seemed that Jarods mind had problems with accepting things nobody could change anymore.
Watching the Pretender Lyle carefully got closer. Jarod did not move. He stared to the ceiling. Lyle went closer again. He saw the glassy look in Jarods eyes and hastily knelt next to him. Feeling his pulse and his forehead Lyle cursed inwardly. Jarod was cold, too cold. His pulse was very slow, almost not perceptable. He was in shock.
Shouting he left the cell and ran into Parker. She gave him an annoyed look. Lyle gave some short orders.
"Call a doctor. Jarod's in shock. Get me some blankets and something I can put his feet on..."
The sweepers blasted away. Lyle entered the cell again. Jarods position had not changed. Parker followed him in. First she had to fight for her composure. Jarod looked bad. But then she reminded herself what Jarod had told Angelo. She should not worry if he acted strange.
"What's up, Lyle?"
Lyle didn't answer. He checked Jarods pulse again and checked his breathing. Parker got closer.
"What happened?"
She asked, but she kept all her worry out of her voice. Lyle stood up and stuffed Jarods blanked around him. Then he pulled out his cushion from under his head and placed it beneath his feet.
"Keep his feet up. He's in shock. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea at all to show him the DSA..."
Parker followed his orders.
"Don't you think he's just pretending?"
Lyle shook his head.
"No, this feels real. Jarods in danger."
The doctor stormed in. He looked over to Lyle and kneeled next to Jarod. Checking pulse and temperature was one thing. Then he took a bag of salt solution out of his case. Parker watched him set the infusion. Jarod was really good. Even the doctor believed Jarod was in shock.
"He has to be brought into renewal wing for treatment. I need to know what triggered this reaction."
Lyle had a bad feeling about renewal wing, but the Pretender was worth too much. He gestured his Sweepers and they went for a guerney. Parker still held Jarods feet up. The doctor talked to Lyle.
"What happened?"
Lyle shrugged.
"I don't know. We didn't even start treatment. I found him that way."
Parker added.
"Don't you think the DSA might have been the trigger?"
Lyle shot her an angry glance.
"Maybe, but usually he's not so highly sensitive..."
The doctor shrugged and followed the Sweepers who brought Jarod out in the hallway.
Parker stayed in the cell. She had a strange knot in her stomach and she was totally sure it was not her ulcer. Lyle was right. This felt real. She had to find Angelo.