Disclaimer: See chapter 4
Chapter 5: What Is This?
"What is this, what is this,
This mess of my existence is"
The room was quiet except for the beeping of machines. Everyone had gone home for the night. They left no nurses to come check on him. If he died, he died. They were beyond caring. It had been over two weeks since his capture and still he lay there in a coma. The Centre was tired of it. Running the machinery that kept him alive was expensive. Not to mention time consuming. He was more trouble than he was worth.
Sydney sighed. Thoughts tumbled around his head about the rumors that the Centre was going to terminate Jarod's life. Why had it all come down to this? Broots had informed him of the rumor earlier in the day. Apparently, they had wanted to keep it a secret from Sydney. But, with Broots working the computers, that would be hard to do. Sydney gently squeezed Jarod's hand. He got no response.
Sydney was the only one left at the Centre except for its usual occupants. He wanted to spend some time with Jarod. He had been coming to visit him every day, hoping that there would be some sign of improvement. There hadn't been any. If anything else, he was in worse condition now than when he had been brought to the Centre. Sydney gazed sadly at the Pretender lying on the bed with tubes running in and out of him. He didn't deserve this. Sydney squeezed Jarod's hand again.
"I don't know if you can hear me, Jarod. But, if you can, please come back to us." He still received no response from the man lying in the bed.
It was no use. Jarod was not going to be waking up. Sydney leaned back in his chair, letting go of Jarod's hand. Life could be so unfair at times. Shaking his head, he stood up. It was time to go. Walking to the door, he stopped to take one last look at the man who he considered a son.
"Good-bye, Jarod." He walked out of the door, haunted by images of a little boy asking why.
* * *
Miss Parker sat in bed, trying to relax. She wasn't having much luck. Images of the ghost-like Jarod were still floating around in her head.
After spending the day at the Centre infirmary, she had been given a clean bill of health by the doctor and told to go home and rest. To prevent her from having another illusion and to relieve some of her stress, she was told to only come into the Centre every other day.
She sighed. She may have been given a clean bill of health for her physical body, but her mental and emotional bodies were still in pretty bad shape.
She reached over for the glass of wine sitting on the nightstand. A few days ago, she had tried to see if alcohol would numb the pain that she felt. It had dulled the pain, but not taken it completely away. But dull pain was better than full force pain.
The sip of wine gave her a giddy feeling. Too much wine. No more. She told herself, setting the glass back on the nightstand. Sydney would kill her if he knew was taking wine to dull the pain. But, oh well. It was the only thing that worked.
She snuggled down beneath the covers before turning off the lights. It was time for bed. Her body was tired from fighting off all the ghosts that haunted her. She sighed.
Where had happiness gone? Would it ever come back? She had made a mess of things. A terrible mess of things.
She sat up, startled. Where had that thought come from? No, she hadn't made a mess of things. She had done exactly as she was supposed to do. Hadn't she?
Lying back down, she closed her mind to the thoughts swirling around in her head. All she wanted to do was sleep. Her brain slowly quieted. Sleep was coming.
The phone rang, brining her out of her sleep state. She glanced at the clock. It was 9:15. Most people would expect her to be up.
'What?" She snapped into the phone, having picked it up.
"Wow. What's got you riled up, Sis?" Lyle's voice made Miss Parker's bad mood worse. To be awakened right when you were about to fall asleep was bad enough. But, to be awakened by your brother who had no right to call, was ten times worse.
"Lyle, what do you want?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the nightstand. How she wished she could shoot him right about now.
"You don't have to be so mean, you know. I am your brother after all."
"Cut to the chase. I'm tired and I don't appreciate you waking me up."
"Okay, fine, Grumpy. Dad wants to see you as soon as you come in tomorrow. Okay?" Grumpy? Miss Parker thought. That was a new one.
"Fine. Is that all?"
"Let me check." She could hear the sound of papers moving in the background. He was purposely doing that to annoy her. She just knew it. "Yes, that's all."
"Good. Goodnight." She slammed the phone down into its cradle. Now, she could go back to bed.
Getting comfortable, she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.
Chapter 5: What Is This?
"What is this, what is this,
This mess of my existence is"
The room was quiet except for the beeping of machines. Everyone had gone home for the night. They left no nurses to come check on him. If he died, he died. They were beyond caring. It had been over two weeks since his capture and still he lay there in a coma. The Centre was tired of it. Running the machinery that kept him alive was expensive. Not to mention time consuming. He was more trouble than he was worth.
Sydney sighed. Thoughts tumbled around his head about the rumors that the Centre was going to terminate Jarod's life. Why had it all come down to this? Broots had informed him of the rumor earlier in the day. Apparently, they had wanted to keep it a secret from Sydney. But, with Broots working the computers, that would be hard to do. Sydney gently squeezed Jarod's hand. He got no response.
Sydney was the only one left at the Centre except for its usual occupants. He wanted to spend some time with Jarod. He had been coming to visit him every day, hoping that there would be some sign of improvement. There hadn't been any. If anything else, he was in worse condition now than when he had been brought to the Centre. Sydney gazed sadly at the Pretender lying on the bed with tubes running in and out of him. He didn't deserve this. Sydney squeezed Jarod's hand again.
"I don't know if you can hear me, Jarod. But, if you can, please come back to us." He still received no response from the man lying in the bed.
It was no use. Jarod was not going to be waking up. Sydney leaned back in his chair, letting go of Jarod's hand. Life could be so unfair at times. Shaking his head, he stood up. It was time to go. Walking to the door, he stopped to take one last look at the man who he considered a son.
"Good-bye, Jarod." He walked out of the door, haunted by images of a little boy asking why.
* * *
Miss Parker sat in bed, trying to relax. She wasn't having much luck. Images of the ghost-like Jarod were still floating around in her head.
After spending the day at the Centre infirmary, she had been given a clean bill of health by the doctor and told to go home and rest. To prevent her from having another illusion and to relieve some of her stress, she was told to only come into the Centre every other day.
She sighed. She may have been given a clean bill of health for her physical body, but her mental and emotional bodies were still in pretty bad shape.
She reached over for the glass of wine sitting on the nightstand. A few days ago, she had tried to see if alcohol would numb the pain that she felt. It had dulled the pain, but not taken it completely away. But dull pain was better than full force pain.
The sip of wine gave her a giddy feeling. Too much wine. No more. She told herself, setting the glass back on the nightstand. Sydney would kill her if he knew was taking wine to dull the pain. But, oh well. It was the only thing that worked.
She snuggled down beneath the covers before turning off the lights. It was time for bed. Her body was tired from fighting off all the ghosts that haunted her. She sighed.
Where had happiness gone? Would it ever come back? She had made a mess of things. A terrible mess of things.
She sat up, startled. Where had that thought come from? No, she hadn't made a mess of things. She had done exactly as she was supposed to do. Hadn't she?
Lying back down, she closed her mind to the thoughts swirling around in her head. All she wanted to do was sleep. Her brain slowly quieted. Sleep was coming.
The phone rang, brining her out of her sleep state. She glanced at the clock. It was 9:15. Most people would expect her to be up.
'What?" She snapped into the phone, having picked it up.
"Wow. What's got you riled up, Sis?" Lyle's voice made Miss Parker's bad mood worse. To be awakened right when you were about to fall asleep was bad enough. But, to be awakened by your brother who had no right to call, was ten times worse.
"Lyle, what do you want?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the nightstand. How she wished she could shoot him right about now.
"You don't have to be so mean, you know. I am your brother after all."
"Cut to the chase. I'm tired and I don't appreciate you waking me up."
"Okay, fine, Grumpy. Dad wants to see you as soon as you come in tomorrow. Okay?" Grumpy? Miss Parker thought. That was a new one.
"Fine. Is that all?"
"Let me check." She could hear the sound of papers moving in the background. He was purposely doing that to annoy her. She just knew it. "Yes, that's all."
"Good. Goodnight." She slammed the phone down into its cradle. Now, she could go back to bed.
Getting comfortable, she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.