Disclaimer: See chapter 5
Chapter 6: Politics
"All these politics of life
And death and relevance"
"You wanted to see me, Daddy?" Miss Parker asked, walking into her father's office. Mr. Parker sat at his desk looking over one of the many papers that lay on it. He motioned for her to sit down. She sat down in one of the chairs next to his desk.
"Yes. Yes. I wanted to talk to you. Give me a moment to make sure I have everything in order." He continued to read the paper in his hands, as Miss Parker just sat there thinking and trying not to fall asleep.
After Lyle had called, she had gone to sleep fairly easily. But, nightmares had plagued her sleep. They weren't as bad as some of the other ones she had experienced, but they were bad enough. She awoke around midnight screaming. After that, it took her almost three hours to go back to sleep. The past few days of insomnia had made her tired.
A grunt brought her out of her reverie. She looked up at Mr. Parker, who was waiting for her to acknowledge the fact that he was preparing to speak to her. She nodded her head.
"Thanks for coming." He said, smiling a grim smile. " I feared Lyle wouldn't give you the message.
"You know Lyle. Always ready to follow your orders." Miss Parker said. Her father grunted.
"Yes, perhaps. But, I didn't ask you here to talk about your brother. We need to talk about Jarod."
"What about him?" Miss Parker felt her palms begin to sweat. She felt nervous. A feeling of dread swept over her.
"You know it's been almost three weeks since you brought him in." Miss Parker nodded, wondering where this was going. "The Centre is tired of keeping him on life support. If he hasn't come out of it by now, they doubt he'll ever wake up. You understand what I'm saying?"
"Not really. So, he won't wake up now? What is the big deal? He'll eventually wake up."
"No, Angel. You don't understand. The Centre is tired of keeping him alive. They want to terminate Jarod's life support." Miss Parker was shocked. Kill one of the Centre's best projects? It was almost unthinkable.
"You mean, kill him?"
"Yes and no. If he breathes without the life support, which is highly unlikely, they'll leave him alone. Breathing on his own is a sign that he's getting better. But, if he doesn't breathe on his own, they'll let him die. Do you see how this works?"
"Yes, I think I do. But, what does this have to do with me?"
"I'm glad you asked, Angel." He handed her one of the papers from his stack. "They want you to be involved in the process."
"How?" She asked, scanning the paper in her hands. The words appeared fuzzy to her vision. She was still trying to recover from the shock that the Centre wanted to terminate Jarod's life. "How am I supposed to be involved?"
"They want you to sign the termination paper. Since you captured him, they think it's only fair that you have a say in whether he lives or dies."
"Me? Sign this paper?" She felt her heart turn cold with fear. "I can't." She tried to hand the paper back to her father. He refused to take it.
"You see, Angel, if you sign the paper you're free to go. You don't have to stay here anymore. You'd be free. But, if you don't sign the paper." He left the last sentence hanging. They both knew what he was going to say. If she didn't sign the paper terminating Jarod's life support, she'd be stuck in the Centre forever.
A battle stared inside Miss Parker; a battle between her head and her heart. Her mind told her she should sign the paper. She needed to sign it. To stay one more day in the Centre would kill her. Or at least seriously hurt her mental health. She needed to get out. Sign the paper, her mind screamed at her.
But, her heart told her other wise. It argued with her mind. She couldn't kill Jarod. He was too important. Too important to who? Miss Parker thought. "To you." Her heart said.
Miss Parker shook her head. She would sign the paper, just to prove that her heart was wrong. Jarod was nothing to her. Just one of the Centre's projects. She looked at her father, determination in her eyes.
"Give me a pen." She said, her voice cold. Mr. Parker smiled.
"I knew you would see the good in it." He handed her a pen. After hesitating for just a moment, she bent down and signed her name. Jarod's fate was sealed.
A pain swept over Miss Parker. A part of her seemed to die with the signing of her name. She refused to think about it. Handing the paper back to her father, she stood up.
"Thank you, Angel. You can go now. And don't feel too bad. It's all politics anyway." Miss Parker just nodded her head and walked out the door, heart heavy with a secret pain.
* * *
The ventilation shaft was dusty. Cobwebs hung in every corner, their original builders long dead. Insects of varies kinds crawled along the walls, looking for food and a way out. The shaft twisted and turned for what seemed like forever. It eventually dead-ended, with another shaft starting where it ended.
Lined up along the wall of the shaft were boxes of paper and Cracker Jacks. Paper littered the floor. A pathetic figure sat in the middle of it all. He was a grown man, but one look at his eyes told you he was still a child in the mind. His hair, which was a dull gray, was frizzy, sticking out in all directions. His face spoke of sadness and longing.
He was humming to himself, thinking of recent events and their consequences. Suddenly, he sat straight up, hearing some unknown call. After listening for some time, he crouched back down again, shaking his head. He began mumbling to himself.
"So sad. So sad. It's all politics, he says. No, it's not politics. He's not there because he wishes it. He's still running. Running away from the one he loves." The man cocked his head, as if listening to something. "Yes, still running. Only when she admits will he come back. Only then. But she won't admit, will she? No, she." He sat up again, concentrating on what only he could hear. A fire was lighted in his eyes. A smile spread across his face.
"But, it's all about to change." He sighed contentedly and grabbed a box of Cracker Jacks. He popped one into his mouth and sat there in the dark, thinking of what was to come.
Chapter 6: Politics
"All these politics of life
And death and relevance"
"You wanted to see me, Daddy?" Miss Parker asked, walking into her father's office. Mr. Parker sat at his desk looking over one of the many papers that lay on it. He motioned for her to sit down. She sat down in one of the chairs next to his desk.
"Yes. Yes. I wanted to talk to you. Give me a moment to make sure I have everything in order." He continued to read the paper in his hands, as Miss Parker just sat there thinking and trying not to fall asleep.
After Lyle had called, she had gone to sleep fairly easily. But, nightmares had plagued her sleep. They weren't as bad as some of the other ones she had experienced, but they were bad enough. She awoke around midnight screaming. After that, it took her almost three hours to go back to sleep. The past few days of insomnia had made her tired.
A grunt brought her out of her reverie. She looked up at Mr. Parker, who was waiting for her to acknowledge the fact that he was preparing to speak to her. She nodded her head.
"Thanks for coming." He said, smiling a grim smile. " I feared Lyle wouldn't give you the message.
"You know Lyle. Always ready to follow your orders." Miss Parker said. Her father grunted.
"Yes, perhaps. But, I didn't ask you here to talk about your brother. We need to talk about Jarod."
"What about him?" Miss Parker felt her palms begin to sweat. She felt nervous. A feeling of dread swept over her.
"You know it's been almost three weeks since you brought him in." Miss Parker nodded, wondering where this was going. "The Centre is tired of keeping him on life support. If he hasn't come out of it by now, they doubt he'll ever wake up. You understand what I'm saying?"
"Not really. So, he won't wake up now? What is the big deal? He'll eventually wake up."
"No, Angel. You don't understand. The Centre is tired of keeping him alive. They want to terminate Jarod's life support." Miss Parker was shocked. Kill one of the Centre's best projects? It was almost unthinkable.
"You mean, kill him?"
"Yes and no. If he breathes without the life support, which is highly unlikely, they'll leave him alone. Breathing on his own is a sign that he's getting better. But, if he doesn't breathe on his own, they'll let him die. Do you see how this works?"
"Yes, I think I do. But, what does this have to do with me?"
"I'm glad you asked, Angel." He handed her one of the papers from his stack. "They want you to be involved in the process."
"How?" She asked, scanning the paper in her hands. The words appeared fuzzy to her vision. She was still trying to recover from the shock that the Centre wanted to terminate Jarod's life. "How am I supposed to be involved?"
"They want you to sign the termination paper. Since you captured him, they think it's only fair that you have a say in whether he lives or dies."
"Me? Sign this paper?" She felt her heart turn cold with fear. "I can't." She tried to hand the paper back to her father. He refused to take it.
"You see, Angel, if you sign the paper you're free to go. You don't have to stay here anymore. You'd be free. But, if you don't sign the paper." He left the last sentence hanging. They both knew what he was going to say. If she didn't sign the paper terminating Jarod's life support, she'd be stuck in the Centre forever.
A battle stared inside Miss Parker; a battle between her head and her heart. Her mind told her she should sign the paper. She needed to sign it. To stay one more day in the Centre would kill her. Or at least seriously hurt her mental health. She needed to get out. Sign the paper, her mind screamed at her.
But, her heart told her other wise. It argued with her mind. She couldn't kill Jarod. He was too important. Too important to who? Miss Parker thought. "To you." Her heart said.
Miss Parker shook her head. She would sign the paper, just to prove that her heart was wrong. Jarod was nothing to her. Just one of the Centre's projects. She looked at her father, determination in her eyes.
"Give me a pen." She said, her voice cold. Mr. Parker smiled.
"I knew you would see the good in it." He handed her a pen. After hesitating for just a moment, she bent down and signed her name. Jarod's fate was sealed.
A pain swept over Miss Parker. A part of her seemed to die with the signing of her name. She refused to think about it. Handing the paper back to her father, she stood up.
"Thank you, Angel. You can go now. And don't feel too bad. It's all politics anyway." Miss Parker just nodded her head and walked out the door, heart heavy with a secret pain.
* * *
The ventilation shaft was dusty. Cobwebs hung in every corner, their original builders long dead. Insects of varies kinds crawled along the walls, looking for food and a way out. The shaft twisted and turned for what seemed like forever. It eventually dead-ended, with another shaft starting where it ended.
Lined up along the wall of the shaft were boxes of paper and Cracker Jacks. Paper littered the floor. A pathetic figure sat in the middle of it all. He was a grown man, but one look at his eyes told you he was still a child in the mind. His hair, which was a dull gray, was frizzy, sticking out in all directions. His face spoke of sadness and longing.
He was humming to himself, thinking of recent events and their consequences. Suddenly, he sat straight up, hearing some unknown call. After listening for some time, he crouched back down again, shaking his head. He began mumbling to himself.
"So sad. So sad. It's all politics, he says. No, it's not politics. He's not there because he wishes it. He's still running. Running away from the one he loves." The man cocked his head, as if listening to something. "Yes, still running. Only when she admits will he come back. Only then. But she won't admit, will she? No, she." He sat up again, concentrating on what only he could hear. A fire was lighted in his eyes. A smile spread across his face.
"But, it's all about to change." He sighed contentedly and grabbed a box of Cracker Jacks. He popped one into his mouth and sat there in the dark, thinking of what was to come.