A/N: Sorry it took so long to post. I've had a busy after holiday week.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: See chapter 7
Chapter 8: Face
"You face yourself just like you always do
Time and time again"
Miss Parker slowly got out of bed. The clouds that had once covered the sun had moved away, allowing the sun to shine in all its glory. Birds began twittering in the trees again. Their voices were occasionally joined by the croak of a frog.
Miss Parker just stood there, enjoying nature's symphony. Her new realization had freed her soul. The bars that had once guarded her heart were gone. She laughed, lifting her arms and twirling. Life felt so good. Stopping herself in mid-twirl, she looked around the room. A mirror in the far corner caught her attention.
She walked over to it. Looking at herself, she sighed. A dark cloud suddenly took refuge over her heart. Jarod was still going to die. She could not turn back the clock and take her signature away from the paper. It was done. How could she face herself each morning knowing she had let him die? Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. They slipped down her cheeks, leaving behind little wet streaks.
It wasn't fair. How could this be undone? She thought about it for a second, but no options presented themselves to her. Wiping the tears from her eyes and face, she looked at herself in the mirror again.
How could she face herself? It would be better to die than live with this guilt. She lowered her head in shame. Suddenly, a plan presented itself to her. It was risky, but it could work. Lifting her head, she decided to do it. But, she would need help. And she knew the two perfect people to help her.
* * *
Broots sat at his desk, fingering the wire of the mouse. Without Miss Parker, life at the Centre was boring. She made everything interesting. He shook his head. Though he missed her, he was glad she was gone. She didn't need to be at the Centre anymore.
Broots jumped when the telephone on his desk rang. Who could it be? He thought. He wasn't expecting any calls. Reaching over, he picked the phone up.
"Hello. This is Broots. May I help you?" He stammered.
"Broots, it's Parker."
"Miss Parker?" Broots asked in amazement. "What can I do for you?"
"I want you to be at my house by 6 o'clock tonight. Got it? Don't tell anyone you are coming over to my house. You understand?"
"Why?"
"I'll tell you when you get here. Don't be late." With that, she hung up. Broots shook his head in puzzlement. He could think of no reason why Miss Parker would want him to come over. It didn't matter, though. He would not disappoint his former boss.
* * *
Sydney's phone rang, abruptly bringing him out of his thoughts. Sighing, he reached over and answered it.
"This is Sydney."
"Sydney, it's Parker. Listen. I want you to come over to my house tonight around 6 o'clock. Okay?"
"Why?"
"Don't ask. I'll tell you when you get here. Please don't be late. It is very important." She hung up. Sydney slowly put the phone back in its cradle. What could Miss Parker want?
* * *
Broots pulled up in his beat up car just as Sydney was getting out of his nice, shiny car. Broots hurriedly parked his car and got out, relived to see another person had been invited to Miss Parker's house.
"Sydney!" He yelled. Sydney turned and smiled when he saw Broots walking towards him.
"Broots. I didn't know you had been invited, too." The two men shook hands.
"I didn't know you had been invited, either." He studied Sydney's face. "Do you know what's going on?" Sydney shook his head.
"Not a clue. I guess we better go inside and find out." They walked up the steps. Upon reaching the door, Broots reached out and knocked. It was answered almost immediately.
Miss Parker opened the door and ushered them inside. She took their coats without a word, hanging them in the closet, before walking into the living room. Sydney and Broots followed. Papers and blueprints were scattered over the table. They both sat down on the couch after Miss Parker motioned for them to do so. Finally, she spoke.
"You are probably wondering why I asked you over." Both men nodded their heads in unison. "Well, we all know Jarod's life is soon to be terminated. I don't know about you two, but I would die if they killed him. So, I've come up with a way to save him."
"How do you plan to do this?" Sydney asked. He would never have thought Miss Parker would care if Jarod lived or died. She had amazed him. Broots had similar feelings.
"I was hoping you would ask." She smiled. "There is a large ventilation shaft that runs under the room where Jarod is." She pointed to one of the blueprints. "There is a large grate for it in the far corner of the room. It leads to the outside. All we have to do is lower Jarod into the shaft and carry him to the outside. He can stay at my house until he recovers."
"How do we go about getting him into the shaft? Is it a long drop? It seems almost impossible." Broots said, looking over the blueprint.
"Not really. The drop is about a foot. I can be in the shaft holding the bottom of the board we use to lower him. You and Sydney can be in the room doing the lowering."
"What about his life support? He needs that to live." Sydney's eyes were full of concern. "You can't disconnect him."
"No." Miss Parker said slowly. "We can't disconnect him. I've looked over the equipment. All we need is the breathing machine. It's kinda heavy, and lowering it will be tricky, but it has wheels so it will be easy to move along the shaft. If it seems too difficult, I can ask Sam for help. He can be trusted. The shaft is big enough to fit both Jarod and the machine, as well as us." She looked at the two men sitting on the couch. "We have to do it tonight, though. They pull the plug tomorrow night."
"One more question." Sydney said. "What about the security cameras? They will need to be either disconnected or their view blocked. How do we handle those?" Miss Parker smiled.
"Dear old dad has already taken care of that. I have learned through the mainframe that he has deactivated the cameras for tomorrow night. They shouldn't be a problem. And if they are, Broots can take care of them."
"Me?" Broots asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Yes, you. You are the computer techi. You should know how to deactivate cameras. So, are you all in?" She waited eagerly for their response. Both men nodded their heads.
"We will need Sam. Call him." Sydney smiled, feeling hope soar through him. "Lets do this." All three smiled and started getting their plans ready.
Disclaimer: See chapter 7
Chapter 8: Face
"You face yourself just like you always do
Time and time again"
Miss Parker slowly got out of bed. The clouds that had once covered the sun had moved away, allowing the sun to shine in all its glory. Birds began twittering in the trees again. Their voices were occasionally joined by the croak of a frog.
Miss Parker just stood there, enjoying nature's symphony. Her new realization had freed her soul. The bars that had once guarded her heart were gone. She laughed, lifting her arms and twirling. Life felt so good. Stopping herself in mid-twirl, she looked around the room. A mirror in the far corner caught her attention.
She walked over to it. Looking at herself, she sighed. A dark cloud suddenly took refuge over her heart. Jarod was still going to die. She could not turn back the clock and take her signature away from the paper. It was done. How could she face herself each morning knowing she had let him die? Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. They slipped down her cheeks, leaving behind little wet streaks.
It wasn't fair. How could this be undone? She thought about it for a second, but no options presented themselves to her. Wiping the tears from her eyes and face, she looked at herself in the mirror again.
How could she face herself? It would be better to die than live with this guilt. She lowered her head in shame. Suddenly, a plan presented itself to her. It was risky, but it could work. Lifting her head, she decided to do it. But, she would need help. And she knew the two perfect people to help her.
* * *
Broots sat at his desk, fingering the wire of the mouse. Without Miss Parker, life at the Centre was boring. She made everything interesting. He shook his head. Though he missed her, he was glad she was gone. She didn't need to be at the Centre anymore.
Broots jumped when the telephone on his desk rang. Who could it be? He thought. He wasn't expecting any calls. Reaching over, he picked the phone up.
"Hello. This is Broots. May I help you?" He stammered.
"Broots, it's Parker."
"Miss Parker?" Broots asked in amazement. "What can I do for you?"
"I want you to be at my house by 6 o'clock tonight. Got it? Don't tell anyone you are coming over to my house. You understand?"
"Why?"
"I'll tell you when you get here. Don't be late." With that, she hung up. Broots shook his head in puzzlement. He could think of no reason why Miss Parker would want him to come over. It didn't matter, though. He would not disappoint his former boss.
* * *
Sydney's phone rang, abruptly bringing him out of his thoughts. Sighing, he reached over and answered it.
"This is Sydney."
"Sydney, it's Parker. Listen. I want you to come over to my house tonight around 6 o'clock. Okay?"
"Why?"
"Don't ask. I'll tell you when you get here. Please don't be late. It is very important." She hung up. Sydney slowly put the phone back in its cradle. What could Miss Parker want?
* * *
Broots pulled up in his beat up car just as Sydney was getting out of his nice, shiny car. Broots hurriedly parked his car and got out, relived to see another person had been invited to Miss Parker's house.
"Sydney!" He yelled. Sydney turned and smiled when he saw Broots walking towards him.
"Broots. I didn't know you had been invited, too." The two men shook hands.
"I didn't know you had been invited, either." He studied Sydney's face. "Do you know what's going on?" Sydney shook his head.
"Not a clue. I guess we better go inside and find out." They walked up the steps. Upon reaching the door, Broots reached out and knocked. It was answered almost immediately.
Miss Parker opened the door and ushered them inside. She took their coats without a word, hanging them in the closet, before walking into the living room. Sydney and Broots followed. Papers and blueprints were scattered over the table. They both sat down on the couch after Miss Parker motioned for them to do so. Finally, she spoke.
"You are probably wondering why I asked you over." Both men nodded their heads in unison. "Well, we all know Jarod's life is soon to be terminated. I don't know about you two, but I would die if they killed him. So, I've come up with a way to save him."
"How do you plan to do this?" Sydney asked. He would never have thought Miss Parker would care if Jarod lived or died. She had amazed him. Broots had similar feelings.
"I was hoping you would ask." She smiled. "There is a large ventilation shaft that runs under the room where Jarod is." She pointed to one of the blueprints. "There is a large grate for it in the far corner of the room. It leads to the outside. All we have to do is lower Jarod into the shaft and carry him to the outside. He can stay at my house until he recovers."
"How do we go about getting him into the shaft? Is it a long drop? It seems almost impossible." Broots said, looking over the blueprint.
"Not really. The drop is about a foot. I can be in the shaft holding the bottom of the board we use to lower him. You and Sydney can be in the room doing the lowering."
"What about his life support? He needs that to live." Sydney's eyes were full of concern. "You can't disconnect him."
"No." Miss Parker said slowly. "We can't disconnect him. I've looked over the equipment. All we need is the breathing machine. It's kinda heavy, and lowering it will be tricky, but it has wheels so it will be easy to move along the shaft. If it seems too difficult, I can ask Sam for help. He can be trusted. The shaft is big enough to fit both Jarod and the machine, as well as us." She looked at the two men sitting on the couch. "We have to do it tonight, though. They pull the plug tomorrow night."
"One more question." Sydney said. "What about the security cameras? They will need to be either disconnected or their view blocked. How do we handle those?" Miss Parker smiled.
"Dear old dad has already taken care of that. I have learned through the mainframe that he has deactivated the cameras for tomorrow night. They shouldn't be a problem. And if they are, Broots can take care of them."
"Me?" Broots asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Yes, you. You are the computer techi. You should know how to deactivate cameras. So, are you all in?" She waited eagerly for their response. Both men nodded their heads.
"We will need Sam. Call him." Sydney smiled, feeling hope soar through him. "Lets do this." All three smiled and started getting their plans ready.