"AYE!" Jack called, strutting in the office two hours later. By some
miracle, they'd actually managed to follow up on a lead that took them
right to Carrie Richards, and she was already with the police, making a
statement downtown.
"That's one happy ending," Samantha thought, feeling the pit of her stomach drop as she saw the khaki-clad Jack come strutting up to her.
"I've wrestled alligators before," he bragged, in his heavy Australian accent.
"Oh, really," she responded, raising an eyebrow. "Are there a lot of alligators in New York?" she asked.
"Nope. They're all in the Outback," he responded, reaching into his pocket for a small silver container. He unscrewed the cap and squirted some green goop out onto his fingertips, spreading the green sludge all over his nose and cheeks.
"Uh...what are you doing, uh...Jackie?" she asked warily.
"Sunscreen," he replied. "Also acts as a natural bug repellant," he said, smiling. Samantha just nodded and began walking towards Vivian, with every intention of getting Jack's superiors on the phone ASAP. Jack smiled after her, and headed into his office, jumping over every "obstacle" that was in his path. As soon as his door closed, Samantha grabbed the phone, hissing to Vivian, "I don't care what this is—some dissociative identity disorder...whatever it is...he needs help, and it's time we FORCED him—"
Vivian grabbed the phone from Samantha and hung it up, mid-dial.
"Samantha, as much as I think Jack needs some help, getting him fired, which this is exactly the kind of excuse they're looking for, and you know that," Vivian was sure to add, staring Samantha in the eyes, "Is not the answer we're looking for. We need him to go back into the hospital before this weekend, too."
"Why before this weekend?" Samantha asked, her head cloudy.
"Because Maria's giving him the girls this weekend," Vivian responded, looking Samantha dead in the eyes. "Just imagine Jack in the state he's in now trying to care for two little girls." Samantha did, and shuddered at the possible outcomes. Nodding, she agreed with Vivian's assessment.
"Well, any ideas how we could get him back in there?" Samantha asked, leaning in closer to Vivian.
"Well, I'm no expert..." Vivian began, folding her hands, "But another bump to the head could get him sent back in again." She held up her hands. "But before you say anything, I know what you're thinking. We can't bonk our boss. But just hear me out. Jack is still in the process of recovering from a very serious concussion, and even the slightest bump could be very serious, and so as a precaution, he would have to get checked out again, no matter how slight the, uh, bump."
Samantha thought for a moment, processing what Vivian was implying.
"Are you suggesting that we 'bump' him?" Samantha slowly asked, still thinking. Vivian was nodding, when Samantha rubbed her hands together, thinking about the vicious slap she recieved from 'Jacques'. "Oh, allow me," she said slowly, a small smile breaking out on her freckled face for the first time since the fateful search for Mr. Michael Juarez. Vivian shook her head, chuckling to herself.
"Do whatcha gotta, Sam," she responded, smiling. "Now we just gotta plan when," Vivian said.
"And how," Samantha finished, her eyes flashing. She would get the old Jack back, even if it meant beating the crap out of both of the new Jack's.
"That's one happy ending," Samantha thought, feeling the pit of her stomach drop as she saw the khaki-clad Jack come strutting up to her.
"I've wrestled alligators before," he bragged, in his heavy Australian accent.
"Oh, really," she responded, raising an eyebrow. "Are there a lot of alligators in New York?" she asked.
"Nope. They're all in the Outback," he responded, reaching into his pocket for a small silver container. He unscrewed the cap and squirted some green goop out onto his fingertips, spreading the green sludge all over his nose and cheeks.
"Uh...what are you doing, uh...Jackie?" she asked warily.
"Sunscreen," he replied. "Also acts as a natural bug repellant," he said, smiling. Samantha just nodded and began walking towards Vivian, with every intention of getting Jack's superiors on the phone ASAP. Jack smiled after her, and headed into his office, jumping over every "obstacle" that was in his path. As soon as his door closed, Samantha grabbed the phone, hissing to Vivian, "I don't care what this is—some dissociative identity disorder...whatever it is...he needs help, and it's time we FORCED him—"
Vivian grabbed the phone from Samantha and hung it up, mid-dial.
"Samantha, as much as I think Jack needs some help, getting him fired, which this is exactly the kind of excuse they're looking for, and you know that," Vivian was sure to add, staring Samantha in the eyes, "Is not the answer we're looking for. We need him to go back into the hospital before this weekend, too."
"Why before this weekend?" Samantha asked, her head cloudy.
"Because Maria's giving him the girls this weekend," Vivian responded, looking Samantha dead in the eyes. "Just imagine Jack in the state he's in now trying to care for two little girls." Samantha did, and shuddered at the possible outcomes. Nodding, she agreed with Vivian's assessment.
"Well, any ideas how we could get him back in there?" Samantha asked, leaning in closer to Vivian.
"Well, I'm no expert..." Vivian began, folding her hands, "But another bump to the head could get him sent back in again." She held up her hands. "But before you say anything, I know what you're thinking. We can't bonk our boss. But just hear me out. Jack is still in the process of recovering from a very serious concussion, and even the slightest bump could be very serious, and so as a precaution, he would have to get checked out again, no matter how slight the, uh, bump."
Samantha thought for a moment, processing what Vivian was implying.
"Are you suggesting that we 'bump' him?" Samantha slowly asked, still thinking. Vivian was nodding, when Samantha rubbed her hands together, thinking about the vicious slap she recieved from 'Jacques'. "Oh, allow me," she said slowly, a small smile breaking out on her freckled face for the first time since the fateful search for Mr. Michael Juarez. Vivian shook her head, chuckling to herself.
"Do whatcha gotta, Sam," she responded, smiling. "Now we just gotta plan when," Vivian said.
"And how," Samantha finished, her eyes flashing. She would get the old Jack back, even if it meant beating the crap out of both of the new Jack's.