Disclaimer: see part one

Thanks to:

Grace: Glad that you like it again. Thanks for reviewing and now enjoy the next chapter.

gemini006007: "Hope he stays that way for a while"… yeah, me too. I will do my best. #grins#. And if he's ever going to trust Parker again… who knows (apart from me #evil smile#). Thanks for the review and now have fun with chapter 11.

Sango2: Of course I will continue! Happy tears… #ponders this for a moment#. Maybe but I won't tell you right now. Thanks for reviewing and now enjoy the next part.

Mfkngst: I'm glad that you like the story so far. Thanks for the review and now read on and enjoy!

Earthdrago: Hah, was that an insult #raises an eyebrow#? I don't know how to make a chapter without a cliff hanger… maybe I don't, maybe I do but honestly… I think it's more fun this way; for me anyway #hehehehehe#. But thanks for your review nonetheless and now enjoy the next chapter.

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The Call Part 11

Reactions II

Jarod grimaced at the sight that presented itself in the mirror.

His upper torso was a mass of scratches, cuts and bruises. Some of the bruises were still bright blue but others were starting to heal, leaving a spectrum from violet to orange under his skin.

His face was no different to his torso.

A long bruise was running on the one side. His left eye was nearly swollen shut from where he had caught himself a blow from one of the sweepers yesterday. His brow and lip were split but already starting to heal.

Jarod looked over to the tub and saw that it was nearly full. He stumbled over to it and turned out the tap.

Getting out of his trousers was more difficult that it was on a normal day but he finally managed it.

A soft groan escaped his lips when he lowered himself into the hot water. The nerves of his skin were springing to life upon coming into contact with the water.

Lying back, Jarod tried to relax into the feel of water on his skin.

°°°°°°°

"When?" Sydney asked.

"Last night", Parker replied.

"There is a God", Sydney sighed.

Parker closed her eyes.

"I'm glad that he made it. I was starting to doubt it when we came across the security measures", Sydney said.

Parker nodded.

"I wasn't sure anymore if he would make it out of here. After we searched for what seemed like an eternity to get a glimpse of him and couldn't even find his location, I was really starting to doubt", he admitted.

"Me too", Parker sighed softly.

"I mean, they changed his location after you saw him and you were only able to see him because Lyle and Raines gave their permission", Sydney stated.

"I know, Syd. They used me. They only agreed to the meeting because they knew it would upset Jarod after what he thought I had done", she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

°°°°°°°

After nearly having dozed off in the tub, Jarod got out of his bath.

He felt more like a human being again after soaking in the water for nearly three quarters of an hour.

The bath had transformed his bruised body into a cleaner mess than it had been before. The blood layer had started to peel of from some of the wounds.

Jarod looked into the mirror again.

The sight hadn't really changed. The only thing that was different was that he didn't feel filthy any longer.

He shrugged, deciding that it clearly 'was' a change for the better.

Opening the cabinet, he rummaged through the medications he kept there and quickly found what he was looking for.

He had wanted to take the painkillers before taking his bath but somewhere along the lines that thought had slipped away despite his protesting muscles and he had only remembered it when he was already lying in the water.

Jarod had decided against getting up again to take the medicine, finding that he would have to wait until after the bath.

So now he finally gulped down three pills of painkillers and then took a sip from out of the tap.

He then carefully tended some of the wounds.

After what seemed like and eternity and a great pile of plaster and bandages later, Jarod shuffled back into the bedroom.

Taking out some new clothes, it took him another eternity to get them on.

He went to sit down on the bed just to rest for a minute and ended up lying down and dozing off again.

To be continued…