Helping Jarod
Chapter 5
When Parker woke Jarod was still asleep. His fever had increased during the few hours of sleep. His skin burned and she didn't know what to do. After again cooling him with ice water she took some minutes to get a shower and put on clean clothes.
Clean and in comfortable jeans she felt much better instantly. Putting on her watch she shook her head. She had overlsept and missed an appointment she had made with her friends at the Centre. Broots and Sydney would worry and wonder where she was. She figured that Broots would eventually call to check up on her.
No time for this now, Parker, she thought and returned to her mothers studio. Usually annoyed by what Jarod said she now missed his dry and mysterious remarks. His still form lay beneath the sheets. She could see him tremble but she could not help him.
For the first time she wondered what had happened yesterday. Who had shot at Jarod and why? Why did he come to her house seeking refuge? What the hell had Lyle to do with all of this? A lot of questions she wanted answers to. Maybe she should put Broots on that task. Jarod might have been at the Centre last night. Somebody must have noticed.
She heard the knocking on her front door and sighed. Well, Sydney really had to be worried when he came to check personally. He was a doctor of some kind...maybe he could help her with her patient....
She opened the door. Sydney looked her up and down and showed a stunned expression. She smiled faintly.
"Good morning, Sydney. Come in, please."
She invited him in. Sydney nodded, not sure what to say. She led him into the kitchen where she prepared a cup of tea for him. He was even more stunned that she had his favorite flavour. He smiled.
"We were worrying."
The statement made Parker smile. Always the shrink. Never ask too much....
"I had some problems last night....an unexpected visitor..."
She studied Sydneys face. He smiled knowingly.
"Lyle told us, he visited..."
She shook her head.
"Don't believe, Lyle, will you?"
Sydney shrugged.
"I just thought checking would not hurt, would it, Parker?"
She shook her head and played with a spoon.
"Are there any reports of invaders at the Centre, Sydney?"
He nodded.
"Yes, last night there was an intrusion noticed, but no footage. One of the sweepers shot at someone but nobody recognized him...but they found blood in the vents..."
She saw the concern in his eyes, not knowing if the invader had been Jarod. Parker was sure it had been the Pretender.
"You think it is Jarod?"
Sydney sighed.
"I don't know, Parker. Who else could fool the security system so easily?"
She agreed on that. Security was good, very good. She had seen to that.
"Jarod's upstairs."
Why delay the bad news. Sydney stared at her.
"What?"
She stood.
"Jarod was at the Centre and he was shot. I treated the wound but I couldn't call a doctor since the Centre's sure watching me..."
Sydney jumped to his feet.
"Where?"
She gestured to the stairs and followed him.
Sydney knelt next to his friend, touching his skin and checking the bandages. He nodded agreing.
"You did a good job, Parker. Saved his life."
She knelt on Jarods other side.
"He's still critic. I don't know what to do, Sydney."
She said it so softly Sydney wondered what had happened the night before. She smiled sadly.
"Don't look at me like that. He was unconscious ever since I stumbled about him in the hallway..."
Sydney shot her a glance she could not interpret.
"You brought him upstairs?"
She saw his doubt and nodded.
"It was not an easy task, though...."
Sydney nodded, recognition in his eyes.
Chapter 5
When Parker woke Jarod was still asleep. His fever had increased during the few hours of sleep. His skin burned and she didn't know what to do. After again cooling him with ice water she took some minutes to get a shower and put on clean clothes.
Clean and in comfortable jeans she felt much better instantly. Putting on her watch she shook her head. She had overlsept and missed an appointment she had made with her friends at the Centre. Broots and Sydney would worry and wonder where she was. She figured that Broots would eventually call to check up on her.
No time for this now, Parker, she thought and returned to her mothers studio. Usually annoyed by what Jarod said she now missed his dry and mysterious remarks. His still form lay beneath the sheets. She could see him tremble but she could not help him.
For the first time she wondered what had happened yesterday. Who had shot at Jarod and why? Why did he come to her house seeking refuge? What the hell had Lyle to do with all of this? A lot of questions she wanted answers to. Maybe she should put Broots on that task. Jarod might have been at the Centre last night. Somebody must have noticed.
She heard the knocking on her front door and sighed. Well, Sydney really had to be worried when he came to check personally. He was a doctor of some kind...maybe he could help her with her patient....
She opened the door. Sydney looked her up and down and showed a stunned expression. She smiled faintly.
"Good morning, Sydney. Come in, please."
She invited him in. Sydney nodded, not sure what to say. She led him into the kitchen where she prepared a cup of tea for him. He was even more stunned that she had his favorite flavour. He smiled.
"We were worrying."
The statement made Parker smile. Always the shrink. Never ask too much....
"I had some problems last night....an unexpected visitor..."
She studied Sydneys face. He smiled knowingly.
"Lyle told us, he visited..."
She shook her head.
"Don't believe, Lyle, will you?"
Sydney shrugged.
"I just thought checking would not hurt, would it, Parker?"
She shook her head and played with a spoon.
"Are there any reports of invaders at the Centre, Sydney?"
He nodded.
"Yes, last night there was an intrusion noticed, but no footage. One of the sweepers shot at someone but nobody recognized him...but they found blood in the vents..."
She saw the concern in his eyes, not knowing if the invader had been Jarod. Parker was sure it had been the Pretender.
"You think it is Jarod?"
Sydney sighed.
"I don't know, Parker. Who else could fool the security system so easily?"
She agreed on that. Security was good, very good. She had seen to that.
"Jarod's upstairs."
Why delay the bad news. Sydney stared at her.
"What?"
She stood.
"Jarod was at the Centre and he was shot. I treated the wound but I couldn't call a doctor since the Centre's sure watching me..."
Sydney jumped to his feet.
"Where?"
She gestured to the stairs and followed him.
Sydney knelt next to his friend, touching his skin and checking the bandages. He nodded agreing.
"You did a good job, Parker. Saved his life."
She knelt on Jarods other side.
"He's still critic. I don't know what to do, Sydney."
She said it so softly Sydney wondered what had happened the night before. She smiled sadly.
"Don't look at me like that. He was unconscious ever since I stumbled about him in the hallway..."
Sydney shot her a glance she could not interpret.
"You brought him upstairs?"
She saw his doubt and nodded.
"It was not an easy task, though...."
Sydney nodded, recognition in his eyes.