CHAPTER 1: TIRED
Febuary 24, 2003
4:46pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
She was beyond tired. She had wasted six years of her life chasing the ever-elusive pretender. Six years working along side of the few people left in the world she trusted. Six years trying to ignore the evils that surrounded her. Six years facing the lies of her past. Six years hunting a man she was no longer sure she wanted to bring in.
She shed a tear as she looked at the photograph of her mother and herself.
"Is this the life you wanted for me momma?" She questioned the photograph. A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. She quickly wiped the lone tear from her face, and placed the photograph back on her desk. "You can come in Syd."
Sydney entered her office. Concern written all over his face.
"Miss. Parker is everything alright?" the Belgium asked.
"Of course it is Syd, every thing's just peachy."
"Please, Parker talk to me. Tell me what happened on that damned island. You mustn't keep your emotions bottled up like this." The psychiatrist begged her
"Listen Freud, for the last time I'm fine. I'm..." she faltered unable to continue lying to the old man. "I'm tired Sydney. I'm so damn tired. I'm tired of this half-life. I'm tired of loosing the people I love. I can't keep living like this Sydney. I feel that if I stay here much longer this place is going to take control of me. I'm worried that I'll turn in to another Lyle or Raines." She never met his eyes as she spoke. She was afraid she would see the pity in his eyes. Yet when she looked up she saw compassion and love. Two things she hadn't seen since her mother died.
A silence came after her words, but not an uncomfortable one. Both need to digest this sudden revelation, Parker more so than Sydney. It was Parker who spoke first.
"Syd, why don't you stop by my house tonight. I think that I'll take you up on your offer to talk. If it still exist that is." She said some what hesitantly.
"Of course my offer still stands Parker." The shrink said with a smile. "Why don't I come around, say sevenish?"
"That would be wonderful Syd." She sad relived. "I'll see you around seven."
Blue Cove, Delaware Miss. Parker's Home 7:45
She left work a little after five. She then stopped at the grocery store. Parker figured that she owed the psychiatrist dinner if he was going to listen to her psychobabble.
Sydney arrived at Parker's approximately at seven, accompanied with a bottle of red wine.
"You didn't have to bring wine Syd," Parker said as she took the bottle of wine and his coat "I have enough alcohol here to kill a horse."
"I wasn't sure what you would be serving for dinner and thought that this would be appropriate." He said ignoring he comment.
The two ate in a silence that was occasionally punctured by request for salt or second helpings. Sydney didn't want to push her, afraid that she would bottle up again. After all he had waited this long for Parker to open up to him another hours wait would not kill him.
Once the table was cleared, dishes washed, and a fire going Parker felt ready to talk. She sat down on the couch and stared into the fire. Sydney sat in the chair across from her. As she talked she continued to stare into the fire, her voice could barely be heard of the crackling of the flames.
"I didn't expect that he would be there, not really. Now I wish he hadn't been" she started.