*Author's note: takes place at the end of the third season finale where Jarod is captured. Sorry NBC and TnT...
Purgatory: Part III
Jarod closed his eyes when the needle penetrated his vein. A strange warmth spread up his arm. It cascaded down his chest and legs. Rapidly, the sensation washed over his whole body. Soon he felt a prickling as if his body had fallen asleep. The feeling intensified to sharp spasms of pain. He cried out as his nerves burned in fury. He writhed against the unrelenting pain that tore at him. Lyle leaned over his face, brushed Jarod's hair off his damp forehead.
"David, David," Lyle whispered in his ear, "You'll never escape again."
Jarod moaned. The pain slowly subsided to a dull ache. With his senses shot, numbness fell over his body. His breathing became labored. He opened his eyes. His vision blurred; he watched as a hand approached his face. He felt a sharp prick next to his right eye. A burning sensation seared in the back of his eyes. He closed them and lost consciousness.
Lyle glanced at Jarod's face. Too peaceful, he thought. He ordered a sweeper to inject a stimulant and Jarod's eyes opened. He blinked, glanced around the room, and closed his eye again. Lyle grinned, It's working.
"Again sir?" the sweeper asked.
"No, he is awake," Raines wheezed.
Lyle detected his joy that mingled with his own. Joy that their project began so successfully. Lyle forced Jarod's eyes open, trickling in drops from the needle. Jarod gritted his teeth, slammed his eye shut when released. Lyle stole a glance at Raines.
Suddenly, Jarod lashed out screaming through clenched teeth. He struggled against the braces. Just as suddenly, he stopped. His body froze for an agonizing moment. Gently, methodically, Raines started to rub Jarod's arms and face. He tensed, but eventually relaxed under the gentle touch.
Lyle stood. "Let him sleep. Transfer him to SL-18 to his new room." He walked out of the room.
Jarod awoke shivering. He heard water dripping off to his side. Cold tendrils of steam raised around him. He felt a pang of humiliation when he realized his clothes were different. Changed, probably by sweepers. He opened his eyes to see where he was. His body shook in horror. He reached his fingers up, rubbing his eyes. Nothing. Not even black crossed his empty vision. He heard a door open to his left. He stumbled backwards, away from the noises. He hit a wall, and heard something fall and break. Glass exploded across his face. He shouted in surprise. Heavy footsteps surrounded his. Two strong hands clamped down on his arms, pulling him upwards. They handcuffed him in one quick motion. Jarod managed to free his arms, but slipped and landed hard on his side. Glass dug into his skin. He tried to twist away from the glass, but the hands pulled his arm and threw his into a pair of arms. Jarod collapsed.
Sam dragged the dazed man out of the door. He held him possessively as they stumbled down the hall.
Jarod heard the soft patter of heels on the hardwood floor. His first thought was of Miss Parker. An overly polished accent told him otherwise.
"Hello Jarod."
"Brigitte." He could only imagine her happiness at seeing him destroyed so.
She gazed at his ravaged body. Blood dripped from his right arm. His brown eyes stared blankly ahead, confirming Lyle's report. Sam completely framed the wiry man. Brigitte smiled and stepped up to Jarod's face. She exhaled over his eyes. Jarod stepped back, sensing her closeness. She ran her hand over his face as he tried to shake her off. She lowered her fingers over his chest and stomach.
"No," he murmured.
She looped her arms around his back, pulling him closer.
"Mmm, Miss Parker has a reason for choosing you." She smiled and stroked his face. Abruptly, she scratched her fingernails down his slashed arm. He moaned, darted to the left. Sam grabbed the back of his shirt and slammed him into the wall beside them. Jarod crumpled to the floor.
"A genius that can't even keep his own two feet under him," she clucked her tongue in disapproval. Jarod lunged toward her voice, grabbing at air. Sam kicked him brutally and he relented.
"Take him to Sydney." She bent and stoked Jarod's back like a dog. He let out a sob of frustration. "You'll want to see your old master," she mocked him. Sam grabbed his ankle and pulled him o the elevator.
He twisted, trying to stop himself.
Sydney sat thoughtfully at his neat desk. How fast time had gone by! Between saving Miss Parker and the capture of Jarod, time slipped by. He imagined that was not so for Jarod. He heard the horrifying screams ricocheting through the sub-levels walls. I never realized it would come to this. "Is that so?" another voice reminded him, "were you really that far off yourself?" He shook his head. What have I become?
His door banged open. An annoyed Sam dragged an indignant and confused Jarod through the door. Jarod was cursing and threatening Sam, who looked angry, and on the verge of violence. He pulled Jarod to a chair and attempted to force him to sit. Jarod resisted.
"Jarod," Sydney called, "I promise not to hurt you."
Abruptly, Jarod sat. Sydney saw him grasp the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He no longer resembled the man who had risked his future to save Miss Parker. His face was sunken and his hands trembled. Jarod averted his eyes to the floor.
"Jarod, what have they done to you these past two weeks?"
Jarod's body stiffened. His eyes registered the information with shock. His voice wavered, "Two weeks? Two weeks? No…" He slid off the leather chair striking his head on the desk.
"Jarod!" Sydney heard a quiet sobbing. Sam hefted Jarod back into the chair. Tears streamed openly down his pale face. Sam rested his burly arms on Jarod's shoulders.
"What did they do to you?"
Slowly, Jarod looked up. He wiped the tears from his eyes. He tried to pick out Sydney's location in the room. Sydney glanced behind him to where Jarod's gaze settled. When he turned to face him again, he realized Jarod did not follow his movements.
"My God Jarod, you're blind."
Jarod hung his head. "I never truly imagined what, what it was like. I always thought I could tell. But when I pretended, I could always open my eyes. I could see the sky. I am nothing now, nobody. I can never escape my hell. I get lost walking in my damn room… A part of me is missing, I, I can't…"
"Sam, wait outside my door." Jarod felt the heavy bulk lifted from his shoulders. A door closed behind him. Sydney stood. "Jarod, here, lie down…" Jarod rose from his seat, disoriented. Sydney gently guided him to the couch. Jarod relaxed. Sydney doubted whether Jarod was able to relax while under Lyle's care.
"Tell me, what do you remember?"
"Lyle, brought me back in a, a helicopter. They, Lyle dragged me around the Centre," Jarod's face flushed as he remembered the humiliation. "He took me to Mr. Parker's office. Miss Parker, she's okay. Sam was there, Lyle he, he tried to shoot me. I attacked Mr. Parker… I wanted to kill him, to hurt him like he did to me," he sighed. Frustration edged his voice as he continued. "They made me pretend. I, I did not stop myself. They didn't even threaten me. I let them!"
"Jarod, it's in your nature. You helped a family. Lyle knew, that is you strength!"
"My weakness! My weakness… That is why I am here. Why I am blind." Jarod self-consciously began to pick at the sleeveless shirt he wore.
"But you saved Miss Parker's life!"
"The one she spent chasing me." His words and actions shocked Sydney, but understood Jarod's fear and confusion came from the jump back to his life of slavery.
"I collapsed. I couldn't deal with the pretend. It was too real. Death, the boy… It haunts my dreams. I awoke later. He, he had me, he had me tied, tied to a surgical table. I couldn't I couldn't even move my fingers! Raines and Sam and… Sydney I…"
Sydney gently held Jarod's hand. He wished he could help the young man, whose day and night were tortured by the Centre.
"They injected drugs, no label, no sight…"
"What else did they do," he urged.
"I don't know! I can't remember! Two weeks!!"
"Jarod, I know memory loss can be a disturbing thing…"
"At the Centre, memory loss is a deadly thing. Memories, Syd, that's all I have left. The DSA's, where are they?"
"Mr. Parker, Lyle, they would have them." Jarod tightened his grip on Sydney's hand. "Sydney, please, find them! Tell me what happened. Two weeks!!"
Sydney gently rubbed Jarod's shaking hand. Upon careful inspection, he discovered flecks of blood imbedded in his nails. Defensive cuts? He wondered. Sydney flipped over his hand, glancing at Jarod's palms. Four even cuts, crusted in blood, were on the heel of his palm. Sydney uncurled Jarod's other hand. It contained the same four marks. What pain caused Jarod to do this? His own fingernails broke the skin.
"It's over now." Jarod assured Sydney. They both knew it was a lie.