EPLIOGUE

The two bags were repacked and waiting by the open door. It was he first time he had left his room open and he smiled, it took him to the last day before he could do so. He had alternated between pacing the room and trying to nap, neither were fulfilling his will to make the clock tick faster.

Where as the previous day he had been worried, about going home, today he was eager to leave. Hart had made him feel better after the talked, and he knew if he every felt like an outsider when he was back home, he would give the man a call. Not 'could,' Hart had told him he had no choice in jest, but Jack understood the underlying meaning and felt welcomed by the doctor. Mostly though, he felt comfortable that everything would feel good.

It would be natural to feel out of place at first, like anybody would after being away for a while. Only his 'departure' from the world started a long time ago, it didn't matter. Things would fall back into place and the picture would begin to take shape as it once had.

Jane stopped by when she got finished with a new comer who had apparently been having a hard time. Jack had smiled knowingly as she held back the details, he could easily imagine what she had had to deal with - the very same issues he himself had put her through. She stayed with him a while and they chatted, she could see his anxiousness and willed time along for him too.

Before she left Jack began to fidget. He wanted to thank her for her help but was uncomfortable. He had grown very fond of the woman, but he knew it was like a school boys crush on a teacher. He hoped he wouldn't go read and decided to just spit it out. It wasn't like he was acting on his feelings, he thought, knowing his feelings were like the kind developed between hostage and kidnapper - a result of a situation.

"I know that there's no way of showing my appreciation for the help you've given me, all I can do is tell you so, and hope you realise the extent. You helped me here a lot Jane, not just with the physical aspect, but by giving me somebody to talk to I think you helped me a lot up here too," he said motioning to his head, a small smile on his face. He was so shy! "So all I can say is the most sincere thank you, for everything, I appreciate it a lot, a hell of a lot more than I can illustrate to you."

Jane smiled at Jack and thought she would well up. She was used to this response from patients before they left, but there were only a few she had met who she had bonded with as she had Jack. And, came an afterthought, there were only a few who expressed there gratitude as Jack had; she knew the thanks had come from his heart and he meant every word. She was touched and she smiled at him, nodding her head as she didn't know how to respond.

"Jack I, I don't know what to say!" She laughed to cover up her thoughts, "What an unexpected compliment, thank you, I'm more than happy that I was able to help you and I'm extremely happy to see you leaving here with a hopeful future."

She paused and they both seemed lost for words, Jack was smiling slightly, he liked the daze look which had crossed her features, like she really hadn't understood his appreciation of her until he voice it.

"Hopefully," she said smirking with a hint of humour in her voice, "we wont meet again under these conditions!"

She let out a chuckle and Jack laughed too, he liked her choice of words. 'Hopefully' you'll be right, he thought, as nothing could ever be definite in reference ot the heroin.

She stood up to leave and he walked her to the door. She noticed how he performed small but polite actions like this, they made her feel special even though she was certain he would do it for every female as an illustration of his manners.

Before she left she turned to give him a small kiss on the cheek. It lasted only seconds but it said more than words ever could. She smiled before leaving and he smiled too, before going back into the room to check the clock once more. He was almost home.

Only thirty minutes left… Thirty long, agonisingly slow minutes. As this was a military based centre individuals left when they were ready, there were no set groups of people forced together; and so today Jack was the only man to leave. This also meant there was no 'celebration,' before he went, which he was immensely grateful for. He just wanted to leave and go home to start again.

He glanced down at his tattoo and smiled. He and Hart had discussed the meaning behind it, and eventually they came to a conclusion. At first he disagreed and couldn't accept it, but Hart was a very persuasive man. From now on it would represent something very important to him, strength. Strength of what he had to do to earn it, the courage and bravery that he had used to endure his time in Mexico.

But also, Hart had said, it represents the millions of lives Jack saved through the prevention of the virus, through his infiltration of the Salazar's. Those lives, Hart had concluded, began to be saved when he had the Salazar tattoo inked into his arm. It should remind him of the many, many lives which would have been lost, if it were not for his strength.

Jack was a humble man and at first he didn't like the idea of thinking of 'strength' as a result of the tattoo. But now when he caught the shadow of it underneath his white long sleeved shirt, that's what came to mind. Not his role in the saving of lives - that didn't matter. What he saw in the tattoo were the deaths that were prevented. That, he thought, wasn't a bad thing to have inked into memory. He could live with that.

When the time came Joe and Jane strolled through the building with him, where he was given a bunch of papers to sign. He did so quickly, before placing the folder of notes and documents given to him into his backpack. He would read those later.

He decided he wanted to wait outside in the sun for his ride, and the two nurses were only two happy to accompany him. The pair had a ritual of seeing people off. Joe had a theory that if a person leaves rehab alone, there's more chance they come back. It was superstition but Jane went along with it anyway, knowing Jack was somebody they both hoped never returned.

The black government car pulled up and Jacks face broke out into a surprised grin when he saw the driver. Jane gave him a hug and Joe shook his hand before saying goodbye and moving back to give him some space as the driver climbed out of the car. The two men shook hands and it was a firm handshake. Jack didn't know what to say. He expected this man to hate him, but as soon as he saw the car pull to a stop he knew there was no anger there. He felt relief but also hope, it was as though he had overcome the hurdle before it blocked his path. Something less to worry about, another piece of guilt melted away.

He threw his bag into the trunk and smiled sheepishly before climbing into the car. It began to move away and Jack gave a brief wave at Jane, smiling as she waved back enthusiastically before she were no longer in view.

Silence enveloped the car, Jack didn't know what to say. He expected to feel embarrassed that this man had picked him up from rehab but he didn't. He felt comfortable with his addiction, his past - he had accepted it. Also, he reasoned, he had already known about the addiction, from the day of the virus.

"You okay Jack?" It was a harmless question they both felt comfortable with. There was no need to complicate things or review what had happened.

"Fine, you okay Tony?"

"Never been better."

They both sniggered a little before the silence returned, but it wasn't tense, it was comfortable. Each man sat with their own thoughts, words seeming unnecessary. There was too much to say, so why bother trying?

Jack looked out of the window and watched the cars speed on past them the other way. He smiled to himself, finally he would be able to walk away from the Salazar's, and never look back again.

END

All the stars are out tonight it feels as though I might
Make some sense out of this madness will it turn out right
Who's to say where the wind will blow
Time will tell us if we're out of answers when it stops
Climb back down to the beginning
Take it from the top
Who's to say where the wind will blow

(Lifehouse.)