CTU, Erin Driscoll's office
"Okay, thank you." Erin, the new Head of CTU, Tony Almeida's replacement, hung up the phone in her office and jotted down a note in a file printed out on her desk. Then she placed a call to Jack Bauer's office. Chloe O'Brien, Jack's assistant, picked up instead.
"CTU O'Brien."
"Chloe, where's Jack?", Erin asked, without saying her name. It should be clear enough who she is.
"He went over to Tech 1, something he needed to check up on. He should be back any minute."
"Alright. Will you send him to my office as soon as he's back?"
"Sure. I'll let him know."
Erin hung up.
"At least a thank you would be nice." Chloe thought to herself as she put the receiver down and went back to her work. "Nobody around here says thank you any more."
With a sigh, she walked down to the main floor to get an update from Adam.
Just then, Jack walked in and headed for the stairs leading up to his office. Chloe stopped him halfway, calling after him, "Jack. Erin wants to talk to you."
Jack stopped and glanced upstairs. "Alright. Did she say what it was about?"
"No. Just that she wants to see you as soon as you're in."
"Okay, thanks Chloe."
Immediately, Jack turned around and took a different staircase up, the files he was working on still in his hand. Erin was all about protocols and chain of command, she didn't like to wait.
Chloe chuckled. "Okay, no-one says thanks - except Jack." Then she joined Adam at his desk.
--
Jack opened the glass door to Erin's office without knocking. "You wanted to see me?" he asked still at the door.
"Jack, have a seat.", Erin said, briefly looking up from the printout in her hands, but remained sitting in her chair.
That was okay, she didn't need to get up and shake his hand. She was the boss, after all. Jack glanced back towards the main office, then let the door shut behind him. He checked his watch as he picked a chair and quietly sat down, tapping the files in his hands on the table, so they would look neat. Then he placed them on the glass table in front of him. He had been working - as usual - on something that couldn't wait. Hopefully this won't take too long.
Well, he was going to have to wait and see whan she wanted from him first. Erin continued to scan the printout in her hand for a while, not paying much attention to Jack. Jack tried not to waste his nerves. He was used to waiting around for a boss. This was bordering on rude, though. Oh well, she's only been here a few months, he thought. They were still in the phase of sniffing each other out. She was as good a boss as any.
Then, finally, Erin let go of the printout, stood and walked towards Jack. He put out a question first. "How're you settling in up here?"
"It'll take some time. A change always does," she answered as she sat down opposite him.
"Well, like I said," Jack offered, knowing that it's true, "if there's anything that I can do - please just let me know."
He waited for a sign of agreement from her, a nod, a smile, but got nothing. Instead, Erin leaned back in the chair opposite him, placed her arms on the armrests like a queen on the throne and looked him straight in the eye like a judge delivering a verdict.
Then she stated, "Jack, I'm removing you as Head of Field Ops."
Jack gave her a quizzical look. What? She's removing me? What the hell?... Why?
"I... I don't understand. Where do you want me to go?", he questioned, refusing to jump to conclusions.
"That's up to you...", Erin answered indifferently.
And then it hit him: He was getting fired! Thrown out like some piece of trash, from the organization he'd given all he had to give to. And by a woman who'd just taken over the place what, maybe three months ago!
Erin proceded to explain, without giving Jack any time to ask questions: "I've decided you're a liability that I don't wanna carry."
Liability! If anything, I'm a resource! How dare she, after everything that I've done for this office?
Jack could feel disappointment and anger come up in him. Adrenaline was shooting into his blood, heating him up. But he decided to remain polite. If I'm going to get fired, I'm at least not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me explode. He let his head hang and his eyes sink to the floor for a moment, but lifted them back up quickly.
"Please explain to me in how I'm a liability.", he asked after regaining composure and looked at her. Now, I really wanna hear this, he said to himself and prepared to listen carefully.
Erin averted her eyes from his for a moment, then found his stare and held it. She had the aura of, 'I don't need to explain, but I'll do you the favor' written all over her.
"I can look past all the off-book behavior that's been documented over the last five years, even though it's been substantial."
Great, so where's the problem, Jack thought and shifted in his chair.
She glanced away for another moment, but then continued, "But the fact that you were addicted to heroin - I can't get past that."
Bang! So that's it. I mess up my health for this office, and this is how I'm thanked? He'd been warned before they had made the decision about using heroin to establish a cover with the Salazars. He knew that if the drug thing ever came up it would be a major problem. But he had control over the addiction now. It was no longer an issue! Didn't she know that? Unlikely. She was probably just looking for a good excuse to make him disappear.
He looked at her, face cold. "I incurred that habit in the line of duty." She most certainly knew that, but it couldn't hurt to bring it up again. "I was maintaining my cover. I came clean about it. And I haven't touched anything since I entered the program."
"That's true and I commend you," Erin stated calmly, "But it's still a vulnerability. And in my judgement, that vulnerability will hurt your performance."
Jack now kept his head low, not looking at her. It took all his self-control to appear calm as he listened to her conclude her explanation. He knew that at least part of what she's saying was true. An addiction is never really healed. Once an addict - always an addict, there was some truth to that. But he also knew that he had the willpower to conquer it. Forever. It wouldn't be a vulnerability, it wouldn't interfere with his work.
Her words sounded final as she added, "I'm sorry Jack, I don't tolerate any weaknesses. That's not how I work."
Jack now looked at her again. Apart from anger, there was disappointment and hurt there now as well. But he was not going to beg. She had made her decision and that would be the end of it. He decided to leave before he gave in to the emotions.
"Alright, I can understand that."
He stood and headed for the door. At least he'd take it with dignity. As angry and hurt as he was, some part of him understood her point, too. If she thought it was a weakness, then she was in fact right to fire him. There was no room for that in their line of work. He probably would have done the same thing.
"I've made several calls, I can help you get a position," Erin offered, still sitting, as she watched him approach the office door.
Jack felt his skin crawl for a moment as a furious wave washed over him. He stopped before opening the door and turned to her. What the hell was she thinking? First, she fires me, and then she's all helpful? For what? So she could tell every possible employer about his "weakness"? So that he could never get a responsible job again? Oh, no, you won't!
He glared at her for a moment, resisting the urge to yell. "I can find my own fucking job, Erin, thank you."
He grabbed the door and stormed out of her office, practically flying down the stairs to the bullpen. Now that the door was closed, he could allow himself to be angry. And he was almost bursting with anger now. How dare she! He was going to have to find a way to get back at her for this. Someday, somehow.
Erin watched Jack's silhouette disappear through the glass door. "Well, that went well," she commented to herself. Bauer had taken it surprisingly well. That's it then. It hadn't been easy, but it was done. Jack Bauer wouldn't be breaking the chain of command any more. No more talk of CTU as a harbor for ex-junkies.
"Well done, Erin," she told herself as she allowed herself to remain seated for another moment or two and relax. As of now, Erin Driscoll was really in charge of CTU L.A.