Instead of sitting around waiting for Jack Sarah passed through the house until she found Kim in the kitchen. She looked worn out as she fixed up lunch for Angela.

"How did it go," she whispered, looking around for any signs of her father.

"I haven't spoken to him yet, but I intend to as soon as he finishes up."

"Good," Kim sighed, "I hope he tells you what's bothering him. Its like he suddenly closed up this past week…"

"Well I can try to help," Sarah said brightly, trying to cheer Kim up, "but I can't promise anything."

Kim began to tap her finger nails against the counter as she thought. "It started when Chase and Angie returned. But I don't understand it, he said he didn't mind, he wanted them here."

Sarah ran a hand over her face as she thought about this. "He probably felt uncomfortable knowing that you guys were putting yourselves out for him. We both know your father Kim, its bad enough he needs help through his recovery, but he wouldn't stay if he knew that your partner had moved out. Maybe he still feels like he's a burden and wants to stay out of the way…"

"Yeah but he can't move about on his own yet, not until his foot is sorted - and its hardly a burden having him here when he almost died!"

"I know that, and he knows that. Maybe that's why he's hiding away; he doesn't want to get in your way but he knows he has no other choice right now." She paused, before adding thoughtfully, "maybe that's why he's so eager to work on his foot, he could damage it further if he doesn't slow down…"

"I don't know," Kim muttered, "but I wanna find out. I can't live like this, I feel like I'm locking him away when he stays in his room, but then when he's with us I feel like I'm making him do something he doesn't wanna do - I can't win here."

"Neither can he Kim," Sarah added quietly. Kim looked upset, Sarah took it as her que to leave the room.

"Jack?" She herd a splash from the other side of the door and had to smother her chuckle so he wouldn't hear it.

"What?" He snapped, it only made Sarah giggle more.

"Just checking you haven't fallen asleep," she said, trying to sound serious.

"God damn it," he said, "can't you let me have a bath in peace?"

"Well I gotta shoot off in an hour so I was hoping you would hurry," she yelled through the door. There was silence so she continued, "come on Jack, we made a deal."

"Fine," he grumbled, and Sarah happily waited in the hallway until he emerged from the bathroom dressed in sweats with ruffled towel dried hair.

"I don't know why this is so important," he moaned as he struggled to keep his grip on the crutch as he hobbled towards the bed.

"Why don't we go sit in the living room?" Sarah suggested.

Jack looked at her suspiciously, "I'd rather stay here, if you don't mind," he grumbled as he sat down in the chair. Sarah sat down in the second one, arranging it so they were facing each other.

"So what's up," he asked brightly, looking away as though he didn't understand why they were there.

"You tell me. You said you would."

"I don't understand," he said, his tone was serious but she knew he was lying, "what do you want me to tell you about?"

"Oh I don't know," she said, feigning thought, "maybe you could tell me why you've been hiding away from Chase and Angela since they returned? Do they make you feel uncomfortable?"

"I have not been hiding," he snapped, Sarah continued on as though she hadn't herd it.

"You hide in your room, you're even avoiding your daughter, so don't tell me you're not hiding."

"Its not easy to explain," he said as he leant his head in his hands."

"Is it Angela?"

"What? No, of course not, she's just a child," he said softly as he rubbed one hand through his damp hair.

"So its Chase?"

She was greeted with silence so again she continued. "How does Chase's presence make you feel Jack? Uncomfortable? Inferior? Embarrassed?"

"No," Jack snapped, unable to contain his silence. "I just…"

"What Jack? Tell me… I thought you and Chase were partners?"

"We were," he moaned, "but that was a long time ago…"

"Do you dislike him?"

"No."

"Then what?" He could sense the impatience in her voice and wondered if he could really tell her.

"When we worked together," he said slowly, "we fought for our country. But now, I… after what happened…" He paused and Sarah gently held his chin and forced his head up so he could look at her and not the floor. He didn't resist her. "After what I told the Chinese, I feel like I'm on the other side of the line."

"Oh Jack!" Sarah said, genuinely surprised and hurt for him. "Don't be silly, how could anybody think that way about you, after what you went through…"

"Chase has been through similar things," he snapped, "but he didn't give up the President for Christ's sake!"

She knew there was no point to try and tell him otherwise, his guilt was too thick. Instead she tried to reason with him. "Has any harm come to Palmer?"

"No."

"Can any harm come to him?"

"I don't think so," he whispered.

"Then there's absolutely no reason for you to feel the way you do. Your family love you Jack, for you to think otherwise is an insult to them."

His head snapped up again, she had hit a nerve. "I can't help feeling this way," he said, his voice edgily, he was almost defending himself.

"I know, but you need to stop it!"

His cheeks got redder as he felt his anger slowly grow. "Then what do you suggest I do, doctor," he snapped harshly.

"Talk to him," she said lightly as she got up from the chair. He watched her with a bemused look on his face as she pulled back the bed sheets for him then passed him his crutch. He hesitated for a moment feeling embarrassed about the conversation, but she wouldn't allow it.

"Come on Jack I gotta pick up Casey soon," she said, glancing at her watch.

Jack moved and once he was in bed she grabbed her bag to leave. Jack said goodbye as he felt relief sink into his body - would he really feel better if he spoke to Chase? He was still unsure about it, he wondered if his thoughts would hurt Chase, that seemed almost worse than the thought of him being right and Chase hating him. He didn't know what to do, so he laid back in the pillows and thought abut Sarah. He realised what Sarah had said to him before she left and began to wonder who Casey was.

"I'm off," Sarah said as she rushed by the kitchen pulling her arm into the sleeve of her jacket.

"Did you talk?" Kim asked following her down the corridor, her voice almost panicked.

"Yeah," Sarah shrugged, "he told me what's wrong."

"Well then what is it!" Kim asked, if she was in such a rush she should hurry up and tell her.

"You need to talk to him about that," Sarah said as she opened the door.

"What," Kim yelled as she followed her over the lawn.

"I have to go," Sarah said impatiently, "I'm gonna be late - if you wanna help your father you need to start talking to him."

She climbed into the rusty car and slammed the door before quickly setting off in a hurry. Kim watched, hands on her hips, wondering what exactly Jack had told the doctor and just how difficult it was going to be to get him to open up to her.