6: All Roads Lead to Nowhere

What had I just done? Here I lie in my tub, with Jessi in my arms, yet all I want to think of is Amanda. She means almost everything to me; on par with the Trager family, yet here I am with Jessi instead.

Amanda is a pure, honest soul, while Jessi is a darker, more complex soul, more like my own. Is that what has drawn me here, away from the woman I want to be destined to be with? It's a complex path; this road I'm on leads to nowhere with Jessi, because I want my road with Amanda to lead somewhere better.

"Jessi, you have to go," Kyle told her as the clock struck noon.

She had her head against his chest. She looked up into his eyes, "Why?"

It was a simple question. Why should she leave? Was I just stringing her along? That's not the type of person I am, so why should I have her leave? A part of me wants her; a part of me believes that she is the only woman I could ever truly be with, as she is the only one like me. But I can't let that happen, not with my love for Amanda.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a real answer for you," he told her.

She sat up, "You're thinking about Amanda, aren't you?" she demanded. When he didn't give her a quick answer, she got out of his tub and walked towards the window, "You know, Kyle, I thought that we might have something here. I thought you might be over Amanda and finally come to your senses; come to me. But I can see that I was wrong."

"No, Jessi, that's not it," he said, sitting up and getting out of the tub, "Jessi, listen,"

"No, you listen," she told him, turning towards him, "I'm the only person in this world who's like you. Do you really think that Amanda could ever truly understand you? Ever truly be the woman you should be with? No! I am! I'm the only person who can ever truly understand you, Kyle. I mean, look at it! Can you tell Amanda about the clones? No! Who can you tell? Me. We just went on that mission! We're bonded in another, stronger way, Kyle. We should extend that bond."

"I can't hurt Amanda by being with you," he told her.

"Hurt Amanda? Are you joking? She basically dumped you, Kyle!"

"No!" he shouted, "That's not true! I refuse to let that be true!"

"Oh, you refuse?" she questioned, "You're smart, Kyle. Don't fool yourself."

"I haven't lost her," Kyle refused to give up on that.

"Oh, yeah, we'll see. You've lost her, Kyle. I know that," with that, Jessi opened the window and stepped out, slamming it shut behind her and running off.

Kyle ran over, throwing the window open, "Jessi!" he shouted after her, but she didn't hear, or didn't stop if she had.

He closed the window and put his head in his hands.

What have I just done? Perhaps Jessi is right, and the only person who can truly understand me is her; a person the same as me. Maybe I'm being naïve, thinking that I can still be with Amanda, that we can still have a productive future together. But I can't give up on my first love.

Amanda opened the door at the sound of a knock, seeing Kyle standing there.

"Kyle…this is a surprise," she said, "Do you want to come in?"

"I don't need much time," he told her, "If you want to step out."

"Yeah," she stepped outside and closed the door, "What is it you need?"

"I…I need to know where we stand," he said, "I'd be willing to tell you anything, if it would help. I…I just need to know that we have a future, Amanda."

"I…I can't tell you that," she said, "Because honestly, I don't know myself."

"You don't know?"

"I don't," she said, "I don't know if I'd be willing to take you back again. I don't know if we could work well together or not. I…I just don't know, Kyle. I'm sorry."

He nodded solemnly, "I understand."

"Do you?"

No.

"Yes."

She nodded slowly, "Ok then. If you're ok, Kyle, then…do you need anything else?"

You.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Ok," she nodded, turning around and opening the door, walking back inside her house and closing the door, leaving Kyle standing out front.

He turned and walked away from the house, but he didn't want to go back home yet. He didn't want to go out looking for Jessi, he couldn't go to Amanda, he didn't want to go home. Where could he go?

As he started to walk in the opposite direction from home, he looked up at the sound of clapping.

"Nice job, brother," Cassidy told him, "You know, if I were you, I don't know if I could stand there and lie to such a beautiful, innocent girl like that, like you just did. If I had been you, I'd have told her the truth."

"What do you want?" Kyle demanded.

"To talk," Cassidy said.

"Fine, if we're going to talk, then let me do the questioning this time. Let me do the role you usually take."

"Fine," Cassidy said.

Kyle walked closer to him, "How can you be so evil? How could you threaten my loved ones?" Kyle demanded, "How can you be like this, when I'm the way I am?"

Cassidy had a small smirk on his face, "Come now, Kyle," he walked closer, walking past Kyle, their backs to each other as he continued to speak, "are you so naïve that you think that the fact that we share half our blood, half our genetic information, means we should both be good, upstanding people?

"I'm a good man, Kyle, if you would give me the chance. You think that just because I'm not the saint, the hero, that you are, I'm a bad man. You called me 'evil', after all."

"You threatened my loved ones, like I said," Kyle said.

"So I did. But it's all for the greater good," Cassidy told him.

Kyle turned to face him, "Greater good?" he practically shouted, "How can that be for any sort of 'greater good'?"

Cassidy turned to look at him, "You see, it's because you're so narrow minded in your perception of 'good', that you overlook what Latnok can do for the world."

"I saw your computer program," Kyle said, "I saw the good in it, but I know it was for getting into my brain."

"You destroyed something that could have come to such great use," Cassidy said.

"Are you trying to guilt me? I do feel guilty, Cassidy, but not guilty enough to fold on your perceptions."

Cassidy shrugged, "Even without that program, we still have the C.I.R."

"Not for long."

"Are you saying you're planning on taking out the machine?" Cassidy questioned, walking towards Kyle, "You really do have guts if you want to try that, considering the security that it's under."

"I have people to help me," Kyle said.

A larger smirk came to Cassidy's face, "Look at you, Kyle Trager; a terrorist in his own right."

"Terrorist?"

"You break into a private clinic, destroy a program that can save lives and mentalities, and now you're planning on breaking into another facility and destroying a machine that could possibly replace the MRI as the next medical breakthrough, once we release a modified C.I.R. out into the medical field."

"You're making things up," Kyle said.

"You underestimate Latnok," Cassidy said, "We do actually do things that are good, as you would see them. This is one. You just refuse to see it because of your bias against us."

"I refuse to see it because it doesn't exist!"

Cassidy shook his head, "Kyle, do you really think so little of your older brother?"

"You are not my brother!" Kyle shouted at him.

"Think that if you wish," Cassidy shrugged it off.

"I've already told you everything about what being brothers is about. How you become a brother. You refuse to listen to it."

"You refuse to believe in cold hard facts," Cassidy shot back, "Tell me something, Kyle, how does it feel to not like your blood family? How does it feel to know that they only want to extend love out to you, and you refuse them in favor of a family that has nothing to do with you?"

"The Tragers have everything to do with me," Kyle told him, "I accept Adam Baylin, but not you, nor Grace Kingsley."

"Call her our mother," Cassidy said, "She prefers that."

"She is not my mother!" Kyle screamed at him.

Cassidy shrugged and walked past Kyle, "Fine, think what you wish. Just remember a few things; I will get the information. I will become mum's favorite. I will get back at you one way or another."

"What do you mean by 'favorite'?" questioned Kyle.

"Mum always talks about you, and what you can do," Cassidy said, "You would know that, if you would come to Latnok."

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

"No."

"This time I know you're lying."

"I was hoping you'd pick up on that," Cassidy told him, turning to look Kyle right in the eyes, "I wanted to see if you could get something else correct."

"What?"

"I'll have the information by the end of the day."

"You believe it to be true."

Cassidy reached into the breast pocket of his shirt, pulling out the small tazer device. Before Kyle could react, Cassidy fired, bringing Kyle down to his knees, gasping, choking, trying to draw breath, but failing.

"One model has the strength to render unconsciousness. One has the ability to simply induce pain. This is made just for you; to target the heart specifically. The shock type disrupts the beat of the heart, for one. Two, it also hits at the brain and central nervous system. Three…it yields me the answers I want."

Kyle was slipping from his knees, falling to the ground, seizing from the electrical outburst. His heart was resuming beating, as the only purpose of taking his heart out was to bring him down for a moment. His brain; the seizures. That was the main goal.

"Now, Kyle, I win," Cassidy said, pocketing his weapon and walking off, leaving Kyle to seize on the sidewalk.

It had all been a blur for the Tragers and Amanda as they had heard the ambulances come when someone driving by had seen Kyle lying on the sidewalk and seizing. The Tragers had gone and brought Amanda at her insistence to the hospital.

"God, not here, not again," Lori was saying, burying her face into her hands, "Not after what happened to mom."

"I know," Stephen told his daughter, putting a hand reassuringly on her back, "But Kyle's strong. He should be able to get over this."

"Come on, dad," Josh told him, sitting on his other side, "What's the extent of the damage? You and mom won't tell us anything! I think we have a right to know!"

Amanda was on his side, completely opposite of Lori, "Mr. Trager, Josh is right. We all love Kyle; we deserve to know what the doctors told you and Mrs. Trager."

Stephen stood up and looked at his two children and Amanda. Nicole was talking to the doctors again, leaving Stephen to take care of the three of them. He looked at them for about ten seconds before stating, "The doctors don't think it's very good. His heart is damaged somehow, and he's known to have seizures. This isn't a surprise, but it could be indicative of some new damage of some sort. I…I don't know what that means; I'm not a doctor."

"This is just great," Lori said, standing up, "We all have something good happening. Declan and me; Josh and Andy, you got a raise, mom is going back into her practice," they had been told what Kyle had known while he and Jessi had been in his room, "And Kyle?"

"I'm to blame," Amanda said quietly.

"No, I didn't mean it that way!" Lori insisted.

"I know you don't mean to blame me," Amanda told Lori, "But it is my fault, at least partially. I broke Kyle's heart, after all. Maybe if we were still properly together…"

"Don't blame yourself," Lori told the other girl.

"I don't think any of us can be to blame," Stephen said.

"Or all of us," Josh said, "I was having him help me with things. Did you guys ask him to do anything?"

"I don't think a work load caused this," Amanda told Josh.

"His heart was damaged…I was asking him to help me with getting in touch with Andy. You broke his heart…"

"Josh!" Stephen yelled at him.

"No, Mr. Trager, it's ok," Amanda told him, looking down, "I see where Josh is going with this, but I don't think that's right. And Josh…you don't know the whole story."

"Then why don't you tell us?"

"Josh, not here, not now," Lori told her brother, "If you really want to lash out, do it at someone or something worthwhile. Amanda didn't do anything."

Josh got up from his chair. He started to walk off, "Where do you think you're going?" Stephen questioned him.

"Just to walk around," Josh said, "I'll clear my head before I come back to avoid a lecture," he said, leaving.

"Are you just going to let him go like that?" Amanda questioned Stephen.

"Yeah. It's for the best." He sat back down.

As Josh was leaving the waiting room area, he saw Jessi walking in, then running towards him, "I heard Kyle was here, is he ok?"

"He's had some heart damage and a seizure," Josh said, "I don't know much more."

She pushed past him rather than stay and waste her time learning nothing. She came to a slow when she saw Stephen, Lori and Amanda, "What happened to him?" she questioned.

"What are you doing here?" Amanda questioned her, despite knowing the severity of the situation; she was jealous and wanted answers.

"I care about Kyle."

"We all do," Stephen tried to mediate them.

Amanda got up, "Jessi, just tell me. What do you hope to accomplish here?"

"I'm going to be by his side. He may have told me to leave this afternoon after everything, but…"

"What?" Amanda questioned, "What are you talking about? After what?"

"We spent the morning together in his room," she said, taking no pleasure at the moment in torturing Amanda, just stating the facts.

Amanda fell back into her chair, "What? No! I won't believe that!"

"I never saw or heard you come in," Lori told her.

"Yeah, me neither," Stephen agreed.

"His window," Jessi said, "Anyway, what happened?"

"I think you need to tell us," Lori said.

Josh had decided to follow Jessi back, "Well, isn't it obvious?" he questioned, "She and Kyle…got it on, and that caused his heart attack, or whatever, leading into…"

"Josh!" Amanda snapped, clearly upset over what could have happened between Kyle and Jessi.

"Nothing like that happened," Jessi said.

"How can we trust you?" Amanda questioned.

"Because I'm only looking out for Kyle's best interests," Jessi said, "I can see I'm not wanted here, though."

Josh stepped aside as she walked back the way she had come from. She knew these people; she knew that they were friends, technically, but perhaps too much had been said about what she and Kyle had done, even if they hadn't slept together, it sounded like it. They were carrying on behind everyone's backs, and they didn't seem to appreciate that, especially not Stephen, with it happening in his home, and not Amanda, who was horrified since she and Kyle were technically together, even if they were separated at the moment.

As she was heading towards the entrance of the hospital, she heard Nicole, "Jessi! Where are you going?" She left speaking to the doctor, evidently just trying to busy herself until she had seen Jessi, missing her on her way in.

"I was leaving," she told Nicole, "Your family and Amanda don't seem to like me being here."

"Why not? You came for Kyle's sake, after all, right?" Nicole asked.

"I did. But they don't like me because Kyle and I started something this morning," she saw no reason to hide it from Nicole; blunt was the best approach.

"What does that mean?" Nicole questioned her.

"Not much, apparently, since he told me to leave after we made out for a while," she said, "At first it felt right, then it felt like he was reconsidering, and…"

"Too much information," Nicole told her.

"They seem to think we slept together. Or at the least, they don't want me around because we did everything behind your backs."

"While I don't approve of that, you clearly care about Kyle very much. You have a right to stay."

"I don't."

"You do."

"So…what happened to him?" Jessi questioned.

"The doctors don't know," Nicole replied, "All we know is that he has some heart damage, possibly from a heart attack, and had some seizures. He's not in very good shape right now…"

"Even both of those hitting at the same time shouldn't be too much of a problem for someone like Kyle," she said, "He should be able to recover, even if not aware. At least, I think we should be able to…"

"He's had seizures before and never done that," Nicole said, "I know you can heal, but can you heal yourselves like that?"

"He's more experienced now than before. And we should be able to heal ourselves," Jessi said.

"Let's hope he can pull something off," Nicole said.

"Or do it yourselves."

Jessi and Nicole turned to see Cassidy walking in, flowers in hand. He handed them over, "I'm sorry about my dear little brother."

"Cassidy!" Jessi hissed, pushing Nicole aside, ready to leap for Cassidy and kill him for all he had done thus far.

"Ah, ah, no. Bad Jessi. You try anything and this deal is off the table."

"Deal?" questioned Jessi, "What sort of deal could you possibly have?"

"One that could save his life," Cassidy answered.

"Jessi," Nicole said, holding her hand out in front of Jessi, "What are you talking about?" she questioned Cassidy.

"I mean, you get me what I want, and I can help you. I know the damage to his heart; I can also tell you that if he would get an MRI, his score would be normal, even if he's 'fixed'. Yes, I did this. If you let him try to recover on his own, or with your help, Jessi, he's doomed to live a normal life, losing everything he has.

"However, if you listen to me, I can help you. I'll help fix his heart and his brain, allowing him to continue to be the man he is. He can still help people; he can still do whatever he is doing now. What happens is that you feel a little guilty, but happy for him to continue living his life, and I get some…information. Some hard data."

"Hard data?" Nicole asked.

"You want the clone formula, don't you?" Jessi demanded.

"Correct."

"We don't have it," Jessi said, "Only Kyle does."

"I realize that. That's why I had to do this to him," Cassidy said, "You have to dive into his brain, Jessi, and get it for me."

"Why would we ever do that for you?" Jessi demanded, clearly not going to do it.

"Because if you don't, Kyle is doomed to have a normal life and existence."

"So be it," Jessi said, "He'd want that over the alternative."

Cassidy shook his head, "That's if he survives. The 'if' in that equation favors his death over his recovery. He has a slim chance of about five percent to pull through, if you want the numbers.

"You see, you're in no position to bargain. You get me the information, or he will die, most likely. And if he lives, he'll wish he died. I don't think Kyle could appreciate living normally, not with the way he lives life, trying to help people. His powers are what makes it possible for him. Disobey, and he survives, he loses the knowledge of how to do things, as well as the ability in itself as his brain is damaged irrevocably."

Nicole grabbed Jessi's arm to stop her from trying anything. Then she spoke to the younger woman, "Jessi, we have to consider his offer."

"But Nicole! We can't!"

"I know. I know we can't, but the alternative of Kyle dying? That's worse! We have to consider! We should do this, for Kyle's sake!"

"I refuse," Jessi growled.

"You'd let Kyle die?" demanded Nicole.

Jessi remained silent for a bit, trying to think of life without Kyle. She shook her head, "This agreement never gets out to anyone other than the three of us."

"I don't intend on gloating," Cassidy told Jessi, "Now, you have to go and pick Kyle's brain for us."

"You never tell Kyle, never tell the family, never tell anyone," Jessi told Nicole, "Swear that!"

"I swear. You can't either."

"I won't," Jessi said.

"I won't," Cassidy said, just trying to be part of the situation.

"You have a deal," Jessi muttered, defeated for now. "How are you going to save him?"

"The slime," he replied, "It will work on his heart by soaking through his flesh and into his bloodstream. As for his brain, well, fixing the heart should get him back up and out of danger. His head will come down to you, Jessi."

"We could make our own slime," she told him.

"I'm sure you could," he replied, "I'm sure you're smart enough to have studied it at any chance you might have gotten, God knows when, but this slime is a different formula, meant for entering the body through contact with the skin, and repairing internal injuries and damage to tissue. You'd be out of your depth, never having seen a sample."

Jessi had no choice but to nod, knowing he was right. She left the two of them without a word, rushing towards where Kyle's room would be.

She had something terrible to do.

"Declan!" Lori got up and ran to him as he came in, holding her in his arms to comfort her.

"Sorry it took so long," he said. He had left after that morning at the Tragers and had just gotten a call from Lori about what had happened, "How is he?"

"We don't know much," Lori said, "Mom's talking to the doctors to find out, but she's not back yet."

He backed off from the hug he gave her, "I'm going to go and see if I can find her. I'll see what she has to say."

"Thanks, Declan," Lori told him, "Hurry back."

"Yeah, I will," he turned and headed back the way he had come, seeing Nicole after getting back towards the entrance, "Mrs. Trager," he said.

She turned to him, looking shaken, worried, "Oh, Declan. You're here too?"

"Lori called me," he said, calling her by name to her mother, "Um…how is he? What happened?"

Why did she look so shaken? So worried? Was the news that bad?

"He has some damage to his heart from a heart attack, or something, and had a seizure at the same time. The combination isn't good."

"I imagine," he replied, "How does it look for him, though? Can the doctors help?"

She took a moment before answering, a very noticeable moment, "There's a good chance he'll recover and be perfectly fine. A very good chance."

"That's surprising," Declan said.

"I know," she said, "But they say they can do it. I have to trust them."

Declan nodded, "I guess you're right." He pointed back over his shoulder, "So…I'm going to go tell everyone else what's happening."

Nicole nodded, "Yeah, go."

As Declan walked off, he ducked into a small hallway that led to restrooms. He took out his phone, "Foss. Kyle ended up in the hospital; bad damage to his heart and some seizures, but they say it can be helped; he'll be fine, the doctors say. Call me back." He closed his phone and continued to the others, telling them what Nicole had said to him.

"Thank God," Lori said, "He'll be fine."

"He's lucky," Amanda said quietly, "I…I wouldn't think anyone else would be fine after what happened. Damage like that. He really does seem lucky."

"He's Kyle," Josh said, "He has those powers to help him recover."

"Let's just remember that it's not set in stone that he'll recover completely," Stephen told the four younger people with him, "We have to be ready if…if something goes wrong. I don't want that to happen, but we have to be ready for the possibility."

"Yeah, we know," Lori told him, "We…we just don't want to have to think of that chance."

"I know," Stephen said, "God knows I know."

Jessi closed Kyle's door softly and walked over to the unmoving man. He was hooked up to many machines, but it didn't seem that any were for anything specific to him, other than some readings being done on his brainwaves after the seizure. Other than that, everything was common. It disgusted her to see that they didn't seem to care more, but she wasn't the type to know if there were other machines that could be hooked up to him to help him, or do anything for him.

He was special. He deserved better, if it existed.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, reaching down and touching his forehead in both hands. She closed her eyes, reaching out, feeling for his mind. It was damaged from the seizures; or maybe rattled. Perhaps when Cassidy helped him his mind would return to proper order. If it was damaged by Cassidy's doing, then he wouldn't be pleased if he lost the information that he wanted. But why would he take that risk?

Clearly this was probably only a momentary jumble. Cassidy wouldn't risk losing his prize.

Sifting through Kyle's memories proved to be a disturbing and difficult task. Jessi saw all sorts of things. He saw memories of Kyle being with Amanda, with the Tragers, and more with Amanda. Even things that hadn't happened, including a wedding. Clearly Kyle truly loved Amanda.

Jessi fought back that pain and continued to look. She saw bits of herself in Kyle's mind, but nothing as substantial as what she saw of Amanda. Clearly he held Amanda in higher regard than he held her.

Then she got to data, facts. She sifted through these bits of memory, finally finding what looked to be right, if only because it was pushed back so far, so hidden, but the jumble had brought it out towards the front. The C.I.R. could have easily gotten it, if Cassidy could have gotten Kyle to it, but he would have trouble smuggling him out of the hospital. He needed Jessi.

Taking grip of it, she brought it out farther, then managed to read the data over, memorizing all of it from a single read. She let it go and pulled away from Kyle, the information in her mind, ready to be given to Cassidy.

"Nice doing business with you," Cassidy told Jessi and Nicole, handing over a small hypodermic needle filled with a thick purple colored liquid. He took the sheets of paper from Jessi, reading over the data, "I'm a trusting man," he said to them, "I'm no scientist, so I'll assume this is right. If it's not right, then you'll both pay, along with Kyle." Cassidy pocketed the papers and walked out the front door, "Good day."

Jessi and Nicole looked at the liquid in the needle, "Do you think he gave us the right stuff?" Nicole asked worriedly, "I don't know if I trust him."

"You can't trust him," Jessi said, "But we have to hope he's a man of enough honor that he gave us the right stuff. Let's try."

The two went to Kyle's room when no doctors were around to watch. Jessi looked at the needle, then looked back to Nicole, "Into the heart," Nicole said.

She nodded, "I wonder if the doctors will find this mark," she said, then shrugged. It didn't matter. She pulled the blanket off of Kyle and plunged the needle into his heart, injecting the liquid. She pulled the empty needle out, watching the liquid surge up and seal the hole. They both stood back, watching his vital signs begin to rise and strengthen.

"It worked," Nicole said.

"We should get the others," Jessi said, "Go get them."

Nicole nodded, "Yeah," she ran out to get the others, but by the time she would come back, Jessi would be gone.

["How to Save a Life" by The Fray, .com/watch?v=hOStF4q0zZI]

Kyle's eyes slowly opened. He looked around, seeing the faces of Amanda, Lori, Josh, Declan, Stephen and Nicole. He sat up slowly, "What happened?"

"You had some heart damage and seizures," Nicole told him softly, "It looked bad for a bit, but you recovered completely."

"We were so afraid for you," Lori was almost crying.

Josh was trying to hold it back, "I don't know what we would have done if we had lost you."

"I knew you would be fine," Declan said, "You're strong; a fighter."

Amanda reached out to him, "Kyle…you made me think a lot about what's happened between us. I don't know what would happen if I ever lost you. I can't think about that."

"None of us know what we would have done if we lost you. You're family," Stephen said, "Always. Never forget that you have people here to love you."

And with that I realized that it didn't matter what Cassidy was like, what Grace Kingsly was like. They may have been my family by blood, but it didn't matter. I know that family is those who love you, who accept you unconditionally. The Tragers give me unconditional love, I've known that. I continue to know that. I won't have to think about my blood family again, because I know they don't matter.

But if Cassidy persists, my memories will persist. Those thoughts will always be there, but they won't be important anymore. I know that now.

"…Thank you, everyone," Kyle said, "You don't know how much your love means to me. You really don't."

"Let's leave him to get some rest," Nicole suggested to everyone. They started to leave, reluctantly at first, but soon began to leave faster, leaving Amanda and Nicole as the last two in the room with him.

"Kyle…I mean it," Amanda said, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Do you forgive me for keeping my secrets?" he asked her.

"No. But I'm willing to overlook it."

This was my chance to be back with Amanda. To truly be with her again. But something was off about this. Did I want her back, even if she was only doing it because I almost died today?

"Then I don't want to get back together," Kyle said, to both women's astonishments.

"Kyle…why?" Amanda asked him, flustered.

"If you just want to get back together because I almost died, then we aren't ready to get back together. I would do anything to get back with you, but if you're willing to compromise your own beliefs, your own words like this, then not yet."

"I understand," she said quietly. She said nothing more as she left, hurt by his words.

"Kyle…"

"Nicole…I know. I shouldn't have said that, but I had to," he told Nicole.

She nodded, "I understand why you had to. But you worried all of us; and you just hurt Amanda for the second time today, the first being that she had to go through everything you here."

"Third," Kyle said, "Is Jessi here?"

"She was."

"Then I'm sure she said something to Amanda," Kyle didn't explain anything more to Nicole.

"Get some rest," Nicole told Kyle, leaving his room.

As Kyle laid back, he heard the door open again. He sat up to see Jessi, "Kyle," she said softly.

"Jessi…"

All she could say was, "I'm glad you're ok."

"Thank you."

She was having trouble finding words. She walked forward a bit closer, "Kyle…I saw Amanda leave, and…"

"I wasn't ready to get back together with her yet," Kyle explained.

"What about you and me?" Jessi asked, "Are we…"

"No," Kyle said, "I can't be with either of you. Not now, not yet."

She nodded, not saying everything she had to say, "Ok. I won't give up on you."

"Neither will Amanda, I'm sure," he told her.

"I know." Jessi looked back at the door, then to Kyle again, "I'm determined to be the woman with you."

"We'll see what happens," Kyle said.

She nodded, "We will." She headed out, leaving Kyle alone in the bed.

[Song ends]

Nicole pulled Jessi away as she left. They stood off to the side, "Did you tell him?" she questioned Jessi, "You look…"

"I wanted to," she said, "I'm not the type to get guilty or anything, but…"

"You couldn't sit there and not tell him," Nicole said, "I know. I felt the same way. I wanted to tell him what we had to do. I can't lie to him; I can't keep the truth from him. But we have to."

Jessi nodded, "It would be hell if he found out what we had to do for him."

"But at least he's alive."

"Only thanks to the two of us betraying him, and to Cassidy. Kyle won't like that, any of it."

"We have to make sure he never finds out," Nicole said, "I know that it's going to be hard for both of us, but we have to keep strong and not tell him."

"Yeah," Jessi said, "We'll find ways of dealing with it, of smothering it."

"That's not going to be good for either of us," Nicole said.

"You're a therapist, I know," Jessi said, "But what else can we do?"

"Unfortunately…nothing," Nicole said.

"Then we're bonded by this secret." Jessi started to walk away, "We can never tell anyone this."

Nicole watched her go, then looked in the window inset into Kyle's door. She watched him try to rest, and after a few moments, she walked away in shame of what she and Jessi had to do.