Sara looked over at Agent Sands and surpressed a slight sigh instead she tucked her hair behind her ear drawing up a chair up and sat next to the patient in the bed. She looked him over, the bandages over where his eyes had been were only slightly distracting, that is until you thought about quite how and why they were missing.. and that gave even someone meant to be as cold and analytical about this, pause for thought. "No not flirting" she said "I just read your files extensively before coming up here." she said

"Do I take it I have a fan then?.. or if your not a field agent groupie when you get out from behind your desk... what exactly wanting with me... if not ..'that'? " he said with a slight smile.

"I told you.. I am here to see how your holding up, and what we can do for you." she said. ignoring his comments when addressed to the subject of his ego, she was sure feeding that would be a mistake, though on reading his file she had been quite struck by the fact that he was the most interesting character she had come across in quite some time.. there was something quite unique, and no doubt twisted abot this agent Sands; hence being careful not to feed into his games too much.

"Oh I am just peachy Darlin', and what you can do for me?" a mischeivious smile crossed his lips "Well unless your meaning that in the 'groupie' way.. you could donate your eyeballs.. or is it only field agents they ask that off?" he said.. careful to keep any tone of bitterness about the agency out of his voice.. a shrink from them would have a field day with that. Though that was not the real reason he avoided even the merest hint of it.. it would have been predictable, and he was anything but that. "But if you are meaning it in the groupie way.. I have this.. ache.. " he 'looked' towards his groin.. with a smirk..

"I'll bet you do.. comes of being a legendary pain in the arse I expect" Sara responded swiftly

"Touche' " Sands said with a pleased smile.. this would hardly be entertaining if she was the type to roll over and play dead at the first sarcastic comment. "So what happened to the 'you' that was all sweet nurturing concern.. telling this 'legendary pain in the arse' it was all going to be fine.. and what definition of fine were you working on? " he said with a tilt of his head. Sara paused.. she had not expected him to remember anything of when he first arrived, he was so weak with blood loss and soon drugged up completely. She wondered just how much else he remembered, if he carried in horrific detail being blinded. She had chosen to believe the doctors and her own proffessional experience that the brain tended to protect itself and shut out all such traumatic memories.. yet something about Agent Sands told her he did nothing the typical way.

"You remember that?" she said, hesitantly

"I remember lots of things" he said ambiguously, he smiled a tight short lived smile at her. "You were full of what sounded meaningless platitudes; assuring me everything would be fine." he didn't want to admit that these had struck home.. something about them, or more how she had said them, had him believing her. He had a hard time believing in anything, but she had got through.. maybe it was the stuff that had men making deathbed conversions and finding a faith with their last breath, but he rather thought it was something he had heard in her voice..but that might always be because he didn't want to think that even at such a time, he Sheldon Jeffrey Sands , was not that weak and ordinary.. so he gave her a sarcastic looking smile and pressed on "Now I'd hate it to sound as if I am so mundain to delusionally cling to false hope.. but lets face it, your being here.. not CIA standard proceedure when an officer is down.. I assume your time is not exactly cheap and it is not an optimum use of resources to have you here, when I am just to be pensioned off.. or am I missing something?" Sands said.. a sharp edge to his voice.. he didn't mind showing that, that he was no fool and wasn't to be treated as if he were, whatever the circumstances.

"No your not missing something." she stated. "The powers that be," she paused.. how to phrase this.. "they want to know what it is about you that kept you going that day, against severe odds..that in itself is not so rare.. survival instinct.. but you did more than survive, your actions were far more than that. They want to know what made you able to do that, what use that information and you might be to them.. I can't say" She shrugged.. there was more to her being asked to profile and assess his state of mind, but she didn't want to give false hope. That would be un-neccersarily cruel so she would rather avoid even the chance of that.

"Cant or wont?" Sands, gave her a business-like smile again. He was no fool.. there was more she wasn't saying, to coin a phrase, even a blind man could see that.

"Both" she replied, as she folded her arms and sat silently, not willing to give first in what she saw was swiftly becoming a game of wits to Agent Sands. Sands smiled, again he liked her style, not just that there was a ready reply to any slight barbs he sent her way, but she wasn't playing things the predictable CIA way, she might be some sport; even without the shadowy hint of some unknown prize.

Sands tilted his head in her direction.. he smiled at the extending silence.. she was good. most people folded quicky and spoke first to avoid an uncomfortable silence.. she obviously wasn't that type.. he had a more below the belt tactic, it would also test how true the concerned caring tone in her voice was... this was of course the information gathering part of 'the game'

"I can't hear you.. " he said in a slow drawn out way.. so obviously robbed of another vital sense.. his senses were primed to read her reaction.. he heard the slight hitch in her breathing.. he had made her feel bad about keeping silent.. he began silently counting.. like counting for the lightening after a thunder clap to see how near the storm was.. only this was to see how near to her, her conscience was..

"Thats because I wasn't saying anything.. I didn't realize you needed to know more" she said.. her tone was slightly defensive.. but not sharp, he noted

"I always need more.. or didn't my file make that clear about me?" he said with a tone that said he found this slightly amusing.

"It made clear you need your own definition of balance, care to tell me more about that?" she said, wanting to catch back her being in control of this assessment, like she was meant to be.. intead she had the nasty feeling he was assessing her more than she was being allowed to see any of him he didn't want seen .

"Care to tell me why you really want to know.. or is it just professional idle curiousity about why balance matters to someone so obviously unbalanced?" he said with an amused wry tone.

"You think your unbalanced?" she shot back

"Your the proffessional.. isn't it your job to tell me, or am I meant to be doing your job for you?"

"No.. " she said firmly "I don't think I want you doing your version of my job for me.. or on me?"

"Awhhh your no fun.. it could be real interesting in a 'I'll scratch your back you scratch mine', kind of a way" he said in a playful tone

"Why do I get shadows of Hannibal Lector, saying to make it 'Quid pro Quo'?" she said with a smile he could easily hear in her voice.

"Maybe that says more about you than it does about me there 'Clarisse' " he chuckled

"Now its my turn to say.. 'Touche'.. " she said.. she smiled over at him.. he was interesting, if possible more interesting in person than on paper.. all to often her patients conditions were more interesting than they themselves ever managed to be.. he at least was different.. and she hadn't failed to notice damn good looking, she after all was not the one that had, had her eyes removed. No doubt that also helped with his legendary arrogence.. the fact that even now he could quicken a womans pulse.. "So .. " she said.. still looking intently at him.. noticing he tilted his head as if trying to capture what the tone in her voice meant.. she tried to tell herself this was just him attempting to compensate for the lack of sight, by trying to read with other senses what he was now missing.. but she knew it wasn't really that.. he was more like a predator sensing its prey. This made her sudder, though, she hated to admit it, not altogether in a bad way. "Are you willing to keep meeting with me for this assessment, the CIA can send me down here.. but they can't order you to co-operate.. rather obviously. I think it could be both interesting and rewarding" she said

"To you or to me?" he swiftly countered

"Both" she said with a smile.. one she saw echoed on his lips..

"Maybe it will.. " he said with a tone that sent a definite shiver down her spine