Tandem
Chapter 9
Bellevue Psychiatric Unit
The Hospital staff had given Adam Schiff the rare privilege of sitting by Jack McCoy's bedside, watching as he slept. Schiff had stayed by McCoy's side through the whole Admissions Procedure, had kept an arm firmly around the younger man's shoulder, offering his love and support the only way he could.
The On-site Physician had ordered a bed, and an injection for McCoy.
So, now, Jack McCoy was deep in drug-induced slumber.
Schiff sighed as he pulled the blankets up around McCoy's shoulders, tucking him in. The man didn't even stir.
"Vance says his medications need to be reformulated," Emil Skoda entered the small room.
"This was because of his medications?" Schiff was appalled.
"Medications can be…fraught…sometimes," Skoda admitted. "Vance says they'll need to clear Jack's system of the old meds before they try shifting him to the new ones. The first few days will be rough on him. But, once he's clear of the old meds, they'll shift him to the new medications, and hopefully these won't do a number on him too."
"I hope they help him," Schiff looked up. "Jack resigned from his position as my EADA."
"He's beginning to realize how ill he really is. I'm sorry, Adam, but he made the right call."
Schiff looked down at his sleeping friend.
"He said he was drowning…falling…" he sighed again. "How can we help him?"
"Jack needs two things, Adam. He needs a place where he can just…be; a place where no demands will be placed upon him. A place where he can feel…safe."
A safe place with someone he can trust…
"I think I know whom I can call," Schiff spoke softly.
George Atkinson. He'd be glad to help Jack…
Two weeks later
Jack McCoy felt Emil Skoda's hand on his shoulder, guiding him out of Bellevue.
"We're going to Adam's office," the psychiatrist had said.
McCoy nodded. He felt a little better on these new medications; the crushing depression of before finally gone.
There was a surprise waiting for him when they got to 1 Hogan Place.
Claire Kincaid, clearly uncomfortable with the title of Acting Executive Assistant DA, was there, as was Adam Schiff.
It was the third man that caught Jack McCoy by surprise.
"George?" McCoy just stood there in stunned amazement.
"Hey, kiddo…" George Atkinson walked up to McCoy. "Adam called me, told me you'd been having problems…"
"You're going to stay with George for a while," Adam Schiff explained. "You need to let go of everything, concentrate only on getting well. Emil will come up in a few days, to see how you're doing."
Jack McCoy looked down, tears, again, burning the back of his throat.
"You sure, George?" he asked. "I'm…"
"You're a friend," Atkinson spoke gently. "Let us take care of you…"
McCoy closed his eyes for a minute.
Concede with grace, he told himself. They want to help…
And Jack, himself…
James Smith had been right all along…
McCoy had finally come to the realization that he couldn't do this, survive mental illness, without help.
Feeling shy about it all, he looked up, at all his friends.
"I'll need to pack…"
"Already done," Adam Schiff smiled; and Jack McCoy had to smile too.
"You and George planned this between you."
"Guilty as charged," George Atkinson was smiling too.
Jack McCoy saw the suitcase standing against the wall, and the stranger standing there too; a slender man with green eyes and a prosthetic left hand.
"That's Alex," Atkinson explained. "My…chauffeur."
That green-eyed gaze looked Jack McCoy over, appraising him calmly.
"We should go, Jack," Atkinson added. "Before the traffic gets too crazy."
McCoy nodded. He felt Claire Kincaid's arms go around him, holding him tightly; and he felt nothing but regret.
They'd been lovers for a brief time, before Jack's…illness…had manifested itself; and he wished he could go back to what they had been before.
But that wouldn't have been fair to her.
I love you, Claire…Always will…
He was glad she was taking his place as Adam's
EADA. Officially it was only on a pro tem basis, but Jack McCoy knew better…
I won't be practicing law again…
Now, it was Adam Schiff hugging him, telling him he would come for a visit later in the week.
Once you're settled in…
Then, Jack McCoy followed George Atkinson outside, to the waiting limo…
George Atkinson felt nothing but guilt as he looked at Jack McCoy, sitting next to him in the limo, head bowed.
"You hungry, kiddo?"
That brought a slight smile.
"Kiddo? George, I'm well over fifty…"
"Yeah?" Atkinson forced himself to smile back. "And I'm well over eighty. You'll always be a kid to me. And, I remember when you really were just a kid, one who didn't know his ass from his elbow. I'm proud to say you wised up considerably under my tutelage."
Atkinson leaned forward, tapped the glass partition separating the driver from the passengers.
"Alex," he ordered. "Stop at the first fast food place we see…"
After an early lunch, the drive to George Atkinson's home, a stately manor, only took another three hours.
Once there, Jack McCoy attempted to carry his own luggage, but Alex wasn't having that. The chauffeur got there first, and quickly toted the suitcase up to the room that had been set aside for Jack McCoy.
As for Jack McCoy…
He looked lost…
"This is Rosita," Atkinson introduced him to his Housekeeper.
"Good afternoon, Mr. McCoy," Rosita smiled. "There is tea in the solarium."
"Thank you, Rosita," George took Jack gently by the arm, guided him to the solarium. "I'd offer you stronger, but…"
"Not with these meds…" McCoy sighed.
"No," George Atkinson agreed. Again, guilt assailed him.
No matter how one looked at it, no matter the justifications, it had been the ultimate in betrayal…
El Rico…
All of the members of the Consortium had been forced to give up sons, daughters, or spouses, given them up to be…taken…
But George Atkinson, an only child, had never married. No spouse, no children, or other family members; instead, he had been forced to sacrifice his best and brightest student.
Jack McCoy.
"I'll be back in a minute, Jack," he sighed as he settled McCoy on the sofa, by the big pot of Darjeeling.
Then, he stepped out into the hall. Alex was there, with his green eyes and prosthetic arm.
"Tell them I have Jack under my care," he told Krycek.
Krycek nodded.
"Cassandra Spender is also in our custody," the younger man whispered back. "Make sure McCoy doesn't escape."
"He won't," Atkinson couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. "He trusts me."
Trust…
What a betrayal of that trust of his. Jack trusted me to teach him, and he's trusting me with his life right now.
But, at the same time, there had never really been any choice for the Consortium members.
We were forced to become devils, to betray those we most loved in the world…
The all-important Project; to create Human Alien Hybrids capable of surviving the Alien Plague, to become the servants of the Alien Masters soon to rule this world.
We became devils to gain access to the Alien Genome; and with access to that…
With access to the Alien Genome, there was a chance to fight back, to create a vaccine against the Alien Plague; and it had become a race of sorts…
If the project to create the vaccine succeeded first, then Earth-Humanity-would win.
If the Human Alien Hybrid project succeeded first, the Alien Colonists would win.
The vaccine Project was very close to full success; a weak vaccine had already been created. It would take at least another year to create a true vaccine, one capable of resisting the Plague to come.
But it was too late now…
Against all odds, no matter how often the Consortium had stalled and hedged…
The Human Alien Project had succeeded; and not just once…
Twice…
Two successfully created Human Alien Hybrids…
Cassandra Spender had been one success.
Guilt, and grief, choked George Atkinson as he entered the Solarium.
The other successful Human Alien Hybrid was Jack McCoy…