Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from "The Pretender" Steven and Craig do. This is a piece of non profit fanfiction and there are no copyright infringements intended, so please don't sue. The story is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental ( I thought I'd use the official version this time even though it doesn't sound better..)
I started this story many years ago when I still was a young girl (I guess you could call 14 young…) and found it in my drawer at Christmas Eve in 2000 ( a little cleaning attack in my home). At first I just stared at the disk, not knowing what to make of it but then I started reading and I thought that this was the perfect background for a tP story. Some changes here, some changes there and suddenly my muse seemed to be back to help me… And then she was gone again and the story stayed on my harddrive in some forgotten corner. When I started again in 2005 it seemed like ages ago that I had started something like this. It took quite long to translate the original story (about 80 pages) from German to Endlish and I'm not sure if this is good or bad (but it's written..) Enough babbling, anyway, enjoy.


Title: M A F I A C O N N E C T I O N S 1/?
By: Chris
e-mail: kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG-13
Category: P
Spoilers: None
Keywords: x-over Pretender + CSI
Summary: Jarod wants to save a woman from getting caught between the lines but he's too late. She survives but Jarod tries to eliminate the mafia-like organization that did this. He gets caught between love and his desire to save the world.


There are pretenders among us, geniuses with the ability to become anyone they want to be. In 1963 a corporation known as the Centre isolated a young pretender named Jarod and exploited his genius for their research.
Then one day their pretender ran away.

***

Two women were sitting on their horses and were racing along the beach. Their hair was flowing with the cool morning breeze. It was still misty and the sun was just rising over the ocean. They slowed down and enjoyed the first rays of the morning sun.
"Olga, you're away too often and you leave me alone," Carolyn Franklin said.
"I know. We should go out together", Olga sighed, "But I don't have enough time. The business isn't running itself. But I promise to be home more often in the next months, OK?"
"You're hiding something, Olga, what is it?"
Olga looked at her adoptive daughter and was wondering how she could possibly know.
"You're right, I have kept a little secret but I think you'll like it."
"What is it? Something for me?" the 14-year-old asked, hope gleaming in her eyes.
"No, it's for me. Want to know what it is?"
"Yes, please, what is it?"
"Carolyn, I'm pregnant."
Instead of waiting for an answer Olga pushed her horse into gallop and sped away. Flabbergasted Carolyn looked after her, than she followed her.
"Olga, wait for me. What did you say? You can't be serious, can you?"
"Yes, I am."
"You've had a miscarriage before, how can you be sure that it will be alright this time?"
"I just know it. It was just because I was taking too many medication at that time and I will not make that mistake again. It can’t be that difficult to live without medicaments for eight or seven months. And only because it went wrong once it hasn’t to be the same way again, has it?"
"Well, yes, but I’m not convinced yet. What do you do when you suffer from any pain?"
"Live with it. I will live without medication until the child is born. It’s only 7 and a half months left."
The sun had fully risen and it started to get warmer with the minute.
"Let’s go back, I have to go to school."

***

Jarod looked around. He had just exited the bus which had brought him to Los Angeles. The area was known as a rich part of the city. It was at the coast with a wonderful view over the ocean. He looked down at the picture in his hands. A woman in her mid-forties, long brown hair. She was very thin and had remarkably brown eyes. She looked a little stubborn but he knew that she had to be because she was working in a business with mostly men. He had to find her and try to win her trust. He knew, from a former pretend, that there were many people who would like to see her dead and he had to prevent that from happening. She was the mother of a young girl and she was pregnant. He didn't know how he got to know that she was pregnant but something deep inside him had told him. Maybe it was the Parker gift, the inner voice. He didn't know everything he wanted to know about her, but he had to find out to be able to help her.

***

They returned to the shelter and gave the horses into the groom’s caring hands.
"It’s quite late. Do you want me to give you a lift to school?"
Carolyn nodded and ran up the stairs to her room to get dressed. She came back downstairs only minutes later. Her mother looked at her, not saying a word. She didn't like the way Carolyn dressed, but she thought better then tell her.
"It’s about time. I have other things to do as well."
They went to the car and Olga got inside it. It seemed out of place, this little red car compared to the villa they were living in.
"Why don't you buy another car? Something bigger and more expensive? You've got that one for eight years now, you've told me."
"And only because it's old it's not good enough to give you a ride to school and back?"
"Of course it is, but the other girls--"
"That's it. Well, you have the choice of getting accustomed to THIS car or you'll take the bus again, alright?"
Carolyn nodded. She didn't quite understand how someone with lots of money could possibly like to drive a car like that. She better started thinking about something else to make her mother buy a new car.

"Thanks for the lift," Carolyn said when they arrived at the school and got out of the car. Olga smiled and drove on.
"That's not the way home," Carolyn thought when she looked after the car. Later she'd know that this had been the moment which had changed her life as well.

Jarod looked around. He was standing next to a shopping center and something seemed to be going on in there. He kept standing there and just watched the doors.

Olga wanted to do some shopping before going home again. She stopped her car in front of a supermarket and got out of her car. She wanted to open the shop's door when a man came out, running, beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Don't go in!" he screamed at her, "There's a madman with a gun inside."
Jarod looked at the woman who had gotten out of her car. What a wonderful coincidence, he didn't have to search for her. He just had to follow her. He looked around and looked directly at a car rental. He crossed the street and wanted to get himself a car.

People came running out of the super market, screaming, stumbling, in one large crowd.
"Run, ma'am," a woman screamed at her and wanted to drag her away from the entrance but it was too late. A man with a gun came out the door and grabbed Olga by the arm.
The police squadron, one of the shop assistants had called arrived and they filed out of their cars, surrounding the place. The stranger pulled Olga with him as he wanted to retreat into the safety of the shop.
"Don't move!" one of the policemen screamed but the man didn't react. He held Olga in a tight grip and kept pulling her towards the door. He pointed a gun at her head and threatened to kill the lady if they didn't let him go.
Jarod had watched the whole scene. They had been faster than he had thought. The people were a huddled mass somewhere in the corner of the parking lot, not daring even to whisper. His mind was racing how he cold help them.
Suddenly there was a police officer behind the stranger, with his gun pointed at the man's head.
"Put down your weapon and let her go," he said, his voice trembling slightly. The stranger let go of Olga's arm and laid down the weapon. Slowly Olga walked away from him. She moved faster the further away she got. Most people stared at the woman, not noticing that the stranger slowly pulled another gun from his pocket. When he was sure that nobody watched him he raised the weapon and fired twice. Olga broke down in mid-walk.
Jarod pulled out his weapon and fired just as the stranger wanted to fire into the mass. He broke down and didn't move. The police man looked down at the lifeless body in front of him, then he looked at Jarod, then at Olga. He had thought to have the situation under control. Now the man in front of him seemed to be dead and it hadn't been him who had fired. Jarod knelt down beside the woman and tried to stop the bleeding.
"Someone call an ambulance!" he screamed at the people who were gathering around him, staring at the blood that started to spread on the floor.

***

"Be careful," Jarod said as two paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher. The bullets have hit her hard. If we move her too much it is possible that she'll die under our hands. And she's pregnant."
"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked. She looked down at the lifeless body.
"No, I am not, but I thought I've heard her talk about it recently."
"OK, we'll see. Thank God she's unconscious. She won't feel the pain."
But Olga was still conscious.
"My baby," she whispered and the Doctor heard her.
"You were right," she said and turned to Jarod.
"Rick, have you found out who she is?"
"Yes, her name is Olga Franklin. Here's a piece of paper where she writes that she doesn't want any medication."
"Who are YOU, by the way?" she asked Jarod.
"I am Doctor Jarod Partridge."
"You're a medical Doctor?"
Jarod only nodded. So much for a rented car, and so much for protecting this woman. He had been too late, or maybe this had been just a bad coincidence, but he had to do everything in his power to save her. He climbed into the ambulance and closed the doors behind him.
"There has to be a way to give her medication, or else she'll die. She doesn't want to risk anything concerning her baby. But who can guarantee that the baby's still alive?" Jarod wondered, "One of the bullets has hit her above the hip and it is possible that it has killed the fetus. We can't take the risk of letting her die. We have to set her survival as our highest goal. No matter what she wants!"
"But she has written this note." Rick, the paramedic, protested.
"If she dies we'll get a trial because we haven't helped her, because we haven't saved her life. What's more important: her life or the note?" Jarod answered, even though Rick had addressed the Doctor.
"You're right," Rick admitted, "Her life's more important."
He threw the note into the bin's direction. He didn't hit the bin, but he didn't care.

***

Slowly the woman opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. An unfamiliar face looked at her. She heard a voice but she didn't understand a word. She didn't know what had happened. Where was she? What had happened? And most of all, WHO was she? All the questions whirled around her mind as she kept staring at the ceiling.
She tried to remember what had happened and some fragments of her memory came back to her mind. She remembered having a daughter whom she had given a lift to school and she knew that she was pregnant.
"Ma'am, can you hear me?" she heard a distant voice. Someone took her hand and squeezed it. She returned the squeeze and tried to find out who this man was. Once again she saw his face and now she could see him clearly, but she still had no idea who he was. He had dark eyes, dark short hair and an assuring smile. Suddenly all the memories were back and she remembered everything that had happened. She wanted to move but a stabbing pain made her stop. She moaned and felt the prick of a needle on her upper arm. The strange man looked down on her until his features seemed to melt with the white color of the ceiling. She had to think of her family and her unborn child until she fell into a deep coma again.

After every operation the ambulance was cleaned and so was the one in which they had transported Olga Franklin. The missing medicaments got restored and the bin was emptied. One of the cleaners found the note which Rick had thrown away so carelessly. He read the not and had no idea if the Doctor had read it or if it had just found its way out of the patient's pocket. He put the note into his own pocket and took it to the Doctor who had been aboard when the ambulance had arrived.
"Doctor Miller, have you read this note?" he asked, showing her the piece of paper,
"Not for myself, why?"
"I think it's important."
She took the note from his hand and her eyes moved over the lines. That couldn't be true. Coleman had only read half of the note.
"Get Rick Coleman. I need to talk to him!"
Scared by the sudden outburst of his superior the cleaner retreated from her presence to search for Rick Coleman.
"Ricki, Doc Miller wants to see you at once. You have missed something quite important. She seemed furious."
Rick Coleman had no idea what he had done wrong. She could never have found out that he was hiding something.

"Coleman, what have you thought by reading only one half of the note? You have kept the most important part to yourself. Do you know what that means for the life of Mrs. Franklin?"
"What the heck are you talking about?"
"Stop playing dumb. You know exactly what I mean! The note says that the woman who has been shot was allergic to penicillin and another kind of painkiller. Why didn't you tell me?"
He was trying to find an excuse. Doctor Miller interpreted his silence in the right way. Before Coleman could utter a word she took the not from his hands.
"You're fired, Coleman."
Rick stared at her.
"That's a joke, is it?"
"No, that's no joke. You're fired. Leave this hospital immediately and don't you ever dare to come back!"
He had known that there would be a certain risk of getting caught, but he had never thought that she would fire him immediately. He hadn't told his superior about her allergic reactions because he had been told not to. Mrs. Franklin had fired his father from his job and because of that he hated her. He didn't know that his father had been drunk at work and that someone had been injured because he hadn't done his job properly. He had been searching for a way to pay it back to her until he had joined a secret organization which called itself "The Community Of Angels". He knew that the name had to do with Los Angeles and he knew that they were planning to erase the high-society of the city and establish a kind of anarchy in the whole city. He had joined the group because Mrs. Franklin was part of this high society and the only thing he wanted was to see her dead. He had been afraid to murder her himself so he had been searching for another way. This other way had cost him his job. But he didn't care. Mrs. Franklin was close to death and that was all that counted for him.

***

Jarod looked around his new office. They had offered him a job at the hospital and he gladly accepted. He had the chance of being close to Mrs. Franklin and they hadn't suspected anything so far. He had just finished to create himself a new identity and now he was looking forward to his new job. He had to win the sympathy of Mrs. Franklin's family and he had to find a way to tell them of the threat from the "Community Of Angels". But first of all he had to secure her survival.
It knocked at the door and Doctor Miller, the woman who had asked him to work at the hospital, entered.
"I have just found out that someone was trying to kill Mrs. Franklin," she said, "Remember the note the paramedic found in her pocket?"
Jarod nodded.
"He only read the first lines aloud. The following lines said that she is allergic to penicillin and ibuprofen. I haven't found out what happens if she gets those medicaments. I haven't found her daughter yet."
"I know where she is. I'll talk to her, if you don't mind."
"You know her?"
"She should be home right now," Jarod said instead of an answer, "If you don't mind I'll meet her there. It might be easier for her to learn what happened in a familiar surrounding."
"It's alright, Dr. Partridge."
"There's only one problem, I don't have a car. Is there a car rental nearby?"
"No, but you can use my car, if you don't mind that it's a small one."
Jarod laughed.
"Not at all. I don't like big cars."
She handed him the keys and they walked down the corridor. When they passed the window she pointed outside and showed him a small blue car.
"That's the one. Be careful, he doesn't like strangers."
"He?"
"The car's name is Kevin. Take care."
"I'll try. Thank you again."
He went down the stairs and out of the hospital. He looked up at the large building. The color reminded him of the Centre building, but somehow he felt home, even though he had been there for only half a day.

***

He stopped the car in front of the large house. The gravel crunched under his feet as he walked up to the entrance. He knocked at the door and a young woman opened. She was about Mrs. Franklin's size, had short brown hair and piercing brown eyes. She cocked her head when she saw this man standing in front of her door.
"Are you Silvia Franklin?" Jarod asked and she nodded. "There's something I have to tell you. May I come in?"
"Who are you?"
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Dr. Jarod Partridge."
"Come in but please be silent. My father's asleep."
"I'm not, honey. Who's there?" a deep voice came from the living room.
They entered the living room and Jarod saw an elderly man sitting in a huge armchair.
"My name's Jarod Partridge," Jarod introduced himself again.
"Michael Franklin. Take a seat. How can we help you?"
"I have to tell you that your wife has had an accident earlier this morning."
Silvia and her father grew pale.
"Dad? DAD!?"
Mr. Franklin clutched his chest with his hands and his face was ashen. Jarod jumped up just in time to catch him as he slid down to the floor. His breathing was irregular, but his heartbeat was steady. He advised Silvia to hold his head up and he got up to get the med kit he had seen on the backseat from the car. Silvia stared after him but she was glad that a doctor was with her.

"Call an ambulance, just in case. He's stable for now. It was only a small attack but I can't be sure that he's alright. At the hospital we will take care of him properly."
"I know it's not the best moment to ask this question, but what happened to my mother?"
"She was shot. Did you know that she was pregnant?"
"Mom, pregnant? No, I didn't know. How is she and how is the baby?"
"I can't tell you right now. There has been another accident with one of the paramedics. He has tried to kill your mother."
"Kill my mother? Oh my God. In what way?"
"You know that she's allergic to ibuprofen and penicillin?"
"Yes, I know that."
"The paramedic didn't tell us, even though he had the note in his hands. He got fired right away, but I need to know what happens, when she gets these medicaments."
Silvia stared at him, tears in her eyes. Before she could answer the doorbell rang. She looked down at her father, who was lying on the floor, unconscious then she got up to open the door. Two paramedics entered with a stretcher to bring Mr. Franklin to hospital.
"Wanna come with us?" one of the paramedics asked.
"She'll be with me in the car," Jarod said before Silvia could answer. They nodded and pushed the stretcher into the waiting ambulance. Jarod helped Silvia to gather some clothes for her parents and Silvia told the house maid to look after everything. They got into the car and drove to the hospital.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"I don't know what happens. This only happened once. She was unconscious for nearly three days."
"Do you know anything else, what might be happening?"
"I'm not sure. The Doc said that it might be that she has problems breathing and that, if--" she stopped to get a hanky from her pocket, "If she gets these medicaments in high doses she might even die."
"We have used a painkiller that contains ibuprofen because we didn't know. When I left the hospital she had regained consciousness but fell into a coma again after she was given another dose of painkillers. We really should have cared better."
"I'm not blaming you for not knowing. It's just-- somehow I feel responsible, even though I'm not."
Jarod stared at the street in front of him. Silvia reminded him of Miss Parker, he didn't know why. She was about her age, that was all.
"Would you do me a favor?" Silvia asked.
"Depends."
"My sister is still at school. Could we pick her up, before we go to the hospital?"
Jarod nodded.
"Don't you want to see your parents as soon as possible?"
"Yes and no. As long as I haven't seen them like that I can suppress it. I need to see my sister as long as I can still control my feelings. She's very sensible, she has never seen our parents ill."
"She's not your sister, isn't she?" Jarod asked.
"How do you know?"
"I have done some research. There is much I have to tell you when this is all over but right now it's better if you know only as much as the others do. I'm sorry about that but it's really necessary."

Disclaimers see part 1

Mafia Connections Part 2
by Chris
Rated: PG-13


Silvia was standing in front of the window, staring at her mother. She was lying there, nearly lifeless, hooked to many instruments. She felt like a little child who had done something bad and she was afraid to open the door. She had only to push down the handle and step through the door. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see at a nurse. She was pushed through the door and was now standing beside her mother. Her little sister didn't want to come she was too afraid. Jarod had to persuade her to come with them into the building itself. She had agreed to go with Dr. Partridge to the pediatric section and Silvia was sure that he would persuade her to see her mother as well.

"She needs you now. I know you’re afraid to go in, it looks worse than it is. Please be quiet, but talk to her. I don’t know if she can hear you, but she can feel that someone’s with her. If you need me, just press the button over there," a nurse said who passed by.
"Thank you."
Silvia opened the door and went inside. She tried to be silent when pulling a chair up beside the bed. She took her mother's hand and a shiver ran down her spine when she found her mother's skin to be cold. Tears started running down her cheeks and she wasn't afraid to show them because they were tears of fear and desperation.

* * *

A woman passed by the woman of Olga's room and she stopped in mid-walk. The woman sitting next to the bed looked familiar to her and she thought that she also knew the patient. Slowly she opened the door and entered the room. She put one hand on Silvia's shoulder and mentioned her to be silent when she looked up.
"Micky? Is it really you?"
Micky nodded and put a finger onto her lips.
"You have to be quiet. How is she?"
Silvia wanted to answer but she started sobbing. Micky took her into her arms and rocked her gently. Silvia tried to calm down but she couldn't stop crying. She seemed to be in a world of her own. She didn't answer to Mickey's questions. She kept clutching her mother's hand and cried. Micky held her in a tight embrace trying hard not to cry herself. When Silvia had calmed down they left the room together walking towards the cafeteria.
When they looked out of the window they found that the weather had changed rapidly. It had started to rain and even though it was early in the afternoon it was nearly dark outside. They sat down at a table and Silvia held her coffee cup as if it would run away every minute.
"Can you answer me some questions??"
"Sure, whatever you wanna know?"
"What are you doing in a hospital?"
"You won't believe it but I have done what I wanted to do since primary school. I'm a child's psychologist and I'm working in this hospital."
"How is it possible that I've never seen you here before? Why didn't you say that you're back in LA? We were best friends when we were younger."
"I was afraid to call. When I heard that you - Silvia Franklin - had become a famous prosecution attorney it seemed to me that wanting to be friends with you again was something like -- like, I don't know how to say that."
"It's alright. We've met again and that's all that counts."
Micky smiled and Silvia turned towards the window.
"Do you know exactly what happened to my mother? I haven't had time to ask. There was a doctor at our house to tell us everything but my father suffered from a heart attack and we haven't had time to talk about it again."
I don't know but if you go back upstairs again I'll see what I can do to find out. I'll be there with that doctor as soon as I've found him."
Silvia nodded and took the cup with her. She sat down beside her mother's bed again. She hoped that Micky would find Dr. Partridge soon and that her sister would be with him. Minutes went by and Silvia started pacing the room. She switched on the lights and sat down again. Still nothing happened. Her mother didn't move and the machines kept beeping. She wanted to get up and walk around again when the door opened and Mickey entered the room. She smiled and stepped inside.
"I have found him. He will be with us soon. The girl who was with him - that wasn't Carolyn, was it?"
Silvia nodded.
"She has grown since I last saw her!"
"You haven't seen her in eleven years, I guess."
"I think you're right. Is it that long ago? When we were younger we said that we would stay in touch for the rest of our lives. So much for that."
"We've also promised to call each other at least once a week," Silvia said with a weak smile on her lips. "Do you know anything about my mother's condition?"
Micky only shook her head and sat down on the chair beside the bed. Silvia stood beside the window and looked into the rainy afternoon.
"We have to wait for Dr. Partridge. He knows everything."
"The one who was at our house?"
"Yes, he saw what happened to your mother. That man is a mystery to me. Suddenly he's at the hospital, working like everybody else but I haven't heard from him before, have never seen a picture but nevertheless he seems familiar. I don't know why he's working here. Dr. Miller said that he has saved your mother's life. He said that he was a medical doctor and now he's working here. No idea what happened behind the scenes."

* * *

Jarod had tried everything to convince Carolyn that her mother needed her right now and that she really should come with him but she had refused again and again. Finally he left her in the cafeteria and went upstairs. Dr. Patchett had told him more about Silvia than he could possibly have found out on his own. He had sworn to himself that he would take care of Silvia's problems as well and try to comfort her as well. He also wanted to see what he could do to make Dr. Patchett's burden lighter, she seemed to have problems as well.
The hospital building had more of the Centre than he liked to admit. It was not only the color of the outside walls, also the corridors looked vaguely familiar: High ceilings, many doors, many people. It was the same as back there: Nearly silent even though many people were walking around. But nevertheless he liked the place.
He forced a little smile onto his lips when he entered the room. Silvia turned towards him.
"Will she be alright?" Silvia asked before Jarod could utter a word.
"I hope she will."
"What about the baby?"
"They hope that the baby's alright. We will try to keep the pregnancy as normal as possible. The bullet hit her near the uterus and there were some complications while trying to get it out of there but the other doctors believe that everything will be alright."
"Why do you say 'the other doctors'?"
"I haven't been there when they have performed the operation. They have told me roughly what they have done and from that I can't judge whether everything will be alright or not. I can only hope so."
Micky looked at Jarod with her piercing brown eyes. Her brown curly hair framed her small face and Jarod couldn't help but stare at her. Distant memories came to his mind and somehow he felt reminded of Miss Parker once more. She didn't resemble her at all maybe it was the way she stared at him.
"I have to leave again," he said and turned towards the door.
"Dr. Partridge, before you leave, can you tell me exactly what happened to my mother?"
"I was watching only from far away so I can tell you only what I've seen from the distance."
"Rumor has it that you've shot the man."
"That's right," Jarod sighed.
"You're a doctor how come it that you're wearing a gun under your jacket?"
"We're in private now, you don't have to act as if we were in a trial. Let's just say that I need the gun to protect myself from certain people. To return to your question. She wanted to go shopping and I have only seen many people running from the supermarket. The next time I saw her, a man has helt her hostage. I saw his gun pointed at her when she walked again and I fired the same moment he did. I was further away from him than he was from your mother but they fell almost simultaneously. Then I went to help your mother."
"Why did you help my mother first and not him?"
"Your mother was the first one in my way," Jarod only said and went out of the room. He hadn't explained why he had been there the first place or why he was wearing a gun. He hadn't told them the whole story and he hadn't told Silvia that it had been Coleman who had tried to kill Mrs. Franklin and why he had done so. Silvia and Micky Patchett only stared after him.
"Don't you have work to do?" Silvia asked.
"I should be working, yes, but I've asked to be relieved of duty for a few days."
"You better go. Go and ask your boss if you can stay with us. I don't wanna be responsible if you lose your job."
"Alright. Do you need something to eat or to drink? Or something else?"
"Maybe some water. I don't need anything else." She hesitated then she whispered, "Micky, you're a wonderful friend," and hugged her childhood friend.
"You only want a bottle of water, are you sure?"
Silvia nodded and sat down on the chair beside her mother's bed. She took her hand and closed her eyes, trying to imagine that her mother was only sleeping.
Micky was standing in front of the window watching the whole scene. She adored Silvia for being so quiet and controlled. She turned a when she heard someone walking towards her. It was Jarod Partridge.
"I wanted to talk to you in private," Jarod said and Micky nodded. He had decided that it was best to tell someone, in this case Micky, another part of his story. He didn't tell her the part with the Centre or why he was here, trying to save Mrs. Franklin. Micky seemed to understand him and now it was up to her to tell Silvia what she thought important.
"But why are you telling me this? Why don't you go to the local newspaper or every news agency in the whole US and tell them the story? They would pay a lot of money for this and Mrs. Franklin would be a lot safer."
"I don't think that she would be safer. The news people would benefit from her death and the story would pay itself much better. I have to go now. It's up to you to do with the story whatever you please. If you feel it is necessary to include the press people it is your decision but please don't make me the hero of this story. There are some people who would like to see me dead as well and they would benefit from that."
"Are you a criminal, Dr. Partridge?"
"Why do you ask such a question?"
"You're wearing a gun and you've shot the man from quite a distance - as you said. Your bullet blew out his brains. Your aim's good."
"No, my aim's miserable. I wanted to shoot him in the arm to make him drop the weapon. And no, I'm not a criminal. Many people in America are wearing a gun, I'm only one of them. It is just a precaution. I do not want to use it but I wouldn't want to be caught without one in a dangerous situation. Do you understand what I mean? This time my gun might have saved Mrs. Franklin or the life of many other people who were standing there and staring - they might have been shot as well."
"You don't have to defend yourself. It is alright. I was just wondering. What do you want me to tell Silvia? I'm not sure if she's fit to hear the whole story."
"That's up to you. You're the psychologist. I have to go, I have left Carolyn in the cafeteria. She's waiting for me."
"Do you mind if I join you? I haven't seen her in a long time. Silvia and I used to be close friends when we were young girls."
"You know her? Maybe you can convince her to see her mother. Mrs. Franklin needs her but she's afraid to see her."
"Carolyn's afraid to see her mother? That doesn't sound like the Carolyn I used to know. Would you mind if I see her alone? Maybe some ladies-talk can make her go. By the way, don't you have work to do?"
"I do, but Mrs. Franklin is my only patient so far. I hope you can convince her. Tell Carolyn that I have work to do and can't pick her up later. Thank you, Dr. Patchett."
"It's a pleasure, Dr. Partridge."
Micky walked towards the cafeteria to see Carolyn and Jarod made his way to the archives where he wanted to find some files about the Franklin family and Dr. Patchett. Maybe they would help him find out more about the family affairs and he could find a way to help them all - if the files weren't restricted.

* * *

Silvia was deep in her thoughts and didn't hear Micky enter the room again. She jumped when Micky put her hand on her shoulder.
"You should go outside to get some fresh air. I'll stay with your mother. There's a restroom at the end of the hallway if you need one."
Silvia nodded thankfully and got up. She left the room and Micky sat down on the chair Silvia had occupied before. She took Olga's hand. She knew that hand. It was a hand that had comforted her when she had been a girl. It had comforted her when she had had trouble, when she had fallen off the horse or when she had hurt herself while playing with Silvia. This hand had been warm and soft and had helped her getting through hard times. Now this very hand was cold and lifeless.
She jumped. There had been a noise. She looked up and into those familiar hazel eyes that rested on her. Micky couldn't believe that she had woken up now that she had sent Silvia outside and somehow she felt guilty.