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Chapter or Story
Better Late Than Never
Chapter 4
Melanie-Anne
"Mrs. Gates?"
Parker yawned, opening her eyes. She looked up to see a nurse and snapped to attention.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"Not at all, ma'am. Your husband is being transferred to a different floor and he asked me to let you know," the nurse said.
"Which floor?"
"Six. Neurological research."
"Why? Is there a problem?" He seemed fine. What could possibly be wrong?
"You'll have to speak to Dr. Sharman about that."
*
"Hey," Jarod greeted Parker with a smile. "Did you get me PEZ?"
She shook her head. Is that all you're worried about? PEZ?
"I fell asleep."
"Oh, well it's good that you got some rest."
"How are you feeling?" she asked hesitantly.
"Great. I don't know why they won't let me leave." He sounded grumpy.
"You were in a coma for two weeks," she reminded him. "I'm not surprised that they want to check everything's working properly."
Jarod lowered his voice. "I saw the results. Everything's fine. Something's up and I don't like it."
Parker frowned but refrained from commenting when Dr. Sharman entered.
"Good, I'm glad you're both here. There's something I wanted to discuss with you."
Parker glanced at Jarod and noted his neutral expression. She decided to go for the concerned wife approach. Hell, it's not like I'm not worried, she thought.
"Is something wrong, Doctor?"
"It's nothing serious, we hope. The CAT scan showed a remarkable amount of brain activity and the results of his bloodwork were . . . interesting, to say the least. Mr. Gates, have you ever had your IQ tested?"
"Yes."
"Do you happen to know what it is?" Dr. Sharman asked casually.
"No," Parker answered quickly. Jarod was right, something was definitely going on. "Why?"
"We'd like to run a few more tests, maybe test your IQ again." Dr. Sharman walked to the door and added, almost as an afterthought, "You two don't have any children, do you?"
"Not for a few more months," Parker said sweetly, causing Jarod to choke on his cooldrink.
"What?" he asked as soon as they were alone.
"If he thinks I'm pregnant we have a better chance of finding out what he wants. You're right, again. Something is definitely going on and it smells like the Centre."
"In what way?"
"Your bloodwork, for one thing. He obviously spotted the Pretender gene. And he was fishing for your IQ and any children we might have."
"Do you think it's possible he's involved with the Centre? He didn't recognize you," Jarod mused.
"Maybe he's just an outside agent, paid to tell the Centre whenever someone with the gene crops up," Parker suggested.
They were silent for a while.
"What now? Am I well enough to leave?" Jarod wondered aloud.
"You're the doctor, you tell me."
"I don't want to make anyone suspicious. I just hope no one who knows who I am shows up."
"Tell you what, I'll get Broots to run a check on this Dr. Sharman. If he's dirty we'll get you out. It could be he's just curious and he thinks he's discovered something new." She smiled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't go back there."
"Why the change of heart, Parker?"
She shrugged and looked at the ground.
"I don't know. I was . . . I thought . . . you were in a coma and they told me you were probably going to die . . . and—" she broke off. "I just don't know."
Jarod took her hand and she looked up and smiled at him.
"I love you, Parker."
"I . . . I'd better go get Broots started on that search," she mumbled, unable to say that she loved him in return.
Jarod was hurt but he said nothing.
"I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay."
She leaned over to kiss him goodbye and almost decided not to go. In fact, she would have stayed had Dr. Sharman not chosen to enter just then.
"Bye," she whispered to Jarod and gave the doctor a curt nod.
"Bye, honey!" Jarod called after her and she couldn't help smiling all the way to her car.
*
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker, there's no record of anyone called Hein Sharman, never mind any doctor with that name."
Broots looked up from his computer screen, scrunching his eyes to focus on his co-worker. Parker was pacing behind him, a coffee mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
"Syd," she frowned, looking at the man seated on the couch, "how does the Centre find out about people who carry the Pretender gene?"
"Most of the time it's through NuGenesis but every now and then the Centre gets a call from one of the doctors on its payroll."
"So it's entirely possible that this doctor could actually work for the Centre?"
Sydney nodded. "It's more than likely. Especially since he apparently doesn't exist."
Parker opened her mouth to speak when Lyle entered the office, prompting her to take a drag of her cigarette instead.
"Hello, Sis," he said with false warmth.
"Lyle."
"Find Jarod yet?"
"He hasn't contacted us or left us a lead for over two weeks now, you know that."
Lyle nodded.
"Just checking, Sis."
"Is that the reason you're gracing us with your presence?" Parker asked sarcastically.
"No. Sydney is the reason I'm here."
Parker raised an eyebrow and perched herself on the edge of the desk. Lyle eyed her long legs appreciatively before looking at Sydney.
"We may have a new Pretender for you," he said. "There is a man in a hospital near here who is carrying the Pretender gene. He also has a pregnant wife."
"Your point?" Parker asked.
"The child will probably be a Pretender. One which we can train from birth."
Parker did her best to remain outwardly calm. "You're going to kidnap the wife?"
Lyle nodded, smiling. "It's a pleasant surprise to find out that we think alike after all. Dad will be so proud."
"I'm sure." Parker's voice was cold. "What's the plan?"
"My contact will let me know when she returns to visit her husband and then you can go get her for me."
Parker turned to Sydney when Lyle had left, letting her laughter escape.
"I fail to see what you find so amusing, Miss Parker. Sooner or later Lyle will find out that it's Jarod in that hospital and that you were posing as his wife."
"What else is there to do but laugh, Syd? He expects me to kidnap myself!"
"Umm, Miss Parker, what are you going to do?" Broots felt brave enough to ask.
She stared at the door Lyle had just left through, a smile playing on her lips.
"I think I have an idea…."
Chapter 4
Melanie-Anne
"Mrs. Gates?"
Parker yawned, opening her eyes. She looked up to see a nurse and snapped to attention.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"Not at all, ma'am. Your husband is being transferred to a different floor and he asked me to let you know," the nurse said.
"Which floor?"
"Six. Neurological research."
"Why? Is there a problem?" He seemed fine. What could possibly be wrong?
"You'll have to speak to Dr. Sharman about that."
*
"Hey," Jarod greeted Parker with a smile. "Did you get me PEZ?"
She shook her head. Is that all you're worried about? PEZ?
"I fell asleep."
"Oh, well it's good that you got some rest."
"How are you feeling?" she asked hesitantly.
"Great. I don't know why they won't let me leave." He sounded grumpy.
"You were in a coma for two weeks," she reminded him. "I'm not surprised that they want to check everything's working properly."
Jarod lowered his voice. "I saw the results. Everything's fine. Something's up and I don't like it."
Parker frowned but refrained from commenting when Dr. Sharman entered.
"Good, I'm glad you're both here. There's something I wanted to discuss with you."
Parker glanced at Jarod and noted his neutral expression. She decided to go for the concerned wife approach. Hell, it's not like I'm not worried, she thought.
"Is something wrong, Doctor?"
"It's nothing serious, we hope. The CAT scan showed a remarkable amount of brain activity and the results of his bloodwork were . . . interesting, to say the least. Mr. Gates, have you ever had your IQ tested?"
"Yes."
"Do you happen to know what it is?" Dr. Sharman asked casually.
"No," Parker answered quickly. Jarod was right, something was definitely going on. "Why?"
"We'd like to run a few more tests, maybe test your IQ again." Dr. Sharman walked to the door and added, almost as an afterthought, "You two don't have any children, do you?"
"Not for a few more months," Parker said sweetly, causing Jarod to choke on his cooldrink.
"What?" he asked as soon as they were alone.
"If he thinks I'm pregnant we have a better chance of finding out what he wants. You're right, again. Something is definitely going on and it smells like the Centre."
"In what way?"
"Your bloodwork, for one thing. He obviously spotted the Pretender gene. And he was fishing for your IQ and any children we might have."
"Do you think it's possible he's involved with the Centre? He didn't recognize you," Jarod mused.
"Maybe he's just an outside agent, paid to tell the Centre whenever someone with the gene crops up," Parker suggested.
They were silent for a while.
"What now? Am I well enough to leave?" Jarod wondered aloud.
"You're the doctor, you tell me."
"I don't want to make anyone suspicious. I just hope no one who knows who I am shows up."
"Tell you what, I'll get Broots to run a check on this Dr. Sharman. If he's dirty we'll get you out. It could be he's just curious and he thinks he's discovered something new." She smiled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't go back there."
"Why the change of heart, Parker?"
She shrugged and looked at the ground.
"I don't know. I was . . . I thought . . . you were in a coma and they told me you were probably going to die . . . and—" she broke off. "I just don't know."
Jarod took her hand and she looked up and smiled at him.
"I love you, Parker."
"I . . . I'd better go get Broots started on that search," she mumbled, unable to say that she loved him in return.
Jarod was hurt but he said nothing.
"I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay."
She leaned over to kiss him goodbye and almost decided not to go. In fact, she would have stayed had Dr. Sharman not chosen to enter just then.
"Bye," she whispered to Jarod and gave the doctor a curt nod.
"Bye, honey!" Jarod called after her and she couldn't help smiling all the way to her car.
*
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker, there's no record of anyone called Hein Sharman, never mind any doctor with that name."
Broots looked up from his computer screen, scrunching his eyes to focus on his co-worker. Parker was pacing behind him, a coffee mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
"Syd," she frowned, looking at the man seated on the couch, "how does the Centre find out about people who carry the Pretender gene?"
"Most of the time it's through NuGenesis but every now and then the Centre gets a call from one of the doctors on its payroll."
"So it's entirely possible that this doctor could actually work for the Centre?"
Sydney nodded. "It's more than likely. Especially since he apparently doesn't exist."
Parker opened her mouth to speak when Lyle entered the office, prompting her to take a drag of her cigarette instead.
"Hello, Sis," he said with false warmth.
"Lyle."
"Find Jarod yet?"
"He hasn't contacted us or left us a lead for over two weeks now, you know that."
Lyle nodded.
"Just checking, Sis."
"Is that the reason you're gracing us with your presence?" Parker asked sarcastically.
"No. Sydney is the reason I'm here."
Parker raised an eyebrow and perched herself on the edge of the desk. Lyle eyed her long legs appreciatively before looking at Sydney.
"We may have a new Pretender for you," he said. "There is a man in a hospital near here who is carrying the Pretender gene. He also has a pregnant wife."
"Your point?" Parker asked.
"The child will probably be a Pretender. One which we can train from birth."
Parker did her best to remain outwardly calm. "You're going to kidnap the wife?"
Lyle nodded, smiling. "It's a pleasant surprise to find out that we think alike after all. Dad will be so proud."
"I'm sure." Parker's voice was cold. "What's the plan?"
"My contact will let me know when she returns to visit her husband and then you can go get her for me."
Parker turned to Sydney when Lyle had left, letting her laughter escape.
"I fail to see what you find so amusing, Miss Parker. Sooner or later Lyle will find out that it's Jarod in that hospital and that you were posing as his wife."
"What else is there to do but laugh, Syd? He expects me to kidnap myself!"
"Umm, Miss Parker, what are you going to do?" Broots felt brave enough to ask.
She stared at the door Lyle had just left through, a smile playing on her lips.
"I think I have an idea…."
