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Sleight of Hand
Part 5



Ashe, New York
"Do you want to go down and plan with Emily for the next few days, Sydney? You can grab a bite to eat while you're down there. I'll stay here with Jarod."

The psychiatrist got to his feet. "I won't be too long."

"That's okay, take as long as you want. I've just had an entertaining time seeing Raines sweat in front of the T-Board and thought it was about time I came up for my shift."

Sydney glanced at his watch. "Did they break for lunch?"

"Well, the interrogators had lunch. I'm not sure about their prisoners."

"It's a T-Board, Helen: T as in Torture. Lunch isn't normally included in the cost."

"The voice of experience." Helen grinned as Sydney moved to the door. "For your own personal information, you coped with your T-Board in 1998 much better than Raines has coped so far today. And he's even had more practice."

"Well, that's something to be proud of." His tones were sarcastic before he smiled. "Where's Miss Parker?"

"In her room. When I glanced in to suggest that examination, she was asleep."

"She's not...?"

"Don't even say it, Sydney. Two patients is enough right now. She's probably just hit a low-energy period in her day."

"Mmm, I can see how much you believe it." He laughed. "I'll check on her and let you know."

"Sure you can cope with a basic physical after all this time, Doctor?"

"If not," the psychiatrist, turning from the door, responded in amused tones, "I could always ask Emily to help."

# # #


Helen glanced up from her book some twenty minutes later to see Jarod open his eyes, gazing at the ceiling for a moment before looking around the room. As she got up, walking over to the bed, he saw her and struggled into a sitting position.

"What… when did I… how did I get…?"

"It's all right, Jarod. Just relax." She sat down beside him and put out a restraining hand. "You've got the measles, too, like Debbie has."

"No."

He shook his head vigorously, and then stared unseeingly at the bed for a few seconds as the world spun around him. Helen stood up and took an extra pillow out of the cupboard, turning back to find that he'd thrown off the blankets and swung both legs down from the mattress, about to get up.

"Jarod, did you hear what I said? You're sick and you have to stay in bed for at least the next few days."

"I'm not sick… I…"

He broke off to cough, pressing both hands down on the edge of the mattress, leaning over until he felt like he was going to fall off the bed. Reaching out a hand, Helen prevented him from doing so, placing the extra pillow down on the bed at the same time. Once the fit of coughing was over, she tried to lay him back against it, but he resisted her touch. Helen looked down at him sternly.

"Jarod, if you don't get rest, you could become dangerously ill. I doubt you'll want that to happen, and I know we don't."

"I'm not sick." The words came from between gritted teeth. "I can't have the same thing as Debbie because the incubation period for the measles is ten days and we haven't been here that long."

She knelt in front of him, scorn obvious both in her voice and her face. "Is that a deliberate lie, or have you really forgotten about going to Broots' house almost two weeks ago?"

He stared at her. "How on earth did you...?"

"You told me, after Sydney and I brought you here. Do you remember me bringing down the tape of the Centre from this morning to show you?"

Jarod nodded slowly. "I think so."

"To show Miss Parker how easy it is to fake sleep, you 'pretended' to nod off against my shoulder and that, added to the fact that you must have felt pretty bad all morning, sent you into real sleep. Your fever went up, telling me how sick you really are."

"I'm not…"

"The longer you argue with me, the less energy you'll have to get better." She put a finger against the lips he opened to reply. "No more talking, Jarod and that's an order."

He glared at her but she could clearly see his strength evaporating, both from the effort it cost him to stay sitting up, and to talk. She sat on the bed beside him again and gently stroked the back of his head, feeling him fight the urge to rest against her.

"Come on, Jarod." Her voice took on the soothing, almost hypnotic tones she had used before. "I know you don't want to admit how bad you're feeling, but you are allowed to get sick. I even know how bad you're feeling now. Every muscle is aching and you're forcing yourself to keep sitting up. Your poor body just wants to lie down on that wonderfully comfortable mattress beneath you, but you won't let it, even though sleep - lovely, deep sleep, like I suggested in the car the day before yesterday - is what you really need to get better more quickly. Can you remember me making that suggestion, Jarod, about relaxing back into the car seat and just letting your eyes close? If you let yourself relax like that now, you'll feel a lot less sick soon."

She felt him suppress a yawn, his words slightly mumbled.

"I…I'm not…"

"You are, Jarod. You are sick. I'm sure your throat's aching terribly now, and your head must be pounding from the awful effort of having to stay upright, instead of being able to lie against the soft pillow that I've just put down on the bed for you. Just look at it, Jarod."

He numbly obeyed the instruction and turned his head away from her.

"Doesn't it look comfortable? Can you imagine letting yourself sink down, putting your poor, tired head against it, closing your eyes and stopping the burning in the backs of them?"

His words were slurred, his head rolling forward before he forced it up again. "T...they're not..."

"Oh, I think they are."

Helen changed the movement of her hand, her hand going from the front to the back of his head rather than from side to side, and he had to fight even more strongly against the urge to rest his head against her shoulder.

"I know it must be hard for your eyes to stay open, when they keep sliding out of focus like they are right now. And all they can see is that luxuriously soft pillow there, with that nice, cool, white, cover, on which to lay your poor, aching head. And I’ve got some warm, cozy blankets that I could tuck in around you, Jarod, if you just lie down, to keep you from feeling so cold, like you're beginning to now."

"I'm not c…cold…" He tried to conceal a shiver as he spoke, his words even more mumbled than they had been before.

"You are cold, Jarod,” she soothed. “You’re very cold. But, however much you want to let yourself curl up under those lovely, warm rugs, you won't do it because you don't want to me to see just how awful you're feeling, and that's making your poor head ache even more than ever. It's started pounding terribly now, hasn't it? Just think about it, Jarod, and let yourself imagine this."

Her tones became increasingly dreamy as her hand moved in slower and gentler motions.

"In next to no time your poor, throbbing head could be lying down against the two wonderfully soft pillows and the rest of your aching body – and there isn’t one single part that’s not sore by now, is there, Jarod? - could lie down on this gloriously soft mattress. I can pull up these beautifully warm blankets over your cold body and you could finally let those poor eyelids of yours close. Then that burning you can feel behind your eyes will feel better and, as you drift off in beautiful, deep sleep, your head will stop pounding and all you have to do is lie there, sleeping yourself well again."

"I… I'm not… sick…"

He fought against the pain that she was describing so accurately, and against his own increasing desire to do as was being suggested, to admit that he was sick, to let himself to sink down onto the bed and be overwhelmed by the sleep he could feel starting to drag him down.

Sleep.

At that thought, that wonderful idea, Jarod's head lolled forward towards the flat white surface and his entire body sank in the same direction, but, with an enormous effort, he forced himself back up into a painfully upright position, still feeling that soothing, gentle touch on his hair. Jarod felt powerless to get out from under her hand. All he could manage was to try and withstand her suggestions, to ignore all she was encouraging him to do, and he shook his head slowly from side to side, both in denial at her offer and to try and clear it so he could think properly again. It was as if his mind, his ability to think, was being smothered by her calm, hypnotic tones.

Her voice, a quiet monotone, continued in his ear.

"Even if you don't want to lie down, Jarod, then you could still lie back against me. It's not quite as good, because you won't be lying down, but it allows your poor aching body to have some comfort. I could help you find that comfort, Jarod, if you let me. All you have to do is let yourself relax back against me; let your head fall back on my shoulder. I'm right here, Jarod, and it would be so easy to let it happen. I'm so close to you that all you'd have to do is relax the tiniest bit, and then I'll be holding you up and you won't have to do it anymore. I can take all the weight, and it's just getting so heavy, isn't it, Jarod? Your head feels like it's got rocks on top of it and it must be so hard for it to stay up, the way it is now. If you let it fall back, I'll be the one holding it instead of you. Wouldn't that be nice?"

His tongue seemed enormous in his mouth and his lips would hardly open but he finally managed to force out the sound.

"N…"

"No?"

The question was hardly recognizable as such, being very softly spoken and akin to the tone in which she had been speaking before and continued to use now.

"I think it must be very nice, Jarod, to lean back and lie that poor aching head of yours against my shoulder. I've got a cool, damp cloth here that I could use to wipe away the sweat that you feel on your face. Would you like me to do that, Jarod? A lovely cool piece of material, that I can put over your poor, aching eyes and you can let them close. I'm sure that it must be almost impossible to see anything now, with them so blurry, and the colored spots that appear whenever you try to focus. Why not let them shut, Jarod? Let the poor eyes of yours just slide closed. Rest your head back on my shoulder and get rid of the awful weight on your eyelids. They're so heavy now, aren't they? Almost as bad as your poor head. Just lay your head back against me, Jarod. Can you feel what my hand's doing? Let it guide your aching head so you lie back. That's a wonderful thought, isn't it? Feeling as tired as you do right now, to imagine yourself with that sore head of yours lying against my arm and the agonizing burning in your eyes fading as they close, surrounding you with darkness. Your whole body could relax, Jarod, and all the pain you feel now could disappear. Isn't that a lovely idea? And it's such an easy thing to do, too, Jarod. All you have to do is stop fighting me. Let that throbbing head of yours fall back; rest it against my shoulder. Once you’ve done that, everything will become easier, I promise. Just take that first step, Jarod. Just relax."

She felt him fight to conceal another yawn, but this wouldn't be denied, regardless of how he tried to hide it. As his mouth was forced widely open, his head fell back, and Helen was close enough that it touched her shoulder for a few brief seconds. Although he managed to lift it again almost at once, Helen's gentle yet firm touch quickly brought it back down again before he could collect the strength to keep holding it upright.

"That's right, Jarod. It wasn't so difficult, was it? Now your head won't feel sore anymore. But your poor eyes are still throbbing painfully, aren't they?"

She could now see he was blinking erratically, forcing his eyelids open each time through sheer willpower.

"Your eyes must be burning so badly. I'm sure they are and that, by now, they must be almost as bad as your head was. Although your head's feeling better now that it's resting against me, the rest of your body, while you keep it this tense, must be so very sore."

Her hand now moved to his right arm, and a finger repeatedly slid slowly down from his shoulder to where the cast stopped, halfway up his lower arm.

"If you let yourself relax, Jarod, I promise all the pain will fade. If you do it, then you can sink into a beautiful, deep sleep and you'll wake up feeling much better. When you fall asleep, I'll put your head down on the pillow and tuck the two lovely, warm blankets around you so that you don't get cold and you'll stay in this wonderfully comfortable bed until your fever's gone and you feel better. But for now, all I want you to do is relax back against me, Jarod, and let me take all the weight so you won't have to do it for yourself. You know you can trust me, Jarod, and you're safe here with me, so why do you keep fighting? All that I want to do is help you, but I can't, not unless you work with me."

She looked into his eyes, seeming to lock her gaze with his, lowering her voice to a soft and persuasive whisper.

"Just let me help you, Jarod."

Unable to break away, he finally let himself relax back against her, instantly feeling an unutterable sense of relief as the pain started to fade. Still, Jarod wasn't willing to yield completely despite the fact that his eyes, looking up into the face that she turned down to his, still throbbed agonizingly. He tried to ignore it, to ignore the things she was telling him, but now it was almost like she was in control of his very thought processes and he couldn't break away, continuing to gaze blindly up at her, despite the red haze that seemed to fill his sight and make it so hard to see.

"Good, Jarod. That's right." She reached over to the table and picked up a cloth, holding it up, so that he could see it. "Remember this? It's nice and cool and it'll be so lovely against your hot face, won't it?"

Slowly, gently, she wiped his forehead and cheeks, washing away the sweat that made his skin feel so tight and wetting his dry lips. Instinctively, Jarod swallowed, feeling how painful his throat was, before he felt that the cloth had been removed from his face and now something cold and hard was touching his bottom lip.

"It's all right, Jarod. This is water to help make your throat better. I just want you to sip it." Slowly, he drank the small amount of water in the glass and she put it back on the table, picking up the cloth again. Deliberately she folded it, placing the damp, cool material on his hot forehead.

"I know that your eyes must be very sore by now, Jarod, and I'm going to put this over them, but I don't want you to fight me."

Fight, he thought numbly, as the world went dark and the cool material provided such a wonderful relief for his sore eyes. With what? I've got no strength to fight you. Maybe you were right. Maybe I am sick. Maybe it will be easier if I just gave in, if I let her, that voice, lie me down on the bed; let her put my head down onto the pillow; let her cover me with those cozy blankets; let myself sleep. Maybe, if I do what she says I'll be able to ease the pain in my head, my eyes. Maybe darkness is better than the light. It must be. She said it would be. Does it matter? I can't see anyway, not now. Not anymore. She said that, too. Maybe I should just do what she says, just lay back in her arms, just rest. Maybe she's right…

"That's it, Jarod." She soothed. "That's right, just relax. Just let it all go. You've got nothing else to hold on for, no reason to stay awake, to think. All you've got to do is rest. It's easy. Just rest now, rest against me and I'll stay with you."

Helen moved her cool hand, placing it against his hot forehead, gently stroking now only with her fingertips.

"That's all you have to do now, Jarod. Just sleep. It's not hard, is it? All you can hear, the only thing you can even think about, is my voice so focus on that. Don't worry about anything else; just listen to it and feel my hand on your forehead. It's lovely and relaxing isn't it, Jarod, lying here, with me holding you up so you don't have to do it anymore. By now you can't even feel me here anymore, can you? Don't think about me. Think, instead, about how you feel, as if you're floating. Maybe that dream of yours has come true. Maybe you're up in the air now, flying. Don't try to focus on the things I say. Think about that dream instead and just let my words flow through you."

She could still feel tension in his body and lowered her voice yet again, making the tones in which she was speaking easier to detect than the individual words.

"Let yourself flow with them. Just sleep, Jarod. Isn't it a wonderful word: sleep? The word itself is beautiful and soothing, but the real thing is just so much better, Jarod. Sleep is a darkness that rises up, takes you lovingly in its arms like a mother, and carries you down to a nice, peaceful place where you won't have to think anymore. Let it take you, Jarod. Just sleep."

Sleep, Jarod thought drowsily. Why was that idea so bad before? It doesn't seem bad now. It even seems nice, tempting. Sleep. Why did I fight it so hard? I can't remember now. It can't have been important, or I'd have remembered. But why did I fight it before when I could have just given in to her at the start? If I had, it wouldn't hurt so badly now. I’d already be lying back against her like this and my eyes wouldn't hurt. My head wouldn't either. She said that. She was right before. She must be now, too. Next time, I won't try to deny that I'm sick. I am sick. She said so, so I must be sick. But she'll make me better. She said so. Next time I'll just relax like this, in her arms, my head against her shoulder, and let her soothe me to sleep. It won't hurt then, and I'll be able to sleep. I know she'll let me sleep. Sleep and the other thing. What was the other word she said? Mother, that was it. Maybe when I wake up next time she'll be sitting beside me, holding my hand. Mothers always care for their children when they're sick. Somehow she'll know I'm sick and come to take care of me...

Helen saw his lips move, silently forming the word 'mother' and smiled sadly. "That's right, Jarod. I'll repay the debts I owe your mother, by taking care of you now. I'll take her place and look after you until you get better. Now let the darkness come and take you away with it, Jarod. There's no need for you to try and stay awake. There'll be somebody here with you whenever you wake up, to make sure that you're okay. All you have to do is sleep. Just sleep..."

Finally Jarod's head rolled slightly towards her, lips parting with a sigh as he gave in and let the sleep overwhelm him. The last of the tension faded away, his body limp in her arms, and Helen smiled. Putting her hand on the side of his head, she supported it down to the pillow before getting up. He never moved. Putting his legs up on the bed took only a few seconds and then she pulled up the blankets to cover him, tucking them in tightly along the bottom of the mattress. As she turned, Helen jumped at the sight of Sydney in the doorway.

# # #


The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware

The men at the head of the table watched as the man, still toting his oxygen tank, was escorted from the room by two sweepers.

"So now what?"

"I think it's time we talked with Mr. Parker's ally. Let's get his side of all this and find out what he knew about the mainframe."

"Why else would he have run?"

"Perhaps because he was scared of being implicated - as he has been - but Cox may not have been directly involved." The man nodded at the two sweepers who stood on either side of the doorway, both of whom left the room immediately.

"And if he wasn't?"

"Then we may need to look further afield."

"Such as?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, shall we?"

# # #


Ashe, New York
"Hypnosis?"

"Power of suggestion." She grinned. "Being that sick anyway, it wasn't ever going to be hard."

"Sick?" He sat down on a chair and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You almost sent me to sleep, too, and I was even standing up!"

"Well, you didn't have to stay that way. You could have come in," Helen lowered her voice again, "sat in the chair where I am now, put your head back on the cushion and…"

"All right!" Sydney spoke sharply. "I just had proof of your powers. I don't need to be a subject of them too."

"You already were." She smiled. "I tried the same thing on you in the car and it sent you to sleep just as much as the gas did."

"And what did you give Jarod?"

"Nothing. That's pure, natural, unassisted sleep. I'll do it again if I have to, but he probably won't need it. A little reminder of the last half hour should be enough to send him under next time."

Sydney nodded. "That, of course, being the best thing for him."

"Exactly. I'll do it to Debbie if she needs it." Helen raised an eyebrow questioningly. "And also, as required, also to Miss Parker."

He shook his head, answering her unspoken question. "No, although I think she is going to get it. She said she's hasn't seen Debbie for nearly four weeks, but she's been around Broots every day and he may have given it to her. We'll have to wait and see. But she doesn't have it yet."

"So her nap earlier...?"

"...was just that - a nap. I think that, by making her do nothing all morning, you've soothed her into it. Usually she's running on adrenaline all day. That’s unnecessary here so she's relaxing instead. Relaxing and sleeping."

"Good." Helen nodded definitively. "With any luck, that might build up her immune system enough that she won't have it too badly."

"That's what I was hoping as well." Sydney glanced over at her. "Should we give her some sort of dietary addition - vitamins perhaps?"

"No." Helen shook her head. "We don't have long enough to get the doses right. I think we should go with what's happening now and, when she gets it, hope that it's not too severe."

# # #


Going into the other bedroom, she found Broots asleep in the armchair in the corner, and Debbie lying on her back, gazing up at the ceiling. Helen walked over to the bed and sat next to the little girl. As she reached out a hand and put it on her forehead, Debbie's eyes filled with tears and she tried to sit up.

"It's okay, sweetie." She let the girl snuggle against her shoulder and the felt first of the tears run down onto her shirt. "Are you feeling worse, baby?"

"Uh huh." The girl's voice was a whisper. "I feel awful, Mommy."

"Why didn't you tell your Daddy? Then he'd have told me, and I could have given you a nice drink to make it better."

"He's asleep and I didn't want to wake him up."

"He'd want you to wake him up, Debbie, if you felt really sick. Neither of us wants you to stay sick for long."

The girl began to sob quietly, her face pressed up against Helen's neck and her hot breath on the woman's skin. Gently Helen stroked the back of her head.

"Debbie, try not to cry, baby. If you do, it’ll only make you worse and make your head hurt more. And I think it's already pretty sore, isn't it?"

Nodding, the girl lifted her head and wiped the back of her hand across her face, sniffing. Helen gently stroked the small head, at the same time reaching out for a measuring glass that she had earlier prepared. She held the glass, full of the pale liquid, to the girl's lips.

"Here, Debbie, this will help you feel a lot better. Just sip it."

Slowly the girl swallowed the contents of the glass and Helen put it back down on the table before picking up a damp cloth and gently wiping Debbie's face.

"Was that nice, baby?"

"Uh huh." There was a small smile on the girl's face as she lay back against Helen with her eyes closed. "Like honey."

"Yes, there's a lot of honey in it," the doctor agreed with a smile. "I thought you'd like honey, so I put some in, just for you."

The eyes that Debbie opened were glittering with fever. "Did you make it?"

"I sure did. It will make you feel less hot and stop you from coughing." She smiled and swept the hair away from the girl's face. "I know something else you'd like to have, too."

"Mmm?" The girl's eyelids were drooping again.

"I think you'd love some sleep right now, wouldn't you, Debbie?" She stroked the girl's head again in slow, regular movements. "You just close your eyes, sweetie, and relax. I'll stay right here, and take care of you but now you just lie back and let your tired eyes close. That's right."

Helen felt as the small body snuggled closer to her, Debbie's head lying on her shoulder, her arms loosely linked around Helen's neck, and the rest of her body curled up in the doctor's lap. Picking up the rug that folded on the end of the bed, Helen covered the girl. Debbie gave a little shiver and then tightened her hold around Helen's neck briefly before she relaxed, lips parting in a quiet sigh. The doctor waited for a moment before standing up and putting the girl down on the bed, covering her up and tucking in the blankets firmly. Turning, she saw Broots watching her.

"You're really good at that."

Helen smiled at the balding man. "I've been doing this for while now. Besides, all kids are the same when they're sick, and," she added with a grin, "so are all adults."

Broots' lips twitched, his eyes registering his instant comprehension. "He's a bit difficult, huh?"

"Just so as you'd notice, yes. He tried to deny that he was sick. I managed to persuade him that he is."

"And is he bad?"

"Well, measles in an adult is more dangerous than in a child but, with lots of time in bed and the right care, he should be fine."

"And Miss Parker?"

"She hasn't got it yet, but I expect that you'll have been generous and provided her with a case of it. She said she hadn't seen Debbie for a while, so if she comes down with it sooner than we expected, we can blame you."

"Gee, thanks." Broots laughed. "Well, as long as you don't tell her it was me..."

"You're not… scared, are you, Broots?"


"Me?" He tried to look indignant. "Never!"

"No, of course not." Helen picked up the bottle of medicine and poured some of it into the glass, putting the lid back on and placing the glass within easy reach.

"I wish my doctors had put honey into my medicine when I was sick."

She grinned. "Like Sydney said, I'm considerate."

"So what did you add to Jarod's?"

"Well, I had thought about adding PEZ but they don't seem to make that in liquid form yet. No, his is honey as well."

"I thought you might go for something extravagant like chocolate or something."

"I think we'll skip the caffeine in chocolate. He needs sleep, not a wake-up call."

"Talking of which, will it put them to sleep?"

"Like with most cough syrup, it contains a very mild sedative but it's more to relax the throat, thus reducing the feeling of needing to cough, than actually send a person to sleep. When it combines with a high fever, it's conducive to sleep, but later, when they're getting better, we'll either have to use something else or else let Mother Nature do it all."

"Or you could just talk to them," interrupted another voice from the doorway. "It's pretty effective."

"He's still out?"

"Like the proverbial light." Sydney smiled. "Emily's going to stay there while I get dinner."

Helen stood up. "I'll give you a hand with that after I've checked on Miss Parker."

The psychiatrist tried to look offended. "You don't trust my diagnosis?

"I did at the time, but these things develop so fast that she could be showing signs now that she didn't have before or that you might have missed, like Koplik spots." Helen laughed a somewhat abashed look appeared on the psychiatrist's face. "If it would help, I could lend you my big book of childhood diseases so that you can do a little revision, Sydney..."

# # #


The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware

"So we have another day of questioning to look forward to tomorrow."

"Unfortunately."

The first man grinned, running a hand through his red hair. "You haven't enjoyed watching them sweat? What a disappointment. I thought you would have loved every moment!"

"If we were getting anywhere," the second man growled, "I might, but we seem to be beating our heads against a brick wall."

"Well," the third man interrupted, leaning back in his chair with both hands linked behind his head. "Why don't we see how a night of hunger and interrupted sleep affects them? If that fails, we can always use another form of… incentive."

"Do you think they're really as ignorant of what happened as they seem?"

"I think Mr. Parker has some information that he's not willing to reveal. When we find out what it is, then we might have the answer. How's the rebuilding going?"

"Slowly. After all, we've been building the old one for almost fifty years. If we could get access to the existing material, we might have a hope of rescuing some of the data, but it's impossible. All of our old experiments and simulations..."

The first man ground his teeth angrily. "When I find out exactly who's to blame for this, they'll wish they'd never been born."

# # #


Ashe, New York
"Miss Parker?" Helen tapped gently on the closed door of the bedroom, and a sound from within encouraged her to push it open. The woman looked up at her drowsily, lying against a mound of pillows.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I woke up about five minutes ago. I was just..."

"Mooching?"

The brunette smiled. "Anything's possible."

"Do you want something for dinner?"

"Who's cooking?"

"Sydney, why? Would that make a difference?"

"If it was you, I'd be a lot more cautious."

Helen gave her a look of mock-sorrow. "Nobody trusts me anymore." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small object. "Open up."

"Sydney did this already."

"I know, earlier. I want to make sure that you're not pulling a similar stunt to that which Jarod did before so we'll do it several times each day."

The woman raised an eyebrow, but opened her mouth, and let the doctor place the thermometer under her tongue. Helen picked up the woman's wrist and timed her pulse before removing the instrument, reading it, and then turning on the bright overhead light. Miss Parker looked up at her curiously.

"Now what?"

"A few days before people show other signs, they often have white spots in their cheeks. That's what I want to look for now."

Miss Parker nodded and raised her head. After a few minutes of careful examination, the doctor stepped back.

"Passed with a clean bill of health - for now. But I want to know right away if you feel different from normal. And we'll still keep up the program of relaxation, I think."

"Do you think I'm going to get it?"

Helen sat down in the chair opposite. "Unless your immune system has an innate immunity to it, I think it’s likely. Some people are born with their own natural vaccines, but we'll have to wait and see. You've been exposed to Jarod and Debbie, both of whom are now sick..."

"And Broots at work."

"Exactly, although he was hoping you wouldn't think of that."

"What's he scared of?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Helen grinned. "You of course. The way you usually are at work anyway. Broots hasn't had a chance to see the relaxed, non-sleep-deprived you."

"I think he'll get that chance. We'll be here for a while, right?"

"Minimum of a week, yes. It's going to be that at least long before Jarod and Debbie are no longer infectious."

"And then..."

"Knowing the way these things usually happen, you'll probably get it on the last day of them being sick." Helen rolled her eyes and laughed. "I once treated a family of six kids, all of whom got it on the very last day that the one before was considered infectious. Their poor mother didn't leave the house for five weeks, and I was there almost every day."

"Now you know why I didn't study medicine." Miss Parker grinned. "But I honestly think that I still get less sleep than most other doctors I know."

"Maybe I can teach you a few methods of getting around that."

"I've had other people try..."

"And you probably resisted them every step of the way. Those things will only work if the person lets them."

Miss Parker raised an eyebrow. "How is that you know so much about me, about all of us?"

Helen smiled. "Miss Parker, I've been coming into the Centre for almost six years now. Don't you think I'd have a good idea of people's quirks after all this time?"

"Okay, good point." The woman looked up. "Have you only hunted for information about Jarod and his family, or more?"

"Well, they were my primary focus, but there's a lot of scientific research going on that interested me too."

"They won't be doing that anymore."

"That's questionable, Miss Parker. Whenever Mr. Parker finally admits to information being stolen from his office, the Triumvirate will find that he has records for a lot of experiments they're mourning right now."

"But the results are wrong."

Helen laughed. "They don't know that, do they? They'll either test it all again and get wonderfully confused or else sell what they've got and make some rather big enemies."

"In other words..."

"I think you're probably about to become unemployed. Sorry."

"Remind me to get angry about that later, will you?" the other woman suggested, laughing.

Helen got up, grinning. "Too much trouble now?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"I'll see what I can do. Want to come up and watch us make dinner?"

"Sounds good."

# # #


"Mommy?"

"Yes, Debbie?"

"Where's Daddy?"

Helen sat down on the bed beside the little girl and began to stroke her forehead, letting the child rest her head against the woman's leg. "He's gone to get ready for bed, sweetie. But he'll come to give you a kiss goodnight before he goes to sleep. He said he would."

"And when are you going to bed?"

The doctor smiled. "You're in my bed, baby, remember?"

Debbie giggled softly. "So will you sleep in my bed?"

"No, it's too far away from you, all the way down there. I'll stay up here."

"Is somebody else sick, too?"

"Why do you ask, sweetie?"

"Well, you were in here a lot and then you went away and didn't come back for a long time. And I thought I heard somebody coughing."

"Did you miss me, honey?"

"A bit." She smiled sleepily. "But who's sick?"

"Jarod. You gave him the measles when he came to your house two weeks ago."

"I thought only kids got the measles."

"No, grown ups can get it too." She smiled. "If you wake up during the night and I don't come over to the bed right away, I'll be with Jarod, okay? If it's important, you can call out to me and I'll come or else Emily will."

"Uh huh." The girl closed her eyes and took a firmer hold on the hand that Helen had slipped into hers earlier. "Is Daddy coming soon?"

"Yes, he is." The man himself spoke from the doorway. "I'm right here, baby."

"Are you going to bed now?" The little girl looked up at him, her head still lying on Helen's leg.

The man raised and eyebrow. "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"No, it's okay." She smiled drowsily. "Mommy said she'd stay."

Broots glanced at Helen. "I've just been supplanted?"

"Looks that way."

Grinning, he bent over to kiss his daughter and returned the weak hug she gave him. "If you want me, Debbie, tell Helen and she'll come and get me, okay?"

"Uh huh." She gave another sleepy smile and closed her eyes again. He stood beside the bed for moment longer, watching her, before looking at Helen.

"You will call me...?"

"Broots, I'm a doctor. I know when I kid needs their parents. Trust me."

"Last time I might have done that, I found myself unconscious in the back seat of your car."

She laughed. "I thought that was all forgiven."

He grinned. "Forgiven, yes, but not forgotten. I'll drag it out from time to time."

"I bet you will." She hid a smile as he turned to the door. "Good night."

# # #


Checking that Debbie was asleep, Helen slipped from the room and went into the one next door. Silently pushing open the door, she found Emily leaning over her brother, apparently engaged in a softly spoken argument.

"What's going on?"

Emily turned with an expression of relief. "He's being stubborn."

"He's your brother, Em. What else would he be?" Disregarding the indignant look on her friend's face, she turned to the bed to find her patient trying to sit up, his eyes glittering with fever and a bright red spot on either cheek. "What is it, Jarod?"

His voice was a rasp. "I want to… get up…"

She glanced at Emily. "Can you go in to Debbie? This may take a while."

Emily rolled her eyes, heading for the door. "She has to be the easier patient."

"That definitely could be possible." Helen sat beside Jarod but he didn't even cast a glance in her direction as his eyes darted around the room, apparently focusing on things that she couldn't see. The doctor leaned forward, speaking firmly. "Tell me why do you want to get up?"

"I can't… stay in bed… the Centre…"

"Jarod, look at me. Come on, make the effort."

Eventually he managed to focus on her face. "H… Helen?"

"You're safe, Jarod. The Centre won't find you while you're with me." She lifted one hand, gently stroking the side of his face. "Do you believe me?"

He relaxed at the touch, sinking back against the pillow, before a vague memory returned. "Were you here… before…?"

"Yes," she smiled understandingly. "I was."

"And… can I...?"

Changing her position slightly, she was ready for him, with some difficulty, to pull himself up into a sitting position. Gently, she guided his head so it rested on her shoulder, one hand under his arm, against his chest, supporting him, and the other stroking the top of his head.

"That's right, Jarod." Her voice was lowered again to the quiet tones. "You're safe with me. Don't think about that anymore, just think about being here, being in bed and letting yourself relax."

"Helen?" His voice was soft, almost childish.

"Yes, Jarod?"

"Is my Mom coming to see me?"

For several seconds, the woman struggled to think of an answer, wishing that she could give him the one he had hoped to hear. Finally an alternative presented itself; one that she seized eagerly. "You can dream she's with you, Jarod. Dream that she's sitting next to you as you sleep. Imagine her sitting here, holding your hand."

A small smile appeared on his face as he began to relax against her and, despite having his eyes closed, he spoke again. "I'm sick, aren't I?"

"Yes, Jarod." She spoke softly. "Yes, you are sick."

"So I should stay in bed?"

"That's right. You should stay lying down in bed and sleep."

"Do I have to…?" He broke off to yawn, nestling closer to her. "If you're here with me, do I have to stay lying down? Can I sit up instead?"

"You mean like this?"

"Mmm hmm." He nodded drowsily, looking up at her out of glazed, sleepy eyes, still with the small smile on his face, his voice childish once more. "It's nice."

"If you try to sleep, Jarod." Her voice lowered further. "You can lie like this, against my shoulder, if you try to sleep."

Jarod nodded again, turning his face in to her neck and closing his eyes again. Sleep, he thought. Yes, I can sleep. She told me to. She wants me to. I can't hear what she's saying anymore, but it doesn't matter. I'm safe, with her. She said that too. I don't have to do anything, to help anyone. I can just lie here and rest. That's all I want to do. I don't want to get up. I can stay here for as long as I want, until I feel better. Just being like this makes me feel better. I'll tell her that. Not now. It's too nice to move, right now. I won't tell her now. But I'll tell her that some time. Now I just want to lie here and listen to her voice, feeling safe. I can't remember the last time I felt like this, this safe. Maybe it was when I was little. Maybe it was with Sydney. It doesn't matter. I can think about that later, tomorrow. Maybe Sydney will be here when I wake up too. I thought he was here before. It doesn't matter if he was. I can always dream that he's here, that he's taking care of me. To dream it, I need to sleep. What did she say about sleep? It's a darkness coming down to take me with it. Taking me somewhere I don't have to think anymore. I don't want to think. Thinking's too hard. I'll just relax, let her words flow around me and maybe they'll take me away, too. Just relax... sleep...









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