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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
In Pursuit of
Happiness
Part 50 – B
By jojarod 50
Safe house
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:56 AM – Monday
"I'm sorry, Andrea, I wish I had better news," he said, stepping
away from the doorway as the paramedics rushed in. "There's simply
nothing more I can do," he confessed, wiping his bloody hands with a
towel.
"You're wrong, Sydney. You're going to be able to help him get well,
just like you've always done."
"Andrea, you've got to face this for your baby's sake. The Jarod you
knew is gone now."
"How can you say that? He's just having another set back. He'll snap
out of it. He just needs more time."
"No, Andrea. We may never know why he chose to mutilate himself, but
it's a firm indication that he's completely insane."
"I'll be transferring him to and excellent psychiatric facility, as
soon as he's sufficiently recovered from his injuries. In light of
his emerging suicidal tendencies, I'm afraid you won't be permitted
to care for him any longer."
"Like hell I won't!" she yelled, shoving the psychiatrist
out of her way and rushing into the kitchen.
"Andrea! Don't go in there," Sydney exclaimed, rushing in after her.
"Don't touch him," she screamed, collapsing to the floor and
shielding his bloody body from the paramedics with her own.
"For God's sake, Andrea, get back and let these people do their job!"
"Let go of me!" she screamed, as one of the policemen
forcefully dragged her out of the room.
* * *
Safe house
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:58 AM
"Jarod?" Andrea asked, quickly rolling toward him, struggling to
focus her eyes. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," he managed between gasps. "I…didn't mean….to wake…you," he
said, raking a trembling hand over his face.
"Good night, Jarod, you're shaking like a leaf," she said, scooting
up beside him in bed. "The way you were thrashing around, I thought,
for a moment, that you were having a heart attack."
"I'm so sorry," he said barely above a whisper, brushing her hair
gently aside with his trembling fingers, his dark eyes betraying his
intense fear. "I promise I'll never put you through that no matter
what happens."
"Through what, a heart attack?" she asked, puzzled by the strange
way he was looking at her. "Jarod, tell me what you were dreaming
about?"
"Maybe later," he said, guiding her down against the
pillows. "Please, just lay with me for a while."
* * *
30 minutes later…
"Finding it impossible to fall back asleep, Jarod finally gave up
and tried to untangle himself from his wife, inadvertently waking
her up.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To take a shower," he said, giving her a quizzical look.
"Not a chance, Mister. You're going to have to wait," she
said with a grin, leaving the bed and disappearing into the
bathroom, without giving him time to protest.
"Weighing his other options, Jarod, slipped on his pants and
headed downstairs.
* * *
Bedroom upstairs…ten minutes later…
Satisfied with his brief conversation with Agent Morris,
Jarod took off his pants and slipped back in bed, relieved that
there had been no new developments over night. Musing to himself, he
smiled knowing his over-bearing psychiatrist would be hard pressed
to find a way to stop him from simply conversing with the agents.
"Sorry I took so long," Andrea said, swinging the bathroom
door opened and stepping into the room sporting an oversized pink
towel. "The shower's all yours."
"Did you leave me any hot water?" he asked, eyeing her
appraisingly, as he got out of bed.
"Of course I did, you boob," she said playfully, relieved
that he seemed a little less stressed out.
Grabbing some clothes from the dresser, Jarod padded his way
to the bathroom, mentally kicking himself for over-reacting to his
nightmare, resulting in robbing his pregnant wife of her much needed
sleep.
*
Ten minutes later…
"Jarod, what's going on in there," Andrea asked, opening the
door just in time to see her dazed husband snapping the towel bar
back into the brackets mounted on the wall.
"I, a, tripped on the rug," he said with a nervous laugh,
preoccupied with turning off the faucet and retrieving his
toothbrush from the floor.
"How could you possibly have tripped standing in front of
the mirror?" she asked, wincing at the bad bruise forming across his
bare back.
"It was a freak accident," he said, picking up his towel from the
counter top with a strained expression, abruptly leaving the room.
Jarod, I'm the one carrying your child, remember? It's time for you
to start confiding in me," she said, stepping in front of him,
preventing him from walking away.
"It was really stupid, if you stop to think about it," Jarod said
hesitantly, blushing fiercely as he made his way to the bed and sat
down.
"Remember Bruce? I just had a flashback of him trying to blow me
away," he said unevenly, studying her reaction for a split second,
before looking away.
"Jarod, how long has this been going on?"
"Since he shot me the other night," he managed, glancing at
her uncomfortably before breaking eye contact again.
"Is that what your nightmare was about?" she asked,
surprised by the difficulty he was having keeping his eyes on hers.
"No, it was worse," he said, barely audible at all, as he
left the bed and stepped over to the window, turning his back on her.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'd really rather not," he said, hating the fluctuation in
his voice, as he began losing the battle to remain calm.
Realizing that she was asking for more than he was capable
of sharing right now, she dropped the discussion like a hot potato,
reminding herself that his nerves were completely shot.
"Let's go downstairs and have some breakfast together. We
haven't done that in a long time."
"I'm sorry, Andi. You go ahead, I'm not feeling hungry right
now."
"Oh my gosh, I forgot to give you your medications. Sydney asked me
to hold off on your tranquilizer, but I was supposed to give…."
"That's all right. I don't think I could have kept them down anyway."
"I didn't know you're feeling ill. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Andi, it's nothing serious. I think it's just my nerves,"
he admitted uncomfortably, finding it terribly challenging being
this transparent with her.
"Go on now. Enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to lie down for a
little while; I promise I'll have something to eat later."
Jarod waited until the door had been closed a few minutes
before leaving his bed for the bathroom. Once inside he locked the
door, fell to his knees in desperation, and prayed.
* *
*
Jarod and Andrea's temporary bedroom
9:08 AM
"Startled awake by a tapping sound, Jarod turned his head just in
time to see his psychiatrist peeking through the opened door.
"Sydney…what…do you think…you're doing?" he blurted out, startled
out of his wits.
"I'm sorry, Jarod, I didn't mean to alarm you. I didn't
realize you were asleep."
"Forget…it," he managed nervously, scooting to an upright
position, feeling his manhood slipping further down the drain.
"How are you feeling?"
"Jumpy."
"I can well imagine. I'd hoped to start you on your new medication
before you started your day," he said as he sat down in the chair by
the bed and opened his chart.
"Why don't you lie back against your pillows and run through some
deep breathing exercises before we begin our session," he
encouraged; dismayed that he had frightened him so badly.
*
"There you go. That's probably enough for right now. It's unusual
for you to be awake before your sedative has completely worn off."
"I must be getting too much sleep," he said, nervously running his
fingers through his hair.
"I see," he said, accepting the fiction for right now. "Bear with
me, Jarod, I need to check your vitals before you begin your new
medication." Placing a blood pressure cuff on his arm, he pumped it
up only to release the air slowly, carefully listening through his
stethoscope.
Jotting the information on the chart, he remained silent until he
finished counting his respirations and taking his pulse, hoping in
vain that his patient would initiate a conversation with him.
"I was told you had a particularly difficult time after I
left last night," he began, jotting down the rest of the information
on the chart.
"That's a gross exaggeration," he said defensively, staring at an
imaginary dot across the room, as the doctor flashed a light in each
eye, checking the reaction of his pupils. "I wish you'd stop going
behind my back for status reports, and talk directly to me."
"You're right, Jarod, you have my apology. Why don't you
tell me your version of the argument you had with your father last
night," he suggested, observing that his patient lost all his
coloring the moment he brought it up.
"Who on earth told you about that?"
"Your mother."
"It wasn't an argument at all," he said, grabbing a fist full of
bedspread and nearly squeezing it to death. "It was a simple
misunderstanding."
"I was told the two of you got into a shouting match," he
pressed, wanting Jarod to tell him the truth.
"He was very confused. I was merely trying to straighten him out."
"By shouting at the top of your lungs? That's not at all
like you, Jarod."
"I was frustrated. He cornered me in my bedroom, pressuring
me to admit that I was planning to commit suicide," he said,
breaking into a sick smile.
"Jarod what were you doing to arouse such concern? I want you to
tell me the truth."
"Nothing. This is entirely your fault," he said in a low menacing
voice.
"My fault?"
"You've made a royal federal case out of my set back by taking my
razor and medications away from me; now what the heck is my father
supposed to think?"
"Jarod, I can see your point, but you know as well as I do that I'm
merely acting in your best interest right now."
"Best interest? How can you say such a thing?" he shouted, leaving
his bed for the window, pivoting around and glaring at him.
"Because it's the truth, Jarod. You're less than thrilled about
being medicated and given control of your pills, you might quit
taking them all together. As for the razor, you're doing fine with
out it; I just don't want to take any chances right now."
"CHANCES OF WHAT?" he yelled, going completely ballistic. "GO ON
SYDNEY, I WANT YOU TO SAY IT TO MY FACE."
"Jarod, I know you're frustrated, but intimidating me isn't going to
get you any where," he said, rising out of his chair to face him,
wondering if he were aware of what he was doing. "Now why don't you
sit down and try to get a hold of yourself?"
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER ME," he screamed, refusing to sit down.
"Doctor, do you need any assistance," the agent posted upstairs
asked opening the door.
"That won't be necessary. Agent Strauss, if you please, we need some
privacy right now," he said tightly, as the agent nodded and quickly
shut the door.
"All right, Jarod. I'm not sure if you're capable of harming
yourself or not, but I'm not willing to take any risks right now.
Your temper is extremely erratic at times, and I can't seem to
predict what's going to set you off. Other times you're so
profoundly depressed, I wouldn't dare give you access to your razor
or your pills. Frankly, until you cease having severe mood swings
augmented by debilitating nightmares and flashbacks, having access
to anything you might use to harm yourself with, is out of the
question. Besides, as badly as your hands shake when you're upset,
you have no business using a razor at all."
"And what about my father?" he asked, barely able to contain his
rage, amazed that Sydney didn't trust him.
"I promise you, I'll help Major Charles resolve this issue, before
it gets any further out of hand," he said, putting his hand on his
shoulder applying mild pressure, insisting that he sit down.
"Jarod, I want you to take this; it'll help you calm down," his
psychiatrist said, trying to hand him a glass of water and tiny
green pill.
"Not now, Sydney."
"Yes, right now; I'm not sure if you're aware of it or not,
but you're extremely unstable when you're not on your tranquilizer,"
he said gently, saddened to see his former protégé so
uncharacteristically out of control.
"What is it?" he asked, staring at the pill, trying
unsuccessfully to still his trembling hand.
"Something new."
"New as in…?"
"It's a psychotropic agent belonging to a new chemical class. It
should have similar effects as Valium, without the
potential risk of addiction. Hopefully, if it agrees with you, it
will better assist you in keeping things scaled down. I want you to
remain in your room until we see how you react to it. I don't want
you anywhere near the stairs," he cautioned, pleased to see him
finally comply.
"There you go. Now, why don't I take a quick look at your
shoulder, if you don't mind?"
Jarod let out a frustrated sigh as he unbuttoned his short
sleeved shirt and slipped it off his left shoulder tired of being
scrutinized by the older man.
"Very good: it's healing nicely. How is your range of
motion?"
"It gets a little better every day," he said, wincing as the
doctor began manipulating it, causing the shirt to slip down his
back.
"Jarod, how did you get this nasty bruise on your back?"
Sydney asked, suddenly wishing he were back in the hospital where he
could take better care of him.
"I tripped in the bathroom, while over reacting to a
flashback," he mumbled, obviously very unhappy with himself.
"What did you fall against?"
"The towel rack."
"Is that the only flashback you've had today?"
"No," he said in defeat, resting his head in his hand and staring at
the floor.
"Jarod, you mustn't be discouraged about this. It isn't your
fault. You can't expect to recover from the symptoms of post
traumatic stress syndrome in little more than a week."
"I'd settle for any improvement at all at this point."
"You may not realize it, but…"
"Drop it Sydney, I'm not stupid," he said, starting to raise
his voice again.
"As you wish. Jarod, this has been a very stressful session
for you. Why don't you lay down and rest until your medication takes
effect?" he said, glancing at his watch. "I'll be back to check on
you in twenty minutes."
* * *
Living room
9:45 AM
"Sydney, how's my son doing? I could hear him screaming all
the way down here," Major Charles said anxiously, as the
psychiatrist finished the last of the stairs.
"All things considered, I think he's doing reasonably well.
We just need to work harder on keeping his stress level within an
acceptable range, until he gets back on his feet," he said,
motioning to Andrea and her mother to sit back down.
"What can I do to help?"
"I'm glad you asked me that," he said, placing a hand on his
shoulder and ushering him into the kitchen. "Why don't you have a
seat? I'd like to visit with you about that for a little while."
* * *
Jarod and Andrea's temporary bedroom
10:10 AM
"Jarod, Sydney is here to see you."
"Sydney? Oh, um, just a minute, Andi," he said, trying to shake off
his grogginess as he awkwardly scooted up against his pillows.
"Jarod, how are you feeling?" his psychiatrist asked, carefully
evaluating him as he took a seat beside his bed.
"Extremely relaxed," he admitted, running a hand over his eyes. "Are
you sure this is non-addictive?"
"You have my word, Jarod. If I may, your demeanor has drastically
changed from what it was when I first spoke with you today."
"Yes, I guess you might put it that way," he said with a slight
chuckle, running his hand over his eyes again, feeling slightly
euphoric.
"Bear with me, Jarod I need to check your vitals again.
* * *
Eight minutes later…
"Your blood-pressure is slightly depressed. Do you feel light-
headed?"
"A little bit," he said, leaning back against his pillows, dismayed
at how much time he was spending in bed.
"That's a common side effect of this particular medication that
should go away after your body has time to adjust," he said, writing
at length on his patient's chart.
"Jarod, I want you to tell me about the nightmare that woke you up
this morning."
"Hmm, that's odd, I don't even remember it."
"It must have been an extremely disturbing one for you to have
blocked it completely out of your mind."
"Sydney, I don't want to discuss it right now."
"Jarod, I'm trying to help you. I need to know what you're
attempting to deal with."
"I've been having nightmares for as long as I can remember.
Discussing them seems rather pointless to me."
"Let me be the judge of that," he said gently, ignoring his attempt
to sidestep the discussion.
Jarod sat quietly for several minutes working with the fringe
nearest him, before he finally spoke.
"Apparently, I was busy performing an autopsy on myself when my
father wrestled a butcher knife out of my hand," he began deciding
it wasn't worth trying to get out of it any more. "After insanity
was mentioned, my hysterical wife made her way into the kitchen just
in time to see me lying in a pool of blood grinning at her," he said
quietly, closing his eyes, hating the way his psychiatrist was
looking at him.
"Do you feel there's any possibility that will happen to you?" he
asked, realizing why he had been so upset earlier.
"I knew you would ask me that," he said, letting out a heavy
sigh. "No, Sydney, of course not."
"The subconscious mind often explores fears and unresolved issues,
one is ill-equipped to pursue."
"Quit playing devil's advocate with me. It was the power of
suggestion plain and simple. My subconscious was reacting to my
father's fears and incorporated it into a dream," he explained,
rather convincingly.
"There's more to that, isn't there?"
The young man followed his psychiatrist's eyes to the bedspread he
had balled in his fist and immediately released it.
"Jarod, you mustn't be afraid to share what you're thinking," he
encouraged, saddened by the immense pain in his eyes.
"No dream is going to dictate what happens to me," he managed, his
voice faltering for a moment. "I'm no where near being insane."
"I know that, Jarod," his psychiatrist said reassuringly, knowing
having that happen was one of his deepest fears. "Things just seem
more difficult in your present state than they actually are right
now. Believe me, you're going to be all right," he said, watching
his patient absently arranging some of the bedspread fringe in a
neat row with his trembling fingers, unable to hold back his tears.
"Andrea mentioned that you haven't had any nourishment today. "Would
you like something to eat?" he asked, realizing some of his
trembling might be due to low blood sugar exasperated by his frayed
nerves.
"That would be fine," he said, starting to get off the bed.
"Not so fast, Jarod. Until your body adjusts adequately to your new
medication, it will be wise for you to remain in bed."
"You're probably right," he agreed slowly lying back down, feeling
emotionally drained.
"I'll have something brought up to you," Sydney said, gathering his
things and heading for the door. "If you run into problems before I
return, just have Andrea give me a call on the secured line.
Otherwise, try and get some rest. I'll be back later this afternoon
to check on your progress," he said, disappearing through the door.
Living room
3:05 PM
Jarod descended the stairs with a death grip on the rail, feeling so
upbeat after his nap that he that he wasn't going to let a little
thing like dizziness confine him to his bed.
Spotting several agents seated at a card table a discreet distance
from his family, he decided to swallow what was left of his damaged
pride and join them.
"Mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all, Agent Jarod. I was wondering when you were going to get
around to talking to us," one of his closer friends said, pulling up
a chair for him.
"Thanks, Richie. Have you heard anything about Operation "Clean
Sweep" lately? Broots told me it was on for later this week."
* * *
Safe house foyer
4:30 PM
"Good afternoon, Dr. Green," Agent Morris said, as he opened the
door.
"Thank you, agent; Why don't you let Jarod know I'm here," he said,
glancing toward the stair case as he stepped inside.
"Sir, he's not upstairs; he's right over there," he said, motioning
toward the living room.
"I see," Sydney said, covering his surprise, as Andrea left her seat
on the couch and came over to talk with him.
"Andrea, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked, knowing she'd been
struggling with nausea all day.
"Better, for the most part. I don't know what you gave
Jarod, but he's turned into some kind of socialite. Would you
believe, he's been over there since 3:00 PM?"
"You seem rather annoyed," he said in amusement.
"This is the first time in days he's been more like his old
self, so what does he do? Spend the afternoon "hanging out with the
guys", she said, glaring at him as he made his way over to them.
"What's the matter, Andi?"
"Never mind," she said, crossing her arms and leaving the
room.
"Did she seem angry to you?"
"Jarod, why don't we go upstairs and have our talk," Sydney
suggested, trying to contain his excitement over his patient's
surprising improvement.
* * *
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
"Have a seat on the bed. Jarod, I want to check your blood
pressure, you seemed a little wobbly on the stairs. I had hoped you
would have remained up here until I checked your vitals again," he
said, pulling his blood pressure cuff out of his bag.
"I really didn't see any need to. I feel perfectly all right."
"Your blood pressure is still a little bit low," he said,
releasing the rest of the air from the bulb. "I want you to be
particularly careful on the stairs until it normalizes."
"Sydney, quit worrying about me."
"You've become quite involved with the agents guarding your
family. Andrea said you came down stairs over an hour ago."
"I was bored."
"Have you had any more flash-backs?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," he said, lining up the
bedspread fringe in a neat row.
"Why don't you tell me what they were about?"
"Most of them were about Hans."
"Did you experience his death again?"
"Again and again," he said quietly, squeezing the fringe
into a small pile.
"And the others?"
"What do you think?" he asked, absently rubbing his arm.
"You experience being shot?"
"I used to give men counseling for this," he mumbled leaving
the bed for the window and fiddling with the blind.
"Jarod, please come over here and sit down."
When Jarod finally turned around there were tears in his
eyes.
"Come on now," Sydney said tenderly, placing a hand on his
arm. "We have work to do."
"I want you to tell me your experiences in detail, Jarod. Don't
leave anything out."
* * *
twenty minutes later…
"Very good, Jarod. The more we discuss your flashbacks the
less they will affect you over time."
"I need to talk to Bailey."
"Why, Jarod?"
"I'm sure you're aware that Sieble's team of scientists
already has several projects underway. What if the geneticists have
already created twin clones? Bailey needs to take that into
consideration and prepare for the worse"
"Jarod, Agent Malone has several advisors working with him.
This is really none of your concern right now."
"I've already dealt successfully with Michael…"
"No, Jarod."
"I knew you'd say that. At least let me run it by…"
"No, Jarod. How could you even think such a thing? You're in
no position to take care of anyone other than yourself right now."
"Do you have any idea what it feels like knowing you've been cloned?
"I'm sorry, Jarod, I know this is very difficult for you."
"Me? What about them?"
"Jarod, it's time for your second dose of medicine. Did
Andrea give you your anti-depressant and antiemetic after I left?"
he asked, as Jarod went to the window and instinctively peeked
through the blinds.
"Yes," he said, barely audibly.
"I know you're disappointed, but…"
"How could you possibly know how I feel?"
"I know that you'd give anything to be well right now and
you're dying to get on with your life. But that's not going to
happen any time soon. It's going to take you weeks to recover from
this and there's nothing either of us can do to change that."
Jarod ran his hand over his face and sat back down on the bed,
cupping his head in his hands.
"This is a living night mare."
"Why don't you take this? It seems to be doing wonders for
you," he said, offering him the pill.
Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head in dismay as he
reached for his glass of water and took the pill.
"There you go. I'd like to have you lay down until your
medication takes effect. I'm going to run down stairs for a little
bit. I'll be back to check on you after you've gotten a little
rest," he said, anxious to have a conversation with Agent Morris.
* * *
Kitchen - -5 minutes later…
"What did Jarod talk to you about?"
"Mainly, the sting operation."
"That's perfectly understandable since he headed it up. Did
you talk about anything else?"
"We tried, but every time we changed the subject, he did a u-
turn and brought us right back to the initial topic. It was kind of
eerie like he was totally obsessed with it."
"I see. Let's just keep our conversation between the two of
us."
"Sure. Say, Doc, I don't want you to get the wrong
impression from what I've said. Outside of that, he seemed pretty
normal to me."
"He is. He just needs to steer clear of the sting operation, until
he can handle more stress."
"I get your drift."
"Thank you, Agent Morris. You've been a big help to me."
"Mind if we come in now?" one of the agents asked peeking in
the door. "Jim, stopped by the Pizza Hut, and picked up four
pepperoni pies, he said, holding the boxes up.
"Be my guest. I was just leaving."
"You can stay for dinner if you'd like. There's plenty for
everyone."
"Thank you, but I really need to be going; maybe some other
time."
* * *
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:48 PM
"You're blood pressure seems to be hovering in the acceptable range.
Why don't you go downstairs and get something to eat. You're
family's about to sit down to dinner," Sydney said, as he put his
things away and made a final entry on Jarod's chart. "I still want
you to be very cautious on the stairs. Jarod?"
"You know I'm the only man who's ever had any experience
with clones."
"You're presuming they managed to get that far along with
their research. I'm sorry, Jarod, the timing's all wrong. Even if I
did have you run it by Agent Malone, you wouldn't stand a chance."
"What gives you the right…?"
"Jarod, you're not just anyone off the street, you're a
special agent with the FBI. After your brush with death and
unfortunate ordeal with Hans, I was assigned by the government to
get you back on your feet. As your psychiatrist I have the final
say," he said, hating having to be so blunt.
"Never mind," Jarod said, rubbing his temple with his finger
tips, as he got up and headed for the door."
"I'll be in to visit with you tomorrow morning. Try to relax
and enjoy your family tonight," he suggested, as they began to
descend the staircase together. "I don't want you obsessing about
Operation Clean Sweep any more. It'll impede your progress and do
nothing but frustrate you."
Good night, Sydney."
* * *
Dinning room moments later…
"You're just in time to eat," Michael said, giving Jarod a curious
look, sensing that he was pretty doped up.
"How did your session with Sydney go," Margaret asked, wondering if
his doctor had addressed the problem he was having with his father.
"Just fine, mom. Mmm, pizza, I haven't had that in quite some time."
Andrea studied her husband as he took his seat beside her,
suspecting by his puffy red eyes that he had been crying.
"Jarod, what would you like to drink?"
"A coke will be fine. Here let me get it, Andi; you've been waiting
on me far too much," he said, as he rose and gave her a kiss on her
forehead, before disappearing onto the back porch.
"Jarod sure seems to be in a good mood. I haven't seen him this
upbeat since before this mess began."
"Yes, he does, doesn't he?" she admitted, as Jarod reappeared.
"Two Cokes? "
"I'm thirsty," he said, popping open the can and taking a healthy
gulp. "Michael, could you pass me a slice of pizza, please," he
asked, handing him his plate. "Thanks. Do we have any crushed red
peppers? I like mine hot."
"Pass Jarod a couple of packets, Michael," his dad said, wondering
if Jarod was putting up a front.
"Gosh, Jarod, do you like a little pizza with your peppers?"
"Mmm, Emily, you ought to try it, it's very good," he managed,
before taking another big bite.
* * *
Thirty minutes later…
"Any one care for more pizza?"
"No thanks."
"I'm really full."
"I think I'll go in the living room and watch the news.
Jarod?"
"That sounds interesting, dad."
"You might as well put those away, Jim. Everyone's full."
Living room
7:10 PM
" Andi, if you don't mind, I think I'll go upstairs for a while,"
Jarod said, startled awake by someone's laughter.
"Of course I don't mind. You go ahead; I'll be up after the movie is
over."
Jarod stiffened a yawn as he headed for the stairs, nodding
cordially to the agents posted near by, embarrassed that he had
slept his way through most of the news, a sit-com, and the beginning
of the movie.
Jarod and Andi's temporary bedroom
9:15 PM
"Sweetheart, do you want your sedative now?" Andrea asked, as she
entered the room, surprised to find him wide awake reading a book.
Placing it discreetly in the drawer beside his bed, Jarod began
weighing his options, despising the fact that he would be without
his faculties for a good eight hours before the nightmares began.
"Jarod, what are you doing, running a Sim?" Andrea asked, becoming
openly impatient with him.
"Excuse me for a moment, sweetheart," Jarod said leaving his bed and
heading downstairs to have a talk with Agent Morris, whom he had
developed somewhat of a rapport.
"This is just great. Now I get to sit here and try to stay awake
while you do everything possible to get out of taking this," Andrea
said to no one in particular as she placed the pill and glass of
water on the nightstand, wishing she could just go to sleep.
*
45 minutes later…
"Sorry, Andi, I didn't mean to wake you," Jarod said, cringing as he
slipped into bed.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, scooting back
against her pillows and turning on the lamp.
"The thought had seriously crossed my mind," Jarod said not
bothering to hide his feelings, as she handed him the sedative and a
glass of water. "You never let me get away with anything," he said,
giving her a gentle pat as he lay down beside her in bed.
"You're not getting any sympathy from me, Jarod," Andrea said with a
sleepy yawn, snuggling into the curve of his right arm, resting her
head on his warm chest.
"Good night, sweetheart," Jarod said giving her a kiss on her
forehead, before closing his eyes.
Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Andrea fell fast asleep. Jarod,
relished every moment of having her slight form in his arms, until
his sedative finally took effect coaxing him into a dreamless sleep.
* * *
TBC - -the end is near - -jojarod50@...
jemac@...
Happiness
Part 50 – B
By jojarod 50
Safe house
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:56 AM – Monday
"I'm sorry, Andrea, I wish I had better news," he said, stepping
away from the doorway as the paramedics rushed in. "There's simply
nothing more I can do," he confessed, wiping his bloody hands with a
towel.
"You're wrong, Sydney. You're going to be able to help him get well,
just like you've always done."
"Andrea, you've got to face this for your baby's sake. The Jarod you
knew is gone now."
"How can you say that? He's just having another set back. He'll snap
out of it. He just needs more time."
"No, Andrea. We may never know why he chose to mutilate himself, but
it's a firm indication that he's completely insane."
"I'll be transferring him to and excellent psychiatric facility, as
soon as he's sufficiently recovered from his injuries. In light of
his emerging suicidal tendencies, I'm afraid you won't be permitted
to care for him any longer."
"Like hell I won't!" she yelled, shoving the psychiatrist
out of her way and rushing into the kitchen.
"Andrea! Don't go in there," Sydney exclaimed, rushing in after her.
"Don't touch him," she screamed, collapsing to the floor and
shielding his bloody body from the paramedics with her own.
"For God's sake, Andrea, get back and let these people do their job!"
"Let go of me!" she screamed, as one of the policemen
forcefully dragged her out of the room.
* * *
Safe house
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:58 AM
"Jarod?" Andrea asked, quickly rolling toward him, struggling to
focus her eyes. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," he managed between gasps. "I…didn't mean….to wake…you," he
said, raking a trembling hand over his face.
"Good night, Jarod, you're shaking like a leaf," she said, scooting
up beside him in bed. "The way you were thrashing around, I thought,
for a moment, that you were having a heart attack."
"I'm so sorry," he said barely above a whisper, brushing her hair
gently aside with his trembling fingers, his dark eyes betraying his
intense fear. "I promise I'll never put you through that no matter
what happens."
"Through what, a heart attack?" she asked, puzzled by the strange
way he was looking at her. "Jarod, tell me what you were dreaming
about?"
"Maybe later," he said, guiding her down against the
pillows. "Please, just lay with me for a while."
* * *
30 minutes later…
"Finding it impossible to fall back asleep, Jarod finally gave up
and tried to untangle himself from his wife, inadvertently waking
her up.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To take a shower," he said, giving her a quizzical look.
"Not a chance, Mister. You're going to have to wait," she
said with a grin, leaving the bed and disappearing into the
bathroom, without giving him time to protest.
"Weighing his other options, Jarod, slipped on his pants and
headed downstairs.
* * *
Bedroom upstairs…ten minutes later…
Satisfied with his brief conversation with Agent Morris,
Jarod took off his pants and slipped back in bed, relieved that
there had been no new developments over night. Musing to himself, he
smiled knowing his over-bearing psychiatrist would be hard pressed
to find a way to stop him from simply conversing with the agents.
"Sorry I took so long," Andrea said, swinging the bathroom
door opened and stepping into the room sporting an oversized pink
towel. "The shower's all yours."
"Did you leave me any hot water?" he asked, eyeing her
appraisingly, as he got out of bed.
"Of course I did, you boob," she said playfully, relieved
that he seemed a little less stressed out.
Grabbing some clothes from the dresser, Jarod padded his way
to the bathroom, mentally kicking himself for over-reacting to his
nightmare, resulting in robbing his pregnant wife of her much needed
sleep.
*
Ten minutes later…
"Jarod, what's going on in there," Andrea asked, opening the
door just in time to see her dazed husband snapping the towel bar
back into the brackets mounted on the wall.
"I, a, tripped on the rug," he said with a nervous laugh,
preoccupied with turning off the faucet and retrieving his
toothbrush from the floor.
"How could you possibly have tripped standing in front of
the mirror?" she asked, wincing at the bad bruise forming across his
bare back.
"It was a freak accident," he said, picking up his towel from the
counter top with a strained expression, abruptly leaving the room.
Jarod, I'm the one carrying your child, remember? It's time for you
to start confiding in me," she said, stepping in front of him,
preventing him from walking away.
"It was really stupid, if you stop to think about it," Jarod said
hesitantly, blushing fiercely as he made his way to the bed and sat
down.
"Remember Bruce? I just had a flashback of him trying to blow me
away," he said unevenly, studying her reaction for a split second,
before looking away.
"Jarod, how long has this been going on?"
"Since he shot me the other night," he managed, glancing at
her uncomfortably before breaking eye contact again.
"Is that what your nightmare was about?" she asked,
surprised by the difficulty he was having keeping his eyes on hers.
"No, it was worse," he said, barely audible at all, as he
left the bed and stepped over to the window, turning his back on her.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'd really rather not," he said, hating the fluctuation in
his voice, as he began losing the battle to remain calm.
Realizing that she was asking for more than he was capable
of sharing right now, she dropped the discussion like a hot potato,
reminding herself that his nerves were completely shot.
"Let's go downstairs and have some breakfast together. We
haven't done that in a long time."
"I'm sorry, Andi. You go ahead, I'm not feeling hungry right
now."
"Oh my gosh, I forgot to give you your medications. Sydney asked me
to hold off on your tranquilizer, but I was supposed to give…."
"That's all right. I don't think I could have kept them down anyway."
"I didn't know you're feeling ill. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Andi, it's nothing serious. I think it's just my nerves,"
he admitted uncomfortably, finding it terribly challenging being
this transparent with her.
"Go on now. Enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to lie down for a
little while; I promise I'll have something to eat later."
Jarod waited until the door had been closed a few minutes
before leaving his bed for the bathroom. Once inside he locked the
door, fell to his knees in desperation, and prayed.
* *
*
Jarod and Andrea's temporary bedroom
9:08 AM
"Startled awake by a tapping sound, Jarod turned his head just in
time to see his psychiatrist peeking through the opened door.
"Sydney…what…do you think…you're doing?" he blurted out, startled
out of his wits.
"I'm sorry, Jarod, I didn't mean to alarm you. I didn't
realize you were asleep."
"Forget…it," he managed nervously, scooting to an upright
position, feeling his manhood slipping further down the drain.
"How are you feeling?"
"Jumpy."
"I can well imagine. I'd hoped to start you on your new medication
before you started your day," he said as he sat down in the chair by
the bed and opened his chart.
"Why don't you lie back against your pillows and run through some
deep breathing exercises before we begin our session," he
encouraged; dismayed that he had frightened him so badly.
*
"There you go. That's probably enough for right now. It's unusual
for you to be awake before your sedative has completely worn off."
"I must be getting too much sleep," he said, nervously running his
fingers through his hair.
"I see," he said, accepting the fiction for right now. "Bear with
me, Jarod, I need to check your vitals before you begin your new
medication." Placing a blood pressure cuff on his arm, he pumped it
up only to release the air slowly, carefully listening through his
stethoscope.
Jotting the information on the chart, he remained silent until he
finished counting his respirations and taking his pulse, hoping in
vain that his patient would initiate a conversation with him.
"I was told you had a particularly difficult time after I
left last night," he began, jotting down the rest of the information
on the chart.
"That's a gross exaggeration," he said defensively, staring at an
imaginary dot across the room, as the doctor flashed a light in each
eye, checking the reaction of his pupils. "I wish you'd stop going
behind my back for status reports, and talk directly to me."
"You're right, Jarod, you have my apology. Why don't you
tell me your version of the argument you had with your father last
night," he suggested, observing that his patient lost all his
coloring the moment he brought it up.
"Who on earth told you about that?"
"Your mother."
"It wasn't an argument at all," he said, grabbing a fist full of
bedspread and nearly squeezing it to death. "It was a simple
misunderstanding."
"I was told the two of you got into a shouting match," he
pressed, wanting Jarod to tell him the truth.
"He was very confused. I was merely trying to straighten him out."
"By shouting at the top of your lungs? That's not at all
like you, Jarod."
"I was frustrated. He cornered me in my bedroom, pressuring
me to admit that I was planning to commit suicide," he said,
breaking into a sick smile.
"Jarod what were you doing to arouse such concern? I want you to
tell me the truth."
"Nothing. This is entirely your fault," he said in a low menacing
voice.
"My fault?"
"You've made a royal federal case out of my set back by taking my
razor and medications away from me; now what the heck is my father
supposed to think?"
"Jarod, I can see your point, but you know as well as I do that I'm
merely acting in your best interest right now."
"Best interest? How can you say such a thing?" he shouted, leaving
his bed for the window, pivoting around and glaring at him.
"Because it's the truth, Jarod. You're less than thrilled about
being medicated and given control of your pills, you might quit
taking them all together. As for the razor, you're doing fine with
out it; I just don't want to take any chances right now."
"CHANCES OF WHAT?" he yelled, going completely ballistic. "GO ON
SYDNEY, I WANT YOU TO SAY IT TO MY FACE."
"Jarod, I know you're frustrated, but intimidating me isn't going to
get you any where," he said, rising out of his chair to face him,
wondering if he were aware of what he was doing. "Now why don't you
sit down and try to get a hold of yourself?"
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER ME," he screamed, refusing to sit down.
"Doctor, do you need any assistance," the agent posted upstairs
asked opening the door.
"That won't be necessary. Agent Strauss, if you please, we need some
privacy right now," he said tightly, as the agent nodded and quickly
shut the door.
"All right, Jarod. I'm not sure if you're capable of harming
yourself or not, but I'm not willing to take any risks right now.
Your temper is extremely erratic at times, and I can't seem to
predict what's going to set you off. Other times you're so
profoundly depressed, I wouldn't dare give you access to your razor
or your pills. Frankly, until you cease having severe mood swings
augmented by debilitating nightmares and flashbacks, having access
to anything you might use to harm yourself with, is out of the
question. Besides, as badly as your hands shake when you're upset,
you have no business using a razor at all."
"And what about my father?" he asked, barely able to contain his
rage, amazed that Sydney didn't trust him.
"I promise you, I'll help Major Charles resolve this issue, before
it gets any further out of hand," he said, putting his hand on his
shoulder applying mild pressure, insisting that he sit down.
"Jarod, I want you to take this; it'll help you calm down," his
psychiatrist said, trying to hand him a glass of water and tiny
green pill.
"Not now, Sydney."
"Yes, right now; I'm not sure if you're aware of it or not,
but you're extremely unstable when you're not on your tranquilizer,"
he said gently, saddened to see his former protégé so
uncharacteristically out of control.
"What is it?" he asked, staring at the pill, trying
unsuccessfully to still his trembling hand.
"Something new."
"New as in…?"
"It's a psychotropic agent belonging to a new chemical class. It
should have similar effects as Valium, without the
potential risk of addiction. Hopefully, if it agrees with you, it
will better assist you in keeping things scaled down. I want you to
remain in your room until we see how you react to it. I don't want
you anywhere near the stairs," he cautioned, pleased to see him
finally comply.
"There you go. Now, why don't I take a quick look at your
shoulder, if you don't mind?"
Jarod let out a frustrated sigh as he unbuttoned his short
sleeved shirt and slipped it off his left shoulder tired of being
scrutinized by the older man.
"Very good: it's healing nicely. How is your range of
motion?"
"It gets a little better every day," he said, wincing as the
doctor began manipulating it, causing the shirt to slip down his
back.
"Jarod, how did you get this nasty bruise on your back?"
Sydney asked, suddenly wishing he were back in the hospital where he
could take better care of him.
"I tripped in the bathroom, while over reacting to a
flashback," he mumbled, obviously very unhappy with himself.
"What did you fall against?"
"The towel rack."
"Is that the only flashback you've had today?"
"No," he said in defeat, resting his head in his hand and staring at
the floor.
"Jarod, you mustn't be discouraged about this. It isn't your
fault. You can't expect to recover from the symptoms of post
traumatic stress syndrome in little more than a week."
"I'd settle for any improvement at all at this point."
"You may not realize it, but…"
"Drop it Sydney, I'm not stupid," he said, starting to raise
his voice again.
"As you wish. Jarod, this has been a very stressful session
for you. Why don't you lay down and rest until your medication takes
effect?" he said, glancing at his watch. "I'll be back to check on
you in twenty minutes."
* * *
Living room
9:45 AM
"Sydney, how's my son doing? I could hear him screaming all
the way down here," Major Charles said anxiously, as the
psychiatrist finished the last of the stairs.
"All things considered, I think he's doing reasonably well.
We just need to work harder on keeping his stress level within an
acceptable range, until he gets back on his feet," he said,
motioning to Andrea and her mother to sit back down.
"What can I do to help?"
"I'm glad you asked me that," he said, placing a hand on his
shoulder and ushering him into the kitchen. "Why don't you have a
seat? I'd like to visit with you about that for a little while."
* * *
Jarod and Andrea's temporary bedroom
10:10 AM
"Jarod, Sydney is here to see you."
"Sydney? Oh, um, just a minute, Andi," he said, trying to shake off
his grogginess as he awkwardly scooted up against his pillows.
"Jarod, how are you feeling?" his psychiatrist asked, carefully
evaluating him as he took a seat beside his bed.
"Extremely relaxed," he admitted, running a hand over his eyes. "Are
you sure this is non-addictive?"
"You have my word, Jarod. If I may, your demeanor has drastically
changed from what it was when I first spoke with you today."
"Yes, I guess you might put it that way," he said with a slight
chuckle, running his hand over his eyes again, feeling slightly
euphoric.
"Bear with me, Jarod I need to check your vitals again.
* * *
Eight minutes later…
"Your blood-pressure is slightly depressed. Do you feel light-
headed?"
"A little bit," he said, leaning back against his pillows, dismayed
at how much time he was spending in bed.
"That's a common side effect of this particular medication that
should go away after your body has time to adjust," he said, writing
at length on his patient's chart.
"Jarod, I want you to tell me about the nightmare that woke you up
this morning."
"Hmm, that's odd, I don't even remember it."
"It must have been an extremely disturbing one for you to have
blocked it completely out of your mind."
"Sydney, I don't want to discuss it right now."
"Jarod, I'm trying to help you. I need to know what you're
attempting to deal with."
"I've been having nightmares for as long as I can remember.
Discussing them seems rather pointless to me."
"Let me be the judge of that," he said gently, ignoring his attempt
to sidestep the discussion.
Jarod sat quietly for several minutes working with the fringe
nearest him, before he finally spoke.
"Apparently, I was busy performing an autopsy on myself when my
father wrestled a butcher knife out of my hand," he began deciding
it wasn't worth trying to get out of it any more. "After insanity
was mentioned, my hysterical wife made her way into the kitchen just
in time to see me lying in a pool of blood grinning at her," he said
quietly, closing his eyes, hating the way his psychiatrist was
looking at him.
"Do you feel there's any possibility that will happen to you?" he
asked, realizing why he had been so upset earlier.
"I knew you would ask me that," he said, letting out a heavy
sigh. "No, Sydney, of course not."
"The subconscious mind often explores fears and unresolved issues,
one is ill-equipped to pursue."
"Quit playing devil's advocate with me. It was the power of
suggestion plain and simple. My subconscious was reacting to my
father's fears and incorporated it into a dream," he explained,
rather convincingly.
"There's more to that, isn't there?"
The young man followed his psychiatrist's eyes to the bedspread he
had balled in his fist and immediately released it.
"Jarod, you mustn't be afraid to share what you're thinking," he
encouraged, saddened by the immense pain in his eyes.
"No dream is going to dictate what happens to me," he managed, his
voice faltering for a moment. "I'm no where near being insane."
"I know that, Jarod," his psychiatrist said reassuringly, knowing
having that happen was one of his deepest fears. "Things just seem
more difficult in your present state than they actually are right
now. Believe me, you're going to be all right," he said, watching
his patient absently arranging some of the bedspread fringe in a
neat row with his trembling fingers, unable to hold back his tears.
"Andrea mentioned that you haven't had any nourishment today. "Would
you like something to eat?" he asked, realizing some of his
trembling might be due to low blood sugar exasperated by his frayed
nerves.
"That would be fine," he said, starting to get off the bed.
"Not so fast, Jarod. Until your body adjusts adequately to your new
medication, it will be wise for you to remain in bed."
"You're probably right," he agreed slowly lying back down, feeling
emotionally drained.
"I'll have something brought up to you," Sydney said, gathering his
things and heading for the door. "If you run into problems before I
return, just have Andrea give me a call on the secured line.
Otherwise, try and get some rest. I'll be back later this afternoon
to check on your progress," he said, disappearing through the door.
Living room
3:05 PM
Jarod descended the stairs with a death grip on the rail, feeling so
upbeat after his nap that he that he wasn't going to let a little
thing like dizziness confine him to his bed.
Spotting several agents seated at a card table a discreet distance
from his family, he decided to swallow what was left of his damaged
pride and join them.
"Mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all, Agent Jarod. I was wondering when you were going to get
around to talking to us," one of his closer friends said, pulling up
a chair for him.
"Thanks, Richie. Have you heard anything about Operation "Clean
Sweep" lately? Broots told me it was on for later this week."
* * *
Safe house foyer
4:30 PM
"Good afternoon, Dr. Green," Agent Morris said, as he opened the
door.
"Thank you, agent; Why don't you let Jarod know I'm here," he said,
glancing toward the stair case as he stepped inside.
"Sir, he's not upstairs; he's right over there," he said, motioning
toward the living room.
"I see," Sydney said, covering his surprise, as Andrea left her seat
on the couch and came over to talk with him.
"Andrea, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked, knowing she'd been
struggling with nausea all day.
"Better, for the most part. I don't know what you gave
Jarod, but he's turned into some kind of socialite. Would you
believe, he's been over there since 3:00 PM?"
"You seem rather annoyed," he said in amusement.
"This is the first time in days he's been more like his old
self, so what does he do? Spend the afternoon "hanging out with the
guys", she said, glaring at him as he made his way over to them.
"What's the matter, Andi?"
"Never mind," she said, crossing her arms and leaving the
room.
"Did she seem angry to you?"
"Jarod, why don't we go upstairs and have our talk," Sydney
suggested, trying to contain his excitement over his patient's
surprising improvement.
* * *
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
"Have a seat on the bed. Jarod, I want to check your blood
pressure, you seemed a little wobbly on the stairs. I had hoped you
would have remained up here until I checked your vitals again," he
said, pulling his blood pressure cuff out of his bag.
"I really didn't see any need to. I feel perfectly all right."
"Your blood pressure is still a little bit low," he said,
releasing the rest of the air from the bulb. "I want you to be
particularly careful on the stairs until it normalizes."
"Sydney, quit worrying about me."
"You've become quite involved with the agents guarding your
family. Andrea said you came down stairs over an hour ago."
"I was bored."
"Have you had any more flash-backs?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," he said, lining up the
bedspread fringe in a neat row.
"Why don't you tell me what they were about?"
"Most of them were about Hans."
"Did you experience his death again?"
"Again and again," he said quietly, squeezing the fringe
into a small pile.
"And the others?"
"What do you think?" he asked, absently rubbing his arm.
"You experience being shot?"
"I used to give men counseling for this," he mumbled leaving
the bed for the window and fiddling with the blind.
"Jarod, please come over here and sit down."
When Jarod finally turned around there were tears in his
eyes.
"Come on now," Sydney said tenderly, placing a hand on his
arm. "We have work to do."
"I want you to tell me your experiences in detail, Jarod. Don't
leave anything out."
* * *
twenty minutes later…
"Very good, Jarod. The more we discuss your flashbacks the
less they will affect you over time."
"I need to talk to Bailey."
"Why, Jarod?"
"I'm sure you're aware that Sieble's team of scientists
already has several projects underway. What if the geneticists have
already created twin clones? Bailey needs to take that into
consideration and prepare for the worse"
"Jarod, Agent Malone has several advisors working with him.
This is really none of your concern right now."
"I've already dealt successfully with Michael…"
"No, Jarod."
"I knew you'd say that. At least let me run it by…"
"No, Jarod. How could you even think such a thing? You're in
no position to take care of anyone other than yourself right now."
"Do you have any idea what it feels like knowing you've been cloned?
"I'm sorry, Jarod, I know this is very difficult for you."
"Me? What about them?"
"Jarod, it's time for your second dose of medicine. Did
Andrea give you your anti-depressant and antiemetic after I left?"
he asked, as Jarod went to the window and instinctively peeked
through the blinds.
"Yes," he said, barely audibly.
"I know you're disappointed, but…"
"How could you possibly know how I feel?"
"I know that you'd give anything to be well right now and
you're dying to get on with your life. But that's not going to
happen any time soon. It's going to take you weeks to recover from
this and there's nothing either of us can do to change that."
Jarod ran his hand over his face and sat back down on the bed,
cupping his head in his hands.
"This is a living night mare."
"Why don't you take this? It seems to be doing wonders for
you," he said, offering him the pill.
Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head in dismay as he
reached for his glass of water and took the pill.
"There you go. I'd like to have you lay down until your
medication takes effect. I'm going to run down stairs for a little
bit. I'll be back to check on you after you've gotten a little
rest," he said, anxious to have a conversation with Agent Morris.
* * *
Kitchen - -5 minutes later…
"What did Jarod talk to you about?"
"Mainly, the sting operation."
"That's perfectly understandable since he headed it up. Did
you talk about anything else?"
"We tried, but every time we changed the subject, he did a u-
turn and brought us right back to the initial topic. It was kind of
eerie like he was totally obsessed with it."
"I see. Let's just keep our conversation between the two of
us."
"Sure. Say, Doc, I don't want you to get the wrong
impression from what I've said. Outside of that, he seemed pretty
normal to me."
"He is. He just needs to steer clear of the sting operation, until
he can handle more stress."
"I get your drift."
"Thank you, Agent Morris. You've been a big help to me."
"Mind if we come in now?" one of the agents asked peeking in
the door. "Jim, stopped by the Pizza Hut, and picked up four
pepperoni pies, he said, holding the boxes up.
"Be my guest. I was just leaving."
"You can stay for dinner if you'd like. There's plenty for
everyone."
"Thank you, but I really need to be going; maybe some other
time."
* * *
Andrea and Jarod's temporary bedroom
5:48 PM
"You're blood pressure seems to be hovering in the acceptable range.
Why don't you go downstairs and get something to eat. You're
family's about to sit down to dinner," Sydney said, as he put his
things away and made a final entry on Jarod's chart. "I still want
you to be very cautious on the stairs. Jarod?"
"You know I'm the only man who's ever had any experience
with clones."
"You're presuming they managed to get that far along with
their research. I'm sorry, Jarod, the timing's all wrong. Even if I
did have you run it by Agent Malone, you wouldn't stand a chance."
"What gives you the right…?"
"Jarod, you're not just anyone off the street, you're a
special agent with the FBI. After your brush with death and
unfortunate ordeal with Hans, I was assigned by the government to
get you back on your feet. As your psychiatrist I have the final
say," he said, hating having to be so blunt.
"Never mind," Jarod said, rubbing his temple with his finger
tips, as he got up and headed for the door."
"I'll be in to visit with you tomorrow morning. Try to relax
and enjoy your family tonight," he suggested, as they began to
descend the staircase together. "I don't want you obsessing about
Operation Clean Sweep any more. It'll impede your progress and do
nothing but frustrate you."
Good night, Sydney."
* * *
Dinning room moments later…
"You're just in time to eat," Michael said, giving Jarod a curious
look, sensing that he was pretty doped up.
"How did your session with Sydney go," Margaret asked, wondering if
his doctor had addressed the problem he was having with his father.
"Just fine, mom. Mmm, pizza, I haven't had that in quite some time."
Andrea studied her husband as he took his seat beside her,
suspecting by his puffy red eyes that he had been crying.
"Jarod, what would you like to drink?"
"A coke will be fine. Here let me get it, Andi; you've been waiting
on me far too much," he said, as he rose and gave her a kiss on her
forehead, before disappearing onto the back porch.
"Jarod sure seems to be in a good mood. I haven't seen him this
upbeat since before this mess began."
"Yes, he does, doesn't he?" she admitted, as Jarod reappeared.
"Two Cokes? "
"I'm thirsty," he said, popping open the can and taking a healthy
gulp. "Michael, could you pass me a slice of pizza, please," he
asked, handing him his plate. "Thanks. Do we have any crushed red
peppers? I like mine hot."
"Pass Jarod a couple of packets, Michael," his dad said, wondering
if Jarod was putting up a front.
"Gosh, Jarod, do you like a little pizza with your peppers?"
"Mmm, Emily, you ought to try it, it's very good," he managed,
before taking another big bite.
* * *
Thirty minutes later…
"Any one care for more pizza?"
"No thanks."
"I'm really full."
"I think I'll go in the living room and watch the news.
Jarod?"
"That sounds interesting, dad."
"You might as well put those away, Jim. Everyone's full."
Living room
7:10 PM
" Andi, if you don't mind, I think I'll go upstairs for a while,"
Jarod said, startled awake by someone's laughter.
"Of course I don't mind. You go ahead; I'll be up after the movie is
over."
Jarod stiffened a yawn as he headed for the stairs, nodding
cordially to the agents posted near by, embarrassed that he had
slept his way through most of the news, a sit-com, and the beginning
of the movie.
Jarod and Andi's temporary bedroom
9:15 PM
"Sweetheart, do you want your sedative now?" Andrea asked, as she
entered the room, surprised to find him wide awake reading a book.
Placing it discreetly in the drawer beside his bed, Jarod began
weighing his options, despising the fact that he would be without
his faculties for a good eight hours before the nightmares began.
"Jarod, what are you doing, running a Sim?" Andrea asked, becoming
openly impatient with him.
"Excuse me for a moment, sweetheart," Jarod said leaving his bed and
heading downstairs to have a talk with Agent Morris, whom he had
developed somewhat of a rapport.
"This is just great. Now I get to sit here and try to stay awake
while you do everything possible to get out of taking this," Andrea
said to no one in particular as she placed the pill and glass of
water on the nightstand, wishing she could just go to sleep.
*
45 minutes later…
"Sorry, Andi, I didn't mean to wake you," Jarod said, cringing as he
slipped into bed.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, scooting back
against her pillows and turning on the lamp.
"The thought had seriously crossed my mind," Jarod said not
bothering to hide his feelings, as she handed him the sedative and a
glass of water. "You never let me get away with anything," he said,
giving her a gentle pat as he lay down beside her in bed.
"You're not getting any sympathy from me, Jarod," Andrea said with a
sleepy yawn, snuggling into the curve of his right arm, resting her
head on his warm chest.
"Good night, sweetheart," Jarod said giving her a kiss on her
forehead, before closing his eyes.
Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Andrea fell fast asleep. Jarod,
relished every moment of having her slight form in his arms, until
his sedative finally took effect coaxing him into a dreamless sleep.
* * *
TBC - -the end is near - -jojarod50@...
jemac@...
