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I do not own the Pretender or any of the characters. They belong to NBC, Pretender Productions, and others. I’m just borrowing them for my Pretender fanfic story. No money has or will be made off this story. Please don’t sue me, as I have no money. This story is purely for entertainment and promotion or my favorite show, The Pretender!
Jarod is in a psychiatric hospital struggling to regain his sanity with the help of his former captor/mentor, Sydney, who has defied the Centre and risked his life in the process. A Centre directive has now placed Miss Parker’s life in imminent danger and has sent her on a collision course with the truths she has refused, with every part of her being, to believe.
In Pursuit Of Happiness
Part 9
by jojarod50
Menninger Psychiatric Hospital
Overland Park, Kansas
Room 319
6:30pm
Jarod stood by the window watching the cars dart in and out of the thick rush hour traffic. Sydney was in one of those cars, he thought, regretting all of the horrible things he had said to him in anger and rage. Riddled with guilt, Jarod was grateful to finally be alone, where he couldn’t hurt anyone else. The rain was pelting the window, as another clap of thunder startled him, leaving him even more edgy than before.
„Edgy and exhausted; what a combination," he mused, finally sitting down in one of the overstuffed chairs by the window. Jarod took a pad and pen left on the table and started making a list.
„Let’s see, has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep; nothing new there. Has intense irritability and out bursts of anger."
Jarod sat there lost in thought for several minutes until another clap of thunder brought him back to what he was doing. „Well, here’s another one. I definitely have difficulty concentrating," he said, noticeably irritated. „Has exaggerated startle response, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, night terrors, and surfacing fragmented memories of something horrible."
Another clap of thunder caused him to drop his pad and pen on the floor.
„That’s just great," Jarod spit, as he headed for the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face.
Suddenly, another huge clap of deafening thunder sounded like it struck something right outside the window. The lights flickered and went out, sending him into a total panic. In his mind, he was back in the woods running for his life, away from the crash site, in a drug induced paranoid psychotic frenzy.
Groping for the door, Jarod stumbled out of his room and broke into a full run down the hospital hallway. He made it all the way to the cafeteria before two orderlies could reach him. They tried to stop the hysterical man, but he broke loose, ramming into one of the lunch tables and sending some patient’s trays flying. Mindlessly, he ran to the far end of the room and was cornered by two other orderlies, who kept him from going anywhere else. Jarod slid down the wall to the floor and just sat there staring down at his hands that he held together at the wrists as if they were tied or cuffed.
The lights were back on now, and part of the staff was working to calm down the other patients.
Jarod was still over in the corner sitting on the floor, with the orderlies standing near by. They watched him carefully until a doctor could arrive.
Jarod’s wild eyes were darting from one person to the other as he violently shook and cowered deeper into the corner still holding his wrists tightly together.
One of the staff doctors assigned to the night shift, stooped down near Jarod, who was rambling on about a secrete hiding place in the lower levels and something about thousands of flashing red eyes. Finally he trailed off, shutting his eyes tightly, as if to block out the memories and started to weep quietly.
„Jarod," the doctor said softly, after a few moments, „Jarod can you hear me?"
Jarod opened his eyes and looked at the doctor with a devastated expression on his face. He stared back down at his wrists, shaking his head as if to clear it, and whispered something to himself. Recovering, he glanced around at all the people staring at him. He was sweating profusely and hyperventilating. Jarod felt like he was going to throw up, and hoped he could sidestep that final embarrassment.
„I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do this," he mumbled obviously frightened and humiliated.
„I know that, Jarod. It’s all right.
„I just want to go back to my room," he said getting off the floor and weaving slights.
„Jarod, try to slow down your breathing."
Jarod leaned against the wall and took a few slow deep breaths.
„There you go. That’s much better."
„Jarod, we need to talk about what just happened to you."
„Not now. Please. I just want to go back to my room."
„Ok. Gary why don’t you go with Jarod and make sure he stays steady on his feet."
„Yes Sir," Gary said giving Jarod a friendly smile.
„Jarod, Dr. Best phoned and said he would be coming back up tonight. You can talk to him about this then if you would rather do that."
Jarod just got a sick look on his face and started down the hallway with Gary.
Once inside his room, Jarod barely made it to the bathroom before he got sick. Gary shut the door quietly and left the man to his privacy. Afterwards, Jarod sat on the cold tile floor and mumbled „it will be all right" over and over to himself as he rocked back and forth gently, trying to comfort himself.
Ten minutes later, Jarod left the bathroom and headed over to the nightstand where he kept his ice water. Grabbing the cup and pitcher he tried to pour some, but his hands were shaking so badly he just made a big mess. With a guttural angry cry, he threw the pitcher across the room, crashing it into the wall. Fighting to catch his breath, the pretender collapsed onto the bed. He buried his head in his hands, as he struggled to come to grips with his situation.
„My God, I’ve got to pull myself together. If the Centre finds me like this, I’m finished."
After a few moments, Jarod leaned back on the bed and fell asleep.
* * *
„Sydney, I’m sorry I ruffed you up in the parking lot. I see now that you saved Jarod’s life."
„I would have done the same thing in your place, Major. None of this should have ever happened to your son or you and your family."
„You told me that Jarod…. was…..tortured and given… an overdose of drugs that made him… loose touch with reality," Major Charles said with great difficulty, rubbing his hand over his face. And now, he’s better but experiencing flashbacks and anxiety attacks. Is he in touch with reality now, or is he going to always be……" Jarod’s dad abruptly stood and walked out of the room.
Sydney gave him time to collect himself and then joined him in the kitchen.
„Maybe it would be better if we finished this discussion later, Major," Sydney said in a gentle tone.
„No, it’s alright. It’s just a little overwhelming. What about Jarod, is he…insane?"
„No, he’s not. I don’t think the damage done to Jarod is irreversible, at least not most of it. I think he is, for the most part, back in touch with reality. Most people who are exposed to a heavy dose of a hallucinogenic drug eventually stop having frequent flashbacks, more over. They have them sometimes when under extreme stress.
Jarod’s problem right now is more in the area of a post-traumatic stress disorder which, actually, he has had most of his life and has lived with pretty successfully. But, I’m afraid the memories of this latest trauma are starting to surface and it’s going to be extremely hard for him to come to terms with the magnitude of what was done to him. That’s why having you here will be so helpful to him. You can give him love and support that only a father can give. With that kind of security, Jarod stands a better chance of beating this thing."
„You said he had amnesia. Will he know who I am?"
„Jarod has now retrieved his past memories up to a point. He knows who he is, recognizes me, and remembers the Centre. I don’t know if he remembers meeting you at Pakor foods or even what happened at Donoterase. He hasn’t mentioned any of that or Gemini. I imagine he doesn’t remember what happened at the Iversonville Airport or he would have asked if Miss Parker survived being shot. I’m pretty sure of that. He’s plagued with recurrent nightmares, but he won’t talk about them. I think his mind is fighting the memories and actively struggling to keep them from surfacing. Unfortunately, they will surface and he won’t be able to control that.
Jarod has had one major bout of clinical depression and I’ll do my best to keep him from having a relapse."
Major Charles just sat there with his eyes closed and gave out a ragged breath. Looking down at the table, he asked, "How is Jarod physically? You said he was….."
„Jarod’s injuries have healed nicely with very little scaring. He has lost a great deal of weight, though. He isn’t eating well and is extremely jumpy. I really can’t medicate him too much or it will be counter-productive to his recovery. Jarod is going to have to face some very painful things. There’s just no easy way through this. I think your son is doing fairly well considering all he has been through."
„I want to see him."
„Do you think you’re up to it? We can visit him tomorrow if you need time to come to terms with all this. I can tell that you are devastated. Don’t push yourself into something you may not be ready to handle. Jarod needs for you to be strong."
„I don’t want to wait anymore. I know I can handle this. I’m tougher than you think. Are you up to it? You look exhausted."
„Don’t worry about me. I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight. Let’s grab a quick bite to eat, if you don’t mind. Visiting hours begin at 7:30."
* * *
The Centre
SL – 17
Experimental Lab s321
Big Mutumbo worked the code lock and entered the renovated lab, finding a very gaunt and broken Mr. Raines hunched over a microscope and two sweepers standing a short distance away.
„Mr. Raines, I’ve been informed that you have some good news for me. I trust that means that you have completed your task."
Raines walked over to him, pulling his oxygen tank behind him, and handed Big Mutumbo a lab file.
„You’ll find all the… information you need… on the chemical therapy in… here. You must understand… that we won’t know its… effectiveness until… Jarod has used it for… at least two weeks. If the results are somewhat… disappointing… it will need to be reevaluated… and modified… to achieve the optimal effects. Be advised… that besides physical effects… of the overdose, there are going to be severe… psychological factors involved… that this drug… will not… correct," Raines stated risking another beating.
„Then you better make damned sure you come up with a chemical treatment to help correct that situation. You already have one foot in the grave. If you weren’t such a brilliant scientist, we would not be having this discussion. Of course, that factor will only be considered for a period of time. A great deal of things are hanging in the balance depending on the outcome of you work." Mutumbo cautioned with his eyes narrowing.
The look Raines gave him was really almost imperceptible, but wasn’t missed by Mutumbo, who nearly backhanded the old man across the room. Raines flew backward, just missing his oxygen tank, hit his back hard against the lab table and collapsed in pain.
„If I were you, I’d watch that attitude. It could get you killed very easily. Now, get back to work. You have a new project to work on."
Mutumbo left the room without another word.
* * *
The Centre
Mr. Parker’s office – evening
A poker faced Mr. Parker sat at his desk, as Sam and another sweeper escorted Lyle into his office.
„We need to have a discussion, Lyle, I’m sure you can appreciate the precarious situation you have placed yourself in by giving Jarod a drug overdose and brutally torturing him. What the hell were you thinking," Mr. Parker questioned, obviously exasperated.
„I didn’t plan on giving Jarod that much of the drug. I was extremely angry when I filled the syringe and made a mistake. Do you think I wanted to ruin the pretender’s mind? I’d have to be stark raving mad to undermine the Centre’s biggest asset on purpose. And as far as the rest of it goes, I was ordered to find out where Jarod hid the DSAs any way I could. What was I supposed to do? This was a time sensitive assignment. I thought Raines was under orders from the Tower and Big Mutumbo."
„Very interesting, Mr. Lyle," a deep voice boomed from the far side of the room.
Lyle’s eyes widened as he saw Mutumbo step out of the shadows.
„Big Mutumbo! I had no idea you were here. I’m telling the tru.."
„Silence," Mutumbo said, cutting him off. We have a retrieval project we’d like you to handle. If you succeed, your previous transgressions may possibly be overlooked. Otherwise, Sam will be bringing your meals to you for, say, a very long time."
Lyle glanced from Mr. Parker to Mutumbo, sizing them up.
„All right. What do you have in mind?" Lyle asked, feeling like he was placing his neck on a chopping block.
„Things aren’t always what they seem to be at the Centre," Mr. Parker said with a sly look on his face. „We’ve had Mr. Raines working at one of our Centre facilities, to formulate a neutralizing chemical agent for Jarod, to counteract the hallucinogenic properties, no doubt, interfering with his proper brain functioning. We need you to retrieve Jarod so that we can start treatments right away. You will have Mr. White at your disposal."
„Do we have any leads on Jarod’s whereabouts?" Lyle asked cautiously.
„I believe your sister does. We’ve, um, unintentionally motivated her to seek him out, so to speak. Locate her and you’ll find Jarod. We need your sister, Sydney and Broots included in the package. Your sister has some misinformation about you mother’s death and she may not be willing to come back. Be as persuasive as you need to be. I’m sure she’ll fall back in line once she understands we’re trying to help Jarod. Oh, and Lyle, Sam and his personal team will be accompanying you. I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but they will be watching your every move," Mr. Parker threatened. Mr. White should be arriving this evening. We will inform you when he arrives. He will supply you with the information you need. Do you have any questions?"
„No Sir."
„Good luck, Mr. Lyle. You may go now," Mutumbo said in a deep commanding voice motioning toward the door.
Sam broke into a cold sweat, as he left Mr. Parker’s office with Lyle and the other sweeper. Things were taking a nasty turn for the only people he come to care about and he doubted he wanted to be a Centre player anymore.
* * *
Menninger Psychiatric Hospital
7:30 PM
„Oh, Dr. Best, I’m glad to see you. May I have a word with you." The young doctor asked.
„Certainly, will this take very long? We were just going to pay Jarod a visit. Have you seen him?"
„As a matter of fact, it’s Jarod I need to talk to you about. This won’t take long."
„This is Jarod’s father," Sydney said quickly introducing the Major to Doctor Pritcher.
„How do you do, Major Charles," the doctor said eyeing the two Dairy Queen milk shakes he was holding.
„Glad to meet you. You two go right ahead. I’ll just sit right over here."
And with that, he headed for a couch nearby.
„Jarod is a PDST patient, isn’t he?"
„Yes, basically. What has happened?"
„About an hour ago, during the worst of the thunderstorm, the power went off for a while which apparently may have been a visual cue that triggered a traumatic memory of his to surface. He, well, acted out the whole thing. When I arrived, he was in a corner in the cafeteria. I told him he could wait and discuss it with you when you arrived."
Sydney bit his lip. „Where is he now?"
„He’s in his room, I think."
„Thank you Dr. Pritcher. I’ll handle it from here," he said reaching for Jarod’s chart. Sydney’s heart sank as he looked at the chart. He joined Major Charles who was already up and walking toward him.
„What is it, Sydney? Is Jarod alright?"
„He had a flashback. Remember what I said about Jarod having traumatic memories surface? I believe that is what happened apparently right after I left this evening. Having company may be difficult for him."
„Let’s play it by ear. I’ll try to keep a low profile and if it doesn’t work, I’ll wait out in the lounge."
Sydney nodded and they headed for the elevator.
Room 319
Finding Jarod’s door was shut, Sydney gave it soft knock and opened the door slowly. The lights were out, but a streak of lightening illuminated a dark figure sprawled on the bed.
„Who’s there?" Came the quiet urgent voice of the obviously startled pretender.
„Jarod it’s Sydney. I’m sorry I woke you up. Would you like to go back to sleep? We could come back later."
„We?"
„Yes, there is someone with me who would like to visit with you."
Jarod sat up and ran his fingers though his tangled hair.
„Um, sure, come on in," Jarod said cautiously looking up as the light came on.
Jarod stood as Sydney came in with Major Charles trailing him holding the Dairy Queen shakes. The Major’s eyes gazed painfully over his son’s lean body, recovering quickly and giving him an emotionally charged loving look.
Jarod just stood there as his dad approached and offered him the cup.
„Brought you a Butterfinger Blizzard, if you’d like it. You like ice cream don’t you?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes as he proffered him the cup.
Jarod cocked his head to one side and studied the man. Glancing over at Sydney, who nodded, he took the shake and smiled slightly.
„Thanks."
As Jarod reached out for the shake, the Major noticed the severe scaring all the way around his wrist, and fought back a reaction.
„You’re sure welcome, Jarod," his dad said and gave him a pat on the back.
Jarod looked surprised and then grinned slightly at the kind man that seemed so at ease with him.
„Why don’t we all sit down," Sydney offered trying to keep things causal.
„You seem familiar to me. I’m supposed to know you, aren’t I?" Jarod said with a thoughtful look on his face.
„That doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is that we’re together," his dad said hoping that repeating what Jarod had said to him last time they were together might jog his memory.
Jarod seemed lost in thought for a few moments then just smiled and sipped his shake. „Wow, this is incredible. I’ve never had anything like this; at least not that I can remember."
„Jarod, perhaps a little later we could talk about what happened in the cafeteria this evening. It’s very important that you face what you are remembering as the memories break through."
„It was nothing and besides, it was so abstract I couldn’t make any sense out of it," Jarod said convincingly making light of it.
Sydney noted that Jarod’s hands had begun to tremble badly.
„It’s over now, let’s just forget it."
„Look, if you would feel more comfortable talking to Sydney alone, I could leave for a little while," Major Charles said standing and giving Jarod a sympathetic look.
„No, that won’t be necessary, there’s really nothing to discuss," Jarod said noticeably agitated at Sydney for bringing it up.
A burst of lightening streaked across the sky followed by a horrendous clap of Thunder, which rattled the room’s windows.
Jarod was so startled that he dropped his milk shake on the floor with a big splat.
„I’m sorry," Jarod said looking at his dad. „I’ve been doing that a lot lately," Jarod said turning bright red and running a shaky hand over his face.
„Here son, let me help you clean that up," Major Charles said as Sydney handed him a towel from the bathroom.
Jarod stooped down and reached for the cup at the same time his dad did and noticed the „Circle of Fire" ring on the Major’s finger.
Jarod was immediately assaulted by a series of flashbacks. In the dim lighting of a research lab, Jarod was bending over a man named Captain Osborne, who was lying on the floor, fatally shot, handing him a circle of fire ring and a picture asking him to give them to his daughter. The picture in his hand melted into a snap shot of Major Charles standing with an Inuit. Suddenly, a red biplane exploded and he was in a motel room looking at the back cover of a phone book that had crowns doodle all over it. The scene smashed to Pakor Foods and Jarod embracing his father in a dark shadowy lower level of that facility. Gunfire erupted pelting an airplane, while Major Charles, who was piloting it was urged by Jarod to go on, they would catch up later.
„Sydney, something’s wrong. Jarod? Jarod are you all right?" Major Charles urged holding Jarod’s shoulders and shaking him gently.
Startled, Jarod looked up at his father as he abruptly came back to reality. He gasped as his eyes focused on him.
„Here, let me help you off the floor," The Major said taking Jarod’s arm and helping him up.
Completely overcome with emotion, Jarod just stood there, completely speechless. His eyes welled up with tears as he searched his dad’s face, recognizing him for the first time.
„I thought I’d never see you again," Jarod managed his knees almost buckling.
„Oh my God, Son, you remember!" his father exclaimed pulling Jarod into deep embrace.
Sydney was simply amazed by the staggering speed that Jarod was remembering things. He almost cried witnessing Jarod being totally immersed in his father’s love. He felt overwhelming gratitude toward Major Charles for giving Jarod a moment of real happiness in the midst of the terrible nightmare world he had endured for so long. Jarod’s mentor would do anything, if only it were possible, to keep Jarod from suffering anymore pain. For now, though, he’d certainly settle for this.
Quietly, he left the room, leaving the two of them alone. They needed time to themselves. Time to love and be loved.
Sydney let out a sigh of relief and headed down the hall toward the doctor’s lounge to grab a cup of coffee. He was exhausted, but it didn’t matter so much anymore.
As he neared the lounge his pager beeped. Checking it he went to the nearest phone. The phone number was unfamiliar and he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he wrestled with whether to or not to call it. Fearing it might be Broots giving him the heads up, he dialed the number. Dear Lord, nothing bad now. Please Lord, not now, for Jarod’s sake.
„Hel hello?"
„Broots, is that you? Is everything all right?"
„Sydney, boy it’s sure good to hear your voice. How are you doing? How is Jarod? Is is he better?
„We’re fine and Jarod is…well, better than he was. Is this line secure?"
„Oh, don’t you worry about that. I’ve got it fixed to the point the FBI couldn’t, um, well, yes, it’s very secure."
„Where are you calling from?"
„We’ve rented a house 50 minutes from the hospital."
„We who?"
„That would be Miss Parker and me. We need to see you as soon as you can break away."
„God, No, Broots! How could you do this to Jarod! I swear I’ll kill anyone, ANYONE, who tries to take Jarod back to the Centre, so help me God! Broots, you have to keep Miss Parker away from here long enough for me to get him out of here! I can’t believe you did this."
„St st stop, Sydney! It’s ok. Neither of us is working for the Centre anymore. We’re here to help you and Jarod. Miss Parker nearly died when she saw what they did to Jarod on the DSA. She, um, also found out her father ordered Catherine Parker’s death."
„Good Lord, I knew he had, but never told her. I knew it would be more than she could bear. How is she doing?"
„She’s better than she was at first."
„Are you sure you weren’t followed? If for any reason the Centre would get a hold of Jarod, I believe his mind would be lost forever. He simply can’t take anymore. His mental condition is very precarious right now."
„We have things rigged to the point that it would be virtually impossible for them to find us. I call it, Jarod’s maze."
„Broots, Major Charles is here. It would be better if we saw each other tomorrow, if things can wait until then."
„Major Charles? Jeez! Is he with Jarod now?"
„Yes, and I really need to be getting back there now."
„Oh oh sure. We’ll just call you tomorrow."
„Broots, I’m looking forward to seeing you and Miss Parker. It’s been a long time."
„Yeah, it has. Well, um, see you tomorrow, Sydney."
„Until tomorrow, Broots, goodbye."
* * *
Jarod is in a psychiatric hospital struggling to regain his sanity with the help of his former captor/mentor, Sydney, who has defied the Centre and risked his life in the process. A Centre directive has now placed Miss Parker’s life in imminent danger and has sent her on a collision course with the truths she has refused, with every part of her being, to believe.
Part 9
by jojarod50
Menninger Psychiatric Hospital
Overland Park, Kansas
Room 319
6:30pm
Jarod stood by the window watching the cars dart in and out of the thick rush hour traffic. Sydney was in one of those cars, he thought, regretting all of the horrible things he had said to him in anger and rage. Riddled with guilt, Jarod was grateful to finally be alone, where he couldn’t hurt anyone else. The rain was pelting the window, as another clap of thunder startled him, leaving him even more edgy than before.
„Edgy and exhausted; what a combination," he mused, finally sitting down in one of the overstuffed chairs by the window. Jarod took a pad and pen left on the table and started making a list.
„Let’s see, has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep; nothing new there. Has intense irritability and out bursts of anger."
Jarod sat there lost in thought for several minutes until another clap of thunder brought him back to what he was doing. „Well, here’s another one. I definitely have difficulty concentrating," he said, noticeably irritated. „Has exaggerated startle response, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, night terrors, and surfacing fragmented memories of something horrible."
Another clap of thunder caused him to drop his pad and pen on the floor.
„That’s just great," Jarod spit, as he headed for the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face.
Suddenly, another huge clap of deafening thunder sounded like it struck something right outside the window. The lights flickered and went out, sending him into a total panic. In his mind, he was back in the woods running for his life, away from the crash site, in a drug induced paranoid psychotic frenzy.
Groping for the door, Jarod stumbled out of his room and broke into a full run down the hospital hallway. He made it all the way to the cafeteria before two orderlies could reach him. They tried to stop the hysterical man, but he broke loose, ramming into one of the lunch tables and sending some patient’s trays flying. Mindlessly, he ran to the far end of the room and was cornered by two other orderlies, who kept him from going anywhere else. Jarod slid down the wall to the floor and just sat there staring down at his hands that he held together at the wrists as if they were tied or cuffed.
The lights were back on now, and part of the staff was working to calm down the other patients.
Jarod was still over in the corner sitting on the floor, with the orderlies standing near by. They watched him carefully until a doctor could arrive.
Jarod’s wild eyes were darting from one person to the other as he violently shook and cowered deeper into the corner still holding his wrists tightly together.
One of the staff doctors assigned to the night shift, stooped down near Jarod, who was rambling on about a secrete hiding place in the lower levels and something about thousands of flashing red eyes. Finally he trailed off, shutting his eyes tightly, as if to block out the memories and started to weep quietly.
„Jarod," the doctor said softly, after a few moments, „Jarod can you hear me?"
Jarod opened his eyes and looked at the doctor with a devastated expression on his face. He stared back down at his wrists, shaking his head as if to clear it, and whispered something to himself. Recovering, he glanced around at all the people staring at him. He was sweating profusely and hyperventilating. Jarod felt like he was going to throw up, and hoped he could sidestep that final embarrassment.
„I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do this," he mumbled obviously frightened and humiliated.
„I know that, Jarod. It’s all right.
„I just want to go back to my room," he said getting off the floor and weaving slights.
„Jarod, try to slow down your breathing."
Jarod leaned against the wall and took a few slow deep breaths.
„There you go. That’s much better."
„Jarod, we need to talk about what just happened to you."
„Not now. Please. I just want to go back to my room."
„Ok. Gary why don’t you go with Jarod and make sure he stays steady on his feet."
„Yes Sir," Gary said giving Jarod a friendly smile.
„Jarod, Dr. Best phoned and said he would be coming back up tonight. You can talk to him about this then if you would rather do that."
Jarod just got a sick look on his face and started down the hallway with Gary.
Once inside his room, Jarod barely made it to the bathroom before he got sick. Gary shut the door quietly and left the man to his privacy. Afterwards, Jarod sat on the cold tile floor and mumbled „it will be all right" over and over to himself as he rocked back and forth gently, trying to comfort himself.
Ten minutes later, Jarod left the bathroom and headed over to the nightstand where he kept his ice water. Grabbing the cup and pitcher he tried to pour some, but his hands were shaking so badly he just made a big mess. With a guttural angry cry, he threw the pitcher across the room, crashing it into the wall. Fighting to catch his breath, the pretender collapsed onto the bed. He buried his head in his hands, as he struggled to come to grips with his situation.
„My God, I’ve got to pull myself together. If the Centre finds me like this, I’m finished."
After a few moments, Jarod leaned back on the bed and fell asleep.
* * *
„Sydney, I’m sorry I ruffed you up in the parking lot. I see now that you saved Jarod’s life."
„I would have done the same thing in your place, Major. None of this should have ever happened to your son or you and your family."
„You told me that Jarod…. was…..tortured and given… an overdose of drugs that made him… loose touch with reality," Major Charles said with great difficulty, rubbing his hand over his face. And now, he’s better but experiencing flashbacks and anxiety attacks. Is he in touch with reality now, or is he going to always be……" Jarod’s dad abruptly stood and walked out of the room.
Sydney gave him time to collect himself and then joined him in the kitchen.
„Maybe it would be better if we finished this discussion later, Major," Sydney said in a gentle tone.
„No, it’s alright. It’s just a little overwhelming. What about Jarod, is he…insane?"
„No, he’s not. I don’t think the damage done to Jarod is irreversible, at least not most of it. I think he is, for the most part, back in touch with reality. Most people who are exposed to a heavy dose of a hallucinogenic drug eventually stop having frequent flashbacks, more over. They have them sometimes when under extreme stress.
Jarod’s problem right now is more in the area of a post-traumatic stress disorder which, actually, he has had most of his life and has lived with pretty successfully. But, I’m afraid the memories of this latest trauma are starting to surface and it’s going to be extremely hard for him to come to terms with the magnitude of what was done to him. That’s why having you here will be so helpful to him. You can give him love and support that only a father can give. With that kind of security, Jarod stands a better chance of beating this thing."
„You said he had amnesia. Will he know who I am?"
„Jarod has now retrieved his past memories up to a point. He knows who he is, recognizes me, and remembers the Centre. I don’t know if he remembers meeting you at Pakor foods or even what happened at Donoterase. He hasn’t mentioned any of that or Gemini. I imagine he doesn’t remember what happened at the Iversonville Airport or he would have asked if Miss Parker survived being shot. I’m pretty sure of that. He’s plagued with recurrent nightmares, but he won’t talk about them. I think his mind is fighting the memories and actively struggling to keep them from surfacing. Unfortunately, they will surface and he won’t be able to control that.
Jarod has had one major bout of clinical depression and I’ll do my best to keep him from having a relapse."
Major Charles just sat there with his eyes closed and gave out a ragged breath. Looking down at the table, he asked, "How is Jarod physically? You said he was….."
„Jarod’s injuries have healed nicely with very little scaring. He has lost a great deal of weight, though. He isn’t eating well and is extremely jumpy. I really can’t medicate him too much or it will be counter-productive to his recovery. Jarod is going to have to face some very painful things. There’s just no easy way through this. I think your son is doing fairly well considering all he has been through."
„I want to see him."
„Do you think you’re up to it? We can visit him tomorrow if you need time to come to terms with all this. I can tell that you are devastated. Don’t push yourself into something you may not be ready to handle. Jarod needs for you to be strong."
„I don’t want to wait anymore. I know I can handle this. I’m tougher than you think. Are you up to it? You look exhausted."
„Don’t worry about me. I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight. Let’s grab a quick bite to eat, if you don’t mind. Visiting hours begin at 7:30."
* * *
The Centre
SL – 17
Experimental Lab s321
Big Mutumbo worked the code lock and entered the renovated lab, finding a very gaunt and broken Mr. Raines hunched over a microscope and two sweepers standing a short distance away.
„Mr. Raines, I’ve been informed that you have some good news for me. I trust that means that you have completed your task."
Raines walked over to him, pulling his oxygen tank behind him, and handed Big Mutumbo a lab file.
„You’ll find all the… information you need… on the chemical therapy in… here. You must understand… that we won’t know its… effectiveness until… Jarod has used it for… at least two weeks. If the results are somewhat… disappointing… it will need to be reevaluated… and modified… to achieve the optimal effects. Be advised… that besides physical effects… of the overdose, there are going to be severe… psychological factors involved… that this drug… will not… correct," Raines stated risking another beating.
„Then you better make damned sure you come up with a chemical treatment to help correct that situation. You already have one foot in the grave. If you weren’t such a brilliant scientist, we would not be having this discussion. Of course, that factor will only be considered for a period of time. A great deal of things are hanging in the balance depending on the outcome of you work." Mutumbo cautioned with his eyes narrowing.
The look Raines gave him was really almost imperceptible, but wasn’t missed by Mutumbo, who nearly backhanded the old man across the room. Raines flew backward, just missing his oxygen tank, hit his back hard against the lab table and collapsed in pain.
„If I were you, I’d watch that attitude. It could get you killed very easily. Now, get back to work. You have a new project to work on."
Mutumbo left the room without another word.
* * *
The Centre
Mr. Parker’s office – evening
A poker faced Mr. Parker sat at his desk, as Sam and another sweeper escorted Lyle into his office.
„We need to have a discussion, Lyle, I’m sure you can appreciate the precarious situation you have placed yourself in by giving Jarod a drug overdose and brutally torturing him. What the hell were you thinking," Mr. Parker questioned, obviously exasperated.
„I didn’t plan on giving Jarod that much of the drug. I was extremely angry when I filled the syringe and made a mistake. Do you think I wanted to ruin the pretender’s mind? I’d have to be stark raving mad to undermine the Centre’s biggest asset on purpose. And as far as the rest of it goes, I was ordered to find out where Jarod hid the DSAs any way I could. What was I supposed to do? This was a time sensitive assignment. I thought Raines was under orders from the Tower and Big Mutumbo."
„Very interesting, Mr. Lyle," a deep voice boomed from the far side of the room.
Lyle’s eyes widened as he saw Mutumbo step out of the shadows.
„Big Mutumbo! I had no idea you were here. I’m telling the tru.."
„Silence," Mutumbo said, cutting him off. We have a retrieval project we’d like you to handle. If you succeed, your previous transgressions may possibly be overlooked. Otherwise, Sam will be bringing your meals to you for, say, a very long time."
Lyle glanced from Mr. Parker to Mutumbo, sizing them up.
„All right. What do you have in mind?" Lyle asked, feeling like he was placing his neck on a chopping block.
„Things aren’t always what they seem to be at the Centre," Mr. Parker said with a sly look on his face. „We’ve had Mr. Raines working at one of our Centre facilities, to formulate a neutralizing chemical agent for Jarod, to counteract the hallucinogenic properties, no doubt, interfering with his proper brain functioning. We need you to retrieve Jarod so that we can start treatments right away. You will have Mr. White at your disposal."
„Do we have any leads on Jarod’s whereabouts?" Lyle asked cautiously.
„I believe your sister does. We’ve, um, unintentionally motivated her to seek him out, so to speak. Locate her and you’ll find Jarod. We need your sister, Sydney and Broots included in the package. Your sister has some misinformation about you mother’s death and she may not be willing to come back. Be as persuasive as you need to be. I’m sure she’ll fall back in line once she understands we’re trying to help Jarod. Oh, and Lyle, Sam and his personal team will be accompanying you. I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but they will be watching your every move," Mr. Parker threatened. Mr. White should be arriving this evening. We will inform you when he arrives. He will supply you with the information you need. Do you have any questions?"
„No Sir."
„Good luck, Mr. Lyle. You may go now," Mutumbo said in a deep commanding voice motioning toward the door.
Sam broke into a cold sweat, as he left Mr. Parker’s office with Lyle and the other sweeper. Things were taking a nasty turn for the only people he come to care about and he doubted he wanted to be a Centre player anymore.
* * *
Menninger Psychiatric Hospital
7:30 PM
„Oh, Dr. Best, I’m glad to see you. May I have a word with you." The young doctor asked.
„Certainly, will this take very long? We were just going to pay Jarod a visit. Have you seen him?"
„As a matter of fact, it’s Jarod I need to talk to you about. This won’t take long."
„This is Jarod’s father," Sydney said quickly introducing the Major to Doctor Pritcher.
„How do you do, Major Charles," the doctor said eyeing the two Dairy Queen milk shakes he was holding.
„Glad to meet you. You two go right ahead. I’ll just sit right over here."
And with that, he headed for a couch nearby.
„Jarod is a PDST patient, isn’t he?"
„Yes, basically. What has happened?"
„About an hour ago, during the worst of the thunderstorm, the power went off for a while which apparently may have been a visual cue that triggered a traumatic memory of his to surface. He, well, acted out the whole thing. When I arrived, he was in a corner in the cafeteria. I told him he could wait and discuss it with you when you arrived."
Sydney bit his lip. „Where is he now?"
„He’s in his room, I think."
„Thank you Dr. Pritcher. I’ll handle it from here," he said reaching for Jarod’s chart. Sydney’s heart sank as he looked at the chart. He joined Major Charles who was already up and walking toward him.
„What is it, Sydney? Is Jarod alright?"
„He had a flashback. Remember what I said about Jarod having traumatic memories surface? I believe that is what happened apparently right after I left this evening. Having company may be difficult for him."
„Let’s play it by ear. I’ll try to keep a low profile and if it doesn’t work, I’ll wait out in the lounge."
Sydney nodded and they headed for the elevator.
Room 319
Finding Jarod’s door was shut, Sydney gave it soft knock and opened the door slowly. The lights were out, but a streak of lightening illuminated a dark figure sprawled on the bed.
„Who’s there?" Came the quiet urgent voice of the obviously startled pretender.
„Jarod it’s Sydney. I’m sorry I woke you up. Would you like to go back to sleep? We could come back later."
„We?"
„Yes, there is someone with me who would like to visit with you."
Jarod sat up and ran his fingers though his tangled hair.
„Um, sure, come on in," Jarod said cautiously looking up as the light came on.
Jarod stood as Sydney came in with Major Charles trailing him holding the Dairy Queen shakes. The Major’s eyes gazed painfully over his son’s lean body, recovering quickly and giving him an emotionally charged loving look.
Jarod just stood there as his dad approached and offered him the cup.
„Brought you a Butterfinger Blizzard, if you’d like it. You like ice cream don’t you?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes as he proffered him the cup.
Jarod cocked his head to one side and studied the man. Glancing over at Sydney, who nodded, he took the shake and smiled slightly.
„Thanks."
As Jarod reached out for the shake, the Major noticed the severe scaring all the way around his wrist, and fought back a reaction.
„You’re sure welcome, Jarod," his dad said and gave him a pat on the back.
Jarod looked surprised and then grinned slightly at the kind man that seemed so at ease with him.
„Why don’t we all sit down," Sydney offered trying to keep things causal.
„You seem familiar to me. I’m supposed to know you, aren’t I?" Jarod said with a thoughtful look on his face.
„That doesn’t matter right now. What’s important is that we’re together," his dad said hoping that repeating what Jarod had said to him last time they were together might jog his memory.
Jarod seemed lost in thought for a few moments then just smiled and sipped his shake. „Wow, this is incredible. I’ve never had anything like this; at least not that I can remember."
„Jarod, perhaps a little later we could talk about what happened in the cafeteria this evening. It’s very important that you face what you are remembering as the memories break through."
„It was nothing and besides, it was so abstract I couldn’t make any sense out of it," Jarod said convincingly making light of it.
Sydney noted that Jarod’s hands had begun to tremble badly.
„It’s over now, let’s just forget it."
„Look, if you would feel more comfortable talking to Sydney alone, I could leave for a little while," Major Charles said standing and giving Jarod a sympathetic look.
„No, that won’t be necessary, there’s really nothing to discuss," Jarod said noticeably agitated at Sydney for bringing it up.
A burst of lightening streaked across the sky followed by a horrendous clap of Thunder, which rattled the room’s windows.
Jarod was so startled that he dropped his milk shake on the floor with a big splat.
„I’m sorry," Jarod said looking at his dad. „I’ve been doing that a lot lately," Jarod said turning bright red and running a shaky hand over his face.
„Here son, let me help you clean that up," Major Charles said as Sydney handed him a towel from the bathroom.
Jarod stooped down and reached for the cup at the same time his dad did and noticed the „Circle of Fire" ring on the Major’s finger.
Jarod was immediately assaulted by a series of flashbacks. In the dim lighting of a research lab, Jarod was bending over a man named Captain Osborne, who was lying on the floor, fatally shot, handing him a circle of fire ring and a picture asking him to give them to his daughter. The picture in his hand melted into a snap shot of Major Charles standing with an Inuit. Suddenly, a red biplane exploded and he was in a motel room looking at the back cover of a phone book that had crowns doodle all over it. The scene smashed to Pakor Foods and Jarod embracing his father in a dark shadowy lower level of that facility. Gunfire erupted pelting an airplane, while Major Charles, who was piloting it was urged by Jarod to go on, they would catch up later.
„Sydney, something’s wrong. Jarod? Jarod are you all right?" Major Charles urged holding Jarod’s shoulders and shaking him gently.
Startled, Jarod looked up at his father as he abruptly came back to reality. He gasped as his eyes focused on him.
„Here, let me help you off the floor," The Major said taking Jarod’s arm and helping him up.
Completely overcome with emotion, Jarod just stood there, completely speechless. His eyes welled up with tears as he searched his dad’s face, recognizing him for the first time.
„I thought I’d never see you again," Jarod managed his knees almost buckling.
„Oh my God, Son, you remember!" his father exclaimed pulling Jarod into deep embrace.
Sydney was simply amazed by the staggering speed that Jarod was remembering things. He almost cried witnessing Jarod being totally immersed in his father’s love. He felt overwhelming gratitude toward Major Charles for giving Jarod a moment of real happiness in the midst of the terrible nightmare world he had endured for so long. Jarod’s mentor would do anything, if only it were possible, to keep Jarod from suffering anymore pain. For now, though, he’d certainly settle for this.
Quietly, he left the room, leaving the two of them alone. They needed time to themselves. Time to love and be loved.
Sydney let out a sigh of relief and headed down the hall toward the doctor’s lounge to grab a cup of coffee. He was exhausted, but it didn’t matter so much anymore.
As he neared the lounge his pager beeped. Checking it he went to the nearest phone. The phone number was unfamiliar and he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he wrestled with whether to or not to call it. Fearing it might be Broots giving him the heads up, he dialed the number. Dear Lord, nothing bad now. Please Lord, not now, for Jarod’s sake.
„Hel hello?"
„Broots, is that you? Is everything all right?"
„Sydney, boy it’s sure good to hear your voice. How are you doing? How is Jarod? Is is he better?
„We’re fine and Jarod is…well, better than he was. Is this line secure?"
„Oh, don’t you worry about that. I’ve got it fixed to the point the FBI couldn’t, um, well, yes, it’s very secure."
„Where are you calling from?"
„We’ve rented a house 50 minutes from the hospital."
„We who?"
„That would be Miss Parker and me. We need to see you as soon as you can break away."
„God, No, Broots! How could you do this to Jarod! I swear I’ll kill anyone, ANYONE, who tries to take Jarod back to the Centre, so help me God! Broots, you have to keep Miss Parker away from here long enough for me to get him out of here! I can’t believe you did this."
„St st stop, Sydney! It’s ok. Neither of us is working for the Centre anymore. We’re here to help you and Jarod. Miss Parker nearly died when she saw what they did to Jarod on the DSA. She, um, also found out her father ordered Catherine Parker’s death."
„Good Lord, I knew he had, but never told her. I knew it would be more than she could bear. How is she doing?"
„She’s better than she was at first."
„Are you sure you weren’t followed? If for any reason the Centre would get a hold of Jarod, I believe his mind would be lost forever. He simply can’t take anymore. His mental condition is very precarious right now."
„We have things rigged to the point that it would be virtually impossible for them to find us. I call it, Jarod’s maze."
„Broots, Major Charles is here. It would be better if we saw each other tomorrow, if things can wait until then."
„Major Charles? Jeez! Is he with Jarod now?"
„Yes, and I really need to be getting back there now."
„Oh oh sure. We’ll just call you tomorrow."
„Broots, I’m looking forward to seeing you and Miss Parker. It’s been a long time."
„Yeah, it has. Well, um, see you tomorrow, Sydney."
„Until tomorrow, Broots, goodbye."
* * *
