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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer in Part 1
The Truth Hurts
Part 8
by Trish
Margaret stared at the flames that leapt and danced as she stoked the logs in the hearth. Insolent little peon, she fumed, five times was a gross exaggeration of the truth. Jarod's mind had been tampered with twice, the first after Raines took him to the house in the woods to see Catherine. Raines was lucky that he was allowed to still breathe for that stunt. Jarod's second time had been Miss Parker's first, and now this latest attempt. Margaret smiled, enough dwelling in the past. It was finally starting. Everything was in play. The Centre would never be the same. Granted, it was complicated but she was determined to see this plan of her's succeed. Her only concern -- Ethan. The one person that could dismantle the entire project if allowed.
****
Jarod hadn't wanted to go back to the inn, but Dr. MacKenna's suggestion of gathering some of Parker's belongings and bringing them to the hospital seemed logical. As to why he hadn't thought of that could only be attributed to his worry over Parker's memory loss. So, he returned to the room they shared, and was about to rush back out to his car with the overnight bag that he had packed, when Marley had stopped him at the bottom of the stairs.
"She wishes to see ye," her emerald eyes bore into his dark ones. "Grannie says it's important." Nodding, he turned and walked up the stairs, making his way to the hallway to the far room. He had to steady his hand as he turned the doorknob, the overnight bag still clutched in the other hand. Jarod took a seat on the oversized chair that was next to the bed and soon Violet's gnarled hand was resting in his.
"Ye came, aye." She closed her eyes and a small smile curved her lips, then faded completely. "Tis happened?" her voice was low and this was not a question but statement of fact.
"What?" Jarod returned the smile, but briefly, as his memories of Parker asking Violet this same question surfaced before him. Violet had commented on Parker's glow at breakfast about six weeks ago and at her inability to stop staring at Jarod over the table which was answered with blush of color to Parker's cheeks and a witty remark from Violet. Jarod knew that this time the question had been already answered by Marley telling him of Violet's dream.
"The lass be trapped, here," Violet's hand moved slowly and tapped Jarod's temple. "Ye have to tell her the truth." Her voice grim, but held a note of satisfaction at the thought of Jarod's confusion.
"The truth? Violet, I'm not even sure of the truth. She'll demand proof. All I have is the picture, Violet. I can't tell her about us, not now. Hell, she won't believe me, she'd rather shoot me."
"Aye, the picture. It's naught to fret for, she be carrin' the proof, lad. It's under her heart, but ye hav' to be honest, ye canna play your games. Ye canna doubt me dreams. Parker willna kill ye, not yet." Violet tried to smile," I canna keep me eyes open, lad."
"You rest," Jarod replied as he brought Violet's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
"Rest isna an answer, lad. I'll be wit' my Dougal." Jarod's face clouded with sadness. " I would do anything for ye and Parker. . . this be your fight."
***
Broots swam up out of a flickering yellow haze composed of artifical light, dark, and fragmented memories, feeling completely disoriented.
"Are you all right?" The voice was Sydney's, low and cultured.
"Broots!" The voice, deeper and rougher, wasn't Sydney's at all. Neither was it cultured. It was full of fright and anguish.
"Angelo." Broots found the name at last to match the mental image for which he had been seeking. He sat bolt upright, staring wildly from one face to the other. He was surrounded by the two men, Angelo kneeling beside him, eyes wide and face pale.
"Are you all right, Broots?" The light brown eyes held only respectful concern, the fine dark brows arched over them in inquiry.
"Have you seen Mr. Lyle today, Syd?" Broots glanced nervously around, his eyes falling on the door.
"He's been with Mr. Parker most of the morning, why?"
"Uh huh. I had this really weird dream."
"Now you're dreaming about Mr. Lyle, Broots." Sydney smiled down at the computer tech, curiously.
"Please, Syd. He was wearing a pastel pink suit and cuddling a poodle," Broots shuddered at the memory. Then to Broots' surprise, Sydney laughed.
***
The window that Parker was staring out had a startling view of the Caer, but she didn't really notice the sight. She was lost in her thoughts. She had lashed out at the hospital staff, thrashing her room, and finally verbally abusing Jarod, after he had informed her that four months of her life were missing. And now her heart was pounding along with the constant throbbing from her head. Parker wasn't sure if it was from the blow she suffered from during the accident or the the tiny echo of voices that continued to whisper to her.
Sitting in the silence, Parker looked out into the greyness, her mind trying to dreg up any memory more recent than that damned picture. Frustrated with herself for not being able to remember anything as well as miserable at being stuck in the hospital, Parker gripped the call button again and buzzed.
Hearing the door open, Parker turned her head, ready with a caustic one liner about the medical care of the hospital when it died on her lips. There in the doorway stood Doctor MacKenna, her hands on her hips.
"Ye be a' impatient lass," she said, as she approached the bed.
"I'm not a lass," Parker muttered," I'm a grown woman that wants to get the hell out of here."
"True, ye a petulant babe tossin' a tantrum in need of a spanking," Doctor MacKenna replied as she reached down for Parker's wrist. " This be a hospital, lass and not the Regency. There be patients that need me more than ye."
"Than let me go," Parker yanked her wrist away, before turning her head back toward the window.
"Aye, when Jarod returns. I'll sign the release forms and hand ye o'er to him."
"Hand me over to . . . " Parker snapped, indignation seen in the windorws reflection, when suddenly the voices started to babble about trusting Jarod, incessantly. Unable to fight them, Parker leaned back, letting her head sink into the pillows.
"He be at Penfield's, gatherin' belongings for ye." Parker tried to speak only to be cut off with a hand and an order.
"Rest, lass." Doctor MacKenna said in hushed tones and a smile on her lips.
***
Jarod closed the door behind him, quietly and made his way to the stairs. He had reached the bottom when Marley called to him from the parlor.
"Jarod."
"Grannie's sleeping and Geilie's with her. Have you managed to get a hold of Donal?"
"Aye, Gelie's afeared that he won't make it back afore Grannie. . . " Marley closed her eyes, holding back the tears in them and tossing her head to the side, hoping the moment would help. "Since Grandda's death, Donal and Gelie's been family to us."
"I wish I could do something, Marley," Jarod said softly as he pulled her into his embrace," Grannie's special." He returned the smile at she gave him.
"Aye, that she be. Now ye best get to Parker. Grannie gave ye instructions, dinna she." She escaped his embrace and pushed him toward the door. " Go will ye."
"I'm going," Jarod murmured as he stepped out into the night. " Going to die at Parker's hands."
The Truth Hurts
Part 8
by Trish
Margaret stared at the flames that leapt and danced as she stoked the logs in the hearth. Insolent little peon, she fumed, five times was a gross exaggeration of the truth. Jarod's mind had been tampered with twice, the first after Raines took him to the house in the woods to see Catherine. Raines was lucky that he was allowed to still breathe for that stunt. Jarod's second time had been Miss Parker's first, and now this latest attempt. Margaret smiled, enough dwelling in the past. It was finally starting. Everything was in play. The Centre would never be the same. Granted, it was complicated but she was determined to see this plan of her's succeed. Her only concern -- Ethan. The one person that could dismantle the entire project if allowed.
****
Jarod hadn't wanted to go back to the inn, but Dr. MacKenna's suggestion of gathering some of Parker's belongings and bringing them to the hospital seemed logical. As to why he hadn't thought of that could only be attributed to his worry over Parker's memory loss. So, he returned to the room they shared, and was about to rush back out to his car with the overnight bag that he had packed, when Marley had stopped him at the bottom of the stairs.
"She wishes to see ye," her emerald eyes bore into his dark ones. "Grannie says it's important." Nodding, he turned and walked up the stairs, making his way to the hallway to the far room. He had to steady his hand as he turned the doorknob, the overnight bag still clutched in the other hand. Jarod took a seat on the oversized chair that was next to the bed and soon Violet's gnarled hand was resting in his.
"Ye came, aye." She closed her eyes and a small smile curved her lips, then faded completely. "Tis happened?" her voice was low and this was not a question but statement of fact.
"What?" Jarod returned the smile, but briefly, as his memories of Parker asking Violet this same question surfaced before him. Violet had commented on Parker's glow at breakfast about six weeks ago and at her inability to stop staring at Jarod over the table which was answered with blush of color to Parker's cheeks and a witty remark from Violet. Jarod knew that this time the question had been already answered by Marley telling him of Violet's dream.
"The lass be trapped, here," Violet's hand moved slowly and tapped Jarod's temple. "Ye have to tell her the truth." Her voice grim, but held a note of satisfaction at the thought of Jarod's confusion.
"The truth? Violet, I'm not even sure of the truth. She'll demand proof. All I have is the picture, Violet. I can't tell her about us, not now. Hell, she won't believe me, she'd rather shoot me."
"Aye, the picture. It's naught to fret for, she be carrin' the proof, lad. It's under her heart, but ye hav' to be honest, ye canna play your games. Ye canna doubt me dreams. Parker willna kill ye, not yet." Violet tried to smile," I canna keep me eyes open, lad."
"You rest," Jarod replied as he brought Violet's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
"Rest isna an answer, lad. I'll be wit' my Dougal." Jarod's face clouded with sadness. " I would do anything for ye and Parker. . . this be your fight."
***
Broots swam up out of a flickering yellow haze composed of artifical light, dark, and fragmented memories, feeling completely disoriented.
"Are you all right?" The voice was Sydney's, low and cultured.
"Broots!" The voice, deeper and rougher, wasn't Sydney's at all. Neither was it cultured. It was full of fright and anguish.
"Angelo." Broots found the name at last to match the mental image for which he had been seeking. He sat bolt upright, staring wildly from one face to the other. He was surrounded by the two men, Angelo kneeling beside him, eyes wide and face pale.
"Are you all right, Broots?" The light brown eyes held only respectful concern, the fine dark brows arched over them in inquiry.
"Have you seen Mr. Lyle today, Syd?" Broots glanced nervously around, his eyes falling on the door.
"He's been with Mr. Parker most of the morning, why?"
"Uh huh. I had this really weird dream."
"Now you're dreaming about Mr. Lyle, Broots." Sydney smiled down at the computer tech, curiously.
"Please, Syd. He was wearing a pastel pink suit and cuddling a poodle," Broots shuddered at the memory. Then to Broots' surprise, Sydney laughed.
***
The window that Parker was staring out had a startling view of the Caer, but she didn't really notice the sight. She was lost in her thoughts. She had lashed out at the hospital staff, thrashing her room, and finally verbally abusing Jarod, after he had informed her that four months of her life were missing. And now her heart was pounding along with the constant throbbing from her head. Parker wasn't sure if it was from the blow she suffered from during the accident or the the tiny echo of voices that continued to whisper to her.
Sitting in the silence, Parker looked out into the greyness, her mind trying to dreg up any memory more recent than that damned picture. Frustrated with herself for not being able to remember anything as well as miserable at being stuck in the hospital, Parker gripped the call button again and buzzed.
Hearing the door open, Parker turned her head, ready with a caustic one liner about the medical care of the hospital when it died on her lips. There in the doorway stood Doctor MacKenna, her hands on her hips.
"Ye be a' impatient lass," she said, as she approached the bed.
"I'm not a lass," Parker muttered," I'm a grown woman that wants to get the hell out of here."
"True, ye a petulant babe tossin' a tantrum in need of a spanking," Doctor MacKenna replied as she reached down for Parker's wrist. " This be a hospital, lass and not the Regency. There be patients that need me more than ye."
"Than let me go," Parker yanked her wrist away, before turning her head back toward the window.
"Aye, when Jarod returns. I'll sign the release forms and hand ye o'er to him."
"Hand me over to . . . " Parker snapped, indignation seen in the windorws reflection, when suddenly the voices started to babble about trusting Jarod, incessantly. Unable to fight them, Parker leaned back, letting her head sink into the pillows.
"He be at Penfield's, gatherin' belongings for ye." Parker tried to speak only to be cut off with a hand and an order.
"Rest, lass." Doctor MacKenna said in hushed tones and a smile on her lips.
***
Jarod closed the door behind him, quietly and made his way to the stairs. He had reached the bottom when Marley called to him from the parlor.
"Jarod."
"Grannie's sleeping and Geilie's with her. Have you managed to get a hold of Donal?"
"Aye, Gelie's afeared that he won't make it back afore Grannie. . . " Marley closed her eyes, holding back the tears in them and tossing her head to the side, hoping the moment would help. "Since Grandda's death, Donal and Gelie's been family to us."
"I wish I could do something, Marley," Jarod said softly as he pulled her into his embrace," Grannie's special." He returned the smile at she gave him.
"Aye, that she be. Now ye best get to Parker. Grannie gave ye instructions, dinna she." She escaped his embrace and pushed him toward the door. " Go will ye."
"I'm going," Jarod murmured as he stepped out into the night. " Going to die at Parker's hands."
