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Author's Chapter Notes:

The muse was kind this chapter and urged me to keep writing.  Thanks to all who have reviewed; your encouragement is what I pay the muse with.


Sydney’s head was pounding, every muscles in his body ached, and sheets on the bed were over-starched. He had plenty of things to occupy his thoughts, but he could only wonder how Jarod was doing. He was hoping that the doctors would authorized transferring Jarod into this room before he woke up, so that he could help minimize the anxiety Jarod would be experiencing. The doctor inside him knew better than to expect that, though. He knew that Jarod would be taken to a recovery room first and probably not brought into this room until he was moderately alert. But Sydney also knew himself well enough to know that he would not be able to rest until he could see Jarod for himself.

The noise level out in the hospital’s corridor was rapidly rising. Sydney could hear voices echoing through the partial open door from what Sydney assumed were the nursing staffs shift change. The metallic squeaking of unlubricated wheels told Sydney that either the janitor’s wagon or the food cart was approaching. Since the sun was barely cresting the horizon, Sydney made a mental bet with himself that it was the janitor. Sydney dozed off before the bet’s outcome could be decided.

An overly cheery voice woke Sydney from his light sleep with an exuberant “And how are we feeling this morning?” He groaned and contemplated pulling the scratchy sheet over his head when the sunlight from the newly opened blinds assaulted his eyes. Before he could move, though, a blood pressure cuff was attached to his arm, a thermometer stuck in his mouth and a hand grabbed hold of his wrist to count his pulse. Sydney blinked a couple of times, yawned, and, as he looked over to the rapidly retreating nurse, heard her say that his breakfast would be there shortly.

Sydney was thoroughly disgusted with the medical industry and more than ready to leave the building when Jarod was finally wheeled into the room. An orderly had helped Sydney clean up after breakfast and he was finally feeling semi-human again. Jarod’s condition, though, looked like he had been dragged behind a galloping horse over a bed of broken glass. Cuts and bruises decorated his face and across his chest. The tubing for his IV fluids was taped to his hand and heart monitors were stuck to his chest. His leg concerned Sydney the most, though. From hip to toes, Jarod was in plaster. Sydney knew that the Centre was most probably monitoring hospital admissions records and could even now be on the way and he just didn’t know how quickly Jarod would be able to move, if needed.

Jarod groaned and started mumbling pleas to be left alone. The attending nurse began softly stroking his hair back from his forehead and telling him to relax, that he was safe, that he was with his dad. Sydney caught his breath in shock and prayed that Jarod was still too out-of-it to understand what the nurse was saying. God knew how Jarod, in his semi-conscious state, would misinterpret that statement.

“Dad?” Jarod mumbled, tossing his head as he attempted to shake off the sedative.

“Sshhh, it’s OK, Jarod. I’m here. You’re safe.” Sydney hoped that the sound of his voice would both help soothe the restless Pretender and convince the nurse that Sydney was answering Jarod’s call.

The nurse fussed over Jarod for another couple of minutes and then finally turned to Sydney.

“The doctor will be in to see you in a little while. Is there anything I can get you before that?”

“Maybe help me into that chair next to Jarod’s bed?”

“I’m sorry; I can’t do that until the doctor has been in. We wouldn’t want you to aggravate something.”

The nurse left the room after getting Sydney’s assurance that he didn’t need anything and that he wouldn’t hesitate to page her when he did.

“Jarod, wake up. Come on wake up. That’s it.”

Sydney watched as Jarod struggled to overcome the drugs running through his system. Finally, after some grimacing, soft moans, and a tentative stretch that was abruptly halted, Jarod opened his eyes and looked around until he found Sydney.

“Sydney? Where are we?”

Sydney could see the anxiety building in the younger man and hurried to reassure him. “It’s ok, Jarod. This is a hospital. We were in a car accident, but we will both be fine. Now just lay back and try to relax.”

Sydney found that he was too late with his advice; Jarod had already fallen back asleep.

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Parker sat in her office and contemplated the direction her life was now taking. Six months ago, she was perfectly content in her luxuriously appointed Corporate office, working eight hours a day, five days a week. She had a small group of friends, some gentlemen friends for when she was in a more intimate mood, and a job that was both enjoyable and challenging. Now she was stuck in the lower levels twenty hours a day, seven days a week. Her coworkers were now a nervous computer tech with horrible fashion sense and the inability to speak without stuttering and a black-suited sweeper with no neck. Instead of smoozing lucrative contracts out of nattily dressed businessmen, she was chasing after an escaped science project and his presumably now mentally deficient keeper.

She gritted her teeth in frustration every time she thought of that stupid photograph Jarod had left for her. How dare they act so relaxed and carefree. Didn’t they realize how precarious their lives were. She wasn’t sure what was in their futures when they were brought back home, but she knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. Probably Re-education for Sydney, if he wasn’t terminated as punishment. Jarod’s future was easier to predict; a return to the simulations that were so beneficial to the Centre. Oh, he would almost certainly have some “quiet time” with Raines, but even Raines wouldn’t permanently harm the Centre’s cash cow.

“I found them.”

Parker looked up in shock; she had never even heard her office door open. Broots had stuck his head in the opening and was staring at her in some sort of brain-dead gaze as he waited for her reaction.

“What? Where”

“I was running a new program, one that based on physical characteristics instead of names. I thought that maybe they would be switching name, so I thought that maybe.”

“Stop! I don’t care how you found them. I just want to know where they are and if you’ve arranged for the jet to take us there.”

“They are in a hospital in Apple Valley, California. Its about three hours east of Los Angeles. The hospital records say they were involved in a car accident.” Broots finished in a rush, hoping that Miss Parker wasn’t going to shoot him for giving too much information or not enough information or even just for the hell of it.

“And the jet?”

“It will be ready in about 90 minutes. The pilots need to complete their pre-flight checklist and file a flight plan.” ‘And stock the liquor bar,’ he thought very quietly, just in case she could read minds.

“Fine. Get Sam and meet me there in one hour. We have a couple of vagabonds to return home.”

Broots’ eyes widened in terror as he watched her pull her gun out of her desk drawer. He quickly pulled his head out of the doorway and headed off to find Sam. This was not a good time to be late.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sydney was still waiting for the doctor three hours after Jarod was brought into the room. He had alternated his time between watching Jarod’s fitful sleep and the brain-numbing shows on daytime TV. At times, he thought that maybe watching Jarod battle nightmares was the more entertaining of the two activities. He was still suffering from his concussion-caused headache and the screeching voices on the talk shows were not helping. Finally, at long last, the door opened to admit the doctor and nurse.

“Mr. Long, I apologize for the delay in getting to you, but I was waiting for some test results. First, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. I have a slight headache, but I am more concerned with Jarod.”

The doctor made a note on one of the charts he carried and nodded to the nurse, who then hurried out of the room. The doctor then pulled a chair close to Sydney’s bed and sat down.

“Let’s talk about Jarod, then. The surgery went fine; we were able to insert the rod in his fibula and reset his dislocated knee. The internal bleeding is now under control and we have decided not to operate there for the time being.”

They both looked over at the sleeping man, one in concern and one for a quick diagnoses. Then Doctor Baker looked back at Sydney.

“The x-rays did show something that I would like to discuss with you.”

Sydney’s breath caught in his chest. There was something wrong with Jarod, just as he feared.

“I consulted with the radiologist, who confirmed my suspicions. Jarod’s x-rays show damage to several ribs and other bones. All consistent with injuries from no more than four months ago. I thought I would give you the chance to explain before I called the authorities for a possible assault case.”

Sydney was prepared for this. He knew that the ribs Jarod had broken in the Centre would show up an x-rays and he created a story that might save them both from being caught and taken back.

“Jarod was friends with a girl back east. Things were getting serious between the two and her father decided to intervene. Unfortunately, he is head of an unscrupulous group of men and they decided to “encourage” Jarod to see things their way. They beat the hell out of him, breaking his ribs and his nose. The daughter wants him back, though. She has been chasing after us since we left.”

“I see.” Doctor Baker made some notes on one of the charts again, then looked back up to Sydney. “I will let Security know that we have a possible stalker. What is this daughter’s name?”

“Miss Parker.” Jarod was the one who answered the question.

The two other men looked over in surprise. Neither had known that Jarod was awake, let alone listening to the conversation.

“Is there anything else you want to add to what your father has told me?” the doctor asked Jarod.

Jarod shook his head and then looked over at Sydney while the doctor left to arrange matters with the security department.

“Father?” he asked.




Chapter End Notes:
I am not a doctor (that's pretty obvious, I think) and I haven't been a hospital overnight since I was four.  I don't even watch ER, so if my medical parts are way off, I apologise.





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