Turn Around by Chris
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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: I do not own tP or the characters. They belong to NBC, MTM and TNT. I only dare to use them for my purposes. This is a piece of non-profit fanfiction, there are no copyright infringements intended. The character of Michael belongs to my imagination (even though he might have some things in common with MTW :-))
Title: Turn Around
By: Chris
Rated: PG
12/?
Jarod came from the bathroom and looked at the two, staring at the computer screen, the dog standing beside them as well. He approached them from behind and put his hands on Parker’s shoulder. She screamed in pain and Jarod realized too late that he had put his hand on the wound on her shoulder. She bit her lip, trying not to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Meredith!”
“Just do something to make it stop!!!”
“You’ve already had more painkillers than I can tolerate. I can’t do anything.”
“Make it stop!!!” she screamed at him, tears filling her eyes.
“I can’t!”, he screamed back.
She sank onto her knees, screaming out in pain, trying to bite her lip and stop the tears from falling. Jarod knew, that he couldn’t do anything to make it stop. He could give her more painkillers, but that would stop the pain only for a short time. Maybe she would fall asleep soon. He took a syringe from his black leather bag and injected the painkiller into Parker’s bloodstream. He helped her up and led her towards the bed.
“Lie down and try to sleep,” he told her.
She was still sobbing but she nodded. She was weak and Jarod was afraid to take her with him to find out more about the Habitat. She would break down if she had to walk for days. He could leave her with Broots and Debbie, but she would kill him for even thinking of that option. He could leave her while she was still sleeping, or somehow sedate her, but he had to think of Broots. And then there was the problem that only Parker knew exactly where they’d meet the next day. They had to take her with them. He felt Michael’s eyes on his back and turned around.
“I know that she’s too weak to accompany us, but we have no other choice,” he whispered and went into the other room. Michael followed him and they sat down on the sofa. Jarod sighed and leaned back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and felt Michael’s hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll find a way,” he said and Jarod looked at the older man thankfully.
“I feel responsible for her and I’d feel guilty if I left her behind.”
“Would you leave her behind somewhere in the forest if it would save our life?”
“NO! Never would I leave her.”
“Jarod, what if she breaks down and a sweeper team finds us? You had to leave her to save your own life. They’d bring you back to the Centre and that’d be the end of your freedom. If you left her behind you’d still be free. They wouldn’t do anything to her.”
“Michael, officially she’s dead. Nobody in the Centre would care what happened to her. To them she would be just another pretender.”
“She’s a pretender? I didn't know that.”
Jarod got up and walked to the cupboard. He took a glass and made himself a drink. He took another glass and filled it with the golden liquid. He handed the other glass to Michael and sat down on the sofa again. He sipped at his glass and went on talking.
“She’s a natural pretender just as I am. Her skills haven’t been trained yet and she doesn’t know how to use them. Sometimes they surface and she doesn’t know what to do. One day I’ll teach her how to use them, but that day has to come. Someday, when she trusts me completely and when I can be sure that she has no intention of returning to the Centre. I’m not quite sure now.”
“Jarod, do you love her?”
Jarod was silent or a moment, trying to find the right words.
“Yes, I love her, but only as I’d love a sister or a family member. Sometimes, when she stares at me and I feel as if I drown in her eyes, I think there’s something more. But that feeling is gone as soon as she looks away.”
“We don't have time to analyze your feelings for her right now, but you have to familiarize yourself with the prospect of leaving her behind.”
Jarod sighed and emptied his glass. He nodded and got up. He put the glass onto the table and peered into the bedroom where Parker was lying. She was pale but she was sleeping. Jarod took a blanket and covered her with it. The dog jumped onto the bed and curled up beside Parker. Jarod smiled and left the room again.
“She’s sleeping,” he told Michael and sat down in front of the computer.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to find out what they’ve been doing to Sydney. Broots said that he was taken into custody. I need to find a way to save him.”
“Jarod, you can’t do everything at the same time. You have to concentrate on the task in front of you.”
“I know that I have to find a save place for Broots and Debbie, that we have to solve the mystery of the habitat and save our ass at the same time. AND I have to find Syd.”
“Isn’t this is a little too much for one person? I know you’re trained in multitasking, but don't you want some help?”
Jarod smiled.
“Of course. I’ll get my own laptop. Maybe together we’ll find a solution earlier. I forgot that you’re familiar with the Centre.”
“It’s alright. Let’s get started. The sooner we start the earlier we’re finished.”
They sat quietly at the table, each working on their computer, trying to find where the Centre had brought Sydney and what they had planned with him. Jarod thought about sending an email to Broots, but he supposed that he had his laptop turned off because he wasn’t allowed to use it in the plane. He could have used his help but he had to be successful without him, so he asked Michael for his assistance.
“Michael, I need you to create a distraction in the Centre mainframe while I access Mr. Parker’s and Lyle’s files. Can you manage that?”
“Sure. No problem. Do you want a fire alarm or something more serious?”
“Something more serious, please. Something where really everybody is affected.”
“OK, I’ll see what I can do.”
Some minutes went by without a word then Michael started grinning.
“I’ve got an idea. What about an airborne virus?”
“Nice idea. Can you do that?”
“Sure. The I-love-you-virus is airborne, isn’t it?”
Title: Turn Around
By: Chris
Rated: PG
12/?
Jarod came from the bathroom and looked at the two, staring at the computer screen, the dog standing beside them as well. He approached them from behind and put his hands on Parker’s shoulder. She screamed in pain and Jarod realized too late that he had put his hand on the wound on her shoulder. She bit her lip, trying not to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Meredith!”
“Just do something to make it stop!!!”
“You’ve already had more painkillers than I can tolerate. I can’t do anything.”
“Make it stop!!!” she screamed at him, tears filling her eyes.
“I can’t!”, he screamed back.
She sank onto her knees, screaming out in pain, trying to bite her lip and stop the tears from falling. Jarod knew, that he couldn’t do anything to make it stop. He could give her more painkillers, but that would stop the pain only for a short time. Maybe she would fall asleep soon. He took a syringe from his black leather bag and injected the painkiller into Parker’s bloodstream. He helped her up and led her towards the bed.
“Lie down and try to sleep,” he told her.
She was still sobbing but she nodded. She was weak and Jarod was afraid to take her with him to find out more about the Habitat. She would break down if she had to walk for days. He could leave her with Broots and Debbie, but she would kill him for even thinking of that option. He could leave her while she was still sleeping, or somehow sedate her, but he had to think of Broots. And then there was the problem that only Parker knew exactly where they’d meet the next day. They had to take her with them. He felt Michael’s eyes on his back and turned around.
“I know that she’s too weak to accompany us, but we have no other choice,” he whispered and went into the other room. Michael followed him and they sat down on the sofa. Jarod sighed and leaned back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and felt Michael’s hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll find a way,” he said and Jarod looked at the older man thankfully.
“I feel responsible for her and I’d feel guilty if I left her behind.”
“Would you leave her behind somewhere in the forest if it would save our life?”
“NO! Never would I leave her.”
“Jarod, what if she breaks down and a sweeper team finds us? You had to leave her to save your own life. They’d bring you back to the Centre and that’d be the end of your freedom. If you left her behind you’d still be free. They wouldn’t do anything to her.”
“Michael, officially she’s dead. Nobody in the Centre would care what happened to her. To them she would be just another pretender.”
“She’s a pretender? I didn't know that.”
Jarod got up and walked to the cupboard. He took a glass and made himself a drink. He took another glass and filled it with the golden liquid. He handed the other glass to Michael and sat down on the sofa again. He sipped at his glass and went on talking.
“She’s a natural pretender just as I am. Her skills haven’t been trained yet and she doesn’t know how to use them. Sometimes they surface and she doesn’t know what to do. One day I’ll teach her how to use them, but that day has to come. Someday, when she trusts me completely and when I can be sure that she has no intention of returning to the Centre. I’m not quite sure now.”
“Jarod, do you love her?”
Jarod was silent or a moment, trying to find the right words.
“Yes, I love her, but only as I’d love a sister or a family member. Sometimes, when she stares at me and I feel as if I drown in her eyes, I think there’s something more. But that feeling is gone as soon as she looks away.”
“We don't have time to analyze your feelings for her right now, but you have to familiarize yourself with the prospect of leaving her behind.”
Jarod sighed and emptied his glass. He nodded and got up. He put the glass onto the table and peered into the bedroom where Parker was lying. She was pale but she was sleeping. Jarod took a blanket and covered her with it. The dog jumped onto the bed and curled up beside Parker. Jarod smiled and left the room again.
“She’s sleeping,” he told Michael and sat down in front of the computer.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to find out what they’ve been doing to Sydney. Broots said that he was taken into custody. I need to find a way to save him.”
“Jarod, you can’t do everything at the same time. You have to concentrate on the task in front of you.”
“I know that I have to find a save place for Broots and Debbie, that we have to solve the mystery of the habitat and save our ass at the same time. AND I have to find Syd.”
“Isn’t this is a little too much for one person? I know you’re trained in multitasking, but don't you want some help?”
Jarod smiled.
“Of course. I’ll get my own laptop. Maybe together we’ll find a solution earlier. I forgot that you’re familiar with the Centre.”
“It’s alright. Let’s get started. The sooner we start the earlier we’re finished.”
They sat quietly at the table, each working on their computer, trying to find where the Centre had brought Sydney and what they had planned with him. Jarod thought about sending an email to Broots, but he supposed that he had his laptop turned off because he wasn’t allowed to use it in the plane. He could have used his help but he had to be successful without him, so he asked Michael for his assistance.
“Michael, I need you to create a distraction in the Centre mainframe while I access Mr. Parker’s and Lyle’s files. Can you manage that?”
“Sure. No problem. Do you want a fire alarm or something more serious?”
“Something more serious, please. Something where really everybody is affected.”
“OK, I’ll see what I can do.”
Some minutes went by without a word then Michael started grinning.
“I’ve got an idea. What about an airborne virus?”
“Nice idea. Can you do that?”
“Sure. The I-love-you-virus is airborne, isn’t it?”
