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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hospital
Jarod entered Kara’s room the next morning.
"I thought you might like some company," he pulled an object out from behind his back, "and perhaps some entertainment?"
"Checkers!" Her face lit up and she moved so Jarod could sit on the bed with her and place the game in between them. "It’s been so long since I’ve played!"
"This will be my first time, but I’m a quick learner."
"When do you think I will be able to leave, Jarod?" Kara asked as they set up the board.
"I believe that you will probably get out of here tomorrow morning."
"I’m gonna miss you," Kara said softly, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to hear.
"I’m going to miss you too, Kara. You go first."
*********
"I won!" Kara exclaimed and gleamed as Jarod tried to figure out how it had happened. He had never lost a game in his life. Maybe he just wasn’t concentrating.
"You sure did!" Jarod was more excited for her because he knew that she had accomplished something he had previously thought impossible. He looked up at her with concern in his eyes, trying to keep Kara from hiding at his next question.
"Kara, are you sure you do not want to talk to me about anything? It helps a lot to talk about these things. The psychiatrist says that you really don’t disclose much with her. I’m worried about you."
Kara did not hide behind her wall, but she wasn’t about to give everything away.
"Jarod, I really don’t feel comfortable talking about it with you. I mean, I like you, and I believe you, possibly trust you, some, but I just...can’t. I’m sorry." She put her head down and tried to stop the tears.
Jarod lifted her head with his hand and wiped away the tear that had fallen.
"Don’t be sorry. I understand and I respect that. You don’t have to cry. Maybe there’s someone else you would talk to? If not the psychiatrist or me?"
Kara didn’t know if he could make her secret wish come true, but it was worth a shot. She could still vividly picture the look in that woman’s eyes, which came looking for Jarod, the moment before she left.
"That little girl, in your stories? Miss Parker? Is she the one who came looking for you?"
"Yes, it was. Why?" Jarod was hoping Kara would ask.
"I’d like to talk to her, I think."
Jarod tried to hide his smile as not to alarm Kara.
"Well, I’ll see what I can do. But, I won’t be able to be here anymore, if she comes."
"Will I ever see you again?" Kara was saddened by the realization that she would have to give up Jarod to get Miss Parker.
"It’s possible."
"Good bye, Jarod. Thank you." Kara tried her hardest not to cry.
"Good bye, Kara," Jarod answered warmly and slipped out of her room. He had a phone call to make.
*********
Miss Parker, strewn about her bed, tangled in her covers, was having a nightmare about her school days. This bell just kept on ringing and ringing, until finally she gained consciousness and realized it was her phone.
"What?" The voice on the other end was, as usual, ready to kill.
"Good morning, Miss Parker," Jarod’s voice was sickeningly cheerful. "Did I wake you?"
"I’m going to KILL you, Jarod, if you’re not calling with information on your whereabouts." She spat out.
"Sorry, can’t help you there, Miss Parker. I do have a question for you, though. Did you dig up some ghosts from the past yesterday?" Jarod coolly asked.
"What do you know, Jarod?"
"It seems that you have something in common with my friend Kara. Am I right?"
"You would just love to be, wouldn’t you, Jarod?" Miss Parker accused with venom. "To think that you finally found my weakness? Well, you’re wrong, you jerk."
Jarod was silent for a moment.
"I just care, Parker. Believe it or not, I do."
"As you said," Miss Parker answered more calmly, "they are ghosts from the past. Put away and forgotten long ago. No need to worry about me, Jarod. You just worry about yourself and just how much time you have left out in the free world before I catch you." Her cold tone was returning.
"They may be ghosts from the past, Parker, but they still haunt your future." Jarod warned.
"I have a question for you, Jarod," Miss Parker shot out before he could hang up.
"And what would that be?"
"What the hell was that kiss all about?" She demanded to know without thinking.
The phone was silent. Miss Parker tried to read it, but her head was still ringing.
"Just a caring gesture, Miss Parker," Jarod finally answered and hung up.
Miss Parker went back to sleep, trying to forget the whole conversation.
********
Hospital
Kara was restless in her hospital bed; she just wanted to leave. No one but her parents bothered to visit her. Some friends she had. She was deep in self-pity over her terrible friends when the unexpected knock came on the door.
"Yeah?" She was a little hopeful.
A familiar face peered around the door and then entered the room. Kara was disappointed.
"Dr. Scope is not here any longer. He left yesterday and that’s all I know, so leave me alone," she said bitterly.
"I’m here to see you, if that’s all right," Miss Parker spoke softly.
"Oh." Kara was a bit curious now. This woman had completely changed from a hard, powerful, bitter person to a seemingly soft and caring woman.
"I brought you some candy," Miss Parker handed over the bag of gummy bears to Kara. "Figured they’d be more useful than flowers."
"Thanks."
Miss Parker’s eyes wandered nervously around the room in the awkward silence.
"What do you want with Jarod?"
"Maybe this was a bad idea."
The words were spoken simultaneously, but Miss Parker picked up in a heartbeat.
"That’s none of your concern," she stated harshly.
"Are you really out to get him? He said you wanted to kidnap him," Kara pressed on.
"You can’t kidnap what belongs to you," Miss Parker simply stated.
"Are you his mother?" Kara asked cynically.
"I represent his creator- that’s more than you need to know."
"Why are you here?"
Miss Parker glared at the girl (if looks could kill).
"I’d like to know myself." Then she turned and left the room.
To her own surprise, Kara started crying. She didn’t mean to make the woman leave. Kara so desperately wanted to talk with her. Maybe the woman could help her somehow. Now it was too late. This afternoon she would be out of this hospital and never see the woman again.
The Centre
"You went back to Missouri?"
"Just a follow-up on Jarod, Syd. No need to get your panties in a bunch. Nothing worth anything came up."
"That’s what the sweepers are for."
"Yeah, well, every now and then you have to make sure they are doing their jobs. Get off my case."
"Is something bothering you Parker?"
"What ever gave you that idea?" She slammed her office door in his face. Jarod would pay for this. He will pay for all the problems he has caused her, and there were a great many. If it weren’t for him, she would still feel secure in her world, happy with her life, content with herself. That bastard will pay.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Jarod felt it was time to take a little break and do some research. He felt dumb that he never knew this about Miss Parker, that she was possibly abused. He hated not knowing and he felt he should help her deal with it, since she obviously hadn’t yet. Right now, he had some digging to do, and he felt it was time Parker had a vacation as well.
To Be Continued...
Jarod entered Kara’s room the next morning.
"I thought you might like some company," he pulled an object out from behind his back, "and perhaps some entertainment?"
"Checkers!" Her face lit up and she moved so Jarod could sit on the bed with her and place the game in between them. "It’s been so long since I’ve played!"
"This will be my first time, but I’m a quick learner."
"When do you think I will be able to leave, Jarod?" Kara asked as they set up the board.
"I believe that you will probably get out of here tomorrow morning."
"I’m gonna miss you," Kara said softly, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to hear.
"I’m going to miss you too, Kara. You go first."
*********
"I won!" Kara exclaimed and gleamed as Jarod tried to figure out how it had happened. He had never lost a game in his life. Maybe he just wasn’t concentrating.
"You sure did!" Jarod was more excited for her because he knew that she had accomplished something he had previously thought impossible. He looked up at her with concern in his eyes, trying to keep Kara from hiding at his next question.
"Kara, are you sure you do not want to talk to me about anything? It helps a lot to talk about these things. The psychiatrist says that you really don’t disclose much with her. I’m worried about you."
Kara did not hide behind her wall, but she wasn’t about to give everything away.
"Jarod, I really don’t feel comfortable talking about it with you. I mean, I like you, and I believe you, possibly trust you, some, but I just...can’t. I’m sorry." She put her head down and tried to stop the tears.
Jarod lifted her head with his hand and wiped away the tear that had fallen.
"Don’t be sorry. I understand and I respect that. You don’t have to cry. Maybe there’s someone else you would talk to? If not the psychiatrist or me?"
Kara didn’t know if he could make her secret wish come true, but it was worth a shot. She could still vividly picture the look in that woman’s eyes, which came looking for Jarod, the moment before she left.
"That little girl, in your stories? Miss Parker? Is she the one who came looking for you?"
"Yes, it was. Why?" Jarod was hoping Kara would ask.
"I’d like to talk to her, I think."
Jarod tried to hide his smile as not to alarm Kara.
"Well, I’ll see what I can do. But, I won’t be able to be here anymore, if she comes."
"Will I ever see you again?" Kara was saddened by the realization that she would have to give up Jarod to get Miss Parker.
"It’s possible."
"Good bye, Jarod. Thank you." Kara tried her hardest not to cry.
"Good bye, Kara," Jarod answered warmly and slipped out of her room. He had a phone call to make.
*********
Miss Parker, strewn about her bed, tangled in her covers, was having a nightmare about her school days. This bell just kept on ringing and ringing, until finally she gained consciousness and realized it was her phone.
"What?" The voice on the other end was, as usual, ready to kill.
"Good morning, Miss Parker," Jarod’s voice was sickeningly cheerful. "Did I wake you?"
"I’m going to KILL you, Jarod, if you’re not calling with information on your whereabouts." She spat out.
"Sorry, can’t help you there, Miss Parker. I do have a question for you, though. Did you dig up some ghosts from the past yesterday?" Jarod coolly asked.
"What do you know, Jarod?"
"It seems that you have something in common with my friend Kara. Am I right?"
"You would just love to be, wouldn’t you, Jarod?" Miss Parker accused with venom. "To think that you finally found my weakness? Well, you’re wrong, you jerk."
Jarod was silent for a moment.
"I just care, Parker. Believe it or not, I do."
"As you said," Miss Parker answered more calmly, "they are ghosts from the past. Put away and forgotten long ago. No need to worry about me, Jarod. You just worry about yourself and just how much time you have left out in the free world before I catch you." Her cold tone was returning.
"They may be ghosts from the past, Parker, but they still haunt your future." Jarod warned.
"I have a question for you, Jarod," Miss Parker shot out before he could hang up.
"And what would that be?"
"What the hell was that kiss all about?" She demanded to know without thinking.
The phone was silent. Miss Parker tried to read it, but her head was still ringing.
"Just a caring gesture, Miss Parker," Jarod finally answered and hung up.
Miss Parker went back to sleep, trying to forget the whole conversation.
********
Hospital
Kara was restless in her hospital bed; she just wanted to leave. No one but her parents bothered to visit her. Some friends she had. She was deep in self-pity over her terrible friends when the unexpected knock came on the door.
"Yeah?" She was a little hopeful.
A familiar face peered around the door and then entered the room. Kara was disappointed.
"Dr. Scope is not here any longer. He left yesterday and that’s all I know, so leave me alone," she said bitterly.
"I’m here to see you, if that’s all right," Miss Parker spoke softly.
"Oh." Kara was a bit curious now. This woman had completely changed from a hard, powerful, bitter person to a seemingly soft and caring woman.
"I brought you some candy," Miss Parker handed over the bag of gummy bears to Kara. "Figured they’d be more useful than flowers."
"Thanks."
Miss Parker’s eyes wandered nervously around the room in the awkward silence.
"What do you want with Jarod?"
"Maybe this was a bad idea."
The words were spoken simultaneously, but Miss Parker picked up in a heartbeat.
"That’s none of your concern," she stated harshly.
"Are you really out to get him? He said you wanted to kidnap him," Kara pressed on.
"You can’t kidnap what belongs to you," Miss Parker simply stated.
"Are you his mother?" Kara asked cynically.
"I represent his creator- that’s more than you need to know."
"Why are you here?"
Miss Parker glared at the girl (if looks could kill).
"I’d like to know myself." Then she turned and left the room.
To her own surprise, Kara started crying. She didn’t mean to make the woman leave. Kara so desperately wanted to talk with her. Maybe the woman could help her somehow. Now it was too late. This afternoon she would be out of this hospital and never see the woman again.
The Centre
"You went back to Missouri?"
"Just a follow-up on Jarod, Syd. No need to get your panties in a bunch. Nothing worth anything came up."
"That’s what the sweepers are for."
"Yeah, well, every now and then you have to make sure they are doing their jobs. Get off my case."
"Is something bothering you Parker?"
"What ever gave you that idea?" She slammed her office door in his face. Jarod would pay for this. He will pay for all the problems he has caused her, and there were a great many. If it weren’t for him, she would still feel secure in her world, happy with her life, content with herself. That bastard will pay.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Jarod felt it was time to take a little break and do some research. He felt dumb that he never knew this about Miss Parker, that she was possibly abused. He hated not knowing and he felt he should help her deal with it, since she obviously hadn’t yet. Right now, he had some digging to do, and he felt it was time Parker had a vacation as well.
To Be Continued...
