Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Honolulu, Hawaii
Miss Parker shuffled through the objects Jarod had left behind in his last lair- a beach house in Honolulu. She was beginning to wonder why she bothered. He rarely left anything she didn’t already know- and if she didn’t, it was useless. He kept the important stuff to himself, so he could harass her over the phone when she least needed it. What a typical male.
"There’s nothing here," she finally admitted to her team and made a motion to go.
Broots just finished a conversation with their pilot and turned an ashen face to Miss Parker.
"What is it Broots?" She didn’t really want to know.
"Uh, the pilot says," he tried to defer her wrath on him for being the messenger, "we’re stuck here for at least two hours. There’s a storm coming in quickly and it’s impossible to fly in."
"Well, that’s just great!" Her disapproval and anger seething through her mouth. She threw the Pez dispenser that was in her hand across the room to emphasize her emotions. "Let’s get to town at least, before it hits. I’m starving and lunch is on the Centre." She walked to the door and stepped outside.
Broots and Sydney exchanged glances and silently wondered where her anger had gone.
Miss Parker realized the two men had not moved to follow. She stuck her head back inside and sweetly asked with a raised eyebrow, "Coming, boys?"
Broots swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. An image of a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it popped into his head. He just looked over to Sydney for reassurance and found a smile on the older man’s face. He might have even laughed as he passed by Broots on the way to the door.
**************
Jarod planned everything perfectly with his last pretend. He knew Hawaii held a special place in Miss Parker’s heart- it was the last place she and her mom had vacationed at before the death of Mrs. Parker. Miss Parker had talked fondly of the place for hours with Jarod. The memories brought a smile to his face. He thought it was time for a trip down memory lane for Miss Parker as well.
He planned it perfectly and was absolutely thrilled that the storm was cooperating with him. He figured she would be delayed a couple of hours- not as long of a vacation she needed, but it was a start. He also knew it was about as much time she would allow for with her temper.
Right now, though, he had to focus on his pretend.
*********
The three had been in the restaurant for about an hour, enjoying the delicious food. Broots and Sydney filled the silence with talk of Hawaii’s history, sports, and current tourism. Then Sydney turned the conversation to Miss Parker.
"Have you been here before, Miss Parker?"
Up until then, Miss Parker had been lost in her memories of her childhood vacation with her mom. She had only heard bits and pieces of the present conversation.
"What?" She turned her attention to Sydney.
"Does this restaurant hold a special value to you?"
"You remember, Syd?" She asked, just a bit surprised. She had told Sydney and Jarod about Hawaii a thousand times; so many times that Sydney had begged her to stop, while Jarod begged to hear more. She figured Sydney just had too much on his mind to be listening to her stories.
"Of course. You only told me about a million times."
"I didn’t think you were actually listening."
"A psychiatrist always listens."
Broots was completely lost and had hoped something in the conversation would clue him in. He was then distracted, though, by the silence.
"Hey," he was happy to report the good news. "It stopped raining!"
Both Sydney and Miss Parker looked out the window to find the sky clearing. Miss Parker looked at her watch.
"It only lasted an hour and a half," disappointment dancing in her voice.
"Only?" Broots was confused again and looked to Miss Parker for an answer, but she was deep in concentration.
"You guys go ahead."
"What?!" The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them, his surprise evident. "Uh, I mean, uh, why aren’t you going with us?"
Miss Parker was unfazed by his reaction and simply answered, "I have some things to check out. Tell anyone who asks that I’m following up on Jarod here while you two are doing it from the Centre. Expect me back later today. I’ll call for the jet when I’m ready." With that, she got up and walked off, leaving Broots clueless.
"What’s the deal, Syd?"
"Parker and her mother vacationed here once. She’s just remembering.
*********
Jarod cursed when he heard the storm was through in just an hour and a half. So much for Parker’s relaxation. He’d have to call her later to see if she got anything out of it. He thought the ripe old hour of two or three in the morning would do it.
********
Miss Parker had been alone in Hawaii for two hours when she finally admitted to herself that it was time to go. She grudgingly dialed for the Centre jet and headed to the airfield. It was amazing how she could relax here and she silently thanked Jarod. She knew this was not all a coincidence. Perhaps the man knew her better than she accredited him.
A deep rumble and tremor distracted her thoughts and all too suddenly, the world in front of her turned to chaos. She was stuck in an earthquake.
Pieces of rock began to pail down on her car and buildings began to fall. This was a big one. Suddenly, a rock crashed through her windshield, just missing her head. Her only thought was that she had to get out of there. Panicking, she opened the car door and frantically looked for a place to hide. She saw an overpass and thought it just as good as a doorway- possibly even better. She ran for it, dodging rocks. Her thoughts were now scattered, but one came through- she had to survive. She sat and hugged her knees, waiting for the fear and trembling to pass. She never suspected the rock that hit and knocked her out.
**********
"She WHAT?" Jarod had heard about the earthquake and called to make sure everyone was back at the Centre- glad that the storm had been as short as it was. Until Sydney informed him that Parker was still there. Now, for the first time in years, panic crept into his heart.
"Jarod, we lost contact with her an hour ago. She called for a Centre jet just before it struck. What if she’s hurt- or worse?"
"Does anyone else know?" Jarod was not about to go to the rescue, only to be dragged back to the Centre.
"No, Mr. Parker has been in a meeting in the Tower all day. No one has seen him or anyone of high statue since the meeting started. There is no way to contact him." Sydney realized Jarod’s fear.
"I’m on my way," Sydney sighed when the line clicked and went dead. All he could do was hope that Jarod could find Miss Parker without any trouble from her or the Centre.
*********
Jarod wondered for a second if this could be a trap. But he was certain, from the tone of Sydney’s concerned voice that it was not. Soon he was on his way to Hawaii to pretend he was part of a search and rescue team.
When he got there, he cursed himself for putting Miss Parker here at possibly the worst time. If she were no longer alive, it would be entirely his fault.
He had found out what car she had rented and started looking for that, helping people along the way. There were trees uprooted, boulders all over the roads, and houses in ruin. Kids were crying, mothers were screaming for their children and husbands, and S&R team members rushing around, trying to help everyone.
After two hours of searching, he found what remained of the car. It was smashed under concrete. If Miss Parker was in there, Jarod didn’t want to think about that. She had enough sense to get out of her car. Didn’t she? Jarod looked around at what Miss Parker had seen as her options. The most obvious and possibly the only available one was under an overpass. The thing had buckled in the middle and there was a mountain of concrete, but perhaps she was in there.
He ran over to the hopeless pile of cement and called out her name.
"Parker! Are you in there?"
There was no answer, but Jarod had to be sure. He started to pull away the rocks one by one until he came upon a leg- one unmistakable Parker leg. Jarod, relieved he had found her, but worried she was dead, removed debree more quickly and pulled Miss Parker free. By the looks of it, she was unconscious with a blow to the head, a broken leg, and multiple fractures in her arm. Her face was scratched up and blood seemed to be all over, though Jarod did not believe there was major blood loss. She was not going to be a happy camper when she woke up. Hopefully Jarod would be long gone. Jarod looked around for an ambulance, but could not see one right away.
The form in his arms started moving, then cried out in pain. Jarod had to get her to the hospital immediately.
Miss Parker looked up at the man who was carrying her. He looked vaguely familiar.
"Jarod?"
"Just keep your eyes closed and we’ll be at the hospital real soon. Try not to think about the pain." He tried to persuade her.
"You got any scotch on you?" She choked out. Jarod was amazed at how cynical she could be while in seemingly terrible states. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hey," she noticed his worried expression. "Thanks, Jarod," she said and passed out.
Jarod just stared at her face, memorizing every detail, analyzing the damage. Though he usually wished she’d be this quiet, he yearned to hear her pass out insults. The Parker in his arms was no longer the tough, sturdy, invincible woman he ran from every day. The thought frightened him.
"Hey! Jarod! You find somebody?" One of the team members came up to Jarod to see if he needed help. "Whoa! You found yourself quite a catch there, buddy! She alive?"
"Yeah, she’s just unconscious. We’ve got to get her to a hospital fast."
"I’ll say. Here, there’s an ambulance over this way," the man directed Jarod towards the nearest ambulance.
**********
"You found her?" Sydney was so relieved. "Is she all right?" His concern genuine.
"Yeah, she’s got some broken bones- will be laid up for a little while, which, you and I both know, won’t make her too happy, but other than that, she’s fine." Jarod looked over to the bed where her still form lay, in a drug induced sleep. The doctor said it would be best for the pain she was in. The poor doc was probably going to be the first to lose his head when she woke.
"Will you be leaving?" Sydney’s question cut through Jarod’s thoughts.
"Sydney, you know I can’t stay."
"Yeah. I know. Thank you, Jarod."
"If you stay away, I may be able to check on her every now and then."
"What should we tell her father?"
"He probably won’t even notice she’s missing," Jarod pointed out, anger rising in his voice.
"I’ll think of something should the situation arise. Please, be with her as much as you can. She needs you."
There was a silent pause, then the line went dead. Jarod had to leave Parker to finish the pretend he started, but he decided he better come back to check on her. The doctor wasn’t sure about her head injury quite yet. Perhaps he should stay just until she woke, and he could explain to her what was going on. He didn’t think it best for her to wake up and not have a familiar face around.
Jarod walked over to the bed, moving a chair next to it. He too her hand closest to him and sat in the chair, to watch over her for the night.
*****
Next morning
Miss Parker wondered if she had gotten into the alcohol again from the way she was feeling, when she realized where she was. She tried not to move too much because it caused so much pain, but she felt something in her hand. She looked over with her eyes and found someone sleeping next to her bed, holding her hand. It took her a minute to recognize the form slumped in the chair and her natural reaction was to pull her hand away. This caused Jarod to jump and he was halfway to the door before he remembered where he was. He stopped himself and turned around to find a smug Miss Parker lying awake in her bed.
"I’m glad you find me so entertaining," he accused her.
"You’ve got some reflexes," she pointed out.
"Yeah, four years of running will do that to a person," he stated cynically, then softened his voice. "How are you?"
"Depends. Are you here to turn yourself in?"
That was Parker, Jarod thought. Always business.
"Not a chance in hell."
"I don’t suppose anyone from the Centre knows where we are?" Miss Parker did not know quite how to handle the situation. She was trying to figure out what Jarod was doing here. If anyone, she would have wished her father, but expected Sydney.
"Nope."
"Great. Does this mean that I’m stuck with you until I’m able to get some sweepers over here?"
"You don’t sound too grateful, Miss Parker. I can leave you here, alone, if you’d like."
"No," she replied, "I need someone to beat up when I get the urge. You’ll do just fine. In fact, I feel one coming on right now. Why don’t you step a little closer?"
"My, grandma, what big teeth you have!" Jarod laughed. The sly look he received from Parker only made him laugh harder. The whole situation was too much for either of them to bear, and Miss Parker let out a laugh as well.
"Oh, my gosh!" Jarod was astonished. "What was that that just came out of your mouth?!"
Miss Parker looked at him, confused for a moment, then realizing what he was referring to; she shot him one of her famous looks.
"Did you drug me, Jarod?" She accused. What else could be wrong with her? She was laughing with Jarod. Had she gone insane?
"No, Parker, you did that of your own free will." Jarod left the room to give her space to think. Maybe he could convince her to leave the Centre. She had actually laughed with him. Jarod was hopeful.
Miss Parker was confused. This part about Jarod she never understood. She made his life a living hell, making him constantly look over his shoulder. She represented everything he hated and wished to destroy. Yet, here he was, trying to comfort her and just be a familiar face since no one else seemed to care. She knew that Sydney and Broots probably did, but if they were here, so would the Centre be, and that was something Jarod would not allow. Was he perhaps trying to get something from her? She hoped he would not ask her about her "ghosts" again. It was something she kept hidden from everyone and for a good reason.
Shortly he returned with food, which Miss Parker looked at with distaste.
"I know it doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t taste all that bad and you need the energy, if you plan on getting any better." Jarod placed the trey on her lap. "I have to go work on some unfinished business," he explained, hoping she would not ask too many questions.
"A pretend?" She was perceptive.
"Yeah, but I’ll come back when I’m done."
Miss Parker looked at him, trying to figure out his actions.
"Why?" Maybe there was something wrong with him. It seemed insane that he would come back. She could have a sweeper team waiting to take him home. Miss Parker did not like this at all. It seemed Jarod was becoming unpredictable.
"Because I promised Sydney I’d look out for you while you were immobile. I’ve got a few things I’d like to talk with you about anyway."
"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" She could see that her words stung and a feeling of uneasiness flowed in her heart. Could it be regret? Jarod was getting in her head. She needed to be away from him. "So, go."
Jarod looked at her for a moment as she began to push her food around with a fork, then left the room.
Miss Parker would never admit she was sort of sad to see him leave.
"Get a hold of yourself, Parker," she mumbled to herself. "What the hell is wrong with you? You’re acting like a child."
*********
When Jarod returned, he found the old Miss Parker back and wondered if it had smart to leave her. He was skeptical about talking her into anything now.
"What the hell do you mean I’ll be here for two more days!?" She was yelling at someone, Jarod guessed it was the poor doctor. "I’ve been here for three already, and that’s three too many. I want a real doctor. Get your sorry ass out of my room!" Something bang against the wall as the doctor came flying out of the room. He almost ran into Jarod.
"I see she’s feeling better," Jarod commented to the flushed doctor.
"Man, I hope she’s not your girlfriend or anything," the doctor was ready to sympathize with the man he recognized as her only visitor. It was no wonder to him, though he was surprised anyone would bother to visit her.
Jarod smiled at the doctor and patted him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry," he reassured the man, "you won’t have to see her at her worst."
The doctor’s eyes widened as he shook his head and walked off to check on his other patients.
Jarod walked in the room with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, great, I ask for a real doctor and they send me Frankenboy." Miss Parker stated, though she was happy to see a familiar face, even if it was Jarod’s.
"You really shouldn’t get yourself so worked up, Miss Parker. It’s not good for you to have a high blood pressure right now."
"Shut up." She ordered. "I’m tired of you telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. What are you doing here?"
"I told you I was coming back."
"Yeah, well," Miss Parker could not think of anything to say, and this caused a smile to grow across Jarod’s mouth. "I hate you, Jarod."
"Come, now, Miss Parker. No need to be hostile. I only care about your wellbeing."
"Gee, where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, where is the heart of chocolates? How about a kiss?" She asked with acid in her voice.
Jarod’s smile faded to Miss Parker’s delight, and she gloated. Then something stopped her. She was tired. She knew it was useless putting up her usual front for Jarod because he always saw right through it. No matter how hard she tried, he knew she was not the person everyone else saw her as.
"Well, I just would like to know what it was all about." Her softened voice caught Jarod’s attention. Had she given up pretending for him? Usually it took a few witted words from him to get past her front.
"You would never understand, as long as you deny that we were ever friends."
Why couldn’t he ever let the past go? Always talking about how they used to be friends.
"I’m not even going to bother asking you why you’re here or why you care. You’ve got illusions, Jarod, if you think that things could ever be different."
"That’s where you’re wrong," Jarod stated stubbornly. "It’s as easy as walking away."
Miss Parker laughed. "Jarod, you’re talking about the Centre. No one walks away from the Centre! You should know that, you experience the effects every day. As long as you’re out here, I’m stuck in there. Your freedom for mine. That was the deal."
"Have you ever stopped to realize that you are trying to undo everything your mother died for?"
"This has nothing to do with my mother!"
"It has everything to do with your mother. You know exactly why she was killed. She was trying to save me, as well as you. By continuing what you are doing, you might as well have been the one who pulled the trigger." Jarod was surprised at what he had said, and knew instantly by the look on Parker’s face he had gone too far. She looked like she was going to jump up and kill him with her bear hands. Then she faltered, and a strange sound escaped her throat. She turned away quickly, and Jarod realized she was crying.
"Oh, Parker, I’m sorry," his heart broke to see her like this and to know he was the cause of it. He never meant to hurt her. He just wanted her to see with clear eyes for once. Jarod tried to hold her, but she pushed him away. She began to shake more and Jarod wanted to comfort her, but her did not know how.
Jarod’s words shot straight through Miss Parker’s heart, only because she knew they were true. She had never thought about her actions in that sense, but Jarod was always good at making her see the truth. He tried to comfort her, but all she could see in her mind were all the men who had hurt her in her life, including her father. Especially her father. Through it all, though, she knew that Jarod was different from all of them. He had never hurt her. He only made her see the truth about everyone else. She turned to him then and buried her face in his chest. His arms felt good around her. Strong and protecting. Everything she had ever asked her father to be, but he never cared enough about her. Sydney had tried, but it didn’t feel the same as it did, coming from Jarod. If only he knew all of her secrets. Surly he would not love her, as he seemed to now.
Jarod felt he should tell Miss Parker that he loved her and everything was going to be all right. Just as he was about to, he heard her speak through her tears.
"I know, Jarod. I know." She didn’t need to hear him say it; she could feel everything, as if he were opening himself and letting her look into his heart. She wished she could do the same for him, but there were too many things blocking the way.
They sat on her bed, in each other’s arms, comforting each other, clinging on to reality until Jarod felt Miss Parker’s grip loosen, and he realized she had fallen asleep. Gently, he laid her head down on the pillow and tucked the sheets around her. He kissed her gently on the forehead and sat down in the chair next to her for the night. He knew it would take some time, but Jarod believed that he would eventually get her to open up to him. She had to learn to trust him, first, and realize that he would not hurt her like all of the other men had. What mattered now was that Jarod was hopeful again. She had given him a map.
Miss Parker shuffled through the objects Jarod had left behind in his last lair- a beach house in Honolulu. She was beginning to wonder why she bothered. He rarely left anything she didn’t already know- and if she didn’t, it was useless. He kept the important stuff to himself, so he could harass her over the phone when she least needed it. What a typical male.
"There’s nothing here," she finally admitted to her team and made a motion to go.
Broots just finished a conversation with their pilot and turned an ashen face to Miss Parker.
"What is it Broots?" She didn’t really want to know.
"Uh, the pilot says," he tried to defer her wrath on him for being the messenger, "we’re stuck here for at least two hours. There’s a storm coming in quickly and it’s impossible to fly in."
"Well, that’s just great!" Her disapproval and anger seething through her mouth. She threw the Pez dispenser that was in her hand across the room to emphasize her emotions. "Let’s get to town at least, before it hits. I’m starving and lunch is on the Centre." She walked to the door and stepped outside.
Broots and Sydney exchanged glances and silently wondered where her anger had gone.
Miss Parker realized the two men had not moved to follow. She stuck her head back inside and sweetly asked with a raised eyebrow, "Coming, boys?"
Broots swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. An image of a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it popped into his head. He just looked over to Sydney for reassurance and found a smile on the older man’s face. He might have even laughed as he passed by Broots on the way to the door.
**************
Jarod planned everything perfectly with his last pretend. He knew Hawaii held a special place in Miss Parker’s heart- it was the last place she and her mom had vacationed at before the death of Mrs. Parker. Miss Parker had talked fondly of the place for hours with Jarod. The memories brought a smile to his face. He thought it was time for a trip down memory lane for Miss Parker as well.
He planned it perfectly and was absolutely thrilled that the storm was cooperating with him. He figured she would be delayed a couple of hours- not as long of a vacation she needed, but it was a start. He also knew it was about as much time she would allow for with her temper.
Right now, though, he had to focus on his pretend.
*********
The three had been in the restaurant for about an hour, enjoying the delicious food. Broots and Sydney filled the silence with talk of Hawaii’s history, sports, and current tourism. Then Sydney turned the conversation to Miss Parker.
"Have you been here before, Miss Parker?"
Up until then, Miss Parker had been lost in her memories of her childhood vacation with her mom. She had only heard bits and pieces of the present conversation.
"What?" She turned her attention to Sydney.
"Does this restaurant hold a special value to you?"
"You remember, Syd?" She asked, just a bit surprised. She had told Sydney and Jarod about Hawaii a thousand times; so many times that Sydney had begged her to stop, while Jarod begged to hear more. She figured Sydney just had too much on his mind to be listening to her stories.
"Of course. You only told me about a million times."
"I didn’t think you were actually listening."
"A psychiatrist always listens."
Broots was completely lost and had hoped something in the conversation would clue him in. He was then distracted, though, by the silence.
"Hey," he was happy to report the good news. "It stopped raining!"
Both Sydney and Miss Parker looked out the window to find the sky clearing. Miss Parker looked at her watch.
"It only lasted an hour and a half," disappointment dancing in her voice.
"Only?" Broots was confused again and looked to Miss Parker for an answer, but she was deep in concentration.
"You guys go ahead."
"What?!" The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them, his surprise evident. "Uh, I mean, uh, why aren’t you going with us?"
Miss Parker was unfazed by his reaction and simply answered, "I have some things to check out. Tell anyone who asks that I’m following up on Jarod here while you two are doing it from the Centre. Expect me back later today. I’ll call for the jet when I’m ready." With that, she got up and walked off, leaving Broots clueless.
"What’s the deal, Syd?"
"Parker and her mother vacationed here once. She’s just remembering.
*********
Jarod cursed when he heard the storm was through in just an hour and a half. So much for Parker’s relaxation. He’d have to call her later to see if she got anything out of it. He thought the ripe old hour of two or three in the morning would do it.
********
Miss Parker had been alone in Hawaii for two hours when she finally admitted to herself that it was time to go. She grudgingly dialed for the Centre jet and headed to the airfield. It was amazing how she could relax here and she silently thanked Jarod. She knew this was not all a coincidence. Perhaps the man knew her better than she accredited him.
A deep rumble and tremor distracted her thoughts and all too suddenly, the world in front of her turned to chaos. She was stuck in an earthquake.
Pieces of rock began to pail down on her car and buildings began to fall. This was a big one. Suddenly, a rock crashed through her windshield, just missing her head. Her only thought was that she had to get out of there. Panicking, she opened the car door and frantically looked for a place to hide. She saw an overpass and thought it just as good as a doorway- possibly even better. She ran for it, dodging rocks. Her thoughts were now scattered, but one came through- she had to survive. She sat and hugged her knees, waiting for the fear and trembling to pass. She never suspected the rock that hit and knocked her out.
**********
"She WHAT?" Jarod had heard about the earthquake and called to make sure everyone was back at the Centre- glad that the storm had been as short as it was. Until Sydney informed him that Parker was still there. Now, for the first time in years, panic crept into his heart.
"Jarod, we lost contact with her an hour ago. She called for a Centre jet just before it struck. What if she’s hurt- or worse?"
"Does anyone else know?" Jarod was not about to go to the rescue, only to be dragged back to the Centre.
"No, Mr. Parker has been in a meeting in the Tower all day. No one has seen him or anyone of high statue since the meeting started. There is no way to contact him." Sydney realized Jarod’s fear.
"I’m on my way," Sydney sighed when the line clicked and went dead. All he could do was hope that Jarod could find Miss Parker without any trouble from her or the Centre.
*********
Jarod wondered for a second if this could be a trap. But he was certain, from the tone of Sydney’s concerned voice that it was not. Soon he was on his way to Hawaii to pretend he was part of a search and rescue team.
When he got there, he cursed himself for putting Miss Parker here at possibly the worst time. If she were no longer alive, it would be entirely his fault.
He had found out what car she had rented and started looking for that, helping people along the way. There were trees uprooted, boulders all over the roads, and houses in ruin. Kids were crying, mothers were screaming for their children and husbands, and S&R team members rushing around, trying to help everyone.
After two hours of searching, he found what remained of the car. It was smashed under concrete. If Miss Parker was in there, Jarod didn’t want to think about that. She had enough sense to get out of her car. Didn’t she? Jarod looked around at what Miss Parker had seen as her options. The most obvious and possibly the only available one was under an overpass. The thing had buckled in the middle and there was a mountain of concrete, but perhaps she was in there.
He ran over to the hopeless pile of cement and called out her name.
"Parker! Are you in there?"
There was no answer, but Jarod had to be sure. He started to pull away the rocks one by one until he came upon a leg- one unmistakable Parker leg. Jarod, relieved he had found her, but worried she was dead, removed debree more quickly and pulled Miss Parker free. By the looks of it, she was unconscious with a blow to the head, a broken leg, and multiple fractures in her arm. Her face was scratched up and blood seemed to be all over, though Jarod did not believe there was major blood loss. She was not going to be a happy camper when she woke up. Hopefully Jarod would be long gone. Jarod looked around for an ambulance, but could not see one right away.
The form in his arms started moving, then cried out in pain. Jarod had to get her to the hospital immediately.
Miss Parker looked up at the man who was carrying her. He looked vaguely familiar.
"Jarod?"
"Just keep your eyes closed and we’ll be at the hospital real soon. Try not to think about the pain." He tried to persuade her.
"You got any scotch on you?" She choked out. Jarod was amazed at how cynical she could be while in seemingly terrible states. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hey," she noticed his worried expression. "Thanks, Jarod," she said and passed out.
Jarod just stared at her face, memorizing every detail, analyzing the damage. Though he usually wished she’d be this quiet, he yearned to hear her pass out insults. The Parker in his arms was no longer the tough, sturdy, invincible woman he ran from every day. The thought frightened him.
"Hey! Jarod! You find somebody?" One of the team members came up to Jarod to see if he needed help. "Whoa! You found yourself quite a catch there, buddy! She alive?"
"Yeah, she’s just unconscious. We’ve got to get her to a hospital fast."
"I’ll say. Here, there’s an ambulance over this way," the man directed Jarod towards the nearest ambulance.
**********
"You found her?" Sydney was so relieved. "Is she all right?" His concern genuine.
"Yeah, she’s got some broken bones- will be laid up for a little while, which, you and I both know, won’t make her too happy, but other than that, she’s fine." Jarod looked over to the bed where her still form lay, in a drug induced sleep. The doctor said it would be best for the pain she was in. The poor doc was probably going to be the first to lose his head when she woke.
"Will you be leaving?" Sydney’s question cut through Jarod’s thoughts.
"Sydney, you know I can’t stay."
"Yeah. I know. Thank you, Jarod."
"If you stay away, I may be able to check on her every now and then."
"What should we tell her father?"
"He probably won’t even notice she’s missing," Jarod pointed out, anger rising in his voice.
"I’ll think of something should the situation arise. Please, be with her as much as you can. She needs you."
There was a silent pause, then the line went dead. Jarod had to leave Parker to finish the pretend he started, but he decided he better come back to check on her. The doctor wasn’t sure about her head injury quite yet. Perhaps he should stay just until she woke, and he could explain to her what was going on. He didn’t think it best for her to wake up and not have a familiar face around.
Jarod walked over to the bed, moving a chair next to it. He too her hand closest to him and sat in the chair, to watch over her for the night.
*****
Next morning
Miss Parker wondered if she had gotten into the alcohol again from the way she was feeling, when she realized where she was. She tried not to move too much because it caused so much pain, but she felt something in her hand. She looked over with her eyes and found someone sleeping next to her bed, holding her hand. It took her a minute to recognize the form slumped in the chair and her natural reaction was to pull her hand away. This caused Jarod to jump and he was halfway to the door before he remembered where he was. He stopped himself and turned around to find a smug Miss Parker lying awake in her bed.
"I’m glad you find me so entertaining," he accused her.
"You’ve got some reflexes," she pointed out.
"Yeah, four years of running will do that to a person," he stated cynically, then softened his voice. "How are you?"
"Depends. Are you here to turn yourself in?"
That was Parker, Jarod thought. Always business.
"Not a chance in hell."
"I don’t suppose anyone from the Centre knows where we are?" Miss Parker did not know quite how to handle the situation. She was trying to figure out what Jarod was doing here. If anyone, she would have wished her father, but expected Sydney.
"Nope."
"Great. Does this mean that I’m stuck with you until I’m able to get some sweepers over here?"
"You don’t sound too grateful, Miss Parker. I can leave you here, alone, if you’d like."
"No," she replied, "I need someone to beat up when I get the urge. You’ll do just fine. In fact, I feel one coming on right now. Why don’t you step a little closer?"
"My, grandma, what big teeth you have!" Jarod laughed. The sly look he received from Parker only made him laugh harder. The whole situation was too much for either of them to bear, and Miss Parker let out a laugh as well.
"Oh, my gosh!" Jarod was astonished. "What was that that just came out of your mouth?!"
Miss Parker looked at him, confused for a moment, then realizing what he was referring to; she shot him one of her famous looks.
"Did you drug me, Jarod?" She accused. What else could be wrong with her? She was laughing with Jarod. Had she gone insane?
"No, Parker, you did that of your own free will." Jarod left the room to give her space to think. Maybe he could convince her to leave the Centre. She had actually laughed with him. Jarod was hopeful.
Miss Parker was confused. This part about Jarod she never understood. She made his life a living hell, making him constantly look over his shoulder. She represented everything he hated and wished to destroy. Yet, here he was, trying to comfort her and just be a familiar face since no one else seemed to care. She knew that Sydney and Broots probably did, but if they were here, so would the Centre be, and that was something Jarod would not allow. Was he perhaps trying to get something from her? She hoped he would not ask her about her "ghosts" again. It was something she kept hidden from everyone and for a good reason.
Shortly he returned with food, which Miss Parker looked at with distaste.
"I know it doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t taste all that bad and you need the energy, if you plan on getting any better." Jarod placed the trey on her lap. "I have to go work on some unfinished business," he explained, hoping she would not ask too many questions.
"A pretend?" She was perceptive.
"Yeah, but I’ll come back when I’m done."
Miss Parker looked at him, trying to figure out his actions.
"Why?" Maybe there was something wrong with him. It seemed insane that he would come back. She could have a sweeper team waiting to take him home. Miss Parker did not like this at all. It seemed Jarod was becoming unpredictable.
"Because I promised Sydney I’d look out for you while you were immobile. I’ve got a few things I’d like to talk with you about anyway."
"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" She could see that her words stung and a feeling of uneasiness flowed in her heart. Could it be regret? Jarod was getting in her head. She needed to be away from him. "So, go."
Jarod looked at her for a moment as she began to push her food around with a fork, then left the room.
Miss Parker would never admit she was sort of sad to see him leave.
"Get a hold of yourself, Parker," she mumbled to herself. "What the hell is wrong with you? You’re acting like a child."
*********
When Jarod returned, he found the old Miss Parker back and wondered if it had smart to leave her. He was skeptical about talking her into anything now.
"What the hell do you mean I’ll be here for two more days!?" She was yelling at someone, Jarod guessed it was the poor doctor. "I’ve been here for three already, and that’s three too many. I want a real doctor. Get your sorry ass out of my room!" Something bang against the wall as the doctor came flying out of the room. He almost ran into Jarod.
"I see she’s feeling better," Jarod commented to the flushed doctor.
"Man, I hope she’s not your girlfriend or anything," the doctor was ready to sympathize with the man he recognized as her only visitor. It was no wonder to him, though he was surprised anyone would bother to visit her.
Jarod smiled at the doctor and patted him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry," he reassured the man, "you won’t have to see her at her worst."
The doctor’s eyes widened as he shook his head and walked off to check on his other patients.
Jarod walked in the room with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, great, I ask for a real doctor and they send me Frankenboy." Miss Parker stated, though she was happy to see a familiar face, even if it was Jarod’s.
"You really shouldn’t get yourself so worked up, Miss Parker. It’s not good for you to have a high blood pressure right now."
"Shut up." She ordered. "I’m tired of you telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. What are you doing here?"
"I told you I was coming back."
"Yeah, well," Miss Parker could not think of anything to say, and this caused a smile to grow across Jarod’s mouth. "I hate you, Jarod."
"Come, now, Miss Parker. No need to be hostile. I only care about your wellbeing."
"Gee, where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, where is the heart of chocolates? How about a kiss?" She asked with acid in her voice.
Jarod’s smile faded to Miss Parker’s delight, and she gloated. Then something stopped her. She was tired. She knew it was useless putting up her usual front for Jarod because he always saw right through it. No matter how hard she tried, he knew she was not the person everyone else saw her as.
"Well, I just would like to know what it was all about." Her softened voice caught Jarod’s attention. Had she given up pretending for him? Usually it took a few witted words from him to get past her front.
"You would never understand, as long as you deny that we were ever friends."
Why couldn’t he ever let the past go? Always talking about how they used to be friends.
"I’m not even going to bother asking you why you’re here or why you care. You’ve got illusions, Jarod, if you think that things could ever be different."
"That’s where you’re wrong," Jarod stated stubbornly. "It’s as easy as walking away."
Miss Parker laughed. "Jarod, you’re talking about the Centre. No one walks away from the Centre! You should know that, you experience the effects every day. As long as you’re out here, I’m stuck in there. Your freedom for mine. That was the deal."
"Have you ever stopped to realize that you are trying to undo everything your mother died for?"
"This has nothing to do with my mother!"
"It has everything to do with your mother. You know exactly why she was killed. She was trying to save me, as well as you. By continuing what you are doing, you might as well have been the one who pulled the trigger." Jarod was surprised at what he had said, and knew instantly by the look on Parker’s face he had gone too far. She looked like she was going to jump up and kill him with her bear hands. Then she faltered, and a strange sound escaped her throat. She turned away quickly, and Jarod realized she was crying.
"Oh, Parker, I’m sorry," his heart broke to see her like this and to know he was the cause of it. He never meant to hurt her. He just wanted her to see with clear eyes for once. Jarod tried to hold her, but she pushed him away. She began to shake more and Jarod wanted to comfort her, but her did not know how.
Jarod’s words shot straight through Miss Parker’s heart, only because she knew they were true. She had never thought about her actions in that sense, but Jarod was always good at making her see the truth. He tried to comfort her, but all she could see in her mind were all the men who had hurt her in her life, including her father. Especially her father. Through it all, though, she knew that Jarod was different from all of them. He had never hurt her. He only made her see the truth about everyone else. She turned to him then and buried her face in his chest. His arms felt good around her. Strong and protecting. Everything she had ever asked her father to be, but he never cared enough about her. Sydney had tried, but it didn’t feel the same as it did, coming from Jarod. If only he knew all of her secrets. Surly he would not love her, as he seemed to now.
Jarod felt he should tell Miss Parker that he loved her and everything was going to be all right. Just as he was about to, he heard her speak through her tears.
"I know, Jarod. I know." She didn’t need to hear him say it; she could feel everything, as if he were opening himself and letting her look into his heart. She wished she could do the same for him, but there were too many things blocking the way.
They sat on her bed, in each other’s arms, comforting each other, clinging on to reality until Jarod felt Miss Parker’s grip loosen, and he realized she had fallen asleep. Gently, he laid her head down on the pillow and tucked the sheets around her. He kissed her gently on the forehead and sat down in the chair next to her for the night. He knew it would take some time, but Jarod believed that he would eventually get her to open up to him. She had to learn to trust him, first, and realize that he would not hurt her like all of the other men had. What mattered now was that Jarod was hopeful again. She had given him a map.
