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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Alicin Wonderland
By Lizz
Part 3
Heard It Through The Grapevine
1996-Day 1
Jarod's Living Quarters
Friday Morning
While Dr. Patrice was on the phone with Sydney, it was mid-morning for everyone who had been up since 5:00 AM. To a casual surveillance viewer, Jarod was merely sitting cross-legged on his bed with his back to the camera reading and eating red grapes. In fact, he was talking to a visitor inside the air-return vent near the floor at the foot of his bed.
"Angelo! It's good to see you," he said in a guarded voice. Watery blue eyes smiled back at him through the grate. "Anything new out there?"
"New girl from Raines. Hurt. With Dr. Patrice now. Sydney helped. Girl very sick. Very sad. No hope."
Jarod was curious, a gust of questions whirling in his mind already. "New girl? When did she arrive? How old is she? Is she a Pretender? Who's her han--"
"No! Wait! Stop!" Angelo whispered harshly as he covered his ears with his hands, a pained look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Angelo," Jarod offered in a near panic. "I didn't mean to overload you like that. I know it hurts. I'm so sorry!"
Angelo recovered and was silent for a moment before he replied, "Jarod. Always wants to know!" Then he smiled at his friend. Jarod's blunder was forgiven. "Grown up. Like us. Very sick. No hair." Angelo shook is head with a confused look on his face at this last revelation. "No hair. Like the babies."
"This is all very interesting," Jarod cut in. "When did this happen?"
"Now! With doctor. Nurses. Earl, too!" Angelo smiled broadly as he said Earl's name.
"And who is Earl?"
"Friend. Nice man. Helps Dr. Patrice. Good for girl. Likes her. Helps her."
"He helps her how?"
"Makes her warm. Blankets. Socks, too. Feet and hands!" The last bit of information made both young men smile. Angelo made hand puppet gestures in the air.
"Want some grapes? They're very good." Jarod abruptly changed the subject. Angelo nodded and smiled as his friend pushed a handful of the tiny fruits through openings in the grate one by one.
"You read?" Angelo wondered as he looked at the sheaf of papers Jarod held in his lap.
"Research," Jarod announced. Angelo stuck out his tongue, tilted his head to one side and held his fist above his head, indicating a hanging. Jarod threw his head back, laughed out loud and then straightened suddenly, remembering the camera. He grinned at his friend. "My feelings exactly." He popped another grape into his mouth, smiling as he chewed.
Angelo was suddenly agitated, as if what he had sensed didn't add up. "Sydney's coming. Soon!"
"Yes, Angelo, he'll be back after the weekend like always."
"No!" He insisted. "Coming now. Angelo go now!" And with that he vanished, the sound of his footsteps fading in the air ducts.
Almost immediately, Jarod heard the door to his compartment open and there stood Sydney. Jarod motioned for his mentor to come in.
"May I sit down for a few minutes?"
"Of course. Welcome," Jarod replied uneasily as he directed Sydney to a sofa in the middle of the room. Sydney laid his coat and hat over the back of the sofa and sat on the end opposite the Pretender.
"What are you doing here?" Jarod asked rather abruptly.
Sydney knew his student meant no disrespect. "I wanted you to know that I will be staying the weekend here at the Centre."
"Why is that?" Jarod was alarmed but tried to appear sincerely interested. He was looking forward to a forty-eight hour respite from his weekly duties in the simulation labs. If Sydney was staying, that could mean that Jarod would be busy with simulations when he had the opportunity to visit the Centre's fitness arena. Sam had been assigned as Jarod's weight trainer starting out with hand weights and then the bench. Jarod found that the exertion not only relaxed him, but it improved his concentration and elevated his mood as well. What little sleep he did get was becoming more restful. He also enjoyed Sam's attention. He didn't want to give up any of it. Not this week or any other for that matter.
"I have an emergency patient," Sydney began to explain. "Mr. Raines brought her to me this morning and her condition is more, well, complicated than I had first thought. At present, she is in the infirmary. I have been asked to assess her mental and emotional health as soon as she is able to participate. And so I've decided to stay.
"And what does this have to do with me?" Jarod asked flatly.
Sydney continued to be amused by his student's lack of basic social skills and took no offence. "Nothing really," he smiled. "I just want you to know that will be around. Perhaps we could have a game of chess at some point. I have been hoping for a rematch and a chance to restore my reputation." Sydney raised an eyebrow for emphasis.
Jarod smiled, remembering his domination of their last game. The offer seemed to energize the Pretender. A rematch would provide a platform from which he might find out more about the infirmary's latest visitor. He would get to lift weights with Sam, after all. He liked the idea. "I would like that very much, Sydney," he smiled, sounding sincere while hiding his true intentions.
"Very well, Jarod," Sydney said as he stood up. "I'll be in touch." The psychiatrist retrieved his coat and hat and left the room, heading for home.
Jarod stood looking at the door for a minute, considering the new turn of events in his otherwise predictable life. A noise from behind brought him back to reality. Then he heard a familiar whisper, "Psst! Jarod!" He walked across the room, sat cross-legged on the bed with his back to the camera and tossed another grape into his mouth. "So, Angelo! Tell me more about the girl in the infirmary."
End Part 3
TBC
Eagerly awaiting your feedback
By Lizz
Part 3
Heard It Through The Grapevine
1996-Day 1
Jarod's Living Quarters
Friday Morning
While Dr. Patrice was on the phone with Sydney, it was mid-morning for everyone who had been up since 5:00 AM. To a casual surveillance viewer, Jarod was merely sitting cross-legged on his bed with his back to the camera reading and eating red grapes. In fact, he was talking to a visitor inside the air-return vent near the floor at the foot of his bed.
"Angelo! It's good to see you," he said in a guarded voice. Watery blue eyes smiled back at him through the grate. "Anything new out there?"
"New girl from Raines. Hurt. With Dr. Patrice now. Sydney helped. Girl very sick. Very sad. No hope."
Jarod was curious, a gust of questions whirling in his mind already. "New girl? When did she arrive? How old is she? Is she a Pretender? Who's her han--"
"No! Wait! Stop!" Angelo whispered harshly as he covered his ears with his hands, a pained look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Angelo," Jarod offered in a near panic. "I didn't mean to overload you like that. I know it hurts. I'm so sorry!"
Angelo recovered and was silent for a moment before he replied, "Jarod. Always wants to know!" Then he smiled at his friend. Jarod's blunder was forgiven. "Grown up. Like us. Very sick. No hair." Angelo shook is head with a confused look on his face at this last revelation. "No hair. Like the babies."
"This is all very interesting," Jarod cut in. "When did this happen?"
"Now! With doctor. Nurses. Earl, too!" Angelo smiled broadly as he said Earl's name.
"And who is Earl?"
"Friend. Nice man. Helps Dr. Patrice. Good for girl. Likes her. Helps her."
"He helps her how?"
"Makes her warm. Blankets. Socks, too. Feet and hands!" The last bit of information made both young men smile. Angelo made hand puppet gestures in the air.
"Want some grapes? They're very good." Jarod abruptly changed the subject. Angelo nodded and smiled as his friend pushed a handful of the tiny fruits through openings in the grate one by one.
"You read?" Angelo wondered as he looked at the sheaf of papers Jarod held in his lap.
"Research," Jarod announced. Angelo stuck out his tongue, tilted his head to one side and held his fist above his head, indicating a hanging. Jarod threw his head back, laughed out loud and then straightened suddenly, remembering the camera. He grinned at his friend. "My feelings exactly." He popped another grape into his mouth, smiling as he chewed.
Angelo was suddenly agitated, as if what he had sensed didn't add up. "Sydney's coming. Soon!"
"Yes, Angelo, he'll be back after the weekend like always."
"No!" He insisted. "Coming now. Angelo go now!" And with that he vanished, the sound of his footsteps fading in the air ducts.
Almost immediately, Jarod heard the door to his compartment open and there stood Sydney. Jarod motioned for his mentor to come in.
"May I sit down for a few minutes?"
"Of course. Welcome," Jarod replied uneasily as he directed Sydney to a sofa in the middle of the room. Sydney laid his coat and hat over the back of the sofa and sat on the end opposite the Pretender.
"What are you doing here?" Jarod asked rather abruptly.
Sydney knew his student meant no disrespect. "I wanted you to know that I will be staying the weekend here at the Centre."
"Why is that?" Jarod was alarmed but tried to appear sincerely interested. He was looking forward to a forty-eight hour respite from his weekly duties in the simulation labs. If Sydney was staying, that could mean that Jarod would be busy with simulations when he had the opportunity to visit the Centre's fitness arena. Sam had been assigned as Jarod's weight trainer starting out with hand weights and then the bench. Jarod found that the exertion not only relaxed him, but it improved his concentration and elevated his mood as well. What little sleep he did get was becoming more restful. He also enjoyed Sam's attention. He didn't want to give up any of it. Not this week or any other for that matter.
"I have an emergency patient," Sydney began to explain. "Mr. Raines brought her to me this morning and her condition is more, well, complicated than I had first thought. At present, she is in the infirmary. I have been asked to assess her mental and emotional health as soon as she is able to participate. And so I've decided to stay.
"And what does this have to do with me?" Jarod asked flatly.
Sydney continued to be amused by his student's lack of basic social skills and took no offence. "Nothing really," he smiled. "I just want you to know that will be around. Perhaps we could have a game of chess at some point. I have been hoping for a rematch and a chance to restore my reputation." Sydney raised an eyebrow for emphasis.
Jarod smiled, remembering his domination of their last game. The offer seemed to energize the Pretender. A rematch would provide a platform from which he might find out more about the infirmary's latest visitor. He would get to lift weights with Sam, after all. He liked the idea. "I would like that very much, Sydney," he smiled, sounding sincere while hiding his true intentions.
"Very well, Jarod," Sydney said as he stood up. "I'll be in touch." The psychiatrist retrieved his coat and hat and left the room, heading for home.
Jarod stood looking at the door for a minute, considering the new turn of events in his otherwise predictable life. A noise from behind brought him back to reality. Then he heard a familiar whisper, "Psst! Jarod!" He walked across the room, sat cross-legged on the bed with his back to the camera and tossed another grape into his mouth. "So, Angelo! Tell me more about the girl in the infirmary."
End Part 3
TBC
Eagerly awaiting your feedback
