Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
As they approached the solitary door on SL-25, Lyle pulled a key card from his pocket and swiped it against the pad by the door. A green light blinked, and the younger man opened the door for the psychiatrist, indicating that he should enter. Sydney hesitated.
“Everything you need to help her is in there, doctor.”
“Why are you doing this? She’s your sister for God’s sake.”
Lyle shrugged. “I like playing for the winning team...”
In disgust, Sydney brushed past Lyle and into the room, hearing the door slam home behind him. He looked at the lone bed in the room, and the bruised and beaten figure lying on it, and a lump filled his throat. For a moment, he felt frozen in fear, but as his eyes misted over, he overcame the stupor and moved quickly to her. He gently took one of her bruised and cut hands in his.
“Parker? Parker, can you hear me?”
A deep moan uttered through her lips, but there was no other indication that she knew anyone was there with her. He stroked his other hand through her matted hair.
“Everything’s going to be okay, I’m going to take care of you.”
Sydney began the arduous process of removing her clothing little by little, cleaning and dressing her wounds, and setting and splinting her broken bones; he shook his head in repulsion at the men who could perpetrate such madness. After pulling the blanket at the bottom of the bed to cover her, he plunged the washcloth he’d been using to clean her up into the cool water once again. Gently, caring hands held the cool cloth to her forehead, and his voice issued in a low, sweet tone.
“Can you hear me, Parker? I want you to wake up for me.”
After several tries, her eyes finally fluttered open, and then snapped wide in fear.
“Shhh, shhh, you’re safe now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
The grey eyes focused as recognition settled in, but her voice was thick, “Please Sydney, it hurts. Please help me.”
The distress in her voice made his throat tighten, and he stroked a large hand across her brow. “I’m sorry, baby, I don’t have anything to give you to get you through this...”
Tears filled her eyes from the discomfort, and the vulnerability in her voice suddenly reminded him of when she was a little girl, the harsh words from the previous morning, a long-distant memory. “Stay with me, Sydney. Please...”
In response, he tenderly lifted her into his arms, and held her gently, until after awhile, he felt her relax slightly. He carefully set her down, leaning her head back into the pillow.
His tone was like a soft caress, “A little better now?”
She nodded, and then frowned as she swallowed hard against her dry throat.
“Why did they do this?”
Sydney looked away; he didn’t know how to tell her. She touched his hand, and his eyes darted back to hers.
“Sydney...”
He pulled his lips into a thin, straight line, and then finally spoke softly. “They’re using you as leverage.”
“Who is?”
“Lyle and Mr. Raines.”
“Leverage against whom?”
He stared directly into the dark grey eyes. “Against me.”
She let out an unsteady breath of air, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t understand.”
He looked into the pleading eyes, and the reality of his situation struck him, hard; and he knew what he must do. He caressed her cheek softly with his hand, and smiled slightly at her.
“I don’t want you to worry, Parker. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She had known him all of her life, and she could see in the soft chestnut eyes, that he was holding something back: something dreadful. Using her inner sense, she felt a magnitude of fear and guilt within him that words could not accurately convey. In a sudden movement of sheer desperation, she grabbed ahold of his hand, and their eyes locked tightly to each other.
“This has to do with the DSA you mentioned, doesn’t it?”
He smiled at her and squeezed the hand in his. “It’s nothing for you to think about, Parker--”
“--Don’t lie to me, Sydney.” She grimaced in pain, and Sydney tried to comfort her, but she cut him off , continuing, “Nosferatu is using me to threaten you...I want to know why. Is it about the DSA? He wants something from you in exchange for my life.” Sydney looked away, but his silence didn’t keep her from hearing the truth. “Jarod.” The lump in his throat kept him from speaking, and her voice was growing weak. “Sydney?”
When it came out, it was a bare whisper. “Yes.”
“That bastard can’t do this, my father will--”
“--Your father will do nothing. Raines is operating under Triumvirate sanctions, I’m certain.”
She picked up on the despair and defeat in his voice, and she felt cold fear as the reality settled down upon her like a heavy cloak. “You’re not sure he’ll keep his end of the bargain... you’re not sure you can save me.”
His eyes filled with tears and he broke away from her grip. He stood, and turned his back to her, so she couldn’t see the emotion pouring over his face.
“Syd...say someth--”
“--I have probably killed us both, and Jarod too. God forgive me.”
The anguish in his voice tore at the last vestiges of her heart, and the man Miss Parker had known all her life, the man who had been a stable source of support to her whenever she needed him, broke down harder than she would have thought possible. She closed her eyes in pain, and then pitched her voice low, but with command.
“Sydney, come sit down next to me.”
After a long moment, he forced himself to pull his emotions under control and walk back to the bed. Then he sat in the chair next to her, his face in his hands. He felt the soft stroke of her hand on the back of his head, but he couldn’t bear to look at her: not after what he’d done. Finally, and with waning strength, Parker tilted his chin up, so she could see his face.
“What’s on that DSA that you would risk everything to protect me from it, hmm?”
Sydney looked into the beautiful grey eyes, and knew he couldn’t tell her. If they were all to die, then at least Parker would die confident in her identity, and if not confident in him, at least in his love for her. Slowly he stood, and tenderly caressed her bruised cheek.
“You have always meant more to me than you could know, and I have tried to protect you the best I could. I’m going to do what Mr. Raines asks, and see that he keeps his word to me. One child’s freedom isn’t worth another child’s life. In the end, if that’s all you have to remember me by, I pray that it’s enough to think of me fondly.”
Parker was too stunned by Sydney’s words to respond, except that her eyes filled with tears and her throat with a lump. The hand stroking her cheek slid under her chin, to gently hold it, while he bent down to softly kiss her forehead. Smiling at her, he turned and walked out of the room, and into the eager hands of Mr. Lyle.
“Everything you need to help her is in there, doctor.”
“Why are you doing this? She’s your sister for God’s sake.”
Lyle shrugged. “I like playing for the winning team...”
In disgust, Sydney brushed past Lyle and into the room, hearing the door slam home behind him. He looked at the lone bed in the room, and the bruised and beaten figure lying on it, and a lump filled his throat. For a moment, he felt frozen in fear, but as his eyes misted over, he overcame the stupor and moved quickly to her. He gently took one of her bruised and cut hands in his.
“Parker? Parker, can you hear me?”
A deep moan uttered through her lips, but there was no other indication that she knew anyone was there with her. He stroked his other hand through her matted hair.
“Everything’s going to be okay, I’m going to take care of you.”
Sydney began the arduous process of removing her clothing little by little, cleaning and dressing her wounds, and setting and splinting her broken bones; he shook his head in repulsion at the men who could perpetrate such madness. After pulling the blanket at the bottom of the bed to cover her, he plunged the washcloth he’d been using to clean her up into the cool water once again. Gently, caring hands held the cool cloth to her forehead, and his voice issued in a low, sweet tone.
“Can you hear me, Parker? I want you to wake up for me.”
After several tries, her eyes finally fluttered open, and then snapped wide in fear.
“Shhh, shhh, you’re safe now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
The grey eyes focused as recognition settled in, but her voice was thick, “Please Sydney, it hurts. Please help me.”
The distress in her voice made his throat tighten, and he stroked a large hand across her brow. “I’m sorry, baby, I don’t have anything to give you to get you through this...”
Tears filled her eyes from the discomfort, and the vulnerability in her voice suddenly reminded him of when she was a little girl, the harsh words from the previous morning, a long-distant memory. “Stay with me, Sydney. Please...”
In response, he tenderly lifted her into his arms, and held her gently, until after awhile, he felt her relax slightly. He carefully set her down, leaning her head back into the pillow.
His tone was like a soft caress, “A little better now?”
She nodded, and then frowned as she swallowed hard against her dry throat.
“Why did they do this?”
Sydney looked away; he didn’t know how to tell her. She touched his hand, and his eyes darted back to hers.
“Sydney...”
He pulled his lips into a thin, straight line, and then finally spoke softly. “They’re using you as leverage.”
“Who is?”
“Lyle and Mr. Raines.”
“Leverage against whom?”
He stared directly into the dark grey eyes. “Against me.”
She let out an unsteady breath of air, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t understand.”
He looked into the pleading eyes, and the reality of his situation struck him, hard; and he knew what he must do. He caressed her cheek softly with his hand, and smiled slightly at her.
“I don’t want you to worry, Parker. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She had known him all of her life, and she could see in the soft chestnut eyes, that he was holding something back: something dreadful. Using her inner sense, she felt a magnitude of fear and guilt within him that words could not accurately convey. In a sudden movement of sheer desperation, she grabbed ahold of his hand, and their eyes locked tightly to each other.
“This has to do with the DSA you mentioned, doesn’t it?”
He smiled at her and squeezed the hand in his. “It’s nothing for you to think about, Parker--”
“--Don’t lie to me, Sydney.” She grimaced in pain, and Sydney tried to comfort her, but she cut him off , continuing, “Nosferatu is using me to threaten you...I want to know why. Is it about the DSA? He wants something from you in exchange for my life.” Sydney looked away, but his silence didn’t keep her from hearing the truth. “Jarod.” The lump in his throat kept him from speaking, and her voice was growing weak. “Sydney?”
When it came out, it was a bare whisper. “Yes.”
“That bastard can’t do this, my father will--”
“--Your father will do nothing. Raines is operating under Triumvirate sanctions, I’m certain.”
She picked up on the despair and defeat in his voice, and she felt cold fear as the reality settled down upon her like a heavy cloak. “You’re not sure he’ll keep his end of the bargain... you’re not sure you can save me.”
His eyes filled with tears and he broke away from her grip. He stood, and turned his back to her, so she couldn’t see the emotion pouring over his face.
“Syd...say someth--”
“--I have probably killed us both, and Jarod too. God forgive me.”
The anguish in his voice tore at the last vestiges of her heart, and the man Miss Parker had known all her life, the man who had been a stable source of support to her whenever she needed him, broke down harder than she would have thought possible. She closed her eyes in pain, and then pitched her voice low, but with command.
“Sydney, come sit down next to me.”
After a long moment, he forced himself to pull his emotions under control and walk back to the bed. Then he sat in the chair next to her, his face in his hands. He felt the soft stroke of her hand on the back of his head, but he couldn’t bear to look at her: not after what he’d done. Finally, and with waning strength, Parker tilted his chin up, so she could see his face.
“What’s on that DSA that you would risk everything to protect me from it, hmm?”
Sydney looked into the beautiful grey eyes, and knew he couldn’t tell her. If they were all to die, then at least Parker would die confident in her identity, and if not confident in him, at least in his love for her. Slowly he stood, and tenderly caressed her bruised cheek.
“You have always meant more to me than you could know, and I have tried to protect you the best I could. I’m going to do what Mr. Raines asks, and see that he keeps his word to me. One child’s freedom isn’t worth another child’s life. In the end, if that’s all you have to remember me by, I pray that it’s enough to think of me fondly.”
Parker was too stunned by Sydney’s words to respond, except that her eyes filled with tears and her throat with a lump. The hand stroking her cheek slid under her chin, to gently hold it, while he bent down to softly kiss her forehead. Smiling at her, he turned and walked out of the room, and into the eager hands of Mr. Lyle.
