Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Left Behind
Parker struggled to open her eyes but it was useless. After several attempts at lifting the seeming 20 pound weights that were now her eyelids, she mentally commanded herself to stop wasting the energy. Instead, she tried to focus on the swirl of voices she could hear around her. Someone was yelling, arguing about something that was "her choice." She knew that the voice was familiar, but she her brain seemed unable to pull the information as to who was speaking out of its recesses.
Another, more brusque voice told the first speaker to "mind his own business." And she was certain that a female speaker had ordered a security team into the room. Parker tried again to discern the voices, but she found that she was only wasting energy. Only two things were clear to her -- she was somewhere in the Centre, and she felt as if she were nearly dead.
************
Later that night
************
It was the third time she heard the sound that Parker began to wake. She wasn't certain what it was, but she knew that an artificial noise was close to her, ringing in her ears like some sort of alarm, only not quite so loud. Again she found herself fighting to make any movement, her body feeling as if it were weighed down by cement. "Focus." She called the command out in her mind, willing her body to do something, anything to let her know that she really was still alive. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she felt her left hand move on the bed. Better still, she felt her eyelids actually begin to lighten. That was when she heard his voice.
"Miss Parker? Miss Parker, can you hear me?"
She continued to work on opening her eyes, her lids lifting in what seemed an agonizing effort. Her eyes blurred from the sudden intake of light and she fought the urge to close them again.
"Parker."
She heard the voice again and somewhere inside her, she felt a suddenly overwhelming need to move, to run. Something was wrong. There was danger -- somewhere. Someone she loved was in trouble. She knew it was true but she couldn't remember who or why. Desperate, she tried to rise up from the bed only to have her body restrained by two gentle hands, one placed on her forehead, the other taking firm hold of her left hand.
"No, Parker, please don't try to move. You've got to lie very still. Do you understand?"
Somehow, she managed to nod as she sought out the speaker with the strong but gentle voice. That was when she saw his eyes, and she realized how familiar the hold on her hand was, the care he was showing in the way he spoke to and touched her.
"Jarod."
He leaned closer and she was finally able to gain a clear view of his face. Even in her weakened state, she could tell that he looked terrible. He hadn't shaved in several days, nor did it appear that he had slept. And the sadness, God, there was such a sadness in his eyes, even more so than there usually was. "What was causing that?" she wondered silently.
"Why are you here?" She barely managed to croak out the question. Jarod's eyes clouded over with emotion Parker could feel deep in her chest. Something had gone very wrong.
Her father. The thought raced through her mind as quickly as the shot that had placed her in this bed had ripped through her body. Someone had tried -- no, not someone, Raines had tried to kill her father. She remembered something else, too -- pain. The most intense pain she had ever felt in her life.
"My father?" Her voice sounded weak and ragged, and she would have hated it had she the energy to think about it. As it was, she was struggling just to stay awake. She felt Jarod's grip on her hand tighten, but her fears were calmed by the slight smile that crossed his face.
"Your father is fine. Well, not fine, he's worried sick about you, but otherwise --"
Parker nodded, glad to know that he remained unharmed. Some part of her brain told her to ask about Raines, but before she could mount the question, she again heard the beeping sound that had caused her to wake. She was about to ask Jarod what was causing it when Jarod began speaking.
"Parker, there's something we need to talk about before we lose you to dreamland."
She could tell he was trying not to sound worried. She still couldn't figure out why he was here. He'd been ready to leave on the plane, hadn't he? With his father and -- and --
"Parker, do you remember what happened?"
Again she nodded. She could feel her energy waning, and she tried hard to focus on his face in order to stay awake.
"You were shot in the back. The bullet missed your heart, but it did a lot of soft tissue damage and you lost a lot of blood -- and it's still inside of you."
"Why?"
Concern flooded Jarod's face again. He was so worried about her. She wanted to smile at him, to tell him that he didn't need to worry, but fear began to gnaw at her heart. There was something about that look on his face that told her she was facing something far worse than what she'd already been through.
"The bullet is lodged in your lower back. It's not near your spine, Parker. I don't want you to be concerned about that. There's no danger that you'll suffer permanent damage. Do you understand?" She nodded and, reassured, he continued.
"We didn't remove the bullet because of something we found in your lab work. Parker, did you...did you know that you were pregnant?"
The look that she was certain passed over her face gave him the answer. Pregnant? Oh, God. Thomas. Her mind spun as fear took firm hold of her. She was carrying Thomas' child and she had been shot. They had killed her baby -- the last piece of Thomas she had left.
Suddenly, she felt Jarod's hand against her face and realized that he was wiping tears from her cheek that she hadn't even known were falling. His voice filled her mind, calming and reassuring.
"Your baby is alive, Parker. He's the strong-willed, stubborn sort, just like his mother. You probably should have lost him, given everything you've been through, but he's still there. That's his heartbeat on the monitor."
Her body suddenly filled with energy caused from adrenaline, Parker turned her head to the right and saw the fetal heart monitor which, she now realized, had been emanating the beep that had awakened her.
"It's a boy?"
"I did an ultrasound as soon as we realized."
She turned back to face him, sensing that there was more he needed to tell her.
"Parker, the problem is that if we go in to remove the bullet, there is a very strong chance that you will miscarry. The procedure will be too invasive, and -- well, the odds aren't good."
"No." The word came out strong and clear, and Parker realized that her voice, the one she knew and was comfortable with had somehow found it's way back into her mouth.
"You should know that your father is in favor of doing the surgery."
"No."
She saw Jarod looking at her, searching her eyes for understanding of the situation she was now in.
"The more advanced your pregnancy becomes, Parker, the more pressure you'll be putting on your back, and on the bullet. You'll be in excruciating pain, and you won't be able to take anything for it without risking --"
Jarod stopped speaking when he felt her grip on his hand tighten. He looked down at their hands, now ferociously bonded together, then back to her face.
"Please, don't let them take my baby."
She wondered what his response would be. In her heart, she knew she had little right to ask him for anything after all she had done to him. Yet, Parker knew that somehow, Jarod was the only person who cared for both her and her son. He leaned still closer to her, softly brushing a few strands of hair from her face as he looked at her.
"I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt you or your son, Parker. Not ever again."
Their eyes were locked now, each seeing in the other someone that had been missing for so long -- their best friend. Parker didn't know how Jarod would protect them, but she knew that he would, no matter what it took. Suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion, Parker felt her eyelids begin to close. She was tempted to fight until she heard Jarod's voice in her ear once more.
"Listen to his heart, Parker. It's so strong. He'll always be with you. He's the way that Thomas left behind his love for you."
