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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer is in part one but this includes all season to the present so if you haven't watched or seen the newest episodes it includes spoiler but they have been twisted to fit my need for this story and do not reflect the writers or producers take on the situation. . . . .i apologize for forgetting to insert the WARNING in part 3.
Fraying Fabric
4/?
by Shannon
Parker guided him to the edge of the bed, easing him into a sitting position. Pulling his tee shirt up, she carefully removed the tape from around his mid section, gently. Inhaling deeply as Parker re-taped his ribs, he retreated into himself. It was during this time that she noticed a wheezing to his breathing, for the past week, she had attributed it to the bruised lung, yet it seemed to be worsening. After finishing the task, she pulled his tee shirt down around his torso and began to ease him back against the pillows. Jarod blinked and returned to the world, as he felt the softness of goosedown behind him. Parker pulled the coverlet up around him, her hand brushing the hair from his fevered forehead. Jarod suddenly sat up and sucked in a deep breath, which caused him to cough. A dry, wracking cough. When the spasm passed, she eased him back against the pillows.
"Get him out, Parker. Get our son out," he wheezed.
"I will, with your help," she looked into dark, glassy eyes.
"I won't be of any use to you, Parker. You have to do this on your own."
"Of course, you'll help me. I can't do it on my own."
He shook his head and struggled to sit up, her hands forcing him to stay.
"No, I won't. That's what I haven't told you."
"What?"
"Was going to take him. Take him away."
"And not tell me. God-damn it, Jarod, I have a right to know," she demanded, fury flashing, briefly.
"After he was safe. I was going to send you to him," he said softly.
"What changed?"
"My last pretend----it went wrong."
"Wrong? You found the killer, I saw the clippings in the notebook," she said still not comprehending what he was trying to tell her.
" Parker," his dark eyes locked on to her blue ones," I'm . . . ." he lasped into a coughing fit. Parker held him close, noticing for the first time since helping him escape that he looked frail. Jarod recovered from the coughing fit, wiped his mouth with his hand and noticed the smear of blood on the backside.
"Rest," she said.
"No," he choked. He motioned for her to come closer to him. Sitting next to him, Parker could barely hear the pretender's words; his broken sentences were interrupted by great gasps for air and fits of coughing.
"You need to go back. Several envelopes will be arriving . . . need to be there to receive the one that's double postmarked. It contains all the information. This damage is permanent. Nothing can help. . . ." His voice died, his eyes closed. She looked at him, just looked. It felt as if someone pinched a loose thread and pulled, unraveling the weave of the material that bound them together. Lifting herself off of the bed, she made her way to the wooden door. Exiting the room, she made her way down the stairs, finding Ben in the kitchen.
"How is he?" the older man asked, looking up from the paper he was reading.
"He's sleeping, fitfully. Look, I need to go back. He sent something to the office before all of this happened and I really need to be there to get it. Do you mind. . . ." she started to ask the question.
"I'll look after him, that is until you return."
" As much as I hate to leave him, he's so weak," she ran a hand through her hair, and glanced back toward the doorway from which she entered," If he worsens, please. . . ."
"You'll be the first one I call."
"Thank you," she mumured, softly," I'd best get back to him and tell him that I'm heading back to the cesspool."
***
Broots fidgeted while he stood just outside the chairman's office, Sydney uncannily calm at his side. The computer geek wished he could be in front of his computer, actuallly working on anything other than finding Jarod. Across from the two men and down the hallway, were the chairman and Mr. Cox approaching slowly.
"What's with that guy, Syd?" Broots asked in a whisper.
"He's opinionated, recalcitrant, arrogant, and at the moment fearful----"
"What's he got to be fearful of?" Broots inquired.
"The unknown," Sydney replied.
"Huh!"
"It's been a week and Jarod hasn't made any contact with them regarding his escape."
"But. . . ."
"I overheard Lyle, they're afraid that the beating the sweepers inflicted did more damage than previously thought. He suggested that perhaps they start canvasing the hospitals and morgues for possible John Does that fit Jarod's description."
Four heads stopped their talking as each heard the distinct sound of the elevator doors hiss open to reveal in regal glory, Miss Parker. She wasn't alone, Lyle was with her, reveiwing a red notebook in his hand, Parker's features hard and drawn as she continued to glare at him. Her hand snaked out and snatched the notebook from his, as she exited the metal cage and approached the others that watched the scene unfold.
"I wasn't done with that," Lyle spat.
"Really, looked done to me, Lyle," she snapped back, then turned her icy eyes toward her father and Cox," So nice of you to inform me that the labrat was caged."She watched the three men cringe at her use of the word caged.
"You haven't learned a thing regarding him, have you," she shook her head, a smile on her face," He doesn't stick around longer than necessary. Oh and as for the beating, he's a pretender or did you forget." She handed the notebook to her father and watched Cox grip it in his bony fingers. Releasing it quickly as though bit by a snake, she turned and started to walk away, pausing only briefly.
"Broots, Sydney, my office now! They can figure it out with out my help."
The trio stepped into the elevator and heavy hung the silence that filled the confined space.
"Diplomacy still isn't your strong suit, is it Miss Parker," Sydney chuckled lowly, as he turned toward the young woman.
She smiled with amusement, then turned to Broots, with that look in her eyes. A look that made Broots want to push the stop button in the car and scramble up the cables to get as far away as possible.
"Broots," she nearly purred.
"Yessss, Miss Parker," he stammered.
"You have connections in the mail room, don't you?"
"Campbell, why?"
The doors to the elevator glided open, and the trio stepped out into the corridor and made their way toward Miss Parker's office. Sydney pushed open the door, and allowed Parker to enter before the men. Sitting on her desk was a legal size envelope, she picked it up and handed it to Sydney.
"From Jarod?" he inquired.
"No, but there's one down in the mail room from him and I need it. Broots."
"OHhhh man, sheeesh," he muttered as he headed out of the office door again leaving the good doctor and Miss Parker standing there.
"Take this one to the boys, Syd. I want to see them have fun playing Hide and Seek," she grinned evilly.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Parker. How is. . . . ."
" I'm not sure Syd. Something's not right, depressed isn't the right word but. . ."
"Parker?"
The discussion was interrupted by the return of Broots, who was carrying a couple of manilla envelopes all of them addressed to Miss Parker. Laying them down upon her desk, she rapidly scanned them, singling out the one with the correct postmark; she gathered the others as well and handed them to Sydney.
"Here, take these to," she watched Sydney leave the room, that look of concern written all over his features," Go, Broots."
"But if its from Jarod won't you need me to . . . ." he stopped. She glared at him and pointed toward the door.
"Go!" Her hands gripping the envelope tightly, watching the computer techie head out the door,"Wait!"
"Yes, Miss Parker," he turned around still holding the door open.
"The doctor from Jarod's last pretend. All the information that you can find on him, I want it on my desk," she said.
"I'll get right on it, Miss Parker."
"And Broots, not a word, not one word," she watched the door swing silently shut. Lowering herself into the leather chair behind the desk, she picked up the letter opener from the desk top and slit the envelope open. Out slid three DSA disks, in their protective sleeves, as well as a stack of paper-clipped documents. It was the top document that left her stunned. Quickly she gathered up the three DSA's and the papers; grabbing an envelope from her desk, she placed the documents inside and placed the DSA's in her coat pocket. A quick scrawl on the front of the envelope and it was ready, so with the envelope in hand, Parker left her office. A glance over toward the computer terminal yielded nothing, she'd given him an important task and if that meant rifling through hard copy files, he'd be doing it. And Sydney wasn't back yet, she had time.
Heading down the corridor, her pace faster than normal but trying so hard not to be obvious, Parker stood just outside the room that had been converted over into a nursery for the baby. Inhaling deeply, she pushed open the door and found the nurse walking toward the crib with a bottle in hand. Parker was first to reach the little boy before the nurse and lifted him out, cradling him protectively to her chest.
"I wasn't sure you were going to feed him, today?" the nurse said as she handed her the bottle.
"I would have sent word, if I couldn't make it," Parker replied, sharply, then turned her attention back to the little boy in her arms and watched as eager lips attached themselves to the nipple," Don't you usually take your break about now?"
"Yes, Miss Parker," the woman turned and left the room, anixous to be away from her charge for a brief respite.
" How's my boy?" Parker whispered, saying the words she always said when she visited but feeling so much more this time. He looked up at her with innocent eyes and a small grin broke out from around the bottle's nipple, a sure sign that he knew who held him. She made her way to the rocking chair that was nestled in the corner of the room, and lowered herself into it, adjusting the baby's position in her arms.
A slight shadow caught her attention from the room to her left, she found the good doctor standing just inside the door.
"Stop gawking, Syd. I can tell from the look on your face that you have something to say. So say it."
"They sent Lyle to find him, why did you turn over the information, Parker?"
"Syd, of all people, you, should know me better than that," she smiled," He's going to return empty-handed."
"You were telling me about Jarod before Broots walked in. You said something about depressed. "
"No, I said that wasn't the right word for it. . . .its as though he's given up. He said something about his last pretend going wrong, but Syd, we both know that the Doctor was arrested and convicted of murdering his colleague," she shook her head, confusion clearly written on her features.
"Perhaps there was something that happened that he feels he could have prevented, and its gnawing at him. So until he comes to terms with whatever happened, he's going to exhibit symptoms of depression."
The sudden chiming of a clock on the nurse's desk, startled Parker and her eyes quickly darted toward the door.
"He's not coming, that's why I'm here. He's huddled in his office with Mr. Cox. Talk to me, Parker."
"About?"
"Whatever Jarod sent you in that envelope."
"Just a thread to follow, Syd," she said and turned her attention back to the baby.
feedback sent to Giglbarbe@aol.com
4/?
by Shannon
Parker guided him to the edge of the bed, easing him into a sitting position. Pulling his tee shirt up, she carefully removed the tape from around his mid section, gently. Inhaling deeply as Parker re-taped his ribs, he retreated into himself. It was during this time that she noticed a wheezing to his breathing, for the past week, she had attributed it to the bruised lung, yet it seemed to be worsening. After finishing the task, she pulled his tee shirt down around his torso and began to ease him back against the pillows. Jarod blinked and returned to the world, as he felt the softness of goosedown behind him. Parker pulled the coverlet up around him, her hand brushing the hair from his fevered forehead. Jarod suddenly sat up and sucked in a deep breath, which caused him to cough. A dry, wracking cough. When the spasm passed, she eased him back against the pillows.
"Get him out, Parker. Get our son out," he wheezed.
"I will, with your help," she looked into dark, glassy eyes.
"I won't be of any use to you, Parker. You have to do this on your own."
"Of course, you'll help me. I can't do it on my own."
He shook his head and struggled to sit up, her hands forcing him to stay.
"No, I won't. That's what I haven't told you."
"What?"
"Was going to take him. Take him away."
"And not tell me. God-damn it, Jarod, I have a right to know," she demanded, fury flashing, briefly.
"After he was safe. I was going to send you to him," he said softly.
"What changed?"
"My last pretend----it went wrong."
"Wrong? You found the killer, I saw the clippings in the notebook," she said still not comprehending what he was trying to tell her.
" Parker," his dark eyes locked on to her blue ones," I'm . . . ." he lasped into a coughing fit. Parker held him close, noticing for the first time since helping him escape that he looked frail. Jarod recovered from the coughing fit, wiped his mouth with his hand and noticed the smear of blood on the backside.
"Rest," she said.
"No," he choked. He motioned for her to come closer to him. Sitting next to him, Parker could barely hear the pretender's words; his broken sentences were interrupted by great gasps for air and fits of coughing.
"You need to go back. Several envelopes will be arriving . . . need to be there to receive the one that's double postmarked. It contains all the information. This damage is permanent. Nothing can help. . . ." His voice died, his eyes closed. She looked at him, just looked. It felt as if someone pinched a loose thread and pulled, unraveling the weave of the material that bound them together. Lifting herself off of the bed, she made her way to the wooden door. Exiting the room, she made her way down the stairs, finding Ben in the kitchen.
"How is he?" the older man asked, looking up from the paper he was reading.
"He's sleeping, fitfully. Look, I need to go back. He sent something to the office before all of this happened and I really need to be there to get it. Do you mind. . . ." she started to ask the question.
"I'll look after him, that is until you return."
" As much as I hate to leave him, he's so weak," she ran a hand through her hair, and glanced back toward the doorway from which she entered," If he worsens, please. . . ."
"You'll be the first one I call."
"Thank you," she mumured, softly," I'd best get back to him and tell him that I'm heading back to the cesspool."
***
Broots fidgeted while he stood just outside the chairman's office, Sydney uncannily calm at his side. The computer geek wished he could be in front of his computer, actuallly working on anything other than finding Jarod. Across from the two men and down the hallway, were the chairman and Mr. Cox approaching slowly.
"What's with that guy, Syd?" Broots asked in a whisper.
"He's opinionated, recalcitrant, arrogant, and at the moment fearful----"
"What's he got to be fearful of?" Broots inquired.
"The unknown," Sydney replied.
"Huh!"
"It's been a week and Jarod hasn't made any contact with them regarding his escape."
"But. . . ."
"I overheard Lyle, they're afraid that the beating the sweepers inflicted did more damage than previously thought. He suggested that perhaps they start canvasing the hospitals and morgues for possible John Does that fit Jarod's description."
Four heads stopped their talking as each heard the distinct sound of the elevator doors hiss open to reveal in regal glory, Miss Parker. She wasn't alone, Lyle was with her, reveiwing a red notebook in his hand, Parker's features hard and drawn as she continued to glare at him. Her hand snaked out and snatched the notebook from his, as she exited the metal cage and approached the others that watched the scene unfold.
"I wasn't done with that," Lyle spat.
"Really, looked done to me, Lyle," she snapped back, then turned her icy eyes toward her father and Cox," So nice of you to inform me that the labrat was caged."She watched the three men cringe at her use of the word caged.
"You haven't learned a thing regarding him, have you," she shook her head, a smile on her face," He doesn't stick around longer than necessary. Oh and as for the beating, he's a pretender or did you forget." She handed the notebook to her father and watched Cox grip it in his bony fingers. Releasing it quickly as though bit by a snake, she turned and started to walk away, pausing only briefly.
"Broots, Sydney, my office now! They can figure it out with out my help."
The trio stepped into the elevator and heavy hung the silence that filled the confined space.
"Diplomacy still isn't your strong suit, is it Miss Parker," Sydney chuckled lowly, as he turned toward the young woman.
She smiled with amusement, then turned to Broots, with that look in her eyes. A look that made Broots want to push the stop button in the car and scramble up the cables to get as far away as possible.
"Broots," she nearly purred.
"Yessss, Miss Parker," he stammered.
"You have connections in the mail room, don't you?"
"Campbell, why?"
The doors to the elevator glided open, and the trio stepped out into the corridor and made their way toward Miss Parker's office. Sydney pushed open the door, and allowed Parker to enter before the men. Sitting on her desk was a legal size envelope, she picked it up and handed it to Sydney.
"From Jarod?" he inquired.
"No, but there's one down in the mail room from him and I need it. Broots."
"OHhhh man, sheeesh," he muttered as he headed out of the office door again leaving the good doctor and Miss Parker standing there.
"Take this one to the boys, Syd. I want to see them have fun playing Hide and Seek," she grinned evilly.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Parker. How is. . . . ."
" I'm not sure Syd. Something's not right, depressed isn't the right word but. . ."
"Parker?"
The discussion was interrupted by the return of Broots, who was carrying a couple of manilla envelopes all of them addressed to Miss Parker. Laying them down upon her desk, she rapidly scanned them, singling out the one with the correct postmark; she gathered the others as well and handed them to Sydney.
"Here, take these to," she watched Sydney leave the room, that look of concern written all over his features," Go, Broots."
"But if its from Jarod won't you need me to . . . ." he stopped. She glared at him and pointed toward the door.
"Go!" Her hands gripping the envelope tightly, watching the computer techie head out the door,"Wait!"
"Yes, Miss Parker," he turned around still holding the door open.
"The doctor from Jarod's last pretend. All the information that you can find on him, I want it on my desk," she said.
"I'll get right on it, Miss Parker."
"And Broots, not a word, not one word," she watched the door swing silently shut. Lowering herself into the leather chair behind the desk, she picked up the letter opener from the desk top and slit the envelope open. Out slid three DSA disks, in their protective sleeves, as well as a stack of paper-clipped documents. It was the top document that left her stunned. Quickly she gathered up the three DSA's and the papers; grabbing an envelope from her desk, she placed the documents inside and placed the DSA's in her coat pocket. A quick scrawl on the front of the envelope and it was ready, so with the envelope in hand, Parker left her office. A glance over toward the computer terminal yielded nothing, she'd given him an important task and if that meant rifling through hard copy files, he'd be doing it. And Sydney wasn't back yet, she had time.
Heading down the corridor, her pace faster than normal but trying so hard not to be obvious, Parker stood just outside the room that had been converted over into a nursery for the baby. Inhaling deeply, she pushed open the door and found the nurse walking toward the crib with a bottle in hand. Parker was first to reach the little boy before the nurse and lifted him out, cradling him protectively to her chest.
"I wasn't sure you were going to feed him, today?" the nurse said as she handed her the bottle.
"I would have sent word, if I couldn't make it," Parker replied, sharply, then turned her attention back to the little boy in her arms and watched as eager lips attached themselves to the nipple," Don't you usually take your break about now?"
"Yes, Miss Parker," the woman turned and left the room, anixous to be away from her charge for a brief respite.
" How's my boy?" Parker whispered, saying the words she always said when she visited but feeling so much more this time. He looked up at her with innocent eyes and a small grin broke out from around the bottle's nipple, a sure sign that he knew who held him. She made her way to the rocking chair that was nestled in the corner of the room, and lowered herself into it, adjusting the baby's position in her arms.
A slight shadow caught her attention from the room to her left, she found the good doctor standing just inside the door.
"Stop gawking, Syd. I can tell from the look on your face that you have something to say. So say it."
"They sent Lyle to find him, why did you turn over the information, Parker?"
"Syd, of all people, you, should know me better than that," she smiled," He's going to return empty-handed."
"You were telling me about Jarod before Broots walked in. You said something about depressed. "
"No, I said that wasn't the right word for it. . . .its as though he's given up. He said something about his last pretend going wrong, but Syd, we both know that the Doctor was arrested and convicted of murdering his colleague," she shook her head, confusion clearly written on her features.
"Perhaps there was something that happened that he feels he could have prevented, and its gnawing at him. So until he comes to terms with whatever happened, he's going to exhibit symptoms of depression."
The sudden chiming of a clock on the nurse's desk, startled Parker and her eyes quickly darted toward the door.
"He's not coming, that's why I'm here. He's huddled in his office with Mr. Cox. Talk to me, Parker."
"About?"
"Whatever Jarod sent you in that envelope."
"Just a thread to follow, Syd," she said and turned her attention back to the baby.
feedback sent to Giglbarbe@aol.com
