MISS PARKER'S ROOM
It was a strange feeling. Almost as if she were being drawn by a unseen force towards the light.
"Don't fight it Parker."
"Thomas?" She turned towards the voice and saw Thomas standing there smiling. "I don't understand."
"Trust your inner sense." Another voice said and she turned towards it and saw her mother.
"Momma? What is going on? I don't understand."
"You will Parker. Trust me." Thomas answered.
******
Lyle raced to Miss Parker's room only to find a full code in progress. "What happened Sydney?"
"She went into cardiac arrest. They are doing everything they can for her, all we can do now is pray. I'm sorry." Sydney solemnly said then lowered his voice. "Lyle, it been thirty minutes, I don't think there is much hope."
"Let's call it." A grim faced doctor said and everyone backed off. "Time... ten thirteen."
"What do you mean call it? You can't stop!" Lyle pushed his way towards the group of medical personnel. "You can't stop!"
"I'm sorry but there isn't any more we can do." A nurse told him as he shoved her out of the way to reach Parker.
"You can't stop." Lyle reached over and grasped Parker's body by the shoulders. "You can't die. I didn't say you could die Parker. Do you hear me?" He screamed and began to shake her violently. "Damn you Parker, damn you! You don't have permission to die! You can't die until I say you can."
******
Tommy's Room in the Pediatric Unit
Too impatient to wait for the elevator, Jarod raced up several flights of stairs to reach the floor where Tommy was. He walked quickly down the hall till he came to Tommy's room. Entering he saw the feverish three year old lying asleep in a crib. Jarod walked slowly to the child and touched his little hand.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" A man's voice said as Jarod felt someone grab his shoulder.
******
Parker looked at Thomas and her mother. "I...can't...be...dead." She shook her head. "It's not my time. I won't let it be my time."
"Parker, you can't always control things. Some times things happen that we don't want to happen." Thomas said.
"No, not this." She shook her head as she spoke. "I'm not ready. There is too much I have to do."
"It will be alright, you'll see." Her mother said.
"No! It won't be alright Momma! I'm not leaving my baby without a mother like you left me. I won't!" She screamed in anger. "I won't do that to him!" She felt someone hit her in the chest, taking her breath away.
"Damn you Parker, I didn't say you could die!"
"Lyle?" She asked as soon as she regained her breath. Lyle stood in front of her, separating her from Thomas and their mother.
"I didn't say you could die on me Parker. I didn't give you permission." He yelled in anger as he hit her again. "No one gave you the authority to die! No one!"
She could feel the unseen force pulling her away from Lyle, Thomas and her mother until she was in total darkness. She shut her eyes, trying to picture Tommy. She couldn't leave him like her mother had left her. Hearing voices and people move around her, Parker opened her eyes and saw Sydney standing close by. Reaching out her hand she grabbed the bottom of his coat and tugged.
"Parker!" He exclaimed as he turned his attention to her. "You're...you're back with us!"
She tried to speak and realized something was blocking her throat. Reaching her hand to her mouth she tried to grab it but Sydney stopped her.
"Nurse! Remove this. I don't think Miss Parker needs to be intubated any more." He smiled down at her. She nodded her head towards the group of people in the room with them.
"It's Lyle. I'm not sure what happened but it's almost as if he traded places with you."
******
"Broots! Where did you come from?" Jarod sighed with relief.
"I've been here ever since they brought them in. But Jarod, I didn't expect to see you. How did you know?" Broots tried to clean the spilt coffee from the front of his shirt.
"Sydney told me where to find them." He turned back to the child who woke at the sound of their voices. "Hi there Tommy."
"Momma." Tommy cried.
"I know Tommy, you miss her but you'll see her soon. I promise." Tommy grasped Jarod's fingers and held tight.
"Jarod, Tommy, is he...is he yours?" Broots asked.
"Yes." Looking at Tommy was like looking at his own reflection from the early DSA's. Even with his mother's piecing blue eyes, Jarod could see himself reflected back. He had looked at Tommy a hundred times and his mind had blocked the truth from him. Parker had dropped numerous hints that now flooded back to haunt him. The truth had been in front of him all the time but his mind had refused to acknowledge it.
******
Miss Parker watched as they wheeled Lyle out of the room. "Sydney, I want to see Tommy." She said in a tired voice.
"I thought you would. I have a wheelchair ready for you." He helped her in it and pushed her to the elevator and entered it. She watched as he pushed the button for Tommy's floor and the door closed.
"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here." Sydney whispered.
"I know." She whispered back.
The elevator came to a abrupt halt, the doors opened and they exited. She felt as if they were in slow motion but she kept telling herself to wait just a little longer. Sydney pushed her though the door of Tommy's room.
"It's empty! Where is he?" Miss Parker cried.
"I'm not sure. But this is Tommy's room." Sydney walked over the bed. Then back at her. "I'll see if they moved him." He left Parker sitting in the wheelchair as he went to find a nurse.
Parker got up slowly and went to the bed. She picked up the IV tubing that must have been in his arm. "Jarod." She whispered. She grabbed her head listening to the voices when Sydney walked back in.
"Parker, are you okay?"
"He's fine." She spoke softly.
"Mmm."
She spun around a little too quickly and Sydney caught her has she fell. "It's Tommy. He is okay." She looked up into his eyes.
"They told you?"
"Yes."
Sydney helped her back into the wheelchair. "I couldn't find anyone."
"Take me home." Parker demanded.
"Parker, I think you should stay the night."
"I can't. I must get home to where Tommy is."
"Tomorrow." The older man wheeled her out.
After Sydney got her settled back into bed. Parker stared into the blackness as the shrink insisted on staying with her. She figured it was more like he felt he had to stay or she would walk out. She knew she needed some rest but right now she was more worried about Tommy.
As she stared off into space Parker remember the last time she felt alone in the hospital. She glanced over at Sydney. Just seeing him asleep in the chair reminded her of the night she had Tommy. She was alone. She didn't know who to call but she knew Sydney would come to her side. She always felt guilty for not telling Jarod but she knew it would be dangerous for both of them if he knew. She only hoped now he would forgive her.
******
Miss Parker's House
Next Morning
Sydney got Parker settled in house.
"I will be fine. You should go home."
"I can't leave you."
"I'll be fine. Go."
"You will call if you need something?"
"You are on my speed dial." Parker smiled a half witted smile. "You will call me if there is any change in Lyle?"
He nodded his head yes.
She waited for him to leave. Then she got up and headed straight to Tommy's room. She picked up his teddy bear. She held it tight. She could smell Tommy on the small bear. It was his favorite bear. The bear that Jarod brought him. "Why didn't I tell him?" She cried harder as she squeezed the teddy bear.
The phone rang bringing Parker's focus back to reality. "What?" Her voice was horse.
"Why didn't you tell me, Parker?"
"Jarod." She went silent.
"Parker? Parker, are you there?"
"Where is he?"
"Safe."
"He's my son, Jarod. I want to see him."
"He's my son too!"
"Please Jarod. Not now."
"Meet me at the laundry mat on the corner of Main and Central in an hour."
"I want to see my son."
"And you will. Just as soon as I know you are not followed."
******
Parker walked in. She scanned the area for Jarod. A homeless man walked up to her. "Can you spare some change?"
"No." She kept walking.
The man followed her. "Are you sure?"
"Look!" She turned around. "I don't have...." She paused as she noticed the deep brown eyes. "Jarod?" She questioned.
He shook his head. "I didn't want anyone to know it was me."
"Where is my son?"
"Come with me." Jarod lead Parker out a side door into an alley. They got in a car that was waiting for them and drove off.
They pulled up to a cabin in the woods. Jarod turned off the engine. "He's in there."
Parker jumped out of the car and up to the door. Jarod caught her before she opened the door.
"Let go of me. My son is in there."
"After you see him, we have to talk."
Parker stared into his eyes and knew she would have a lot of explaining to do. "Ok." She whispered.
Jarod turned the door knob to let her in. She saw Tommy sitting in the floor with the clone.
"Tommy!" Parker cried out.
"Momma!" The boy got up. Parker picked him up as they met. She squeezed him tight.
"I missed you." She squeezed him tighter.
Tommy looked into his mother's eyes. "Don't cry." He wiped the tears they fell from down her cheek.
"I was worried about you." She sat down in the chair.
"I was with daddy." He informed her. "So I was safe."
Parker glanced up at Jarod. Then back at her son. "Momma, can I play now?"
"Sure." She watched as Tommy went back to the floor and began to play with Jay.
"We need to talk, Parker." Jarod grabbed her arm.
"Not in front of him." Parker stood.
"Let's take a walk."
"Baby, Momma will be outside if you need me."
Tommy just kept playing as if he didn't hear her. "He will be fine." Jarod opened the door.
As they stepped off the porch Parker turned to Jarod. "Where is your father?"
"Why?"
"'Cause I want to know that my son will be ok in there."
"Our son." Jarod started walking again. "He is in there."
They walked in silence for a while wondering who was going to the first one to talk. Finally, Parker stopped in her tracks. "I can't take anymore. Would you please talk?"
"Ok, why didn't you tell me we had a son?"
"I wanted to some many times but I was afraid."
"Of who...me...the Centre?"
"Both." Parker spoke softly. "I was afraid he would have been taken away from me. I figured the Centre would have taken him if they knew he was yours and you would have taken him from me to get him away from the Centre."
"I wouldn't take a child from his mother."
"Oh really, if I told you from the beginning he was your child what would you have done?"
"The same thing I am going to do now. Protect him."
"And how do you planning on doing that?"
"I'm taking you and him away from here before they find us."
"And what if I don't go?"
"Then I guess I will have to take a child from his mother."
"See!" She screamed.
Jarod took her hand into his. "But I don't want to. Parker, please let me protect you and Tommy."
"I don't want your help. I can take care of myself and my son."
"Oh really, then why were you in the hospital knocking at death's door if you can take care of yourself!" Jarod smarted off to her.
She grew silent. She didn't know how to answer him but she didn't want to show any emotions either.
"Come on Parker, just admit you have feelings for me and we can move on to more important things like caring for *our* son."
"What?!"
"You heard me."
"Feelings?"
"Yeah. You don't have to play games anymore. Lyle told me everything."
"Lyle?" She turned in circles. "If he makes it, I'm going to kill him." She mumbled under her breath.
"I know all about Nugensis and how Thomas and I were the only two men you ever loved."
"Is there anything he *didn't* tell you?"
"There is one thing but I have to hear it from you."
"And what would that be?"
"I want to hear you tell me you love me."
She stood there staring at him. "What if I can't?"
"Then I guess I will have to go first." He walked up to her, took her hand into his again, and looked into her blue eyes. "I love you, Parker. I have always loved you and I love our son. I want to take care of the both of you." He kissed her hand. He leaned in to kiss her lips when she back away from him.
"Jarod...I-I"
Jarod stopped her. "It's ok. I understand if you can't say it now. I just want you to admit you have some kind of feelings."
All Parker could do was stare into his eyes. She wanted to speak but it was like her brain wasn't letting her. She began to back up again when her back hit a tree. She had no where else to go as Jarod moved in closer.
"I guess since you had my child that would say something for the feeling you have for me." Jarod joked.
"I do have feelings for you." She finally spoke.
Jarod brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "Parker..."
She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her. Her lips found his as she kissed him hard.
Jarod broke lose. "Does this mean...?"
"I love you, Jarod. It is time for me to quit hiding the truth from you. I have loved you since we were 16."
Jarod leaned in again to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know how much longer I can hide these feeling." She whispered into his ear.
"Let me help you and then we can work on these feelings." Jarod smiled.