On second thought

Jason is silent while Lockheart speaks, wanting to glean reassurance and hope from her words. If only he had more faith in the system. But he couldn’t be negative…

“Thanks, Lockheart. See you tomorrow then.”

An officer is standing by as Lockheart exits, and steps into the doorway. “Alright, Jason.”

Jason slowly rises, ready to head back to his cell without so much as a glance over his shoulder to watch the confident attorney leave. Trudging to the cell, the squeaky hinges on the door and clang of the lock feel all-too familiar for his short stay here.


Jackman watches from his parked car in the empty lot a block from the police station. His cellphone was pressed up against his ear. “Look I don’t care what it takes. Up the offer. Just get me that fax tonight. I don’t want it waiting another day. This deal is too big for me to want to lose it. We do things my way this time. …What part of ‘I don’t care’ don’t you understand? With Judge Barker’s signature, there’s nothing anyone can do, least of all Lockheart.” He eyes the attorney as she exits the station. “We’re not getting paid to do things by the book, Marcus. We’re getting paid to make sure that kid is convicted. Now get me that fax.” He flips his phone shut and leans back in his seat with a frustrated sigh.


Rick’s concern increases, and he takes a small blood sample quickly to spare Misty any more discomfort. “You just lie still now, okay? Just rest.”

Carson holds the ice water bowl and cloth, unsure exactly what’s going on, though something told him this was no common cold. Misty’s sudden and rapid decline was not something normal.

“Carson…” Rick looks at him with annoyed prompting.

“What?”

Rick rolls his eyes. “Washcloth…” Seeing Carson’s cluelessness, he sighs. “Haven’t you ever brought someone’s fever down before?”

Carson’s defenses rise. “Well, I’m not exactly in the habit of playing nurse, if that’s what you mean. If I…”

“If you have any brains,” Rick intervenes, “You’ll get the cloth wet, wring it out and put it on the poor girl’s forehead while I test this blood.”

Carson looks down at Misty, feeling dumb. Seeing her outstretched arm, he sighs a little, and grabs a nearby chair, turning it around so he can straddle it, and bringing it near the bed. Using the small beside table, he gets the cloth wet and wrings it out, folding it up neatly and laying it across Misty’s forehead.

He sits back for a moment, not wanting to ask if he was supposed to do something else. He felt ridiculously inept…not something he was used to feeling.

Reaching out on instinct, he puts a little pressure on the cloth to disperse the coolness to Misty’s hot skin, then retreats again, just looking at her.

He sees her outstretched hand again, and bypasses his awkwardness to take it in his own. Doing so, though, he notices the small cut on her palm. It looked fairly fresh, though wasn’t deep and had hardly bled at all, already sealed up. But it was starting to get slightly red with infection…odd for a cut so fresh.

“Hey, Doc…”

Rick sighs, feeling as though he has a little kid under foot. “Yes?”

“Is an infected cut significant?”

Rick stops what he’s doing and comes to take a closer look. “Hmm…doesn’t look like much. She could have gotten that anywhere.”

“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have gotten infected in just the last couple hours, would it?”

“Who says she did it that recently?”

Carson looks up at Rick, with a slight smirk. “Trust me. I think I woulda noticed.”

Rick opens his mouth to say something, but then shuts it, realizing the truth in Carson’s statement, his annoyance for that morning’s event returning. “I’m sure you would have.” Studying Misty’s hand a little closer, he frowns, then returns to the blood sample. “Let’s hope it’s just a coincidence, shall we?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I don’t like the looks of this.” Rick resumes his work at the counter over his microscope.

Carson lets his confusion go, turning back to Misty. He sets her hand down on the bed beside herself and sits back, just watching her.

“It would help if you wet the cloth again.”

Carson’s eyes narrow at the strong suggestion. Rick wasn’t helping him feel any less an idiot. For some reason though, he couldn’t retaliate. Rick was obviously not in the mood for games, and unafraid of Carson, having no problems ordering him around. Carson removes Misty’s cloth, rewets it and puts it back on her head.

Ten minutes later, Rick is shaking his head. “We got another one.”

Carson lifts his eyebrow. “What?”

“Poison.” Rick concentrates on the microscope and the printouts he had.

Carson rises from his seat and goes to Rick, looking over his shoulder. “Not Agency poison…”

“Yes, Agency poison, according to this,” Rick states flatly.

“But how…” Confused, Carson tries to get a better look.

Rick finally turns his head to stare up at him. “Do you know how to read these printouts or decipher what’s under the microscope?”

“Well, no.”

“Then would you kindly step aside? You’re blocking my light.”

Carson sighs and takes a step back. “You’re saying that this is the same poison that got Jason and Con?”

“Yep.”

“But how? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t it?” Rick throws him another glance.

Carson glares at him. “No, it doesn’t. The Agency doesn’t even know Misty exists. Besides, you think I’d let them get away with this?”

Rick doesn’t answer. “Then it’s that cut on her hand.”

Carson thinks for a moment before the realization hits him. “She was working with those contaminated samples today.”

“Bingo.”

“Well how bad is it?”

Rick straightens up, his lips pursed in thought. “I wish I knew. But as dangerous as this stuff is, I don’t like taking chances. The problem is, we haven’t developed an antidote yet. You…wouldn’t happen to know of one…”

Carson shakes his head. “Nope. Why would the Agency want an antidote?”

“Good point.” Rick turns back to his work. “Then there’s not a whole lot we can do. If Misty’s fever doesn’t go down any, I’ve got something to give her to help fight the infection, but lets just hope she didn’t get a large dose of that poison.” He pauses, then looks up, seeing Carson still standing there. “Her head isn’t going to stay cool by itself, genius.”

Carson grits his teeth, but retreats to the bed again to turn the cold cloth.

Rick doesn’t look up from his work, but calls over to him. “Take a second cloth and put it right below her neck on her chest where the most heat is. Then..” He lifts his eyes from his microscope, rethinking just who he’s asking to do this. “On second thought, why don’t I…”

Carson rolls his eyes and stands to get a second cloth. “I’ll behave myself, Doc. I may be bold, but I’m not stupid.”

Rick watches out of the corner of his eye as Carson resumes his duty over Misty, taking care of both cold compresses, seeming to get the hang of the simple task as he works with an awkward gentleness. An ever-so-slight grin twitches the corner of his mouth. Maybe there was some hope for Carson yet.


Kyle can’t help the laugh that escapes as a quirky smile spreads across his face. “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be doing the encouraging today.” He reaches over to wrap an arm around Katie’s shoulders in a brotherly fashion. “I do believe we’re going to make it, you know that?”

He chuckles and releases his hold, turning to look back up the beach to the pickup. “What say you to paying that sister of mine a visit? Our folks are out of town for a week and I bet ya anything she’d enjoy the company.”