Feelings... Circumstances... Change

Jason heads towards home, ignoring the silent conversation that had been left basically hanging. He was hurt, he was tired, and he couldn't even think straight. Somewhere he knew he'd been wrong to snap at Katie, but right now he was too upset to make it right.

Getting home, things didn't improve much. His emotional state sent his sugar levels spiraling, leaving him with the option to eat and drink something or take another pill, but the pills were at work. But once he'd eaten supper, the vicious cycle started all over again, making him sick. After an hour or two, the best he could manage was keeping down a little bit of orange juice, but that was it. Anything else resulted in a race to the bathroom where it all came up again.

Trying to sleep was a whole different story, leading to frustrated attempts, or nightmares when he finally could relax enough to sleep. By midnight, he felt as though he'd been run over by a truck. It was nights like these that he hated this thing they called a "gift." It was torment, is what it was, and there was no way to stop it. Well...there was... but he wasn't going to call on Katie this time.

The night was too long, filled with tossing, turning, and dreams that mostly revolved around memories of prison... The fights, the anger, the fear, the murders. Each memory was twisted and turned into something even more horrific. Around three a.m. he wakes up screaming, too late realizing that he'd just sent his clock radio into oblivion in a shower of sparks. Drenched in sweat, he finishes out the night on the living room couch instead. The only control he had was keeping the emotional door to communication locked, while letting his misery feed him.


Morning always follows the night. And though we know it, sometimes we still fight it. For the new day brings things which we cannot predict. It brings things that perhaps we might fear. It is the unknown that we don't wish to meet, and so we hold the night close, wrapped in the moonlight, and hoping for the miracle of a continuing night. But that hope is not powerful enough to stop the sun.


"Did you try calling him again?"

Jim sits at the table in their little house and nods, sipping on his hot cup of morning coffee. "Yeah." He looks up at his wife as she prepares breakfast for just them and Rosalyn who was out helping with chores.

"Nothing?" Becky frowns with worry.

"Nothing." Jim sighs and stares down at his coffee. "I've tried calling him about ten times now, and even left him some messages on his voice mail, but he hasn't picked up."

Becky turns back to the eggs that were sizzling on the stove. They were both worried about their son. No one had heard from Clint since yesterday, and no one knew where he was. They had even tried calling some of his other friends from town, but no one had seen him, or if they had, they weren't saying so. "What are we going to do?"

Jim is silent for a moment. He felt much of this was his fault. He wouldn't have taken back the words he said... He would never say Clint had been right, or that he had made a good decision with Wendy. He would always say that the choice had been wrong. But he probably could have used a quieter tone to counsel, not chew out. And now... he was gone, and they could only hope he would return for his own sake, and for Wendy's too. "I don't know. Pray. Wait."

Becky leaves the stove to come over, bending a little to put an arm around Jim's shoulders. "I'm sure it will all work out... I'm sure..." She only wish she were really as confident as her words implied.


Jason stands under the hot running water of the shower, wishing that all his frustrations could head down the drain like everything else. Without much sleep, and no good sleep, he hadn't wanted to get up this morning. But somehow the day had to go on. He wasn't quite as angry, but misery had settled over him. There were just so many more things now than just Scott. There were so many unanswered questions, some of which even made him question his own worth. How many lies had Austin fed him? And when had it started? Was it just within this last year that things had changed, or had it started before that? How much of what Austin had said was true? How much of the way he'd treated Jason had been real? Had Austin wanted him at TJY because he really was that good, or just to give him something to manipulate and use?

Leaning back against the shower wall, Jason doesn't care if he's wasting water or not. It was the only thing that felt good right now. He had to collect his thoughts... he had to stay alert, but get a handle on his emotions. He was hurt... so very deeply hurt by his grandfather. But letting it get out of control had already led to nothing but more misery. If he wanted to get through this with strength, and come out on the winning side, he needed to not care. He needed to put off dealing with this until later on when this whole thing with Scott was over, and until later on when things at TJY were more focused. Otherwise, he would just be letting his personal feelings get in the way of their mission.

Their mission... Jason reflects for a moment on the evening before, and when he'd left the police station. He'd been so mad at everything, and even at Katie. He still didn't understand how she could walk away from TJY. If no one stayed to stand up to Austin, what was the point? Austin could make a mess of TJY and make the agents miserable with his rules and regulations, but if everyone quit, where did that leave all the innocent people they'd sworn to protect?

Jason knew Katie had just been frustrated with the whole thing, but still... For a moment he had felt almost abandoned on their mission. And now... this morning.... he really didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't sure what made him feel worse... what Katie had said, or how he had reacted.

Though allowing a communication conduit to be open, he still kept half his emotions locked away. They were his and until he figured out what they were and how to deal with them, he didn't want to share them. The only bad thing was that while he kept them bottled up, they would continue to affect him physically.

Finally finishing his shower, he goes to get dressed. He wasn't sure what he was doing today, other than going to check on Scott, but he knew he couldn't just sit around here all day.


“I’d like for him to see somebody. A counselor or something.” Rick stands across from Reese in the breakroom, talking about Scott. “Physically, he’s healing up. This morning his vitals were good even though he had a rough night. He’s not eating very well, but if we can conquer that, hopefully he’ll gain back some weight. Otherwise, it’s just cuts and bruises that are diminishing.”

“But it’s his mind you’re worried about?”

Rick nods. “Yeah. I mean, I think it's his mental state that's hindering his appetite, so it all hangs together. I think if he just had some help working through some of the stuff he experienced, it would do him good. Not to mention his nightmares, and being afraid of his own shadow.”

Reese sighs deeply. “I was afraid of that. We got some agents here who could handle experiencing anything. But I don’t think Scott’s wired that way. Not a day goes by that I don’t kick myself for letting himself go on that mission.” He shakes his head. “If only I would have known it was the Agency.”

“It wasn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

Rick shrugs and leans back against the counter. “I know you told Scott to write up a report whenever he felt ready, but I’ve heard quite a bit from him, when he's been willing to talk. He said he lost his eyesight in his left eye from shrapnel from the explosion, not from Agency brutality. And he said it was a big coincidence that the Agency picked him up. I guess they were watching us, spying on the mission, then found him after the explosion. I still don’t know how Scott got out of there alive - he has yet to tell about that, but apparently the Agency simply took advantage.”

Reese shakes his head again. “He got a double-whammy. First the mission, then the Agency. If only…”

“If only,” Rick agrees. “But we can’t go back. All we can do now is help him get back on his feet. Think TJY can fund his counseling?”

“Yeah. You’ll just have to put it through Austin, per regulations, to get the go-ahead. Then we can find him somewhere to go.”

“Alright. Thanks, Reese.”

“Yeah, sure.” Reese watches Rick head to Austin's office, and just stands alone for several minutes before trying to get back to work.


Jason pulls on his jeans and a t-shirt, not bothering to comb his wet hair. Trudging to the kitchen, he knows he should at least try to get something in his stomach this morning. He wasn't quite as upset, so it was worth a try. Maybe something mellow like applesauce would be best.

Wandering around the kitchen, he absentmindedly picks up the phone and dials Reese's direct number. Finding out what was up today at TJY might be a good thing before he decided to drop in. Perhaps he'd even know Austin's schedule. As far as Jason was concerned, until this thing was over, he didn't mind avoiding his grandfather like the plague. As far as him meeting Katie there, or working with her today... obviously that was still up in the air.


“…so I just need your approval to go ahead and find somewhere for Scott to go. I’m confident that if he could talk to someone, that he would have a much better mental recovery.”

Austin looks up at Rick from his desk and shrugs. “Well, if you think it’s best for him, then I can’t argue. Can he afford it?”

Rick lifts his eyebrows. “I…assumed that TJY would be funding this.”

“Well we can’t afford it,” Austin states matter-of-factly.

“But…we have to. I mean… it was a TJY mission that Scott was hurt on.”

“I know that. But we’re not talking about his physical condition. You said yourself that he’s healing. I believe that’s where TJY’s obligation stops.”

Rick looks at Austin, stunned. “How can you say that? Scott is one of our own men! How can you deny him this?”

“Well I’m sorry, Rick! I just don’t think it should go under TJY’s expenses. He’s not even employed here anymore.”

“What?!” Rick’s eyes get even wider. He knew that had been a possibility, but it sounded now like it was set in stone. “How can you be doing this, Austin? First you terrify what was left of him, you leave him to suffer alone, then on top of that you even deny him help!”

“Look, protocol is…”

“Hang the protocol! Scott is one of our own! I don’t care if he’s not on the staff list anymore. I don’t care if TJY isn’t “required” to help him further. What happened to doing what’s right?” Rick’s voice starts to raise. “Scott doesn’t have a penny to his name, and his sister can’t afford this. It’s up to TJY.”

“I’m sorry.” Austin remains quiet and firm. “I will not approve funding.”

Rick opens his mouth to say more, but is too angry. At this point, he knew that if he said something to upset Austin, his job could be on the line. Gritting his teeth, he spins on his heel and stalks out, going through Reese’s office.

Reese looks up to watch Rick leave, having heard the whole conversation. His own blood boiled. This was utterly uncalled for, not to mention heartless. He’s just about to rise and walk into the office himself when his phone rings. Sighing, he answers it.


Jason kickes the refrigerator door shut, hearing Reese answer the phone. "Reese, it's Jason. Yeah... Hmm? No... just wanted to check in. Thought I'd swing by to see Scott. What? Yeah, well... we're working on something. Kind of. Best you don't know in case Austin questions you. ...uh-huh... No, but there might be more later."

He pauses, grabbing a spoon from a drawer, still listening. "Yeah, ok. So any change with Scott? ...Austin.... what... He did what?!" The news of Austin refusing to get Scott help sent Jason's emotions reeling all over again. What would his grandfather come up with next? How heartless could he really be?!

Catching himself, he caps off his anger once again. This was his own battle. But it had been released just long enough that he wondered if Katie now knew what he did. “I can’t believe this.”

He groans and leans against the counter, listening to Reese again. “Just gets better and better, doesn’t it. No… of course not. No, I won’t do anything stupid, but I’m not promising I won’t do anything. Naw. Alright. Thanks. Yeah, I might see you later.”

Jason hangs up, starting to pace. This was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. How could Austin refuse to help Scott? It was cruel! He'd been downright mean to interrogate him, now he was refusing to even show an ounce of mercy! What was he thinking?! And why?!

Setting his hands on the counter, Jason tries to stay in control. His negative emotions had already done a number on him, but there was no way to release them unless he wanted to start breaking things. He could throw them in Katie's direction, but at this point, he didn't even want to do that. She'd tell him to, and she'd tell him he needed it, and she'd tell him that it was unhealthy to keep it in... but in his mental state, he'd probably just end up causing more harm than good. Not to mention, he'd like to make up his own mind about it. He hadn't even talked to her at all yet today, and not only did that feel strange, but he wouldn't want to start out with just giving her a dose of his anger. He might be upset with her, but he wasn't going to lash out for no reason.

He was miserable. Plain and simple. He hadn't slept well, he wasn't feeling well, and he felt alone. Every moment, it seemed, the past would sneak up on him again. Thinking about Austin just send his mind in too many directions at once to handle.

Deciding he just needed to get out of the house, Jason grabs his jacket and aims for the door, forgetting about breakfast. But just as he reaches it, his phone rings. He was tempted to just walk out and let the answering machine get it, but he thinks better of it, and picks it up. It might be Reese again. “Yeah, hello?” He’s caught a little by surprise. “Hi. What, um… what’s the occasion?” He frowns, confused. “Um, sure…I think so. Alright. Yeah. Meet you in…. fifteen minutes? Uh… I don’t know. Downtown. Little restaurant on Main. Mom and Pop’s. Yeah. Alright. Bye.”

Jason grabs his keys and heads outside once again. Getting to his truck, slight worry surfaces. Something felt odd. Why did the caller want to meet him? It was very unusual. But…he was game to find out what this was all about.


The bell to Mom and Pop’s rings, and Carson looks out from the kitchen. It was a young man he’d never seen before. Something about him was familiar somehow, but not enough to make Carson pay much attention. He stays where he is, fixing several breakfast items.

When the bell rings again though, his eyes go back to the front, spotting Jason. Casually watching, he sees Jason join up with the stranger and they sit together, talking. Their greeting was fairly cordial… Carson would imagine they were fair acquaintances maybe.

Seeing that Aerith was taking care of them, Carson concentrates back on his work, ignoring his imagination.

The bell rings again. It had been about forty-five minutes, and the morning customers were slowing down. Carson glances out from the kitchen once more, seeing Jason’s friend leave. But Jason remained, seeming to have a lot on his mind. The meeting had been a quiet one without much excitement and very few smiles. It hadn’t seemed too tense, but the look on Jason’s face now wasn’t one of pleasure at seeing an old friend.

Carson checks what's on the stove then wipes off the counter before meandering out to the tables, curious at the depression in Jason's eyes. He didn't normally approach anyone from TJY... but for some reason today, he did.

"Hey, Jason."

Jason looks up from his half-empty glass of pop, and lifts an eyebrow. He wasn't used to Carson initiating a conversation. "Hey."

Carson cocks his head. "You don't look so hot, mate. Everything alright?"

"Yeah...yeah." Jason forces half a smile. "Just life, ya know?"

"Do I ever." Carson rolls his eyes. When Jason doesn't offer any more small talk, Carson hooks his hands in his pockets casually, just standing for a moment. As usual, when seeing someone from TJY, a bit of sadness surfaces from the past, and part of him missed seeing all his old friends. "Where's your sidekick?"

Jason quirks an eyebrow. "You mean Katie?"

"Yeah."

Jason looks down and sighs. Since he'd left his house, he'd blocked out almost everything from her for several reasons that he felt were legit, but it didn't feel very good. His whole stystem was out of whack because of their strain between each other, and he was tired. "I don't know."

Carson leans on the side of the opposite booth. "Problems?"

"I yelled at her," Jason admits. "Well... sort of. I don't know. I just... it's a long story."

"Just don't wait too long to get it worked out, eh?" Carson pauses, thinking about himself. "Sometimes that method doesn't work too well."

Jason looks back up at him, knowing good and well he was refering to Misty. "Yeah... you got yourself a girl now though, don't you?"

"Um..." Carson hesitates. "I guess I do."

Now it's Jason's turn to be curious. "You guess?"

Carson cracks a wry grin. "Another one of those long stories." He pauses, trying to change subjects. "I, um... was thinking about Scott earlier. How's he doing?"

"Ha!" Jason's sarcasm shows on his face. "He's hanging in there. It's our boss who's got a screw loose."

Carson's eyebrows raise. "Oh?"

Jason's eyes narrow, his irritation and anger resurfacing. "Yeah. Austin... you never met him. He's Carter's son."

"Your grandfather?"

"If you like." Jason grits his teeth. "He's back from Texas and is basically taking over with Carter's blessing. He's calling the shots, reorganizing things, and basically messing with things he shouldn't be."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, ouch." Jason rolls his eyes. "Not only did he not want us to even go on that rescue mission for Scott, but now he's saying that TJY isn't even responsible for helping him out."

Carson starts to frown. "What do you mean?"

"Rick recommended Scott get some counseling or something. Scott's just not handling things well. But Austin said TJY wasn't responsible. Thing is, Scott or his family can't afford bills like that. So he's left without the help he needs."

Carson can feel his own muscles tense. "You're saying that Austin is refusing psychiatric help for Scott?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jason looks up at Carson, all his annoyance, anger, and irritation showing through. "Rick said he thought legally TJY would be responsible, but apparently Austin knew of a loophole, and apparently he thinks TJY's money could be better spent somewhere else. He said Scott would be just fine and that a shrink was a waste of time."

"What do you think?"

Jason shrugs. "For me? Counselors never helped me much. But that's just 'cause I got a weird way of handling things. I work through them on my own, and I can handle whatever happens. Scott..." He shakes his head slowly. "He's just not wired that way. He can't handle what's going on in his mind, but he's refusing to talk about it. He's having nightmares...the whole nine yards. I think that..." He pauses, weighing the options. "...he needs more help than we can give him."

Carson's mind starts to work overtime. He agreed. He knew exactly what Scott had gone through, and someone as unconditioned as he had been could really get messed up badly. "So that's it? TJY is just gonna let it go and hope he pulls out halfway decently?"

"Apparently. Though I think anyone else on staff other than Austin and Carter would disagree with their decision. Not to mention, people are getting up in arms, because on top of all this, Austin sacked Scott."

A strange anger starts to burn within Carson. Scott was one of the most innocent people at TJY. To think that someone didn't care about his mental health... his wellbeing... it wasn't right. Then to fire him too. It was a perfect example of kicking someone when they were down.

Turning around, he starts back to the kitchen, untying his apron, and talking over his shoulder. "You heading to TJY?"

Jason looks after him in surprise, and calls after him. "Later maybe. Why?"

"I wanted a ride."

Jason is a bit confused, but shrugs. "I guess I can go see Scott now, so you're more than welcome."

Carson slips back into the kitchen, hangs up his apron, and glances around for Herb. "Stepping out for a minute," he informs. "I'll trade this for my break later. I got something I need to do."

Exiting again, he heads to his room to grab his baseball cap and wallet. As he does, he eyes the little box under his bed. He was going to TJY...

Sighing, he reaches down, opens the box and pulls out the small item. Maybe it was time. Feeling a wave of melancholy, he swallows the lump in this throat and stuffs the item in his pocket. It was time, whether he liked it or not. The lines had been drawn and he needed to accept it.

Joining up with Jason near the front door, he follows him out, catching a ride to TJY.

Back at TJY and onto the main floor, Jason heads towards the hallway, looking at Carson with a bit of caution after their conversation on the way. "You sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure." Carson glances in the other direction. "Through Reese's office?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Thanks." Carson doesn't wait for anymore from Jason, and walks boldly towards the back offices. Passing people he knew on his way, he simply offers a few nods. He'd planned on not being seen here on account of Misty, but today was different. Today he had a different purpose.

Jason looks after him and sighs a little, then heads to his own office. He shouldn't be here, but anyone had a right to at least see Scott. Getting to the infirmary, he finds Scott quiet but awake, not much different than the evening before. The exchange is brief, and Jason finds himself cautiously going to his office to check his email while he was here, then he would head out. The guys were having practice out at Mike's tonight, maybe he should just stay home until then.

Slipping into his office and shutting the door, one wouldn't even know he was there. But as he sits down in his chair, the one thing that crosses his mind is Katie. She'd know he was there. The longer the day went on, the worse he felt. He was sorry he'd snapped at her, but he was still upset about what she'd said. He didn't really feel like talking about it, but then again, if he was going to wind up alone in this thing, he should probably know about it.

Sighing, he flips on his computer. If Katie wanted to talk to him, she could... He wouldn't block her out, though his top emotion at the moment was irritation and she might not want to approach it anyway. He just needed to check his email, then get out of here fast before Austin saw him. It just felt strange without Katie here, whether he liked to admit it or not.


"Hey, Susanne."

Susanne looks up and a smile spreads across her face. "Well, Carson... it's been a while."

"Yeah." Carson offers a smile in return. "Looking for the boss today."

"Reese?"

"Austin."

Susanne quirks an eyebrow. "Well...he's in, as far as I know. You'll have to go through Reese's office."

"Alright. Thanks." Carson goes to knock on Reese's door and after hearing his voice, enters.

Reese glances at him in surprise. "Good afternoon, Carson. What can I do for you?"

"Let me see Austin?"

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, actually." Carson crosses his arms. "I just had a short chat with Jason."

"About...?"

"Scott."

"And?"

"I want to see Austin."

Reese wasn't quite sure exactly what Carson wanted, but he figured it couldn't hurt. It really wasn't any of his business if a civilian wanted to see the man in charge. "Alright. He's in through that door."

Carson gives a nod of thanks, and in just a few moments, finds himself standing in front of Austin's desk, looking down at the man who he'd never met, but would have known in a crowd. Jason did look like his grandfather, no doubt. "Austin?"

"Yes?" Austin looks up with suspicion. "Can I help you?"

"It's not me who needs the help."

Austin catches the light accent in Carson's voice, and after a moment of thinking, realizes who this is. "Carson... Carson Banks?"

"That's right."

"Well, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that man you've got who needs help you're not willing to give."

Austin's defenses rise, though he remains seated. "I don't think I know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about a man who risked his life, and has more guts than most people here, but is bound to mental torment without the aid of someone who could help him." Carson steps forward, leaning down slightly to rest his palms on Austin's desk, getting closer to the man that drove his anger. "Whether you are legally obligated or not, let me tell you something. Scott Johnson needs help. You're not stupid, Austin. You played the Agency game. But in case you've forgotten, let me remind you of a few things. They don't treat their prisoners well. They torture them. And how would I know? Because I was one of them."

Carson's voice remains on an even keel, though is etched with anger. "I bet I could lay out everything that happened to Scott in there, without even talking to him. They beat him. They beat him with their hands, and they beat him with blunt objects. They toyed with his mind and made him feel worthless, useless and weak. They told him lies about his friends, convincing him that people had died. They threatened to hurt those he loved most if he didn't cooperate. They showed him pictures of what happens to people who don't do what they want. They probably even brought in another prisoner to be beaten to death in front of him as an example. If they had a useless prisoner on board, I guarantee you that Scott saw them murdered. They gave him just enough food to survive, but not enough to nourish. They threw him in a hard, cold cell with rats to keep him company. They injected him with a formula created to induce such severe pain throughout the body that one would wish themselves dead. They interrogated him over and over and over again until his mind was mush. They stripped him of all his pride and dignity, leaving a sick, starved, shell of a man to die. And if his carcass stank, they'd throw it out."

By now, Carson is leaning further down across Austin's desk, his eyes narrow and blazing. "But luckily you had a few good agents working for you that weren't going to let him die. And he's been given a second chance at life. Can you really live with knowing that you are refusing to help a man that went through all that for your company? It was TJY's fault that he was taken, and it's TJY's responsibility to help him now. You're just lucky that you don't have a suicidal timebomb on your hands after what he went through."

Austin stares up at Carson, his face paled slightly, having been unable to get a word in edgewise. He knew what Carson said was true. He knew Carson had been there, and if anyone knew the most about this, it was Carson. He opens his mouth, but Carson cuts him off again.

"I don't want any reasons or excuses, because there aren't any. To think that you would refuse Scott help is despicable. And if I find out that you have not changed your mind, so help me, I'll put you through a torture that you'll never forget, then maybe you can relate to how he's feeling."

Austin's stare turns into a glare. "Are you threatening me?"

"Take it however you want. But I'm not lying. I don't have any best friends around here, and I was never close to Scott. But just knowing that he survived the Agency, and hasn't killed himself since he got back tells me that he's a man worth saving. How dare you even consider letting him fall between the cracks."

Carson straightens back up and steps toward the door again. "Now I've said my piece. Do what you want, but think about it first."

Not wanting to hear any argument, Carson slips out of Austin's office and shuts the door before anything else can be said.

Reese is sitting at his desk, his eyes wide. He had heard the whole thing.

Carson glances at him. "What?"

A grin quirks the corner of Reese's mouth. "I'm sorry we ever lost you, Carson."

That comment takes Carson by surprise and he stops for just a moment. "I'm sorry too. See you later, Reese."

"Yeah... later." Reese watches Carson leave, a bit of sadness hitting him. He hadn't liked letting Carson go in the first place... but at the time, it had been the right thing to do. Sighing, Reese tries to get back to work, wondering if Austin would change his mind now, but too put out to ask.

Carson makes his way back across the main floor, aiming for the infirmary. His pulse quickens just a little bit, even though he tries to ignore the growing feeling in his gut. He was going to see Scott. He wanted to. He was here, so he at least could be decent enough to stop in.

Making it to the open door, he pauses a moment, then enters, rapping a knuckle on the doorframe.

Scott is sitting on top of the bed, playing a game of solitaire and looking as bored as he felt. Hearing someone at the door, but not having been able to see the movement, his head jerks up and he looks quickly. Seeing Carson, he stares at him with question. Why was he here?

Carson offers a small grin and approaches. He sees Misty nearby at her desk, but ignores her presence for now. "Hey, Scott. How you doing?"

Scott shrugs and looks back down at the game he was losing. "Ask Rick and he'll tell you not so great. Ask me and I'll tell you good enough to want to get out of here."

Carson chuckles. "Yeah, Rick can be a stick in the mud, can't he?"

Rick looks up from his work at the counter, throwing Carson a smirk. "I heard that."

"Good." Carson tosses him a wink before looking back down at Scott. "Who's winning?"

"The bed." Scott tosses his handful of cards aside.

"Now hang on." Carson spots a way to keep the game going and points it out. "You give up too fast."

Moving the cards around, Scott picks up the game again. "That's probably what everybody else is thinking right about now too."

"Don't second guess what people are thinking," Carson advises gently. He sighs and finally lets his eyes roam to Misty's part of the room.

Scott looks up and follows his gaze for a second, then looks back at him.

Carson catches his eye, realizing that a lot is being said here without words. Scott knew about the tension and was wondering about his next move. But what was his next move? His hand reaches into his pocket, fingering the small object.

Scott quirks an eyebrow, questioning Carson's hesitance. "That bad, huh?"

Carson thinks for a moment, then shrugs lamely. "I don't know anymore." Giving another little sigh, he finally moves around the bed to slowly walk to Misty's desk. Looking down at her, he does his best not to maker her uncomfortable. The last meeting had been bad enough and he didn't want a repeat. "Hi, Misty."

He clears his throat awkwardly. "I, um... I don't want to bother you. But... I just... I found..."

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he reveals the locket she had given him what seemed like so long ago. "I figure that, um... since... well... you know... I should give his back."

Reaching down, Carson takes Misty's hand palm-up and lets the locket fall into it. Closing her fingers over it, for a moment, he doesn't want to let go. If he did, he was closing the door that was still propped open in his heart. If he did, he was letting his feelings become a memory. If he did, he was denying what he most wanted. But it was what she wanted... and he needed to respect that.

Finally he lets go, letting his own hands fall back to his sides. "So... I'll... let you get back to work." He turns around to aim at Scott once more before he left, planning on leaving TJY on foot.