I don't care

Carson works alone in the kitchen, preparing a few ingredients for the next day. Everyone else had gone home already, but Dani was too tired to do anything tonight, Jess wasn’t coming over until late, and Carson didn’t have anything to do in the meantime. Nor did he really feel like it anyway. Better to keep busy… better to keep his mind occupied. Not that it worked.

Sniffing, Carson blinks and swipes his eyes with the back of his hand again. Tears immediately fill his reddened eyes again, the salty liquid stinging them.

Trying to focus on his work, he knows his eyes are red and puffy, and he knows Jess will be there any minute, but he just can’t seem to stop the flow, once it had started.

Blinking again, he goes to the sink in frustration, splashing his face with cool water. It was no use though. The tears were determined to come.

Growling at himself for being in this state, he goes to try to at least finish up what he was doing before Jess arrived. Ten minutes later though, he’s given up and is slouching in a booth, a glass of coke for company as he waits.


Jason doesn't take time to talk with Rick either, leaving that story hanging for now. "We'll be back, Rick," he hollers over his shoulder. Following Katie down the hall, he lets her take the lead. He need not ask where she was heading... he need not ask what her motive was.


Scott watches the two leave, his eyes widening a little. Even though Katie said they'd be back, he felt so vulnerable without them. Looking to Rick, he sees the needle and cringes.

Rick smiles warmly and approaches the bed. "It's alright, Scott. This is just something to help you sleep alright?"

Scott swallows hard, trying not to see Donovan with the needle that brought so much pain. He had to trust Rick... he had to believe this was reality, not what he'd been seeing in his mind. "Okay..."

"Atta boy." Rick preps Scott's arm and administers the shot quickly and smoothly. "There you are. Now just lie back and relax, okay?"

"You're not... not gonna leave me alone, are you?"

"No." Rick shakes his head. "I won't. I'll be right here."

Scott takes a moment, trying to decide if he believed him or not, then finally stretches out to lie back down on the bed, curling up on his side. The shot worked quickly, and his eyes grow heavy. "Don't let... them... come back..."

Rick sighs deeply as he watches Scott drift to sleep. What had happened? And why were Jason and Katie so much on edge? He could only wait it out until they came back.


Austin is looking through some files in Carter's office when Katie bursts in. His eyes widen as he sees both her and Jason, then as he receives her angry words.

His facial expression turns from one of surprise to one of irritation, then anger. "First off, young lady, we knock on doors around here and..."

"How would you know what we do around here?" Jason intervenes quickly. He folds his arms across his chest. "You've been gone an awfully long time to start spitting out protocol. Or... is that what you did with Scott already?"

Austin's shoulders drop as he looks at his grandson with annoyed disappointment. "C'mon, Jase... No 'hi how are you?' I just got back and this is what I get?"

"Do you deserve more?" Jason's anger starts to boil again, and this time he doesn't hold it in. "Besides, it's her who came in here first, not me." He nods to Katie. "You gonna answer her question?"

"I don't have to." Austin stands up straighter, bypassing his disappointment. "I'm the senior officer here, and I don't like being questioned. You get to where I am and make it this far, then you can make all the decisions you want to make." His tone grows more stern and he looks directly at Katie. "As for you, I don't know where you got your information or who skewed it, but I am here tonight doing my job. If you got a problem with that, I suggest you go home and sit and think about your job here and what it would be like without this job."

Jason takes a step forward, his eyes blazing. "Are you threatening her, Austin? Do you actually have the nerve to say something like that? Where do you get off? Answer her question! How could you do that to Scott?!"

"It's protocol!" Austin shoots back. "Scott is weak! Those Agency goons could have done anything they wanted to with him. He doesn't know how to block out their mind games. He was never trained for field work. Don't you get it? He could have compromised this whole department!"

"But you only assumed he would! You didn't give him a chance! He's in no shape to take something like that and you knew it! And you interrogated him anyway!"

"Stand down, Jason," Austin barks. "Or so help me, your job will be on the line too. You do not question me, do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand alright." Jason's tone grows low and cool, and suddenly the desk lamp starts to shake. At the same time, the phone cord sizzles and sparks, causing the phone to smoke then burst in a small show of sparks.

Austin jumps and looks down quickly, then back up at Jason, questioning the timing.

Jason grits his teeth.
Go for it Katie. I don't care what you do.