What do we do?

Jason grins and slings his arm around Katie as they walk into TJY. “Yeah, I haven’t quite figured out yet how I can miss you.”

Getting inside, Jason stays on high alert for anyone else in the building. He knew Ty and Hal were probably around, and while cleaning, could pop up out of nowhere, or overhear conversations not meant for other ears.

Arriving at the infirmary, Jason sticks close to Katie, knowing that she had more of a plan in mind than he did. At this point, any plan of his own would involve knocking Austin’s block off, and since that wasn’t a smart option, he chose to simply follow Katie’s lead.

Entering, Jason sees Scott appearing to leave as well, and his own questions surface.

Scott’s head jerks up at the arrival of others, and for just a moment, a look of guilt crosses his face, then disperses. Looking at Jason, then back to Katie, he hesitates. “I… no, I’m not hungry,” he mumbles, then leans down to slip his shoes on and tries to tie them, though his fingers don’t want to work right.

Domino bounds off the bed at seeing Katie, running over to her and sliding on the tiles. Jumping up on Katie’s leg, she wiggles all over, thrilled to see her friend.

Jason quirks an eyebrow, noting that Scott hadn’t answered Katie’s last question.

Is it just me, or is something a little off here?

“Got a date?” he teases lightly.

Scott fumbles to finish tying his shoes, then sits up. His gaze is dim, his slouched shoulders proving that he found no humor in the joke. “I’m going home.”

Jason’s eyes widen. “Home? Rick released you?”

“Not really… but… I want to go anyway.”

Jason takes a step forward.

He’s in no shape to go home yet. What is he thinking?

“Well we’re going to be around here for a little while, Scott… how about you at least stick around with us?”

Scott shakes his head and pulls on his hoodie. “I just want to go home.”

“But Scott…. Listen… Rick didn’t release you for good reasons. If you’re not comfortable here alone, then one of us can stay with you, alright? But there’s no point in you walking home. Besides, it’s getting dark and it’s cold.”

Scott stands, looking up at Jason. “I spent two months in a dark, cold cell,” he replies weakly. “I think I can handle a walk in the weather.” He starts forward, trudging out of the infirmary.

Domino gives a little whine and looks to Katie, then to her master, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. Finally she drops back on all fours and trots after her master.

Jason looks to Katie quickly.

We can’t let him leave… not like this. I don’t care how much he wants to go home, we can’t let him. The Agency could be looking for him, not to mention his own mental state.

“Scott… hold up.” Jason follows him into the hall. “Just hang on a second.” He reaches out, taking Scott’s arm.

Scott wasn’t paying attention enough to realize Jason was that close, and as the fingers wrap around his arm, an instant panic shoots through his veins.

Whipping around, he yanks his arm from Jason’s grasp, tripping, and stumbling back into the wall. His foot catches Domino, and she lets out a yelp, not understanding why she’d just been kicked, and she goes scampering back to Katie.

“Whoa, whoa, it’s ok,” Jason tries to assure. He holds up his hands. “It’s just me.”

Fear courses through Scott’s eye as he shakes. He felt scared. He felt stupid. He just wanted to get out of here where he didn’t have to keep being scared of things. He just wanted to be left alone so he wouldn’t have to be on edge.

He fights the dreaded tears that wanted to come. “Just leave me alone,” he begs. “I can’t… I just…” Not even able to make any sense of his own jumbled thoughts, he slides to the hallway floor.

Sorrow hits Jason’s heart. Something had to be done. But what?

What do we do, Katie? Stay here? Let him go? Go with him? We gotta find the evidence you want before anybody else shows up, but we can’t just leave Scott like this.