Waiting

Jason sighs. Not out of laziness or lack of wanting to help. But out of pure frustration and the feeling of helplessness. It was bad enough Scott had to endure two months of torture most people couldn't even imagine. But now that he was back, why did he have to suffer more?

Jason walks slowly to the bathroom and leans in the doorway, not sure how he could even help at this point. "Hey, buddy, you alright?"

"Mm-hmm." Scott is still leaning against the wall, and manages a nod, though his eyes are closed.

"Can I get you anything?"

Scott shakes his head.

Jason turns around and puts up his hands, showing he doesn't know what to do.

Just then Rick walks back in the infirmary, raising his eyebrows as he looks around, doesn't see Scott, then spots Jason at the other end of the room. "What happened?"

Jason nods into the bathroom. "So much for breakfast."

Rick's shoulders drop and shakes his head, commenting quietly. "He's got himself so worked up that he can't eat right even when he finally relents." Slowly he goes to Jason, nodding that he can go back to Katie. Kneeling down next to Scott, he sets a hand on his shoulder. "You gonna make it?"

Scott shrugs lamely. "I feel like crap."

"I know. Come on." Rick prompts him to get back to his feet. "I won't make you try to eat anything else now."

Scott gradually gets to his feet with Rick's help and trudges back to the bed where he simply lies down on his side, curling up into a ball as was his normal position now.

Rick watches him for a moment, setting his hands on his hips.

Jason gives him a look of question. "What are you going to do?" he asks quietly.

"I don't know. But if he doesn't start cooperating, his body is just going to start shutting down."

"Isn't there anything you can give him? Or anything?" Worry courses through Jason, even for a man that not all that long ago, he'd called an enemy.

Rick shakes his head slowly. "Not unless I hook him back up to an i.v. again and I really didn't want to. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

He gestures to both Jason and Katie. "He'll be alright now if you guys want to take off. There's nothing else here you can do."

Jason gives a little nod. "Alright. Thanks, Rick. If anything happens, call one of us, will ya?"

"Sure thing."

Jason heads for the door.

Guess that's that. We can come back later to check on things if you want. Otherwise... I guess the day is ours.

Making it back through the main floor, Jason lets his eyes roam to where the other offices were, glad that they'd avoided Austin for now.

Getting outside into the fresh air, Jason takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. His emotions were churning around more than he liked on an average day. There was Scott to think about... he was still burning up about Austin... and now his recent phone conversation with his mother was bothering him too.

Can we just go somewhere?

Jason gets to his truck, tossing his silent dialogue in Katie's direction.

Can we just leave and forget everything that's happening? Just... go...

He sighs and slides in behind the steering wheel, unsure if he and Katie were headed in the same direction or not.

Maybe Mom and Pop's will have to do for today. What do you say?


Rick lays a blanket over Scott and gives the younger man's shoulder a pat before going back to his desk. There wasn't much he could do right now, but let Scott rest. He looked as though he hadn't slept a wink the night before anyway.

Easing into his chair, Rick notices that already his voicemail has a message. Listening carefully, he jots down a note, his interest piqued. In a while... He glances to Scott's resting form. Yes, in a while... he would take a short leave from the office.


"Grease! Hey!" Leo shouts from one end of the garage to the other, seeing only the red hair of the back of Axel's head. "Axel!"

Axel finally hears his name and whirls around. "What?"

"Bring me that black toolbox, would ya?"

Axel glances around, spotting the box under the tool bench. Wiping his hands on a rag, he bends down to lift the heavy box and head in Leo's direction. The other mechanic had two hoses in his hand that he couldn't set down or get into a position where he could have left it to get the tools himself.

Almost there though, Axel suddenly drops the toolbox. It crashes loudly to the floor, the latch popping to send tools all over the concrete floor.

Leo's eyes widen. "Slippery handle?"

"No..." Axel grimaces as he rubs his scarred hand, trying to feel the circulation again. "Sorry."

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Axel's disgust comes through in his tone.

"You go numb again?"

Axel nods. "Yeah."

Leo stands helplessly, unable to leave the tangled mess he was in. "That's been happening a lot lately."

Axel flexes his fingers. "Don't remind me." After a moment, he squats down to pick up the mess. "You needed this wrench, didn't you?"


Rick parks his car, glancing at his watch. It was now late morning, but early enough, Hope should be in. He probably should have called her back first, but there had been too many people around, providing lack of good opportunity, not to mention Scott hadn't drifted to sleep until about twenty minutes ago and Rick had left Misty in charge.

Walking up to the glass door, he enters the building, met by a warm atmosphere. Glancing around, he waits, unsure about what or who he was looking for.


The door to TJY slams shut, echoing across the main floor. Austin stalks towards his office, the glare in his eye one that would make anyone cower. He had been gone for several hours, and now no one was really glad to see him back, especially in this mood.

Reaching Susanne's office, he doesn't even acknowledge her, moving straight into Reese's office. "Reese!"

Reese looks up quickly from his desk, startled to the point of almost standing up. He'd been concentrating so hard on a case that he hadn't heard Austin come in. A bit of a chill runs down his spine as he hears the tone of Austin's voice and sees the look on his face. "Yes?"

"You're fired."

"What?!" Reese is on his feet, his eyes wide. "What for?!"

"Don't give me that," Austin snaps. "You're not that stupid. You weren't stupid enough not to know how to undermine me and get me dragged into an investigation. And if that's the way you work, you're through here."

"Undermine? Investigation???" Reese stares at him dumbly. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Brown are like this." Austin crosses his fingers. "I should have known you'd try to pull a stunt like this. Well it stops now. Pack up. I want you out by tonight." Spinning on his heel, he aims for his own office, slamming yet another door.

Reese blinks, dumbfounded at what had just happened. What on earth...? A figure in his doorway makes him turn and he sees Susanne looking at him with fear and worry.

"Did he... just fire you?" She asks timidly.

"Um... it... looks that way." Reese just stands for a moment, completely shocked. He had no idea what was going on. "I guess... I..." He finally just shrugs. Words couldn't describe the way he felt. He was at a total loss.

Reaching to his belt, he pulls off his Elite badge and looks at it for a moment. This job had been his life for how many years? His mission... his passion... And it was... gone?

Susanne shakes her head stubbornly. "He can't do this to you."

"Oh, but he can."

"Then you have to fight it."

"Fight what? A power-hungry man out to get everybody and who knows all the tricks in the book? It's not an easy win, Susanne."

"But you don't even know what he's talking about!"

"I guess I'll have to find out. But in the meantime..." He gestures to his office, helplessly. "Looks like I have to pack."