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Carson gives a short nod to Hope. "I'll let you be in the same room. If there's any interference though, we'll have to figure something else out."

He glances around Hope to Scott's still form on the bed. He did feel so badly, traitor or not.

"If you think it's best to wait until morning, we can, but we shouldn't wait too much longer than that. He's willing at this point, and that's key. Things are kind of crazy around here right now... so if you want to leave and come back, that's fine. Otherwise you'll just be stuck in here twiddling your thumbs."

"Carson, Gage is back."

Carson looks to the phone where Wyatt's voice was coming from. "Thanks." He turns back to Hope. "I have to go. You decide what you're going to do and we'll go from there."

Spinning around, he heads quickly for the door, breaking into a jog down the hall to get back to the cubicle in time to see if anything had changed with Katie.

Switching places with Wyatt once more, Carson takes up his usual position. Wyatt is all too happy to give him the job back... his feelings for Katie had made the task heart-wrenching.

Carson stares at the screen, seeing Katie writhe under the pain she was in. She would rest, then move, rest, then move. It was obvious that she was so worn out that some kind of sleep or unconsciousness came and went, but when she was alert, the pain had to be unbearable.

From the angle of the camera, Carson could see the acid burns on her skin, and could see the bloody rags wrapped around her hand. Though the picture was somewhat fuzzy, Carson could pick out all of her cuts and bruises, and knew exactly if hands had been used, or brutal tools. He knew the marks all too well.

Seeing that nothing new was occurring, Carson stands again, calling Reese to his post. He couldn't take this any longer.

Slipping from the cubicle once more, this time, Carson heads for the exit. He needed to get some sleep, as ordered, but right now, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.

As he hits the outdoors, he breathes in the cool night air. Though not cold, it had a sharp feel to it. It was a cruel night. He wanders around to the side of the building, leaning back against the bricks to pull his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. His cell phone buzzes yet again, reminding him that he had at least one voicemail.

Sighing, he checks it. Hearing Heather's voice on the other end makes his blood boil. Her message was clear - she'd been trying to get a hold of him, but he'd been unreachable. Obviously he was hiding. She would try again, but he was to be warned, she wasn't playing games. If he was willing to admit, in writing, that he'd kidnapped Mackenzie, they might be able to settle outside of court.

Carson growls and stuffs his phone back in his pocket. If he admitted to the lie in writing, it was as good as him being convicted in court. Either way, it would follow him, and he wasn't willing to do that. Whether he wanted to see Mackenzie or not wasn't the point... he wasn't a liar or a kidnapper, and he wasn't going to admit to doing something he hadn't done.

Lighting up, he leans his head back and closes his eyes, letting the smoke seep out into the air.
God, I just want all of this to be over... Why is the night so long?


Scott can hear Carson and Hope talking, but he doesn't know what was decided. He felt like someone waiting to be put on trial, with no idea of the outcome. He also felt badly, wondering if this situation was taking away any necessary concentration from Katie's case. The last thing he wanted to do was interfere with that.


Shifting his head, Kyle lets it rest, his face to Alice's. Her words were so full of peace. She was so alive and so energetic and enthusiastic... but at the same time, there was an underlying peace. It was a peace Kyle recognized. It was a peace that could only come from being close to God. Her words spoke the truth in which she believed.

His lips curl into another smile. She liked making him smile, and it was oh so easy for her to do. "Most people feel they've known me for years," he quips. "That's why they get tired of me so quickly and kick me out."

Though he was being a tease, some of Alice's words did strike a chord.
"Remembering what God gave us, our talents... who we are...."
Who was Kyle? He turns his head again to watch the sky so Alice couldn't see the despair in his eyes. It wasn't fair that she tried so hard to keep him upbeat, and he continued to nosedive. Why couldn't he just be happy? God had brought him here... hadn't He? God had laid out this opportunity to travel with the team... hadn't He? Or... had it been Kyle's own way of escaping that which he feared?

He was happy on the road. He was seeing things he'd never seen, and doing things he'd never done. He was just as much an asset to the team as any member and with each session he got better, sharpening his skills. He knew how to make an audience smile, while proving a point too. The team maybe got tired of his goofiness sometimes, but at least they acted like they liked having him along and valued his presence on the team. He missed home... but he was learning to not let that stop him. Surely this was where he was supposed to be.

Feeling something tickling his leg, Kyle sits bolt upright, sending sand flying. Not being able to see anything in the dark, but feeling an insect crawling up the inside of his pantleg, he gives a shriek and jumps up. Hopping around, he tries to shake out whatever it was that had found a warm spot. "Get out, get out, get out!"

Spinning around too quickly, he loses his balance, toppling back into the sand. Lying still, he feels nothing... the creature was either squished or decided to leave.

Kyle rolls onto his back, several feet from Alice, and suddenly realizes just what an idiot he must have looked and sounded like. He starts to laugh. Covering his face with his hands, he just keeps laughing, unable to stop, and too sheepish to get up.