Why can't I?

Scott looks down, his eyes drifting to where Hope's hand lay on his arm. Her question tumbles around inside his mind. He trusted her. He wasn't afraid of her. He wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. He just... wished for once, he could be strong.

"No." He swallows hard and finally looks up to Hope's eyes again. "I'm sorry. Guess I just wished..." He shrugs. How was he supposed to say what he was really thinking?

Retreating a little, he leans back in his chair, slouching. His hands spin his cup slowly on the table. "I've started..." He bites his lip. It sounded crazy. "I've started.... seeing things. Like... flashbacks kind of, but...it's stuff from when I was abducted... I can feel it. I just... I don't remember why the images are there. I moved on. It's over. I just want to forget about it. But all of a sudden this has cropped up and I can't seem to control it."

He shrugs lamely. "I'm tired, Hope. Tired of me... tired of this fight. I want to find Katie and I want to concentrate on the case, not a stupid problem of mine."

Shaking his head, he knows that once again, he'd just poured it all out to Hope. Councilor or not, it didn't take much for her to pull it right out of him. He wasn't sure what it was about her... but it was a good thing he didn't have many secrets.

Staring her in the eye, his gaze had changed to one of almost pleading. "Why can't I be strong?"


For once, Alec doesn't resist Misty's doctoring. He might never admit it, but the cool cloth was such a relief to his head. Nothing had felt as good.

Her question makes him shrug. "What kind of answer do you want? That I feel great? Then I'd just be accused of lying. Not that I haven't been accused of that already."

Rolling his eyes, he can't help a wince one time as Misty's grip gets a little tight around his hand. "I feel like I've been run over by a truck." He stops. "Oh no, wait, that was just my brother."

The bitterness had been quick to return. "Stay out of trouble? Like I can get myself into any here. Everybody is a watchdog. One wrong move and it's back in the slammer I go. Not that I care. I have prison to look forward to anyway, so I might as well get used to it."


Reese is back at his desk, and looks up as Phinox enters. Accepting the coffee, he gives a nod. "Well thank you. You didn't have to do this, but I can't deny I'm glad you did." Taking a sip, the warmth felt good.

Getting back to business though, he shakes his head. "I just wanted you to write up a quick report about how you and Jase brought in Reiker. I didn't want to bug him about it. Also, I was going to go downtown to see Brown and wondered if you wanted to come along so you could let him know what you've been doing on our end."


Alone in the stuffy room, Gage checks the door. Rod had left a while ago, so he was alone. He wanders to the desk and sits down again. He almost felt like a prisoner himself, cooped up here for this long. But it was his job.

It had been a whole day since he'd been left alone here... His hand creeps toward the desk drawer. He didn't want to... he really didn't. But... but he knew he would feel better. He always did afterward. Besides, his hands had already started shaking, and his nerves were shot. Just one more time... then he'd get out from under it.

Opening the drawer, he pulls out a syringe of his own.