Room 234/236 - afternoon, after common room

[mparkerceo]

Parker made it back to her room more by Braille and radar than anything else. After a long, hot shower, and slathering lotion on her feet, she curled up on her bed with Esme. It wasn't like the hallucinations or dreams could hurt her, or even seemed to want to. She just really wasn't enjoying them.

Comments

[mparkerceo]

Parker shook her head. "I know something's up, but I don't know-- we don't know if this is magic or if I'm getting a brain tumor or going crazy." She tried to smile. "And I know you can't diagnose it, but I just want some rest." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she closed her eyes, rubbing at her temples.

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel smiled wryly. "Around this place? My bet's magic of some sort." She knew Parker wasn't much with the touchie-feelie, but Isabel still reached out to pat her shoulder. "Why don't you lie down? Take a little nap. And I'll see if I can tell what's going on?"

[mparkerceo]

Parker bit her lip, then nodded, rolling her eyes as Jack's kitten made itself comfortable on her bed. "Maybe I can do that now. I hope so." She crawled onto the bed and curled up, batting away the kitten, and giving Jack a tired smile.

Within about five minutes, she was asleep.

[izzyalienqueen]

"Don't worry," Isabel assured Jack. "Just sit quiet. It's going to be okay." She took a seat next to the bed and made herself comfortable before reaching out and taking hold of Parker's hand. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes.

[mparkerceo]

Parker opened her eyes to see Isabel in a coffin.

No, it wasn't a coffin. It was a medical bed, like Faith's. They were in the same circular room on one of the lower levels of the Centre where Faith had spent her last days. Isabel had IV's running into her arms, and was wearing a medical smock.

"Get out of that. Now." Hearing how sharp her voice was, Parker added, "Please?"

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel walked up and stood beside Parker. "That's not me," she said trying to keep her voice level. It's only the dream."

[mparkerceo]

Parker looked from Isabel-next-to-her to Isabel-in-the-box and the second one faded. "Oh. Oh, thank god." She took a deep breath. "Welcome to the Centre. Let's get the hell out of here."

[izzyalienqueen]

"It's your dream," Isabel said with a wry smile. "Lead on."

[mparkerceo]

Parker turned and lead them out of the room, down shadowy corridors with swinging overhead lights, past storerooms full of boxes. "We must be on one of the sub-levels. I'm pretty sure no one is here."

A sound caught her attention, though; a zzzunng, a weird, electrical sound and Parker looked up before she caught herself.

Anakin was fighting off five Danger Shop -type robots, with a panel of experts observing and taking notes on their clipboards behind him.
"Good technique," one murmured. "Perhaps if we increase the speed..."

Oh, she did *not* want to see this. Parker closed her eyes again, then heard Anakin curse.

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel watched, amazed by how well he was able to defend himself with the lightsaber. "I've always wanted to see this. But I'd prefer to see it live." She placed her hand on Parker's shoulder to try and turn her away. "It's only a dream. It's not real."

[mparkerceo]

"You're right."

Which was when an electrical jolt had hit him, disrupting his concentration. A second moved in to take advantage of the first's opening. But Anakin still managed to deflect them, sending two crashing into each other with his light-saber, then using telekinesis to shove the remaining
pair into a collision. "Any questions, gentlemen?" he turned back to the panel, smiling.

"Anakin." Parker whispered his name, hoping he'd hear.

He did, and sent her a look full of dislike. Parker shook her head, hoping he could feel her emotions, and for a second, his antagonism wavered into confusion.

Which was when the floor crackled with voltage, sending arcs of lightening up his frame. He twisted, caught in the bolt for several moments, then finally fell to the floor, twitching, eyes wide in pain and shock.

"Is he subdued?"Parker told herself not to throw up. "We're gone. Go, go, go. You were right." She stalked down the corridor, and sped up when she saw the elevator at the end of the hall, stabbing the button with her thumb. "We

[izzyalienqueen]

It's only a dream, Isabel chanted silently to herself. Only a dream. Shaking it off, she followed Parker down the hall. "What is this place?"

[mparkerceo]

"I told you. The Centre." Parker let out a breath. "The headquarters for my father's company." The doors opened, and she stopped for a moment, staring at the bullet hole on the far wall. Then she turned on her heel, and jabbed the button for the lobby. "That room you were in... Faith died in there."

[izzyalienqueen]

"What do they do?" she asked, although she had a feeling that they probably copied Agent Pierce's playbook. "It was just part of the dream Parker. I promise. This isn't real."

[mparkerceo]

Parker rubbed her eyes. "It's a think tank. Medicine. New technologies. They have holdings in hundreds of companies. They designed one of the first Popemobiles. Worked on the Korean Peace Accords." She didn't look behind her at the bullet hole. "My mother died in this elevator."

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel thought about what Parker had told her about her mother and turned around looking for what she wasn't sure. Then she saw the bullet hole. Uncertain, she held her hand out towards it. If this was just in Parker's head, she wouldn't be able to affect it. But if it was something else, some outside influence then maybe. It had worked with John after all.

A moment's concentration and the bullet hole was gone.

"This isn't right." Isabel bit her lip. "It's your dream. But something else is here."