Virtually One
“He’s been at this for two hours now. Go talk to him,” Dr. Kirkland said.
Alex Diamond looked down from the observation center, its Plexiglas muting the sounds coming from the workout area.
He watched as Jed methodically disposed of four “assailants,” using more force than necessary and not adhering to the usual protocol of a practice session.
In short, he was pounding the shit out of whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the workout list for today.
A number of them had been curious enough to try to take on one of the commandos in the elite “Virus” team.
A few, he noted, had heard that Jed was on a rampage and were wise enough not to show up.
“You have to do something,” Dr. Kirkland continued, a note of desperation entering his voice as Alex continued his silence. “That’s his fourth group. The injury list is growing.”
“He seemed to be taking care of himself,” Alex observed, although he understood what Dr. K meant.
“I don’t want to see my medic rooms filled with unnecessary patients, Alex. He broke Carrington’s arm. He knocked Jackson out. It’s time for someone to intervene before he does someone serious injury. He won’t listen to me.”
“What makes you think he’d listen to me?” Alex murmured, not taking his eyes off his friend. “He might not be in the mood to talk, you know. Hell being in a coma and him not being allowed in there with her is the probable cause of his current state of misery.”
He was amused at the choking sound coming from Dr. Kirkland, and even though he didn’t turn his head, he could imagine the good doctor’s stare of incredulity. Jed’s current mood was the talk of Center and misery wasn’t the word used to describe it.
“Anger doesn’t solve the current crisis, and I doubt you want me to send T to him. She’d likely just taunt him to fight her too.”
That brought Alex’s attention sharply to Dr. Kirkland.
There was no way he would allow T to fight Jed, but that was exactly what she’d do because T, being who she was, would want to take on Jed in his current vulnerable condition.
And Jed was vulnerable right now, showing how much he cared for the woman lying in an induced-coma in Medic Room E.
“You haven’t asked her to go down there,” he stated, just to make sure.
Dr. Kirkland shook his head. “She’s my next choice if you refuse.
You’re his closest friend, Alex. All those years you were out in the cold, he protected you and took care of your personal business, as well as making sure the Center ran smoothly enough that the Committee listened to him to give you time alone outside. ”
“So you’re saying it’s time to pay him back?” Alex asked, a bit more harshly than he’d intended. His friend, after all, had finally tricked him into returning to Center by using bait in the form of a woman named T.
Dr. Kirkland shook his head again as he gave Alex a long look. “I’m saying it’s time to be a friend.”