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Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to CBS and Viacom. This is a piece of fan fiction, written for pleasure and not for profit. The characters are borrowed for the purpose of the story.
This story is dedicated to Betty – with grateful thanks for all her help and support both in beta reading my stories and for being a friend.?? ? Mind Games by ? ? His spirits buoyant, Steve Sloan strode towards his car, whistling cheerfully.?? It was Friday evening, he’d finished his shift at the precinct and – best of all - he had the weekend off, with nothing more taxing to do other than lounge around the beach house, get in some surfing, maybe watch a little TV, drink a few beers and – most importantly of all - spend some much needed, and long overdue quality time, with his father. ? The trouble with working shifts, Steve reflected, as he drew level with his car, was that neither he nor his dad got to see very much of one another.??? Well that wouldn’t be the case this weekend, he mused, as he reached for his keys, his pleasant thoughts interrupted by the agonised sound of tyres squealing on tarmac, as a black van hurtled inexorably towards him.?? ? “What the…..?” he exclaimed, as the vehicle screeched to a halt beside him, the back doors bursting open to emit two armed and masked men.?? Before he had a chance to react, Steve was grabbed and slammed up against the side of his car, a cloth soaked in an insidiously sickening substance clamped roughly over his mouth and nose.??? ? Chloroform was his last thought, as he succumbed to darkness.
? “Mark Sloan,” he announced, as he snatched up the receiver. ? “Dr. Sloan?” ? Mark felt his heart lurch in his chest as he recognised the cold, clinical, voice of Chief Masters. ? “No – oh please God no,” he muttered, the sound of the man’s voice dragging him back to the nightmare scenario when the Chief of Police had called to inform him that Steve had been shot.??? That had been a little over two years ago and, to the present day, Mark was never able to lose his sense of fear, his sense of terror, that every time his son walked out of the front door of the beach house, it might be the last time he ever saw him.? ? “How ….” Mark’s voice failed him.??? “Is Steve okay?” he finally managed to enquire. ? There was a heavy silence at the other end of the phone before John Masters finally, reluctantly, replied.
? The room in which he was contained and which he guessed he should, for the moment at least, view as “home”, was not only cold; it was also damp, thick moisture oozing through the walls.?? It wasn’t exactly conducive to good health, he ruefully reflected, as he crossed over to check the handle of the heavy, iron door that steadfastly resisted all of his efforts to turn it.?? ? Having checked out the rest of the room, Steve re-traced his steps to the window, where he tentatively tested the bars, before realising that, even though he had the brute strength to remove them, there was simply no possibility of him being able to squeeze his muscular frame through the tiny aperture.?? All he could do, therefore, was to wait and find out just what his abductors had in mind.
? Steve had no way of knowing how much time might have passed since he had awoken to find himself a reluctant guest in his less than desirable residence, as his watch had either been lost, or removed – more probably the latter, he thought as, once again, he paced the confines of the small room, trying to keep warm.??? His gaze fell on the bucket in the far corner and his lips twisted into a bitter smile.?? His captors had certainly done everything they could to ensure he was kept as far removed from the height of luxury as was possible; his “comforts” comprising a narrow bed that would barely contain his long, lean frame, one meagre pillow that was as hard as stone and a thin blanket that barely afforded him any warmth – and let’s not, he reminded himself, forget the bucket! ? “Well it’s not the Beverley Hills Hotel, that’s for sure,” he said out loud.??? “But just what in the HELL am I doing here?” ? No sooner had he posed the question, than the detective heard footsteps approaching his room.??? He backed up into the corner and prepared to rush his captors. ? “Don’t even think about it,” a familiar voice drawled, as the armed and masked, men entered the room ahead of the speaker, standing aside to allow him to step between them and confront the startled detective. ? “Sweeney!” Steve exclaimed.?? “What the HELL….,” he snarled, taking a step towards his adversary, brought up short when the barrel of a gun was jammed firmly against his chest. ? “Am I doing here, when I should be in prison?” Carter finished the sentence for the detective.??? “Well, the oddest thing happened Detective,” he continued, smiling enigmatically.??? “I developed severe chest pains and the doctors at the penitentiary were afraid I might be having a heart attack.?? Of course they’re not equipped to deal with such a medical emergency and so” Carter shrugged, “I was escorted under armed guard to the nearest hospital where ….. I still have friends who are loyal to me Lieutenant,” he snarled, thrusting his face against Steve’s.??? ? “Friends!” Steve laughed, barely able to contain the derision in his voice.?? “Terrorists you mean.??? So where’s Caitlin?” he enquired. ? “My sister is still in jail” Carter replied, which was at least some small balm to the detective.?? Carter Sweeney was dangerous, his sister even more so, she having been responsible for blowing up Community General.??? With both of them free, who knew what trail of death and destruction they might choose to wreak on the unsuspecting populace of Los Angeles????? ? Sweeney’s next words served to dispel any fears Steve might have had for the safety of the inhabitants of the city. ? “I don’t need my sister for what I’m planning” the man grinningly informed him.??? “All I require is you.” ? +++ ? “Is there any news Mark?” Amanda Bentley breathlessly enquired, as she ran up the steps of the beach house, closely followed by Jesse Travis, the two of them having responded instantly to Mark’s frantic phone call, informing them that Steve had been abducted. ? “John Masters called me a half hour ago to tell me that the van used in the abduction was located half an hour ago,” Mark wearily informed his friends, as he ushered them into the house.?? “It had been burnt out,” he added, thereby quashing any hopes they might have harboured toward the vehicle yielding up any useful clues. ? “What about Steve’s cases?” Jesse queried, his worried gaze travelling over his friend and mentor, noting that the older man looked close to collapse.??? “Was there anything in particular he was working on where someone might have had a reason to want to ….,” he hesitated, unwilling to voice his thoughts out loud.
? “What is it Mark?” Amanda asked softly, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Mark’s arm. ? “I ….” Mark paused for a long moment before continuing.?? “Just have a feeling, Amanda, that the answer won’t be found in those files.??? I think that, whoever has done this – their reasons are more ….. Personal.” ? 10 PM ? By late evening, Amanda was beginning to understand only too well the phrase “cabin fever”, the three of them having been reduced to an endless cycle of mindless, relentless, pacing around the house, pausing only to fuel their bodies with yet another injection of caffeine.??? When the doorbell rang a little after 10 p.m., they were all so wired up that Mark dropped his coffee mug, the contents soaking greedily into the shag pile, while Jesse involuntarily bit his lip so hard, he drew blood.? It was left to Amanda to answer the door. ? “It’s Chief Masters,” she announced quietly, as she ushered the man inside the house. ? “Oh god” Mark quailed.?? “Jesse,” he moaned, reaching out with shaking hands to latch on to the young doctor, as he fully expected to hear the worst. ? “It’s okay Dr. Sloan,” John Masters hastily assured the distraught man.?? “I came to tell you that I have some news to impart.?? I thought you would prefer to hear it in person rather than over the phone.?? May I sit down?” ? “Yes …. Please …. “ Mark said numbly, screaming inwardly with impatience as Steve’s taciturn superior settled himself on the couch.??? ? “Carter Sweeney has escaped from jail,” Masters bluntly informed them.
? Mark raised his tortured cerulean eyes to meet those of the Chief of Police. ? “Carter Sweeney has my son,” he said dully. ? “I’m …. “John Masters wished that he could lie, could offer some platitude to the anguished man, but the simple truth of the matter was that he knew – and the eminent doctor knew – that Steve Sloan now resided in Sweeney’s evil clutches. ? “Yes,” he said finally.
? Having realised that, if he were to be in any sort of condition to withstand what Carter had planned for him, then he should at least try and ensure he was sufficiently rested; Steve retreated to the bed, where he curled himself into a tight ball in an effort to conserve as much body heat as was possible, given the frigid conditions that he was being forced to endure, and drew the meagre blanket around his shivering frame.?? Despite the miserable conditions, he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. ? He was woken the following morning by the sound of the door to his cell slamming against the wall as it was flung open.?? He was then hauled unceremoniously from the bed and dragged from the room, up a flight of stone steps and along a cold corridor before being thrown unceremoniously into a room as bare as the one he had just vacated.?? As he slowly raised himself to a kneeling position and took in his surroundings, a cold hand closed around his heart. ? The room boasted nothing in the way of contents, save a sturdy looking chair with ugly leather straps, which at first glance bore such a startling resemblance to “Old Sparky” – the infamous electric chair – that Steve’s first thought was that Sweeney, who was standing directly behind it, was planning to have him electrocuted; would, in all probability thought Steve as he was thrust unceremoniously into the chair and swiftly strapped down, be throwing the switch himself.
? “You won’t get away with this Sweeney” Steve snarled.?? “Yo…..,” he broke off abruptly, as Sweeney drew the remaining leather strap cruelly around his throat, before securing it tightly, thereby rendering any further speech impossible.?? ? “Oh but I will – I already have” Sweeney crooned, revelling in the ferocity emanating from Steve’s cerulean eyes, knowing that the man was helpless to defend himself, both physically and mentally. ? “Over to you doctor” Sweeney drawled, directing that last remark to a shadowy figure who, thus far, had stood silently in the far corner of the ill-lit room and who now detached himself from the gloomy recess and advanced slowly towards Steve. ? Despite extensive and exhaustive enquires; despite the entirety of the LAPD working 24 hours a day, leaning on every fence and informant they had both at their disposal, not to mention in their pockets, no clue emerged as to the whereabouts of Carter Sweeney and, thus, of his hostage, Lieutenant Steve Sloan.?? It was as if the very earth had opened up and swallowed them. ? Mark kept going – he had to for Steve’s sake – knowing that his son would be furious if, when he was safely back home, he were to discover that his dad had just given up – given in - and so, somehow, he managed to keep to his normal routine.?? He rose each morning after yet another sleepless night, during which he tossed and turned fretfully. He went to the hospital where he conducted his lectures; although, if asked, he would not have been able to recall a single word he had said, nor the questions his bright young students had posed.?? He consulted with Jesse over the treatment and well being of his patients, having refused to treat anyone, handing that responsibility over to his young protégé, in whom he had every trust.?? In his current state Mark knew that it would be foolish – worse still that it would be negligent – to treat, much less prescribe, to someone whose health, whose life, was in his hands. ? But, as each day passed and there was still no news, another little piece of Mark died.?? ? Amanda could see it happening, could see the once vibrant, youthful doctor – she could never think of Mark as anything other than young – fading.??? It was though his inner spark – the very essence that was Mark Sloan – was slowly being extinguished. ? Finally, unable to stand it for another moment, Amanda decided to tackle her friend. ? “Mark” she announced firmly, closing the door of the doctor’s lounge to ensure their privacy, before crossing over to where Mark was slumped on the couch nursing a cup of cold coffee. “You cannot keep pushing yourself like this.?? You MUST rest.”
? +++
? “Are you sure?” Carter replied, his penetrative blue eyes regarding the man suspiciously.
? “Oh of course,” Carter purred, reaching into his inside pocket and slowly withdrawing a gun.
? 7 PM ? Jesse was just about to sink down onto the couch in the doctor’s lounge, put his feet up, enjoy a much needed cup of coffee and try and forget the fact that he was on duty for another 13 hours, when the door to the lounge burst open. ? “Dr. Travis – can you attend at the front entrance of the hospital right now” one of the ER nurses tersely enquired.???? “Security has just informed us that someone has been thrown out of the back of a moving vehicle.?? They need you there right now doctor.” ? “On my way,” Jesse replied, launching himself from the couch.?? “I need a gurney at the front entrance STAT,” he yelled over his shoulder even as he stabbed frantically at the buttons of the elevator.???? He heard the soft whirr of the motor as the elevator purred its way slowly down the shaft.??? “Too slow – too slow” his inner voice screamed, even as he abandoned the idea of waiting and headed for the stairs. ? “Dr. Travis – thank god” the guard at the front entrance exclaimed, as Jesse ran towards him.?? “Frank and I ….,” he nodded towards his colleague, who was crouched on the ground, his arms wrapped around the victim of the crime.?? “We were just coming back from patrolling the exterior of the hospital when a white van pulled up almost at our feet.?? The back doors were opened and the next thing we knew that poor guy was thrown out.?? He’s in pretty poor shape Dr. Travis,” the guard continued, as they approached his colleague.??? ? ?“J … Jesse?” a weak voice enquired.??? ? “STEVE?” Jesse exclaimed, his heart all but ceasing to beat as, hardly daring to believe that what he had heard had really been his friend’s voice – he crouched down next to the security guard and the gaunt bundle cradled in his strong, powerful, arms. “Oh my god,” he whispered, as he confronted the shell of the man that had once been Steve Sloan.?? ? “It’s okay Steve,” he murmured, reaching out to clasp his friend’s trembling hands in his own, even as his professional eyes swept over the detective’s body.??? As he ran through the list of checks and tests they needed to run, Jesse searched frantically for the gurney, grateful to see it finally explode out of the front entrance, manned by two burly orderlies. ? “Everything’s going to be okay,” he informed his semi-conscious friend.??? “You’re safe now Steve.” ? +++ ? Mark had just closed down his computer and was preparing to head for home – although home hardly described the beach house right now, he thought sadly.?? Since Steve had ….. he closed his thoughts off right there.?? He couldn’t, he wouldn’t think about his son; not here in the hospital where he might – scratch that, where he would, he knew, break down.??? He would wait until he closed the front door of the beach house, and then he would let the tears of rage, of frustration, of fear take him. ? He was just heading for the door when it was all but ripped off its hinges as a red-faced, perspiring security guard burst into the room. ? “Dr. Sloan,” the man gasped.?? “You have to …. Front entrance … Dr. Travis …. Your son.” ? Mark was having trouble following the exhausted man’s gabbled utterances, but upon hearing the words “Your son” he was out of the office and running towards the elevator. ? “Please God – please please God,” he silently prayed, as he hurled himself into the steel maw.?? “Let Steve be okay.” ? He reached the front entrance, just as the gurney containing Steve’s inert body burst through the doors. ? “Mark” Jesse cried, as he spotted his mentor.??? ? “How …..?” Mark’s voice failed him, as he gazed down at his son with starved eyes, drinking in every last detail of his precious first-born child. ? “He lost consciousness right after we lifted him on to the gurney,” Jesse informed his distraught colleague, as the gurney – together with its precious cargo – entered the elevator.?? ? “He’s so THIN,” Mark whispered hoarsely, reaching out to run a gentle finger down the side of his son’s face.?? “And these bruises,” Mark’s hands fluttered over the heavy discolouration on Steve’s face and arms.?? Even as he traced their ugly pattern, Mark had little doubt that, were he to lift his son’s clothing, the bruising would extend over every inch of Steve’s lean, angular, frame.??? “Oh God,” he moaned, as his legs threatened to give way beneath him. ? “Mark – MARK!” Jesse yelled.?? “Stay with me here okay??? OKAY?” he repeated, his blue eyes filled with alarm.? The last thing he needed was for Mark to pass out on him. ? “I’m ….” Mark drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.??? “Okay,” he assured his anxious colleague.??? “I’m fine,” he continued, pulling himself upright.?? “Let’s take care of my son,” he said firmly. ? THREE HOURS’ LATER ? “How is he?” Amanda whispered, having crept, unnoticed – unheard - by Mark, into the private room where Steve now resided; a pale, still form, his face as white as the pillow upon which his head rested. ? “He’s doing okay,” Mark murmured, in response to Amanda’s question.?? “For someone who’s been beaten, drugged and … “ Mark’s eyes swept over his son’s emaciated frame.?? “Starved,” he choked.?? “We’ve got him on an IV drip to replace body fluids – he’s also seriously dehydrated, did I forget to mention that?” he enquired of his colleague, his azure eyes filling with tears. ? “Mark” Amanda reached out to place a gentle hand on her colleague’s arm.?? ? “We’re running a full tox screen” Mark continued, seemingly oblivious, both to Amanda’s voice and touch.?? “To see if we can ascertain just what that bastard …,” Amanda flinched at the vulgarity emanating from the doctor’s lips “Pumped into him.”? ? “He’ll be okay Mark” Amanda soothed.?? “He’s back with us.? He’s safe.” ? Even as she uttered the words, Amanda felt a chill creep over her heart.?? The very fact that Carter Sweeney had released – had spared – Steve Sloan did not bode well.?? Given that he hated the Sloans with a vengeance, she would, could, never have anticipated that the detective would be found alive, much less delivered to the front steps of the hospital. ? The very fact that he had been could only mean one thing insofar as Amanda was concerned.?? As her concerned gaze travelled over her insentient friend, Amanda knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that their troubles were only just beginning. ? +++ ? “More!” his sister demanded as she swiftly demolished the sand castles her brother had painstakingly constructed for her sole amusement.?? ? “I don’t know Carol.”?? Steve cast a nervous glance over his shoulder.??? “We should be getting back to the house.?? Dad will be home soon.” ? “MORE!” Carol stamped her foot in the sand, glowering up her older brother, furious with him for spoiling her fun. ? As he regarded his diminutive sister with amusement, Steve knew that he couldn’t refuse her.?? Thus he began to feverishly construct more edifices for her to gleefully destroy, trusting to his mom to call them back before his dad arrived home from the hospital. ? Time passed and his mother didn’t call, so Steve assumed they were safe.? Brother and sister played happily in the sand, Steve building castles, while Carol happily demolished them.?
? Steve’s head whipped up at the sound of his father’s voice. ? “Daddy’s angry” Carol whispered, flinging her chubby arms around her brother’s waist.?? The 8-year-old boy burned with rage as he felt the waves of fright emanating from his sibling’s trembling body. ? “Goddamit” Mark yelled, as he strode purposefully towards them, his blue eyes blazing with fury.?? “When I call you to come in - you come understand? I’ve had a hard day at the hospital and the last thing I want, or need, is to chase you two around.” ? “Where’s mom?” Steve croaked. ? “Your mother is lying down – she has a migraine,” Mark snarled, reaching out and gripping hold of Steve’s shoulder so hard the boy winced with pain.?? “Both of you get inside the house – NOW!” ? Carol needed no second bidding, releasing her grip on her brother, and running for the safety, the sanctity, of the house and her mother’s comforting arms. ? Steve turned to confront his father. ? “Don’t you look at me like that,” warned Mark. “Get in the house right now. It’s way past your bedtime.”
? +++ Steve’s low, anguished groan alerted Mark, who was by his son’s side in a heartbeat. ? “Hey there,” he murmured, reaching out to stroke a stray strand of hair back from Steve’s forehead.?? “How are you feeling?” ? Both the question – and the warm smile – were met with a blank stare. ? “Steve?” Mark cautiously enquired.?? “Son, what’s wrong?” ? No answer, other than a cold, baleful glare.?? Mark turned to Amanda.? His “Please help me” hung unspoken in the air. ? “Hey there handsome – are you finally awake?” Amanda queried, placing a gentle hand on Mark’s arm, as she stepped forward into Steve’s line of vision. ? “Hey Amanda “ Steve croaked, turning to face her.?? “I’m really thirsty,” he grunted. ? “Well we can soon fix that,” said Mark, reaching for the water jug.?? Pouring a few drops into a paper cup, to which he added a straw, he attempted to hand the receptacle to his son, astonished when Steve resisted his efforts. ? “Let me try” Amanda offered, gently extracting the cup from Mark’s trembling hands and offering it to Steve, who drew the straw into his mouth and drained the contents in seconds. ? Mark felt a heavy frisson of fear course through him.?? Something was wrong – very wrong.??? Steve wasn’t responding to him; was looking at him as though he were a stranger. ? Worse than that, thought Mark, as their eyes met and locked.?? Steve was looking at him as if ….? As if … ? He hated him! ? “Better?” Amanda enquired. ? “Yes … thanks” Steve replied.?? “I’m tired,” he murmured.?? “I want to – need to” he yawned heavily “Sleep,” he added, even as his eyes closed. ? +++
? “Carol will you STOP playing with your food,” Mark snapped.
? “Did I give you permission to leave the table?” Mark yelled, his blue eyes glittering dangerously. ? In the next instant, Steve was dealt a sharp blow to his head, which sent him reeling to the ground.
? “Hey there - how are you feeling?” ? At the sound of that much-hated voice, Steve looked up, his worst fears turning into reality, as his father stood over him.?? The detective shrank back against the pillows. ? “Stay away from me,” he snarled. ? “Steve, STEVE!” A voice he recognised – a voice he trusted.?? Jesse!?? Steve turned to face his friend. ? “Jess,” he murmured. ? “I’m right here big guy,” Jesse smiled reassuringly. ? “Get him out of here Jesse” Steve hissed, casting a contemptuous glare in Mark’s direction.?? “I don’t want to see him and I don’t want to talk to him.” ? “Son …” ? “Mark I think it might be best if you …..” ? Jesse didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence.?? As Mark took one tentative step towards the bed, so Steve threw himself out of the other side.??? Reaching instinctively for his friend, Jesse was borne to the ground by the sheer weight of Steve’s body, both men landing in an undignified heap on the hard, cold, floor.?? The IV needle was torn free from Steve’s arm, ripping his tender flesh.?? Blood began to course from the ugly wound. ? “Oh God” Mark groaned.?? “Let me help you – please?” he begged, crouching down beside his infuriated son. ? “If you touch me - I’ll kill you,” Steve growled, his blue eyes flashing fire. ? “Okay” Mark backed off hastily.?? “I won’t come any closer,” he continued in as calm a voice as he could manage under the circumstances, flinching at the hatred emanating from Steve’s cold, blue eyes. “But at least let Jesse help you back into bed and take a look at your arm,” he pleaded, as he beat a hasty retreat to the door, from where he could only stand and watch helplessly while Jesse struggled to help Steve to his feet; struggled equally to assist the detective back into bed.??? ? “I’m going to give you something to help calm you down” Jesse murmured once Steve was settled back in bed, the ragged wound in his arm treated and the IV drip re-attached.?? “Then we can sit down and talk this whole situation through,” he added.
? “Steve.”??? As his son began to succumb to a drug induced slumber, Mark risked approaching the bed.?? “Son I love you, very much.?? I would never, EVER, hurt you.”
? THE DOCTORS’ LOUNGE – ONE HOUR LATER ? “I have the results of Steve’s tox screen” Jesse informed an ashen-faced Mark, wishing there were something he could do – something he could say – to help his colleague.? ? “Tell me” Mark said hoarsely. ? “The tests” Jesse gulped hard before continuing, “Reveal traces of Ducene in Steve’s bloodstream.?? It’s a …...” ? “Benzodiazepine” Mark interrupted his colleague.?? “It works by slowing down the activity of the central nervous system.?? They’re often used to relieve stress and anxiety and to help people sleep.?? Carter Sweeney used it on my son to weaken his resistance.?? Coupled with the beatings, the deprivation of food and fluids ….” Mark choked back his anger.???? “Steve hates me Jesse,” he whispered, his voice raw with anguish.?? ? “Mark” Jesse began tentatively.?? “I … oh hell,” he exclaimed, as he turned to face his colleague.??? “Steve doesn’t hate you.?? Carter has …. He’s been very clever.? He’s conditioned Steve to BELIEVE that he hates you.???? Why do you think Carter didn’t kill Steve??? He had good reason to for sure.?? He hates both of you after all.?? But, think about it Mark.? What would he achieve by killing Steve??? Nothing.?? Oh sure, he’d eliminate one enemy but, at the end of the day, Mark, Carter’s aim has always – ALWAYS – been to seek revenge on you.???? It was your testimony alone that sent his father to death row where he was executed.?? He never forgave you for that, Mark.??? So what better way to seek revenge on his enemy, than to turn the one thing he values the most – loves the most – against him?” ? “Steve” Mark murmured. ? “Exactly” Jesse replied.?? “Mark,” he continued hesitatingly, “I think you should consider consulting with June Carter.?? I know, I know,” he raised his hands by way of an apology, as Mark’s eyes flared with alarm – with anger at the very mention of the woman’s name.?? “Just think about it okay?” he pleaded.?? “I know you hate the thought of Steve seeing a psychiatrist, but June Carter is the best in her field, and she’s head of the psych unit right here at Community General, which means she’s readily accessible.?? If anyone can help Steve, Mark, it’s June.” ? “I’ll ….” Even as he abhorred the thought of his son needing – having – to consult a psychiatrist Mark realised, with a heavy heart that may be the only recourse available to them – to Steve, he corrected himself.?? Of course, quite how he could convince his son of the same was quite another matter. ? “Let’s see Jess,” he murmured.?? “Maybe all that Steve needs is a little time and space.?? “Maybe tomorrow he’ll be okay.” ? “Sure Mark” Jesse avoided the older man’s eyes, both of them knowing that – tomorrow – the day after – the day after that – would change nothing.?? ? THREE DAYS’ LATER ? “Jess how soon can I get out of here?” the fractious detective enquired of the young doctor. ? “Not for a while yet,” Jesse replied. “We still have a few tests we need to conduct.”
? “Well, yes, there is that to it I suppose,” Steve admitted, smiling.??? “Jess,” he began hesitatingly.???? “When I ….,” he paused for the longest moment before continuing.??? “When I’m discharged from the hospital, can I stay at your apartment??? Just for a few days until I find somewhere else to live,” he added hastily, noting the way Jesse’s eyes flared with alarm.
? “It’s not your fault Jess” Mark assured the abashed looking doctor.?? “And I’m grateful to you.? Yes really,” he added, noting Jesse’s startled expression.??? “For being such a good friend to Steve.? Right now he needs his friends more than he needs his father,” he murmured softly.
? “All set?” Jesse enquired, wondering if his cheerful smile looked as false as he felt it to be.???? The maxim “Stuck between a rock and a hard place” had never made very much sense to him until today when he found himself caught very firmly between father and son; the former, his mentor and very good friend, the latter, his best friend and the older brother he’d always craved.??? ? “Let’s go” Steve replied gruffly, shrugging on his jacket before snatching up the case Jesse had filled with the requisite items of clothing the detective had listed.??? ? As he opened the door to his room, Steve came face to face with his father who, determined not to let his son leave without having one last attempt to get through to him, had been hovering anxiously outside. ? “Get away from me,” Steve growled.?? “I don’t want to see you and I don’t want to talk to you.?? Ever!”?? The last word was spat out as forcefully as the punch that caught his father hard on the jaw, causing him to stagger backwards, before falling heavily to the ground.
“Stay the hell away from me dad,” Steve snarled.??? “You might have everyone else fooled, but I know what you’re really like and if you come near me again, I’ll kill you and there won’t be a court in the land that will blame me after what you did to us.”
?
? “Mark …” Amanda started to say, just as the older man held up his hand to silence her.
? “Well …...” ? Where to start, thought Jesse??? With the nightmares, where Steve woke up screaming, begging his father not to hurt them any longer, promising anything, if his dad would only love them??? ? Or should he mention the fact that, when he wasn’t sleeping, Steve had taken to pacing the tiny apartment in an endless, ceaseless, round, like an animal in a cage? Saying nothing, seeing nothing, just walking back and forth, back and forth, until, finally, he would collapse, exhausted, onto the sofa, mumbling something about a chair, a room, and a soft, insistent voice, whispering in his ear. ? “Jess?” Mark enquired. ? As his eyes met those of his mentor, Jesse knew that he owed Mark the truth. ? “Come sit down,” he said softly, taking Mark by the arm and leading him over to the couch.?? “And I’ll tell you.”
? “16 days,” Mark replied, every long and tortuous hour of which was etched all too horribly clearly in his mind.
? “After that” June continued, “He would have been deprived of food and liquid.? That and the drugs would have made him sufficiently pliable for his captors to introduce a set of false memories into his severely weakened psyche, which memories will be as real to Steve as you and I sitting here talking to one another now.” ? “So what can we – can I - do June?” Mark enquired. “There has to be SOMETHING,” he cried frustratedly. ? “I wish I had some comfort to offer you” June Carter replied sympathetically.?? “But the simple truth of the matter is that, unless Steve comes to me, I can’t help him.??? The only way that situation would change would be ….” Her voice tailed off. ? “Would be??? You mean if I were to have him committed?” Mark looked at his colleague aghast.?? “I couldn’t do that,” he whispered, his eyes round with horror.???? ? “I know that Mark” June soothed.?? “So let’s hope that Steve chooses to come to see me of his own volition.”?? ? +++
? “It’s really immaterial to me what you perceive your physical state to me detective,” snapped Masters.?? “However, if you won’t listen to me then I’ll get your father to come down here and talk some sense into you.” ? “Um Chief” Captain Newman interjected who, having witnessed the brief exchange from his office, risen hastily from his desk to try and avert the disaster he felt sure was as inevitable as night following day.?? “I really wouldn’t …….,” he started to say, just as Masters reached for the phone on Steve’s desk. ? “You really wouldn’t what?” Masters barked, just as Steve exploded out of his chair, grabbed his superior by the throat and hurled him to the ground.
? “Mark, what is it?” Amanda anxiously enquired.
? +++ ? “I’m so sorry Mark” June’s face reflected her very real sorrow.?? “I know it’s no consolation whatever if I tell you that you are doing the right thing.??? The psych ward is really the best – the safest - place for your son right now,” she stressed.?? “With time and patience, we can undo the damage Carter Sweeney has inflicted.?? Mark,” she reluctantly continued.?? “Before your son arrives, there are …. Certain formalities, paperwork,” she apologised, “That require completion.? I’ll need another doctor to sign the forms,” she added, her gaze falling on Jesse. ? “Come on buddy.”???? ? Strong, yet surprisingly gentle hands, guided the confused detective out of the car where, to his surprise, he found himself standing outside the front entrance of Community General. ? “I don’t understand,” he murmured.??? “What am I doing here???? Am I sick?”??? ? “Just take it easy,” the uniformed cop soothed, neatly evading Steve’s question, glancing over at his partner who nodded silently before securing Steve’s other arm in both hands.?? Together they guided their bewildered colleague toward the heavy glass fronted doors, which opened at their approach to reveal Jesse, June Carter and – hanging back as though reluctant to be seen - Mark Sloan.??? Behind him stood two burly, white-coated orderlies. ? ? “I’m going to …..” Steve doubled over, retching violently.??? Just as he hoped, the grip on his arms, while not released, was loosened.?? The detective exploded into action, wrenching his arms free and lashing out, punching one officer in the stomach, before whirling to deal with his colleague, his fist connecting with bone jarring ferocity to the startled man’s jaw.?? Both men dropped like stones to the ground. ? +++ ? ?“Stop him, Mark yelled, as Steve spun on his heel and took off through the doors as though the very hounds of hell were pursuing him.??? “Jesse ….,” he turned his anguished face to the diminutive doctor. ? “I’m on it” Jesse announced, casting an anxious glance at the two uniformed cops who were struggling to stand, only hoping they would be able to help him because there was simply no way he would be able to restrain Steve on his own.??? Hoping – praying – they would be able to assist him, Jesse raced out of the hospital in hot pursuit of his friend. ? Steve hadn’t gotten far much to Jesse’s relief; the detective’s body, sorely weakened by his recent ordeal, tiring quickly, his legs turning to lead.??? Even as Jesse closed the distance between them, Steve stumbled and fell to his knees, his head whipping around as he heard footfalls pounding up behind him.?? Upon seeing Jesse and the uniformed officers, he struggled to his feet, took a few more steps, and once again fell, his knees singing with pain as they once again connected with the tarmac.
? “I need help here,” he yelled to the two uniformed officers who, thankfully, were at his side in an instant, rolling their colleague gently on to his stomach, before securing his hands behind his back and cuffing him swiftly.??? ? “Get away from me,” Steve spat, struggling ineffectually to free himself.?? “I won’t forget this Travis,” he snarled, twisting his head round to glare at the young doctor who, hunkered back on his knees, was attempting to draw breath back into his over-exerted lungs.?? ? “Steve I ….” Jesse started to say, just as Mark and June Carter arrived, the latter holding a hypodermic needle.
? The effect of the powerful sedative cut off the rest of his threat and he quickly succumbed to a drug induced sleep. ? THE PSYCHIATRIC UNIT
? “Absolutely” June replied, smiling warmly.?? “Now go,” she gently admonished, giving him a gentle push toward the door. ? THREE HOURS’ LATER ? “Hello Steve” June Carter smiled warmly, as the detective’s eyes slowly flickered open, heralding his return to consciousness.??? “How are you feeling?” ? “I …. “ Steve licked his lips.?? “Thirsty,” he grunted. ? “Let’s take care of that first,” said June, nodding towards the burly orderly who – with surprising gentleness, slid one hand underneath Steve’s head, lifting it up while June poured cold water into a plastic cup, to which she added a straw, deftly guiding the tip of the straw into Steve’s parched mouth.?? The detective drank greedily, the contents of the cup swiftly drained. ? “More,” he demanded, as his head was gently lowered back on the pillows. ? “In a little while” June replied.??? “I don’t want you to be sick.?? Steve,” she continued, after a brief pause.?? “Do you know where you are?” ? “Well it isn’t the Hilton, that much is for sure” Steve replied, his laugh bitter.?? “Not unless they’ve taken to strapping their guests down to stop them leaving,” he added, nodding at the straps around his wrists, waist and ankles. ? “You’re in the psych ward” June’s voice was infinitely patient, infinitely tender.?? “Oh nice touch” Steve’s inner voice snarled.?? “Pretend to be on my side when all the time I know that you, my dad and Jesse, you planned this between you.?? Well, I’ll play the game Dr. Carter, just as long as it suits me.?? But when I get out of here – and I will – the three of you are going to be sorry.?? And THAT’S a promise.” ? “I’m going to have the orderly remove the restraints” June continued, only too well aware of the raw aggression emanating from her surly patient.?? “I’m trusting you to behave Steve,” she cautioned. ? “Like I have a choice” Steve muttered under his breath, knowing only too well that any sudden movement would be interpreted as a threat and he would not only be slammed back into the restraints, he would also be sedated.????? “You can trust me to behave,” he said aloud.?? “After all how else am I going to get out of here?” he added silently. ? FIVE DAYS’ LATER ? It was with a heavy heart that June Carter entered Mark Sloan’s office, closing the door behind her softly to ensure their privacy.???? She had been putting off this moment for as long as possible, hoping that, given time, Steve would respond to the tender ministrations of herself and that of her highly qualified team.?? Sadly that was not the case, and now Mark had requested her presence in his office to discuss his son’s progress, or rather the lack thereof. ? Of course she COULD lie; thought June, as she sat down, politely declining the offer of a cup of coffee.??? However, she knew only too well that Mark Sloan would quickly pick up on her deception, no matter how well meant her intentions might be.??? ? Thus, as she settled herself in the chair, June knew that the only thing she could do, would be to tell the fragile man sitting opposite her, the truth. ? “I’m sorry Mark,” she said regretfully.??? “I wish I had better news for you, but the truth of the matter is that Steve isn’t responding to therapy.” ? TWO DAYS’ EARLIER? “Tell me about your relationship with your father” said June, ignoring the obdurate look on the detective’s face. ? “What relationship?” Steve snarled, crossing his arms across his broad chest and fixing the doctor with hard, cold, eyes. ? “Everyone I’ve spoken to has told me how fond you and your father are … were until recently,” she corrected herself, “Of one another,” she continued, blithely ignoring the death glare levelled in her direction. ? “Yeah well,” Steve sighed.?? “What can I say??? Appearances can be deceptive.” ? “To others, perhaps” June acknowledged.?? “But what about you Steve???? If your father really was as bad as you claim; if he really did abuse you….” ? “He did,” Steve interrupted. ? “If he really did abuse you, as you claim” June continued, choosing to ignore the interruption.?? “Perhaps you can explain to me why you chose to return to live at the beach house after your apartment was damaged in an earthquake???? If things were so bad, if HE was really so bad, wouldn’t you have preferred to have kept as much space between you as you could?” ? When Steve didn’t answer, June stepped up the pressure. ? “Your father is a consultant with the LAPD.?? He works very closely with you on cases.??? If your relationship was that bad, if he really had done the things you claim, why would you allow that Steve?” ? Still no answer. ? “When you were admitted to the hospital, after your abduction, the tox screen showed high doses of Ducene in your blood stream.?? It’s a drug often used to relieve stress and anxiety.?? Used in the short term it results in a state of relaxation and calm.” ? “Your point being?” ? “Given that you were, as the other medical evidence supports, deprived of food and liquid, it’s my firm belief that the drug was used to make you more …. Suggestible.” ? “To what exactly?”? ? “The introduction of a set of false memories.” ? “Yeah right” Steve snorted, standing up so abruptly he knocked his chair over.????? June glanced towards the mirror on the wall, knowing that the orderlies would be watching, fully prepared to come in and restrain her patient if they thought such action was warranted.??? Shaking her head, June turned to the lean man who was now pacing back and forth.?? Eventually his frenetic movement ceased and he turned to face her. ? “I’m tired,” he said flatly.?? “Are we finished for today?” ? +++ ? “How long?” ? “I only wish I knew the answer to that question” June replied. ? THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON ? “When you were admitted to the hospital, after your abduction, the tox screen showed high doses of Ducene in your blood stream.?? It’s a drug often used to relieve stress and anxiety.?? Used in the short term it results in a state of relaxation and calm.” ? “Your point being?” ? “Given that you were, as the other medical evidence supports, deprived of food and liquid, it’s my firm belief that the drug was used to make you more …. Suggestible.” ? “To what exactly?”? ? “The introduction of a set of false memories.” ? The conversation played over and over in his head until Steve thought he would go crazy.?? Eventually he decided the only way to drive both it and June Carter from his thoughts was to go to the gym for a workout.??? ? He was 20 minutes into a punishing routine, wondering just how in the hell he could get out of the psych ward, when a fellow patient, Tom Beresford, entered the room.?? Steve didn’t know what Beresford’s problem was and neither did he want to.?? It occurred to him, however, as he adjusted the weights on the chest press machine, that Beresford might prove to be more than useful in helping him achieve his goal.??? The man hated anyone making eye contact with him; it drove him into an absolute frenzy. Steve had witnessed Beresford having to be sedated on more than one occasion in the last five days.??? The guy exploded with rage if he thought anyone might be looking at him.
? “Want some help?” he casually enquired.
? “I’m only offering advice,” Steve said innocently.?? “So what do you say Beresford?” he murmured.??? “Need any help?”
? As he had anticipated, the combination of being both scrutinised and touched was too much for Beresford to handle.??? As soon as their hands met, the slender man exploded into action, swinging the dumbbell upwards.?? Steve, anticipating the movement, had already started to move backwards; nonetheless the weight still caught him a stunning blow to the side of the head, which made him see stars.?? The soft flesh on his temple split as the weight made contact and blood began to pour from the superficial wound.?? Steve emitted a low grown, before allowing his legs to buckle.?? He sank to the ground where he lay and listened as mayhem ensued. ? Beresford, now in a frenzied state, straddled Steve’s inert body, where he began to raise the dumbbell, clearly intent on smashing it into the detective’s skull. ? The male orderly, having pressed the alarm – the eerie tones of which echoed throughout the ward – ran over, grabbed Beresford by the shoulders, and pulled him off Steve.??? No sooner had he done that, than the door to the gym exploded and the room rapidly filled with people.? Beresford was driven to the ground, where he was promptly sedated.
? +++ ? “Page Dr. Carter,” one of the orderlies snapped as, leaning over Steve’s prone body, he applied a cold compress to the detective’s head wound.
? Being a doctor’s son had its advantages after all, he decided, as he was lifted onto a gurney and swiftly propelled out of the secure unit towards impending freedom.
? “Oh, well done my height-challenged friend,” Steve thought sardonically.?? “You’ve got the anguished tone just right.?? Anyone listening to you would think you really cared about my well being.??? Well, don’t make any plans for the weekend, Jesse because, after I’ve dealt with my father, you’re next on my list of “personal scores to settle.”?? Swiftly followed by June Carter.” ? In the meantime, he had to incapacitate the doctor, so that he was able to make good his escape.??? Cracking open one eye, Steve ascertained that – save for himself and Jesse – the treatment room was empty.?? Perfect.??? He let out a soft groan. ? “Just stay still big guy,” Jesse soothed, leaning over his friend to better examine the wound to his head.???? “I need to clean this up, pop in a few stitches and get you admitted for overnight observation,” he added, smiling down at Steve. “Now, I’m going to administer a local anaesthetic,” he continued, turning away to prepare the necessary injection “So that you don’t feel any discomfort while I’m suturing the wound.??? You’ll feel a sharp sting,” he added, turning back to Steve, holding the hypodermic needle in his right hand.?? “After that you wo…..” ? Jesse got no further as, at that precise point, Steve exploded off the bed, grabbed his startled friend by the shoulders, and slammed him against the wall.???? The force of the impact was sufficient to drive all the breath out of Jesse’s body.??
? Despite his need – his desire – for revenge, Steve instinctively cradled the young doctor’s insentient body in his strong, powerful, arms, before lowering him gently to the ground where he stood for a long moment, silently regarding his friend.?? Unbidden, memories rose to his mind: ? “Light beer – you brought LIGHT BEER?” Steve could barely contain the disgust in his voice. ? “Hey, I was looking out for you,” Jesse replied, reaching out to pat the detective’s washboard stomach. ? And: ? “Jesse.? JESSE!?? Do you really want to hit me with that thing?” he enquired, as his friend squared up to him with a baseball bat.? “Steve,” Jesse’s voice was raw with anguish, as he slowly lowered the weapon.??? “What’s happening to me?” ? Reaching out, Steve placed a comforting hand on Jesse’s shoulder.?? ‘It will be all right’ he silently vowed.?? ‘I’ll get to the bottom of what’s happening Jess.?? I won’t let your demons destroy you’.” ? And: ? “Fix me breakfast” Steve commanded. ? “You could,” Jesse raised his eyebrows, “Maybe fix it yourself?” ? “Yeah and I could gouge your eyes out with this spoon too,” Steve raised the implement in a threatening gesture. ? “Hey and a bright good morning to you too,” Jesse grinned, before heading off to the kitchen to comply with his partner’s request. ? Jesse was his friend – his best friend.?? How could he have ever thought otherwise? What was – what had been - happening to him to make him betray that friendship? ? Steve staggered, reaching up to rub his forehead. His head hurt so very badly.??? If only he had the time to sit down and think things through, try and make sense of what had happened to him.? Time, however, was not a luxury he could afford right now.???? Later.??? He would think about it later.
? THE BEACH HOUSE ? Preferring to rely on the element of surprise, Steve had chosen to abandon Jesse’s car a little over half a mile back on PCH, before jogging down on to the soft, white, sand and approaching the property from the beach.?? ?At the back gate he paused, staring up at the house for the longest time, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of peace – of coming home.??? ? “You were playing on the beach with your sister,” an insidious voice inside his head whispered, rapidly dispelling the sensation of warmth, of comfort, of SAFETY.??? “You were already nervous because you’d stayed out too long.?? Your father found you.?? He lost his temper when you openly defied him.??? He made your lives hell, your mother’s, your sister’s, yours.?? He has to be punished, Steve.” ? “Yes,” Steve murmured as, having ascended the steps to the deck, he slid open the balcony door and stepped inside the house. ? The house was quiet – almost preternaturally so - save for a noise emanating from the living room, a persistent, whirring sound.??? As he entered the lounge, Steve discovered his father sitting at his desk, his attention focused on a small white screen, on which some old movie footage was playing. ? At Steve’s approach, Mark turned and smiled.
? “It’s not my ….,” Steve found himself talking to the back of his father’s head, as Mark turned round and resumed watching the home movie footage. ? Despite his anger, his very real need for revenge, Steve nonetheless found his eyes drawn to the makeshift screen where he and his father, both donned in cowboy clothing, both sporting makeshift cotton wool beards, laughed with delight.??? The memory – the REAL memory - pierced Steve as sharply as a knife. ? “It was suppertime,” the voice whispered.?? “Your sister dropped her fork.??? You picked it up.?? Your father struck you.” ? “Why is it taking so LONG?” a voice in the background hissed angrily.?? “You told me that, without food – without water – that, with the drugs - he would be compliant.” ? “It’s not a precise science,” an angry voice retorted.??? “Sloan is strong.?? He and his father are exceptionally close.?? That sort of bond can’t be ……”. ? “I don’t want to hear your EXCUSES” Carter snarled, emerging from the shadows to strike the helpless detective across the face.?? “I want you to BREAK HIM,” he yelled. ? “No, oh please no,” Steve moaned, as he realised that June Carter had been right after all, realised also – with searing clarity - that it was not his father, never EVER his father, who had betrayed his love and trust.?? The whole thing had been a vile ruse by Sweeney in an attempt to manipulate Steve into exacting revenge against Mark Sloan, the man whose evidence had condemned Lewis Sweeney to death by lethal injection. ? “It’s all right Steve.”?? Mark was at his stricken son’s side in an instant. ? “I thought … it seemed so real.??? I’m so sorry dad,” Steve whispered.?? ? “It’s all right,” Mark soothed.??? ? “But I …. Said some terrible things to you.?? I even …. Hit you,” Steve admitted shamefacedly. ? “Come and sit down, son.” ? When Steve made no attempt to move, Mark gently steered him over to the couch where they sat down together. ? “What happened was not your fault,” Mark stressed.?? ? “But I ….” ? “No buts,” Mark said firmly.?? “You have absolutely nothing to blame yourself for.?? Steve – son,” he pleaded.?? “Do you think you could look at me rather than that spot on the carpet that seems to have captured your attention? ??That’s better,” he smiled, as Steve dragged his eyes up to meet his father’s clear, loving, gaze.??? ? “Sweeney’s plan would never have succeeded Steve,” Mark continued.?? “Because the bond – the love – that you and I have for one another is one that could never be broken.?? Ever,” he reiterated, his voice hoarse with emotion.
? FOUR HOURS’ LATER ? ? “Oh man,” Jesse muttered.?? “Steve will just HATE that.” ? “This isn’t something Steve will be able to dismiss from his mind as never having happened Dr. Travis,” June informed Jesse.??? “What’s happened will have left scars. Granted they aren’t visible, but they’re there nonetheless.??? I’m going to schedule him in for some counselling sessions, Mark.?? Of course he doesn’t HAVE to attend them,” she added.?? ? “Oh he’ll attend, I’ll make sure of it,” Mark promised.?? “Even if I have to drag him there myself,” he added, grinning ruefully. ? “You won’t have to, I’ll go voluntarily,” Steve murmured.?? “Hey Jess,” he greeted his friend sleepily, his handsome face suffusing with colour.??? “I’m sorry,” he apologised.??? ? “It’s okay,” said Jesse, smiling.?? “After all, what are friends for??? And who’s to say I won’t slam you up against a wall some day?” ? The notion of Jesse attempting – much less achieving – such an impossible feat was enough to reduce them all to helpless laughter.??? ? “He’ll be okay, Mark,” June assured the older man as he walked her to the door of the beach house. ? “Yes,” Mark turned back to watch his son as he indulged in idle banter with his friends.?? “He will.” ? THE CARLTON HOTEL, DOWNTOWN LA ? “Wall to wall cockroaches, how charming,” Carter drawled, as he let himself into the small, seedy, room, unable to suppress a shudder at the décor; green walls, brown carpet orange bedcovers and mauve drapes! ? Still, he reflected, as he sat down on the bed, the place was cheap; better than that, here he was just another faceless resident, amidst the flotsam that was the shabby little hotel’s regular trade.??? And faceless was what he wanted, what he needed, for the foreseeable future, while he set about plotting his revenge against the Sloans. ? Next time they wouldn't be so lucky, he vowed, as he lay down on the rock hard bed and contemplated the myriad cracks in the dirty ceiling.??? ? Next time he would take and destroy them both.? The End Mind Games II – to follow shortly ? |