Once-over

The woman behind the desk wore a nametag that read Sandy, and she smiles as the female customer approaches. "Hello."

Hearing the request, Sandy chuckles. "You're the second one today who asked for him. Pretty soon he's going to have to clone himself to get all his work done."

Closing a notepad and pushing aside some paperwork, she stands from the desk. "If you wouldn't mind waiting here, I'll see if Eli is free to talk with you." Heading to the far right, she goes through a door with a window that led into the garage. The scents that wafted into the office were those of exhaust, metal and paint. Within a few moments, Sandy returns.

"Eli's right in the middle of something, but he'll be right with you."

It takes about ten minutes for Eli to appear, wiping his hands on a rag. His black t-shirt with the shop logo was tucked into his jeans, a chain hanging from his beltloop back to his wallet in his pocket. A black bandanna held his hair back from his face and eyes.

Looking to Sandy, his eyes follow her pointing to the woman standing looking at the pictures on the wall. One of his eyebrows seems to quirk on its own as he gives her a once-over. Ambling closer, he tucks the rag into his back pocket and extends his hand. "Hi. Eli McKade. What can I do for you?"


Alec thinks for a long moment, then shakes his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Not yet."

Falling into silence, he's quiet again, not speaking until they arrive at Brookshire. Looking around out the windows, he takes in his surroundings, then talks, keeping Hope in the car briefly. He'd mulled over his options all the way over here and was now ready to tell her what he thought.

"I'll have to see what kind of shape Scott is in... but if my guess is correct, he needs something like a jumpstart on his mind...like a shock to restart his brain. Whatever happened or whoever he saw triggered all that data that he doesn't know how to control yet. It was bad enough that instead of him seeing it, being bothered then watching it fade, it's stayed in the forefront. I've seen it happen before on those at the Agency who have failed the program and gone nuts instead. The brain just doesn't know how to handle all of that information So.." He shrugs. "...it's like the host becomes a walking hard drive and their brain concentrates only on the data, forgetting about all its other functions. It'd be something like if I had a truckload of paperwork for you and just came in and piled it up on your desk. It would be a mountain and you wouldn't be able to see around it or get up and go anywhere. You'd just be... surrounded and all you'd see would be that paperwork."

Alec pauses, making sure Hope is tracking with him. "If that's the case, which I won't know until I see Scott, then he needs something to blast a hole in that mountain. He needs something to trigger an avalanche so the blockage is moved out of the way and to the background again so his brain can wake up and say, 'Oh yeah, here I am. There are people I know, there are things to do, where have I been?'"

He purses his lips, still thinking. "I don't know how I'm gonna do it or what will trigger his mind to reconnect with reality. He's got to focus on something other than the Agency data in order for me to get my foot in the door. It might just take a good whack upside the head that will distract him enough for his brain to say, 'Whoa, what just happened?' But I'm guessing it'll take more than that. Somehow, his brain has to be forced to use something other than the part that's processing all that data. It might be getting him to talk or using a simple skill like walking or writing - just enough for a distraction to get him to think about something other than the data. Once it does, there's the opening."

Resting his hand on the door handle, he looks to Hope still, his eyes searching hers. "I may have to make him revisit some memories or try to get him to see who I am. Lots of times strong emotions help and when he sees me, he feels anger and fear. He might be too far gone and not react at all. Or, he could have an outburst. It would be better if he had an outburst because then his brain would be distracted enough to quit hanging onto the data. If that happens, he has a better chance of pulling through and coming back to reality. And then..."

He lets out a long sigh. "If we can get him to focus again, it's even more important that he gains control. Because if it isn't done soon, one of these days he just won't be able to come back from one of these episodes. I have my doubts about today even. I know you're a religious person so... if you're gonna pray, do it now."


Inside the building, Reese had been pacing, waiting for Hope. Seeing her car, he exits and walks towards it, then stops, realizing she's not alone.

Seeing both Hope and Alec exit, the hair on the back of his neck bristles, his worried expression turning to one of irritation. Approaching, he looks to Alec then Hope. "What is the blazes is he doing here?"

Alec holds up his hands. "I'm just here to help, big guy. She asked me. I didn't break out and I didn't put a gun to her head and tell her to drive here."

Reese's eyes narrow. "Very funny." He looks sternly back to Hope again. "Are you crazy? Scott's been traumatized and you want to bring someone from the Agency to see him?" It was bad enough that he'd just seen Scott in such shape, and now thinking it might worsen made him even more upset. "Alec is not going up there," he states flatly.

Alec opens his mouth, but hesitates. "Look, it may take me being there."

"You haven't seen him. You don't know what kind of shape he's in."

"I don't have to. But if this is what I think it is, it's gonna take drastic measures and that's why I'm here."

Reese looks back to Hope, still upset. "Is this true?"