Please come

The night was full of tossing and turning and nightmares that hadn't bothered Jason in some time, even going back to memories of prison. He shuts most of them out though - his habitual reaction to keeping Katie from suffering from sleeplessness as well. Kaylee's crying woke him up early and by six o'clock he was nowhere near ready to get up but sleep wasn't going to come anymore.

Sitting at the table half-asleep even after his shower, Jason looks up as Cindy brings him a cup of coffee to add to his glass of orange juice. "Mmm... thanks."

She smiles and runs a hand through his damp hair. "You're welcome. You look like you need it this morning." She returns to the counter to pour herself her own cup then makes sure Kaylee is content in the living room before coming back to the kitchen table and sitting with Jason. "I've um... been thinking a lot about last night."

Jason nods slowly. "Me too."

"And I've... I've decided that I want to see Trey."

Jason had been afraid of that, and he doesn't raise his eyes. Instead, he concentrates on his coffee, gently blowing the steam from the cup. "You know he might not react well."

"I know." Cindy sighs. "But the Agency took my rights away from me, and I'll not let them win." She purses her lips stubbornly. "Trey might not want anything to do with me. But if I don't make an effort, what kind of mother does that make me? I have a duty, whether I knew him all his life or not."

Jason wished he felt better about the idea. He wished he could support his mom wholeheartedly, understanding her point of view. But instead, all he felt was a new churn of emotions. He just didn't like any of this. "Do you... really want to, or do you just feel obligated?"

Cindy cocks her head, finding it difficult to read her son's face. "I want to."

"Okay. Then I'll... talk to Reese when I get home and set up a time."

It was an odd kind of pause that followed and Cindy grew more concerned for whatever it was that Jason was feeling. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"Nah." He downs the rest of his orange juice then follows up with some more of his coffee before he rises from the table. "I think I'm gonna take a little walk. I'll be back in a while."

Cindy doesn't stop him, but simply watches as he puts his shoes on and leaves the house. After cleaning a few dishes and moving to the study for a while, she found herself sitting at her computer and wiping away another tear. She stared at the half-written email. Sometimes Wes could reply right away and sometimes she went days and even weeks without hearing from him. She never knew where he was or when she'd hear from him again - she'd received a letter just a couple days ago, but that didn't mean he was still there and still okay. It didn't stop her from writing him her emails though, always ending them with hugs and kisses. Today's email, however, was much different than the ones that were usually filled with talk of Kaylee and her misadventures.

My dearest Wes,
Jason is here for a visit. It's so good to see him again. You know how I always miss him horribly and how I worry so. This time though, he came with some news that was quite shocking. At first, I didn't want to believe it, but he told me about the evidence and even though it seems impossible, it appears to be the truth. There's no easy way for me to say this,

Cindy's fingers hover over her keyboard again. How was she suppose to tell her husband that she had another son? She knew Wes loved her and was usually easy-going, but would he be upset about this? Would he believe that she'd been unaware of a second son?

Taking a deep breath, she begins typing again.

so please be patient as I try to sort through it. Jason has informed me that he has a twin brother - that I have a second son. It's TJY's belief that he was abducted directly after birth, then sold into their adoption racket. I was never aware of his existence whatsoever. It seems his upbringing has not been pleasant and he is now in the custody of TJY in Nevada. I'm still unsure how to feel and I won't lie - I wish you were here to hold me as I cry.

She wipes another tear and sniffs. She didn't want to make Wes feel badly, but she did want him to know she still needed him.

I've decided that I want to meet Trey, though Jason has his reservations. I'm not sure when I'll be able to, but it might be soon. I have no idea the outcome of this decision, but I believe it's the right thing to do. Pray for me, Wes. I need all the strength I can get.

I will write again soon. Be safe. I love you so much.
Cindy
xo xo xo


Getting out in the fresh morning air felt good. Ambling down the dirt lane, Jason kicks at a few pebbles, just letting his mind wander. Why this whole thing bothered him so much, he wasn't sure. It didn't feel good though, nor did withholding some of those feelings from Katie. He just wanted to mull them over himself first before sharing them. Unfortunately, it was somewhat painful. He used to be able to hold off anything he wanted without trouble. But lately it felt as though he were losing more and more control over his emotions. He'd been so close to conquering them and controlling them - and now they were getting the best of him again.

Sighing, Jason feels a small wave of dizziness and regrets not having eaten any breakfast. His rise in emotions wasn't doing any good for his blood sugar, but he tries to push it aside. He'd had some orange juice - that should have been more than enough for several hours.

Finding a spot in the grass off the path, he eases down under a tree and leans his head back against the rough bark. Fishing in his pocket for the sugar pills he'd promised Rick he'd always carry, his fingers meet only a piece of lint. Great. They must be in his jeans from yesterday.

Moving to get up again, his legs wobble but after a moment, he finds his balance. Maybe he should head back to the house. He hadn't thought he'd walked that far... but the walk back seemed to take longer. Stopping halfway, he puts a hand to his head as a searing pain shoots through his skull. Wincing, he tries to shake it off. What was happening to him?

Hey, Katie...
He hadn't even said good morning to her, not knowing if she was up yet, but he'd have to skip over pleasantries for now.
Not feeling so hot. I... think I'm okay but... but just in case, keep alert, okay?

He does manage to make it back to the house, though he had to stop several times to get over his dizziness. As soon as he enters and Cindy sees him, she knows something is wrong.

"Jason... are you okay?" She comes to him quickly, giving him support as he sways towards the wall. "What is it? What's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Not sure. Just... not sure. Um..." He tries to think straight, but it isn't easy.

Katie? Um... alkdfjrew-idkfjskakz

His emotions skew and distort, sending mixed signals instead of the words he was trying to form. Forcing his legs to work, he makes it to the living room with the aid of his mom. But that was all his body would give. As his legs give out on him, he's too heavy for Cindy to support, and he collapses on the living room floor. His body begins to shake violently, his palm starting to burn.

"Jason!" Cindy kneels next to him, not understanding what was happening.

Clenching his fist shut, Jason curls up into a tight ball. "Get... get Kaylee... get her out of here," he gasps.

"But what-"

"Do it!" he barks.

Scared, Cindy flinches but does as she's told. By now, Kaylee is crying and Cindy struggles to get her down the hall and to her room. Coming back alone, she's met with sparks and one of the lamps bursting into a million pieces. She shrieks and jumps back, shielding her face. Overcoming her fear, she slides down next to Jason again, setting a hand on him as he shakes. She instinctively knew that this was not an everyday occurrence - this was something to do with his emotions, but she'd never seen him like this before and it terrified her. "Jase... what do you need, Jason? I can't help you if I don't know."

Jason cries out as the pain surges through his entire body. Sweat pours from him, immediately soaking his clothing. Every muscle seems to tighten and cramp, shaking uncontrollably.

"Katie." Cindy goes for the phone, but Jason stops her.

"She... she already knows."

Of course. Cindy felt silly for thinking Katie didn't know about this. Did that mean she was on her way? Probably. But Cindy couldn't just stand here and watch her son suffer. Going to the kitchen, she quickly retrieves a cool washcloth and comes to kneel with him again, setting his head in her lap. Wiping his sweat away, she was sure it wasn't doing any good at all, but she hoped it brought a little bit of comfort anyway. As Jason's shaking grows worse though, tears stream from her eyes. Seeing him in so much pain was heart-wrenching.

As Jason convulses and starts to throw up, Cindy tries to hold up his head while trying to keep the rest of him still. Her strength was little compared to his though, and she struggles, confused and scared, waiting for Katie to come. Any mess could be cleaned up - right now, she feared for her son's well-being.

Panicking on the inside, she reaches for the phone again while remaining on the floor with Jason. Her fingers shake as she dials while her other arm tries to keep Jason still. Waiting for an answer, a prayer is mumbling on her lips. "Angel? Oh, Angel, thank God. It's Cindy. I... I don't know what's happening... Jason said Katie's coming, but I don't know if she is and I don't know what to do. He's in trouble, Angel." She chokes on a sob. "Please help... please come."