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The citizens of Eureka had varying ideas about when everything changed. Some say it was the artifact incident, others say it was before that. However, everyone agreed that it all came to a head when Sheriff Jack Carter’s twin sister came to town to stay.
It was about two weeks after the Artifact Incident- where Kim had died, and Nathan Stark had lost his position as head of Global Dynamics to his ex-wife Allison Blake- and Carter was on his way to do his weekly check up on the security personnel at GD. The migraine pulsing behind blue eyes let him know that he didn’t have long. He hoped he had time to finish this before he collapsed. By the pain in his head he might have time to get done with his check up, but there was no way he was getting back to his house. “Shit.”
By the time he got to GD the pain was fading rapidly. ‘Times up.’ A voice not his own intoned in his head.
The pain was gone by the time he got to the atrium. Carter got up the stairs. Black spots danced in his vision.
HE got to the middle of the Atrium. Black swallowed his vision. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.
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Sheriff Jack Carter collapsed in the middle of the Atrium, right on top of the GD Logo.
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Neither Nathan Stark nor Allison Blake expected their day to start with a phone call saying that Sheriff Jack Carter had collapsed in the Middle of the GD atrium, and was currently being held in the infirmary.
Nathan and Allison got to GD at the same time, however Allison was the first one through the infirmary doors. This was her domain, having a medical degree, and having been tailored for this position. Nathan walked in a step behind her and strides to Carter’s bed where a nurse was scanning him with a portable scanner. The nurse didn’t even look up as he started talking. “Body wise there’s nothing wrong with him,” frustration colored him his voice. “By, heart rate, hell even white blood cell count is al perfectly normal. According to this he’s perfectly healthy. Except for the fact that he collapsed in the middle of the atrium, and won’t wake up.”
Nathan frowned. “What do you mean he wont wake up?” He said. The nurse finally looked up at him from across the bed. “That’s just it, sir. It’s been four hours since he collapsed. The fact that not once in those hours did he even show signs of waking up is more worrying than him collapsing,” the nurse replied. The nurse grimaced down at Carter’s unmoving body. “And believe me sir, after the two hour mark, did we try to wake him up.” He took a flashlight out or his pocket and pulled open Jack’s eyelids and shining the light in them. “His pupils don’t even respond to stimulus. If it weren’t for that, I’d say he was under a full body paralysis. We don’t know what’s going on. We called you two in because you’re the only two near GD and Eureka qualified to handle the machines that scan and test the brain. It’s the only thing we haven’t tested.” The nurse puts the scanner down, and walked away at that. Nathan frowned down at Jack’s body, before walking away to help set up the equipment for the scans.
Two hours later the equipment was still running, even though they had the results of the scans.”Well, we figured out why Jack won’t wake up,” said Allison, uselessly. “Explain to me again exactly what we are seeing on the scans? I’m hoping I heard you wrong,” said Jo Lupo, who had joined them not long after NAthan and Allison had arrived. Henry Deacon sat in a chair next to Carter’s side. “There’s no brain activity, other than the functions necessary to survive.” Allison said, looking frustrated and confused. “Physically he’s in perfect health. Mentally there’s no activity where there should be activity, and to much activity where there should be none.” Allison said. Jo and Henry both looked stricken. Allison just looked tired and sad.
To Nathan, however, time literally slowed, and a loud ticking noise- like a grandfather clock- started at the same time. It took quite a number of ticks for Nathan to notice time had slowed, and it was Allison blinking that made him pay attention. The next six tick got steadily louder, with the last tick more like the sound of a cannon. Then it cut off. For half a second silence reigned. Time resumed its normal course.
Then machines started screaming, alarms on any change in activity going off as Sheriff Jack Carter’s body arched off the bed, lungs sucking in air in a great gasp, blue eyes open wide. He collapsed onto his side, panting for breath, knees up to his chest. Suddenly a loud whirring sound cut off all the alarms, and a voice cut through all other noise. “Times up, Jack.” Carter pushed himself up into a sitting position. “I was supposed to have more time,” he said, resignation clear in his voice.
The blonde haired, blue eyes woman pushed off the wall she was leaning against. She had a rough pixie cut, and the only indication that she was, in fact, a she was the slight swell of cleavage underneath the band t-shirt she was wearing. Her black combat boots- real ones by the look of them- made no sound as she crossed the floor to where Carter was now standing, a rueful grin on her face. “Yeah, well. You only have yourself to blame for this.” She said.
“You think I don’t know this?” He said sharply. “I know I’m to blame very well.” Anger and frustration were clear in his voice. “I-I was just… I thought I had more time.” Carter walked away from both the bed and the woman, a hand automatically going through his short cropped blonde hair. He stopped a few feet away, hands going into his pockets, defeat clear in his posture. “I thought I had longer.” He said to the floor, quietly enough that it sounded like he was talking to himself.
“You fucked with time, Jack Carter!” The woman gestured with her arms. “Did you think she wouldn’t do anything? Did you really think you would get another five years?” She yelled, her body practically radiating frustration.
“No!” Jack said adamantly. “I thought I had more than two weeks though!” He said while turning to face the woman. She sighed. “Oh, Jack.” She shook her head. “She gave you more time than anyone else. You had your chance. Now she wants her Marshall back.” Jack seemed to sag in place. “Do I get to say goodbye?” He asked weakly, any sign of protest gone.
“To everyone in this room, yes. You’re lucky she gave you warning. Most she wouldn’t have.” She had walked toward him while she was talking, and was now looking at him with concerned eyes.
“Dad? What’s going on?” Zoe Carter stepped forward, worry and confusion clear in her voice. “What’s she talking about?” The woman put her hand on Jack’s shoulder, saying, “I’ll let you say your goodbyes. I have to get the watch anyway.” She turned and walked out the door.
Jack drew in a wavering breath. “I’m sorry Zoe. I’m sorry i wasn’t there as much as I should have been. I’m sorry we didn’t get more time together.” Zoe let out a sob as realization dawned. “I’m sorry I wont be there for your graduation, or be there when you go to college.” Jack looked to the ceiling, clearly blinking past tears. “And, perhaps most of all, I’m sorry I won’t be there to walk you down the aisle if you get married.” Zoe rushed forward and hugged her father. He kissed the top of her head, before letting go of her. Zoe stepped back, and wiped away tears and a bit of makeup, and walked back to the group. Jack squared his shoulders from where they had slumped, and looked at the group. “I would also like to say that it was an honor to work with you all.” Here he looked directly at Nathan. “And I do mean all of you. It was fun to bicker with you.” He smiled lightly, sadness and- for reasons unknown at the time- regret heavy in his gaze. Jack (and when did Carter become Jack?) dragged his eyes away from Nathan, and- in that moment- Nathan realized Jack was right. Their arguments and insults ands one-upmanship had been fun. It had kept Nathan on his toes, made him use his not inconsiderate intellect on something other than work or science. The fact that Jack could keep up was a very nice surprise, and winning over Allison was a bonus. Nathan may not know what was going on, but he knew what a permanent goodbye sounded like. He had both heard, and done enough of them in his life.
The woman had slipped back into the room while Jack was talking and was now pushing blonde hair out of blue eyes. “Are you guys done?” She said. And while the words themselves seemed impatient, it tone of voice made it clear she was trying her hardest not the cut into the goodbyes.
Jack nodded his head, then shook it. “One more thing,” he said before turning blue eyes onto Nathan. “Take care of her for me, okay? She deserves a good life. So watch out for her. For me, okay?” It was clear he was talking about Zoe. She didn’t even protest. Nathan looked at jack for a moment before nodding an affirmative. Jack nodded once, twice. A few movements of the head that seemed more jerky movement in an affirmative than true nod.
The woman sighed and pulled a fob watch out of her pocket. She swiped her fingers over the strange circular pattern on the top a few times, and looked across the room to Jack. “I’m really sorry this had to happen,” she said while asking across the room. Jack sighed at hearing that. “Yeah, I know.”
When the woman reached him he held out his hand for the watch, every line of his body radiating resignation. The woman handed him the fob watch, clasping him on the shoulder when he took it. “Do you want us to leave?” She asked quietly. “No,” he replied just as quietly. “I-I,” he paused here, trying to speak past the lump in his throat. “I don’t want to be alone. Not for this. If I can't see the people I helped, at least I can be surrounded by family. Friends.”
“Okay.” The woman said, understanding clear in her voice. She turned around and started walking back to the group, before turning around once more, and said, “It was an honor knowing you, Jack Carter. And, you were brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” She smiled, pride clear in her voice. “Goodbye, Jack Carter. And I’m sorry.” Jack looked down at the watch in his hands and replied, “Yeah. Me too.”
The woman turned back to where the group was and walked toward them, stopping just before the group itself.The group stood there, shell shocked and confused, Nathan more than anyone else. They watched as Jack studied the fob watch, A thumb lightly stroking the strange pattern on the front. He sighed on more time and brought the thumb up to the button on the top. Jack hesitated slightly, a frown twitching his lips down. He pressed the button
Golden light flooded the room, blinding Nathan. About two or three seconds later the golden light disappeared, leaving Nathan to blink back dark spots in his vision. In the center of the room Jack stood with his eyes closed. As they watched he took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. His eyes blinked open, and what was once blue now shown gold, the same gold that had flooded the room seconds before. The gold slowly filtered back, until it was gone completely, leaving the familiar blue in its wake.
Whoever stood in the place of Jack looked around the room, eventually looking at them. However, unlike with Jack, no recognition shown in his eyes as he looked at each of them in turn, until his eyes landed on the blonde haired blue eyes woman. A happiness that they had never seen before shown on his face, and a grin split his cheeks.
“Protector! I see you made it out of the battle fine. That’s good. Anyway, where are...Ack!” He hunched over suddenly, a groan escaping his lips, before straightening up and letting out a puff of golden glitter reminiscent of the light that had filled the room not long before.
“Oh,” he whispered. “I’m still cooking. That’s not good.” At that confusing revelation the woman rushed over the no-longer-Jack, saying, “You didn’t wait after regenerating? Marshall, you know how dangerous that is!” As she reached his side, The Marshall grabbed her hand and pulled her into his side. “I didn’t exactly have a choice, there.” He said into her hair. “I missed you.”
“I’d hoped so. I missed you, too.” The pause after that admission seemed long. “I-You hoped?” He said. Protector curled more into herself, drawing her body into the Marshall’s. “I know that you said you still wanted the bond,” she said, “but it's been so long since you were there. Our species was never meant to be alone in our heads. And i have been for the last sixteen some years. I...the bond hurts, and old insecurities are coming out. My head hurts, and I’m so tired.” She groaned into his chest, her hands curled into fists in his shirt. The Marshall looked up from where her head was tucked into his chest, seeming to try to find a bed. “Shh,” he said. “Let’s just get to the bed and we’ll get the bond sorted out.” He walked over to the nearest bed and sat down on it, pulling her onto the bed next to him. “We’re twins, of course I want the bond.”
With that bombshell he looked up at the group standing near the entrance. “We’re going to go into what will seem to be a coma soon, but I promise, we’re fine. We’ll be under for about eight hours. Just let us sleep and don’t mover us from where we are touching. I promise. Everything will be explained once we deal with this.” Jo shook her head of the confused stupor she was in, and stepped forward. You won't be moved, I promise,” she said in her quite voice. Marshall nodded back. “Good.”
He turned toward the Protector, putting one hand on her temple, and she put her hand on his temple, slowly they laid down facing each other one hand on the others temple. They closed their eyes and slumped into the mattress. The group filed out of the infirmary. There would be no information available today.