Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)

42.1|| Loose Ends

Sam couldn't believe he was having this conversation. Not now, not in a hotel apartment with a fed-up-looking Herrison sitting across from him on the couch, and Skye waiting in the next room.

"Hand Jimmy over to you?" If Herrison didn't take it back, he was going to grab some expensive furniture and break it over his back.

"It's just a manner of speaking." Herrison rubbed the back on his head looking too out of control for Sam's liking. "Our facility in California will make sure he has the best treatment and we will develop something to combat this."

"Oh, like you did with William? Trap him there for two damn years, letting his family think he's dead?"

A shadow of annoyance passed over Herrison's face, and even if he was aware their coordinator was doing his best, Sam couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction. They didn't even give them twenty-four hours and the chance to figure out what the hell happened before springing this bullshit on them.

"I'll be blunter, then," Herrison said, his jaw tense and his tone clipped. "Jimmy needs treatment and no hospital will hold him except for psychiatric ones which will have absolutely no idea what to do with him. We may not have succeeded with William, but our treatment is more advanced than anything else out there."

The words stung, especially because Sam was aware Herrison was right. The current hospital was pushing to discharge Jimmy because, after many tests, except his brain being all screwed up, there was nothing physically wrong with him and they needed the space.

And as much as he didn't trust the Agency anymore, Herrison had a point about that, too. William did recover, and there was a chance their supposed treatment had something to so with it. He gritted his teeth together, fighting the revolt and the hatred inside him. He wanted to say no. To throw Herrison out and cut himself off from their incompetence, from their lack of care.

But that wasn't a solution. Not a smart one at least. He knew he'd go back on it, and that finally, after much kicking and screaming, they would all admit defeat and agree that committing him to a specialized facility was the best solution.

After all, William had been painful to work with until he showed signs of his former self. Sam couldn't bare seeing Jimmy like that. Not Jimmy who was so smart, and calm, and resourceful, always a survivor.

No matter how much he wanted to deny Herrison this, in the end, they'd all agree that anything giving him a better chance at recovery was the best alternative. So he said the only thing that made sense.

"It's Jessie's call."

Herrison lifted his eyebrows. "Jessie's? Why?"

Sam held in a sigh which was both of exhaustion and frustration. How could Herrison not understand how important Jessie was to Jimmy, that she called the shots? He had even officially named her his medical proxy. "She has medical training and is the one who will most likely go with him and keep an eye on things. So it's her call."

Herrison didn't seem to like that, but he finally nodded. "Suit yourselves."

"I want to interrogate Hannigan."

"No, out of the question."

"Why the hell not?" The question came out more aggressive then he indented, but he was too exhausted to control his tone properly.

"Because this doesn't concern you. It's not your department, so you get no say. You should know that by now. So Sam, a word of advice. Stop being so difficult to work with."

Sam's fist slammed into the coffee table between them. "Difficult to work with? Seriously, Herrison? Your lying and half-truths have gotten us into more trouble than I care to count. You have traitors among your men. Because of your sloppiness, Jimmy almost died. I told you to check Hannigan before sending him into space with my brothers. Instead, you put him in charge."