“Alright.” Dawson focused on his cards so the guys couldn't tell how disappointed he actually was about not being able to make it right with King yet. He’d let him come around on his own terms. He just hoped he actually would. Because they all probably knew that without everyone on the team coming together, it didn't matter how much progress John made individually. They were a team.
“Melissa?” Dawson rounded the corner of the lab later that evening. It was dark and quiet down here, other than the one light Melissa had shining over her experiment and note pad.
She glanced up and met John’s eyes. Her heart rate climbed. She’d hardly tended to him in days, working diligently on the cure. Was he having bad symptoms again?
“What is it? Are you okay?” She took her glasses off and set them on the table.
Dawson walked over to where she sat at the lab table, pulled a chair up, and sat opposite her. “Am I okay? I should be asking that about you. I don't think you’ve left this room in days.”
“Oh.” She massaged the center of her forehead, shutting her eyes briefly. “There’s a lot to be done.”
John squinted at her, almost like he knew she wasn't telling the full truth. She promised Reaper she’d keep the serum a secret from everyone. Neither of them wanted to get the team’s hopes up.
“I think you need a break.” John continued to stare at her.
“I can’t afford breaks. Why don't you get to bed?”
He shook his head. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll go to bed and leave you to work the rest of the night if you go get us something to eat. I bet it’ll give you more energy to keep working. You can even make yourself some coffee.”
She had to admit food and coffee sounded pretty nice right now, and sharing it with John sounded even better. Her stomach almost grumbled at the thought. She nodded. “Deal.”
Melissa pushed back from the table and headed to the stairway outside the lab. She felt John’s eyes on her as she left the room.
In the kitchen, she was met with blackness and quiet. She appreciated these moments in the house. The other men worked just as hard as her at training and security, day in and day out, but in the middle of the night they went to their rooms and a blanket of silence and peace spread across the mansion, whether they were really asleep or not.
Melissa rummaged in the refrigerator for bread, peanut butter, and jelly. She popped the bread into the toaster and took the coffee grinds down. As the coffee maker spurted and dripped into the pot, she spread peanut butter and jelly across two toasted sandwiches.
She smiled as she breathed in the sweet scent of caffeine and peanut butter. She really had needed a break. Apparently Dawson knew what she needed even better than she did. And he didn't try to talk her out of staying up all night. Even though he didn't know she was working on what could have been the cure, he respected that she felt she couldn't rest yet.
Melissa was finally filling out in her cheeks a little more after just a week of meals with John. Whenever she brought him food, he’d insist that she eat with him. She had a little color back in her face and she was slightly more vibrant, a sparkle in her eyes that she’d notice every time she came in contact with a mirror—which wasn't too often.
Carrying the tray of food and the coffee pot, she headed back down the stairs. Dawson probably would have volunteered to get the food himself, but Reaper had instructed that he only stay on the lab level as they rebuilt trust in him.
“PB&J,” Dawson said with a smile as Melissa set the sandwiches on a different table than the one she’d been working on.
John followed her to the next table and pulled the plate toward him.
“It’s a dependable sandwich.” Melissa took a bite, flooded with nourishment.
“I used to make one for Faith everyday when she was in preschool.” Dawson’s eyes drooped at the mention of his daughter.
He peeled off a piece of the crust and popped it into his mouth, chewing silently.
“You seem like a good father.”
Dawson shook his head. “She’s probably better off without me.”
“Don't say that.” Melissa set the sandwich down and reached across the table, putting her hand over John’s. He looked up to meet her eyes. “You wanted to give her a better life. That’s the definition of a good dad.”
He half-smiled. “Thanks.”
Dawson gripped his head suddenly, his eyes crinkling in pain. Melissa stood up quickly. “What is it?”
“Migraine,” he whispered.
“Come on.” She gently took his arm. “You need to rest.”
John’s symptoms weren’t as severe lately but his deterioration was apparent. He probably thought he was getting better; he seemed stronger and didn't suffer many bad attacks, but his body was shutting down. It was a false state of remission.
Melissa led him back to the cot in his cell and sat down on the stool once he was settled in bed. She picked up Dawson’s book off the ground and opened it to the dog-eared page.
“Can I read to you?”
Dawson smiled and gazed at her. “I’d like that.”
He slowly drifted to sleep as Melissa read out loud to him. It reminded her of the months she’d spent reading to Quantum when he was still in a coma. She’d liked to think that it helped him rejuvenate and that he could hear her even though he was unconscious. She hoped her voice could have the same effect on John and help him to suffer less.
She closed the book and set it down next to John’s cot when his breathing grew slow and deep, his arms fully slackened.
“I’m going to make you better, John,” she whispered. She brushed her fingertips across his forehead. “Good night.”
Chapter 16
John’s crew left the deck of cards on the table in the lab for him. There wasn't much to do other than read, watch Melissa, and play cards. He was in the middle of a game of solitaire when Laura entered the room.
John’s face lit up. “How are you?” He shot out of his chair to give his sister a hug.
As he enveloped Laura in his embrace, he realized he hadn’t had any real human touch or connection in a very long time. Melissa may have cradled him when he was suffering, and he was immensely grateful for her soothing arms, but when he was awake and fully aware of his body, no one had comforted him in any way. He held onto Laura for several long seconds.
“It’s good to see you,” she said into his shoulder.
“How’s Faith?” John asked as they pulled back. He cared about his sister, of course, but she was the one tending to Faith day in and day out, acting as her mother figure.
“She’s great. Her speech is getting better all the time, and she’s getting much more used to the cochlear implant.” Laura paused. “She’s happy.”
A sad smile formed on John’s lips. He wanted happiness for his daughter, he just wished he could be a part of it. He had yet to see her since he’d been here. He understood why the team would take the most caution in allowing that visit to happen, but he hoped he’d been proving himself and that he could see his little girl soon.
“She misses you though.” Laura held John’s eye contact.
“She probably doesn't remember me.”
“Not true.” Laura inhaled deeply. “A couple months ago when you were staying with us at my house, before I met King, she was very broken up when you disappeared.”
John hung his head in shame. He had hardly been himself during that encounter, still warped by Rainier’s experiments and drugs. Right after that he’d gone back to Rainier’s lab to see what he’d been working on, and when met with the truth, he never returned to them again. He swallowed hard.
“I feel terrible. That wasn't me though. Not really.” He looked down at the table.
“I know.” Laura put a hand over John’s, drawing his eyes to hers again. “I was just letting you know that Faith does in fact miss you. She had thought you died when you blew up the house. And then we were immediately brought here. It was very confusing for her.”
<
br /> John sucked in a sharp breath. “I can’t believe I put her through that. I can’t believe I put you through that either. I’m so sorry, Laura.”
She waved him off. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through. One day, Faith will understand, too. She’s very forgiving right now at this age. You’ll work it out with her, I know you will.” She met him with a smile.
“That means the world.”
Laura nodded, still smiling.
“How’s King?” John had no animosity in his voice when he referred to anyone on his team, not even King. He was the only one John had yet to rebuild a relationship with other than Faith. He didn't know how they ever would, but when King was ready, Dawson would be ready, too.
“He’s good.” Laura gave nothing more than that and John didn't intend to pry. She clearly didn't want to be in the middle. He had already put her in the middle enough when it came to Faith.
“When do you think I can see her?” Dawson asked, switching the topic back to his daughter.
“I’ve already been talking to Reaper. Everyone trusts you and wants you back on their side. They’re coming around all the time.”
Dawson nodded. “I’m glad I’m here.”
“So are the rest of us.”
Chapter 17
“I have good news.” Melissa had been out of the lab for a little while, which was rare for her, but now she sat down at the table outside Dawson’s cell with him. It had been nearly four days of Dawson reconnecting with his team and Melissa barely looking up from her computer or lab equipment.
Dawson lifted his head from the book he’d been reading. He’d never read much before, but he had ample time on his hands, especially since Melissa was so busy on whatever project she had going on. He set it down and smiled at her.
“Faith is waiting for you in the training facility,” Melissa said, smiling back. “You have a little while with her and Laura.”
John’s smile grew wider. “Really?”
Laura had held up her promise to make a visit happen. Reaper’s trust in Dawson was the most promising thing he’d felt in a while.
Melissa nodded, still grinning. “The men agreed it would be good for you to see her and her see you. Even King knows Faith needs her father.”
“Thank you, Melissa.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a chance. And for giving me hope again.”
Melissa blushed. He reached across the table and took her hand. She let him lace his fingers through hers. Still holding onto her, he stood up and walked around the side of the table, standing directly in front of her.
Her breathing was shallower as John leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He wanted to do a lot more than that, but feeling his lips on any part of her was electric.
Melissa cleared her throat as he pulled back. She stood up, straightened her coat, and gestured for John to follow her down the hall, through the lab, and back to the training facility. Dawson hadn’t seen any rooms above this level of the mansion yet. He’d been in the training facility a couple times since given more freedom to roam about, but he still found the tall ceilings and wide hallways impressive. Nothing could compare to seeing Faith though. After everything, he was finally going to get his little girl again.
“I’ll come back in a half hour,” Melissa said.
Dawson nodded and peered down at her, his hand on her shoulder. Her muscles jerked beneath his strong grip. And electricity ran through his arm. “Your trust means everything,” he whispered, before she left him to enter the training room alone.
“Hi, honey.” John cautiously approached Faith in the training room. She had her own corner of the room set up with gymnastics equipment. Mats for tumbling, ropes for climbing hung from the ceiling, a small set of bars with a bucket of chalk, and a springboard in front of a low balance beam.
There must’ve been plenty of money lying around that a seven-year-old could have her own gymnastics facility in this place. She sat on the mat, hugging her ragged stuffed cat, Princess Kitty, to her chest. Laura sat beside her, an encouraging hand on her knee.
“Wow, you’ve gotten big since the last time I saw you,” John said.
Faith inched closer to Laura, squeezing her cat as tight as possible. Dawson’s chest ached. His own daughter was afraid of him, or at least saw him as a total stranger. Unfortunately, he knew what that was like. There had been a brief time when he was under General Rainier’s control where he had completely forgotten his whole family. Had forgotten his daughter. How would he ever mend all the damage he had done to her, to Laura, to his team, and especially his own brain? Would he ever be able to be who he was before Project Mayhem?
“It’s okay, Faith,” Laura said. Faith was now practically in her lap. “Your dad just wants to spend time with you.” She stroked Faith’s hair.
“She’s afraid of me,” Dawson said to his sister.
It was almost more than he could have hoped for to be able to spend time with Faith again, the way they used to before he went into the service. He had learned better than anyone these past few weeks that things could never simply go back to the way they were. Laura had always been on his side, but he’d even made her question his abilities as a father after the last encounter he’d had with her.
He had abandoned Faith in the exact same way he thought his team had abandoned him.
“No, Faith isn’t afraid of her daddy. Right, Faith?” Laura looked down at her, the two of them still sitting cross-legged on the mat.
Dawson stood several feet away in the middle of the training room, only taking tentative steps in their direction. His combat boots echoed on the floor of the facility with each movement. He scrubbed a hand down the back of his head and scratched his neck.
“Want to see a fun trick, Faith?” Maybe he could win her over a different way. If he couldn't scoop her up and get her to talk to him, he could try other tactics.
He walked over to the balance beam and removed his boots one at a time. He hitched his black pants up a little bit higher. He had lost some weight over the past few weeks. His body was still chiseled and thick, but the bulk around him was less severe now.
John stepped onto the low beam, keeping his eyes on Faith to make sure she was watching. Her bright blue eyes—the same eyes he had—were glued to him as she sat up straighter and released a little bit of her death grip on Princess Kitty.
“Okay, ready?” He made sure to remember to look right at Faith when he was speaking. Even though she had her cochlear implant now and was doing well with her speech therapy, he still wanted to make sure she had the chance to read his lips. He would do whatever he needed to in order to re-connect with his daughter.
Faith nodded, inching closer to the beam.
Dawson set up, bending his knees, and raised his hands above his head. Then, in one swift motion he sprung backward for a perfect back handspring. He landed one foot at a time on the beam, wobbling, fighting to keep his balance with his arms held out straight from his sides. He regained his composure and looked up to smile at Faith.
She stood now, running forward and squealing. “Cool, Daddy! Teach me!”
His chest tightened. Maybe some of his combat abilities did come in handy for connecting with his daughter. Not that they taught them elite gymnastics or anything in boot camp. And doing a backflip wasn't exactly necessary for the Special Forces, but Dawson’s tip top shape all these years helped him pick up some cool tricks. Most of which involved Glocks and rifles, but apparently balance beams could be added to his specialties.
Faith sauntered over to the beam, leaving Princess Kitty behind on the mat with a smiling Laura.
John held Faith’s hand as she gained her balance on the plank. He instructed her on the proper form as Laura looked on. Then, he picked Faith up fully and created the back handspring himself with her paper light body. She giggled and squealed as he flipped her through the air.
“Aunt Laura, did you see?”
“Great job, Faith! Your dad
is a very good coach.”
Faith smiled. “Again, Daddy!”
Dawson spent the next twenty minutes helping Faith through the motions on the balance beam, the vault, the bars, the rings, and the tumbling mats. He grew tired. The serum wasn't having the effects on him that it did on the other men. Rather than making him stronger and faster like it used to, he was constantly fatigued.
He had thought he was getting better with the extra doses, but Melissa had been honest saying it was too much for him to sustain. He hoped that whatever new serum she seemed so focused on would help get him back to normal soon. Well, the normal he was before General Rainier used him for his own greed.
He also hoped he was showing his team he had changed since then, and that he could do the same with Faith. He wanted to be her father, not just a gymnastics coach.
Melissa cleared her throat from the doorway as Dawson held Faith up on the rings.
“Sorry, time is up for today.” She smoothed her hands over her lab coat. “You can see your dad again soon. Okay, Faith?”
John lowered Faith down from the rings and said, “I had fun, honey. Maybe next time you can teach me some moves.”
“Okay, Dad,” she said. “Bye!”
She grabbed Laura’s hand and Princess Kitty. Laura gave an encouraging nod to John. “It’ll just take some time,” she said. “I’ll come see you later.”
He tried not to frown. Faith didn't hug him or protest his leaving. She’d go on to the rest of her day and not think of him again, when she was all he thought about. Her and Melissa.
He turned back to Melissa and let her escort him back through the training facility, past all the weights, the treadmills, the sand bags, tires, and sleds.
They made their way down the maze of hallways illuminated in a soft blue glow, back to Dawson’s plated glass cell in the lab.
He sighed, staring at his book on the table where he’d left it. “Back to this.”
“I’ll be over here if you need anything.”
“Melissa?”
Mayhem's Betrayal: Operation Mayhem Book 5 Page 8