Waiting in the Shadows

by Trish Moran

  He spent the next half hour taking pictures first of Beth and the baby, then the baby on his own, and finally of Frank, Beth, and their baby.

  ‘ Well, that’s it then!’ he beamed. ‘I’ll send them to the office straight away! Everyone will find it hard to believe that I scooped the first interview with Beth and her new baby! And photos, too!’

  He quickly loaded the photos on to his laptop. Beth and Frank stared at the images on the screen.

  ‘He’s so beautiful!’ Frank breathed.

  Beth nodded silently in agreement.

  ‘The doctor and midwife seemed to think so! A real bonny baby, they called him.’ Linda smiled.

  ‘Well, if you’re not too tired, Beth, we could get started on the interview. It’ll be published in the next Sunday Times magazine,’ Isaac said, pulling out a notebook. ‘We’ll show those doubting Non-Labs!’

  Ruby echoed his sentiments as she opened the magazine the following Sunday at the Centre.

  ‘How could anyone not fall in love with such a beautiful baby?’ she exclaimed. ‘Have you seen this, Abel?’

  He reached over and took the magazine from her hands.

  ‘And there are no medical issues at all?’

  ‘Absolutely none. Beth had a normal birth and both she and the baby are doing fine!’ Ruby answered. ‘That will be a relief for many Labs and Non-Labs, I am sure.’

  Abel watched her as she gazed down at the picture of the baby with a soft smile on her face.

  Dette walked in holding the magazine.

  ‘Ah, I see you’ve got your copy already! Isn’t he a gorgeous baby? And I must admit Isaac has surpassed himself with this piece of writing. A whole Sunday magazine article! Listen to this:

  ‘ “Following a normal pregnancy with no complications, Beth, the new mother Lab, gave birth to a baby boy one month premature. Both mother and baby are doing fine. And proud dad, Frank, too!” ’

  ‘What does the caption say?’ Abel asked.

  ‘ “Baby Frankie sleeps peacefully, unaware that his birth has caused such a stir. The first Hybrid child to be born to a human father and a Lab mother. Could he be the first of many?” ’

  ‘I wonder what it must be like to have a tiny, moving little person in your arms,’ She looked at Celia and Ruby. ‘Does it make you think of having a baby, too?’

  Ruby smiled, but both looked up at Celia’s abrupt, ‘No!’

  She coughed, ‘I mean, it would be very … worrying to have such a tiny creature dependent on you … all the dangers there are in the world!’

  ‘But lots of babies are born every day!’ Ruby said. ‘Of course their parents have to think about the dangers, but most of them do bring up happy, healthy children. Or other people in their families do.’

  Celia looked unconvinced, ‘Some dangers you cannot protect them from.’

  Dette put her arm around her, ‘Sometimes you just have to take risks, Celia.’

  Ruby looked back at the article, ‘Beth and Frank seem so happy with their new baby! I think this news will be a help to all Labs.’

  She read out the comments written next to a photo of Beth and Frank:

  ‘ “When asked about their future plans, Beth and Frank said that they are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the parliamentary debate on the rights of the Labs.

  ‘We both want to know that our child has a secure place in our society, Like all parents, we want him to have the chance of a good education and a happy future,’ Frank added. ‘We’re both willing to work hard to give him everything he needs and deserves!” ’

  ‘Mr O’Brien, Amnesty International, and the US President are all pressing the Prime Minister to give us an early reply to our requests. We will have full press coverage at next week’s meeting,’ Abel said. ‘Perhaps you are right, Ruby; perhaps the birth of this baby will bring home the urgency of our requests!’

  Celia stared down at the photo of the baby in the arms of Beth. She put the paper down and silently left the room.

  She felt disturbed and confused. Everyone seemed to be celebrating the birth of this tiny helpless being. Didn’t they realise how vulnerable he was? No one seemed to recognise how powerless they were to protect him! Were the risks worth it? What would Vince say on this subject?

  After a few weeks of emailing each other, Celia was pleased when Vince suggested speaking on the phone. He often made her laugh with his wry comments. Despite his disabilities, she found him to have a very positive outlook on life. The knowledge that she had hacked into his computer and already knew of some of the things he told her about often made her feel guilty.

  One evening she confided her feelings to Ruby.

  ‘I really want to tell him, but if I do, he may not want to speak to me again!’ she said.

  Ruby frowned, ‘I think it is better that you do own up now, rather than later. If you let something slip, or he found out for himself, it could be worse, Celia.’

  ‘What if he reacts badly?’ Celia asked.

  ‘Well, if you explain to him why you hacked into his computer …’

  ‘And I haven’t done anything like that since we’ve been in touch …’ Celia added.

  ‘Tell him as soon as possible,’ Ruby advised.

  Celia answered the phone nervously when Vince phoned that evening.

  ‘I wonder how much you are like Marissa,’ Vince said at one point. ‘I’ll send you some photos of her; you can see her for yourself.’

  ‘Vince, there is something I must tell you!’ Celia stuttered. ‘I … I … have seen photos of Marissa …’

  ‘But how?’ he sounded puzzled.

  Celia explained to him how she had believed he would not get in touch with the Centre if he did not know of her existence. She told him how she had found out his email address and said she had used it to get details from his personal computer.

  ‘And I so wanted to know about you and your family! I felt I had to make every attempt to find out who had caused me to be created …’ she finished.

  There was silence at the other end of the line.

  ‘You mean you hacked into my private files on my computer?’ he said softly. ‘Did you read my emails too, Celia?’

  ‘The ones to Vanessa, yes,’ she was almost whispering now. ‘Oh, Vince, I’m so sorry! I haven’t gone near your computer since we’ve been in touch, I promise you!’

  There was another long silence.

  Vince had one sentence going through his head. I felt I had to make every attempt to find out who had caused me to be created.

  He had been involved in her creation. He was responsible for her very existence. He couldn’t turn his back on her now.

  ‘Vince? Are you there?’ she ventured.

  ‘Yes, Celia, I am,’ he gave a sigh. ‘But this is the point where we decide to promise honesty on all our future dealings?’

  ‘I promise, Vince! I have no need to go behind your back; I can just ask you now!’ Celia answered simply.

  ‘I hope you will. And I’ve a few things I’d like to ask you, too!’ he said solemnly.

  ‘Yes?’ Celia nodded. ‘Whatever you ask, I’ll be honest!’

  ‘How the heck did you do it?’ he laughed.

  ‘Well, after hacking into the Russian Government offices, it was quite easy really. Their defence systems are extremely challenging!’ Celia told him.

  ‘Hey, wait a minute! Government offices?’ Vince gave a low whistle. ‘There’s a lot I don’t know about you yet, Celia!’

  Celia was humming softly to herself as she and Ruby made their way to the twins’ house the following week.

  ‘You’re a different person since you have been in touch with Vince,’ Ruby commented.

  Celia smiled, ‘I feel more a real person – not just a Lab created in a test tube, but a person with a background!’

  ‘That’s how everyone should feel!’ Ruby said. ‘When other people think we are worth something, we are, Lab or Non-Lab!’

  ‘Hi there!’ Johnny said, opening the door.r />
  ‘No Abel?’ Leon added.

  ‘He’s still at a meeting,’ Celia explained.

  ‘Mmm, I thought he would have been in touch by now,’ Ruby continued. ‘He usually lets us know how these meetings go, even if it’s just to complain about the people he has to deal with!’

  ‘These meetings seem to be getting longer,’ Celia commented. ‘I don’t know if that is a good sign or a bad sign!’

  ‘I hope it is not too much longer before we are accepted as equals,’ Leon said.

  ‘Yes,’ his twin agreed. ‘Scouts from Liverpool and Manchester have shown an interest in us as players!’

  ‘That’s great news!’ Ruby cried.

  ‘But what would their attitude towards us be if they knew we are Labs?’ Leon asked.

  ‘We are thinking it is time we revealed our true identities,’ his brother said.

  ‘But we would be happier doing this if we had a firm standing in society!’ Leon added.

  Celia’s phone rang.

  ‘Maybe this is good news!’ she said. Suddenly her face grew serious. ‘What? Oh, no! Where is he now?’ she pulled out a pen and paper and began to write with a shaking hand.

  ‘… Central Emergency Unit, off Regent Street …OK, I’ve got it. We’re on our way!’ she put down her phone and looked at the three faces looking anxiously at her.

  ‘It’s Abel. He’s been shot! On the way to the Downing Street this evening! We must go there straight away!’

  ‘Is … is it serious?’ Ruby asked her as they climbed into the car and pulled out of the driveway.

  She nodded, ‘They are operating now.’ She pulled a SatNav out of the glove compartment and gave it to Ruby. ‘Find the hospital, I wrote it down on this bit of paper.’

  The rest of the journey was made in silence, apart from the SatNav voice giving directions.

  Johnny spoke for the first time when they were left in a waiting room in the hospital.

  ‘He’s got to be OK!’

  Leon nodded in agreement.

  A doctor entered and motioned them all to sit down.

  ‘Is he badly hurt?’ Ruby blurted out.

  He nodded, ‘Yes. He was hit at close range in his chest. Luckily the bullet missed his vital organs, but he has lost a lot of blood. They are operating now. We will let you know the full extent of his injuries as soon as we can.’

  ‘Who did this?’

  ‘Why?’ The twins asked at the same time.

  ‘Probably someone politically motivated, I imagine,’ the doctor said, ‘but, hopefully, the police will catch whoever did it.’

  Ruby looked down at her hands silently willing Abel to pull through. Glancing at Celia, she could see the same tension in her face. Johnny paced up and down the small room, while Leon drummed nervously on the table top.

  They all looked up as the door opened.

  ‘Keith! Dette!’ Celia jumped up and hugged them.

  ‘We got your message and came straight away!’ Dette said. ‘How is he?’

  ‘We must wait and see,’ Ruby told them.

  ‘How much longer do we have to stay in this place?’ Leon whispered nervously. ‘I don’t like the smell!’

  ‘Of course!’ Ruby patted his arm. ‘It must be very difficult for you all to find yourselves in a hospital!’

  Keith gave a weak smile. ‘It is reminiscent of the Centre.’

  ‘We must think of Abel!’ Celia reminded them firmly.

  Two hours passed before the doctor reappeared. He gave a reassuring smile, ‘He’s going to pull through.’

  Celia sat down heavily on a seat giving a deep sigh of relief, ‘Oh, thank goodness!’

  ‘Can we see him?’ Johnny and Leon asked together.

  ‘Well, he’s sleeping at the moment. Perhaps in a few hours’ time he could see you,’ the doctor told them.

  A nurse came in and called the doctor to one side. He looked surprised, shrugged, and turned back to Johnny.

  ‘Well, it seems he’s already coming around and is anxious to see you,’ he said. ‘Perhaps just one or two of you could go in for a moment.’

  Celia and Ruby followed the nurse to Abel’s bedside.

  Abel gave a weak smile as they entered.

  His face was pale, apart from a long purple bruise where he had hit his head as he fell. His chest was bound with a thick white bandage.

  Ruby felt tears spring to her eyes as she drew close to his bedside. She held his hand and felt a slight pressure in response.

  ‘Time to go!’ the nurse said in a determined voice. ‘You can visit him again tomorrow. Time to rest now, Abel!’

  ‘Let them stay with me!’ Abel muttered, gripping Ruby’s hand tighter.

  Ruby looked at Celia’s face. She seemed even more uncomfortable in the small room.

  ‘How about I stay here tonight?’ she suggested. ‘And you and the others get off home.’

  She was rewarded with a grateful look.

  ‘If you are sure …?’ Celia ventured.

  ‘Yes. You and the others go now. I’ll phone you first thing in the morning.’

  Ruby spent the night by Abel’s bedside. At one point she nodded off, letting his hand slip from hers. He became agitated until he realised she was still beside him.

  Early the next morning the nurses began their work on the wards. A young nurse came into the room and began to check Abel’s charts.

  ‘You’ve a better colour on you this morning, Abel,’ she chatted cheerfully, as Abel stirred. ‘You gave your friends a bit of a shock last night. They’ll be glad to see you’re doing so well!’

  She picked up a phial from her medicine trolley and prepared a syringe. Ruby felt Abel’s grip on her hand tighten as the nurse approached the bed.

  ‘No!’ he shouted, knocking the equipment from her hand and pulling himself upright. ‘You are not administering any medication to me!’

  The nurse stopped, looking flustered. ‘It’s nothing harmful; only antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.’

  Abel began to struggle out of the bed.

  ‘I wish to leave the hospital now,’ he said.

  Ruby stood up and put her hand on his shoulders.

  ‘Abel, the nurse is only trying to help you. You have been badly injured. You must take it easy!’

  Abel shook his head, ‘Where are my clothes?’

  ‘I’ll have to call Sister!’ the nurse said, running from the room.

  ‘Abel …’ Ruby began.

  ‘I cannot stay here, Ruby! I must leave immediately!’ he continued.

  A short, plump woman entered followed by the young nurse.

  ‘What’s all this about, young man?’ she said in a no nonsense voice. ‘We can’t have you making all this fuss! You’re in no condition to leave today, and won’t be for another week I should imagine. Now let’s get you back into …’

  ‘I am leaving now!’ Abel said in a steady tone. Ruby could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

  ‘You certainly won’t be leaving without the doctor’s say-so; so why don’t you …’ the sister continued.

  Abel turned to Ruby as if the sister hadn’t spoken, ‘My clothes; where are they?’

  The ward sister bristled, ‘I don’t think you quite heard me! Now let’s have a more reasonable attitude, shall we? Nurse, help Mr … Abel back into bed and we’ll see what the doctor has to say when he makes his rounds later this morning, shall we?’

  ‘I do not wish to stay here any longer!’ Abel’s voice was rising.

  Ruby spoke up, ‘Sister, you must understand, the experiences Abel and other Labs have of medical centres run by Non-Labs – humans – has made it difficult for him to be here. It would probably be better if he continued to convalesce at home …’

  ‘Don’t you try to tell me what his treatment should be, young lady!’ Sister answered sharply. ‘And I’m quite used to handling uncooperative patients, thank you!’

  ‘He’s not being unreasonable!’ Ruby protested laying a hand protectively on Abel
’s arm. ‘If you could just try to understand …’

  ‘You are right,’ a voice broke in. They looked round to see the doctor in the doorway. ‘We have not handled this situation sensitively. We should have been aware of Abel’s possible reaction to finding himself in a hospital. I’ll take it from here, Sister.’

  The ward sister gave Abel a sharp look as she bustled out.

  The doctor looked at Abel who was seated on the side of the bed, a sheet wound around his body.

  ‘Nurse, see if you can find something for Abel to wear,’ The doctor sat in a chair on the far side of the bed from Abel. ‘You are free to leave whenever you want to. But I must point out that you have received a serious injury that will need attention. I would like to take a look at it before you do leave.’

  Ruby patted Abel’s arm as he began to shake his head, ‘It would make sense, Abel. I will be here.’

  ‘No tests, no medication!’ Abel muttered. He lay back on the bed and watched as the doctor gently removed the bandages. He gave a short whistle. Ruby looked at him in alarm.

  ‘No, I am amazed! Usually, for a normal human anyway, it would take weeks for the wound to heal as much as yours has done overnight, Abel!’

  He continued to inspect the wound, asking occasional questions about injuries any of the Labs had suffered, receiving brief responses from Abel. He finally applied a lighter dressing and handed Ruby a package of extra bandages, giving them some instructions on Abel’s care at home.

  ‘You are well on the mend, thanks to your own constitution,’ he said. ‘I would love to know more about your healing abilities.’

  ‘My people don’t want any more testing or experimentation!’ Abel answered shortly.

  The doctor spread his hands, ‘I quite understand, Abel. But I wish you no harm,’ He pulled a card from his pocket. ‘Here’s my number if you ever need me, for any reason.’

  He turned as the nurse arrived with a bundle of clothes. He gave Ruby a wink, ‘You certainly put Sister’s nose out of joint! I hope her mood improves, for the nurses’ sake!’

  Abel sat with his eyes closed in the back of the car. Celia glanced at him in the rear-view mirror, ‘Are you sure you’re OK, Abel?’