by Andrea Ring
“Why don’t you wait outside? You can keep everyone out. I only need fifteen minutes.”
She frowns. “What if you try to hurt him? I still don’t know you.”
“The doctors said he’s already gone,” I remind her. “What damage can I do?”
“I must be out of my mind,” she says. “But I’m leaving.” And she walks out.
I waste no time.
I hook in, find the problems, and fix them. Takes about three minutes.
Chris can’t speak because he’s intubated, but when he gains consciousness, I think to him.
Remember me?
He nods shakily. Thomas. Boy wonder.
I smile. I got you going again. You’re breathing and thinking. I healed a couple of your worst wounds, just a bit, to speed things along.
Thank you.
You also lost a foot. But I can grow a new one for you at Planarian, just like I did with the finger. So when you get out of here, come pay me a visit. I have to go, ‘cause the doctors here don’t know me and your wife had to sneak me in.
How is she?
She’s upset, I think, but she’s fighting for you. Your lawyers need to go. They’re trying to work out how to cut her out of everything.
Chris closes his eyes. I need to get out of here.
You can be transferred to Planarian if you want. Have Nicole contact Kenneth. He can make it happen, then I can heal you a lot quicker. But I can’t do much more here.
Isn’t Planarian blown up? he thinks. I’m impressed with his memory.
Only a vacant office space and some storage. I’ll find out the exact damage and I’ll be in touch. We can take you at the Attic, too, if Planarian’s not ready.
A knock sounds at the door.
Okay, I’m out, I think. Have Nicole call. Hang in there.
Thank you, Thomas. Thank you.
I nod and back out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tessa and the kids are busy in the kitchen when I come home.
“Look what we made, Daddy!” Em says, holding up a pink-frosted cupcake. Smears of crusty pink decorate her mouth, chin, and cheeks.
“Yum,” I say, giving her sweet cheek a kiss. “Baking lesson?”
Tessa smiles but won’t meet my eye. “It was a good idea, even if it came from Jack.”
“Diesel and Sam and Fifteen want her to apologize,” Em says. “I think she will.”
“How do they know what happened?” Tessa asks. “You guys were playing in the backyard.”
Em and Free exchange a glance.
“We can hear anything going on inside,” Free says, licking a bit of blue frosting from his wrist. “Plus, you know we talk to each other all the time.”
“Tyrion said we use hive think,” Em explains. “Like the bees in a hive. They all know what the others are thinking and can communicate, even without words.”
“This is interesting,” I say, pulling up a stool. “So you know what all your brothers are thinking, right this minute?”
Both the kids nod.
“This is what we were talking about,” Tessa says. “Don’t you want a little privacy?”
“Em does,” Free says. “She refuses to answer us sometimes. But I like to hear my brothers. It’s comforting.”
“What if you had a thought you didn’t want them to hear?” Tessa asks.
Free just shakes his head. “Why would I want to keep anything secret? Secrets breed distrust, according to Tyrion.”
“That’s rich, coming from him,” Tessa says.
Free narrows his eyes. “Tyrion has kept secrets?”
“Everyone has secrets,” I say, “and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are bad secrets and good secrets. Say you were planning a surprise party for one of your brothers. That would be a good secret, right?”
“Only if that brother liked surprises,” Free says. “Em doesn’t like them. So that would be a bad secret for her.”
“Let’s say someone were bullying you. That would be a bad secret. You’d need to tell an adult so that they could help you stop the bully.”
“That would be a good secret,” Free says. “I would not want anyone to know I was bullied, which would be impossible, because I would stop it myself. But if it did happen, I would be ashamed that I let someone walk on me like that. I get it now. Yes, there are some good secrets.”
“Being bullied isn’t shameful,” Tessa says. “Where in the world did you get that idea?”
“I thought of it myself. I am too strong for a bully. No one is stronger than me.”
“I’m physically stronger than you since I’m bigger,” I say. “And if I wanted to bully you, I could. Yes, you are strong, but there is always someone stronger. Some people like to exercise their strength and power over others. And the people who do that, the bullies, they are the ones who should be ashamed.”
“True,” he says. “But I believe the shame goes both ways. Bullies like to bully the weak. Isn’t that so?”
“Free, I admire your confidence, and it’s important to want to be strong and stand up for yourself. But arrogance, the belief that you’re the strongest and the best, can make you weak. It can blind you to your faults. We all have faults. No one is perfect.”
“You and Mom are.”
I blink. “I appreciate that, but it’s just not true. I have a lot of flaws, and Mom can tell you all about them.”
Tessa smiles. “But I’m not going to. I want to focus on why you think being bullied is shameful. It’s absolutely not. Think of it this way. What about when you were in the lab at the Morula Center? You knew you didn’t want to be there, right?”
“Not really,” Free says. “I had picked up some things from Tyrion’s and the others’ brains, like what the outside world was like, and I was curious, but I didn’t hate my situation. I didn’t know any better.”
“But let’s say you did know,” Tessa insists. “Let’s say you wanted out. You couldn’t get out, Free. You were too young. And there’s nothing shameful about that. The Morula Center did a bad thing, and they were the ones who were wrong. You were just an innocent victim.”
“I am not ashamed that I was born in the lab, or that I was held there,” Free says. “I see your point. But if I was still there, and I had realized that my situation was not just, and I was at the point where I could object and I could fight or I could simply walk out, and I did none of those things, well, shame on me.”
Tessa sighs.
I ruffle Free’s hair. “Hard to disagree with that. I like it. You have a fighting spirit. You’re definitely a Van Zandt.”
***
We tuck Free in, and then we get Em settled. Tessa kisses her head and moves to the door. I give Em a final kiss and move to step away and say good night, but she stops me with a hand on my arm.
“I did it,” she says. “You can get back to your research. Mr. Calyx doesn’t need to come see you.”
“What are you talking about?”
She bats her eyelashes. “I grew him a new foot so you wouldn’t have to. I don’t want you to leave us again, Daddy.”
Hundreds of questions pop into my head, but I force myself to focus.
“Thank you, Em. That was thoughtful of you. Let’s get some rest, and we’ll discuss it in the morning.”
She lies back down and I tuck the blanket under her chin.
She closes her eyes, a smile on her lips.
***
“Oh, God,” I say, closing our bedroom door softly and leaning back against it. “We’ve got a problem.”
Tessa is already under the covers, a book in her hands. She lays the book face down. “What now?”
“Em grew Calyx a new foot.”
Tessa blinks. “So…the hospital is going to know something funny’s going on.”
“Yep.”
She sighs. “Let’s face it. You haven’t been keeping your abilities a secret lately. Calyx and the lawyers know, his wife knows…what about the nurses at Planarian that were taking
care of you? Do they know?”
“Yes, but they’ve all signed confidentiality agreements.”
Tessa rolls her eyes. “Like that’s ever stopped anyone from talking.”
“It’s worked so far,” I say. I cross to my dresser and pull out a pair of pajama pants. “Dad thought I’d be hounded, both by the press and by medical corporations wanting my abilities, but I’ve been left pretty much alone. Cyrus Brooks was able to find out about me, so obviously there’s a way, but even Christopher Calyx didn’t know what I was capable of before our meeting. Why is that?”
“Maybe Calyx just dropped the ball.”
I change my pants, shed my shirt, and crawl under the covers. “Calyx doesn’t drop the ball. And he wouldn’t be the one doing the research anyway—he’d hire someone to do it. Someone didn’t do their job.”
“Or someone found the information and hid it from Calyx,” she says.
“To what purpose?” I ask. “If they’re on Calyx’s payroll, that’s where their loyalty should be.”
“You’re assuming Calyx is the highest bidder,” Tessa says. “Corporate espionage happens all the time. Why get paid by one firm when you can get paid by two? At least, that’s what happens on TV.”
I sigh and lean back on my pillow. “It’s interesting to think about, and I’ll mention it to Calyx, but I have a feeling I’ve just been outed. Big time.”
Tessa throws her book on the floor and snuggles up to me. “We’ll deal with it.”
I wrap my arms around her. “I hope so.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
We’ve barely shut our eyes when my phone rings.
“This is Thomas.”
“Thomas, it’s Chris,” he says. “I’m calling from my wife’s phone.”
I struggle to sit up. “Hey, Chris. I was just thinking about you. How’s the new foot?”
He barks a laugh. “I appreciate your effort, but I think your timing was off.”
“I know,” I say. “I got carried away. What are the doctors saying?”
“The half that saw my stubby leg think I must have starfish DNA, and the other half think everyone’s nuts and that I never actually lost the foot. I’ve been telling everyone that I don’t remember if I lost it or not. Not sure what else to do.”
“How close are you to getting out of there?” I ask.
“I was closer when I had one less appendage,” he says. “Now they want to run a bunch of tests.”
I rub my eyes. “I can get you transferred out of there if Nicole signs the papers. You shouldn’t be put through any more tests.”
“Wouldn’t it raise red flags if I’m transferred to the Planarian Institute? Planarians regenerate themselves, right?”
“Right. Shit, this is more complicated than I thought. How about hiring a private doctor and just going home?”
“I could do that,” he says, “but I’ve been thinking about it. If you’re ready, you could just go public. I mean, you never intended to keep your abilities a secret forever, did you?”
I glance at Tessa. ”Look, I need to think about this. I know I opened the can of worms, but I need to think about my family. Rumors are one thing, but to actually come out…I need to talk to some people. There are other Dwellers I have to think about.”
“I get it,” Chris says. “How about this? I transfer to Planarian, and I tell the press that since I don’t know if I grew a new foot or not, I’m going to you guys to figure it out.”
“That could work,” I say. “I still don’t know Planarian’s status, though. The landlord is having a structural engineer take a look at the building tomorrow. I won’t know anything until we get the report. Can you go home in the mean time?”
“Yeah. I’ll have Nicole take care of it.”
“And don’t let them do anymore tests,” I say. “From a medical standpoint, you don’t need them. Do you have a doctor you trust?”
“Not really,” he says. “My regular doctor just came down from LA, and he’s suspicious. Seems to think I bought myself a bionic foot.”
I smile. “I have a doctor from Planarian who also works out of St. Jo’s. Kate Mullen, Kenneth’s wife. She’s a neurosurgeon, too, so it makes sense. Should I have her sort things out tomorrow?”
“If you can’t get her here tonight,” he says. “The press are already lined up outside.”
Jesus.
“Okay, let me give her a call.”
***
I know Kate and Kenneth went to the hospital last night. I don’t know if they accomplished anything.
At 6:30, as I’m changing Free’s diaper and getting him into fresh clothes, my phone rings.
“Yeah.”
“We’ve got him at our house,” Kate says, her voice weary. “The press are all over the street.”
“Have they said anything to you?” I ask.
“Just shouted questions as we entered the house. They’re not asking about you as a medical person, as far as I know. They’ve heard about the foot, and they want info on the other guy in the explosion.”
“Did you tell them anything?”
“Not a thing. We kept our heads down and tried not to make eye contact. Thomas, why the hell didn’t you wait? You didn’t need to heal him at the hospital.”
I pause. “You’re on your cell, and I’m on my cell. Do you think anyone could be listening?”
“I have no idea.”
“Then let’s discuss this in person. I’ll be over as soon as I can, and you and Kenneth can get some sleep.”
“Mateo’s gonna be here any minute to relieve us,” Kate says. “But I’d like you to look at him anyway.”
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
Free hangs on my neck. “Are you going to tell Kate that Em is the one who healed that man?”
“Don’t know yet,” I say, carrying him out to the kitchen. I sit him in a high chair. “I need to talk to Mom about it.”
“This is a good secret, right? Because people would want to use Em and her abilities.”
“Exactly. Can you do what Em does?”
Free shrugs. “I’ve never tried. Want me to?”
“Can you keep this a secret from your brothers?”
He cocks his head. “They’re all asleep right now. Jack and Tyrion don’t let them get up until eight. But when they awaken, they will be able to read my mind.”
“Let me ask in a different way, then. Can you keep this a secret from your brothers?”
Free smiles. “If you give me a good reason.”
“We need to protect Em,” I say. “I know your brothers wouldn’t harm her on purpose, but if they let something slip accidentally, she could be in danger. The fewer people that know about this the better.”
Free presses his lips together. “I guess I could just try really hard not to think about Em. But they might figure that out and ask me about it.”
“Can you tell them that Em has asked for some privacy, since she had that seizure? That wouldn’t even be a lie.”
“I will say it if Em asks me that herself. Then it really won’t be a lie.”
I smile. “Fine. Okay. Have a go.”
“What should I do?” he asks.
I grab a knife out of the block on the counter and make a tiny cut on my finger. “Heal this.”
Free’s forehead wrinkles in concentration. He focuses hard on my finger. It feels a bit warm, but I don’t know if that’s the wound or something he’s actually doing.
Suddenly I feel a sting, then a deeper burn. I watch as the skin on the pad of my finger rips itself apart like a zipper unzipping.
“Stop!” I yell.
Blood fountains in the air, and Free cries out. I thrust my hand in the sink and turn the faucet onto the wound.
“Dad!” Free yells. “Are you okay?” His voice is loud and shaky.
“I’m fine,” I say. “It’s just a cut. I’ve already got it healed.”
He starts to cry. “What happened? Why did I do that?”
I clean off my finger and dry my hands. Tessa comes running.
“What’s going on?”
“Just an experiment that got out of hand,” I say. I pick Free up and snuggle him. “No harm done. It’s okay.”
“I hurt you,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know,” I say, patting his back. “I know. It’s okay. You’re just learning what you can do. It’s okay.”
“What happened?” Tessa repeats.
“We tried to see if Free can heal like Em can. It didn’t quite work the way we wanted it to.”
“How did it work?” she asks.
“He made the wound bigger,” I say. “But it’s okay.”
“It’s not,” Tessa says, and we both turn wide eyes on her. “Free, it’s not okay. I mean, it’s okay to make a mistake. We all make mistakes. But your powers are too strong to use right now when you don’t have control over them. Besides your mindreading, I don’t want you to do anything, anything, unless it’s done in the lab with at least two other adults present. Do you understand?”
“Tessa—” I start to say, but she cuts me off.
“No, Thomas. I’m putting my foot down. The kids can experiment in the lab, and in a controlled environment. That’s it. What if he’d tried to heal Em when we weren’t looking? What if he burst a vein in your head when no else was around? This isn’t a game. There have to be rules, or someone’s going to get hurt.”
“Do you understand, Free?” I ask him. His head is still buried in my shoulder. “We’re not mad at you. I’m the one who asked you to do it. But Mom’s right. You’re too powerful to try this stuff on your own.”
He nods. “I get it. I agree. I don’t want that to happen again.”
“We’ll make sure it doesn’t,” I say. “As soon as Planarian’s up and running, we’ll get you and Em in there to practice.”
Tessa wiggles her fingers, and I pass Free over to her.
“You know I love you, little man,” she whispers into his hair. “I’m not mad. We just want you to be able to control all this cool stuff you can do.”
Free clings to her.
A shiver runs down my spine. “Where’s Em?” I ask.
“I left her in her crib,” Tessa says.
I run down the hallway to Em’s room.