“Look, Alik doesn’t feel very well, and we need to get him home. Can you help me take care of him?”
Danny’s eyes shifted from Farrow’s heart shaped face to look at Alik hunched over in the wheelchair beside her. That’s all he needed to see. He ducked under the table squirrel-like and popped out right at Alik’s feet. The first thing he did was carefully put his blue pillow in Alik’s lap.
“Oh, that’s a great idea, Danny. Your Sleeper Sleeve will help Alik feel better faster. Good thinking.”
Never having talked with a child as young as Danny, Farrow surprised herself with how comfortable she was with the little boy.
But then, she thought, maybe it’s just Danny that brings out the maternal instinct in me. He is such a sweet little guy. She thought as she watched him try to climb in Alik’s lap. Knowing it would probably be better for him to walk beside the chair, but too taken by his act of tenderness, Farrow helped him up and positioned his arms and legs so he helped hold Alik in an upright position. Danny just clung to his big brother with worry etched in his smooth features.
Farrow’s heart did that leaping thing in her chest again as she wheeled the two boys back down the corridor in which Alik and she had officially become a couple just an hour before.
Focus on your task, soldier, she scolded the mistiness threatening her eyes.
What if this wasn’t the start of his evolution? What if he was truly sick and only going to get worse until….
Stop it! One step in front of the other, Farrow! She heard her internal voice command.
Once she got to the sliding doors, it occurred to her that she could have been stopped and questioned. Farrow was thankful she didn’t have to wait long, as her eyes kept darting around worried she would be confronted as to why she was wheeling an obviously very sick guy around in a chair with a baby clinging to his unconscious body. As Dr. Andrews pulled up to the yellow curb, Farrow breathed a sigh of relief for his promptness.
Evan jumped out of the passenger side first. His face seemed constantly in a state of worry and Farrow wondered for the first time if the kid ever had a childhood.
Not that you had an ideal childhood yourself, Farrow, she pursed her lips in thought.
But this kid, who was now helping Dr. Andrews load his huge brother into one of the back seats of the white minivan, should have had a normal childhood. After all, he was rescued by Dr. Winter and grew up on a ranch. Did he even know how to ride a bike?
Farrow envied and worried for the Winter kids more than for herself in so many ways. They seemed the ones worth saving out of all their kind. Not for the first time, Farrow’s mind slipped into battle-tactic mode: Winter kids are more powerful and more valuable. I would lay down my life so they would survive. They are the only hope the humans and metas have of peaceful coexistence.
Meg and Creed were there, too. Once Alik and Danny were situated inside the van, they jumped out. “Take care of my brother, Farrow,” Meg called to the girl with worried, wide eyes.
A blush colored Farrow’s cheeks, the flush visible even in the streetlights compliments of the hospital parking lot.
“He needs to hear your voice, so keep talking to him,” Meg advised, eyes locked on the female metahuman.
Unable to speak, but realizing Meg would be able to read her emotions even more clearly than anything she could say, she nodded to Meg and leaned to whisper words of encouragement directly in Alik’s ear.
The van pulled away leaving Meg and Creed to take over mom-duty.
Chapter 32 Three Little Words
“Is he going to be okay?” Creed asked.
“I can still sense him, so my gut says ‘yes’.”
“Is he going through his change?”
“I hope so,” Meg nodded reassuringly.
“I wonder what his evolved gift will be.”
“Well, if it follows the same pattern as it did with me, where the evolved gift is literally an evolution of what he already is, it would likely have something to do with his perfect memory— either that or his strength. Oh, I suppose it could go in lots of directions from there.” Meg rubbed her eyes with both hands. She was exhausted.
“I hope his transition goes smoothly.”
“Me too.” Meg sighed. Her heart was heavy with worry. Alik couldn’t help when his metamorphosis would happen, but now was definitely not the most convenient time.
“Let’s get upstairs and check on your mom,” Creed suggested.
Meg nodded, her brows still furrowed with concern over all that was happening to her family.