Eve: Thank you, I’m sure Michael and Maria will come to some sort of resolution before too long.
Michele: You’re welcome…the cucumber thing is really easy to do.
As for the pouting…I didn’t mean to suggest that the child had no say in the matter. Far from it, just that pouting wasn’t a way to voice your opinion. (standing around with a scowl on your face because you didn't get your own way...or making a long face hoping someone would take pity on you and give in type pouting.)I know personally, that my kids have convinced me to come around to their way of thinking more times than not just by giving their point of view…even my grandkids for that matter and we are worlds apart.
“Okay Uncle Michael but hurry, dad doesn’t make good sounds when he plays.”
“Alright, I won’t be long.” And Michael laughed as they headed out the front door.
“Max doesn’t make ‘good sounds’?” Liz was puzzled…
“Nope…no ‘vrrooooms’, no ‘splats’, no ‘bams’ nothing…he just sets up his cars and runs the track, all very serious like his life depended on it just like he does everything.”
When my boys were younger they made the most god-awful noises when playing that I sometimes wanted to scream and my neighbor, who had only girls (4) asked me how I put up with it…my answer, they’re boys! I also had a daughter who was sworn to secrecy when she got them to play Barbie’s with her. They moved Barbie around in their trucks along with Major Matt Mason, he was a military figure, no Ken allowed on the scene. Great memories.
Carolyn: Yes, why is it the worst words are the easiest to remember?
Cardinal: Serena found a problem with Liz’s blood and then looked at Zan’s in comparison and found a problem…Back when Zan made the comment about little Angela having the answer they weren’t that familiar with Zan’s acquired powers yet and as for Zan outing Liz, well, you’re right there. That’s not a good thing for Liz…but maybe Max needs that extra little encouragement, how about it? Yes?
Michelle: You are certainly right about the toys…the kid has enough to last through more Christmases than I care to count…and yes he’s ratting out his dad too. As far as the samples and the virus…just keep on reading.
Chapter: 33
As soon as Serena and Liz had the new microscope set up they pulled Liz’s slide back out and had another look and then did a finger stick and made another one with fresh blood. Sure enough something wasn’t quite right, the cells were human but something was going on and then Liz pulled one of the Petrie dishes from the ice chest and took a smidgen on a stick and smeared it on a slide and took a look without any solution and examined that.
“Serena, look at this?”
Serena took Liz’s chair and Liz stood behind as Serena looked into the microscope and examined the slide Liz had put on the table. It was similar to what was on Liz’s slide and the two women looked at each other in shock.
“How?”
“I don’t know?”
About that time Max came into Serena’s room and looked at the two ‘scientists’. That’s what they were now, not Serena and Liz but scientists and Max could tell by their facial expressions that something was wrong.
“Okay, I know you two well enough to know that something is drastically wrong.”
“Max, Liz’s blood cells are carrying signs of the virus as is Zan’s. We don’t know how or why. Your blood is offering some disruption in the growth of the cultures but it isn’t stopping it totally. Michael, Isabelle and I have absolutely no affect on it at all. The only two we haven’t tested are Ava and Angela and I’m not sure that Kyle will consent to us taking a sample from Angela.”
Max looked terrified…
“What do you mean Zan and Liz have the virus. Liz is human and Zan was healed according to the scientists on Antar. This can’t be. No. I won’t believe this.” Max was on the verge of a total breakdown…
“You have to believe it Max…the slides aren’t lying. None of the rest of you are infected yet. Maybe Zan and I need to be isolated. Quarantined so to speak. We need to be put into a sterile room away from everybody until we isolate this thing. It has to be done Max. Take us to the Granolith Chamber and keep us there until the lab is built.”
“No.”
“What do you mean NO? Max, we can’t be running around breathing on people. We don’t know how the hell this thing is spread…we just know that it is. Maybe I caught it from Zan while sleeping with him.”
“If you caught it from Zan why didn’t I?”
“Because you’re a healer Max…maybe you’re immune. Hell, I don’t know…I do know that if you’re immune that your blood should provide us with a cure and it isn’t. Call Cal….have him bring Harvik here. We need to test him or, maybe that slime did something to infect me. But he may have some answers. In the meantime Serena needs to get a sample of Ava and Angela’s blood. Don’t do a venal puncture on the baby Serena, just prick her heel and let it drip. It won’t hurt her that way. Do it while she’s feeding.
“Okay Liz…but in the meantime why don’t you join Zan and have him bubble you two up for the time being.”
“Great, all we need is for one of the neighbors to come calling and get a load of us in a purple cloud.” Liz was on the verge of tears, not for herself but for little Zan, she just couldn’t wrap herself around the fact that he could be sick.
“I had Isabelle pick up some text books for me this morning while we were at the building site…how about you sit quietly in your room and have some “alone” time and do some tutoring. That way we can kill two birds with one stone so to speak.”
Liz frowned at that statement and Max looked sheepish as hell…
“Sorry, bad example. I didn’t mean that and you know it.” Max added…
“Yeah, I know but it kinda’ suits the situation, doesn’t it?” Liz quipped.
“No, it doesn’t, not when we’re talking about the two people I love most in this world that’s for sure. And I’m not going to apologize for saying that Liz, not under the circumstances. Taking things slow is not going to work for me right now. Just know I’m a part of this and I just need you to accept it.”
“Go Max…I’ll talk to Kyle. I’m sure he’ll be reasonable when I explain how important this is to our world as well as yours. I really do think Harvik has something to do with my participation in this whole damned thing…I don’t think Zan is a carrier.”
Liz ignored Max’s statement for the time being…she really didn’t know how to react when all she wanted was no reaction at all.
“God I hope you’re right. I’ll call Cal on our way over to Ava’s.”
“Good, now hurry. I’ll get Zan upstairs with the books and Michael can drive you over there. Good luck.”
“Thanks Liz, you’ll find that Zan is a quick study.”
“I never doubted it for a minute.” Liz smiled as Serena and Max left.
*
Liz went out to the back yard and found Michael and Zan playing a game of one on one with the basketball and she wanted to cry, all of the emotions that could describe how she felt all rolled up into tears. Heart wrenching fear, guilt for not finding a cure for this horrendous disease, love. Love for this child, his father, their extended family. All of the people that would suffer if she couldn’t find an answer and soon. She looked on with love…the love she felt for Michael, who turned out to be one of her best friends, ranked right up there with Maria and Isabelle and her heart clenched in her chest. She gathered her thoughts and put them where they belonged, locked up where she kept most of her emotions, wiped her eyes and grabbed the basketball as it bounced toward her.
“Michael, Zan…we need to talk for a minute.”
And the tall man and small boy made their way over to where she stood on the patio.
“Hey guys, I have some bad news.” And Michael took his stance, the protective one that he was not aware that other people recognized, and Liz began.
“Zan honey, you and I have this virus bug in our systems. It is not making us ill but we might make other people ill so we have to go to our room and stay there away from everyone but your daddy. It seems he’s the only one that is not susceptible because of his healing abilities. We are going to be quarantined so to speak until Aunt Serena and I can come up with a cure.”
Michael got a sick look on his face and he turned white. “NO!” He thought, this can’t be happening….Liz picked up on it immediately.
“Michael, we are going to be fine. We are this close…” and she held up her thumb and index finger to indicate a silly millimeter “ to finding a solution to this problem so please don’t worry. Zan can bubble us and we’ll study for his placement exams for school. How about that Zan?”
“Mom, did I make you sick?”
“Zan, sweetheart, no. I think maybe I might have picked this up at the lab where I work. Your daddy is calling Mr. Langley to ask the gentleman that I worked with to see if he might have done something. We’ll see. It doesn’t matter Zan, we’re going to find an answer honest. We can’t worry about how, we can only work on fixing it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure Zan. Now come with me honey. And Michael, maybe you should take another shower.”
“No Liz, I don’t think that’s necessary. If I didn’t have it yesterday and I don’t have it today. I don’t think the quarantine is necessary myself but you would know more about that than I would.”
“It’s just a precaution Michael…I’m not saying we’re going to infect the world but we need to be careful. Quarantine is the only thing we can come up with right now. I may have passed it back to Zan for all we know. He was clean when he left Antar…maybe I’m the carrier.”
“Well then, go on up and study and I’ll make sure Izzy and Diane stay clear until Max gets back.”
“Thank you Michael. Where did they go anyway?”
“Shopping, where else?” And they both laughed.
Liz and Zan headed upstairs to Zan’s room and started sorting through various library books. Liz decided to start with first grade level reading and Zan rolled his eyes at her…she laughed.
Liz would sterilize the books before returning them to the library…no need to quarantine themselves if they were going to be returning contaminated books to the library for thousands of others to handle.
*
Max put his cell on speaker as he drove over to the old Valenti house and Serena sat and listened as he talked to their old protector…
“Your majesty! To what do I owe the honor?”
“Cal, I swear, if I didn’t like you so much I’d blow you to hell. We need Harvik here. Zan and Liz both have the virus and Liz thinks maybe Harvik has something to do with it because Zan was clean when we left Antar. I healed him when he first came down with it and now it’s back. Liz thinks she may have re-infected him. I haven’t tried healing them yet but we need Harvik here for some answers.”
“We’ll be there today Max. How are things going with the plans.”
“We took Zan out to the site and asked him if he could find any underground caves and he found a nice large one for us. We’re going to excavate an entrance and blast our way through, set up a couple of prefabs, bring in all the necessary plumbing and utilities that are needed and we figure we’ll be up and running in about 6 weeks or so. Using the cave and a prefab is going to save a mountain of time and we’ll be able to maintain an even temperature without using any energy for it. It’s a win win situation Cal. I’m so proud of everybody and their input. The ideas have been a God send.”
“Great Max. I think I’ll come with the ‘scum bag’ this time.”
And Max and Serena laughed…Cal remembered what Liz had called the alien before she knew he was an alien and he grinned.
“Fair enough Cal. I had to reprimand Zan for reading everyone’s mind the other day but I think I’ll have him lock onto Harvik and find out what in the hell the man has done besides pass on this hideous disease to an entire planet.”
“Good idea Max. Where are you now?”
“Sitting out in front of Ava and Kyle’s house. Ava and Angela are the only two we haven’t tested yet and we’re not real sure how Kyle is going to take to us doing a blood test on his daughter.”
“Just explain to him that it could mean the difference between life and death and I’m sure he’ll be more than willing to comply Max.”
“Will do. Liz suggested a little puncture in the babies heel while she’s feeding and she shouldn’t feel a thing.”
“Well, if anyone knows she should. I’ll talk to you in a couple of hours Max. They’re readying the plane as we speak. You know Max, if this keeps up I think I’ll buy up the property all around me and install my own landing strip.”
“Ah hell Cal, this will all be over soon and then you can get back to living a normal life again, well normal for you anyway. Just think how boring it will be without all of my turmoil.”
“Yeah…peace and quiet, how will I survive?”
And both men laughed as well as Serena.
“Well, I’ve got to go convince a daddy that I need his baby’s blood Cal. Talk to you later.”
“Later.”
And they rung off.
*
“Come on John, we’re taking a trip. I hope you enjoy it because we’re going to find some answers to some questions that are hanging loose out there. Get your happy face on because it may not last once the questions are answered.”
“What do you mean Cal? Where are we going?”
“Roswell big fella, Roswell, New Mexico.”
And with that Cal Langley and his two huge travel companions and one little nurse for John Harvik headed to the Limousine that was waiting in his driveway and then they were off.
*
Kyle opened the door for his old friend and Serena and looked a little puzzled to find only the two of them…
“Hey Max…I thought there would be more of you, no one else on the horizon?”
“No Kyle, just us. Are Ava and Angela here?”
“Yeah, yeah…come in, sit. Sit.” And Kyle went down the hall toward the nursery to find Ava who was changing the baby.
“Ava, Max and Serena are here. By the look on Max’s face I think it might be important.”
Ava smiled at her husband and picked up the sweet little thing wearing just a diaper and a little pink shirt and followed Kyle to the living room. Max smiled at the young woman and then his eyes rested on the baby and his look grew very soft and his smile grew wider.
“Ava, I hate to ask you this but we need some blood samples from all of you.”
“By all of us you mean all three of us?”
Serena looked at the young woman and smiled…
“Yes. Since Max healed Kyle we should take his as well as yours’ and the baby’s.”
Neither Max nor Serena were going to tell the young couple of Zan and Liz’s condition.
“I don’t want to hurt her.” Ava said…
“I won’t hurt her at all Ava, trust me. Just get a bottle and feed her and I’ll do a little prick in her heel and massage some blood into a sterile jar. It won’t take much. I’ll do a venal puncture on you and Kyle and I won’t hurt you either.”
Ava smiled and nodded to Kyle. She realized the importance of these tests and would do anything to help Antar…she would do anything to help anyone if it was in her power and Serena returned her smile in understanding.
God how they hoped this was the answer. It was their last hope of finding a quick answer…otherwise they could spend years looking and they didn’t have years.
After the samples were all taken Ava put little Angela in her crib and grabbed the baby monitor and stuck it in her pocket and joined her guests and Kyle in the living room for a quiet visit. This was the first time Ava had a chance to really talk to either Max or Serena about her home planet and she was very curious to find out more about it. Max and Serena were more than happy to answer all of her questions and add any information they had in addition to Ava’s inquiries and a couple of hours later they headed back to the Evans’ home.
“I can’t get over how sweet she is, it’s so hard to believe that she’s Tess’ double.” Serena commented.
“She grew up in the sewers of New York with a couple of psychopaths, it’s a wonder isn’t it? And Tess was truly a sad case as well but she didn’t turn out quite as well as Ava. Nasedo had her mind so full of nonsense and she believed every word of it. She was so convinced that she would be the queen if she only delivered us back to Antar with the heir. Well, she managed to get me there but I escaped with the rebels and she wasn’t so lucky. I’m just glad we were able to save Zan. It wasn’t a picnic Serena. You were lucky in the fact that you qualified for higher learning by Antar’s standards.”
“Yes Max, I guess I was. Well, let’s get in there and see if we can come up with some sort of explanation for all of this…that Limo parked out front tells me that we have some company.”
By the time Max and Serena got back to the Evans’ Diane, Philip and Isabelle had all arrived back home as well and were in the kitchen talking to Cal Langley while Michael stood guard over one John Harvik in the living room. Max had to chuckle, they were actually treating John as a prisoner.
“Hey Michael, guard duty I see.”
“Yep, and if we didn’t need some answers I’d gladly blow his ass to hell.”
“Well, I think we’ll get some…we’ll leave him alone with Zan for a while and we’ll know everything we want then you can blow his ass to hell if you want to.” Max was feeling the same way…but not Serena.
“No Max…” And John looked relieved, “I’m going to shoot him up with the virus and let him die with what he started, only an accelerated version.” And John Harvik looked terrified. Serena looked at the man and smiled…
’good you lousy bastard’, a new word she learned,
‘suffer’ she thought to herself.
Max walked out to the kitchen and shook Cal’s hand and his two guards as well and smiled at the rest of the folks around the table.
“Did you get what you needed Max?” Diane asked…
“Yeah mom, Ava and Kyle were more than willing to help and Angela is just a real little sweetheart. She’s so tiny and so beautiful. It’s hard to remember Zan being that small, they just grow so fast.”
“That they do. How long do Liz and Zan have to stay in quarantine Max?” Isabelle wanted to know…she was anxious about the whole matter.
“I’m going to work some magic on them as soon as I have some answers from numb nuts in the living room…maybe he’ll shed some light on this.” And the ladies in the kitchen started giggling…
Max turned a little pink and said “Sorry.” And they all agreed it was alright.
Max turned and walked toward the hallway when his mom stopped him…
“Max, I hope this works out…I know how much it means to you.”
“Thanks mom. We’ll be right back down. It’s just a precautionary measure and I’ll have Zan pull his little bubble routine and you can all talk to them until we get finished with John, then I’ll see if I can heal them.”
“Why don’t you heal them first Max?”
“Because I want John to be scared shitless…Serena just told him that she was going to infect him with an injection when we were done with him so he might already be in a state of needing clean pants.”
And they all laughed…
When Max got to Zan’s room the door was open and he and Liz were encased in a little purple cocoon reading a book all snuggled up to each other and Max’s heart ached…he wanted to be a part of that scene so badly but he knew he had some serious work to do when this was all over before anything like that would ever happen.
Liz looked up first and saw Max watching them and smiled, then she tapped Zan on the arm and pointed to his dad. Zan dropped the bubble immediately.
“What’s up dad…Mom made me start at first grade, I think we should have started higher and worked our way down to where I knew something but she wouldn’t let me.”
Max chuckled…
“Well sometime it’s just easier to do what they ask than it is to fight it. Zan, Cal Langley is here from California and he has John Harvik with him. He’s the man that made the virus that is killing everyone on Antar. He used to work with Liz and we think that maybe he’s the cause of her having this disease. We want you to open your mind reading powers, sit in on our meeting with him and let us know if he’s telling us the truth or not and what he’s actually thinking. Okay?”
“Okay dad, but what about the bubble…do we need it?”
“Can you make one that will allow everyone to see and hear what is going on?
“Sure, I can make one they can’t even see if you want me to. Hey dad, why can’t you heal us like you healed me on Antar?”
“I’m going to try Zan, but we need some more samples before I do that. Apparently the disease is not going to take your life the way it is doing to the people on Antar and we think it has something to do with the fact that I healed you.”
“You didn’t heal Liz.”
“Yes Zan, I did, a long time ago…when I lived here.”
“Oh…so maybe it’s you that’s the answer.”
“I’m part of it Zan, not all of it. We’ll use me if we have no other way to go but we would rather have a total cure rather than just something that will put it in remission. Do you understand?”
“Yeah…let’s go mom.” Zan was sure Angela was the answer but he already told them that and they didn’t care so he kept quiet this time. He wrapped a bubble around Liz and him as they left the bedroom and Max asked Liz how Zan did with the text books.
“I think he’s testing way beyond third grade Max…possibly fifth.”
“Wow, that’s not so good. I want him to find kids his own age to make friends with…not be an outcast because he’s too little.”
“We’ll work it out Max, but I think he’ll always be ahead. He soaks up knowledge like a little sponge and keep in mind, he has never had the chance to be a little boy so don’t expect him to start acting like one now. I think that needs more work than anything.”
Max smiled, she’s probably right.
*~*~*
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