Post by stormy on Nov 19, 2006 18:24:10 GMT -5
CHAPTER 98
Kitten was tired; perhaps some soothing tea was in order. She almost scalded herself with boiling water when she heard the door buzzer.
“Who is it?”
“Let me in, Kitten. I don’t have a lot of time to waste.”
Ah. Jackson. I’d have known even if I didn’t recognize his voice.
She opened the door and waited cautiously, trying to look welcoming.
Jackson soon began to regret his choice of confidante. He’d barely outlines what he wanted, and already Kitten was getting way too carried away with things.
“Geez, Kitten, why don’t you plan another damned party while you’re at it,” he snarled. “We could have a regular family reunion.”
Kitten clapped her hands and grinned like a maniac.
“Why, Jackson, that’s a wonderful idea! What better way for us all to get acquainted with the rest of the family? We could invite Gabriel, too! He’s certainly close enough to family, don’t you think? Perhaps we could use Darren and Jon’s apartment. I’m sure they won’t mind. Now, who did you want to be there? Just family, or significant others, or -- Yes, they’ll have to know, too. Thank you, so much, Jackson, for this marvelous idea! You’re the best brother a girl could have!”
Jackson tuned the rest out. He could barely hear it anyway, thanks to the pounding of his headache drowning out almost everything but the pain. If Lisa were there, she could hold his head in her lap, and pet his hair, and say soothing things that might him forget, for just a few minutes, about the awful pain. And maybe she could tell Kitten to shut the hell up, because he didn’t think he had the strength to do so himself.
But instead of being with him, where she belonged, she was with his f*cking clone, for Christ’s sake, trying to comfort that...unnatural thing. It wasn’t really human, was it? Just some kind of scientific construct. It couldn’t seriously be any threat to he and Lisa, could it? Surely she wouldn’t prefer that Frankenstein’s monster to a real, living, breathing human, would she? No, she’d rather be with him. He’d shown her how good things could be between them, when she was cooperative and willing to listen to him. He didn’t mind the occasional argument, when he knew he would win in the end. But lately she’d become downright defiant.
He pushed that thought away. Another, equally upsetting idea took its place. He didn’t want her to be the way she was. He wanted...something she wasn’t. Someone compliant and quiet, who wouldn’t put any demands on him. Someone like -- He felt as though a ton of bricks had just fallen on his head. Did he really want the same thing Jonathan had with Rachel?
He shuddered at the thought. No, that couldn’t be it. That wasn’t what he wanted, that was taking things too far. Hopefully he could find someone willing to cooperate, instead of having to be coerced by drugs or -- He didn’t like the direction of that thought, either. He wanted Lisa. He just had to find a way to make her want him again.
She’s that way because you made her that way, forced her to defend herself. You helped her become who she is now. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
Wonderful. Had he somehow picked up Jonathan’s annoying alter-ego? Was it communicable, like a cold? Had he gotten infected just by being in the room with Jonathan? Couldn’t be. He dismissed the idea as utterly ridiculous.
Think about it. You’ll figure it out eventually.
It was a very quiet voice, actually, so maybe if he tried he could tune it out. Funny how the increasing volume of his headache didn’t drown out that still, small voice.
Dr. Fairfield watched the man on the bed try to thrash around. It was impossible, because he was strapped down to it, at ankles, thighs, waist, and neck. It didn’t look at all comfortable, though it was presumably more pleasant than a straightjacket.
Gregory Dunbar glared at him with all the venom he could muster.
“Get me out of here right now, you quack! You can’t do this to me!”
Fairfield didn’t betray his emotions on his face. “Actually, Mr. Dunbar, I can, and I have.” He was sure his patient perceived that he’d been demoted from “Doctor” to “Mister.”
“You’re making a huge mistake!”
“If I am, I suppose I’ll pay the price eventually,” Fairfield said calmly. “The best thing you can do for yourself is to calm down and try to relax.”
The words “calm down” seemed to provoke the opposite reaction. Interesting.
He paid more attention to Gregory’s tone than the actual words, which were the expected combination of demands and threats.
“If you continue to be disruptive, I’ll have to silence you so you don’t frighten the other patients. They deserve as much peace and quiet as they can get.”
He sighed inwardly. More threats. Oddly enough, he was feeling more confident than he had earlier in the day. Whether it was confidence in himself, or Jackson Rippner, he couldn’t say. One way or another, though, things were bound to change. With luck, for the better. He’d find out soon enough.
“I have a meeting to attend now, Mr. Dunbar. You’ll be given something to calm you down, in just a moment. Just a mild sedative, nothing as exotic as some of the drugs more commonly used in this department. It may make you drowsy, but it won’t lnock you out.” He had measured it carefully, to make sure Dunbar received the correct dosage, nothing more and nothing less.
Once he was certain the medication was working, he returned to his office to consult the list of medical staff employed by the Institute. The psychiatric patients needed reassurance that they were being cared for by competent personnel, and he needed someone he could trust, to help him adjust their medication. They needed a doctor, not a friend, and certainly not someone who would manipulate them for the sake of his own research. Change was definitely in order.
Though Lisa had planned on sleeping on the couch, Cillian insisted she take the bed.
“This couch has got to be more comfortable than that isolation chamber, right?”
He ignored the voices clamoring to offer suggestions.
“Sure, it’ll have to be. Don’t worry about me, Lisa.”
“I can’t help it. Occupational hazard, I guess you could say.”
He seemed distracted. “I meant, don’t worry about me being able to sleep well. I’ve been doing nothing but sleep.” He focused on her again. “I can see you’re really tired, though. Go ahead and get some rest. I’ll be fine.”
She gazed at him doubtfully. “Can I trust you not to leave?”
He sighed dramatically. “I can’t. Capa locked the door from the outside.”
Lisa hadn’t anticipated actually being locked in with Cillian. Not that she didn’t trust him, but…she didn’t really trust him. How could she? He was part Jackson, part Jonathan, part Darren… She shuddered to think of the possibilities if those personalities ever started working together.
Great. Now I’ll never get to sleep.
She did actually manage to sleep, so deeply that she wasn’t aware of Cillian coming into the room and leaning against the wall, watching over her all night.
MONDAY
By Monday morning, Jackson was almost asleep on his feet. There was a time when he could stay up for over 48 hours without feeling like a wrung-out dishrag, but then, his usual activities were much less stressful. It would be so bad if so many people didn’t interrupt him all the time. He wanted them to be available when he needed to tell them what to do, but otherwise, he wanted everyone to shut up and leave him the hell alone. Except for Lisa.
He wasn’t sure whether it was the fact that he genuinely wanted her opinion on a few things, or simply that she wasn’t immediately available to him, but he was getting frustrated with her absence.
He thought perhaps enough time had gone by that he could go to the lab again, and talk to her. Maybe get her away from that freakish clone, and those annoying scientists, and just talk to her alone. Then he’d be able to persuade her to help him out, instead of “helping” some Frankenstein’s monster that she shouldn’t even know about. Why couldn’t things have stayed the same? He’d wanted her to be his lover, and assistant, but nothing so complicated as this life she was somehow leading, without his knowledge or permission. It just wasn’t right. It was time to do something about that.
The scientists didn’t seem to like him barging into their domain unannounced, but that was tough.
“I need to talk to Lisa. Get rid of that – clone-thing – for a while so I can talk to her.”
They both looked like they wanted to object, but Gabriel put his hand on Capa’s arm.
“Let’s go in and stay with Cillian a while. Perhaps Lisa does need a break.”
It only took a few seconds for Jackson’s plans to crumble, right before his eyes. Lisa didn’t seem pleased to see him.
“Go away, Jackson,” was the greeting he got from the woman who was supposed to love him. “I’m really busy. I don’t have time to talk to you.”
“Well, make some time, damn it! You’re supposed to be with me, not locked away here with some science experiment.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He wondered if she were counting to ten.
“I don’t want to be with you any more. Please leave me alone.”
He knew she couldn’t be serious. She just couldn’t. After all he’d done for her…
“Lisa, please, be reasonable. I just –“
“What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand? Go away, Jackson, please!”
There was no trace of her “24-hour People-Pleaser” face.
“But you can’t –“
“I don’t want to be with you any longer,” she enunciated clearly. “I hate myself when I’m around you. I don’t want to be that person any more.” Lisa’s quiet voice cut through him in a way a shout wouldn’t have.
“Listen, Lisa, I know I haven’t spent much time with you lately, but I’ve been busy. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise! As soon as I get everything straightened out, I’ll –“
Lisa interrupted his thoughts before they were fully formed.
“And how long is that going to take? Days? Weeks? What am I supposed to do while you try to solve every problem in this place?”
Before he could answer, she continued her harangue.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll be doing. I’m going to try to help Cillian. You might not need me, but he does. Capa and Gabriel need me, too. At least I know I can do something productive.”
“You can’t!” He realized his mistake immediately, when her gaze turned even colder.
“What are you going to do about it? Head-butt me? Sedate me? Lock me up so I won’t ever leave you?”
Each accusation was hurled with careful precision.
“Lisa, I promise, I’ll –“
She sighed, and tapped her foot in annoyance. “That’s the problem, Jackson. It’s all about you. How often do you use the word “we” when talking about future plans?”
While he thought about that one, she attacked on another front.
“I’ve had it with this farce of a relationship. You ruined my life, brought me here against my will, and almost had me believing I was happy to be here.”
“Almost?” he repeated.
“As in, you failed. You don’t have the first idea how to make someone really happy. You don’t know how to give of yourself. You want to control everything and everyone around you, but that’s not how to convince someone you love them. I’m not going to stay with someone who doesn’t love me, and more importantly, who I don’t love.”
“But – you – I – what about –“ She’s not giving me a chance to think, or respond! If she’d just shut up for a minute, I could think clearly.
“When you can clear some time from your busy schedule, think about what you really want, and a better way to go about getting it. But a little word of advice: Don’t try to force anyone to go along with what you want, if it’s not what they want. If you try too hard to control things, that’s the surest way to make everything fall apart.”
He wondered morosely if she’d been talking to Adam. Did he have yet another rival? It sounded like she’d find almost anyone on the island preferable to himself. Maybe she’d change her mind, as soon as he could think of a good, logical argument to make her see things his way. In the meantime, if she wasn’t going to help him, he wasn’t going to let her get in his way.
“Sure, go back to your science lab, if that’s what makes you happy. I’m probably not going to be home much for the next few days, so you can stay –“
“I have a place to stay.”
“Where?”
The grin she gave him was ferociously evil. “Don’t. Ask. Questions.”
She walked away without a backward glance.
He shook his head. It couldn’t be over. He wasn’t ready for it to be over. She’d change her mind. She’d miss him. She’d at least miss the really excellent sex…wouldn’t she? That was one more thing he couldn’t waste his time dwelling on. There were too many things, and people, needing his attention. Lisa would come to her senses later, and beg him to forgive her. He’d be magnanimous about it, and things would go back to the way they were. They had to. He didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have her calming, steadying presence in his life.
Gabriel hadn’t been so nervous in years. He knew it was pointless to look in the mirror one more time. There was only so much he could do, after all. It wasn’t that he was vain, but it was so important that Rose recognize him, and not be startled or shocked by the toll the years had taken on him. It would be horrible if she didn’t remember him. He immediately chided himself for worrying about what she thought of him. Her well-being was more important than whether she still cared for him or not.
He’d already decided not to trouble her with some of the things Gregory had done to retaliate for their perceived deception and sabotage of the project. There was no point upsetting her needlessly. She already had plenty of reasons to hate Gregory, anyway.
He followed Rippner to the Medical wing. He hadn’t been there in years, and those memories were awful. He hadn’t decided whether it was better for Rose to be staying in her own private room, on a private floor, or whether she should start being around people. But then, it wasn’t his decision to make, nor did he have any business making suggestions to the doctors. He hated having so little control. Things could have been so different if only it had been Gregory who had jumped, instead of Rose. It would have solved a lot of people’s problems, he thought, not just his own and Rose’s. However, unless Gregory had a team of scientists working on a time-travel device, there wasn’t anything he could do to change the past. He hoped it wasn’t too late to change the future.
Rippner briefly introduced him to the medical staff on duty. They all seemed so terribly young, but perhaps it was his own age that was making him think they looked like they should all still be in medical school. As long as they knew what they were doing, that was all that counted.
Dr. O’Malley walked into Rose’s room first, to prepare her for company. Gabriel hoped she wouldn’t refuse to see him.
The doctor came out again surprisingly quickly, smiling broadly. “Go ahead, Dr. Knight. I didn’t tell Rose who you were, just that you were an old friend who couldn’t wait to see you again. I think she might have a hunch who it is, though.”
Gabriel barely heard the words.
“Do you want me to go in with you?” Jackson asked. He turned to Dr. O’Malley. “Would she feel safer with me there, do you think?”
The doctor looked so alarmed it would have amused Gabriel at another time. “No, no, that’s okay, I don’t think there will be any problem. In fact, why don’t we go get a cup of coffee, or maybe some breakfast. When was the last time you ate anything?”
”How the hell should I know?” he snapped. “I don’t have time for that kind –“
“Oh, Mr. Rippner,” the pretty blonde doctor interrupted. “Would you mind if I joined the you for breakfast, or lunch? I haven’t taken my break yet, and I’m starving.”
“Oh, ah, well.” Jackson looked startled, and more than a little pleased. “I guess I should probably have something.”
Gabriel noted Jackson’s reaction with interest.
“Tell you what,” Dr. O’Malley said, with a look of supreme satisfaction, “I need to take care of a little bit of paperwork here, and we really should have a doctor here, just in case. I’ll talk to you later, Jackson, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Gabriel wasn’t sure Rippner had heard any of that. Ah, to be young and in love. Or lust. He hoped they would enjoy it while they could. Anything that would distract him from Lisa was a good thing.
“I’d really like to see Rose now, Doctor,” he said gently. “I’ve been waiting a very long time to talk to her again.”
Dr. O’Malley blinked. “Oh, yeah, sure –“ His eyes followed the retreating backs of Rippner and Dr. Stevens. “Here you go.”
He opened the door and stepped back to let Gabriel through, but he didn’t immediately close the door or leave the room.
Perhaps he was being careful for Rose’s sake.
He hesitantly approached the bed. He’d been warned about the damage to her face. He still would have recognized her.
“Rose, I’ve missed you. I wish I’d known you were here. How are you feeling?”
She smiled warmly at him. “I should have known you wouldn’t have forgotten all about me. Come closer, please.”
Gabriel sat on the chair near the bed, and gently took her hand.
“How are you, Rose? Apart from the obvious, I mean.”
She shrugged slightly. “Not bad, considering. It’s nice to have visitors. The loneliness bothers me more than any of the physical problems, and the doctors say some of those can be worked out with physical therapy.”
“I’ll do anything I can to help.” For a moment he looked away from her face, and down at their entwined hands. Time hadn’t been kind to either of them. “I’d have been here, visiting you, if I’d known. Even if you couldn’t have heard me, I’d have been here.”
“I’m sure Gregory wouldn’t have allowed it, even if he hadn’t lied to you, but thank you.”
He looked up at that. “You know about that?”
“Jackson told me earlier. He’s a bit nicer than I expected, actually.”
“Is he? I hadn’t noticed.” He looked at her more carefully.
“I need to know, Rose. Why did you do it? If you were that unhappy, why didn’t you come to me? You know you could have talked to me about anything.”
She closed her eyes briefly, and compressed her lips, perhaps trying to think of what to say.
“I know it was a terribly selfish thing. I left a note explaining things to you, but I suppose Gregory destroyed it.”
“I never saw it. For a while, I thought he might have pushed you, except he complained so much about needing you here.”
“Oh, yes, I’m sure he needed me,” she answered bitterly. “To help him manage the staff, mostly. He never did have a lot of faith in my abilities as a scientist, just as a brood mare, and another source of funding.”
Gabriel winced. “He’s an idiot.”
They both laughed at the understatement.
Rose sobered up quickly. “To answer your question, it had nothing to do with you. I had to get away from Gregory. I couldn’t stand the thought of giving up one more child, that I couldn’t even hold. He wouldn’t believe me that you and I had never been together, and he was threatening all sorts of dire things. I thought I was protecting you.”
“Oh, Rose, none of this should have happened. If anyone, it’s Gregory who should have died.”
“But he didn’t. And I didn’t. I’m still here. A little worse for the wear,” she joked, “but we’re both alive.”
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here for you.”
“That doesn’t matter now. We can’t change the past. All we can do is try to not make the same mistakes again.”
He brought her hand up and gently kissed it. “You’re right. We’ve let Gregory ruin our lives for long enough.”
“Jackson tells me Gregory’s locked up in his own asylum, which seems like a good place for him,” Rose reflected. “At least we don’t have to worry about him, for the moment.” She hesitated, then continued. “Did you ever find anyone else? I’d hate to think we were both alone all this time.”
“What?” The question took him by surprise. “Oh, no, no. I had no interest in finding anyone else. Not that there are many people here to choose from, as Capa has reminded me. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved, Rose. You’re still the only one I want.”
“Gabriel, it’s not like you to – You’re not just flattering me, are you?”
“I still love you, Rose. We’ve got a lot to catch up on, but I will never leave you. I’ll be here for you, whenever you need or want me.”
Her eyes misted. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. But Gregory won’t allow it. I can’t see him giving me a divorce.”
“I’m not sure if it can be done legally here, or not. But with everything we’ve both been through, who cares if you’re still married? The whole thing was a farce to begin with, and now that Gregory no longer needs you, he probably won’t care, anyway.”
“Yes, I had plenty of time to reflect, after the fact, and realize that Gregory only wanted to control my money. And of course he saw me as a close genetic match. God, I was such a fool. I believed in this ridiculous scheme of his. I wonder what would have happened if I’d refused to marry him?”
Gabriel didn’t even want to think about it. “In some ways, it’s probably for the best that you did. Some of his sons – I’m sorry, your sons, too – seem to have inherited his obsessive tendencies, and they brought women here who didn’t want to be with them. I can’t see Gregory being above such behavior.”
“You’re right. Gregory did tell me a lot about that. He told me so many, many things,” she sighed heavily. “All of which I’d rather have not known about. For years he’s been giving me regular updates on what our children are doing, what they’ve become, all the things he knew I’d least want to hear about them. I told him we should have raised them ourselves, or some of them. Even one, as a test case. But of course, he didn’t listen to me.”
“That may be just as well. Can you imagine any child being raised in this place? Even with one loving parent, it’s not something I would wish on anyone.”
“Very true,” she sighed. “But Gabriel, think about it a moment. My body is so broken…I have no idea whether or not we could ever make love. It hasn’t even occurred to me to ask any of my doctors about that.”
He smiled gently and squeezed her hand. “It’s fine, Rose, if you can’t. Sex is overrated, anyway.”
She laughed. “I doubt any of my children would agree with you, from what I’ve heard. Your companionship and love would be most welcome, however.”
“You know, perhaps this place will become bearable after all, if we still have each other.” Companionship? What a concept. How he’d missed it. Capa wasn’t nearly as amusing to spend time with as Rose.
“As long as Gregory doesn’t cause any trouble.”
They talked for a while longer before Rose began to yawn.
“I’m so sorry, Gabriel. It’s not you. I would have thought I’d gotten enough sleep to last me for years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“Don’t worry, darling. I know you need your rest.” Gabriel stood up and gently kissed her.
She smiled warmly at him, though her eyes were able to convey more than her mouth. “I think I can rest more easily now that I know you’re still here for me.”
“I’ll always be here for you.”
He waited until she was asleep before quietly leaving the room.
Jackson listened with growing horror to Gabriel’s request.
“Stop! That’s more than I want to know! Why are you telling me?”
“I wanted to make sure you don’t have any objections. You or any of your siblings, actually, but since you’re in charge here, I thought it might be prudent to speak to you first.”
Jackson held up his hands to fend off any more words. “Okay, fine, whatever. I don’t have any objection. In fact, anything that will piss Gregory off is fine with me. I’m not gonna interfere with anything Rose wants. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”
Gabriel laughed. “Yes, she is.”
“I’m so glad we’ve had this little chat and cleared things up. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got some things to do –“
“I understand. Thank you for your time.”
Jackson watched the older man walk away and shook his head. He really didn’t want to know if his mother was having an affair or not, or wanted to. Too much information.
He went back to making a list of who would be doing what, for the next few days, or weeks. He thought it was a good thing everyone was used to their job changing at a moment’s notice, without much explanation.
Kitten was tired; perhaps some soothing tea was in order. She almost scalded herself with boiling water when she heard the door buzzer.
“Who is it?”
“Let me in, Kitten. I don’t have a lot of time to waste.”
Ah. Jackson. I’d have known even if I didn’t recognize his voice.
She opened the door and waited cautiously, trying to look welcoming.
<><><><><><><><>
Jackson soon began to regret his choice of confidante. He’d barely outlines what he wanted, and already Kitten was getting way too carried away with things.
“Geez, Kitten, why don’t you plan another damned party while you’re at it,” he snarled. “We could have a regular family reunion.”
Kitten clapped her hands and grinned like a maniac.
“Why, Jackson, that’s a wonderful idea! What better way for us all to get acquainted with the rest of the family? We could invite Gabriel, too! He’s certainly close enough to family, don’t you think? Perhaps we could use Darren and Jon’s apartment. I’m sure they won’t mind. Now, who did you want to be there? Just family, or significant others, or -- Yes, they’ll have to know, too. Thank you, so much, Jackson, for this marvelous idea! You’re the best brother a girl could have!”
Jackson tuned the rest out. He could barely hear it anyway, thanks to the pounding of his headache drowning out almost everything but the pain. If Lisa were there, she could hold his head in her lap, and pet his hair, and say soothing things that might him forget, for just a few minutes, about the awful pain. And maybe she could tell Kitten to shut the hell up, because he didn’t think he had the strength to do so himself.
But instead of being with him, where she belonged, she was with his f*cking clone, for Christ’s sake, trying to comfort that...unnatural thing. It wasn’t really human, was it? Just some kind of scientific construct. It couldn’t seriously be any threat to he and Lisa, could it? Surely she wouldn’t prefer that Frankenstein’s monster to a real, living, breathing human, would she? No, she’d rather be with him. He’d shown her how good things could be between them, when she was cooperative and willing to listen to him. He didn’t mind the occasional argument, when he knew he would win in the end. But lately she’d become downright defiant.
He pushed that thought away. Another, equally upsetting idea took its place. He didn’t want her to be the way she was. He wanted...something she wasn’t. Someone compliant and quiet, who wouldn’t put any demands on him. Someone like -- He felt as though a ton of bricks had just fallen on his head. Did he really want the same thing Jonathan had with Rachel?
He shuddered at the thought. No, that couldn’t be it. That wasn’t what he wanted, that was taking things too far. Hopefully he could find someone willing to cooperate, instead of having to be coerced by drugs or -- He didn’t like the direction of that thought, either. He wanted Lisa. He just had to find a way to make her want him again.
She’s that way because you made her that way, forced her to defend herself. You helped her become who she is now. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
Wonderful. Had he somehow picked up Jonathan’s annoying alter-ego? Was it communicable, like a cold? Had he gotten infected just by being in the room with Jonathan? Couldn’t be. He dismissed the idea as utterly ridiculous.
Think about it. You’ll figure it out eventually.
It was a very quiet voice, actually, so maybe if he tried he could tune it out. Funny how the increasing volume of his headache didn’t drown out that still, small voice.
<><><><><><><><>
Dr. Fairfield watched the man on the bed try to thrash around. It was impossible, because he was strapped down to it, at ankles, thighs, waist, and neck. It didn’t look at all comfortable, though it was presumably more pleasant than a straightjacket.
Gregory Dunbar glared at him with all the venom he could muster.
“Get me out of here right now, you quack! You can’t do this to me!”
Fairfield didn’t betray his emotions on his face. “Actually, Mr. Dunbar, I can, and I have.” He was sure his patient perceived that he’d been demoted from “Doctor” to “Mister.”
“You’re making a huge mistake!”
“If I am, I suppose I’ll pay the price eventually,” Fairfield said calmly. “The best thing you can do for yourself is to calm down and try to relax.”
The words “calm down” seemed to provoke the opposite reaction. Interesting.
He paid more attention to Gregory’s tone than the actual words, which were the expected combination of demands and threats.
“If you continue to be disruptive, I’ll have to silence you so you don’t frighten the other patients. They deserve as much peace and quiet as they can get.”
He sighed inwardly. More threats. Oddly enough, he was feeling more confident than he had earlier in the day. Whether it was confidence in himself, or Jackson Rippner, he couldn’t say. One way or another, though, things were bound to change. With luck, for the better. He’d find out soon enough.
“I have a meeting to attend now, Mr. Dunbar. You’ll be given something to calm you down, in just a moment. Just a mild sedative, nothing as exotic as some of the drugs more commonly used in this department. It may make you drowsy, but it won’t lnock you out.” He had measured it carefully, to make sure Dunbar received the correct dosage, nothing more and nothing less.
Once he was certain the medication was working, he returned to his office to consult the list of medical staff employed by the Institute. The psychiatric patients needed reassurance that they were being cared for by competent personnel, and he needed someone he could trust, to help him adjust their medication. They needed a doctor, not a friend, and certainly not someone who would manipulate them for the sake of his own research. Change was definitely in order.
<><><><><><><><>
Though Lisa had planned on sleeping on the couch, Cillian insisted she take the bed.
“This couch has got to be more comfortable than that isolation chamber, right?”
He ignored the voices clamoring to offer suggestions.
“Sure, it’ll have to be. Don’t worry about me, Lisa.”
“I can’t help it. Occupational hazard, I guess you could say.”
He seemed distracted. “I meant, don’t worry about me being able to sleep well. I’ve been doing nothing but sleep.” He focused on her again. “I can see you’re really tired, though. Go ahead and get some rest. I’ll be fine.”
She gazed at him doubtfully. “Can I trust you not to leave?”
He sighed dramatically. “I can’t. Capa locked the door from the outside.”
Lisa hadn’t anticipated actually being locked in with Cillian. Not that she didn’t trust him, but…she didn’t really trust him. How could she? He was part Jackson, part Jonathan, part Darren… She shuddered to think of the possibilities if those personalities ever started working together.
Great. Now I’ll never get to sleep.
She did actually manage to sleep, so deeply that she wasn’t aware of Cillian coming into the room and leaning against the wall, watching over her all night.
MONDAY
By Monday morning, Jackson was almost asleep on his feet. There was a time when he could stay up for over 48 hours without feeling like a wrung-out dishrag, but then, his usual activities were much less stressful. It would be so bad if so many people didn’t interrupt him all the time. He wanted them to be available when he needed to tell them what to do, but otherwise, he wanted everyone to shut up and leave him the hell alone. Except for Lisa.
He wasn’t sure whether it was the fact that he genuinely wanted her opinion on a few things, or simply that she wasn’t immediately available to him, but he was getting frustrated with her absence.
He thought perhaps enough time had gone by that he could go to the lab again, and talk to her. Maybe get her away from that freakish clone, and those annoying scientists, and just talk to her alone. Then he’d be able to persuade her to help him out, instead of “helping” some Frankenstein’s monster that she shouldn’t even know about. Why couldn’t things have stayed the same? He’d wanted her to be his lover, and assistant, but nothing so complicated as this life she was somehow leading, without his knowledge or permission. It just wasn’t right. It was time to do something about that.
The scientists didn’t seem to like him barging into their domain unannounced, but that was tough.
“I need to talk to Lisa. Get rid of that – clone-thing – for a while so I can talk to her.”
They both looked like they wanted to object, but Gabriel put his hand on Capa’s arm.
“Let’s go in and stay with Cillian a while. Perhaps Lisa does need a break.”
It only took a few seconds for Jackson’s plans to crumble, right before his eyes. Lisa didn’t seem pleased to see him.
“Go away, Jackson,” was the greeting he got from the woman who was supposed to love him. “I’m really busy. I don’t have time to talk to you.”
“Well, make some time, damn it! You’re supposed to be with me, not locked away here with some science experiment.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He wondered if she were counting to ten.
“I don’t want to be with you any more. Please leave me alone.”
He knew she couldn’t be serious. She just couldn’t. After all he’d done for her…
“Lisa, please, be reasonable. I just –“
“What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand? Go away, Jackson, please!”
There was no trace of her “24-hour People-Pleaser” face.
“But you can’t –“
“I don’t want to be with you any longer,” she enunciated clearly. “I hate myself when I’m around you. I don’t want to be that person any more.” Lisa’s quiet voice cut through him in a way a shout wouldn’t have.
“Listen, Lisa, I know I haven’t spent much time with you lately, but I’ve been busy. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise! As soon as I get everything straightened out, I’ll –“
Lisa interrupted his thoughts before they were fully formed.
“And how long is that going to take? Days? Weeks? What am I supposed to do while you try to solve every problem in this place?”
Before he could answer, she continued her harangue.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll be doing. I’m going to try to help Cillian. You might not need me, but he does. Capa and Gabriel need me, too. At least I know I can do something productive.”
“You can’t!” He realized his mistake immediately, when her gaze turned even colder.
“What are you going to do about it? Head-butt me? Sedate me? Lock me up so I won’t ever leave you?”
Each accusation was hurled with careful precision.
“Lisa, I promise, I’ll –“
She sighed, and tapped her foot in annoyance. “That’s the problem, Jackson. It’s all about you. How often do you use the word “we” when talking about future plans?”
While he thought about that one, she attacked on another front.
“I’ve had it with this farce of a relationship. You ruined my life, brought me here against my will, and almost had me believing I was happy to be here.”
“Almost?” he repeated.
“As in, you failed. You don’t have the first idea how to make someone really happy. You don’t know how to give of yourself. You want to control everything and everyone around you, but that’s not how to convince someone you love them. I’m not going to stay with someone who doesn’t love me, and more importantly, who I don’t love.”
“But – you – I – what about –“ She’s not giving me a chance to think, or respond! If she’d just shut up for a minute, I could think clearly.
“When you can clear some time from your busy schedule, think about what you really want, and a better way to go about getting it. But a little word of advice: Don’t try to force anyone to go along with what you want, if it’s not what they want. If you try too hard to control things, that’s the surest way to make everything fall apart.”
He wondered morosely if she’d been talking to Adam. Did he have yet another rival? It sounded like she’d find almost anyone on the island preferable to himself. Maybe she’d change her mind, as soon as he could think of a good, logical argument to make her see things his way. In the meantime, if she wasn’t going to help him, he wasn’t going to let her get in his way.
“Sure, go back to your science lab, if that’s what makes you happy. I’m probably not going to be home much for the next few days, so you can stay –“
“I have a place to stay.”
“Where?”
The grin she gave him was ferociously evil. “Don’t. Ask. Questions.”
She walked away without a backward glance.
He shook his head. It couldn’t be over. He wasn’t ready for it to be over. She’d change her mind. She’d miss him. She’d at least miss the really excellent sex…wouldn’t she? That was one more thing he couldn’t waste his time dwelling on. There were too many things, and people, needing his attention. Lisa would come to her senses later, and beg him to forgive her. He’d be magnanimous about it, and things would go back to the way they were. They had to. He didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have her calming, steadying presence in his life.
<><><><><><><><>
Gabriel hadn’t been so nervous in years. He knew it was pointless to look in the mirror one more time. There was only so much he could do, after all. It wasn’t that he was vain, but it was so important that Rose recognize him, and not be startled or shocked by the toll the years had taken on him. It would be horrible if she didn’t remember him. He immediately chided himself for worrying about what she thought of him. Her well-being was more important than whether she still cared for him or not.
He’d already decided not to trouble her with some of the things Gregory had done to retaliate for their perceived deception and sabotage of the project. There was no point upsetting her needlessly. She already had plenty of reasons to hate Gregory, anyway.
He followed Rippner to the Medical wing. He hadn’t been there in years, and those memories were awful. He hadn’t decided whether it was better for Rose to be staying in her own private room, on a private floor, or whether she should start being around people. But then, it wasn’t his decision to make, nor did he have any business making suggestions to the doctors. He hated having so little control. Things could have been so different if only it had been Gregory who had jumped, instead of Rose. It would have solved a lot of people’s problems, he thought, not just his own and Rose’s. However, unless Gregory had a team of scientists working on a time-travel device, there wasn’t anything he could do to change the past. He hoped it wasn’t too late to change the future.
Rippner briefly introduced him to the medical staff on duty. They all seemed so terribly young, but perhaps it was his own age that was making him think they looked like they should all still be in medical school. As long as they knew what they were doing, that was all that counted.
Dr. O’Malley walked into Rose’s room first, to prepare her for company. Gabriel hoped she wouldn’t refuse to see him.
The doctor came out again surprisingly quickly, smiling broadly. “Go ahead, Dr. Knight. I didn’t tell Rose who you were, just that you were an old friend who couldn’t wait to see you again. I think she might have a hunch who it is, though.”
Gabriel barely heard the words.
“Do you want me to go in with you?” Jackson asked. He turned to Dr. O’Malley. “Would she feel safer with me there, do you think?”
The doctor looked so alarmed it would have amused Gabriel at another time. “No, no, that’s okay, I don’t think there will be any problem. In fact, why don’t we go get a cup of coffee, or maybe some breakfast. When was the last time you ate anything?”
”How the hell should I know?” he snapped. “I don’t have time for that kind –“
“Oh, Mr. Rippner,” the pretty blonde doctor interrupted. “Would you mind if I joined the you for breakfast, or lunch? I haven’t taken my break yet, and I’m starving.”
“Oh, ah, well.” Jackson looked startled, and more than a little pleased. “I guess I should probably have something.”
Gabriel noted Jackson’s reaction with interest.
“Tell you what,” Dr. O’Malley said, with a look of supreme satisfaction, “I need to take care of a little bit of paperwork here, and we really should have a doctor here, just in case. I’ll talk to you later, Jackson, okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Gabriel wasn’t sure Rippner had heard any of that. Ah, to be young and in love. Or lust. He hoped they would enjoy it while they could. Anything that would distract him from Lisa was a good thing.
“I’d really like to see Rose now, Doctor,” he said gently. “I’ve been waiting a very long time to talk to her again.”
Dr. O’Malley blinked. “Oh, yeah, sure –“ His eyes followed the retreating backs of Rippner and Dr. Stevens. “Here you go.”
He opened the door and stepped back to let Gabriel through, but he didn’t immediately close the door or leave the room.
Perhaps he was being careful for Rose’s sake.
He hesitantly approached the bed. He’d been warned about the damage to her face. He still would have recognized her.
“Rose, I’ve missed you. I wish I’d known you were here. How are you feeling?”
She smiled warmly at him. “I should have known you wouldn’t have forgotten all about me. Come closer, please.”
Gabriel sat on the chair near the bed, and gently took her hand.
“How are you, Rose? Apart from the obvious, I mean.”
She shrugged slightly. “Not bad, considering. It’s nice to have visitors. The loneliness bothers me more than any of the physical problems, and the doctors say some of those can be worked out with physical therapy.”
“I’ll do anything I can to help.” For a moment he looked away from her face, and down at their entwined hands. Time hadn’t been kind to either of them. “I’d have been here, visiting you, if I’d known. Even if you couldn’t have heard me, I’d have been here.”
“I’m sure Gregory wouldn’t have allowed it, even if he hadn’t lied to you, but thank you.”
He looked up at that. “You know about that?”
“Jackson told me earlier. He’s a bit nicer than I expected, actually.”
“Is he? I hadn’t noticed.” He looked at her more carefully.
“I need to know, Rose. Why did you do it? If you were that unhappy, why didn’t you come to me? You know you could have talked to me about anything.”
She closed her eyes briefly, and compressed her lips, perhaps trying to think of what to say.
“I know it was a terribly selfish thing. I left a note explaining things to you, but I suppose Gregory destroyed it.”
“I never saw it. For a while, I thought he might have pushed you, except he complained so much about needing you here.”
“Oh, yes, I’m sure he needed me,” she answered bitterly. “To help him manage the staff, mostly. He never did have a lot of faith in my abilities as a scientist, just as a brood mare, and another source of funding.”
Gabriel winced. “He’s an idiot.”
They both laughed at the understatement.
Rose sobered up quickly. “To answer your question, it had nothing to do with you. I had to get away from Gregory. I couldn’t stand the thought of giving up one more child, that I couldn’t even hold. He wouldn’t believe me that you and I had never been together, and he was threatening all sorts of dire things. I thought I was protecting you.”
“Oh, Rose, none of this should have happened. If anyone, it’s Gregory who should have died.”
“But he didn’t. And I didn’t. I’m still here. A little worse for the wear,” she joked, “but we’re both alive.”
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here for you.”
“That doesn’t matter now. We can’t change the past. All we can do is try to not make the same mistakes again.”
He brought her hand up and gently kissed it. “You’re right. We’ve let Gregory ruin our lives for long enough.”
“Jackson tells me Gregory’s locked up in his own asylum, which seems like a good place for him,” Rose reflected. “At least we don’t have to worry about him, for the moment.” She hesitated, then continued. “Did you ever find anyone else? I’d hate to think we were both alone all this time.”
“What?” The question took him by surprise. “Oh, no, no. I had no interest in finding anyone else. Not that there are many people here to choose from, as Capa has reminded me. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved, Rose. You’re still the only one I want.”
“Gabriel, it’s not like you to – You’re not just flattering me, are you?”
“I still love you, Rose. We’ve got a lot to catch up on, but I will never leave you. I’ll be here for you, whenever you need or want me.”
Her eyes misted. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. But Gregory won’t allow it. I can’t see him giving me a divorce.”
“I’m not sure if it can be done legally here, or not. But with everything we’ve both been through, who cares if you’re still married? The whole thing was a farce to begin with, and now that Gregory no longer needs you, he probably won’t care, anyway.”
“Yes, I had plenty of time to reflect, after the fact, and realize that Gregory only wanted to control my money. And of course he saw me as a close genetic match. God, I was such a fool. I believed in this ridiculous scheme of his. I wonder what would have happened if I’d refused to marry him?”
Gabriel didn’t even want to think about it. “In some ways, it’s probably for the best that you did. Some of his sons – I’m sorry, your sons, too – seem to have inherited his obsessive tendencies, and they brought women here who didn’t want to be with them. I can’t see Gregory being above such behavior.”
“You’re right. Gregory did tell me a lot about that. He told me so many, many things,” she sighed heavily. “All of which I’d rather have not known about. For years he’s been giving me regular updates on what our children are doing, what they’ve become, all the things he knew I’d least want to hear about them. I told him we should have raised them ourselves, or some of them. Even one, as a test case. But of course, he didn’t listen to me.”
“That may be just as well. Can you imagine any child being raised in this place? Even with one loving parent, it’s not something I would wish on anyone.”
“Very true,” she sighed. “But Gabriel, think about it a moment. My body is so broken…I have no idea whether or not we could ever make love. It hasn’t even occurred to me to ask any of my doctors about that.”
He smiled gently and squeezed her hand. “It’s fine, Rose, if you can’t. Sex is overrated, anyway.”
She laughed. “I doubt any of my children would agree with you, from what I’ve heard. Your companionship and love would be most welcome, however.”
“You know, perhaps this place will become bearable after all, if we still have each other.” Companionship? What a concept. How he’d missed it. Capa wasn’t nearly as amusing to spend time with as Rose.
“As long as Gregory doesn’t cause any trouble.”
They talked for a while longer before Rose began to yawn.
“I’m so sorry, Gabriel. It’s not you. I would have thought I’d gotten enough sleep to last me for years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“Don’t worry, darling. I know you need your rest.” Gabriel stood up and gently kissed her.
She smiled warmly at him, though her eyes were able to convey more than her mouth. “I think I can rest more easily now that I know you’re still here for me.”
“I’ll always be here for you.”
He waited until she was asleep before quietly leaving the room.
<><><><><><><><>
Jackson listened with growing horror to Gabriel’s request.
“Stop! That’s more than I want to know! Why are you telling me?”
“I wanted to make sure you don’t have any objections. You or any of your siblings, actually, but since you’re in charge here, I thought it might be prudent to speak to you first.”
Jackson held up his hands to fend off any more words. “Okay, fine, whatever. I don’t have any objection. In fact, anything that will piss Gregory off is fine with me. I’m not gonna interfere with anything Rose wants. She’s old enough to make her own decisions.”
Gabriel laughed. “Yes, she is.”
“I’m so glad we’ve had this little chat and cleared things up. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got some things to do –“
“I understand. Thank you for your time.”
Jackson watched the older man walk away and shook his head. He really didn’t want to know if his mother was having an affair or not, or wanted to. Too much information.
He went back to making a list of who would be doing what, for the next few days, or weeks. He thought it was a good thing everyone was used to their job changing at a moment’s notice, without much explanation.
