by A. Zavarelli
The doctor directs me to pilot the boat while his guard leaves on the one he arrived on. He remains below deck with Natalia while I guide the boat to the port nearest the hospital. When we arrive, there’s another crew waiting for us. Within minutes, they’ve got her transferred to an ambulance.
The doctor and I both climb aboard, and I watch silently as he checks her vitals repeatedly for the duration of the journey. It doesn’t take long to arrive at this time of night, but there’s still a part of me that’s wondering if I was too late. Natalia’s awake but unresponsive to questions, and I don’t know what that means. She’s too weak to try to communicate. I have to assume that’s the reason. There’s nothing I can do but sit there helplessly as we pull to a stop, and they wheel her inside to undergo tests and an evaluation.
“I should stay with her,” I tell the doctor.
“You can join her after she has imaging done,” he says. “But I think it would be wise if you had an evaluation too.”
“I’m fine.” My eyes move to Natalia as they wheel her down the hall. She doesn’t look back at me. “Where should I wait?”
“It may be a while. I can call you once I know—”
“Where can I wait?” My tone dissuades him from any further argument.
He sighs and points to a room down the corridor. “In there, if you’d like.”
I go to the room and collapse into one of the chairs, leaning my head back against the wall as I stare up at the ceiling. For the next three hours, I dissect every second of our interaction this evening. I think of everything I should have done differently, and in every scenario, I’m questioning how I could have saved her. That’s not right, not when I took her out there to end her life. My nerves are shot, and I’m fucking exhausted, and her confession is stuck on replay in my head. I’m trying to be rational as I consider every valid explanation for her thought process. If she’s confused, I will have to find a way to give her clarity. But what if she’s not? What if she’s just insane?
I realize I don’t care. If she is, it doesn’t change the glaring truth I can no longer deny. Killing her isn’t an option. Neither is letting her go. Right now, looking at her really isn’t an option either, because every time I do, I feel these fucking feelings I don’t want. I’m still not any closer to a solution when the doctor finally makes an appearance in the early morning hours. He gives me a rundown of the tests and the results of her evaluation, informing me Natalia has a concussion, but otherwise, she appears to be doing well. They want to keep her for observation to be safe, and I decide that’s for the best. Then he asks me if I want to see her.
I hesitate, trying to consider what would be smartest for both of us. They can keep her safe here under lock and key until she’s released. That will buy me some time to figure shit out, but I also know I can’t go without seeing that she’s alright for myself. Tonight, I was so certain that she was gone forever. I don’t want to admit how much that terrified me.
I nod to the doctor, and he leads the way to the elevator bank and then up to the third floor. Her room isn’t far from the hall, and the door is cracked open, so I catch a glimpse of her before I even enter. She’s lying there, asleep, monitors beeping quietly in the darkness around her.
“Did she communicate with you?” I ask.
“Yes,” the doctor replies. “She was able to communicate via ASL with one of our interpreters.”
Some of the tension in my body ebbs away. “And you’re sure she’s okay?”
“She’s okay,” he repeats. “She was responsive, alert, and cooperative during the evaluation. What she needs most right now is rest, and I suggest you get some too.”
“What if she wakes up?” I look around the sterile room. “Will she know where she is?”
“She is already aware.”
Part of me is held hostage by my desire to stay, but my self-preservation shuts it down, reminding me why I have to go. I can’t think straight when I’m around her. The only logical solution is to send Manuel to keep an eye on her. He’s a familiar face, and I know he won’t let her out of his sight.
“I’d like two guards at her door,” I say. “I’ll send my own as well. She’s not to leave unless she’s discharged under my approval.”
“Understood,” he agrees.
I linger uncertainly before I make one last request. It’s a matter of formality at this point. Something concrete I can give Natalia when we inevitably revisit the conversation about Nino.
“I need you to run a maternity test too. How long will that take?”
He stares at me in question. “I’ll need the child’s DNA as well. But once I have both, I should have results in three to five days, give or take.”
“When can you come to collect it?” I ask.
He checks his watch, noting the time. “Will ten o’clock work?”
I meet his gaze, lowering my voice. “Nobody else is to know this is happening.”
His brows draw together. “Of course, Mr. Scarcello.”
“Ten o’clock,” I repeat. “We’ll see you then.”
Back at home, I give Manuel my instructions and send him to the hospital. I still need to handle Gwen’s remains, but I can’t do that with Nino alone here.
I climb the stairs, pausing on the second landing. I’m fucking spent, but the sanctuary of my room doesn’t beckon to me as it typically would. Instead, I find myself moving down the corridor, opening the door to Nino’s room. He’s asleep, huddled beneath the alien comforter Natalia insisted he should have. The recollection makes my throat tight, and I try not to dwell on it as I approach him. For a long moment, I stand beside the bed, studying his features. He looks like Enzo in some ways. He has his eyes, his hair, and his skin tone, but some attributes don’t match. His nose, jawline, and cheeks are different. Softer. I always credited that to his still being a child, but now I’m trying to recall his mother's characteristics in more detail.
He opens his eyes unexpectedly, blinking away sleep when he sees me standing there.
“Daddy?”
That word hits me straight in the heart.
“Hi,” I choke out.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
I attempt a smile. “Yes, it’s okay. You should go back to sleep.”
He peeks around the room nervously. “Can you stay with me?”
I’m stunned into silence. He’s never asked that before. I can only assume he’s still scared from whatever took place here last night. I don’t know how much he heard or even what he witnessed. It’s something we’ll need to discuss, but not right now.
“I’ll stay.” I pull back the covers, and he moves over for me.
It feels strange settling into this bed with the alien comforter. But it also feels like it’s exactly what I need right now. Nino covers us both up and then lays his head on the pillow next to mine. We’re shoulder to shoulder, both of us staring up at the ceiling when I glance over at him.
“Comfortable?”
He hesitates and then slowly rolls onto his side, wiggling his way into the crook of my arm so he can rest his head on my chest. Once he does, he yawns.
“Comfortable,” he whispers.
Sleep takes us both quickly and doesn’t let us go until Angelina wakes me by clearing her throat hours later.
“What is it?” I grumble.
“There’s a doctor here for you.”
Shit. I sit up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes before I glance at Nino, wondering how I’m going to explain this to him. He’ll have questions, and I didn’t even think about how I would deal with this part yet.
“Nino.” I settle my hand on his back and stir him from sleep. “It’s time to wake up. There’s something I need you to do.”
22
Alessio
“Will that test really tell me if I have alien DNA?” Nino scoops a raspberry up with his spoon and shovels it into his mouth.
He’s eyeing me skeptically, and I feel like an asshole for lying to him, but there’s
no rational way to spare his feelings if he knew the reality. He would hope for something that could never be.
“There’s only one way to find out, I suppose,” I murmur into my coffee cup.
He’s quiet for a moment, and his lip starts to tremble. “If I am, does that mean I have to leave earth like ET?”
Christ, I am not good at this. “No, Nino. It doesn’t mean you have to leave earth. It was a bad joke. I’m sorry. The test wasn’t really for alien DNA.”
“Then what was it for?” he asks.
I consider his question for way longer than I should. “It is a DNA test, but it’s for humans. There’s nothing wrong with you, okay? I promise.”
He nods.
I check my watch. There’s not much time before Angelo is due to arrive, but I know we need to have another conversation I’ve been putting off.
“Nino, I want to talk to you about what happened last night.”
He rips a piece of toast off and chomps on it. “Okay.”
“Were you afraid by anything you saw or heard?”
He swallows his food and stares at his plate. “Yes.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“We were watching Toy Story, and the lights went out. It was scary when they didn’t come back on, and then there were loud noises downstairs.”
The hair on the back of my neck prickles as I study him. “The lights went out while you and Natalia were together?”
“Yes. I didn’t like it, but she gave me her phone so I could see.”
“You’re sure you were together when they went out?”
He gives me an annoyed look. “Yes, dad.”
I try to soften my tone. “Okay, Nino. This is very important. I just need you to tell me everything you can remember about what happened after that.”
He wipes his mouth with his napkin and turns to look at me, his expression serious. “Natalia took me up to your room and left me in the closet. She told me to keep trying to text you, and to lock the door behind her. We had a secret code for when she came back so I would know it was her. She told me she would knock four times. I hid in the back of the closet and texted you like she said. She went downstairs to see what was making the noise, but it stopped. I don’t know what happened after that, because it was quiet for a long time. Then she finally came back and tapped on the door like she promised. There was red on her shirt, and she looked scared. We got into Grandma Gwen’s car and drove away.”
I sit in silence with my thoughts for a few moments, trying to make sense of it. His account leaves me with more questions than answers. Natalia said Gwen knew how to disarm the security system, and I didn’t believe it was her, but Nino’s story aligns with hers, and now I don’t know what to think.
“Thank you, Nino,” I tell him softly. “You were very brave last night.”
“When is Natalia coming back?” he asks.
This is the question I’ve been dreading, and I don’t have a response for him. To my relief, I’m saved from answering when Angelo makes an appearance, interrupting us. He jerks his chin in greeting and then looks at Nino uncertainly. They’ve spent some time around each other, but Angelo doesn’t have any clue how to interact with a child. Today he’s going to have a crash course.
“Hello, Nino.” He pulls out a chair and sits down. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for the day.”
Nino arches a brow at him. “Why?”
“Because I have some things to take care of,” I tell him. “And Manuel is busy at the moment.”
Nino shrugs and goes back to eating his toast.
“If you have any trouble, let me know.” I rise from my seat, and Angelo looks concerned.
“You’re going now?”
“Yes.” I grab my suit jacket from the chair, slipping it over my shoulders. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” He glances at Nino. “I thought you’d finish breakfast first.”
“It will be alright,” I assure him. “Just watch a few movies with him. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He nods unenthusiastically, and I ruffle Nino’s hair as he glances up at me.
“Have fun with Angelo. If you need anything, you can text me from his phone.”
“Okay,” he says quietly.
I hate to leave him right now, but I have no choice.
Outside, I glance at the shed where I have Gwen’s body stored in the freezer. Tonight, I’ll have to deal with that. She deserves more than what I can give her. She deserves a headstone, a Society funeral, and closure for everyone who knew her, but the only way to give her those things is by turning Natalia over to the Tribunal. In doing so, the consequences would certainly mean her death. I can’t accept that option until I understand what happened.
My first order of business takes me to the same house Nino visits every week for his piano lessons. The Hudsons live in an estate in a gated community with a large IVI presence. Their family is well established and widely respected. At least, they were until their daughter’s absence and abandonment of her child cast a shadow over their name.
Mrs. Hudson greets me at the door when the guard calls out for her. She’s a reserved woman with dark hair and brown eyes that seem to look through me. I’ve always known she wasn’t fond of me, judging by the way her shoulders tense in my presence. I couldn’t blame her for the reaction. I’ve never been the type of man who makes people feel particularly at ease.
Our relationship consisted of a simple agreement. They wanted time with Nino because he’s their grandson, and Mrs. Hudson was able to provide that in the form of piano lessons. They never speak of his mother Elizabeth in his presence, and he only knows Mrs. Hudson as a teacher. Their family typically only ever sees Manuel when he drops Nino off for lessons, and I can tell she’s not sure what to make of my appearance on her doorstep today.
“Mr. Hudson isn’t here,” she informs me carefully.
“I know.” I try for a smile, but I think it only scares her more. “I came to see you.”
Her brows knit together, and I question if I’ve made the right decision. Out of respect, she will communicate with me, but it doesn’t mean she will answer my questions honestly. I’ve always dealt with her husband. He’s a hardened man, one who takes the expectations of IVI seriously. Reputation is everything to him, and when his daughter left, he was humiliated and angry. Mrs. Hudson is different. There has never been shame in her eyes when she spoke of Elizabeth. There was only ever pain.
“Please, come in.” She steps back reluctantly, allowing me to enter. “Would you care for any refreshments?”
“I’m okay. Thank you.”
She offers me a tight smile and leads me to the same sitting room where she gives Nino his lessons. It’s a large space, well furnished, but absent of any family photos, as was necessary for our arrangement. We both take a seat, a small table separating us.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Scarcello?” she asks.
“Please, call me Alessio.”
She bows her head. “Very well. What can I do for you, Alessio?”
“I want to talk about Elizabeth.”
The color drains from her face, and she shakes her head immediately, moving to rise from her chair. “Then you should wait for Mr. Hudson.”
I reach over and settle my hand on her arm, gesturing for her to stay. “I don’t wish to speak to Mr. Hudson. As I told you before, I came to see you.”
She hesitates, torn by her desire to flee and the expectations of The Society. Normally, I would be the last man to leverage my rank against her family, but right now, I don’t care why she stays so long as she does.
“What do you want to know?” she asks in a hushed voice.
“My knowledge of the situation is second-hand,” I confess. “I’ve never felt the need to delve into it further, and I’m not here to seek her out. I just have some questions. I’d like to hear your thoughts on why she left.”
She’s quiet for a very long time. So long, I don’t know that she’ll
even answer me. Her fingers have a death grip on the edge of the chair. She’s not comfortable with me, and I don’t know if I’ll ever disarm her.
“You don’t know me very well, Mrs. Hudson.” I lean back against the chair, considering my words carefully. “But I can assure you I’m a man of my word. Something I should hope I’ve proven by now, given that you’ve had regular visits with Nino. Whatever you tell me today will stay between us. I’m not here to tarnish your reputation further. I’m not here to track your daughter down. I simply want to know the truth.”
She considers me for a moment, then gestures to the piano. “May I?”
I nod, and she rises from her seat, moving to the bench. She sits down and starts to play, humming along as she does. It’s an odd thing to do, but I suspect the music calms her nerves.
“She didn’t leave me,” she says after a few minutes, the words hanging between us. “And she never would have left her son.”
I stare at her back, confused by her statement. “What are you implying?”
She turns to look at me, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m implying that your friend is a liar. I don’t know where Elizabeth is, but I know she didn’t abandon her baby. She didn’t run away. Wherever she is, she’s dead. I accepted that a long time ago.”
Her candor leaves me speechless. I expected her to express her dislike of Enzo, but I never expected her to accuse him of lying. It troubles me, adding to a long list of growing uncertainties about the man I thought I knew. I also have to consider that Mrs. Hudson is a grieving mother who doesn’t want to believe that her daughter could abandon her. Enzo courted Elizabeth for a year. If there was any indication of a problem, I have to wonder why she never thought to address it during that time. The Society abides by ancient philosophies when it comes to dating and marriage. Women are expected to remain pure for their husbands. Agreements are often made, and arranged marriages aren’t uncommon, but the family always has a right to refuse the match.
