by Rey, Solomon
He continued on. Normally it would have taken them a couple of seconds to find a prime position to view the fireworks they anticipated between their parents, but Derek was wasting time dramatizing. They finally arrived at the perfect spot.
* * *
“Donna,” he croaked, then cleared his throat, “Can I ask you something?” She was gently holding his hand, drying it off, so she could apply antiseptic and Band-Aid. He had never held her hand; it felt so natural, so exciting, so right.
“Sure Richard! Anything!” She replied eagerly.
He hesitated, nervousness was evident, “We’ve been friends a long time,” Richard said trying to maintain his composure. “I would never want to do anything to ruin that.”
Her thoughts were running rampant through her mind, as she heard his statement. Is he going to ask me out, she thought, oh please, please ask me out! “I wouldn’t either, it means a lot to me, she managed. She opened the first aid kit, trying so hard to stay calm.
“Um…what I wanted to ask you,” he said clearing his throat, “Was—“.
* * *
Olivia and Derek listened intently; both had huge grins and wide eyes. “He’s going to ask her out,” she whispered zealously.
“He’s so shy! I’m surprised you were ever born!” He snickered, as she elbowed him in the ribs.
“Owww!” He cried out a little too loudly.
“Guys!” Donna called out, “What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” Olivia replied, irked with herself for bringing attention to their position.
Damn it! Donna screamed in her head. Why does this have to be so hard. He was about to ask me out, she thought, as she applied the Band-Aid to his finger.
Thank God! Why is it so hot in here? He asked himself. He was sweating profusely, though it was a mere seventy degrees inside. I don’t remember it being this difficult, he thought.
Olivia and Derek casually strolled into the kitchen, trying hard not to look guilty.
“Hey guys, what’s up…Oh, what happened to your hand, Dad?”
“I sliced my hand, while I was cutting carrots,” relieved by the kid’s appearance, “It’s nothing serious, superficial really.”
“Can we get going?” Derek pleaded.
“Sure, in just a moment, need to put ice in the chest,” Richard said.
Richard and Donna finished getting everything ready and were on the road in minutes.
Donna was emotionally frustrated with the situation. She had strong feelings for Richard, but was never sure whether he felt the same. She had been his friend for years, yearning for more, but how much longer would she have to wait? She was fed up with waiting. She had been propositioned too many times to count by attractive eligible bachelors willing to sweep her off her feet, but she knew what she wanted. She wanted Richard! She wanted him to sweep her off her feet and to be happy together for the rest of their lives. Well, I can’t wait around forever. A woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do. If he won’t ask me out, then I’ll ask him out and sweep him off his feet!
CHAPTER XI
Olivia and Derek laid out three large blankets on the sand overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean, as Richard and Donna brought the chest, towels and chairs.
A gentle sea breeze wafted along the shore as sea gulls hovered overhead searching for food. The beach was completely void of human life, just the way they liked it.
“Olivia, could you get the radio and the towels from the SUV, please,” Donna asked.
“Sure,” she said, cheerfully. She ran back to the car.
Sunset Beach was Olivia’s favorite place. She adored the smell of the salty air, the sound of crashing waves, walking among the tide pools exploring the strange and interesting sea life and most of all, collecting beautiful and unique seashells. She had a collection in a box she kept in the top shelf in her closet. Every beach she would go to: Zuma, Redondo, Venice, Huntington, Seal, or even Sunset, she would save them, labeling them, then stowing them away in her closet.
She would also climb the dangerous cliffs a quarter mile north of them. She was fearless, scaling the rocks faster than Spiderman. Richard had warned her to stay off, they were too unstable, but she thought, as most kids would, ‘He’s just being silly’ or ‘What he doesn’t know won’t hurt me!
Derek on the other hand, could take or leave the cliffs, climbing only if Olivia did.
“Hey, you guys want to eat first?” Donna asked, hoping they would say, ‘yes’. She wanted them out of there so she could be alone with Richard. She would give him the opportunity one last time, then she would take over.
“I was hoping you’d ask,” Derek said hungrily.
“Yeah, I could eat!” Olivia announced.
The kids scarfed down their sandwiches within minutes.
“We’re gonna take off down the beach,” Olivia said.
“Okay, you guys be careful,” Richard said.
“Can we take a couple Power bars with us?” Olivia asked.
“And a couple cans of soda?” Derek asked.
“Sure, go ahead,” Donna said, “We’ll see you in a bit.”
“Bye!” They said, turning to go.
As the kids ran up the beach toward the tide pools, Donna and Richard quickly tidied up the paper plates and empty soda cans. They sat silently for several moments, until Donna spoke, “Um…have you heard back from your friend at Santa Cruz about Chromosome ‘S’?” She asked with genuine curiosity.
“No, not yet. I should hear something, hopefully tomorrow.”
“Are you sure you can trust him, because if Chromosome ‘S’ were to end up in the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic.”
“You’re referring to the police applications?”
“Not just that but the military. If any country, even the smallest or most peaceful country, were to use it…well, it’s frightening. I’m talking about world domination and the only way to stop it would be chemical or biological warfare, which could mean Armageddon. Maybe I’m being overly—dramatic about the whole thing, but even if a small percentage of what I said were to happen, it could still devastate the world.”
“I’ve already thought of that, but I can’t just destroy it. Chromosome ‘s’ will save thousands upon thousands of lives. Imagine no more cancer, heart disease or mental illness. Not to mention burn victims, children with birth defects and there’s so much more. How can I turn my back on these people, when they are in dire need. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that one person died or suffered because I was afraid of what could happen.
“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m just scared about what could happen if the wrong people get wind of Chromosome ‘s’.
“I’ve only told Steven, you and the kids. I really don’t foresee any problems, but I do appreciate the concern you have and I will do whatever is necessary to keep Chromosome ‘S’ under my control.” Richard said reassuringly.
“Well, I pray you’re right, I really do,” she said solemnly. “How is the patient doing?” Richard looked at Donna with a blank expression on his face. “Minnie! How is she doing?” she chuckled.
“Oh…Sorry, she’s doing great. Her body has grown twenty-four percent and her weight has increased eighty-five percent.”
“Why the drastic increase in weight…and size?”
“Well, from what I can see, every part of her has become dense: muscles, bones, skin and hair. The higher the density of a mass increases, the heavier and stronger it becomes.”
“Makes sense, but why the increase in size?”
“Well, remember I explained that Chromosome ‘S’ identifies each Chromosomes existing weakness?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, it’s more likely…but, I can’t be sure until I do more tests, but I believe that it determines each individual organism’s optimum size.
“That’s incredible!” She said with honest astonishment.
* * *
Olivia and Derek wasted little time getting
to the cliff. Once they got there they had to traverse the rocks below. They were of different geometric shapes and sizes, some jutting upwards of five feet or more; others were flat slabs extending to six feet long.
She was climbing like a monkey within minutes, while Derek was far behind. He wasn’t as comfortable scaling the cliff.
“Hurry up you big banana slug,” she said, egging him on, laughing.
“I’m going fast as I can. I’m just not a chimp like you,” he said jokingly.
She reached above her head and to the right grabbing hold. She put her weight on her left foot, finding a secure spot with her right. She continued on as Derek made very little progress.
“Hey!” He yelled, “Wait up.”
“Not a chance, you’re going to have to man up,” she said giggling.
“I have to hit puberty before I can do that,” he chuckled.
* * *
“It will be a long time before it will be ready for human trials. I have to ensure that there are no after-effects,” Richard said flatly.
“Imagine the world’s reaction to Chromosome ‘s’ if it ever reaches the news… ever reaches the general public.” Donna said.
“Well like I said, it will be a while till we find out.”
“Um…Richard, back at your house, you started to ask me a question, but unfortunately we were interrupted, what did you want to ask me?” Don’t chicken out, she thought, don’t make me have to ask.
He tensed up at her question, clearing his throat as he began, “Well, what I wanted to ask you…I hope. Well…um…I know we’ve been friends for a long time and it may seem kind of out of the blue, but would you like to go to dinner?”
He could hear his heartbeat reverberating in his ears as he felt beads of sweat on his forehead. He was glad it was over, but the hardest part was waiting for an answer. Time seemed to slow.
She put her hand on his, “I would love to,” she was aware of his body relaxing as he exhaled. She smiled at him. “You know I’ve been waiting a long time for you to ask, if you don’t mind, why now?”
He was overjoyed with her answer, but he wanted to play it cool. “Well, I had wanted to ask for a long, long time, but hadn’t been able to work up the nerve. I didn’t know how you felt about me and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Then last night Olivia talked to me about you.”
She started to laugh, shaking her head from side to side.
“What’s so funny?” He asked.
“Those kids of ours!”
“What’d they do?”
“They set us up!” She said still laughing, “They manipulated us!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, last night Derek talked to me about you. I doubt that was a coincidence.”
* * *
Olivia continued to climb the steep cliff, reaching heights she’d never before experienced. Her adrenaline was racing! The higher she went, the more daring she became. The incredible height was intoxicating and fueled her desire to keep climbing.
“Hey! Olivia! Maybe you should start coming down,” Derek yelled. Crap! She’s way up there, he thought, I hope she’s careful. He was worried about her. One slip and…
“A little farther!” She shouted back.
Derek started down. Careful of every move he made. He was not as adept at climbing as she.
She placed all her weight on her right foot, as she lifted her left trying to find a higher hold. Her right foot began to slip, she tightened her grip on the rocks above, but it wasn’t enough to save her. She fell screaming.
Derek was almost on solid ground, when he heard Olivia’s cries, sending chills down his spine, as he watched her crash onto the jagged rocks. He closed his eyes and turned away, but the image of her body lying there like a rag doll was buried into his brain for eternity.
CHAPTER XII
Derek immediately came to his senses and ran to her aid. She was unconscious, splayed out on a rock that jutted out of the ground at a forty-five degree angle. Her lower back had struck the apex with enough force to snap her spine, her legs dangled off the edge, while her left arm lay at an unnatural angle. Blood was seeping out of her mouth, nose and ears, and her breathing was shallow.
His tears ran in rivers as he gently caressed her cheek, “Olivia…please get up,” he said in a whisper. I have to get help, he thought. He took off running down the beach as fast as possible. He grasped the seriousness of the situation, as her screams echoed in his mind and the image of her blood streaked face remained to propel him forward.
* * *
“Those conniving little rats,” Richard said laughing.
“Well, obviously we have their approval to date, so we definitely don’t need to ask how they feel. They’ve made it clear where they stand on that matter,” Donna said.
“So, I’m assuming on our first date, you wouldn’t want to go to The Mill Casino,” he said jokingly.
“Now, that would definitely ruin our friendship,” she tittered.
“Where would you like to go? Anywhere in particular?”
“Well, since you’re leaving it up to me, I…” Donna stopped suddenly. Derek was running toward them and Olivia was nowhere to be seen. Fear clouded her mind, “Something’s wrong, Richard,” she said as she stared past Richard. He quickly turned to look and without saying a word they ran to meet Derek. As they approached Derek, they could see the fear and anguish on his face. Dread overpowered Richard.
“What’s wrong Derek?” Richard asked earnestly, “Where’s Olivia!”
The combination of tears and being winded made it difficult to speak. He thumbed toward the cliffs,
“She’s…hurt,” he said, putting his hands on his knees trying to breath, “She’s hurt real bad,” he started running back, summoning the strength to yell, “Hurry!”
Richard had to consciously push his thoughts from his mind, which were gravitating toward the morbid. It was difficult not to think the worse after spending years working in the emergency room, seeing people die on a daily basis. He had a special talent, which had earned him the nickname Dr. Death. The ability was connected to his occasional premonitions, which would leave him shaken. He could look at a patient and have an overwhelming sense of imminent death and he was never wrong. Many times he had come across patients given a clean bill of health, and were ready to be sent home, only to be rushed into surgery, because Richard had a “feeling,” which in turn, saved their lives. At first, the other doctors thought him crazy, but it wasn’t long before they believed.
Derek led the way, followed by Richard and Donna, who ran by his side. Richard glanced over at Donna, noting her face was pale and dour. She was afraid of what they would find. Just as he was. They sprinted as fast as they could; legs burned, chests tightened. Though both were in good shape, neither were used to extended physical activity.
They continued to run, as Richard consistently, surveyed the area ahead of them, hoping to see some sign of Olivia. He saw nothing. The not-knowing-what-was-wrong was playing havoc with his mind. His legs were on fire, he wanted to stop for a second, but knowing his baby was hurt forced him on.
Derek sprinted fast as his little legs could carry him. He was exhausted, his chest felt as though it were ready to explode. He forced himself on—repeating one word over and over: “Olivia, Olivia, Olivia…”
They were almost there! He signaled to Richard and his mother that she was just around the bend.
As they rounded the corner Richard’s heart sank, seeing his baby on the rock. Donna froze, putting her hand over her mouth to suppress a gasp; fighting the tears that were welling. She needed to be strong to remain level-headed. She did her best to shake it off, and continued by Richard’s side.
Richard stood next to Olivia, quickly checking her pulse, which was very slow; her breathing−shallow puffs. She was in bad shape. He surmised that her spine and left arm were broken. He turned to Derek, “How far up was she when she fell?”
“Um…about the
re,” he pointed to a peak, roughly forty-five feet up.
Richard continued to carefully examine his daughter.
“How bad is she Richard?” Donna asked, trying to control her emotions. Derek had turned away; it was too difficult for him to see her like this.
“I can’t be positive without x-rays, but it seems she has trauma to her head, possible cervical injury, spinal damage, broken arm, and most likely internal bleeding. His tears trickled down his face. “We need to get her out of here now! We can’t wait for an ambulance. It will never get here in time,” he said, “We’re going to have to move her to the SUV.”
“Couldn’t that cause more damage?” Donna asked.
“It’s either; we move her or she dies here. I’m not about to let my baby die!” He snapped at her, sorry the second the words were spoken. “Derek, I need you to run like the wind. Go back to where our things are, bring a blanket back,” he directed. Derek took off.
“What can we do?” Donna asked.
Dr. Death reared its prophesying head, hitting Richard hard. No! Not Olivia! I’ll be damned if I’ll let that happen, he thought, I won’t lose her too! “Normally, I’d stabilize her neck and splint her arm, but we don’t have time to waste. We’re going to have to carry her carefully as possible. Soon as Derek meets us with the blanket, we’ll transfer her to it, then continue to walk her to the SUV. We need to hurry… she’s going to die otherwise.”
“How can you be so sure, Richard?”
“You are going to have to trust me!”
“What can I do while you move her?” She asked as he slid his arm under her legs.
“When I pick her up, I’ll need you to support her neck. Treat her as a newborn,” he carefully inched his other arm under her neck.
