Roachia 02 Home By Sunset

by Cindy Combs

  "Serenity was right on the West coast. The Roachians hit it without warning. I'd heard there were few survivors from that area. Yet Council would have been in session, so Naomi would have been in Unity, closer to the center of the island." He then flipped to the next section. It was a picture of Naomi with her arms wrapped around a boy standing in front of her. Jeff could see the strong resemblance between her and the child. "What happened? Where's Naomi?"

  Frank shook his head. "Maybe Blair can tell us, though I'd tread carefully. Just the little he's said, I think he's too traumatized to talk about it yet."

  Jeff exchanged looks with his friend, thoughts of Sam's recent trauma fresh on both minds. "You think she's dead."

  Frank pointed to the box. "Most of this stuff is what you'd expect to find in a woman's purse, especially a mother. Why would her son be carrying it?"

  Jeff swallowed hard and looked back down at the picture. He ran his finger over the small face, a face that could be his son. "When can I see him?"

  Before the nurse directed Jeff towards the isolation suits, he walked over to the observation window. A thin boy with dark curly hair was poking at a meal tray. Jeff felt a tug on his heart. The kid looked so lost and alone. Is he my son? How could I not know about him? What kind of father am I?

  The nurse caught his gaze. "That kid is undernourished, but he doesn't seem to want to eat."

  Jeff shifted his gaze to the food on the tray. Chicken soup, crackers, red peas, applesauce, and a corn muffin - not too bad for hospital food. But not typical fare for a Clarian kid, either. The boy was studying it instead of eating. "He's probably never seen that kind of food before," Jeff thought out loud.

  The nurse looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

  "They mostly ate native fruit, nuts, vegetables, and reed rice on Claria. And Serenity commune was strictly vegetarian. I doubt he's ever seen cooked chicken before."

  "Hmmm," the nurse thought out loud, "we may have some fresh fruit in the kitchen. Do you think he might eat that?"

  Jeff gave her a smile. "We can give it a try."

  Blair speared another red pea with his fork. He had read about them, but he'd never ate one before. They tasted okay, but his stomach wasn't feeling very good. He carefully ate the pea, then glanced at the other stuff on his tray. He again poked at the liquid stuff. It wasn't like any soup he'd ever had before, but it kinda smelled good. He just wasn't sure his stomach wanted it.

  Then the door to the room opened. Blair scooted back into the bed, a flash of panic racing through him and making his stomach feel even more queasy. Everyone looked alike in those suits. It wasn't that nice Inspector, since the skin was light and not dark. It wasn't that nice Dr. Brannon either, who wore a blue suit instead of the yellow ones. Was it that mean old man who yelled at him?

  "Hello, Blair," greeted a suit-muffled voice. Blair looked up in surprise. The words were Esbrew.

  When the big blue eyes met his, Jeff felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Those were Jeff's mother's eyes, just like her picture Harry had kept in the study. This kid had his mother's eyes.

  "Hi," said a soft, high voice. It continued hopefully, "You speak Esbrew?"

  Mentally shaking himself, Jeff replied, "I sure do. I lived on Claria a while back." Jeff pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. Making a display of looking over the tray, he continued, "Looks interesting. Aren't you hungry?"

  The thin shoulders shrugged. "My stomach feels queasy. And I don't know what anything tastes like."

  The lost tone struck Jeff hard. Taking a deep breath, Jeff picked up the knife and gently pointed at the compartments on the tray. "Well, this is applesauce. It's made from a fruit brought from the old world then cooked into a sauce. It tastes pretty good. In fact, it's my son Sam's favorite."

  "Really?" Blair scooped some up with his spoon and studied it a moment.

  Jeff smiled and chuckled, "You won't know what it tastes like unless you try it."

  Blair gave him a shy smile that went straight to Jeff's heart. Then he put the spoon in his mouth. Rolling the mixture around with his tongue a moment, the boy swallowed then nodded. "It's okay."

  Making it into a game, Jeff soon had the boy try everything on the tray, explaining what it was and trying to describe what it tasted like. Blair had brightened up considerably and had even chuckled a time or two. Jeff could see the sharp mind absorb all the information then ask intelligent questions. He'd even made a comparison between the chicken and a hamburger he had had at school. "It was good, but I didn't tell my mom I ate it." Then a veil of sadness crossed his face. Jeff wanted so badly to give him a hug, but knew he didn't dare rush things.

  It wasn't long before a good portion of the food had made it into the boy. Well practiced at handling hospital trays, Jeff set it to the side and moved his chair closer. "Well, Blair, Inspector Colton told me you landed in Odinland. How did you get all the way to Harbor Bay?"

  Hesitantly at first, then gradually gaining the ease of a natural-born story-teller, Blair told the man all about his adventure starting at the tent city. It wasn't until he told of getting caught off the bus that the words slowed. Jeff could see the fear grow on the small face. Gently, Jeff laid a hand on the bony shoulder. "What's wrong, Blair?"

  Blair fought back tears. He was so scared, yet this man had been nice to him. "I'm really in trouble, aren't I?"

  Jeff squeezed the shoulder, trying to comfort the boy through all the layers of rubbertex. "A little. But that's okay. We'll take care of it."

  Brushing back a tear that insisted on falling, Blair replied, "But I want to be good so my father will want me when the Inspector finds him."

  Jeff swallowed hard. "Blair..."

  More tears fell. "They said mainland fathers don't want their Clarian kids. But I thought if I'm good and work hard, he'll want me. But if I'm in trouble, he won't want me."

  "Blair!" Jeff captured the small face between his hands and ducked a little to meet the eyes. For a moment, blue eyes held brown through the faceplate. Then with one gloved thumb, Jeff gently brushed the moisture from the red cheek. "Inspector Colton found your father, Blair. I'm Jeff MacGregor."

  The blue eyes blinked in surprise. "You're Jeff MacGregor?"

  Swallowing back his own tears, Jeff forced his voice to remain steady. "Yes, I'm Jeff MacGregor. And this mainland father definitely wants his Clarian son."

  "You really want me?"

  "Yes."

  The thin body immediately launched himself into Jeff's arms. Jeff hugged him back as tightly as the suit allowed.

  It was hard to leave Blair behind in the sterile white room all alone. Waves of confusing and conflicting emotions pounded over Jeff as he waited for the sterilization cycle to run its course. Guilt, wonder, anger, joy, sadness, fear, hope, and worry all tugged and pulled at him. When the cycle dinged its completion, Jeff took a deep breath and pulled himself together. Blair needed him to be strong now.

  After pulling off the suit and absently running a hand through his light brown hair, Jeff stepped into the observation room. It was much more crowded than when he had gone in. The first face he saw made him smile. Apparently, Frank had called in the troops. "Hi, Mama Tess."

  "Hi yourself," Tess Colton replied, folding him into a warm embrace. Comfort flowed from the large woman who had been a surrogate mother to him since his own had died. Yet when she pulled back, Jeff knew from her face he was about to be scolded. "You told that boy you're his father, didn't you?" Jeff nodded nonchalantly. "Jeffery, what ever possessed you to do that! You don't know that for sure. You're just raising that little boy's hopes up."

  "He's mine, Tess," Jeff told her with conviction. "He has my mom's eyes."

  "Jeff, that doesn't mean..."

  "Even if he's not, Naomi sent him to me. She trusted me to take care of him for her. That's what I'm going to do."

  "Jeff, Naomi may still be alive."

  "No," Jeff contradicted her sadly. "Blair's wearing her star necklace. Naomi
once told me that it had been passed down in her family since they had left the old world. Naomi would have only given him that necklace before his Bar Mitzvah if she wasn't going to be around to wear it."

  "Bar Mitzvah?" Frank asked.

  "Sort of a 'passing into adulthood' ceremony. Also, if she hasn't told me about him before this, she certainly had no reason to send him to me now if she could take care of him."

  Tess sighed and gave him another comforting hug. She knew that stubborn look and didn't have the heart to stress him further by arguing.

  "Did Blair tell you anything more about Naomi?" Frank asked.

  "Just that he didn't tell her about the hamburger he ate at school." Jeff sadly chuckled. "Naomi would have had a fit if she'd known he'd eaten meat."

  "How is he feeling?" a new voice with a Hungarian Province accent popped up from behind Tess.

  "Janos?" Jeff questioned, spotting his friend and fellow scientist from the space project.

  Janos Bartok gave him a sympathetic smile. "Ana sent me to get information when she had heard there was a possible statcus case here," he explained. His sister was a microbiologist in Odinland.

  Jeff ran a hand through his hair. He'd almost forgotten why Blair was in isolation. "Blair said his stomach is queasy. I just figured it was from not eating and all the stress he's been through."

  "It could be." Janos shrugged, trying to keep the worry out of his eyes. "Ana said they were still trying to get a handle on the symptoms, though they suspect chills and headache are the early signs. It's been hard, since this disease is totally new and has only been found in a population already stressed to the maximum."

  Jeff took another deep breath, pushing back his fears. "Could you have Ana send me whatever information they have so far? I want to know what we're up against if Blair does have it." Janos nodded.

  "What are you going to do now?" Frank asked.

  Jeff took a deep breath. "Talk with Ted about what arrangements need to be made for Blair. Then probably go back in and get acquainted with my son."

  "Then you'll need these." Jeff looked up to spot Frank's wife Dana enter the room, her arms full. "It looked rather bare in there, so I picked up a few things for him."

  Frank grabbed a tube before it could fall, unrolling it to find a picture of horses with the sun setting behind them. He shared a smile with his wife, proud of her warm and giving spirit.

  Jeff picked the dark brown teddy bear in overalls out of her arms, appreciating the long, soft fur. "Thanks, Dana."

  Blair ran his fingers up and down the blanket. There was nothing to do in the bare room. He had studied some of the equipment, but didn't dare touch anything since he was suppose to be in bed. How long did he have to stay here? He felt so cold and alone. If only he knew why he was being punished. At least it didn't seem to upset his father.

  Wrapping his arms around his bent legs and resting his chin on his knees, Blair thought about his father. He really couldn't tell what the man looked like in the suit, but he had been fun to talk to. Would his father want to take him home with him? Blair hoped so. He really wanted out of here. What would his father's home be like? They said on the boat that people didn't live in communes. In school, there had been pictures of tall city buildings. Did his father live in a place like that? Would it be like living in a tree house?

  His father had also mentioned another son named Sam who liked applesauce. Was he older or younger than Blair? Blair had always wanted a brother or sister. Would this Sam like Blair? Would they be close like Prue, Piper and Phoebe? Were there any more brothers and sisters?

  The sound of the door opening drew Blair's attention. A suited figure walked in, arms loaded with stuff. Blair's eyes grew wide as he identified the toys and games.

  "Hi Blair," the muffled voice greeted in Esbrew. It was his father.

  "Are all those for me?" Blair asked in awe.

  "Well, I don't see anyone else here," the voice teased as he dumped his load onto the foot of the bed. "Mrs. Colton thought you might like them."

  Blair scrambled out of the covers to check out the pile. The first thing he picked up was the teddy bear. Running his hand over the soft fur, Blair looked at his father who had pulled up a chair next to the bed.

  "That little guy is to keep you company when I'm not here," Jeff explained, hoping the ten-year-old didn't think he was too big for stuffed toys. The shy smile that stretched across Blair's face as he hugged the bear dispelled that worry.

  Soon, Blair was examining the books and games while Jeff taped up the poster. But when Jeff turned around, he saw a flash of sadness cross the boy's face. Sitting back into the chair, Jeff asked, "What's wrong?"

  Blair thought a moment, worry deep in his eyes. "How long do I have to stay here?"

  Swallowing hard, Jeff gently laid a hand on Blair's shoulder. "I don't know," he admitted.

  Screwing up his courage, Blair asked, "What did I do that was so bad?"

  Jeff blinked. "You didn't do anything bad."

  "Then why am I being punished?"

  Understanding dawned, bringing horror with the realization. "No, Blair. You aren't here to be punished. They just want to make sure you aren't sick."

  "Sick?" questioned the confused boy.

  "Yes. Do you remember anyone at the camps getting sick?" Blair shook his head. "Well, some of the Clarians have been getting sick since they came over to the mainland. You are in here to make sure that if you do get sick, you can't give it to someone else."

  Blair tilted his head in thought. "You mean like a cold or something?"

  "Right, like a cold. Nobody knows how you catch it, so they're just being cautious."

  "Is that why everyone is in the suits?"

  "Right."

  Blair pondered the information for a moment. "Will I get sick?"

  "I don't know," Jeff replied, struggling to keep his voice calm as the innocent question made his stomach clench. He brushed a curl out of Blair's face, wishing he could feel it. "I hope not."

  Worried blue eyes turned to him. "Where will I go when they let me out of here?"

  Jeff smiled, hoping Blair could see it through the faceplate. "You'll go home with me."

  "Really?" Blair's entire face lit up with the thought.

  "Really."

  Then Blair's face puckered again as another thought sprang into his mind. "Then why haven't I met you before?"

  Jeff ducked a little to meet Blair's eyes. "I didn't know about you. If I had, we would have met before now."

  "Why didn't you?"

  Taking a deep breath, Jeff chose his words with care. "Your mother and I had a bad fight the last time I saw her. We both said things we didn't mean, which really hurt the other. Naomi probably didn't want to risk getting into another fight over you."

  "Oh," Blair replied. "But Mom always made me apologize to my friends when we had a bad fight."

  "Well," Jeff explained sadly, "adults don't always have someone to make them apologize like we should." Then Jeff tousled the curly hair. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

  Blair gave him a smile. "Is Sam my brother? And when will I get to meet him?"

  Jeff settled back into the chair and started telling Blair about Sam.

  That evening, MacGregor home, Harbor Bay

  In the privacy of his study, Jeff stared at his mother's picture. Deep set and dark blue, they were just as he had remembered them. They matched the eyes of the boy in isolation.

  Jeff slowly filled his lungs with air and released it. He had been reading the information that Ana had sent. This unknown disease was a nasty one. Starting with a severe headache and a slight drop in body temperature, it slowly progressed to blurred vision, high fever, and loss of muscle control. Most frightening was that over half the patients eventually died from respiratory or cardiac failure. The only positive thing was that the Tucker group felt it might not be an air-borne disease, so the quarantine might be lifted soon.

  Jeff rubbed his eyes. To have suddenly discovered a
son he had not known about, only to have the specter of death hanging over him felt incredibly unfair. Jeff wanted desperately to spend time with the boy, learning all about his likes and dislikes, his joys and his fears. Yet he might not be given the time. He was scared that fate was about to snatch this child out of his grasp as suddenly as he had been dropped into his hands. Jeff didn't know if he had the strength to handle it.

  "Do you need a hug, Dad?" a voice suddenly asked.

  Looking across his desk, Jeff smiled sadly into the brown eyes peeking above it. "Yeah, I think your Dad needs a hug."

  The pajama-clad figure, light brown hair sticking in all directions, scampered around the desk and climbed into Jeff's lap. Sam wrapped his arms around his father's neck and squeezed. Jeff firmly hugged him back, needing to feel the vibrant life radiating from his precious son. Would he ever be able to hug his other son like this? Be able to feel the emotions from Blair flood into his mind as Sam's did?

  Pulling back, Sam studied him for a moment with a seriousness that belied his age. "Are you sad tonight?"

  Jeff tousled the soft hair. Sam had so often pulled him out when he was sinking too deeply into grief, the question was not unusual. "A little, but I'm better now." He lightly tickled the boy sitting on his knees. Sam giggled, squirming from the touch.

  Taking a deep breath, Jeff continued before he lost his nerve. "I do have something to tell you."

  "Really?" Sam asked, his eyes attentive.

  Jeff gave him a small smile. "Yeah. I may be gone for a couple days."

  "For work?"

  "No, not work." Jeff paused a moment, then made his decision. "What would you say if I told you you had a brother?"

  "A brother?" Sam asked, puzzled. "A baby brother?"

  "No," Jeff returned with a smile. "He's a few years older than you."

  "Really?" Sam's eyes lit up. "A big brother?"

  Jeff smiled at the eagerness. "Yep, a big brother."

  "Goodie!" Sam gave a bounce on his father's knee. "I always wanted a big brother." Then he paused. "Where'd he come from?"

  Lightly brushing the soft hair away from his son's face, Jeff's smile turned sad. "He's been living with his mother on Claria Island. But I'm hoping in a few days he can live with us."