His team won. Just. And as Garrant raised his arm in victory, he had to fight to keep the wince from his face.
“You remember what I told you about the second dose,” the doctor said. “Permanent damage. Never the same range of motion again. Probably pain for the rest of your life.”
Garrant gritted his teeth. He didn’t want any of those things, knew it was stupid to even consider it. But the final… It had started to feel to Garrant like if he could just win the final, then everything else would fall into place. If he got the gold, then surely Parshana would be paying attention, surely she would show him his path.
“The final is two days away yet, right?” the doctor said. “So you have until this time tomorrow to make up your mind. I’m not going to administer anything now when you haven’t had a good long time to think about it. I’d prefer longer than a day, honestly, but it’s what we’ve got. Think about it. Really think about it. Is this what you want for the rest of your life? For one moment of glory.”
She looked at him like he was crazy for even considering it. And maybe he was. Garrant had been feeling more than a little crazy recently.
The next morning, the pain hadn’t improved. Garrant lay back in his bed, wondering if he could really go through with a second dose of the serum. Knowing he would, because what else could he do? The final was tomorrow. He couldn’t play like this.
With difficulty, he pulled on his training clothes, trying to will himself into a fit state to exercise. Because maybe if he got warmed up it wouldn’t be so bad. He didn’t have to give up just yet. He ate one of his protein bars, took a drink of hydrating tonic, stretched and warmed his muscles up, ignoring the discomfort in his shoulder.
It was his body. He was master of it. He’d find a way to manage the pain.
He thought about seeing if a practice court was open. The games wouldn’t start for another hour or so, so there was a good chance he’d be able to find a space. But he decided against it, not wanting to risk anyone seeing him struggling, lest they declare him medically unfit.
No, he would go for a gentle run. Just a final bit of fitness training ahead of the big game. Running only used the legs, he’d be in no danger of giving anything away. Most people probably wouldn’t even pay him any attention. Just one of many people out for their morning exercise.
He left his suite. The Olympia’s Districts were all situated round the central arena, and barring a small diversion to skirt round the staff only security hub, it was possible to run in a straight line round the perimeter. Garrant set off from the Residential District towards the Entertainment District, keeping his head down and his focus forwards as he passed the early risers.
He was just starting to really warm up and ease into the rhythm when he came to the Shopping District and caught sight of Allendi and Nell with the kids. Sassi spotted him first, waving. Garrant slowed his pace, grateful that he hadn’t had a chance to get properly sweaty just yet.
Sassi came rushing over, but Garrant didn’t bend to scoop her up like he normally would have, afraid that his shoulder would give out and render his incapacity obvious to everyone. Instead, he dropped down to her level, letting her throw her arms round his neck.
“Uncle Garrant!” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“Good morning, trouble,” he said, tweaking her nose.
Mikey came charging over, too, the backpack he always wore bouncing on his shoulders.
“Are you coming shopping with us?” he asked.
“Actually, I’m doing some training,” Garrant said. “Shopping sounds like more fun, but I’ve got an important game tomorrow.”
“The final?” Mikey said, Sassi nodding beside him.
“Yes,” Garrant said. “Got to keep myself in shape.”
“So you can win!”
“Exactly. Are you coming? Am I going to hear you both cheering?”
Giggling, both of them nodded.
“Good,” he said, rising to his feet.
“I drew a picture of you,” Mikey said, rummaging in his bag.
He handed Garrant a piece of paper. On it, an impressive likeness of Garrant held a golden trophy above his head.
“It’s you winning the gold!”
“I can see that,” Garrant said, surprised to feel a little choked up. “Can I keep this?”
“It’s a present for you,” Mikey said, beaming.
“Then I shall keep it in my pocket. It can be my good luck charm.” He tucked the picture carefully into his shirt pocket. “Thanks, kid.”
“You’re welcome!”
“Play dates going well, I see,” Garrant said to Allendi and Nell as he walked up to them.
Allendi grinned, but Nell looked distracted, a little pale. Garrant wanted to ask her what was wrong, but didn’t want to put her on the spot.
“They’re best friends,” Allendi said.
“They really are,” Nell said, allowing herself to be drawn into the conversation. “Did Mikey give you his picture?”
“He did.”
“He’s been working hard on that.”
“I can tell.”
Allendi’s eyes went back and forth between them, but she didn’t say anything, just turned and gestured towards the Shopping District.
“We were just going to do a bit of window shopping if you want to tag along?” she said.
Garrant shook his head. “Got to finish my jog. Coach’s orders.”
A lie, but Allendi would never attempt to cajole him out of anything his Coach had ordered. She just nodded, giving him one last smile.
“We’ll be watching tomorrow,” she said, as she turned away. “I’ll be sending you every bit of good luck I’ve got.”
Nell watched him a moment longer, then followed after Allendi.
Garrant started jogging again, letting the rhythm of the movement push out his thoughts, his emotions. The pounding of his feet against pavement sent little stabs of pain through his shoulder, but he kept running. He ran and ran until he thought he’d wrung every last bit of sweat out of his body, his muscles limp, his brain, too. His shoulder was a ball of agony by the end of it, and that, more than anything, had his mind made up.
He cut back towards the medical centre, his route taking him through the play park. Half expecting to see the kids again, he slowed down. But he couldn’t see Sassi’s distinctive head of dark curls, or Mikey’s rucksack anywhere.
Then, at the top corner of the park, he caught sight of Nell, sitting alone on a bench. He waved, and when she waved back, he headed over. Conscious that he was a sweaty mess, he sat at the opposite end of the bench to her.
“Finished your run?” she asked.
“Yeah. Probably pushed a bit too hard, but… I got carried away. I like running. It clears your head.”
“Maybe I should try it.”
“Something up?”
She shot him an attempt at a smile, but it looked rather more like a grimace.
“I just dropped Mikey off with Ricky. He’s having him for an hour. Just to get acquainted.”
“Oh,” Garrant said, feeling a frisson of something like nerves himself. Ridiculous. Mikey wasn’t his kid, he had no reason to feel anxious about it.
And yet, he did.
“How did Mikey take the news?” Garrant asked.
“He… he was confused. Nervous. Excited. Not sure what to make of any of it. I’ve never seen him so quiet as when I passed him over to Ricky.”
“That’s probably normal, though? It’s a big thing, meeting your father for the first time.”
“Probably. Doesn’t stop me sitting here worrying about it. And the really stupid thing is, part of me even wants him to have a horrible time and never want to see Ricky again.”
Her smile looked a little more genuine this time, a hint of amusement reaching her grey eyes.
“Well, an hour can feel like an awful long time when you’re sat here on your own. You want some company?”
“You don’t have anywhere else bet
ter to be?”
No, his heart responded immediately. But his brain reminded him of the deadline for his medical appointment. He took out his comm, checking the time.
“I’ve got a medical I can’t miss in just over an hour. But I’ve got nowhere else I need to be before then. Unless you want me to run and get a shower first.”
She laughed. “No, I don’t mind. And thank you. I’d appreciate the company.”
He relaxed back into the bench, trying not to let his eyes linger on her frame too much. Then she turned to him, something unreadable in her expression.
“Do you ever wonder what your Match is like?” she asked.
He swallowed. “Sure, sometimes. When I feel like torturing myself a bit. When I was younger, I always thought she’d be this super fit athlete, but, these days… Not so much.”
“No, I could see that being a recipe for disaster. You’d be too competitive.”
“Probably,” Garrant said. “And there wouldn’t be enough room in our house for all the trophies.”
She rolled her eyes, her lips curling up at the edges. Garrant’s gaze caught on her soft curves. This conversation was dangerous, because if she asked him too many questions, he’d end up admitting that lately, the Match he imagined for himself looked an awful lot like her.
“Where I’m from, we’re supposed to recognise our Matches straight away,” he said. “It’s part of the Iparshana genetics, I guess. We can tell.”
“Oh,” Nell said, and was he imagining that she looked a little… disappointed?
“I always had this little fantasy of walking around on an uninducted planet where people hadn’t taken the test yet. That I’d be in a crowd someplace. Maybe one of those streets that’s made up entirely of bars and restaurants. And through the crowd, I’d catch her eye and I’d just know.”
He shook his head. “I must sound like a ridiculous romantic.”
“No,” Nell said. “No, it sounds nice. Perhaps you should visit Earth sometime, try your luck.”
“Maybe.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while, then talked about nothing for a while longer. And when the time came for Nell to head back to the Shopping District to pick Mikey up, he walked with her, even though it wasn’t really in the direction of the Medical Centre.
“Moment of truth,” Nell said, wringing her hands together. “I’m not sure if seeing him delighted is going to be better than seeing him miserable or not.”
Garrant nearly put an arm round her, but stopped himself. For one, he was still in dire need of a shower. And Ricky didn’t strike him as the sort to take kindly to seeing another man circling his woman. Even if he had no right to lay any sort of claim on that woman.
Then Ricky appeared, looking harrassed.
And Mikey was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 15
“WHERE’S MIKEY?” NELL ASKED, AND THE wobble in her voice nearly snapped something inside Garrant.
“I don’t know,” Ricky said. “He ran off.”
“What do you mean he ran off?” Nell said, her voice arctic.
“I mean, you obviously haven’t taught the boy to mind his elders. I told him to come back, but he just kept running. I lost him in the crowd.”
That didn’t sound at all like the well-mannered Mikey Garrant knew.
“What did you do?” he asked, voice low, his calm a thin veneer above broiling rage.
Ricky shot him a ‘who the hell are you?’ look before turning back to Nell.
“I’ve tried to find him, but I’m supposed to be photographer for the next round of the discus, I can’t waste any more time chasing after him.”
“Waste time? Ricky, he’s your son! You should want to find him more than anything else.”
Ricky rolled his eyes. “Look, I thought maybe I could have a go at this. You’ve gone up in the world, Nell. I thought maybe we’d be more compatible. But I can’t be compatible with a kid. It’s just not me.”
“You knew that the first time you left, what made you think anything would have changed? Money? Power? I don’t even have those things.”
“Connections are power,” Ricky said. “But of course you’d still be too naïve to realise that. I should have realised this was a waste of time before I bothered putting my name down for the job.”
He trailed off, muttering the last few words, but Nell caught all of them, flinching with each syllable. Garrant didn’t stop himself putting an arm round her this time, bracing her against the pain Ricky dished out.
“You planned all this?” she said, her voice so low Garrant barely heard it. “This wasn’t just a ‘happy coincidence’?”
Ricky sighed, realising he’d given himself away, but didn’t apologise for his behaviour, or show any sort of remorse. “Oh, Nell, you really hadn’t seen through that one yet? Of course I asked to be put on this trip. It was my best chance of getting close to you. I know you’re angry now, but see it from my perspective. We were happy together, once. I thought I could make you happy again. And I’d have access to the Allortasian Prince, the Station. Imagine the opportunities that would afford me. I’d be the man people wanted, no, needed to know.”
“Shame you’re such an asshole that a five-year-old saw through you,” Garrant said.
“You can piss off, whoever you are,” Ricky said. “Now I’m going, Nell. And I shan’t be in contact with you again.”
He started walking off.
“You can’t just leave while he’s still missing!” Nell called after him.
Ricky turned, shrugged. “Where is he going to go? It’s a space ship. It’s not like he can get anywhere.”
Nell almost launched herself at him, but Garrant caught her by the arm, pulling her back to him.
“Let him go, Nell. He’s not worth it.”
He could feel her trembling, a small shake that built until he was surprised she could stand upright. Remembering the way she’d keeled over at the Opening Ceremony, he guided her to a nearby café and sat her down.
“Listen to me, Nell. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to find him.” Garrant took out her comm. “Message everyone, tell them to meet you back at your suite, and we’ll organise from there. Ricky’s not wrong about him not being able to get far. Doesn’t make him right about a single other thing, but he is right about that. We’ll find Mikey, I promise you.”
Nell nodded, tears shaking loose from her eyes as she tapped out a message to her friends and family. Garrant helped her to her feet, hovering close by as she took her first few steps. Her feet didn’t falter, but she reached for his hand, taking it, her fingers weaving between his, squeezing tight.
“It’s going to be okay,” Garrant repeated as he walked with her back to her suite.
The others were already waiting for them when they got there. Asha immediately threw her arms round Nell, taking over the job of keeping her sister together.
“I’ve already put the word out to the security teams,” Cael said. “They’ll be on the look out, but they don’t have a picture. They’re just keeping an eye out for kids of the right age on their own.
“We can divide the station up between us,” Allendi said. “He’s not likely to have gone anywhere he hasn’t been before, so we can start with familiar places and work outwards.”
“Nell should wait here,” Randar said. “The place any upset child is most likely to try to get to is home.”
In a few moments, they had the Olympia divided up between them. Allendi went to check the various play parks and areas that she’d visited with the two children. Cael and Asha went for the Shopping District, while Randar and Angela took the Entertainment District. Ardan, carrying Sassi in his arms, took the Residential District, in case Mikey had simply got lost trying to get back home.
“Don’t worry,” he said to Nell, even putting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him.”
Garrant looked at the time on his comm. If he didn’t get the second serum injection now, it would be less than twenty-f
our hours between having it and his final. It wouldn’t have time to take. He wouldn’t be able to play.
“I’m checking the Arena,” he said to Nell. “I don’t think he’d have gone there alone, and I’d like to think if a five year old showed up without an adult, the folks on the gate would stop him and call for you. But just in case.”
“Don’t you have a medical appointment you can’t miss?” Nell asked.
Garrant waved her off. “It’s not important.”
And it wasn’t.
For the first time in his life, playing Hyperdisk wasn’t important.
He walked down to the Arena, keeping his eyes open for any sign of a small, blonde boy. As he approached, his mind went back to the couple of hours he’d spent teaching Mikey Hyperdisk basics. The kid had a talent for using the propulsion shoes - helped by that fearlessness that most kids had. The inability to comprehend that serious pain could happen to them. He nearly laughed to himself as he remembered Mikey trying to tense his core right at the start of their lesson, Nell’s instructions helping him to do more than just pull faces.
And then she’d confessed that people thought she wasn’t up to raising Mikey on her own. A fierce sense of pride swelled in Garrant. His ‘don’t tell me I can’t do it’ girl had done a great job raising Mikey. He was a lovely kid - funny, confident, well mannered, inquisitive. When they’d gone up to the top Observation Deck and…
At the thought of the Observation Deck, Garrant turned away from the arena towards it. He couldn’t explain why he was suddenly so sure that that was where Mikey would be, but he was, intuition, gut feeling screaming at him to head that way. He made for the lift, calling it to him. It seemed to take forever to ride it up the dome to the top, each second an eternity, even as some part of him relaxed into the sensation that this was right, that this was where he was supposed to be going.
As the lift finally came to a halt, Garrant stepped into the observation deck. There were a few people there, not many. Which made it easy to see the little figure in the far corner, sat down right next to the glass, clutching a glowing stone in his hand.
Garrant Page 13
