The Major was silent, staring down at him with an array of emotions
flashing in his dull green eyes.
"Please... Liam... I need to know the truth," Sandoval pleaded weakly,
wincing as yet another sharp pain shot through his burning-hot chest.
He could feel the blood trickling down his chest, pooling in his
naval. "Am I your father?"
Dammit, Liam, how could you be so stupid?! Now what do I
tell him?
He knew that if Sandoval was dying this would be his last chance to
tell his father the truth. But he just couldn't bring himself to say
it. "No," Liam whispered finally, the very word tasting bitter in his
mouth, the words of the most painful lie he'd ever had to tell.
The young man forced himself to smile. "I don't know what you think
you heard, but I didn't call you father." That wasn't exactly a lie,
since he'd actually said "dad", but that didn't make it hurt any less.
Here he was, looking into the shadowed eyes of his one remaining
parent, who was on the verge of death, and he was outright lying to
the man! "I mean, how could I be? It's impossible."
The fake smile of amusement didn't fool Ron for a second. Liam was
definitely hiding something from him, and it wasn't just his obvious
Resistance ties, but he did have a point. How could he possibly
be his son?
Before he had a chance to ponder this further, Ron felt his heavy
eyelids begin to droop shut, his grip on consciousness slipping away
from him, as his vision blurred and left him in darkness...
***
Erin's apartment, Georgetown
At that very moment Erin Morgan started from her sleep, the naked
flesh of her lithe frame glistening with a fine shine of cold-sweat
and her breath coming in gasps. She shuddered violently as the cold
air of the new apartment hit her uncovered skin, trying to banish the
unwanted, tormenting thoughts that had been dredged up by the
nightmare from which she had just awakened.
It was just a dream, she tried to convince herself, repeating
it over a few times to calm herself. But it had seemed so real.
A manifestation of the fears she'd been having since the discovery
that she was pregnant with Ron's child.
The cold air began to prickle at her long limbs as she let her legs
dangle over the side of the bed to touch the floor. She would have
gotten back under the covers and stayed there until the sun was a bit
higher in the sky, thus bringing a little more warmth into the
unheated apartment, had she not felt so nauseous.
Shivering, Erin placed a hand on her still-flat stomach and gently
began to rub it over her aching womb, where she knew her baby was
growing. A small smile of awe touched her pale lips at the thought of
another Human being actually growing inside her, depending on her for nourishment, protection and love. It was early days yet, less than a month in growth, but still she was certain that she felt just a bit different somehow.
When it became clear that the nausea wasn't going to subside just yet, Erin rose to her feet, quickly donned her underwear, as that was all she had to put on at the moment, and took the few steps into the bathroom.
Though the apartment itself was fully furnished Ron had decided not to move any of Erin's personal effects in until she had agreed to stay there. Which meant that the only clothes she had to wear was the long, satin black dress and embroidered lace shawl that she'd worn to dinner the night before. Once the morning sickness passed, she intended to inform Robyn of her plans and get a few friends to help her transfer her things to the new apartment.
If it weren't for all the changes your body goes through, and of course the excruciatingly painful grand finale, pregnancy would indeed be a wondrous, blissful experience, she mused to herself, leaning over the sink to empty her stomach yet again.
Several minutes passed before Erin was able to go more than a few seconds without vomiting. As she sipped a glass of odd-tasting tap water, which was something she didn't generally do - after all, one never knows what the Taelons have been tampering with - she returned to the bedroom and caught sight of her reflection in the full-length, wooden framed mirror that stood beside the window.
She had never been one to stare at her own image, searching for non-existent flaws or admiring the perfection of her shapely form. But this morning she felt a need to. Setting the glass down on the nightstand, she walked slowly to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to allow a stream of early morning light to illuminate the darkened room, and stood before the mirror.
The strong, pine scent of the wood reminded her of the rocking chair her father used to sit in when she was little, reading her a bedtime story as she sat on his lap. That was one of the few memories of him that she cherished to this day, some 17 years later.
The fond smile that had curved her lips soon melted though, as Erin's brow set in concentration, contemplating the flat of her stomach. Turning to the side, she ran her hand over the smooth, cool flesh, as if expecting to see or feel some sort of change there. But, not surprisingly, she didn't detect anything out of the ordinary.
Ever since the doctor had confirmed her suspicions three says ago, she had gone through a myriad of emotions. From the initial shock, to disbelief, to terror and finally joy. Strangely though, she wasn't too surprised that it had happened.
She and Ron had been sleeping together ever since the night of their first meeting and not once had they used any protection. With no risk of disease, the Implant had insisted that they not. It was as if he had actually been trying to get her pregnant.
The quesition is, why? Erin asked herself, turning away from the mirror to collect the rest of her clothes, which lay on a chair beside the door.
She knew that Ronald already had a son, somewhere, one that he was having no luck finding. But he had also told her that he didn't believe in bringing another child into the world while it was being controlled by the Taelons. He didn't want the Companions using or harming said child just because it was a member of his bloodline.
And as for Erin herself? Well, being a mother was not high on her list of hopes for the future. At twenty-two she wasn't even certain if her chosen career would take off. She hadn't even thought about marriage yet, let alone motherhood.
Sighing, she finished getting dressed, tied her hair back into a lose braid and left the apartment. There was no use in coming to a decision about what she was going to do until she talked to Ron and taken his feelings into account. If he wanted her to keep the baby, she would. If he wanted her to terminate the pregnancy, well, then she'd end things with him and raise the child on her own. There was absolutely no way that she would ever submit herself to such a cruel act, not if she had a choice.
***
Com-tech labs, 6:39 a.m.
The tick-tock of the clock on the waiting room wall was beginning to get to Liam, irritating his frayed, on-edge nerves, as he paced restlessly back and forth on the gray carpet.
Ahh. Why is it taking so long?!
Sandoval had been in surgery for over an hour now and no one would tell him anything. The occasional nurse would stop by to offer the anxious Major some soothing herbal tea and a magazine to read, but other than that everyone was giving him his space.
In keeping with his rather 'odd' behavior of late, Zo'or was considerably apathetic when told of the news of his Protector's fatal injury. However, Da'an and several of the Volunteers that worked the closest to Sandoval had been a little more concerned.
The thought of contacting Erin had briefly occupied Liam's frantic mind; she did deserve to know after all. But he'd eventually decided against it. There was no need to worry her. And Liam still wasn't entirely certain as to the exact nature of his father's association with the young student. That night in the shuttle was the only evidence he had that they were lovers, but it was more likely that it had just been a one-time thing. Liam found it hard to believe otherwise.
"Liam?"
Whirling around at the almost-whispered word, Liam demanded, "Is he all right?"
Doctor Park's weary face was grim as she took a deep breath and answered...
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