Published: 15 Dec 2016

Elusive Comfort

Something Wicked, Something New

“Alex, I’ve got your coffee right here. How are you guys doing this morning?” Andrew asked pleasantly as he handed Alex his cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” Alex said with a grateful smile as he accepted the cup.

“Best be checking things out around here mate. We’ve been robbed.” Spike said simply as he walked to the coffee maker to fix himself a cup.

“Don’t worry Spike. You weren’t robbed, you’ve just got a new room in the new wing. All your things are in there.” Alan said from the stove where he was beginning to make breakfast.

“How did you manage to get the things out of our room while we were sleeping?” Alex asked curiously.

“That’s kind of a long story that’s a little bit hard to believe. Why don’t you just go with it for now and we’ll tell you when you’re finished with your coffee.” Andrew said with a smile.

“Do you want to see your new room? I remember which one is yours. I could show it to you if you want.” Quaid asked hopefully.

“Sure. It looks like we have a few minutes before breakfast is ready.” Alex said with a smile at the boy.

“Would you wake up my dad and Slash and tell them that breakfast will be ready soon?” Andrew asked casually.

“Sure, but I didn’t see Lee in the living room.” Alex said cautiously.

“Quaid will show you where their rooms are, won’t you son?” Andrew asked with a smile.

Quaid beamed at being called son and happily said, “Yeah. Come on and I’ll show you.”

Alan and Andrew both smiled warmly as Quaid led Spike and Alex out of the room.

“Come in.” Warren said cautiously at the knock on the door.

“Good morning Warren.” Kurt said as he entered the room.

“Good morning Kurt. How are you doing today?” Warren asked with a gentle smile as he sat up in bed.

“I am well. I thought I vould come to see if you are prepared to go to breakfast.” Kurt said carefully.

Warren considered for a moment, then said, “I suppose so. It’s just been so nice to lounge around in bed that I hate to get up.”

“Zen do not. Relax and I vill brink breakfast for us so you may enjoy breakfast in bed.” Kurt said simply.

“Oh no Kurt. You don’t have to do that.” Warren said with concern.

“I know zat I do not have to do zis. But I believe zat ve vould boce enjoy doink somesink different. Please allow me to do zis.” Kurt finished hopefully.

Warren was about to refuse, but the expression in Kurt’s eyes finally won him over.

“Okay Kurt. But one of these days very soon, you’ll have to let me pay you back.” Warren said with a smile.

“Please do not let zis cause a sense of obligation between us. Just enjoy ze moment.” Kurt said seriously.

“Agreed.” Warren said quietly.

Kurt nodded, then walked quickly out of the room.

Warren sat looking at the bedroom door for a long moment, then slowly snuggled down in his bed, doing his best to enjoy the gift that Kurt was giving him.

“Here, this is your room!” Quaid said with excitement.

Spike and Alex shared an amused look at the boy’s enthusiasm before walking into the room.

“Oi! Look at all of this.” Spike said in amazement as he looked around.

“That’s my camera… but I left it in Hawaii.” Alex said as he walked to the computer desk where his camera was sitting.

“This duster was destroyed back in SunnyHell.” Spike said as he picked up the black leather duster and put it on.

“Q… I mean, Aunt Jean did all this. She made rooms for all of us… even me.” Quaid said happily.

Both men turned their attention to the boy who was nearly bouncing in his jubilation.

“Let’s go wake up Slash and Lee, we can check this room out later.” Alex said in a gentle voice.

Spike nodded and turned with a swish of his duster to walk out of the room.

Alex smiled at the movement, appreciating how perfectly the duster seemed to accentuate Spike’s individual style.

“Good morning Uncle Hank.” Tara said cautiously as she walked into the biolab.

“I’m in here Tara.” Hank said absently.

Tara walked into the small room to find her uncle completely engrossed in his work.

“I woke up early and thought that I could help you out this morning if you needed anything.” Tara said as she looked curiously at the screen that had her uncle’s undivided attention.

After a long silent moment, Hank absently said, “John Allerdyce will be coming by this morning to begin treatment for a parasitic infection. If you would like, you could gather the things we will need.”

“Sure… but what are you looking at? The cellular structure isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before… or even heard of.” Tara asked as she moved a little closer to look at the microscope’s video display.

“This was originally a blood sample taken from Clark. I began a full-range spectral analysis last night to try and determine the makeup of his blood. But I inadvertently left the scanner running all night long and the sample was repeatedly bombarded with everything from all the ranges of light to x-rays and gamma rays.” Hank said distantly.

“How is it still alive?” Tara asked curiously, then blinked when she saw the sample move.

“I don’t know. The only theory that makes any sense to me is that the blood sample must have converted the various forms of radiation into energy and used them as nourishment to grow.” Hank said grimly.

Tara thought about the statement for a moment, then looked more closely at the display.

“This was a blood sample?” Tara asked in a whisper.

“Last night it was. Now it is a cellular mass. It has differentiated cells and seems to be developing at an accelerated rate.”

Tara took two steps back and said, “A clone.”

Hank turned in his chair and looked at Tara with question.

“The growth and development of the blood sample is making a clone of Clark.” She said as a look of horror filled her expression.

“No. I don’t think…” Hank began to say, then looked at the cellular mass again.

He adjusted the magnification to zoom out a little and looked at the general configuration of the entire mass.

“If this just started growing last night, then we should know if it’s going to develop into an embryo within 48 hours.” Hank said in a low voice.

“Are you going to tell Clark?” Tara asked cautiously.

Hank considered for a moment, then shook his head as he said, “Not until we know for certain. The cellular mass may not develop into anything. It may simply be a growth pattern from the cells being overly fertilized by the radiation bombardment.”

“What will you do if it is a clone?” Tara asked cautiously.

Hank closed his eyes to consider for a moment, then reluctantly said, “I will take the matter to Professor Xavier.”

At Tara’s look of question, he continued, “I have made some unfortunate judgments in the recent past, some of them having to do with ethical questions. I believe that it would be best to preclude making another such error by seeking the Professor’s advice before taking any action.”

Tara nodded her agreement, then quietly asked, “What are you going to do with the sample until then?”

Hank considered for a moment, then said, “If you’ll check the inventory, I believe that you will find that we have an incubation tank in storage. If you’ll take it to the Omega Chamber, I will convert the spectrometer so that it can be used to nourish the cellular mass.”

“I’ll get right to it.” Tara said immediately.

“Hold on Tara.” Hank said quickly.

Tara stopped and looked at her uncle with question.

“Before you do anything else, bring me the rest of Clark’s blood sample. I want to be sure that it is completely destroyed.” Hank said, then glanced at the microscope again.

Tara nodded, then quietly asked, “Uncle Hank? Are we doing the right thing?”

“I don’t know if there is a ‘right thing’ in a circumstance such as this.” Hank said darkly.

Tara gave a small, ironic smile, then left the room to complete her assigned tasks.

As Hank watched the monitor before him, he absently muttered, “I’m not sure if I’m hoping that you’ll live or die.”

“Hello?” Xander said blearily into his cell phone as he tried to come awake.

“Bon jour, mon cour.” The low, husky voice said in reply.

“Remy?” Xander said with excitement as he bolted upright in his bed.

“Oui. How be Marguerite?” Remy asked quickly.

“She’s fine, and just as beautiful as ever.” Xander said as he looked at his sleeping daughter.

“Remy need for de Professor and Warren to be at de mansion tonight.” Remy said quickly, and seemed to be distracted.

“What’s wrong?” Xander asked with immediate panic.

“Remy be home tonight and tell you what he found. Give Marguerite a kiss from Remy. I love you.” Remy finished in a whisper, then the call disconnected.

Xander’s vision was blurred as an unformed tear welled in his eye.

He slowly leaned over the edge of the cradle and gave his daughter the gentlest of kisses, then said, “That’s from your daddy.”

There was a gentle knock on the front door.

As Andrew walked out of the kitchen to answer it, he saw the door open.

“Good Morning Andrew.” Clark said with a happy smile.

“Well, good morning Clark…” Andrew said warmly, then watched as others followed him into the living room.

“It looks like you have the whole crew with you today. How is everyone feeling this morning?” Andrew asked curiously as he looked at Trey, Robert, Bobby, Clark and John with question.

“I think we’re all fine. Robert and Trey are going to regenerate while Bobby and I take John and Slash over to the mansion so Dr. McCoy can look at them.” Clark said as he looked over the group.

“Well, I asked Spike and Alex to wake Slash up a few minutes ago, so he’s probably on his way.” Andrew said, then made a motion for the group to follow him into the kitchen.

“Good morning. Is anyone hungry?” Alan asked as he checked on the babies to see that they were sleeping comfortably.

“Actually, we had breakfast before we came over here.” Clark said apologetically.

“Well, I suppose you could get Trey and Robert settled in while Slash has his breakfast.” Andrew said consideringly, then smiled as he looked at the doorway.

“We got everyone awake.” Quaid said proudly.

“Except Slash.” Alex said with a barely restrained smile.

“Oh yeah. I went in to wake up Uncle Joe and he was showering.” Quaid finished with a giggle.

“And someone had to go into the bathroom to tell him that breakfast was almost ready.” Alex said with a smirk.

“Uh huh… did you know that Uncle Joe screams like a girl?” Quaid asked with an innocent expression.

“Well thank you for passing on the message, Quaid. That was a big help.” Andrew said as he squatted down so he could hug his newest son properly.

“Uncle Alex did most of it.” Quaid reluctantly admitted.

“But I wouldn’t have known which rooms to go to without your help.” Alex said from the kitchen doorway with Spike at his side.

“You see? You were a lot of help. Now have a seat at the table. I bet you’re hungry.” Andrew said as he released Quaid from the hug.

“We’ll stop by to get Slash when we’ve got these guys tucked in.” Clark said with a grin as he led his group out of the kitchen.

“Do you think it’s time for the bacon?” Alan asked as he looked at Spike, Alex and Quaid sitting at the table.

“Yep. You start that and I’ll start the eggs. I’m sure by the time we’re finished we’ll have the whole squad here.”

Warren was surprised to see Kurt enter through the bedroom door.

Kurt must have noticed his curious expression, because as he was carrying the tray, he said, “Ze odor zat accompanies my teleport might make your breakfast less enjoyable.”

“Thank you Kurt. That was very considerate of you. Did you bring enough for both of us?” Warren asked as he looked over the plate of food that Kurt was placing before him.

“I brought some extra toast for myself.” Kurt said as he pulled a chair over beside the bed.

Warren smiled warmly at Kurt and said, “I don’t know if you realize just how much this means to me. No one has done anything like this for me in… I can’t actually remember the last time.”

“With ze added responsibilities I vill be facing at ze new college, I do not know zat I vill be able to do such a sing again in ze future.” Kurt said with concern.

“I think that if you establish your priorities early on, that you should be able to meet your professional obligations while maintaining a personal life.” Warren said, then began to eat his breakfast.

Kurt considered the words for a moment, then said, “I haff had very little of vaht you vould call a personal life up to now. I haff been very isolated unt alone.”

Warren swallowed, then took a sip of his coffee before saying, “Then maybe we can work that out while you’re getting settled into your new role.”

Kurt looked at Warren with question as he took a small bite of toast.

“You’re just starting out a whole new life for yourself. Let’s make sure we get it right.” Warren said gently.

“Perhaps if vee can include activities such as zis, I vill be able to feel content in my new position.” Kurt said slowly.

“I have to travel quite a bit with my job. But when I’m in the area, we’ll be sure to make time to meet. I have the feeling that it will do us both a lot of good to spend the time together.” Warren said honestly.

“And perhaps vee could invite Jimmy to join us on some of zose occasions.” Kurt said, then looked at Warren with question.

“Yes. And I’ve decided to stay around here for the rest of the weekend. Let’s see if we can come up with something that the three of us can do together.” Warren said gently.

“I believe Jimmy vould enjoy zat as vell. He seems to enjoy our company.” Kurt said with a smile.

Warren slowly chewed his food, then swallowed before saying, “I think with the size of his family, Jimmy may just appreciate receiving individual attention. I don’t think his parents neglect him, or anything like that. But when he’s with us, maybe he feels like his getting attention doesn’t take away from his siblings.”

“Or perhaps he enjoys our company.” Kurt said frankly.

Warren looked at Kurt with surprise, then broke into a smile.

“Yeah. Now that you mention it. I think he does.”

“Father, Dad. My alcove seems to be… missing.” Trey said from the kitchen doorway, obviously fighting to keep his ‘Borg’ persona in place to hide his worry.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Trey. I should have thought to mention that to you. Your alcove has been moved to your room in the new wing.” Andrew said as he kept a close watch on his cooking.

“The new rooms have been completed?” Trey asked cautiously.

Andrew looked down at the eggs with frustration, then glanced over to the table and asked, “Quaid, would you mind showing Trey where his new room is?”

The look on Quaid’s face was nothing less than pure joy.

He hopped up from his place at the table and ran to Trey’s side.

“Come on. I’ll show you where your room is.” Quaid said as he was nearly vibrating with his enthusiasm.

Clark and John both looked at Andrew with warm smiles before following Trey and Quaid out of the room.

“Mornin Andy.” Xander said casually as he walked into the kitchen with Marguerite in his arms.

“Good morning Xan. You’re in a pretty good mood.” Andrew said cautiously.

“Remy called. He’ll be back tonight.” Xander said with a big smile as he gently placed Marguerite into the crib with Thomas and Chakotay.

“That’s not going to effect the plans for today is it?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“Nope.” Xander said frankly, “Me. Icheb. Janine. Marguerite. Visit Aunt Vada… Consider it done.”

“Thanks Xan.” Andrew said with appreciation as he placed a cup of coffee in front of Xander.

Just then, Icheb walked into the room and Andrew casually asked, “Do you think you’re ready for this son?”

“I am experiencing a sense of apprehension, but I will be able to function adequately.” Icheb said carefully.

“Don’t worry about it Andy. We’ll be fine.” Xander said with a fond sile directed at Icheb.

“Just call if you run into any trouble.” Andrew said seriously, then turned his attention back to his cooking.

“Yes Dad.” Xander said in an exaggerated tone and a roll of his eye.

Quaid walked back into the kitchen and immediately walked to Icheb for a hug.

“I wish I could go with you.” Quaid said in a whine.

Before Icheb could respond, Andrew said, “As soon as Icheb has his driver’s license, you two will be able to go and do things whenever you want.”

Icheb nodded and said, “We will go and do many things. However, today is for Janine. At times it is necessary to pus aside our own desires for the benefit of our family.”

“Okay, Itchy. But can we do something when you get back?” Quaid asked hopefully.

“Perhaps you could compile a list of desirable activities while I am away.” Icheb said thoughtfully.

Quaid giggled and said, “I think it’s funny when you talk ‘Borgy’.”

Icheb smiled at the statement and pulled Quaid back into the hug.

“How are things going this morning Joey?” Andrew asked with a smile at Slash’s sleepy expression.

“I’m good. The shower felt great.” Slash said, then a look of surprise came over his face when Andrew placed a full plate of food before him.

“Thanks!” Slash said in a bewildered tone.

“Enjoy.” Andrew said with a tender smile, then thought to say, “Last night, your hair was white, now it’s black again. What’s up with that?”

“Oh. My mutant power causes my hair to turn white while I sleep. I have to color it each morning.” Slash said between bites of food, and was a little surprised that he didn’t feel uncomfortable discussing his mutant ability.

“Well, just so you know, I liked it the other way too. In case you ever considering leaving it white.” Andrew said casually. “It reminds me of those dandelion fluffs.”

“Oh, that’s just the look every guy wants to have.” Slash said with a chuckle.

Andrew shrugged and said, “I think you could pull it off.”

Before Slash could respond, Clark and John walked into the kitchen.

“I’ll be ready in just a minute.” Slash hurried to say.

“Take your time.” John said casually. “From the way Robert and Bobby were looking at each other, they’ll probably be ‘saying goodbye’ for quite a while.

Clark nodded his wholehearted agreement.

Slash relaxed a little and took the time to really enjoy the breakfast that Andrew and Allen had made him.

“Good morning Tara. How are you today?” Bobby asked quietly.

“I’m good. Come on back to the exam room. I have everything set up for both of you.” Tara said as she gestured toward the door.

“This isn’t anything like visiting the doctor my parents used. The first three hours were spent in his waiting room with two year old women’s magazines.” Slash said as he followed the group.

“Yeah. I never did like visiting doctors much, but this place isn’t so bad.” John said, a little bit nervously.

“It’s going to be fine, John. You already know what’s wrong and what’s going to happen. That’s really the worst part. Now you just have to get through the treatment.” Bobby said encouragingly.

After a moment to think about the words, John quietly said, “Thanks Bobby. Not knowing really is the worst part. At least I don’t have to deal with that.”

“Well thanks guys.” Slash said playfully, then continued, “Now I have to go in there thinking about that!”

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Doof!” John said with a chuckle.

“Yeah. You’re just here for a checkup.” Bobby said with a grin.

“Okay. I guess you’re right. I just haven’t had the best luck with doctors.” Slash said shyly.

The boys all looked at Slash with sympathy. None of them knew what type of experiences he had had, but all of them were sure that he was justified in his uneasiness around doctors.

“Did you start yet?” A voice asked from the doorway.

“No. We just got here.” Clark said, as he looked at Lee uncertainly.

“I wanted to be here for Slash.” Lee explained at Clark’s puzzled look.

“That’s kewl. Bobby and Clark are here for me.” John said with a swell of happiness under his words.

“If you gentlemen are ready, I believe I would like to start with Mr. Allerdyce today.” Dr. McCoy said to the group, then looked at John and asked, “Would you get on the table and remove your shirt?”

“Why?” John asked cautiously.

Hank wasn’t used to his patients questioning his instructions and was brought up short of words.

“I mean, you already know what’s wrong with me and what needs to be done. Right? Why do you need me to get up there without my shirt?” John asked as he looked Dr. McCoy in the eyes.

Hank finally got over his shock at being questioned and quietly said, “Yes. I do know what is causing your illness, but it would be irresponsible of me to administer treatment without first checking your current vital signs. If your blood pressure were elevated, for instance, then I might choose to delay your treatment for a day or two until you had it under control.”

John thought about what Dr. McCoy was saying and finally nodded that he understood.

“I’m sorry Doctor. I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t trust you.” John said timidly.

Dr. McCoy smiled at John and said, “It’s refreshing to be questioned. If you’re ever uncertain or just want to understand what I’m doing, I would prefer that you ask.”

John broke into a smile as he said, “You’d better watch out what you ask for Doc.”

“If you’ll hold still for a moment, I’ll get these readings so I can proceed.” Dr. McCoy said as he took his stethoscope and pressed it to John’s chest.

After a moment of listening to John’s heart, Dr. McCoy checked his blood pressure and did a quick check of his eyes, ears and throat.

“I thought you had scanning equipment that could do all of that.” Clark said as he watched the ‘old fashioned’ examination.

Dr. McCoy turned to look at Clark and quietly said, “Yes. The scanning devices are useful for detecting specific ailments, but I find that the traditional examination is faster and more efficient for determining the overall wellness of the patient. A stethoscope and a well trained ear are still better tools than the most complex scanner… although Andrew’s medical tricorder comes close.”

Before Clark could respond, Hank continued, “Well John, everything seems to be just fine. You can put your shirt on and I’ll get your medication.”

“What’s it going to do to me?” John asked nervously.

“The medication that I’m going to use will make your gastrointestinal tract an unwelcoming environment for the parasite that you’ve picked up. I doubt that you’ll notice any significant effect from the medication today since it is relatively mild, but sometime tomorrow, you may start feeling nauseous. It is also possible that you may experience periods of weakness as the treatment continues.” Hank said as he looked at John seriously.

“Sounds great.” John muttered sarcastically.

“Given the side effects of this treatment, you should probably have someone with you for the next few days.” Hank said as he looked John in the eyes.

“I’ll stay with him.” Clark said immediately, then asked, “Is there anything special that I need to watch out for?”

“It is possible that John’s nausea may lead to vomiting or that he may suddenly become weak and need to be helped to sit down. If he has any symptoms beyond those, you should call me immediately.” Hank said firmly.

“Got it.” Clark said to Hank, then looked at John with sympathy.

“How long am I going to be feeling like shit?” John asked bluntly.

“If you can endure the treatment through Sunday, your unwanted passenger should be expelled. Then we can stop the treatment and you should return to normal relatively quickly. You should be back to yourself by Tuesday or Wednesday, I should think.” Hank said quietly.

“Do it.” John said, almost sounding angry.

Tara was standing by with a cup of pills and another cup filled with water.

Hank took a moment to look at the pills, verifying that they were the appropriate ones, then handed the first cup to John.

“Three days isn’t so bad.” Clark said with encouragement, then continued, “And you should be over it in time for school.”

After finishing the cup of water, John looked at Clark and said, “Right. So I get to be sick and I don’t even get time off from school because of it… lucky me.”

“Stop by sometime tomorrow so I can check your vitals. Besides that, if you have any questions or concerns, please just come to me and ask.” Hank said as he looked John in the eyes.

John chuckled and said, “Yeah. Count on it.”

Hank turned his attention to Slash and said, “I’m ready for you now.”

Slash hesitantly walked to the examination table, then stopped to look around the room.

“Would you guys mind if I saw the doctor alone?” Slash asked with difficulty, feeling that he was being rude to his new family.

“No prob, Slash. We’ll just hang out in the hall until you’re done.” Bobby said immediately.

Clark and John nodded their agreement, none of them looking the least bit offended.

“Does that include me?” Lee asked cautiously.

“No Lee. You can stay.” Slash said shyly.

“Well then, if that’s all sorted, would you remove your shirt and get up on the table?” Hank asked professionally.

About fifteen minutes later, Slash and Lee walked into the hallway side by side.

“How did it go?” Clark asked, concerned by the disturbed expression on Slash’s face.

“Slash is fine. He’s just had some bad experiences with doctors in the past.” Lee said carefully.

“I don’t want to lie.” Slash muttered.

Lee couldn’t tell if the statement was directed at him, so he looked at Slash with question to see exactly what he wanted to do.

After a moment lost in thought, Slash looked around the group and said, “Doctor McCoy said that because of… some stuff, my hormones are kind of out of whack. He’s going to do some checking and tests and stuff to be sure, but it’s possible that I’m going to have to have some kind of treatment for it.”

Clark, Bobby and John looked at each other, none really knowing how a hormone imbalance would manifest or what the treatment would be like.

Lee noticed their confusion and said, “It’s too early to even worry about that. From the way Hank described it, if he decides that Slash really does need some kind of treatment, it won’t be anything to worry about. It’ll be something as simple as taking a pill each morning.”

“Oh. Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Clark said consideringly.

“For the rest of my life.” Slash said darkly.

Silence fell over the group for a moment, until John said, “There are people all over the place that have to take medicine for their whole lives. As long as it does what it’s supposed to, what’s the problem?”

Slash looked hesitantly at John and said, “I just don’t want to be dependant on a drug like that.”

“Who does?” John asked frankly.

At Slash’s look of surprise and question, John continued, “Sometimes you don’t get a choice about things like this. You just have to deal with it.”

Lee looked at Slash and reluctantly nodded his agreement with John’s words.

After a moment to consider, Slash said, “I guess so. Thanks for being here for me… and for being honest.”

Clark looked Slash in the eyes and said, “Those are two things you can always count on Slash… Always.”

Slash broke into a smile as he nodded.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but this is the only thing I had planned to do today.” Bobby said as he looked around the group, effectively changing the subject.

“We’re just kind of waiting on Trey to regenerate.” Clark said, then looked at John with question.

“I don’t have any plans.” Lee said with a glance at Slash.

“Walk to the boathouse?” John suggested cautiously.

“Sounds good.” Clark said with a smile.

“I’m in.” Slash said, sounding much closer to his usual, carefree self.

Since everyone seemed to be in agreement, Bobby turned and led the way.

//Scott, mobilize the X-Men for an urgent mission.//

//What’s going on Professor?//

//One of the genetic researchers at the South African facility apparently decided to do some homework on a variant of the X-Gene Virus. Even though he was dispatched, his private lab still exists. It appears that while his lab assistants were packing his things, they unwittingly released the virus. Gather your team and get there as quickly as possible. Every minute of delay increases the possibility that we will be unable to contain the spread of the virus.//

//Will you call Dr. McCoy, Storm, Portal and Wolverine to the hanger bay and fill them in?// Scott asked seriously.

//I will summon them now. Please hurry Scott.//

Andrew appeared beside Scott a moment later with a look of panic in his eyes.

“Portal, get with the professor to find out where we’re going. You’re our transportation.” Scott said as he finished pulling on his boots.

“I’m on it.” Andrew said as he hurried to his locker to start changing.

“What do you need me to do Cyke?” Matt asked as he rushed into the room.

“Wolverine, you’ll be in charge of securing our perimeter. The virus has gotten loose again and there may only be this one chance to contain it. Let the professor know who you’ll need to help you and he’ll call them.” Cyclops said firmly.

“Got it.” Matt said as he skinned out of his clothes.

As Cyclops walked out of the locker room, he saw Dr. McCoy rushing into the room at a hurried pace.

“Hank, your code name will be Beast. You’ll be in charge of identifying and containing this thing. We need to make sure that there’s no trace of it left for someone else to find. Let the professor know who’ll you’ll need to ensure that this damned virus is finally wiped out.” Cyclops said firmly.

“Will I also be in charge of seeing that the technical data is destroyed?” Hank asked cautiously.

“Yes. Bring whoever you might need to deal with it.” Cyclops said firmly, then noticed Storm walking out of the women’s locker room.

“Storm, I’ll need you to stick with me to assess the situation. Since we’ll be in your home country, you might notice something significant that I would overlook.” Cyclops said seriously.

A firm nod was Storm’s only reply as she watched Tara rush into the room then into the women’s locker room.

//Portal, Trey is requesting that you form a portal from his bedroom at the boathouse.// Professor X sent telepathically.

Andrew was surprised by the request but immediately cast his mind out and created a portal.

“How may I be of assistance?” Trey asked cautiously as he stepped out of the portal. He was wearing his large ocular implant and had a device that covered the majority of his left arm.

“Wait a moment for Tara to join us, then come to the MedLab with me and get into a containment suit.” Hank said seriously.

“I’ll open a portal to MedLab for you.” Andrew said as he gestured to a portal forming beside them.

John and Bobby hurried into the room and looked at Scott with matching expressions of question.

“Who called for fire and ice?” Cyclops asked as he looked around the increasing gathering.

“I did. These guys can back me up.” Wolverine said seriously.

“Iceman, Pyro. Suit up.” Cyclops said as he gestured toward the men’s locker room.

“Bobby! Wait!” A voice said from the door of the hanger bay.

“Robby? You can’t go with me. You need to stay here and protect our baby.” Bobby said as he stepped to Robert’s side.

“Yes. I will. I just wanted to give you this before you go.” Robert said as he presented Bobby with a small silvery piece of cloth.

Bobby unfolded the cloth, then looked at Robert with confusion at the pair of shorts in his hand that essentially looked like a silver speedo.

“If there is a need to manifest your full power, this material should be able to withstand the extreme cold.” Robert said carefully.

“Thanks Robby.” Bobby said with a smile and gave Robert a quick but firm kiss.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Clark asked hopefully from the doorway.

Cyclops was about to refuse when he realized why Clark was really there. Both John and Trey were being included on the mission and Clark didn’t want them to go into danger without him.

“Sure Clark, you can be on the team. You’ll need a code name, do you want to be called ‘Heat Vision’?” Cyclops asked seriously.

“No, that’s just going to be for my writing. How would you feel… I mean, would it be alright if I went ahead and used the name Superman?” Clark asked hesitantly.

“Superman it is. But I’m afraid I don’t have any red and blue tights for you to wear.” Cyclops said with a teasing smile.

“Good.” Clark said with a chuckle, then asked, “What can I do to help?”

“When we get there, stick with me. If I see something that needs to be done, you’ll be the one doing it.” Cyclops said seriously, back to his full professional persona.

Hank, Trey and Tara stepped out of the medlab portal wearing bright yellow containment suits at the same time Bobby and John rushed back from the locker room.

“Portal, you’re up.” Cyclops said seriously.

Andrew nodded, then concentrated to form the distant portal.

Even though it didn’t necessarily stretch his abilities to form the portal, it still took quite a bit of power and concentration.

“Wolverine.” Cyclops said and motioned for him to go first.

Cautiously, Wolverine stepped through the portal, followed closely by Pyro and Iceman.

As Beast started walking toward the portal, Cyclops held up his hand and shook his head.

“Wait until we get the all clear. It won’t help anyone if you step through the portal and get shot.” Cyclops said seriously.

Beast nodded that he heard, since talking through the biosuit was somewhat bothersome.

“Perimeter secure.” Wolverine said through the portal.

“Beast, Sprite and 3 of 7, check out the lab.” Cyclops said and gestured toward the portal for them to go.

“Portal, Storm and Superman, you’re with me.” Cyclops said, then stepped through the swirling vortex.

“Beast, do you think it will be safe for us to go into the house?” Cyclops asked into his communicator.

After a long moment of silence, Beast answered, “There is truly no way to know how infectious this strain of the virus is. The possibility of infection existed the moment you stepped through the portal, I don’t think going into the house will increase the risk.”

“Thanks for the pep talk Beast. We’re going to check out the house.” Cyclops said, then motioned for Storm and Superman to walk with him.

“Where do you need me?” Portal asked seriously.

“Right here for now. You can function as both our lookout and escape route.” Cyclops said as he turned to leave.

“Call if you need me.” Portal said as he watched them walk away.

“Count on it.” Cyclops said seriously, without turning back.

“It looks so… normal.” Clark said in surprise as he walked around the neat little living room.

“You expected it to be otherwise?” Orroro asked cautiously.

“Well, yeah. This is Africa… I guess I just… I don’t know…” Clark said uncomfortably.

“You expected to see mud huts in the Serengeti?” Orroro asked frankly.

“Well, yeah. And starving babies with swelled out bellies.” Clark said in an apologetic tone.

Orroro looked Clark in the eyes as she said, “The Serengeti does exist here and unfortunately, so does the reality of hunger. But there is so much more to Africa than that limited vision. I suppose it would be like looking at the United States as being New York and Los Angeles with a rural area in between where the Dukes of Hazard live.”

Clark smiled at the statement, then turned as he heard a sound.

“What is it?” Orroro asked immediately.

“I thought I heard something.” Clark said as he walked toward the room to investigate.

“Wait. Cyclops, come over here.” Storm said seriously.

“Did you find something?” Cyclops asked as he walked from the other side of the room where he had been looking at the items on a desk.

“Superman believes he heard something from that room.” Storm said as she pointed.

“I’ll check it out, Superman, be ready to back me up.” Cyclops said as he put his hand to the side of his visor and walked carefully into the next room.

Clark waited apprehensively for Scott to say or do something.

“Oh no.” Cyclops said as he rushed out of the room.

“What’s wrong?” Clark asked with concern.

Scott held up his hand, then hit his communicator and called out, “Beast, I need you over here in the house. There’s a kid here and he’s in pretty bad shape.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m afraid that if he is infected, there is a larger concern.” Hank said seriously.

Cyclops froze at the statement, then shook his head and said, “I understand that. But isn’t there something you can do for this boy?”

“I am unable to leave what I am doing, but perhaps Portal may be of assistance to you.” Hank said with regret.

“Right… and I’ll see to the quarantine measures.” Cyclops said reluctantly.

“Yes. The entire team.” Hank said with resignation.

“Mama?” A small voice called out from the next room, then broke into a fit of coughing.

Clark started walking toward the door, but stopped at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder.

“You can’t go in there. He’s infected.” Cyclops said with pain and regret.

“Listen Scott, I’ve never been sick. It’s possible that I can’t become sick. And if this is the virus that attacks the X-gene, it shouldn’t effect me at all.” Clark said seriously.

“The original strain of this virus mutated so that it effected non-mutants. Clark, I made a promise to your parents… to our parents, that I’d watch out for you.” Scott said in an imploring tone.

“I understand that, but there’s a sick kid in there that doesn’t have anyone to watch out for him. Do whatever you need to do, but I’m going in there.” Clark said, then started walking away.

After a moment to get over the shock of Clark standing up to him, Scott turned to Orroro and said, “Find out as much information about the boy as you can. I’m going to call Andrew.”

“Scott, I believe that Clark is doing the right thing. It would be wrong for the child to have to suffer through his last moments alone.” Orroro said softly.

Cyclops reluctantly nodded, then hit his communicator as he said, “Portal, I need you and your MedKit in the house.”

“I’m on my way.” Andrew said immediately.

“…One more thing…” Scott said reluctantly.

“What’s that?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“Close the vortex. We can’t go back.”

“What do you need?” Andrew asked as he hurried into the room.

“There’s a small boy in there… I’m pretty sure he’s got the virus.” Scott said in a pained voice.

“I’ll look at him, but I don’t know what you expect me to do.” Andrew said helplessly.

“Do what you can. Ease his suffering.” Scott said quietly.

Andrew nodded and turned toward the door to find Clark with the boy held in his arms.

“Please help him.” Clark said with tears running down his cheeks.

“Hold still.” Andrew said as he started scanning the pale little boy.

“I’m sorry… I threw up.” The boy said in a small trembling voice.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll clean it up.” Clark said past the lump in his throat, then leaned down to kiss the boy on the top of the head.

“Where’s my mama?” the boy asked as he looked at the strangers in his home.

“I really don’t know.” Clark whispered as he held the boy a little tighter.

“Cyclops.” Orroro called out from another doorway.

Scott walked to Orroro’s side then looked into the room.

“She’s dead.” Orroro whispered.

Scott nodded, then fought to ask past the lump in his throat, “Did you find any information?”

“Not as yet. I just thought you should know.” Orroro said quietly.

“I need to get him to the MedLab.” Andrew said as he walked to Scott’s side.

“We can’t go back. We’ll infect the mansion.” Scott said with regret.

“I can take him to the containment room. I need to get him on an IV right away.” Andrew said seriously.

“Hold on, I’ll see what I can do.” Scott said reluctantly, then cast his mind out to call to the Professor.

//Professor. The situation here is pretty bad. Andrew wants to take this boy back with us, but we’ll risk infecting everyone in the mansion if we do.// Scott sent with regret.

//I am in the process of locking down the MedLab so your team may return. Make sure the area is sterilized before you leave.// Professor Xavier sent professionally.

//Thank you Professor. I’ll take care of it.// Cyclops sent, feeling somewhat assured.

“Portal and Superman, when the Professor gives you the signal, take the child to the containment room and do whatever you can for him.” Cyclops said seriously.

“Thank you.” Clark said in a whisper.

Cyclops hit his communicator and said, “Storm, report to Wolverine. He may need your help making the sterilization look like an act of nature.”

Orroro walked out of the bedroom carrying a manila folder.

“Here is all the information I could find about the boy. I will go now.” Storm said as she handed the folder to Andrew.

Scott nodded and watched her go.

“Beast, how much time before your team is done?” Cyclops asked seriously.

“The computer information has been deleted and we are nearly finished neutralizing the samples, but the escaped virus will still need to be dealt with.” Hank said with concern.

“We’re going to sterilize the entire compound as soon as you’re finished.” Cyclops said decisively.

“Understood. We’ll be leaving the lab in one minute.” Hank said firmly.

Cyclops watched as Andrew created a portal. Clark carried the boy through the vortex, still holding him close to his chest.

“I need to go with him.” Andrew said cautiously.

“I know. I’ll call for a portal when we’re finished.”

“Wolverine, gather your team outside the lab. I’ll meet you there in one minute.” Cyclops said firmly.

“On our way.” Wolverine said immediately.

After one last look around the home, Scott walked for the door.

“We’re going to take care of you. Everything is going to be fine.” Clark said as he stroked the boy’s sweat slicked brown hair.

The boy looked at Clark with question for a moment and it seemed like he was going to say something, but then he started coughing again.

“Can’t you give him something for the cough?” Clark asked desperately.

“Yeah. But I need to get him on an IV first. I don’t know how long he’s been sick, but he’s dangerously dehydrated.” Andrew said as he pushed a needle into the boy’s vein.

The boy winced at the sudden jab.

“It’s okay. He’s just trying to help you get better.” Clark said in a pained whisper.

The boy nodded cautiously that he understood.

“What’s your name?” Clark asked gently.

“Gar.” The boy said, then broke into a fit of coughing.

“Let’s try this.” Andrew said quickly as he pressed a hypospray to Gar’s neck.

A moment later Gar stopped coughing and looked at Andrew with wonder.

“Oh good. I wasn’t sure that would work on a Human.” Andrew said with relief.

Clark looked at Andrew with surprise at the statement.

“Hold still a second Gar and I’ll get a blood sample. I won’t be able to do much with it, but it might be able to tell Dr. McCoy something when he gets back.” Andrew said as he pressed the hypospray to Gar’s upper arm.

“Don’t worry about the blood sample. It doesn’t hurt a bit.” Clark said to Gar with assurance.

“Okay.” Gar said weakly, then quietly asked, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Clark.”

Gar giggled and said, “That’s a funny name.”

“I think Gar is a funny name too. Is it short for something else?” Clark asked with a gentle smile.

“Yeah. Garfield.” Gar said with a crinkled nose, then asked, “Is Clark short for something?”

“Nope. Just Clark.”

“What’s that?” Gar asked as he pointed.

Clark turned and saw that a vortex had formed behind them.

“That’s just a way that we can travel. It’s called a portal.” Clark said gently.

“Come on John, you need to sit down.” Bobby said as he walked through the portal on one side of John.

“Perhaps if we were to find a private place, I could endeavor to relax John.” Trey said through the speaker in his biosuit.

“Yeah, let’s do that. I love the way you relax me. Hey Clark! Come on over here so you can relax me too!” John said with an elated giggle.

“Is he okay?” Clark asked with concern.

“Power rush. He had to create this really big, really hot fire to sterilize the entire compound and it kind of went to his head.” Bobby said as he guided John to a chair.

“It was such a fucking rush!” John said through his chuckles.

Matt walked through the portal next with his arm around Orroro, supporting most of her weight.

“Is Storm okay?” Andrew asked with concern.

“She was concentrating the winds on the compound to make John’s fire into a firestorm while keeping it from spreading out of control. It took a lot of concentration.” Matt said as he helped Orroro into a chair.

“He’s still alive?” Hank asked as he stepped through the portal, followed by Tara and Scott.

“Yes. I’ve been able to relieve the worst of his symptoms, but there’s no way he’s going to be able to fight off this virus.” Andrew said frankly.

“Since he has lived this long, perhaps there is a reason to hope. I’ll need a blood sample.” Hank said firmly, his voice sounding ‘tinny’ through the speaker in his biosuit.

Andrew handed the blood sample to Hank without comment.

“Tara, bring the samples we collected. Trey, I will need the computer files detailing the specifications of each strain.” Hank said as he rushed out of the biolab.

“What is that?” Gar asked as he stared at Hank getting out of his biosuit in the foyer of the containment room.

“Oh, that’s Beast. He’s our doctor, his name is really Hank.” Clark said frankly.

Gar stared out the window for a moment, then whispered, “He’s kinda pretty.”

Clark smiled at the young boy’s words, then said, “Yeah, I guess he is.”

“What’s the verdict Hank?” Andrew asked hopefully through the containment room’s speaker into the main lab.

“A moment.” Hank said as he studied the computer files that Trey had retrieved.

“The boy is asleep right now, he’s weak, but it looks like his body may be fighting it off.” Andrew said hopefully.

“I believe this strain of the virus is an influenza variant. It’s designed to kill the host more slowly than the main virus, thus providing more of an opportunity to spread the infection before the host dies. He will most likely appear to improve and become coherent before the final stage of the virus kills him.” Hank said, then made an adjustment to the view on his computer screen.

Andrew shook his head and said, “Before I saw this, I just thought that bad things happened because people sometimes make self-serving choices. But knowing that someone created this, knowing full well the pain and suffering it would cause… seeing this proves to me that evil truly does exist.”

“Andrew, will you check to see if the boy’s fever has broken?” Hank asked as he concentrated on the details of the different variant viruses before him.

“Yeah.” Andrew said quickly.

“How’s he doing?” Andrew asked as he walked to Clark’s side.

“Not good. He’s sweating and he seems to be in pain.” Clark said quietly.

Andrew ran a quick scan, then put a hand on Clark’s shoulder as he said, “We’ll do whatever we can for him.”

“I know. I just wish there was something more I could do.” Clark said quietly.

Andrew nodded as he walked to the window so he could face Hank in the BioLab while talking to him.

“No, his fever hasn’t broken.” Andrew said quietly.

“Good.” Hank said as he kept his focus on the computer screen before him.

“Good? Do you mean that there’s something you can do to help him?” Andrew asked hopefully.

“No. Unfortunately it’s too late for that.” Hank said with apology.

“Then what’s good?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“It’s good that he hasn’t progressed into stage 3. That’s when the true horror of the virus will begin to manifest, right now it’s simply behaving like the flu.” Hank said reluctantly.

Andrew looked at Hank with question, but couldn’t find the will to ask what horrors lay in store for the boy.

“Gather everyone. I know which strain of the virus we’re dealing with now, so we can take the proper steps to deal with it.” Hank said seriously.

Andrew walked around the containment room and gathered everyone to join him at the window.

When everyone was assembled, Hank said, “This variant of the virus can be countered with the anti-viral agents that we have developed. A simple inoculation should be able to prevent any members of the team from contracting the virus.”

“What about Gar?” Clark asked with concern as he glanced back to the boy in the bed.

“I’m afraid that his condition has progressed beyond the point where the anti-virals can be of any benefit.” Hank said gravely.

“Isn’t there anything you can do for him?” Andrew asked desperately.

“Let’s begin the inoculations.” Hank said in a quieter voice, then with Tara at his side, walked to the foyer of the containment room to change back into his biosuit.

“Everyone, you will need to stay in the containment room for observation for just a while longer. Make yourselves comfortable while the anti-virus does it’s job.” Hank said seriously through the biosuit’s speaker.

“What about Gar? Isn’t there anything you can do for him?” Clark asked desperately.

“I’m sorry Clark. The only possible thing that might be of help to him is the counter-virus that was created to enhance the X-gene. Leaving aside the ethical considerations of pursuing that option, I can say with near certainty that the boy wouldn’t be able to survive the side effects of that added viral infection.” Hank said seriously.

Andrew glanced at Hank with question at the analysis. Before he could think better of it, Andrew cautiously asked, “Isn’t that the virus that you and Jean were infected with?”

“Yes.” Beast said as he looked at Andrew darkly.

“And the beneficial virus, is it still alive and active in your body?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“Yes. But it is more or less dormant since my X-gene has undergone complete enhancement.” Hank said carefully.

“Right, but that dormant version of the virus… wouldn’t it be possible to create some sort of slow acting cure for Gar based on that? You know, rather than hitting him full-force with a concentrated dose of the active virus.” Andrew asked speculatively.

Hank considered for a moment, then slowly nodded before saying, “There are a number of factors that might prevent this from working, but if we begin now, there is at least a possibility of doing something for the boy.”

“Just tell me what I can do to help.” Andrew said with determination.

“Can your scanning device detect the X-gene?” Hank asked seriously.

“Yes. I’ve made a preset test mode for that.” Andrew said immediately.

“Good. If we’re lucky, the child has the X-gene dormant in his body. And if that is the case, then we at least have a chance.” Hank said, then moved quickly toward the containment room door.

“Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help him.” Clark said immediately from Andrew’s side.

“Just stick with me for the moment and I’ll let you know.” Andrew said, then with tricorder in hand, walked back to Gar’s bedside.

“Good news.” Andrew said as he looked at the results on his tricorder.

“He’s a mutant?” Clark asked hopefully.

“That’s right. His X-gene is sitting there, just waiting to be activated.” Andrew said with a relieved smile.

“So if Doctor McCoy can make the cure, he should be alright?” Clark asked as his excitement increased.

Andrew thought about the question, then started to slowly shake his head.

“What’s wrong?” Clark asked with concern at Andrew’s reaction.

“The cure… from a certain point of view it could be seen as being worse than the disease.” Andrew said as he slowly met Clark’s concerned gaze.

“Why? What will happen?” Clark asked desperately.

“I don’t know. But before Dr. McCoy got the virus, he looked just like an average non-mutant person. It physically changed him into the beast that he is now.” Andrew said with pain at saying the words.

“At least he’ll be alive.” Clark said in a small voice.

“As I understand it, when Jean Grey was infected with exactly the same virus as Hank, her mental and extra-sensory abilities grew beyond a point that anyone could understand. She had to leave Earth because she was too powerful to exist here.” Andrew said quietly.

“So something like that could happen to Gar?” Clark asked in a whisper.

“Yes. Actually, anything could happen. I think it all depends on what kind of mutation he has in his dormant X-gene. And as far as I know, there isn’t any way to predict what mutant ability, if any, he would have.”

“What should we do?” Clark asked, obviously afraid of the answer.

“I don’t have an answer for that, I’m just saying that we need to at least consider the consequences before we end up making matters a whole lot worse. Would it be worse for him to die a quick death or to suffer for decades in a severely mutated form?” Andrew asked slowly.

“Let me talk to Gar for a minute. I’ll try to explain it to him and see what he says.” Clark said quietly.

“I could do it if you want.” Andrew said, seeing the pain in Clark’s eyes.

“No. I promised him that I’d take care of him. I’ll do it. And besides, if he says that he doesn’t want the treatment, then it’ll save Dr. McCoy a lot of time and trouble.” Clark finished with a forced smile.

“Don’t let Hank’s attitude throw you off. I know him well enough to say that he would do ANYTHING to cure Gar.” Andrew said seriously.

Clark nodded, then took the few steps to stand by Garfield’s bed.

“Gar. I need you to wake up, just for a minute.” Clark said as he gently shook the boy’s shoulder.

“Clark?” Gar asked weakly.

“Yeah. It’s me. I need to ask you something really serious.” Clark said as he looked into the boy’s eyes.

“Okay.” Gar said in a whisper.

“You know the big blue furry doctor that you saw before?” Clark asked in a leading tone.

“Yeah. Beast.” Gar said slowly.

“Right. What I need to know is how you’d feel if something like that happened to you.” Clark asked seriously.

“Like what?” Gar asked in confusion.

“Like if you woke up and you were blue or furry or something else really different like that.” Clark said with concern.

Gar looked into Clark’s eyes for a moment, searching for his reason for asking the question.

Finally Gar said, “I guess if that happened, it’d be okay. As long as I could live where you and Beast are. That way I wouldn’t be alone.”

Clark smiled at the answer and said, “Thanks Gar. That’s what I needed to know. Try to get some sleep so you can get better.”

“Clark? Where’s my mama?” Gar asked quickly.

“I don’t know Gar. Let me see if I can find out and I’ll tell you when you wake up.” Clark said gently.

Gar reluctantly nodded, then closed his eyes.

Clark walked to the window of the containment room and said, “He said he wants to do it.”

“Excuse me?” Hank asked with surprise.

“I talked to Gar and asked him how he would feel if he woke up and he was blue or had fur or anything like that. He said that as long as he had you and me around, he wouldn’t mind.” Clark said in a rush.

“Why would he want me?” Hank asked cautiously.

“He thinks you’re pretty.” Clark said with a chuckle.

Hank thought about the words for a moment, then nodded with resolve.

“I can’t be sure if this will even work. The boy has the X gene, but since he hasn’t reached puberty yet, it’s dormant… I am certain that the virus will activate the X gene. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine what will happen to him.”

“So he’s going to get his mutant powers a little early?” Clark asked cautiously.

Hank shook his head and said, “More than that. Whatever mutant ability he might have had before will be augmented somewhere between a hundred and a thousand times.”

“But the other choice is to let him die?” Clark asked quietly.

Hank looked at Clark through the heavy glass and nodded.

As Hank began to gather the things he would need, he noticed the time.

“Andrew, while I attend to administering treatment to the child, would you do something for me?” Hank asked hopefully.

“Sure. What can I do?” Andrew asked immediately.

“The anti-viral treatment should have worked by now. I’ve developed a blood test to detect the virus. If you’ll gather blood samples from everyone, Tara can run the test and we can begin clearing people to leave the containment room.” Hank said seriously.

“Sure, that sounds simple enough.” Andrew said happily.

“Tara? I’m going to need you in the containment room.” Hank called as he looked around.

“I’m right here.” Tara said shyly as she stepped to Andrew’s side.

Andrew jumped at the sound, then said in a chuckle, “Even wearing a bright yellow suit, she can still blend into the background.”

Tara shyly smiled at Andrew’s comment, then looked at her uncle with question.

“I need for you to help Andrew draw blood on everyone, then run the X-Virus test. If all the tests come back negative, we can clear people to leave the containment room.” Hank said seriously.

Tara nodded, then looked to Andrew with question.

“Clark, we’re cleared to leave.” John said with concern.

“I’m staying here with Gar.” Clark said immediately, then reached down to smooth the boy’s sweat soaked hair.

“Then we’ll stay with you.” John said, glancing at Trey and Bobby with question.

Clark thought for a moment as he gently petted Gar, then he quietly said, “No. I’d rather you go for now. It could be days before we even know if this is going to work.”

“Then maybe we could come back later and stay with him so you could have a break?” John asked cautiously.

Clark looked at John with love and unshed tears in his eyes as he said, “That would be great.”

“Call us immediately if you are in need of anything.” Trey said seriously.

“I will. I promise.” Clark said with a forced smile.

“And call us if there’s any change in his condition.” Bobby said in a whisper.

Clark nodded that he would, then looked down at Gar with concern as he seemed to be twitching in his sleep.

“Come on guys.” Bobby said, and urged John and Trey to walk with him out of the containment room.

Clark had his full attention focused on Gar, feeling the tiniest jerking movements just under Gar’s skin.

He bit his lip, wondering if this was a symptom of the virus, the counter-virus or a manifestation of the battle going on inside the frail boy.

As Clark was about to call Dr. McCoy to check Gar’s condition, he noticed something unusual.

Clark closed his eyes, then looked at the boy again, wanting to be sure that it wasn’t just some combination of the fluorescent lighting and his tired eyes.

But as he watched, there was no disputing what he was seeing.

Gar was turning green.

To Be Continued…

Editor’s Notes:

Well it looks like there has been a serious situation here. I sure hope they can help Gar.

He certainly deserves to live. I wonder if Clark will adopt him. I mean how bad could it be to have a green kid in the family?

Kurt seems to be getting along really well and maybe his life will improve even more.

I am really glad that MultiMapper has updated this story. As always, he brings a special touch to any universe he writes about. I am ready for the next installment.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher