--------------
Title:Magna Maia.
Sequel to Magna Pacella which is a sequel to Magna Skouris which is a sequel to Magna Graecia.
Author:Rodlox.
Summary:Maia in the 4400 Center, watching Shawn at work on Eamon.
Rating:T.
POV:Maia.
Author's note:Eamon Pacella has guest starred in another 4400 fanfic of mine: in the third story of the 'Chat with Ducks' trilogy (http: s 2965545 1 ...in which each space is a / ) This uses slightly different backstory, having no Jordan/Diana history, but Eamon is the same.
Eamon's disability is the opposite from that of Isadore Bell's (who appears in a 4400 fanfic here: http: community. dianamarco 8418.html#cutid1)
For those who aren't familiar with the phrase, "in the before" is a 4400 term for the era prior to when an individual returnee was taken...it started (as far as I know) in the story Working with Rockets.
-------------
"Thank you for coming; we've been expecting you," we're told by a lady who looks like she gives tours around. "This way please." This is what the 4400 Center looks like. I like it. I wonder why mom never let me come here before. Because I was seeing things? Because her bosses didn't like Jordan Collier? I wonder if I can visit here again.
and I see the answer to my wondering. Ohh.
Mom said that I should come too, because we're going to do all together -- like a family, I felt, but didn't say...she'd think I was predicting, and I'm not. So I'm following the lady with mom and Marco and a man that mom says is Marco's cousin. "In here, please," opening a door for us."
"Hey, Maia," Shawn says to me when we walk into his office. "Nice to see you again," shaking my hand over his desk.
I grin and nod. "Hi, Shawn. You clean up good, my mom would say." No big red dots that I can see. He looks momentarily over my head at my mom. I mock-sigh and say, "My mom in the before."
"Gotcha," he says. "Doctor Skouris, welcome to the Center."
"Nice to see you've certainly made it your own," mom says while I sit myself down on one of Shawn's big chairs. Comfy.
"You might be surprised how much of it actually is from before Jordan's death."
"Now that's planning," mom says, and I think she's insulting him - or misunderstanding him.
Coming around from behind his desk,Shawn just shrugs, and shakes Marco's hand. Marco's cousin doesn't offer his hand to Shawn - didn't offer it to me either, Shawn; don't worry. "So, are you ready?" he asks Marco's cousin as he takes a seat alongside the couch where the four of us are arrayed.
"You got your snake oil ready?" is what he's told.
Marco and mom look from one to the other and back, worriedly. But Shawn just says, "Yup," and holds out both hands, resting one on the back of the cousin's right hand, and the other lightly hooked with the fingers of the left hand.
We wait.
Shawn takes a deep breath, and lets go, leaning against his chair. "I'm sorry."
"And I can move...one hand," Marco's cousin said. "Is there supposed to be a delayed reaction here?"
"No."
"Well at least you're honest."
"Has this ever happened before?" mom asks Shawn.
"Once," Shawn says. "She had..." and named something I don't know. "When I couldn't cure her, I felt an itching on one of my arms, and I saw the red dots."
"And you thought it was from that."
Shawn nods.
Everyone's quiet for a while, and then "And Leonard Marks," Marco says.
"Who?"
"Returnee 4402. His fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is so far only in his left hand and wrist. So maybe," Marco says, "maybe you can't cure diseases that're found in other 4400s."
"Makes sense, I suppose," Shawn says, smiling, amused.
"I'll suppose it keeps you from thinking you can cure everyone," Marco's cousin says.
"Believe me, I already learned that lesson...but you're right, this reinforces the lesson."
and I gasp, dropping Lemon. Right away, mom comes over and takes my hands, asking me if I'm all right. No. "Its bad," I whisper to her, I'm not sure I can manage more than a whisper right now. No, not that, and I squeeze my eyes shut at that future. "The investigation, the hearings, they're a..." trying to think of the right phrase, "slap on the wrist." That's only a corner of what I envisioned. I can't tell them what I just saw...maybe, somehow, there might be a way to keep it from happening. Please, let there be a way. "Nothing else," I say, lying.
Mom doesn't push. "Okay," she says.
She needs something to cheer her up. "And aunt April's coming for a visit."
"Great," mom mutters.
---------
The End.