One of the deserters from the lair teleported in, supporting a semiconscious, bruised, and battered John in his arms. Startled exclamations rang out in the common area. Roger leapt forward to grab John as he slumped towards the floor, and the guy teleported out. Roger eased him down while everyone gathered around.
Cara ran in from TIM's area. John! John!
John's eyes were barely open, but he searched the crowd looking for her. Roger put a hand on his forehead while Cara asked, "What's wrong with him? I can't reach him!"
"He's human," Roger said rubbing his forehead.
"NO!" Stephen yelled, punching his fist into a wall. "We left him there. Oh my God, we left him for the Founder."
Charlotte, standing on the edge of the group screamed with rage, causing everyone to fold over in pain. John passed out.
She stopped only when Jedikiah approached her, hands pressed tightly to the sides of his head, yelling, "You're hurting John."
She quickly got control of her anger, breaking into sobs. "It's not fair. It's not fair."
Jedikiah kept his head, kneeling next to John and shaking him.
"Easy." Roger's protest was ignored by his brother.
"Why did the Founder send you back?" Jedikiah knew there had to be a reason why John was left alive.
John had trouble focusing, but he gave them the Founder's message. Expressions ranged from stunned to stricken. Jedikiah took it in stride. "Pick him up and take him to his room."
He looked around. "Marla—get your supplies." He pointed at a stunned Irene. "Brainiac with the glasses, get a needle and some blood tubes."
People jumped when he used that tone of voice. Stephen pushed his father aside and stooped to grab John under the armpits. A horrified Cara, staring down at John's bloody cut face, stood frozen blocking the most direct path to his room. Stephen demanded, "Either help me or get out of the way."
Startled out of her reverie, she grabbed John's legs and between them they carried him to his room. Jedikiah threw the bed covers aside and they gently placed him on it.
"Boots and jacket and outer shirt off. Get his belt, too." Jedikiah issued orders like a drill sergeant. "Marla, clean up the cuts and bruises on his face and hands. Check his ribs for fractures. He wouldn't have been captured without a fight."
The crowd had followed them in. He turned, pointing an arm at the door and demanded, "Everyone who doesn't have a job—Out." Such was his authority that the room emptied except for Roger leaning in the door frame, and Charlotte tucked in a corner of the room. Jedikiah turned to order her out, but changed his mind at the sight of her woebegone face.
Cara stroked the hair back from his forehead while Marla dabbed at the cuts on his face.
He smiled wanly at Cara. "So much for my sharing things with you."
"Oh, John," was all she could manage to say, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Jedikiah stood over him. "How many shots did they give you?"
"Two . . . no, three . . . yeah, three. Hurt. Hurt so bad." John's lids fluttered.
"That's impossible!" "No one needs more than one shot." "How can that be?" "He must be mistaken."
"Quiet!" Jedikiah's voice rose over the babble in the room.
Everyone stilled while Marla pulled his thin jersey shirt up to check his ribs. He groaned as she gently pressed. "Bruised, but no breaks."
Irene came in with a blood vial, tourniquet, and needle setup.
"Push up his sleeve," Jedikiah ordered.
When John saw the needle he panicked and tried to sit up. Stephen pressed down on his shoulders while Cara murmured, "Don't fight, John. You're safe."
He flailed, eyes wild, incoherent, lost back in the nightmare at Ultra. Jedikiah impatiently pushed Cara aside and turned John's head so he was staring into his eyes. "Look at me, John. It's okay. I'm telling you it's okay."
John struggled for a moment longer before the words penetrated his consciousness. "Jed?"
"Yeah, it's me. We're just gonna draw some blood." He nodded at Marla to go ahead. She quickly pushed his sleeve up over his elbow joint and tied the tourniquet. John's breathing quickened, but Jedikiah held his gaze. "Look at me. Just look at me."
"Please. No more," John pleaded.
Marla hesitated.
"Do it," Jedikiah demanded.
She swabbed his skin with alcohol before pushing in the needle and drawing a tube of blood.
Irene grabbed it and looked to Jedikiah, who was still holding John's eyes. He must have sensed her stare because, without removing his gaze from John, he ordered, "Use the equipment I brought with me. Check out his DNA."
He released John's head and tucked the covers over him, leaving his arms resting on top, while the others stood an uneasy vigil around him, not knowing what to say or do.
Charlotte crept slowly over, weaving her way through the adults. She gently held one of John's bruised hands in hers, careful not to touch the skinned knuckles. When he recognized her, he attempted a smile. "Hey, Charlie."
She tried to hold back the tears while she searched for something to say. "I can tell from your hands you put up a fight."
"I did. Too many of them."
A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. "It shouldn't have been you."
Those words bothered a lot of the people in the room. Stephen grimaced and turned away, raising his eyes to the ceiling, hands pressed to his forehead, condemning himself for leaving John. Roger left his post at the door, walking over to lay a comforting hand on his son's shoulder.
"Better than them capturing Roger," John spoke quietly.
"I begged him not to do it." Roger sent to Stephen.
Stephen's thoughts were bitter. "But he's always been the sacrificial lamb. You two raised him for that, didn't you?"
Roger's head snapped back, stung by Stephen's words. "I'm not proud of what we did, but we . . "
"Yeah, I get it. I understand. But it's time I stepped up and did my share."
"Don't do anything stupid," Roger cautioned.
"Like sacrifice myself the way John did?" Stephen shook off his hand, pacing to work off his frustration and sense of helplessness.
Cara, picking up their thoughts, joined the conversation. "Don't do anything rash. I couldn't bear for something to happen to you."
"Why? Because John's not a TP anymore, so I'm your backup boyfriend?"
Roger looked between them and then quietly left the room.
"That's not fair." Cara, lips trembling, made no effort to hide her hurt.
"So, tell me what is fair?" Stephen asked. "Cause I sure can't figure it out."
"I love John, TP or human. It won't be me that's the problem. He'll be the one having a tough time." Cara angrily flung back at him.
Charlotte joined in. "How can you talk like that in fro . . ." She trailed off as the realization hit her that he would never hear them again.
John looked from her face to Stephen's and Cara's angry faces and tried to sit up. "Listen—."
Jedikiah pushed him down, cutting off whatever he was trying to say. "Everyone out. He needs to sleep."
He stared down the various mutinous faces until they all eventually left.
"Who made you the boss?" John asked, trying for a little humor.
"You really did it to yourself this time, kid," Jedikiah said, standing over him, hands in his pockets.
John shrugged and then grimaced as the movement hurt him. "Someone had to do it." He gingerly tried to shift position. "I knew it hurt, but never realized how much. I'd rather have a truck run over me."
"Well, you're not in for an easy time of it," Jedikiah warned.
John looked puzzled. "I thought you got through it and then that's that. You're human."
Jedikiah pursed his lips. "I don't think it's gonna work that way for you. Sleep now."
John's lids slowly closed. Jedikiah waited until he was sure he was asleep and then fetched his laptop. He connected to the wireless network and introduced TIM to ALICE. "I want you two to work together."
TIM sniffed. "Are you sure this is wise, Doctor Price? She is Ultra after all."
"Now TIM, don't be jealous. I raised her just like I raised you." Jedikiah attempted to appease his first computer
"There is a difference between us, Luv. I'm so much more sophisticated." ALICE's vocal program definitely had an edge to it.
"Enough you two." Jedikiah intervened before they really got into it. "I love both of you. I want you to collaborate on John's blood work. The brainy girl is going to upload information. Work on his DNA. TIM pull the details from project e46i2ZZJ password hei$$pecial and share it with ALICE."
"Yes sir, if you insist. By the way, Doctor Price, her name is Irene." TIM always tried to be helpful.
"Whatever." Jedikiah waved it away as unimportant. "Brainy girl works."
Two hours later Irene popped her head in the door. "Doctor Price. You have to come see this."