Chapter 8
Nikola stared out of the window of the car as they drove alone the Oregon highway. Helen had been silent most of the trip down and it was starting to get on his nerves...that and he was running out of songs to hum to himself.
"Are we there yet?" he asked.
Helen rolled her eyes.
"Don't start."
"We've been driving for hours!" Nikola whined.
"Nikola, relax please, I really don't need you having another seizure in this car, ok?"
Nikola crossed his arms and huffed, leaning far against the back of the seat.
"Can we at least have the radio on? I'm driving myself mad over here!"
"We haven't been driving that long."
"Yes but I'm eight, everything seems longer when you're eight."
"You're eight and three quarters."
"You know what I mean!"
"Fine!" Helen flicked on the radio. "Have at her!"
Nikola giddily sat up and began pressing buttons, switching through channels until he found something he liked. He settled for Mozart.
Helen sighed.
"It's nice to know Peter hasn't completely taken over."
Nikola was distracted humming along to the concerto.
"Some things never change," She muttered. His fingers began twirling slightly like a conductors.
She wasn't surprised that Nikola enjoyed classical music, as a genius music could be very mathematically stimulating. She remembered once when he had bought them tickets to the opera, long time ago when they indulged in such luxuries. Neither John, James, nor Nigel could sit through an entire opera without falling asleep. Nikola however would get lost in the math of music, well, depending on the opera.
Helen smiled slightly at the memory.
Suddenly the music stopped.
Nikola was staring at the radio with an odd look on his face.
"Nikola?"
"I'm sorry, I...I suddenly didn't like it," Nikola shifted uncomfortably.
"How's your temperature?"
"I'm fine, it's not that...well it was that but..." Nikola trailed off, his head turning to face the window again.
"We'll get you back, I promise."
"What if they can't reverse the process?" Nikola mumbled.
"They can and they will."
"You can't force them to do something they literally can't do. Despite the power of your will."
"Well if they can't, I will," Helen said determinedly.
"That's of course supposing they'll let you."
"You know the plan."
"Yes, the plan! The plan that hinges solely on the idea that everything will go accordingly."
"This time we'll be watching," Helen nodded.
"Granted, Addison is rather predictable. Though I never predicted this."
Helen sighed. "Trust me, ok?"
Nikola finally looked at her, a look flashing over his eyes briefly. "I do," he muttered.
The city was slowly creeping into view ahead of them. Nikola audibly swallowed a hard lump in his throat.
"I don't enjoy being placed in the line of fire," he muttered again. "What if this time it doesn't work?"
"That's what Pam is for."
Nikola nodded
"Right, Pam."
"As I said, we'll be watching, you won't be alone," Helen reached over and grasped Nikola's significantly smaller hand and squeezed encouragingly.
Nikola nodded and leant back in his seat again, his hand coming to rest under his chin, his pinky jutting out along the curve of his jaw. His "thinking pose" as it were. Helen had to wonder what he was thinking about now.
~~~~Elsewhere~~~~
Addison stood stoically at the large window in the stairwell that overlooked the parking lot two stories below. His hands rested behind his back, and his breathing was steady, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Dr. Coates entered from the floor above landing and delicately walked down the stairs, maintaining a safe distance from her boss.
"We're ready," she handed him a clipboard to show him her results.
Addison barely sniffed at it.
"I trust you, Doctor," he turned and offered her a warm smile. "The boy's parents just arrived, they are waiting in the lobby."
"Should they be here for this?" Coates said nervously.
"Oh, they won't be witnessing this part of the process. They are here for leverage, to ensure Helen hands the boy over safely."
Coates nodded.
"And the other two?"
"Ah, you mean Magnus' troops? When I give the word they will be released, and in exchange, we'll get Helen Magnus."
"Stage two?" Coates asked.
Addison's smile curled slightly and he returned his gaze out the window.
"Stage two."
He smiled even wider as he saw a black Mercedes drive into the lot.
"I believe our party has just begun. I will go down and play the hospitable host, I'll message you when we're ready."
"Yes sir," Coates turned and began walking back up the stairs.
"And Coates," Addison called after her. She stopped and faced him. "Good work."
She gave him a weak smile and nod of her head then continued walking back upstairs, closing the stairwell door behind her. She let out a long deep breath to calm her nerves. Something about Addison had always made her feel antsy, especially when she found out he had learned about her "obvious" crush on Nikola. She always felt like she was under a microscope with him after that.
She walked to a doorway blocked with a thick plastic sheeting, for sanitary purposes. She stepped through the plastic and sighed. The room was coated in white wash, and had been a bitch to set up and convert into a decent operating room, but it would have to do for now.
On a gurney, in the middle of the room lay his body, just as she left him. She was always surprised when he was still there, she half expected him to get up and walk away any moment, but he lay still, unmoving and pristine. Like Snow White, if Prince Charming had been cast with the sleeping curse instead of the princess.
She walked over to him and fixed a stray hair on his forehead. His cheeks were shaven clean and his hair had been trimmed to his normal length. It wasn't as lively as it usually was, mostly just lying flat on his skull, but it was still soft.
Coates was disturbed by the sound of another person's footsteps.
A man, tall and unfriendly looking, entered wearing scrubs.
Coates stepped away from the unconscious body and looked up at the intruder.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
The man nodded silently.
Coates gestured to a separate gurney lying next to the first one.
The man wordlessly came over and sat on the edge, easily swinging his legs on to the bed and lying down, shifting until he got comfortable.
Coates had nothing to say to the man, nor did she particularly feel in the mood to engage in idle chit chat. She just immediately grabbed the mans arm and gently put an IV line into his arm, as well as a few sensor pads in choice locations before bringing a mask over his face and holding it still over his mouth and nose until his eyelids got heavy and drooped closed. The gas mask was quickly exchanged for oxygen and then Coates stepped back.
She looked over at the two gurneys and sighed. This was her part done, for now.
~~~~Elsewhere~~~~
Helen parked the Mercedes in the lot and sat back in her seat for a moment and let out a long sigh.
"Here we are," she muttered.
Nikola looked over at her.
"I don't want to go in there," he sighed.
"I know."
"Den of vipers."
"I know."
"And doctors."
Helen nodded and smiled weakly.
"Were your fake parents really that bad?"
"No…they're rather nice actually. Sandra was very doting; always checking to see if I was hungry, or cold, or scared. Paul even took some time off work when I first came home, talked about us going fishing and eating grilled cheese. They love their son, there is no doubt about that, he is their world, but I am not their son, and they will never be my parents. I knew that before I struck myself with the toaster."
Helen looked over at Nikola and gently placed a hand on his head, ruffling the sandy-blonde hair. It didn't feel the same as Nikola's actual hair, it was too course or too fine.
Nikola gently took her hand of his hand and brought it to his face to gently kiss the top.
"Just in case," Nikola muttered.
Helen smiled slightly and leant over, cupping the boy's face, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.
"Just in case," Helen nodded.
"Well, then," Nikola smiled slightly, his cheeks reddening a touch. "Into the den we go, I guess."
Helen nodded and released his face, watching him as he opened his door and shuffled out, straightening his clothes and nervously smoothing out the wrinkles.
Helen stepped out on to the pavement and sucked in a deep breath.
She was hoping, praying, this went the way she wanted it to.
