Three years later

First came the pain, she wouldn't admit to it but he could see it etched onto her face in unguarded moments.

Then her appetite stopped. Mercedes, like him, was a great lover of food, but suddenly she rarely ate because of the pain that it caused, and her softness rapidly diminished. Unlike the leanness that she'd developed as they travelled to the Sea, this was hard, angular and left excess sagging skin. Her face lost its glow and her eyes lost their light. Soon she was too tired to travel to Sector Center anymore. How she'd managed to hide it from Stasia's brief visit he would never know, but seeing her like this broke his heart.

Within a few short weeks there was none of her previous softness left. Only her belly remained distended, not unlike how it was when she was carrying Stasia, but this time it was hard, hot and painful to the touch.

She knew what it was, they both did, but despite his pleading she refused to acknowledge or speak of it.

And she didn't smile like she used to.

It had been thirty years. Surely they had a cure by now?

Thirty years that felt like less than five minutes. Why had he not savored every second of it more?

And with her pain came a return of his nightmares, but he didn't want to worry her by mentioning it.

Sam made a decision. A selfish decision. Mercedes refused to get help but there had to be something he could do. That morning he'd made her comfortable on the bed, filled her favorite mug with her favorite drink and fixed her some food that he knew she would never eat.

"Where are you going?"

"To the top of the hill."

They both knew he was lying but she was too tired and weak to acknowledge it. Closing her eyes she sank further into the pillows, all of her fight gone.

It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do, breaking his self-imposed exile, the house arrest that he'd voluntarily put himself under and that Mercedes had tolerated because she understood him so well. He'd only seen Sector Center once and that was thirty years ago on their wedding day. From the day he'd arrive at the Sea Sector he'd been serving his sentence for the crimes he committed. House arrest had suited him and his conscience. But now he was coming back and it was such an alien space. There were so many buildings, so many people, so many smells and far too much sound. Not the sounds of nature that he was used to, but noise, artificial noise.

How the hell had he been able to live and function in a City all those years ago? His part of his home Sector had been industrial and built up and he'd relished the buzz of it. Now returning to such an area was all too much. Everything was overwhelming. Plus he was nearing sixty. He wasn't the young man going it alone anymore. He'd lost his skills of self-preservation. It was somebody else who preserved him now. Somebody that he couldn't afford to lose.

Sam clutched the small scrap of paper tightly and stepped out of the cab onto the sidewalk. His senses were in overload and his feet refused to move. He cursed himself for asking the cab to take him to a vague area. Why didn't he just give the driver the specific address and ask to be dropped off outside the door? How did he not think of that?

Suddenly someone pushed into his back and he jumped, alarmed.

"Are you okay? Sorry I got knocked by the crowd. Are you trying to find somewhere?" It was a young woman of around Stasia's age. Her smile was warm and friendly. She was exceptionally pretty with a generous smattering of freckles on her nose and thick wavy hair the color of terracotta. He'd never seen anyone with hair that texture and color before.

He opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out. It had been years since he'd spoken to anyone other than his girls and visitors to the house and his tongue clung to the roof of his mouth. Instead of speaking he handed her the crumpled piece of paper. She took it and squinted at the words.

"I know where this is. I'm heading in the same direction so I'll walk you there. It takes about fifteen minutes."

Sam would rather she'd simply given him the directions and allowed him to walk alone with his own thoughts, but instead he mumbled a quick 'thanks' and they began to walk together.

"Are you new here?"

Technically he wasn't but in terms of Sector Center it was a different story. "Yes… Yes I am!"

She beamed at him. 'Well in that case I'd officially like to welcome you here. Sea Sector 5 is the friendliest and most diverse Sector in existence! Well, I like to think so anyway! I've always lived here but my fiancée came here a couple of years ago after a very long journey escaping persecution from his home Sector. Since he was a boy he always wanted to see the Sea. We just got engaged three months ago." She showed him the small ring on her finger. It was thin metal and didn't even have a stone. "I know it's not much but I'm proud of it." She stared down at it as if it were the most precious gift in the world.

"Congratulations!" He was genuinely happy for her.

"Thanks!" She seemed thrilled that he was pleased for her and it was all the encouragement she needed to continue talking. Within minutes he decided that she reminded him of the chatty version of Mercedes all those years ago, and how close he'd come to killing her that first night, just to shut her up. This terracotta haired freckled girl also clearly loved to talk. As they walked together, she told him all about how much she loved her fiancée but how, even though she would marry him tomorrow if she could, but they were literally starting from nothing, and they would have to wait for at least a year so that they could save up and at least get a home first. Her fiancée worked long hours for little pay and she often took extra night shifts just to make ends meet. Her walk to work was over an hour each way but she was saving the money she would have used for the bus. It made it hard for them to spend time together but they knew that it would be worth it in the end.

Sam had a lot of respect for what they were doing and told her he hoped they'd eventually get their perfect home for all their hard work. A strong work ethic had been instilled into him and he was always glad to see it in others.

"Thanks. He's worth it, and I know that our love is worth it too. He left everybody and everything behind to come here and I want to help him have the big loving family that he deserves." She became thoughtful for a second. "Anyway, this is where I have to leave you", they'd stopped at a junction, "I'm going straight ahead and you need to take this left here, and it should be the second- no the third building on your right. You can't miss it because the name's right on the front."

He took the paper back from her, truly grateful for her assistance. "Congratulations again and thank you for your kindness."

"It was nothing! I was already coming this way and it was good to have some company." She looked at his face intently as if she knew him from somewhere and seemed as if she might say something more as her eyes followed his hand to the edge of the tattoo on his neck which he had a tendency to rub when he was feeling anxious, and he moved away before she had the chance to say anything more or ask any questions.

Thankfully she looked at her watch. "Crikey! I need to hurry!"

With one last quick wave she was gone and he was glad she didn't even ask his name.

"Dad?" He was stood outside the building, looking at the multitude of buzzers and cursing his failing eyesight when he heard her voice.

Turning, he was enveloped in Stasia's embrace. "Dad! You finally came to Sector Center! And I was literally just on my way to visit you! It's far too long since I visited and I've been feeling guilty for weeks! It was going to be a surprise!" She held up her overnight bag and showed him. Then she stiffened when she saw the expression on his face, sharing the same ability as her mother to read him like a book. "Oh no… Something's wrong! You never leave the house to come here, only mom. Is she with you? Where is she? What's happened?"

Panic quickly emerged in her voice and his resolve broke at the sight of her, his eyes instantly beginning to well up. "She's sick."

"Mom never gets sick!"

"She's sick", he repeated.

Stasia paused, suddenly taking in the seriousness of his tone and of the situation. She took a small step back and looked at him hard. "What is it? What's wrong with her?"

He couldn't bring himself to say it but reading his face she still understood. Mercedes had turned out to be one of the unlucky 'one in three' from her Sector.

"I came," Sam said slowly, "to find a hospital or a medicine man."

Stasia released her breath in a slow loud stream. She was a lot like him in that kept her emotions contained but it was still enough to indicate her extreme distress. "I know someone. Better than the hospital." Taking him by the hand she quickly led him through the streets. It was a struggle for him to keep up but he refused to show his discomfort. About ten minutes later they stopped at a plain door she knocked hard five times before entering.

The place smelled of lemons. Fresh lemons and freshly grated zest and rind. It made him think about Mercedes's lemon meringue pie and then his chest hurt again.

There were dozens of bottles on display on shelves along the walls, all beautiful hand blown glass ones. Behind the counter appeared an old man, far older than anyone Sam had ever seen in his lifetime. The man had tough wrinkled skin, a similar shade of brown to Stasia and tanned like leather, with long hair on his head and beard that looked as white and soft as fresh cotton.

"Hello my child!" He clearly recognized Stasia and greeted her warmly before sensing her distress and turning to look at Sam.

She made no attempt to formally introduce him, but she did point him out and say, "This is my father. My mom is sick."

The man transferred his warm smile to Sam. "Then you have come to the right place. What is her ailment?"

Sam felt himself shaking as he tried hard to say the two words that Mercedes had refused to let pass either of their lips. "The Hardness."

The man's smile slowly faded and it was in that instant, for the first time, that Sam finally truly gave up all hope. Even Stasia sensed the change in the atmosphere.

The old man's expression turned sympathetic. "How long has it been?"

"Several weeks."

The man shook his head and cast his eyes down. "I am truly sorry. I cannot lie to you and will not sell you something that I know won't work. 'The Hardness' is one of the Ancient illnesses. There is no cure. It's genetic and is present from birth, a ticking time bomb for any woman who carries the gene. The only cure is to breed it out as you have done. Mixing the blood weakens and destroys the gene."

Sam heard Stasia choke back a sob at the news and he squeezed her hand like his life depended on it as the man continued. "The only thing that can be bought is time. If told within the first few days of her pain I could have performed an operation to remove the Hardness from her belly before it affected her other internal organs. It's not a cure but it does buy an extra couple of years. After that there's no fighting the inevitable. Sadly the human body is clever and always finds other ways of reaching that same ending." He reached under the counter and pulled out a small bottle which he handed to Sam. "Three drops in a full glass of water. She can sip it as often as she needs to for the pain."

Sam reached into his pocket to pay but the man shook his head. "Please take it with my condolences. Go straight back to her. Do not leave her alone again."

Sam nodded his thanks and the man acknowledged it, aware that he'd just passed on the worst possible news. He cast a look at Stasia who was pale as a sheet. "I'm sorry Stasia, I should have got you to sit down before I broke that news. Would you like a glass of water?"

She shook her head.

"I think you should-"

"I'm fine!"

Sam was shocked to see her snap at the old man but he didn't seem in the least bit shocked or upset, only concerned.

She hung her head. "I'm sorry I snapped. It's just that it's a lot to take in. And like you said we need to go, now." She paused, "But I'll see you when I come back."

He nodded and walked them to the door.

"Dad?" Stasia started to speak as they left the small shop but he was still processing what they'd been told so he shook his head and she remained silent. She wrapped her arms around him and he leaned against her for a few minutes.

To save time they took at cab back to the house and spent the entire journey in silence. He knew that Stasia had questions but he wasn't yet ready to face them. It was only when they were nearly at the house that Sam remembered. He turned and looked at Stasia as if he'd only just noticed she was there. "You said you were already coming? To see us?"

She nodded. "I have some news. But it doesn't matter right now. And it can wait."

Sam knew he should question her more but he didn't have the energy. He was already suffering separation anxiety from being away from Mercedes, but the medicine man's words about not leaving her alone had frightened him more than he let on.

Stasia wanted to run straight to her mom but he managed to get her to hold back, telling her to put her things in her old room while he checked on Mercedes first. She was awake, sitting up and actually eating. She looked much better than she had in a long time. Immediately running to her he kissed her head. "You're eating! You're doing better and you look so much better!"

She smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "The pain has stopped."

The smile froze on his lips. The tone that she used to say the words wasn't a happy one. It was a heavy one. The pain had stopped. It meant that she now only had days at most. "I need to see Stasia. Bring me the phone and I'll call her. She needs to come right away."

Sam smiled sadly, unable to get excited by his next words. "I can do better than that!"

Right on cue she came through the door and ran over to her. "Oh mom! Why didn't you tell me?"

"And do what? Make you sad for longer than was necessary? I didn't want you to have to see me in pain!" Mercedes held open her arms and their daughter fell into them. Sam had seen the gradual shrinking of Mercedes's frame. For Stasia it was a sudden and terrible shock. Her mother now looked nothing like the way she had the last time she'd been to the house. She was a shadow of her former self.

The young woman looked as if she wanted to yell and scream and shout but none were appropriate and she held it together well. "What do you want me to do for you mom?"

Mercedes' eyes filled. "Just be here. I need you here with me so I can look at you."

"Okay mommy. I've come to stay and I promise I'm not going anywhere."