Before Everything

Chapter 5

Mike was thankful that he had the comms room to himself to make his call. Being XO had few privileges and Mike rarely exercised them, but it had just been assumed that he would have the room to himself when he made the call. Of course, he called the house phone first but wasn't connected. He didn't expect to be. Like most military spouses, Christine always kept her cellphone on her. If cell towers were up, she'd answer. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to answer or not. His heart had dropped as soon as Rachel had told what was happening. Did he want to confirm that? On the third ring, Christine picked up and he immediately heard the pain and tension in her voice.

"Christine, its me. We just got to where we could call, and we've heard what's happening back there." Mike said.

"Oh, God Mike; its terrible here." Christine responded.

"Are you at home?" Mike asked.

"No. I probably should go home though. I took the girls to a safe zone. Deer Park, here in Virginia." Christine explained. Something was off in the way she said it.

"Girls? What about Lucas?" Mike asked.

"Mike, he died last month. I'm really sorry. He went quickly. The doctor told me that he thinks his heart gave out before the disease took him." Christine explained. Mike was gulping his emotions down.

"How…how did he catch it?" Mike asked.

"That summer camp that he and Hannah were supposed to go to. They both went but she didn't contract it. He did. I didn't realize what was happening when I sent them. It was the early days of the virus here." Christine said.

"So, he died but she didn't and was exposed?" Mike asked.

"Yes, but that's a moot point." Christine said. He could hear a hint of anger in her voice.

"I'm just trying to get a picture as to what is going on back there." Mike said.

"The picture is; the kids are scared and worried about you. Most of their friends have died. Their brother died and their father is cruising around the ocean. I don't know where the next meal is coming from or if we are safe to go home." Christine said.

"I'm okay. It is probably safer for you all to go home." Mike said.

"Mike; I'd like to but going home without Lucas is going to hurt. How long until you get back?" Christine said.

"I don't know. I will try and get home as soon as possible. Can you tell Kaitlyn…" Mike started.

"You want me to tell Kaitlyn you love her, but not Hannah? Mike, she can't help that she didn't get sick and she is totally lost without Lucas. She cries all the time. How unfair!" Christine said.

"I was going to say, 'and Hannah' that I love them." Mike responded.

"Sure, whatever!" Christine said.

"Chrissy, I cannot fix this. I wish I could. I am not going to argue with you. Try and get home and stay there." Mike insisted.

"And how do you think I'll feed the girls? Myself? Mike, you have no idea what its like here." Christine answered.

"I don't know but I am positive you'll find a way. Chrissy, I have to go. Other people want to call their families. Just…I love you all. Please be safe." Mike answered.

"We love you too, Mike. Please take care of yourself.

"I will. Can you give the girls a kiss for me?" Mike asked.

"Of course." Christine said before hanging up.

Mike would never claim to be a smart person. Yes, it took some intelligence to be a Naval officer, but when you looked at someone like Doctor Scott; he was pretty dumb. Still, one thought nagged at him. Hannah being exposed and not contracting the Red Flu, while her twin brother died from it. It didn't make sense to him. From what he understood, if you were exposed; you died. What made Hannah special?

Before he got a chance to ask Doctor Scott, they were dealing with Admiral Ruskov firing the nuclear missile on France, finding the cruise ship, dealing with Frankie's death and hightailing it across the Atlantic. At one point, Mike thought they were going to get to go home, but Tom squashed that. Mike would have never mutinied, but he didn't agree with Tom. Their mission was to escort Rachel Scott to the Arctic so she could find the samples she needed. They had done that.

Then it was dealing with Ruskov again near Cuba, narrowly escaping him. Then Tom and Tex were taken hostage. Mike had not forgotten about his daughter surviving but other things took precedence. Finally, Rachel Scott started the human trials. At the most dire point, when Rachel was arguing with taking so much Bertrise's blood, Mike finally spoke up.

"Doc, I may know someone else who might be naturally immune, problem is; we'll have to find her." Mike told her quietly.

"Who? I need to study…" Rachel said.

"My younger daughter, Hannah. She was my son's twin. She was exposed when he was, he died, and she didn't contract it." Mike explained.

"We have to find her, and I also would like to take a blood sample from you. I need to determine if immunity is hereditary." Rachel said. She was now rushing around finding blood sample supplies.

"Take the sample from me but we will never convince Tom to go find her. Besides, I don't want this happening with her. She is just a little girl. Bertrise is having trouble, is she not?" Mike asked.

"She is, but if it is your daughter that can save the human race; wouldn't you want that? Wouldn't she want that?" Rachel asked.

"Hannah is eight years old. She doesn't know what she wants right now." Mike remarked.

"Let's see what happens here but we need to find her. We have to find her." Rachel explained.

"And you'll help me explain that to Tom?" Mike asked.

"Yes. We are already setting a course towards Norfolk. Your daughter has to be priority one once we get on land." Rachel said.

"And my wife and other daughter? I can't just leave them." Mike questioned.

"We'll need to study them too." Rachel said.

"Okay, number one; Christine, Kaitlyn and Hannah are not test subjects. They are people. My people. I will not allow them to be a science experiment." Mike said.

"The thing is, as dire as this is becoming; you may not have an option. Their bodies may not be their own if things don't work out here. Now, I don't want to do that, especially to children." Rachel explained.

"I hope it doesn't come to that. I won't stand for it and their mother definitely won't." Mike argued.

"Let's just see what happens. It may not come to that, but I do need to see what makes her different, that she would be naturally immune. How she differs from Bertrise. Bertrise made a remark that she was always sick as a child; what about Hannah?" Rachel asked. She had already taken Mike's blood sample and was putting supplies away.

"She was colicky as a baby. Has mild asthma and some seasonal allergies. Typical childhood illnesses. Nothing crazy or extreme." Mike said.

"No auto-immune disorders?" Rachel asked.

"I have no idea. I don't know what you're talking about." Mike admitted. Christine took care of their kid's medical appointments. He knew the generics. His kids were healthy. That was all that mattered to him. Asthma was their biggest hiccup and it wasn't even severe.

"Okay, a normal person's system fights infections and such naturally. Someone with auto immune disease has problems with their auto immune system attacking bones, joints, organs, etc. Diabetes, thyroid problems, arthritis and several gastro-intestinal issues are grouped with auto-immune diseases." Rachel explained.

"As far as I know, my kids didn't have any of those problems. Normal childhood illnesses. Colds, flu, Chicken Pox, a few bad sunburns, Kaitlyn's eyes are great but nothing extreme." Mike told her.

"Okay, or the problem hasn't developed or been diagnosed yet. They could show a predisposition for it." Rachel said.

"That isn't for me to figure out. I just know, I have healthy, happy; well-adjusted kids. Nothing else mattered." Mike explained.

"And now? Their brother and most of their friends have died." Rachel asked.

"From what Christine said, Hannah is completely lost without Lucas. She cries a lot." Mike said.

"Its that twin connection. Something no scientist can understand or explain." Rachel said.

"They could always read each other's minds. It was like they just knew what the other was going to do or think before it happened. Kaitlyn sometimes felt a little left out because of it. She had become such a mini adult. When I was home, she would do yard work and repairs with me and help Christine clean house and cook. Hannah and Lucas just played together all the time. We had to put them in separate classes at school, so they developed some independence from each other. Lucas hated it. He didn't like school much and Hannah was his best friend. He cried for a week solid when we did it." Mike explained. He wasn't even sure why he was telling Rachel about it.

"You're worried about her." Rachel commented.

"I am. Christine thought I resented her for surviving and maybe I did a little, but she is…very sensitive. My cuddler. I hate that she is having to go through this." Mike commented.

"You know something about the loss of a sibling?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, my sister Katie. Died on September 11th. She was in Tower One. Christine's brother; Adam was a cop who also died. They had been together almost as long as Christine and I." Mike said.

"You and Katie were close?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. I grew up in a large family, but Katie and I were eleven months apart, so we were particularly close. She is who Kaitlyn was named for." Mike explained.

"I see. How long have you and Christine been together?" Rachel asked.

"Well, we've been married for almost sixteen years, but we have been together since we were babies. Our parents lived across the street from one another and our mothers would spend the day baking, cooking, sewing, playing cards and just visiting. Christine and I shared a crib as babies, and she gave me my first kiss in first grade. By fifth, we were dating, if you can call it that when you're eleven. By fourteen we were dating officially, engaged when were nineteen and married by twenty-two." Mike said.

"That's amazing. I have to be honest; I didn't imagine you as that sort of man when we first met. I figured you were a 'love 'em and leave 'em sort." Rachel remarked.

"Nah. I have only been with Christine and honestly cannot imagine even thinking about another woman. We had our troubles, but we were making a consorted effort to make time for one another. Not sure now that we've lost Lucas what will happen. A lot of couples also lose their marriages when they've lost a child." Mike commented.

"Or it might bring you closer. You and she can grieve together. What happened to your parents? To her parents once they lost a child." Rachel asked.

"They got closer. It was like they were the only one who understood the other partner's grief." Mike said.

"Probably exactly what drew them closer. Don't go into this thinking that you and Christine may not stay married. Go into that you are going to stay married, period and that you are there for her, whatever emotion." Rachel said.

"You sure you're not a psychiatrist too?" Mike asked.

"No. I'm terrible with people." Rachel said with a laugh.

"If you say so. So, you will advocate that we need to find my girls?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. We don't need to find them; we must find them. I'll tell the Captain that you mentioned that your daughter had been exposed when her twin died and that I have to study her genetic structure, as well as your other daughter and your wife's genetic structure. Meanwhile, we will pull these guys through this, and I will study your DNA. See if there are any similarities to Bertrise that would indicate a genetic anomaly that would make you or your children immune." Rachel said. She was covering his tail and making a way to find his family.

"Thanks, Doc." Mike said before leaving the lab. He just hoped Rachel could figure things out. He selfishly wanted his wife and daughters with him, even if it meant that Hannah would be poked and prodded. She would be safe.

I thought I was done with this story, but I had a brainstorm…bear with me!