Chapter 26 (Joe)
For the last few minutes we sat in silence. I was wishing I had put my watch in my pocket, but I couldn't bring myself to do it now. So I stared at the face, oblivious to the fact that Ax and Tobias were still there.
How long? Tobias leaned over the branch. I knew that he could read the watch from where he was and was just trying to make conversation.
Ax answered for me. Three minutes.
Okay. He settled himself back onto the branch. We can handle three minutes. It's the silence I can't stand.
"Sorry."
For what?
"I don't know." I looked at my hands. A bit bigger than they used to be, but they were my hands. No little finger missing on the left hand. Mine. Or they were about to be in a few minutes.
About five minutes over the two-hour mark Ax said carefully, Shall we see if it worked?
I took the hint. They wanted to make sure I couldn't morph anymore. I sighed. There was only one way to find out. I formed a mental picture of myself, of Joe, and concentrated hard. I tried to imagine myself becoming Joe. After a while I looked up. Ax shook his head, a gesture he'd picked up from humans, and I knew. I was never going to be Joe again.
I caught Tobias watching me carefully. Are you sure you're going to be okay?
I nodded. "Probably. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I could feel my eyes growing damp. No doubt they could tell, but they kept it to themselves.
You know, said Tobias thoughtfully, we could pretend the next part.
He was offering me a way out. Truth be told, the next part of the plan was terrifying to me. I shook my head. It felt strange, my head was a slightly different shape now and I had to hold myself differently. "No. It'll look less suspicious if we do it properly."
Ax and I stood up. Ax had every one of his four eyes focused on me. You're sure?
I frowned slightly. "Do you two want me to bail or something?"
No Joseph. It's just…
"And another thing. I've had it with this Joseph rubbish. You call me Joe, okay?"
Fine, Joe. Just make sure you remember your story. Tobias's language for: Hope I see you around.
"Don't worry. I do not want to go through the whole Visser Three thing again." I paused for a second. Then I said, "C'mon Ax. If I wait one more second I'm going to bail." I could've sworn he deliberately waited that one second, giving me the chance if I wanted it.
Then came the part I had dreaded. Ax drew the blade faster than I had known he could and knocked me cold. I was unconscious with the first hit. Following the plan with complete accuracy.
You see, I was slightly afraid of being unconscious. As you may recall most of my involvement with the Yeerks was spent that way. I'd quickly found out that you are way too vulnerable that way. But Ax and Tobias had promised they would watch out for me for as long as they were able. And I trusted them.
The next few weeks were a complete blur. I remember I was in hospital at one point, and they kept asking me all these questions. I think I mostly managed to stick to the story. That I didn't remember anything about who I was or where I lived. Whatever I said, it worked. As soon as I was deemed fit, after about a week, they had me moved into a foster home. I still claimed to remember nothing. My 'new' parents were nice enough people, mostly letting me come and go as I pleased. I didn't go anywhere for the first week or so. I was still trying to find my feet.
During the second week, I decided to pay the guys a visit.