Chapter
Seven: The Truth
"I need to get a sample from my
father," Liz said matter-of-factly, "but to do so, I have to get close enough
to touch him." Max shook his head
adamantly. "No. There has to be some other way." Liz sighed in frustration. "How?
I've got gloves and masks and protective clothing. I'll be fine." Max was unconvinced.
"What are you gonna tell him when he wants to know why you're taking
blood from him?" Liz shrugged. "The truth." Now, Max's eyes went wide.
"The truth," he repeated, "you're gonna tell him what he has, what I am
…" "Yes," Liz answered, reaching for
her backpack and shoving some things into it.
"Isn't that why we brought Tess?
She'll take away their memories when the plague is over." Still, Max shook his head. "This is just happening too soon." Liz scoffed and slung the bag over her
shoulder. "How long do you want me to
wait, Max? Until my father is
dead? My mother? The rest of the town?" Max shook his head, looking her square in
the eyes. "Of course not," he answered
slowly, "I'm just … worried that you might be too close to this. I don't know if I want you this
involved." Liz stared at him a moment
and Max expected her to soften and agree with him. She didn't. Instead, her
face hardened and she headed for the door.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Max, but I am not letting go of this until
there's a cure. Go back to California
if you want, but I'm seeing this through to the end." She turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her.
**
Nancy Parker looked up from the
couch with a laugh. "What's with the
get-up, honey?" Liz didn't share her
mother's amusement. Instead, she sifted
through her backpack and pulled out similar gloves and a mask. "I want you to put these on," Liz insisted,
"where's dad?" Nancy was concerned with
her daughter's serious expression and the tone of her voice. "He's in the bedroom resting. Why?"
Liz sank onto the sofa and pulled out a needle and thermometer. "Honey?" Nancy questioned. Liz turned and looked pointedly at the
gloves and mask, then up at her mother.
Nancy, taking the hint, put them on.
"I want you to wake dad," Liz said, as her mother sat next to her, "there's
something I need to tell you both."
**
"Michael, calm down," Max spoke into
the phone, "it'll be okay." "How?"
Michael challenged, "like you said, once people find out who we are, they're
gonna come after us and kill us and cut us open or something." "That's not going to happen," Max
maintained, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Oh yeah?" Michael retaliated, "think about it, Maxwell. This disease came from our planet. It kills humans. They're not gonna care about anything else. They'll see us as the enemy and you know
what they do with their enemies." Max
ran a weary hand over his face. The
truth is, he was worried too. And
although his planet and his kingdom were destroyed, he still felt like a
leader, like the lives of not only himself, but of Isabel, Michael, and Tess
rested on his shoulders. It was his
responsibility to keep them alive.
"Michael, so far we're only telling the Parkers. They won't say anything to anyone, I'm sure
of it. And as far as we know, this
'plague' isn't really one at all. We're
watching everyone involved and it seems like an isolated case." He heard Michael sigh on the other end of
the phone. "Alright," Michael relented,
"call us when Liz gets home. I want to
know everything." "Okay," Max
answered, "I'll call you later. Don't
worry. Bye."
**
"You both look ridiculous," Jeff joked
tiredly, "I'm not that bad, am I?"
Nancy reached out and stroked her husband's back. Liz watched the exchange with panicked
eyes. "Mom, do you touch dad often?"
she wondered. Nancy nodded. "Of course, honey. How can I take care of him if I don't touch him?" Liz didn't say anything, just let her eyes
fill with tears. "You said you had
something to tell us," Nancy pushed, "what is it?" Liz blinked rapidly and took a shaky breath. "I know what you have, daddy. I know what kind of virus it is." "How do you know?" Jeff asked, "the
doctors don't even know." He and Nancy
shared a confused look. Liz licked her
lips and played with her hands. The
rubber squeaked as she rubbed them together.
"God," she exclaimed, "this is such a long story. I don't know where to even begin." Her mother reached over and touched her
arm. Liz flinched, but remembered the
gloves she made her mother wear. "Start
at the beginning," Nancy said softly, "and go from there." Liz nodded, paying no mind to the tear that
slid from her eye and rested beside her nose.
"Okay," Liz whispered, "um …"
She looked up from her hands and stared directly into her parents faces,
drawing strength from their encouraging smiles. "Remember, years ago, the fight at the Crashdown? When you thought I was shot?" Jeff nodded. "Well," Liz continued, "I was.
I was dying, but Max brought me back."
