Part six
***
The man stumbled forward on the streets of Seattle, mumbling to himself words that only he could understand. He was talking to the images in his mind, recounting his memories, smiling here, sobbing there. If people had listened, some may even have understood a few of the old French words. But nobody heeded him. Behind the space needle the shadows of the night were slowly dissipated by the bright orange of morning. The man looked at the Space Needle, then around. His look had become haunted, as if he was looking for a hole to hide into, a rock underneath he could crawl and stay buried under for centuries. But all he could find within walking distance was the old compound of Bellevue, before the pulse a psychiatric rehab center, now just an asylum for the lost of this world. He entered the building with long strides just as the sun went up.
***
Natalie shifted in her armchair. It would be morning in a few minutes. The shock of the last few days would probably take a long time to heal, especially since the aftermath had affected her deeply. Logan was quiet now, probably thinking about Max or anything else while Natalie tried to get some order in the chaos of her emotions.
So this is why she finally had turned to research in the field of genetics. So that 20 years later, a blond young man would come to her and beg her to cure him and his friend from a mutated virus that prevented them from being together.
Almost hysterically, Natalie chuckled, "This must be something in my stars, must be destiny engraved on my forehead."
She liked Logan. He was principled and straightforward, helping where he could, almost in atonement for something. One man trying to fix the broken world, turn back the wheel of time, blaming himself when he did not succeed. And his own personal happiness had been lost someplace on the road amidst the broken pieces.
And the girl, Max, a product of this mad world, a genetically engineered killing machine, as Logan fondly called her. She had inspired respect; Max loved him for all she had seen, from the distance, admiring him, aspiring for that which he stood for. Like the sun and the moon, forever doomed to chase after the other.
So here she was again, starting from scratch. Only this time, it was for the sake of two lovely young people with their heart in the right place.
"I wish you would see me now, Nick. Ah, LaCroix would have a laughing fit." Slowly, she returned to the present.
Clearing her voice she whispered, "Yes, it must be my destiny, indeed."
And louder: "You don't know what you are asking of me, Logan."
Then, she stood up, walking to the fireplace.
"I'll try my best to help." She turned to face him, her old energetic self again.
"But first, let me fill in a few blanks for you. As you have found out, I have a very troubled past and it wouldn't do for it to resurface now. I haven't done anything wrong, if that might be of concern to you."
Well, at least not on purpose, she winced to herself before continuing.
"If problems should arise from that area I might need your help without me having to answer too many questions. Can you accept that?"
As he nodded, she went on pacing. This was the delicate part.
"To be honest, I feel it is necessary to warn you." She sighed and settled back in her chair. She made sure she had Logan's undivided attention and leaned forward, looking at the man in front of her, starting to speak, slowly and painfully at first.
"Years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to cure someone of another mutated virus. No, it was not the same thing," she hurried to add at his concerned startle.
"But, I failed, miserably so. That's why I reacted so strongly to your proposal. It reminded me of something I thought I had left behind. There were many reasons why I failed, but foremost was that I lacked the full cooperation of the party involved. Thus, we come to my request." She paused for a moment and caught his gaze.
"Should you decide to take me up on my offer, I would need your full trust and cooperation. No secrets. What do you say?"
Logan was taken aback. She said she had tried something like this once and failed. However, she said it had been a different type of ailment altogether. Who knows, maybe that particular case did not have a cure. And she had been honest, at least regarding the parts that involved him and Max.
What the hell was he doing, beating around the bush? He was desperate.
"Yes, Natalie, and I need to thank you for your honesty. I appreciate any help you can provide for Max and me." It couldn't have been easy for her to spill out her past failures like that.
With that, Natalie finally gave in to her urge to run and hide to think about the newest developments. She slowly rose from her chair, heading for the door. "I might still regret this," she realized with a pang in her heart, but she had known, deep inside, that she, too, had needed to work for a good cause after all that time, to atone for her previous failure.
Genetics had not been as rewarding as her former work for the coroner's office. That could change now. It would be just what she needed to get her life back, a happy one, with serious reasons to wake up in the morning.
"I'll do it for me, for Nick, I'll do it," she thought. "No, make that for Logan and Max, they deserve that."
Turning back to him, she instructed, "I'll contact you with a list of equipment I'll need. And I also need to talk to Max about this."
She stopped on her way out, as if on a hunch. Her voice suddenly became menacing.
"Logan, you have talked this over with her, haven't you ?"
Seeing the look on his face she mumbled something to herself, exasperated and then, half yelled half laughed at him:
"So, what are you waiting for? Go see her, or you'll need a new surname when she scratches your eyes out!"
Before Logan could answer, she was out the door, rushing into the woods around the cabin.
"Weird," Logan mused, pondering how in the end there had been a glimmer of hope on her face. Hope. For redemption? Whatever it had been, it promised a new goal to live for…for them all.
AN: As I said, if you want me to, I'll do the happy end part.
***
The man stumbled forward on the streets of Seattle, mumbling to himself words that only he could understand. He was talking to the images in his mind, recounting his memories, smiling here, sobbing there. If people had listened, some may even have understood a few of the old French words. But nobody heeded him. Behind the space needle the shadows of the night were slowly dissipated by the bright orange of morning. The man looked at the Space Needle, then around. His look had become haunted, as if he was looking for a hole to hide into, a rock underneath he could crawl and stay buried under for centuries. But all he could find within walking distance was the old compound of Bellevue, before the pulse a psychiatric rehab center, now just an asylum for the lost of this world. He entered the building with long strides just as the sun went up.
***
Natalie shifted in her armchair. It would be morning in a few minutes. The shock of the last few days would probably take a long time to heal, especially since the aftermath had affected her deeply. Logan was quiet now, probably thinking about Max or anything else while Natalie tried to get some order in the chaos of her emotions.
So this is why she finally had turned to research in the field of genetics. So that 20 years later, a blond young man would come to her and beg her to cure him and his friend from a mutated virus that prevented them from being together.
Almost hysterically, Natalie chuckled, "This must be something in my stars, must be destiny engraved on my forehead."
She liked Logan. He was principled and straightforward, helping where he could, almost in atonement for something. One man trying to fix the broken world, turn back the wheel of time, blaming himself when he did not succeed. And his own personal happiness had been lost someplace on the road amidst the broken pieces.
And the girl, Max, a product of this mad world, a genetically engineered killing machine, as Logan fondly called her. She had inspired respect; Max loved him for all she had seen, from the distance, admiring him, aspiring for that which he stood for. Like the sun and the moon, forever doomed to chase after the other.
So here she was again, starting from scratch. Only this time, it was for the sake of two lovely young people with their heart in the right place.
"I wish you would see me now, Nick. Ah, LaCroix would have a laughing fit." Slowly, she returned to the present.
Clearing her voice she whispered, "Yes, it must be my destiny, indeed."
And louder: "You don't know what you are asking of me, Logan."
Then, she stood up, walking to the fireplace.
"I'll try my best to help." She turned to face him, her old energetic self again.
"But first, let me fill in a few blanks for you. As you have found out, I have a very troubled past and it wouldn't do for it to resurface now. I haven't done anything wrong, if that might be of concern to you."
Well, at least not on purpose, she winced to herself before continuing.
"If problems should arise from that area I might need your help without me having to answer too many questions. Can you accept that?"
As he nodded, she went on pacing. This was the delicate part.
"To be honest, I feel it is necessary to warn you." She sighed and settled back in her chair. She made sure she had Logan's undivided attention and leaned forward, looking at the man in front of her, starting to speak, slowly and painfully at first.
"Years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to cure someone of another mutated virus. No, it was not the same thing," she hurried to add at his concerned startle.
"But, I failed, miserably so. That's why I reacted so strongly to your proposal. It reminded me of something I thought I had left behind. There were many reasons why I failed, but foremost was that I lacked the full cooperation of the party involved. Thus, we come to my request." She paused for a moment and caught his gaze.
"Should you decide to take me up on my offer, I would need your full trust and cooperation. No secrets. What do you say?"
Logan was taken aback. She said she had tried something like this once and failed. However, she said it had been a different type of ailment altogether. Who knows, maybe that particular case did not have a cure. And she had been honest, at least regarding the parts that involved him and Max.
What the hell was he doing, beating around the bush? He was desperate.
"Yes, Natalie, and I need to thank you for your honesty. I appreciate any help you can provide for Max and me." It couldn't have been easy for her to spill out her past failures like that.
With that, Natalie finally gave in to her urge to run and hide to think about the newest developments. She slowly rose from her chair, heading for the door. "I might still regret this," she realized with a pang in her heart, but she had known, deep inside, that she, too, had needed to work for a good cause after all that time, to atone for her previous failure.
Genetics had not been as rewarding as her former work for the coroner's office. That could change now. It would be just what she needed to get her life back, a happy one, with serious reasons to wake up in the morning.
"I'll do it for me, for Nick, I'll do it," she thought. "No, make that for Logan and Max, they deserve that."
Turning back to him, she instructed, "I'll contact you with a list of equipment I'll need. And I also need to talk to Max about this."
She stopped on her way out, as if on a hunch. Her voice suddenly became menacing.
"Logan, you have talked this over with her, haven't you ?"
Seeing the look on his face she mumbled something to herself, exasperated and then, half yelled half laughed at him:
"So, what are you waiting for? Go see her, or you'll need a new surname when she scratches your eyes out!"
Before Logan could answer, she was out the door, rushing into the woods around the cabin.
"Weird," Logan mused, pondering how in the end there had been a glimmer of hope on her face. Hope. For redemption? Whatever it had been, it promised a new goal to live for…for them all.
AN: As I said, if you want me to, I'll do the happy end part.