---Chapter 32---
On the way back from the desert, Max's cell phone rings. He picks it up and answers, "Hello?" Max was seated in the backseat with Liz, while Maria drove her car and Michael was beside her.
"Max?" Isabel answers, breathlessly.
"Isabel, what's wrong?" Max asks, on alert already.
Michael turns around from the front seat and looks at Max. "What's wrong Max?"
Max holds up a hand and listens to his sister on the other end of the phone.
"Jesse- he's awake. Max I have to see you. I remember. I remember! And Jesse's out of the coma. He remembers things too." -Isabel.
"Calm down, Iz. Where are you?" -Max.
"At the hospital. I ---" -Isabel started.
"Okay, wait, we'll be there soon." Max promises. He closes the phone and looks at everyone around him, who's attention was fixed on him- even Maria was glancing at him from the rearview mirror in anticipation.
"Isabel says she remembers something. And Jesse's out of his coma, he does too." -Max.
"Step on it Maria. We've got to get to the hospital ASAP." -Max.
-=-=-
The group made a manic dash into the hospital. They were barred from all going in at once, but Jesse from inside the room - insisted that they all come in for a few minutes. The group nearly burst into his room in anticipation, to find Jesse's head propped up with pillows and a few tears streaming down Isabel's cheeks, her hand in Jesse's.
Isabel went into Max's arms. "I'm so sorry Max. You were right. I remember now,"
"Ssshhh."" Max said as he hugged his sister.
When Isabel sat back down, he said, "Tell me what you remember - and how."
"I dozed off and on while watching over Jesse, but this morning while I slept, I remembered as if a fog had been lifted- and like I knew the truth after living a lie. Like in memories, bits and pieces, I saw myself being taken to a military place it seemed. I remember being-" Isabel stopped with a shudder, than continued,
"-experimented on like a lab rat. I remember the man who's name is Adam Winthrop and how he was almost always there, telling the people what to do to me. I also remember.. a girl who I recognized as Victoria Winthrop. SHE made me forget."
Isabel continued on quickly before anyone got the questions out of their mouths. "After remembering, I connected with Jesse while I slept. I couldn't ever get through to him before. But this time, when I woke up- he did too! We talked afterwards and he remembers things too." Isabel looked to Jesse.
"I only remember before I was shot. I had been invited to the ball last Halloween and I was lost in the mansion after everyone left. At one point, I heard talking, so I listened outside the door before going in. What I heard was three voices, more one than the others. It was about you guys. I just remember that it was something about Max and Michael, I think. When I went inside- that's when I was really surprised. The girl was kind of *glowing*. Adam Winthrop was telling her to do something. They saw me and he shot me. That's all I remember." Jesse said, and then, "Of course the glowing could have been a false remembrance or hallucination or something." He added.
"We'll take care of it." Max said, not feeling very sure, but he didn't want to say too much in front of Jesse. After all Isabel's boyfriend didn't know about them being - aliens.
Max looked to Isabel. She nodded in understanding and stood up. She turned to Jesse. "Just rest. I'll be back later."
"Isabel---" Jesse began.
"I just need you to get stronger, Jesse. Don't worry about anything. Please. It'll all be okay." Isabel said, but not waiting for an answer, she kissed his lips lightly and walked out with the rest. They all followed Max silently as they went to the parking lot. They squeezed into Maria's car and went to Max's house, since his and Isabel's parents were not home then.
-=-
The group was sitting around the living room silent, when Max asked Isabel, "How did Victoria make you forget?"
"She put her hands on my head, She got into my *mind*! I felt the memory slipping away, being replaced with false ones." Isabel's sentiments turned from sadness or fright, to anger. "Max. I think she's one of us."
"That's not possible." Maria spoke up. "I mean of course it's possible she's done terrible things, I've always thought she was a witch - but to be an-" Maria stopped and rephrased what she was about to say, "- a Czechoslovakian. *That's* not possible."
"No, Maria. I know it's a possibility. That's how they've done certain things that's not usually considered possible." -Isabel.
Max finally said, "I'm not sure that I believe it, myself. I don't want to believe she's like Michael, Isabel and I. But, I suppose it would explain the manipulations, how Jesse and Isabel and Kyle's dad, too -how they acted differently or couldn't remember what happened to them."
"Just what in the hell am I going to do?" Michael finally said, more to himself perhaps, than anyone else present.
"What are YOU going to do? Maria said. "What WE are going to do - is get that little witch and her dad too- if that's even who he is."
"It's not that simple." -Max.
Michael snapped at Maria, "You'd like that wouldn't you. You've been jealous of her since day one. You'd like for me to be proved wrong about her. You're enjoying this aren't you!" He accused.
"How dare you turn this back on me! I'm not the one who's been deceiving everyone since *day one*, who's been hurting everyone I thought you cared about." -Maria.
Michael almost sounded defeated, barely hearing what Maria had said, furthermore barely caring. "I thought I knew her. She's not bad. She's innocent. She's---" Michael swallowed hard and stormed out, his demons chasing him.
"Michael!" Max shouted, but Michael seemed not to hear him.
Liz touched Max's arm. "I think he needs a little time." Max looked at her and then suddenly drew her to him in a hug. "What *are* we going to do?"
---End of Chapter 32---
On the way back from the desert, Max's cell phone rings. He picks it up and answers, "Hello?" Max was seated in the backseat with Liz, while Maria drove her car and Michael was beside her.
"Max?" Isabel answers, breathlessly.
"Isabel, what's wrong?" Max asks, on alert already.
Michael turns around from the front seat and looks at Max. "What's wrong Max?"
Max holds up a hand and listens to his sister on the other end of the phone.
"Jesse- he's awake. Max I have to see you. I remember. I remember! And Jesse's out of the coma. He remembers things too." -Isabel.
"Calm down, Iz. Where are you?" -Max.
"At the hospital. I ---" -Isabel started.
"Okay, wait, we'll be there soon." Max promises. He closes the phone and looks at everyone around him, who's attention was fixed on him- even Maria was glancing at him from the rearview mirror in anticipation.
"Isabel says she remembers something. And Jesse's out of his coma, he does too." -Max.
"Step on it Maria. We've got to get to the hospital ASAP." -Max.
-=-=-
The group made a manic dash into the hospital. They were barred from all going in at once, but Jesse from inside the room - insisted that they all come in for a few minutes. The group nearly burst into his room in anticipation, to find Jesse's head propped up with pillows and a few tears streaming down Isabel's cheeks, her hand in Jesse's.
Isabel went into Max's arms. "I'm so sorry Max. You were right. I remember now,"
"Ssshhh."" Max said as he hugged his sister.
When Isabel sat back down, he said, "Tell me what you remember - and how."
"I dozed off and on while watching over Jesse, but this morning while I slept, I remembered as if a fog had been lifted- and like I knew the truth after living a lie. Like in memories, bits and pieces, I saw myself being taken to a military place it seemed. I remember being-" Isabel stopped with a shudder, than continued,
"-experimented on like a lab rat. I remember the man who's name is Adam Winthrop and how he was almost always there, telling the people what to do to me. I also remember.. a girl who I recognized as Victoria Winthrop. SHE made me forget."
Isabel continued on quickly before anyone got the questions out of their mouths. "After remembering, I connected with Jesse while I slept. I couldn't ever get through to him before. But this time, when I woke up- he did too! We talked afterwards and he remembers things too." Isabel looked to Jesse.
"I only remember before I was shot. I had been invited to the ball last Halloween and I was lost in the mansion after everyone left. At one point, I heard talking, so I listened outside the door before going in. What I heard was three voices, more one than the others. It was about you guys. I just remember that it was something about Max and Michael, I think. When I went inside- that's when I was really surprised. The girl was kind of *glowing*. Adam Winthrop was telling her to do something. They saw me and he shot me. That's all I remember." Jesse said, and then, "Of course the glowing could have been a false remembrance or hallucination or something." He added.
"We'll take care of it." Max said, not feeling very sure, but he didn't want to say too much in front of Jesse. After all Isabel's boyfriend didn't know about them being - aliens.
Max looked to Isabel. She nodded in understanding and stood up. She turned to Jesse. "Just rest. I'll be back later."
"Isabel---" Jesse began.
"I just need you to get stronger, Jesse. Don't worry about anything. Please. It'll all be okay." Isabel said, but not waiting for an answer, she kissed his lips lightly and walked out with the rest. They all followed Max silently as they went to the parking lot. They squeezed into Maria's car and went to Max's house, since his and Isabel's parents were not home then.
-=-
The group was sitting around the living room silent, when Max asked Isabel, "How did Victoria make you forget?"
"She put her hands on my head, She got into my *mind*! I felt the memory slipping away, being replaced with false ones." Isabel's sentiments turned from sadness or fright, to anger. "Max. I think she's one of us."
"That's not possible." Maria spoke up. "I mean of course it's possible she's done terrible things, I've always thought she was a witch - but to be an-" Maria stopped and rephrased what she was about to say, "- a Czechoslovakian. *That's* not possible."
"No, Maria. I know it's a possibility. That's how they've done certain things that's not usually considered possible." -Isabel.
Max finally said, "I'm not sure that I believe it, myself. I don't want to believe she's like Michael, Isabel and I. But, I suppose it would explain the manipulations, how Jesse and Isabel and Kyle's dad, too -how they acted differently or couldn't remember what happened to them."
"Just what in the hell am I going to do?" Michael finally said, more to himself perhaps, than anyone else present.
"What are YOU going to do? Maria said. "What WE are going to do - is get that little witch and her dad too- if that's even who he is."
"It's not that simple." -Max.
Michael snapped at Maria, "You'd like that wouldn't you. You've been jealous of her since day one. You'd like for me to be proved wrong about her. You're enjoying this aren't you!" He accused.
"How dare you turn this back on me! I'm not the one who's been deceiving everyone since *day one*, who's been hurting everyone I thought you cared about." -Maria.
Michael almost sounded defeated, barely hearing what Maria had said, furthermore barely caring. "I thought I knew her. She's not bad. She's innocent. She's---" Michael swallowed hard and stormed out, his demons chasing him.
"Michael!" Max shouted, but Michael seemed not to hear him.
Liz touched Max's arm. "I think he needs a little time." Max looked at her and then suddenly drew her to him in a hug. "What *are* we going to do?"
---End of Chapter 32---