IF EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DIFFERENT – Chapter 6
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To all people who write or read Fics keeping TLW alive.
Also in Portuguese: "Se Tudo Fosse Diferente"
"For they have their own thoughts."
Khalil Gibran – 'The Prophet'
Challenger was in his laboratory researching a tiny Tommy's hair that he had found in his shower towel. He had gone, without anybody noticing, to where Veronica had just left the towel and looked for something he could examine. A single hair was enough.
"Interesting, very interesting..." – He whispered while observing the hair under the microscopy lenses.
"What is interesting, George? Is that some new invention or discovery?" - Summerllee friendly got closer to the scientist, who was frightened by the sudden entrance. He hid the plaque with the hair and turned to face Arthur, still sat.
"I... was... testing some samples of solutions with... different saps and found out an interesting one... the way they react to the sun rays..."
"Yes... What kind of plant are you studying, some legume?"
"Yes... Indeed..."
Summerllee scanned the workbench behind the scientist and looked suspiciously back to the scientist. Challenger swallowed hard in disguise.
"Ok George... That's all right... I will leave you alone with your saps... But don't take too long to go upstairs, tea is almost ready..."
"All right... Thanks Arthur, I will not be late..."
As soon the botanist went upstairs, George kept the plaque and hid it closer to the other trial pipes, before listening to another noise. He pretended to be cleaning his microscopy. It was Marguerite.
"It's very good you decided to clean up this mess, Challenger!" – she smiled putting a tender hand over the scientist shoulders. Her curious eyes called his attention.
"What are you looking for?"
"Oh, nothing special... You know... Ah, my skin, it's so sensitive... Even during the rain the weather is too hot here... Sometimes I think I will completely disintegrate soon... So I just wondered if you would have something here that could protect my skin from the sun, at least for some time..."
"Is your skin that sensitive, Marguerite?"
"Yes, George... Very sensitive... Just like baby's skin..."
Challenger's forehead frowned and he repeated. - "Baby?"
"Yes..." – She smiled openly.
Challenger knew she needed nothing to her skin, but tried not to show it up.
"Yes, really, you have some kind of allergy..."
"... ALLERGY?" – She interrupted he in rage - "I'm sure I have nothing, I just wanted an answer..." – She tried to change the conversation subject. - "Do you have what I have asked here or not?"
"I believe I have here some solution with herb's extracts, if you will."
"It would help a lot... Thanks..."
Marguerite received a small bottle with a blue gel, and glancing back to George – "Did you already have this mixture ready?"
The scientist was caught by surprise by her question, but answered. - "I've thought about some treatment for sensitive skins..."
George smiled and Marguerite decided leaving as fast as she could and he, who was not a dummy guy, just nodded a negative – "Sensitive as baby's skin..."
As a flash of light something came to his mind...
Challenger could not remember any other toy that could hold his attention as much as science. Since he was a child his interest was about things: their origin, how were they made, how could he change them. He could not remember about playing with wooden-horses or miniature soldiers. He could just recall himself observing his family's cooker and how she managed to boil water. At that time, he wanted to know how and why the water boiled. He recalled observing ant's nests and to take off an ant from the trail and not understanding why it couldn't get back to the original pathway. He had so many questions and so few answers... His father, attempting to his interests and to his intelligence, directed Challenger to make sure he received the most complete and broad knowledge study available.
And thus Challenger studied in the best schools. He avoided mixing with other children – they wanted to play, and his leisure was different. His teachers challenged him more and more scientifically speaking. George solved and overcame each challenge. The remarkable little boy soon called the authorities attention, especially from a biology teacher called Arthur Summerllee, who from that moment on would follow from the distance that promising mind. And Challenger got prominence in everything he did. And when he was almost finishing the university he finally found out the one who would be his beloved wife.
Challenger was sat by a bench in the University of Edinburgh campus, reading and having a sandwich for lunch, as he did usually, when his glance was attracted to a slim brunette; he followed her with his eyes and smiled. She simply ignored him. Later George found out that she was a student and a new assistant hired by the university. Challenger had to learn something new and very difficult, especially for him: the art of conquering someone.
Jessie was her name. She came from a traditional family, and had the privilege of being allowed to study even being a woman. Even thinking Challenger tottery approaches were childish she could not deny he was charming. He was honest, fair, hard-worker, polite and intelligent. He had the kind of ethics she looked for in mankind. And for her the most important thing was knowing he loved her, and surprising herself by finding she loved him in return.
The marriage was not delayed. Jessie noticed that even if they both loved each other, there was something first in line for Challenger's love: science. She was not sure about how to compete with that, although she tried several times. But as time went by, she noticed that she could never ever match his trial tubes, theories and inventions.
She thought that maybe she could not win, but maybe a result of their union, a child, could call his attention for a different and unknown world for him. But he had always been explicit affirming they could wait a little bit more.
Then she waited. She waited for a whole life. Up to the day when he finally admitted that he could not have a child interfering with his academic activities.
He knew he had hurt her, and that he had made her unhappy year after year. When he went to bed, and when dawn reached them, he would find her with her beautiful blue eyes deeply sunk in her sad tears. That image kept stored in his memory. But what could have parted them turned to be a way for uniting them even more. She understood that he had a goal in his life, and since she loved him above every other thing, she knew that if he was happy that would make her happy, so, why bother to keep crying?
What she didn't know was that he worked even more exactly because he was seeing her suffer, and not to auto-promote his scientific work. He was just trying to forget that he was causing suffering to his beloved due to his biggest passion: science.
While he was reliving all those memories, some noise in the kitchen called his attention. He recalled the tea was probably ready. Challenger went upstairs, but noticing they had not finished the preparations he went to the balcony, and when he inclined over the rail he saw Veronica arriving with Tommy in her arms. During years he and Jessie seemed to have accepted not discussing that subject. And when he organized the expedition to the lost world he could never imagined that the old choice could hit him so hard.
After sometime he started to think how selfish he had been leaving Jessie alone and without any memory of his love. A child of them would be Veronica's age this time and would be certainly taking care of his Jessie by now.
Challenger smiled to himself. His child would be as strong and stubborn as Veronica. In the beginning he had tried to impose his authoritarian image to Veronica, but she was too much in charge of her wills and opinions. But the scientist was either a man of strong wills and opinions, and that was separating him from Veronica more and more. - "Veronica is really stubborn" – he thought – "If at least she had listened to me she could see I'm right and maybe she could take my advices... It's only for her own good, she knows that... But she is too similar to Jessie! So stubborn, so persistent, so sensitive..."
"I need to try to show her that she needs me and my advices... She is always going to be a girl fearing to be alone without her parents, never a woman... Despite her appearance, never a woman!" – he thought proudly – "Not a woman with this kind of responsibility as a child... She needs me, I know that!"
"Challenger, tea is getting cold..."
"It's already cold..."
"Why do you always have to have the last word, Marguerite?" - Roxton and Marguerite were arguing once more and Challenger went to the table seeing another cup ready, certainly waiting for him.
"Last word? Last word in what, Roxton, are you crazy? I don't even bother listening what you have to say..."
"... Ahhhh but you care about what I do, don't you?" - Something kicked Roxton's under the table. He moaned and she pretended she was not listening to it.
Everybody exchanged glances and both were ill at easy. Marguerite wore a bad face and Roxton avoided looking to the others.
After some seconds...
"Rude..."
"You are rude, Marguer..."
"Impolite..."
"Childish..."
"Ridiculous..."
The others exchanged glances without understanding. They could not stop, just whispering and looking to their own cups. Both spoke in low tones, but all the others could still listen to them.
"Arrogant..."
"Holiness..."
"Wild..."
"Snobbish..."
"Petulant..."
"Despot..."
"Silly!"
"Silly is you!"
"Can you twoo stop that?!" - Challenger yelled, running the fingers through his hair and closing his eyes while the others looked at him.
"Challenger is right, what do you think you are doing to each other?" – Summerllee tried to soothe the situation, while Marguerite and Roxton punished each other with their glances.
"What's going on, I heard your yell from downstairs, George, is everything alright?" - Malone arrived curious and scared coming from the elevator.
"No, Malone, things are not alright, these two don't have peace and don't allow us all to have peace!" - Challenger socked the table and left furiously.
"Have you seen what you did!?" - Marguerite stood up and rested one hand on her hip, the other pointing to Roxton who stood up either. - "Me? What have I done? You started it!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop you both! You are scaring Tommy!" – Veronica demanded irrupting into the room.
"I'm really sorry, Veronica..." - Roxton lowered his head while Marguerite faced him.
"Very well, Roxton... I forgive you..." - Marguerite answered before Veronica said anything. Veronica looked surprised at her.
Roxton, who had sat again, stood up. - "I was not asking you to forgive me, Marguerite".
"... But you should!" – The heiress interrupted him.
"You should be normal, absolutely normal, but after today I still have doubts... What an absurd!"
"But Summ..."
"No buts, Marguerite! That's enough!... I think it's better for you to go to your respective bedrooms now!"
"What? We are not children, Summerlee!!!"
"Ah, yes, you are. At least you act as children, so you must be treated as children, and don't dare to disobey me! You scared the boy, robbed the peace that still remained in this Treehouse, and managed to make Challenger to loose his temper!"
"Leave, please!" – Veronica noticed that the professor was irritated and something was wrong with him.
Marguerite and Roxton also noticed that, and before leaving to their respective bedrooms, still glanced to each other once more.
Quickly Veronica put Tommy in his high chair and went to the professor. She was worried about Summerlee's reaction. She had never seen him so irritated.
Veronica helped him to a chair. - "Are you alright, professor?".
"I am" – he said, sitting down. - "The problem is that sometimes these two makes me loose my temper... They fight as cat and mouse..."
Veronica served him a tea cup and sat down by his side. - "Don't bother about them, you know how they are always teasing each other...".
"I know a name for that...".
"Love!" – both said together and smiled.
They spent some time in silence, enjoying each other's company and the delicious tea Roxton had prepared before. Tommy was distracted with his porridge plate.
Veronica had given up preventing him to spread food all around. Anyway she would have to clean up everything. - "Clean up the kitchen and Tommy from all this porridge... But at least he is quiet now..."
"Veronica" – Summerlee said. - "Challenger would like to examine Tommy."
"No, professor."
"He is not going to hurt the boy... and you know that it would be great if we had more information, even to know better any specific need he may have..." – he tried to convince her.
"... I know that, Summerlee. Sometimes I ask myself if what I'm doing is right or wrong, if he really needs what I think he needs or not... I think Challenger would be the right person to do that, but we have been having so much trouble..." - She said sadly.
"Why are you both avoiding each other, I can't understand?!".
"Do you want a straight answer?" – Veronica asked in a sad smile. - "Because we both think we are absolutely right..."
Summerlee was surprised and could not suppress a smile.
"So, professor, the only thing he wants to study is Tommy... 'In the name of science.'"
"Come on, Veronica, I will be close and you will too, would you agree this way?"
Veronica stood up. - "You can setup with him, professor. Tomorrow morning, as soon as I come back with Tommy from our morning tour." – she said starting to clean up the kitchen.
"GET OUT ROXTON!...Oh!!! Challenger, sorry, I didn't know it was you! Do you need anything?".
Marguerite heard the knocks on her door and automatically answered furiously thinking it was John. And there was George, with another small bottle in his hand, with the same kind of gel he had given her before.
"I've prepared another mixture... Just in case you need some more..."
"Thanks... But I think I will just need one... Well, anyway it's better to store it in case of any emergency need, right?..." - she smiled, still a little bit ill at easy, but soon noticing the enraged expression of the scientist she regained her balance.
"I prepared an extra portion, since I don't intend to be interrupted in the next few days. I'm starting a new study that requires total dedication so, please, if it's not asking too much, I would not like to be interrupted by yells or discussions that are usual between two people I don't want to name now, just to mention one of them is in front of me right now...".
Marguerite listened concentrated and just nodded her confirmation. - "Of course, Challenger... Of course... You can be sure, there will be no more conflicts with that man... At least not here in the Treehouse...".
"I hope this is true... By the way..." – he checked around to see if there was anybody closer to them, before proceeding lowering his voice. - "Have you had any contact with that boy in the last 36 hours?".
"Why?". At the same time surprised and naive she answered. - "Well, if you are talking about Roxton...".
"I'm not talking about Roxton, I'm talking about that boy... The one Veronica brought to the Treehouse...".
Marguerite raised an eyebrow and nodded her head. - "Ah... no, no... Indeed no contact at all... But why?"
"Are you sure? Not even with any of his objects?"
"No, but..."
"Oh, nothing special... Good night, Marguerite..."
"Good night...".
The scientist left and Marguerite closed the door. - "George, my friend, you could provide me with some mixture to make a certain person disappear of my life!" – She turned her eyes and laid down again. - "Have I had any contact with the little monkey in the last 36 hours?" – she kept thinking why George had asked her that question, and finally started to read a book.
She listened to another knock on her door.
"Yes, go ahead..." - Marguerite opened the door, not noticing that it was not Challenger in front of her this time.
"Are you calmer now?" - John asked and Marguerite glanced back quickly.
"NO!" - Marguerite pushed the door against him, but he held it with only one hand.
"I need to talk to you!".
"We don't have anything to talk. Good night!"
"No!" – he managed to enter and closed the door behind him. - "Yes we have lots to talk about, and you are going to listen to me, wishing it or not."
Marguerite was cross-armed and sat by her bed. Roxton ignored her attitude and pulling a chair sat close by her. She glanced interrogatively to him.
"Marguerite, sometimes we overcome any limits, don't you think so?"
Marguerite smiled and Roxton tried to hold his control. - "We?"
"Yes, we... And please, let me finish, then you can talk anything you want."
"Go ahead, I'm listening!" – she allowed him to proceed with certain impudence.
"Well... You know the situation among everybody in this Treehouse is a little confuse right now. We are all a little uncertain when it concerns to the..."
"... when it concerns to the little monkey?"
"Tommy..."
"Ok, whatever... And what I have to do with that?"
Roxton was surprised by Marguerite's question and nodded his head saying. - "If you are involved with Veronica, you are also involved with the child. It's inevitable..."
Marguerite turned her eyes and rested her chin on a hand that was resting on a pillow over her lap.
"I think that if you don't wish to help that's fine, just don't disturb. There are so many people that are always ready to judge the others but forget to evaluate themselves... Despite anything, I don't want you or the others to have to continue living in this way, judging, evaluating, but closing your eyes from facing the reality..."
Marguerite was paying attention to each one of his words. In these moments she always wanted to kill him, but it was exactly when he said the most sincere words a man could ever say. His heart was noble, she was sure about that.
"I will tell you something, John. For reasons that just compete to me I prefer not to interfere in this situation...".
"Why not? You know that both Veronica and the boy need support... You know very well that Veronica is a good person, but she is too proud to ask for help. That's why I prevented any publicity about the cradle, clothes and other things."
"If Veronica really wished help, she would be talking to Challenger."
"Challenger doesn't try any contact with her, just because an innocent boy. And she is also avoiding Challenger."
"Do you hate Challenger?"
"Of course no, Marguerite! On the contrary, Challenger is my best friend... I think he may be right in some things. I think it's not all his fault."
"Veronica is too preposterous, too sure of herself, and things don't work like that... Even I can admit that sometimes we need one another, but when it comes to her the concepts are different."
"Why don't you talk to Veronica?"
"And why don't you talk to Challenger?"
Roxton was silent observing Marguerite. - "Ok, I will talk with George... What about you?"
"I don't know, Veronica doesn't remain home for too long, and when she is home she is always with the monkey..." – John looked severely to her. – "Tommy..."
"I know that nobody here, even you, are enjoying this new atmosphere among us, I know you all want to change this situation, but if we don't act fast we are on risk of loosing two good friends..."
"As things are evolving, we will loose them all at once..." – She answered sadly, lowering her eyes. John touched her hand.
"You shall always have me... Even if you don't like it."
Marguerite swallowed hard, her heart beating fastening. "Well... let's see that tomorrow, now it's time for having some sleep..."
"Alright..." - John withdrew his hand from over hers on the pillow, stood up, and restore the chair to its original place. – "Good night, Marguerite..."
"Good night, John..."
She followed the hunter leaving, and after he closed the door, she sunk among the pillows over her bed, trying to change the course of her thoughts, trying not to think about him. But even if she hated to admit, he was right in everything he had just said.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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