"It should take just a few minutes for the readings to gather up from the scan," said Hayley as she started to head over to the computer.
"So you're finished?" asked Alex.
"Yeah. There's not much more I can do until I know more of what's going on with him." Hayley took a longing glance over at Jen, who had just been sitting down next to him staring at his motionless face. "I should know more once the readings come through." Her eyes fell on Eric, who hadn't said as much as two words since they all had arrived back with Wes. For those few hours they had cleaned him up, while Tommy gathered up some clothes for him.
Eric gave her a silent nod and faint smile, his way of saying thanks for everything she was doing. She returned his smile and made her way over to the computer to look over what the scanner picked up about Wes's condition.
"Alright." Alex promptly made his way over to Wes. He grabbed a hold of one of Wes's wrists and started to place it in one of the strapping binds.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jen yelled as she slapped Alex's hand away.
Alex ignored it and grabbed a hold of Wes's wrist again. Jen just glared at him, angry. He looked her in the face. "He almost killed you, Jen." He turned around and faced the others. "Guys?"
"Don't bring them into this," stated Eric, getting in front of the teens.
"You know I'm right about this, Eric."
He bowed his head down, sighing, as much as he hated it. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Eric," he heard Jen cry.
He looked to her brokenhearted face. "I'm sorry Jen, but until Wes wakes up…" He couldn't even continue on. He didn't know what to think or what to do. So many questions were going off in his head. He was at a loss and then there was still the matter of getting a hold of Mr. Collins and telling him what was going on.
Even with Jen's protest Alex strapped both of Wes's wrists along with his ankles. "That's if he wakes up."
"If? What, now all of a sudden it's if?" Jen got up and got right into Alex's face. "It's a miracle he was alive after all this time!"
He grabbed a hold of her. "Will you listen to yourself, Jen? We don't even know if that's Wes still in there."
She shoved him away from her. "You didn't see the look in his eyes, Alex. When he saw it was me. He was petrified! He was scared out of his mind!"
"You know the odds are against him, Jen. Only very few ever survived after being freed from whatever Janixsaur had done to them." He gulped in heavily, sighing.
Jen looked Alex right in the eyes. Unlike everyone else who had seemed overjoyed that Wes had been alive, Alex seemed distant and uneasy. Then it hit her. She couldn't believe it. "You bastard!" She slapped him across the cheek. "You knew the whole damn time it was him! Didn't you?" she yelled.
The room fell silent. Eric's eyes were glaring right at Alex, angry and burning with fury. Although he knew why Alex probably hadn't told them, he still had every right to be angry. And it was taking everything he had to control his temper; to keep from losing it and attacking Alex.
"Great, as if this day couldn't get any worse," mumbled Ethan.
Alex rubbed his now stung cheek. He knew she had every right to be angry with him, to hate him, maybe even never trust him again. And even if this could be the end of their friendship, he knew after everything they've been through he owed her the truth. "Yes I knew."
"You bastard," she whispered harshly. "I thought I knew you, I guess I was wrong."
Tommy gulped in heavily; he took a step forward. "He's not the only one. I knew too."
No, he couldn't have Tommy take the heat with him. "No, Tommy." Alex stepped around Jen and looked at everyone in the room. "I told Tommy not to tell anyone." He sighed and licked his lips. "It was I that didn't want to tell any of you," he sighed. "And I'm sorry."
"Seems to be a lot of that going on," announced Conner harshly.
"Conner," hissed Kira, staring right at him. This wasn't how she wanted to let Dr. O know the cat was out of the bag.
"No, Kira. As long as we're getting everything out in the open, we might as well get it done all in one shot." Conner walked around until he was face to face with Tommy.
"Isn't that right, Dr. O?"
Tommy fell silent, as Conner angrily glared him in the eyes. Ethan, Kira and Trent had their heads down, showing signs of anger and hurt. Alex sighed heavily; along with Jen they were silent, as if they already knew somehow what Conner was speaking of. But of course they would know; they were from the future.
"Tommy, what is he talking about?" asked Eric, stepping forward, but then he caught a look from Hayley. Her face was sad and uneasy. She shook her head for him not to press on the question any further.
"Well, are you going to tell them? Or should I?" announced Conner. When Tommy didn't answer, Conner shook his head in disappointment. "Some legend you turned out to be." He started to back away. "Come on guys. I can tell when we're not wanted."
Tommy watched painfully as Conner turned away and headed upstairs. The others slowly followed behind him. "Guys…." Kira, Ethan and Trent turned around, their faces sad and lost. "I…I…." He sighed and bowed his head down and then watched as they walked up the steps and out of sight.
It had been at least three hours since Conner and the other teens had left and Tommy, shortly followed by Alex, had also left. Both men had gone without saying a word; Tommy couldn't even look Hayley in the eye when he made his long way upstairs and out the door.
Alex had tried talking to Jen but she pushed him away. He couldn't blame her, so he left with Tommy, knowing she needed some space and time. He just hoped that one day she would be able to forgive him.
Jen sat close by Wes, wiping a damp washcloth over his forehead. He hadn't woken up yet, only had made soft whimpers and cries in his sleep, mumbling something she couldn't make out.
"You just hang in there, Wes."
From over by the computer Eric and Hayley watched her tend to Wes, silently. The two hadn't said much, after Hayley explained Tommy's condition and what could happen if he continued to morph.
"She really loves him, doesn't she?" said Hayley, softly breaking the silence.
"Yeah, more then we'll ever know." Eric sighed and ran his hand over his face. He felt uneasy and sick, a panging fear that wouldn't go away.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, wrapping her arm around him, stroking his face gently.
"I don't know. I should be happy that he's alive, but with his condition I don't know what to tell Mr. Collins."
Hayley sighed. This was hard for Eric. He had already once gone through telling Mr. Collins that his son was dead. "Maybe Wes will pull through. He showed no signs of broken bones, only light burning and cuts. The only thing we have to be concerned about is his state of mind."
Eric nodded his head. "But we aren't even sure if that all." Eric stood up and stared over at his old friend, lying motionless. "There could be a thousand other things wrong with him."
Hayley stood up and took his hands. "But the scans showed there isn't."
"You're not a doctor, Hayley-" he stopped himself short.
"No. I'm not." She bowed her head down, sighing. She had been doing everything in her power to find out everything she could about Wes's condition, but it never seemed to be enough.
Feeling partly ashamed, Eric took her into his arms. "I'm sorry. It's just that…I'm scared, Hayley, I've never been more afraid in my life." He tried putting on a brave face, but failed.
She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know it's okay for tough guys to be afraid."
He had been staring at the screen for over an hour, looking at his name. Thomas Theodore Oliver. He had his hand held over the controller and the pointer image just over his name.
"There's a saying in my time, 'We each make our own destiny.'" Alex laughed slightly. It was actually Wes who had said it, somehow it just got carried on.
Tommy laughed silently. "Am I making the wrong destiny?"
"I can't tell you what to do, Tommy, any more than what you would read on that computer record of your life."
Tommy sighed and leaned back against the chair. "I thought I had my life all figured out once I graduated, but then all of this happened." He bowed his head down. "I should have destroyed them when I had the chance."
Alex watched as Tommy turned around in his chair. "Destroyed? Destroyed what?" he asked, confused by what Tommy was speaking of.
He gulped in heavily, looking Alex right in the eyes. "The dino gems…None of this would have ever happened, if only…" He stopped, not being able to go on. He hated himself at that very moment.
"If only what?" asked Alex.
Tommy started to answer, when his cell phone rang. He answered it. "Hello…What?...Are you sure….Yeah I can be there right away…Yes….Thank you." Tommy ended the call and looked Alex right in the eyes.
"What was that about?"
"Anton Mercer has woken up out of his coma; he's asking for me."