Part 36

David ran down the long hall to Zander's room. Fortunately, it was dark, Zander was asleep, and Donna was sitting there.

He leaned against the doorjamb, relieved. Donna looked up.

Thinking he looked troubled, she got up and went to the doorway.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We're busted," he answered. "This hospital is so good at filing they put the paternity test in the chart. And they don't consider the patient's parents might look at the chart, which is not normally something they'd do. Cameron read it and just confronted me about it."

Donna looked shocked for a moment, but then said, "I really don't care, except I don't like the idea of him talking to Alexander about it."

"He knows not to upset a cardiac patient."

"Since his work is his whole identity, I think you could count on his professional sense."

"It's not quite his whole identity. He thinks of himself as a parent, too. He was talking about how he did all the work, which he did. He's already questioning that he's the father of Peter."

"I hadn't met you yet then."

"Could be somebody else."

"Oh, right, he'd think that."

"He's angry. He'll confront you."

"Not likely. He thinks of me with such contempt that it doesn't matter to him what I might say. I wonder if he would tell Peter. I can't really say."

"Are you worried about how Peter could take it?"

"No, I guess not, really. He'll be shocked but it won't make any difference to him."

"It could make a difference in how Cameron treats him. Do you think he'd really make Peter do a DNA test?"

"I don't know, but he'll find he's Peter's father."

"Pressure him more, because he's his only son?"

"Maybe."

"What do you think it'll do to Alexander that he knows?"

"I don't even know," Donna said. "He'll either treat Alexander the same or just leave him alone because he won't count. I kind of think he'll treat him the same, actually. Maybe without even bringing it up that he knows."

"He's spent so much time on the project of raising this kid."

"Right. He's got to finish it. Whatever that means."

"From what he said to me, he still thinks it counts. I'm sure Alexander does, too."

"They are father and son by relationship if not by biology," Donna said. She sighed. "I'm going to tell Peter, with any luck before Cam does, and I'm going to tell Alexander, unless you think that's too much for him now."

"Not from you. It's the sudden accusation from Cam that would be. So I'm keeping guard on this doorway whether Cam likes it or not."

"OK. Brenda and I will help you. I'm going to call Peter right now."

"How are you feeling today?" Brenda asked. She had knocked lightly on the open door and stood there with schoolbooks.

"Great. I don't know why I'm here."

She came in and gave him the school books.

"Thanks," he said. "Can't let you get too far ahead of me," he added, grinning.

She sat down on the bed and put her hands on his shoulders. "You know you get a huge handicap over this," she said. "No stress."

"Some people from work came over," he said. "It was nice. The ones who saw me on the floor looked relieved. It freaked them out."

"I'll bet," she said. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He put the books down and put his arms around her.

Monica, Donna and David were in the doorway. Brenda turned, hearing them. Monica had a small cardboard box and some papers.

"Do I get out of here soon?" Zander asked, as soon as he saw them.

"Soon," Monica said. "When I see how you react to this medication."

Brenda got up to make way for her.

Monica explained how he should take it and told him to read the instructions on the side effects. "Just tell me if any of them are really bad and we can switch medications. There are several to choose from. Or if you have any other attacks, because that would mean you need another one or one that is for more serious cases."

"OK," Zander read for awhile.

"Impotence," he said, grinning. "No way!"

"It's rare," Monica said, rolling her eyes, "and like I said, I'll change the medication."

"There's a drug called Libidnizone that can counteract that," David said, grinning.

Zander laughed. Donna and Brenda looked at him, while Monica rolled her eyes again.

"That's one of David's experimental drugs," he explained to Donna and Brenda.

"Which he will not be prescribing," Monica said, tersely.

"I'd have gone for the memory wipe-out drug a couple of years ago," Zander said. "But not now," he added, looking at Brenda.

"Certainly not," David laughed.

When Monica had gone out, Donna asked David, "Do you think he should study, now?"

"As long as it's not stressful," was the answer.

"This is a great disease," Zander said. "Anything I don't like to do, and all I have to say is - this is stressing me out - I'd better quit."

"Yeah, that's it," David said.

"For now, anyway," Donna said, with a smile.

"Both professors said they would do whatever they could to help," Brenda said.

Donna glanced at David. "It's important you not talk to your father, Alexander, until you're absolutely stable. If he comes in and none of us are here, call a nurse and tell them you want him out."

"Oh, I can handle him."

"Don't try it right now," David said.

"Promise us," Donna added.

"OK," Zander said. "I got my stress excuse."

"He got a look at your chart," Donna said, putting her hand on Zander's arm.

He stared for a moment.

"Oh," he said, light dawning.

"They filed your paternity test right in," Donna said.

"Are you sure he saw it?"

"He talked to David about it," Donna said.

"What did he say?" Zander asked, anxiously, looking at David.

"Can you guess?" David asked.

This turned out to be a good response. It lightened Zander's mind to think about it that way, right away. "He lectured you that you're only a sperm donor," he said, already starting to be amused more than anxious. "You don't know anything about raising children and can't start now."

"Yes, exactly."

"He condemned you for adultery."

"Yes."

"As if Mom had nothing to do with it."

"Pretty much. Yeah, he implied it was all my doing."

"Pete!" Zander said, getting anxious again, "he'll tell Pete!"

"I did that," said Donna, "I got to him first. He's OK. It makes no difference to him."

"Dad'll wonder if he's Pete's father," Zander said.

"Exactly," David said again. "You do know him, don't you?"

"Which he is," Donna said.

"Mom, I wasn't going to ask you that."

"I know," she smiled. "I'm just not big on secrets any more. They don't hold."

"That's for sure," Zander said. "Yeah, let's tell all! Well, you can quit worrying about Dad. I can handle him now that I know he knows."

"No! Not yet," Donna said. "Promise?"

"OK, OK," Zander laughed. He relaxed. "OK. Maybe the memory wipe-out drug would work on Dad."

"Libidnizone could cheer him up," David said, mischievously.

"I wouldn't wish that on any woman on earth," Zander said. "Maybe you can come up with a personality-creating drug."

"I'll work on it," David said, laughing.