Time still passed since their encounter in the corridor. They hadn't met with Dr Malsinger since then and not much with 'R' or 'C' either, as the 2 didn't have the same schedule. It was as if they always avoided them to be all together, to 'P's dismay.

Today, Father was walking 'I' personally to his usual check up at the Weird Professor place, and 'I' that was trailing him like an obedient kid, decided it was a good time to play "questions/answers". The boy had always been curious and this questioning session together was something usual between them. Father wouldn't respond to everything, being evasive sometimes, but his calm and relaxed demeanor was inviting the boy to at least try.

"Father! Why can't we study together with 'R' and 'C'? Why are we separated from them?"

The brown spiky haired man sent him his usual indecipherable look from behind his glasses. He always looked relaxed yes, but at the same time, his facade was never broken with useless emotions, his smirk being a whole part of his "mask". Only his brown eyes seemed to express something, piercing through the glass and directly to the soul.

The man just looked up to the road, and answered, not changing his pace of walk at all.

" Well, a part of it is Docteur Malsinger trying to avoid me or you to interfere with his study. But he wasn't alone in the making of this decision, he is far from having full control on his activities... No, do you remember when I told you about 'R' and 'C's special condition? 'R' and 'C' are unstable, contrary to you and your brother. If we separate you all as much as possible, it's because we fear their contact might...affect you as well.``

Oh, that was new!

So this was for their own safety after all? The boy understood the decision better, but now, he was curious about this special condition.

However, as he was about to put his thoughts into words, Father had already passed the badge to open a door, and had pushed him gently to advance toward Professor Eiling, before leaving him under the care of the neurologist.

It was today that he was going to have his MRI brain scan, and since it was taking time and that he had work, Father was gone a few minutes later.

The question would have to wait, but little did 'I' know it wouldn't be needed.

xxxxxxxxx

About three weeks had passed. 'P' and 'I' were having a break in their activities. Ms Miller was on vacation, as well as many employees, emptying the facility for february holidays. For once though, the boys had free time and 'C' was with them, as it was 'R's turn to have a check-up.

It was easier to monitor the kids in the same place, called the "Play room", and it wouldn't be them that would argue about it!

'I' was reading a children's novel on the floor, 'P' was making paper planes, throwing them in the air with all the force he could, and 'C' was playing with his teddy bear making him visit 'P's airport, before putting him to sleep tenderly. All this while talking about Ms Miller's promise to come back with gifts.

"I wanna a figurine! A plane figurine! And that can fly for real!" exclaimed the albinos.

'C' rarely would talk about his opinion on things, but as it was like a prediction game, he whispered :

"I would like...a butterfly knot for Teddy, and a hat….Ugh…"

The boy winced, before bringing his hand to his temple. He almost always had a permanent headache, and sometimes it was just strong enough for him to lose on his track.

He instinctively went to the corner of the room and curled, a position he adopted to conjure the pain. 'P' immediately stopped playing with his planes and went to his friend.

"'C'! Are you okay? It's the woodpecker in your head again?"

'C' only responded with a grunt, putting his head in between his legs, locking strongly Teddy against him, freeing his hands to go to his head.

'I' had stopped what he was doing too, and got up. He didn't have the instinct to call for an adult, instead, he went to the boy alongside his brother, watching him.

It looked terribly painful. The little blond was having spasms and was whining pitifully. Today, the pain would be especially tough to bear, like if his head was caught in a vise.

Soon, 'C' started to feel agitated, mumbling "It hurts...it hurts.." while balancing himself back and forth restlessly.

Tears appeared and dripped from his eyes while he was pleading for it to stop. The brothers were powerless, trying to talk to him and to comfort him.

"Hey, it is okay, it will go! I know! Do you want a fresh glass of water? Let's go take one!" proposed 'I' gently,bending before him and offering his hand.

But 'C' didn't take it at all, and then, everything went wrong.

The brunette was still bending over the younger boy when he spotted red dots coming from his nose. The red dots became a thin stream, making him panic.

Then, suddenly, 'C' screamed out of nowhere, smacking his head against the wall behind him in the process.

That's when their sloppy guardian stopped chatting wiht his collegues in the adjacent room and immediately rushed to them.

In mere seconds, 'C' had started trembling and then, collapsed on his side, before losing consciousness. But his body was restless as he began to convulse, blood now dripping from his eyes, his ears, and even his mouth.

The man forced the two shocked experiments to move away and started to call over the phone.

"Emergency! Emergency! Number 5 is degenerating in the Playroom, on the 2nd floor! He is having a seizure! Bring the serum and the medics , hurry!"

Normally, a dose of serum would have sufficed for an attack. But the adult feared it wouldn't be enough.

He still proceeded to take out a syringe full of a light green substance he was ordered to always bring with him and injected it in the boy's leg, while shaking on his pulse.

'I' and 'P' were petrified in horror. They had never seen their friend in this state before, and the fact that the adult looked tense just made the situation worse.

What woke them up was when the medics from the MRI console finally arrived, alongside 'R' who had escaped vigilance as soon as he had heard his brother was in a terrible state.

"'C'! Brother!" the teenager screamed, putting all his force to rush against the arms that were trying to contain him. He might have only been 11 year-old, he was strong enough to oppose a fully grown man, and 2 more were needed to avoid him from moving further.

More people were flooding in the room and soon the children weren't able to see 'C' behind that tidal wave of white.

One of the nurse noticing them in the way shot at one of her colleague :

"Hey you! Take number 3 and 6 with you! Hurry! "

At that, a middle-aged man came immediately to the boys, grabbing their arms.

"Number 3, Number 6! Come here, it's not a spectacle for children! Let's go to your room shall we? We will take… good care of him..."

The brothers followed reluctantly, their eyes glued to the spot where 'C' was and on 'R' who was still struggling against the arms around him, almost breaking the nose of one agent.

The last thing that 'I' saw was the despair in 'R's tired eyes directed at him, giving him chills down his spine.

xxxxxxxxx

'I' and 'P' had been sent out to their room, which had been locked. They both silently sat on the floor, trying to process what had happened.

They had never felt this much fear of the unknown and of 'C's condition . They had never been that clueless...or didn't have the impression they were.

It's the little albinos, with a hand in his mouth biting his nails, that broke the silence.

" Big brother 'I', will 'C' be ok?"

'I' gazed down to the dark gray tiles of their room before answering.

"I don't know...I have never seen him like that. He was suffering so much..."

" But 'R' have the same problem, and he is fine, so 'C' is gonna be fine?"

Oh, that. It wasn't that easy now that 'I' thought about it. 'R' was indeed the oldest of them all and also stronger, giving the illusion that he was healthy. But even before the brunette met with 'P', he had witnessed 'R's degenerative attacks as well, although it was always some nosebleed, headache and abdominal pains calmed with the injection.

But each time he would meet with him, he could see that there was always this chronic background pain that would never go away and that couldn't be relieved no matter all the medication he had.

If he was able to maintain appearance, it was only because the big guy was trying his best to support his pretty ill brother.

"Big Brother 'I'...Do you think we will be sick too?"

To that, 'I' looked up at the pale boy and shook his head with what he wanted to appear as a reassuring smile.

"No 'P', it will be okay! Father told us we were stable and that we don't need the injection, so it's fine! "

But he wasn't much sure of that in truth, as he remembered what Father had told him earlier…

'P' seeing his brother engulfed by his doubts approached him and offered the biggest hug he could give. The brunette returned it, and for a long hour, they cuddled to give each other strength.