My Son, My Son
By Ldynwaitin
Chapter Two
Hide and Seek
"No, Peter!" Walter shouted. Hearing Peter say that the disease could kill him brought back memories he fought to forget. "I will not allow that to happen again. Not this time. Remember, I already found the cure for your illness. Or your father did, or your other father. I…I just have to, have to…" He worriedly looked around. "I'm sorry, but I don't, don't."
"Don't what, Walter?"
"I don't remember." He started ranting. His eyes grew wide with fear. "I don't remember the cure. It was very complicated, it's not in there. Not in there." He started hitting his head.
Peter shot up, he grabbed his hands. "Walter, please stop." He tried to keep his voice calm, he couldn't stand to see Walter so distraught. "It's going to be all right. I'm sure you wrote it down. It has to be here somewhere."
Hearing Peter's calm voice seemed to soothe the anger within him. He had to remember what he did with the formula, Peter's life depended on it. He just accepted him into his life. He was becoming a part of his world. An important part. He couldn't lose him again. "Your disease, it was very rare, Peter. It was genetic. That was why it was so hard to find a cure."
Peter searched into his eyes. He placed his hands on his shoulders. "And you wrote it down, Walter. You always kept records of everything."
Walter slowly nodded his head. He softly said, "Yes, I remember offering the cure to a pharmaceutical company."
"Then they have it," Astrid brightly said, hoping that this was a ray of hope. But it was immediately dashed.
"No, they don't." Walter sadly said. "They wouldn't take it." His voice was now colored with anger. "They said it wasn't profitable enough. So, I kept the formula in my lab, just in case someone else's child was born with the same disease. But I don't remember where I put it. This lab was shut down when I was committed." His head turned as he scanned the lab. "I…I don't know what happened to all my records from that time." His voice had no emotion, he sadly shook his head. "I don't know, Peter, I just don't know."
He started moving back and forth, he madly banged his fist on his leg. He softly chanted, "Need to find it, I need to find it."
Peter grabbed his hand. "We'll find it, Walter, together. It's here somewhere." Peter tried to hide his fears, if they didn't find the cure, there was no hope of him surviving the disease.
"Don't worry, Walter," Astrid assured him. Her hand gently touched his arm. She looked up at him, "We'll all look for it. I'm sure it's here somewhere."
Walter slowly nodded his head, "Yes, it has to be, we just have to find it."
Peter was thankful they managed to calm Walter down. Now all they had to do was find the formula. Taking different parts of the lab, they searched for old files. It was near the end of the day, and they found nothing. Peter had to sit down, he was feeling a tiredness in his bones. He felt a flush of fear in his chest. Walter had asked him earlier if his bones hurt. That must be one of the signs of the disease.
He saw Walter looking at him with concern. He was mumbling over and over that they had to find it. Peter recalled the dream he had this morning. Walter told him he had to find it, was the cure the 'it' that needed to be found?
"If we can't find it," Peter said. "Then I guess we'll just have to make it again."
A mad look flowed across Walter's eyes. "Peter, you have no idea how long it's going to take. I tried for months to find a cure. It was Walternate that found it."
Walternate, Peter thought, perhaps? "Do you think he may have the formula?"
"No, I saw him erase it from his board when he thought it failed. I used what I saw to fabricate it here."
"Then I guess we'll have to…sorry," Peter said. He touched his head. "Whew, I feel lightheaded."
"It's the disease," Walter said. "It made you so sick. But you were just a young boy then, the disease always manifested in children. It was so rare very few records were kept about the disease. It doesn't even have a name. But I do know that any that were born with it never lived long enough to grow up. I'm afraid I have no idea what it will do to you, Peter. Elizabeth, she took care of you. I worked in my lab to find a cure. It was your mother that took care of you. I mean, your other mother." Walter looked lost, he sobbed, "Who is going to take care of you now?"
"Don't worry, Walter," Peter said. "I know that you'll find the cure before I get bad enough to require care. Maybe my being older is a plus."
Walter looked around, "Maybe," he mumbled. "I have to get started. I'll write a list of chemicals I need to create the formula, a…and a genetic analyzer for molecular diagnostic testing. My old one hasn't been working. We must order a new one to help me find a cure."
"I can help you, Walter," Astrid offered.
"Yes, Astrid, thank you. We'd best get started."
As Walter gave her a list of things he required, Peter looked at his cell phone. He saw Olivia's name on his contacts. He wanted to call her, but he couldn't. She was in Germany on a secret mission for Broyles. She told him he wouldn't be able to call her for at least a week.
He wanted to talk to her, to hear her voice. It would give him the strength he needed to help him fight this disease. Tiredly sighing, he looked at Walter.
After he appeared in this timeline, when he first spoke to Walter, he realized that he was afraid of him. He wanted nothing to do with him. It broke his heart when Walter couldn't even look at him. No one knew what it was like for him, the heartache he felt as he appeared in this world and saw the people that he deeply cared for treating him like a dangerous stranger. It took him time to get Walter to finally open up to him. He was just starting to feel like his Walter. But fate threw him another curve ball.
Closing his eyes, he hugged himself. He was never so cold in all his life. He felt someone gently touching him. Opening his eyes, he saw Astrid looking at him.
"Peter, It's late. I'm going home now. I'll get the items your father listed tomorrow morning. Will you be all right?"
Peter grinned, he tried to assure her he was fine. "I'm okay, Astrid."
She smiled back, he always had such a warm smile. She would be worried If he didn't smile. Then she would know just how bad his sickness was. She looked at Walter as he began organizing the lab. "Peter, do you really believe that he'll be able to find a cure? He's not the same man he was twenty years ago."
Peter took in a deep breath and released it. "I have to, Astrid. He's the only one that can."
Astrid stared at Walter. "Maybe," she said. "I'll be back here bright and early tomorrow morning."
He smiled and touched her hand. "Get some rest, Astrid. Good night."
Astrid patted his hand, "Good night, Peter. You get some rest too. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."
Peter watched her leave. He saw Walter moving around the lab. He wanted to help him, but he felt so tired. He remained seated, his head tilted forward, and he closed his eyes. He felt someone shaking him.
"Peter, wake up," Walter said.
Walter helped Peter stand. "You can sleep in my bed tonight, Peter. Come, you have to get some rest."
Peter would have argued that he should be sleeping in his own bed if he didn't feel so bad. He slowly walked to Walter's bed. He was touched when he saw that Walter had already pulled his blanket back. Sitting on the bed, he kicked his shoes off and lay down. Walter pulled a blanket to cover him.
Peter happily smiled, "It's been a long time since you tucked me in, Walter."
Walter touched his forehead, he pulled the heavy blanket off and left a thin sheet. "You're still feverish, Peter. The heavy blanket could make your fever rise." He reached for two syringes on his nightstand. Peter saw a clear liquid inside them.
"What's in them?"
"The first contains, Ketoprophen and Paracetamol."
"A fever and pain reducer," Peter said. Something he would have used, if he was thinking straight.
"Yes, the second is a corticosteroid. It will reduce any swelling. I couldn't use it when you were a child. It should help with the pain now that you're grown up."
Injecting both syringes in his arm, he patted Peter on the shoulder. "Get some rest, son. I'm going to keep looking for my notes. I had many places that I would hide my things in to keep them away from Belly. Now sleep."
Peter smiled, since he was back that was the first time Walter called him son. He thought it was sad that he had to get sick before he would say the word. He closed his eyes. As he started falling asleep, he heard a noise, he opened his eyes.
In front of him he saw the birthday gifts that Walter gave him sitting on a table. The noise was coming from the magnetic wheel toy that Walter gave him. He saw the wheel spinning up and down the track, by itself.
He was about to get up, when his mother walked in carrying a bowl of soup.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked him.
Peter blinked his eyes and shook his head in shock. "What are you doing here?"
His mother placed the bowl on Walters nightstand. Sitting next to him, she touched his forehead. "You look so much better, dear."
Peter stared at her. He couldn't believe it was her. She reached for the bowl of soup. "I'm not hungry," Peter said.
"You need to eat something, my love," she insisted.
"Maybe later," Peter said. This had to be a dream. But if it was, it was a wonderful dream. His mother was looking after him, just as she did when he was a boy.
"Very well," she said, "I'll just keep it here." She sat back.
She took out something from her pocket. It was a silver dollar. She flipped the coin. "It's your lucky coin. But it seems as if your luck has run out, Peter. All those shady deals you made. It was bound to catch up with you. I think I'll keep it for myself." She tucked it back in her pocket. "Now rest, I have more important things to do than take care of you." She stood up and quickly left the room.
Peter was confused, why would she say that? Seconds after she left, Walter walked into the room.
"Get up, son. I need you to come with me. I think I discovered a way to help you."
Getting out of bed, he found himself standing on the frozen lake. Walter and Elizabeth was standing in front of him.
"You wanted to go home, my love," Elizabeth said. "You said that your home was at the bottom of the lake." Walter raised a concrete block above his head.
"No, Walter, don't!" Peter shouted, as he threw it at him. It landed near his feet. The ice beneath him began to crack. "I wasn't good enough for you," Elizabeth shouted. "You said I'm not your mother. Then look for her down there!" she screeched.
The ice cracked, Peter fell into the water. He sunk to the bottom of the lake. Hitting the muddy bottom, he closed his eyes as darkness filled his mind.
Opening his eyes, Peter was relieved to see Astrid standing next to him. "It was just a dream," he whispered. Looking up at Astrid, he said. "Morning already?"
"Yes, Peter." She touched his forehead. It felt burning hot. "Walter told me to check on you."
Peter sat up, he felt a tug on his arm. During the night Walter must have put in an IV. He swayed as he felt as if his head was floating above his shoulders.
Astrid saw how pale he looked. "Peter, you should lie down."
Peter shook his head. "If I stay in bed to long, I'll never get up. Can you take this out for me, please?" He showed her his arm. Astrid took out his IV. Clearing his throat, he asked her, "Where's Walter?"
"I managed to order most of what he wanted." Putting his shoes on, she helped him as he stood up. He slowly walked out of Walter's room.
Astrid followed him. "I was unable to find a genetic analyzer."
"I'm sure Walter didn't like to hear that."
"I haven't told him yet," she confessed. She looked at him with concern. "Peter, you look so sick. I've only known you for a few months, but it feels as if I've known you for years. I don't want to see anything happen to you."
Peter was moved by her concern. "Thank you, Astrid, you've always been a good friend."
She was right, Peter could feel the sickness growing inside. He felt the coldness rooted in his heart. It frightened him that after coming back, after getting his Olivia back, getting this Walter to finally start accepting him as his son, that a childhood illness could take that all away from him.
Walter was sitting by a bench, empty bottles stood in front of him. Peter saw a look of fear in Walters eyes. Astrid walked up to him. She started talking to him, but he was ignoring her. Peter slowly approached him.
"Walter, what's wrong?"
Walter realized that Peter was awake. "Peter, you shouldn't be up. You should be resting."
"I'm all right, Walter. You look lost, what's wrong?"
Walter blankly gazed at the things on his bench. "I don't know where to begin." He looked at him, his eyes were tearing. "I'm afraid your faith in me is fallacious, Peter. I have no memory of how I made the cure. I believe that the parts of my brain that Belly removed may have contained the memories of my work on the cure. I honestly don't know what to do. What am I going to do? I can't watch you die again, I just can't."
Peter placed his hand on Walter's shoulder. "Walter, take a deep breath. The man that created the formula is still here. You just have to trust in him like I do."
Walter sadly smiled. "Even sick, you still look after me."
Peter knew he just had to give him some confidence. His life depended on it. "The Walter from my timeline once told me I finally found my calling, working for him. It wasn't working for you, Walter, it was being with you. You changed me as much as I changed you. Now we can do this, together. What's the first thing we need to do?"
Walter had to think. "We, we have to separate your blood into DNA strands so that I can find and analyze if the fault is in your genes or chromosomes."
"Yes, and from there we can determine the molecular basis of the disease, its composition."
"Yes, then we can target your treatment so that its, its…" Peter saw Walter was starting to get frustrated again.
"Walter, one step at a time."
Walter nodded his head. "Yes, I'll need more blood to separate your DNA."
"I can do that," Astrid said. She had no idea what they were talking about, but drawing blood was the one thing she could do to help.
Peter sat down, Astrid brought several syringes. As she took some of his blood, she told him, "I've never been able to calm him down like you do, Peter. In the past few months, I've seen him change. It took a year before he let me touch him. I've seen the calming effect it has on him when you do it. Peter, I believe that he's finally starting to think of you as his son."
Taking the second syringe, she whispered, "I can't imagine what it would do to him if something happened to you."
She looked up at Peter, she saw his eyes slowly close, his face turned ashen white. She screamed for help as he started falling from the chair.
"Walter!" she shouted.
Walter saw Peter roll forward and fall off his chair. He ran to help him. Peter's body was shaking, touching his forehead he could feel that he was burning up.
"Astrid, I need icepacks. Small ones to put under his arm pits, to help break this fever."
Astrid ran to the refrigerator. Walter saw Peter's eyelids flutter. He was beginning to wake up. He helped him sit up.
"Peter, are you alright?" Walter asked him.
Peter licked his lips. "Walter, what am I doing on the floor?"
"You passed out, Peter. I'm afraid that your condition is advancing much faster than when you were a child. What am I going to do, Peter? I can't do this alone."
"Fortunately, you will not have to," Walter heard himself say on the other side of the room. Looking up, he saw two people he never thought he would see again. Walternate and Elizabeth was standing on the landing in front of the lab doors.
~~~~~Smokey woman, Left dot~~~~~