Notes: I do not own "Forever" or any of its characters.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text"Let's just say that my brand of -" Henry searches for the right words.
"Immortality, Dr. Morgan?" Larson offers.
"Yes." Henry nods. His eyes slide slowly from side to side, another quirky mannerism that manifests itself when he's traversing new ground and uncertain about how far he's willing to travel. "My story...is a long one." Lucas clears his throat and ducks down into the extra chair when met with Henry's pointed stare.
"And, please...call me Henry." He flashes a dazzling grin and extends his hand to Larson.
"Ben. Call me Ben." The two men shake hands, settle back in their chairs and study each other with the quiet acceptance of welcoming a comrade into the fold.
Lucas, feels the vibe of brotherhood that radiates between the two men but also his own pangs of jealousy. After all, he saw Henry first. They're buddies and, although this Ben guy seems okay...he just got here! The young assistant M.E., watches the two men silently bond and he clears his throat again, this time much louder.
"Oh! Ben, this is my assistant, Lucas Wahl." Ben and Lucas exchange pleasantries. Lucas' need for recognition does not go unnoticed by Henry as he smilingly adds, "He's also a good friend." His smile broadens as he sees how Lucas beams at his admission.
Henry provides a Readers Digest condensed version of his long story to Ben with a promise to elaborate on certain points at a later date. For now, and with Ben's permission, they must alert Lt. Reece and Detectives Martinez and Hanson of the possible threat Barnes may present with regards to his obsession with Henry. Reece calls for an impromptu meeting of the group in her office, along with their newest member, Ben.
Henry decides to let Abe in on the new developments after work. Right now, he sees no need to worry his son.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Bellevue Hospital, fourth floor, one hour ago...
Amy Mitchell takes her place behind the counter of the nurses' station and automatically starts tidying up the desk area. Since the loss of her latest roommate to marriage, the only way for her to keep up the rent on her modest apartment is to work as much overtime and as many double shifts as her body can stand.
'Vic is such a pig.' she angrily thinks to herself as she brushes crumbs and junk food wrappers into the waste basket. The two empty plastic water bottles and soft drink can are thrown into the recycle bin. The tall, leggy, young woman wonders why she lets Vic and his antics get to her. It's not like they're in love or anything. They'd only dated a few times in the recent past. He can be so charming, she admits. That's how he'd been able to convince her to go out on a date with him in the first place. But his true nature eventually showed through and he soon became just another great-looking guy with a lousy personality she used to date. Failed relationships all too familiar to her. She wonders for the umpteenth time since the age of 15, when her prince was going to come along. Why can't she meet a nice guy? Someone like that Dr. Morgan who visits Veggie Guy? He's smart, she's smart. He's got a good job, so does she. He's a little older, she concedes, but not that much older for it to be a real problem. And he's hot! She sighs as she concedes again that his hotness majorly outweighs hers. And maybe that's the reason he'd never given her a second look. Probably because I'm too tall, she glumly concludes.
Or maybe, she muses, like that tall, cute guy she met at ComicCon last month. He seemed nice. Kinda shy, but had a nice smile and knows a lot about 50's sci-fi movies like, "Teenagers from Outer Space", and "The Tingler". What was his name? Luke...or...Lucas something. She kicks herself for having lost his phone number. But she recalls that he works at the city morgue. Eww. Cuts up dead bodies for a living. But...who knows, she asks herself.
'Aw, I'm probably too tall for even him. But I can wear flats. I can definitely do flats.' she sighs despondently. 'Guys don't like to date tall chicks unless they're tall, too. Like that dumbo Vic'.
The door to the break room opens and (dumbo) Vic trails a doctor with a long mane of brilliantly white hair. There's a quiet storm on his face whereas Vic's is lit up like a Christmas tree. He walks behind the nurses' station and cheerfully salutes the doctor goodbye as the elevator doors close on him.
"Why are you so happy this morning?" she spits out. "And what doctor was that? I've never seen him before."
"Why are you so grumpy this morning?" He doesn't wait for her reply. "He's a doctor. That's all you need to know." his expression suddenly serious.
Her mouth hangs opens for a second or two before she finally finds her voice. "He looks like that doctor who was in that news conference a few days ago." She looks up at Vic who remains silent. "People are supposed to find immortals for him so he can...what...?" She searches her memory. "Oh, yeah, so he can help them." she smirks and looks back up at Vic who's still silent.
"You - notified him about (Vic holds up a hand to quiet her) the Veggie Guy with the strange things in his blood?" She quickly stands up and hurls more accusations and questions at him. He proceeds to drag her into the break room and angrily demands her silence. Even as tall as she is, he manages to left her off of her feet with one strong arm around her torso. The other hand covers both her nose and mouth as he backs into the break room and roughly heaves her onto the cheap, metal frame futon located next to the vending machines. A sickening crack of bone on metal is heard and she slumps silently on the futon. Her arms and legs awkwardly splay apart, her glazed eyes stare at the ceiling.
Vic stands frozen, shocked at his own ferocity towards her. He anxiously creeps closer. "Amy?" he hoarsely whispers. "Amy?" his voice now louder. He reaches out and touches her neck but barely detects a pulse. He pulls his hand back in revulsion. She's dead, he tells himself, horrified. Or she soon will be. It's my fault. His heart pounds in his chest as he shoots to his feet. 'Have to think. What to do?' His erratic thoughts settle on self preservation as he pushes all guilt aside.
During his year-long stint on the fourth floor, he'd always complained about how deserted the place was, given that Bellevue was one of the busiest hospitals in the city, probably the entire country. Today, however, especially now, he's thankful for the scarcity of co-workers and visitors. He pulls a laundry cart into the break room and wraps Amy's limp body into a soiled sheet and gently places it inside the cart. He pushes the cart into a utility closet and closes the door. He gathers his personal belongings from behind the nurses' station. No need to stay here any longer, he tells himself. No turning back now. Time to execute the plan. Any guilt regarding Amy's injury is replaced by his insatiable desire for money. It used to be money, fame, and power. But how quickly the need for anonymity has whittled his immediate desires down to only money. Enough from Barnes so he can flee to another country that has no extradition treaty with his home country, the United States.
He calls Barnes on his cell phone as he rushes towards Room 408.
"Yeah. It's me." he tells Barnes. "Be ready. I'm bringing the John Doe down to you now." He ends the call and quickly makes his way to Adam's bed.
He wraps Adam up in his bed covers and lifts him onto one of the hospital's newly-acquired guerneys, designed by NASA for firefighters and disaster victims, fitted out with portable life support equipment. Once he ensures that all the proper hookups are made, he wheels the guerney out of the hospital via the service elevator, down to the parking garage and into a waiting van with a very nervous Reuben Barnes at the helm. Vic climbs into the back of the van with Adam while Barnes pilots the van out of the parking garage and onto the city streets.
By the time Henry and the others gather in Lt. Reece's office, Barnes, his co-hort, Vic, and their mysterious passenger, merge onto I80 towards the research center in Ithaca.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Adam's POV
"Well, well, well. The geneticist from the news conference pays me a visit. Feels sorry for me. Claims he can help me to get back on my feet, ha ha. Ohhh, if he only knew, he'd run for the hills from me."
Adam cares only that Barnes just might be able to release him from this locked-in condition that the cursed little ingrate, Henry Morgan, had doomed him to. At first he couldn't believe the visitor was even real. A figment of his imagination resulting from the final fracturing of his mind?
There were days when he'd felt completely mad as he'd struggled futilely and screamed silently for what seemed like hours against his physical prison. Most of the time he'd wallowed in despair at the waste of his life, missed opportunities, lost loves and family members from so long ago he no longer remembered their faces...or voices. How long had it been since he'd exchanged a caring human touch with a woman? With anyone? Too long ago for him to say with any certainty. Certainly not since his imprisonment in Auschwitz when he'd managed to smuggle meager amounts of fruit, milk and medicine to newly weds for their infant son.
After the couple's demise, he and several other inmates did what they could to shield the baby boy from the Nazis. It was miraculous that the infant had survived at all. It was as if he was supernaturally protected from the cruel eyes and intentions of their jailers. Hmphf. Their tormentors and executioners. He'd certainly suffered enough of that at the hands of the demented Dr. Josef Mengele.
As time went by, the number of watchers, as he'd called them, dwindled to just one since he'd resurfaced in the exact same spot in a nearby river each time. They'd grown lax and rotated the men in shifts until only one watcher was present when he'd resurfaced the last few times. The very last time he'd died at Mengele's hands, he'd finally managed to catch the lone watcher off guard, snap his neck, and escape to freedom in his jeep, wearing his uniform and bearing his weapon. Over the next several decades he'd pondered the fate of the baby boy back at the camp. That is, until he'd met fellow immortal, Henry Morgan.
How ironic that Henry's dead wife, Abigail, had found the child, then Henry, and they had become a happy family for many years. He wonders how different all their lives might have been if he'd been allowed to raise Abraham as his son. But no, Henry, with his dapper good looks and winning ways had unknowingly managed to undercut him at happiness and had later rebuffed his awkward overtures of friendship. Even after he'd apologized...somewhat...and provided Abraham with the priceless gift of the identity of his parents. Even then. So be it.
'Once I am free, Henry, you shall suffer the grave consequences of your actions. The same as many, many others who had dared cross me.'
He can only assume that Barnes is spiriting him to a certain research facility in Ithaca, NY. Maybe he won't kill himself right off in order to escape. Barnes' research just might be worthy of his interest.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Lt. Reece waits for her two detectives, the two medical examiners and the unexpected guest to seat themselves. She listens intently as Henry shares with them the details of his earlier conversation with Ben, who then demonstrates his "brand" of immortality to them. Finally, he shares his suspicions regarding Reuben Barnes' research and possible ulterior motives.
The three law enforcement officers digest the information the same as they had when Henry's condition was revealed to them. Another piece of the fabric of their reality was being stretched beyond comprehension to incorporate yet another facet of a new, foreign reality that contained more than one type of immortal. And a possible mad scientist who moved effortlessly between both. Something they each knew they must aspire to in order to maintain their sanity.
Lucas is the only one in the room who's happy as a lark. All of this is just totally way more cool than anything found in his graphic novels. He could read those stories anytime. But this? He's living this! This is real and actually happening on his watch. Of course, he knows none of this information can leave this room, but this is ground zero for possibly the coolest adventure of his lifetime. He felt emboldened. Purposed. Ready for action. Like they were the Squadron for Justice or, or Team Reece or Team Morgan. He laughs to himself at his own enthusiasm. If only that cute tall blond he'd met at ComicCon last month could see him now. Then she'd call me. Yeah.
He watches how Jo and Henry interact with each other. How comfortable and more open they have become with their relationship. He glances over at Hanson whose wife, Karen, is said to be very pretty and very nice. Nice. Nice to have a family and have someone to share things with. He didn't know about Ben but he knew the Lieutenant had a husband and two daughters in college. Nice. Even Abe in his 70's had an ex-wife and a new lady friend in his life. He tries his best to shake off his melancholy and focus on the matter at hand: Reuben Barnes, possible kook. Must be found and reined in.
Jo's cell phone rings and she reads the caller ID, Abe's Antiques. She answers it and almost immediately hands the phone to Henry who jumps to his feet and nearly out of his skin, which startles them all.
"No, Abraham...Stay there...There's no need-" He snatches the phone from his ear and hands it back to Jo. "We have to leave." He worriedly announces.
"Leave and go where?" Jo asks.
"Bellevue Hospital called the shop when they couldn't reach me at my office."
"Adam." Hanson says plainly.
Henry nods. "He's missing."
They all jump up at the news, including Ben, even though he's not quite sure why. He turns to Lucas and asks, "Who's Adam? And why the sudden panic?"
Lucas pats him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll fill you in."
As they all race out of the building and pile into cars, Henry fills them in on other details such as a male nurse named Vic who'd attacked another nurse named Amy Mitchell. According to her, she had seen a doctor matching Reuben Barnes' description with Vic shortly before the attack. She'd also reported that Vic had illegally provided Barnes with an analysis of the strange blood of the John Doe patient in Room 408. A security guard in the hospital's parking garage confirmed that Barnes drove into the parking structure in a Ford Taurus but drove out in a white van. Lastly, he informs them that Abe stubbornly refused to stay home, out of harm's way, and was on his way to confront Reuben Barnes at the research facility in Ithaca.
Henry worriedly tells Jo that Abe has at least a 20-minute head start on them. She reaches over and squeezes his hand. "He feels since he was a childhood friend of Reuben's that he can talk some sense into him and also since Adam promised to never harm him, he's got an in with him that I don't have." Jo feels his frustration.
"I swear to you, Jo, that boy's going to drive me to drink again!"
Jo shakes her head at her impossible man, the worried father. "How did he find out that Barnes took Adam?"
"A very talkative nurse who happens to be in his bowling league called and told him everything."
After only an hour, they suddenly run into heavy traffic. Jo manages to barrel on through the congestion as the cars move aside best they can in response to her car's flashing lights and the occasional "woop" of the siren.
They soon approach the crash scene of a white van that had come to rest upside down in a small pond on the side of the freeway. Despite it's mangled condition, the license plate is clearly visible and matches the plate of a van registered to one Victor Caswell. Henry and Jo approach a member of the response team who tells them two males were pulled from the vehicle by other motorists, but the male nurse, Victor Caswell, had expired soon thereafter. The other, identified as Reuben Barnes, was being treated for minor wounds by paramedics. Jo thanks the team member and both she and Henry approach Barnes to question him, but Hanson and Reece are already there.
Barnes recognizes Henry as he approaches and all else fades away. "Dr. Henry Morgan."
"Reuben." Henry nods.
"It's been a long time, Dr. Morgan." Barnes scoffs as he eyes him up and down. "You haven't changed a bit."
Henry ignores the last statement. "Where is the patient you and Victor Caswell stole from Bellevue?" his tone hard and accusing.
"He's...gone...just disappeared. Right in front of my eyes."
Panicked, Henry demands, "What do you mean, he disappeared?"
"Darndest thing." Barnes recounts. "He, he flatlined and then he was...gone...in a weird flash of light...gone." He suddenly becomes very animated and looks from one to the other. "Don't you understand?! The man died and then he just vanished into thin. air!"
The group nervously ponder the consequences of Adam once again on the loose. Unchecked, unbridled, and bent upon revenge against Henry, regardless of any ensuing collateral damage.
Jo's cell phone rings and the caller ID reads Abe Morgan. She answers the call and hands the phone to Henry.
"Abraham, where are you?" Henry barks into the phone.
"On my way back home."
Henry almost deflates in a sigh of relief. "Abraham...I was so worried-"
"Dad." Abe interrupts. "I'm with Adam."
Notes: I don't know anything about New York and its highways and byways, nor anything about Bellevue Hospital. So please excuse me if some of the details regarding such are less than factual. This is a fable, after all. Hope you enjoy it, nonetheless. Poor Henry. I think I'd poop my pants if my only child told me that they were alone with a psychopatic killer. Yikes!