So, here it is! This 'famous' chapter when you finally get to know the truth about Alex. Please, don't hate me!
Why can't you leave me?
Alexandra left Doctor Shannon's office, her face totally blank. She had spent her morning in Dr. Shannon's office, running tests, and the results were not good. Her appointment in the early evening had confirmed the previous diagnostic. Alexandra was a broken mess and nothing could change that, not even a brilliant Doctor like Elisabeth Shannon.
Alexandra stayed motionless in the middle of the hall for a moment before running to the closest toilets. She hid there, locked out from the rest of the world, away from her problems, safe from reality. She was so fed up about this situation, she knew she could just break into pieces in an instant, but she wanted to be strong and forbid herself from crying. She put some cold water on her white face to refresh herself a bit, then she inhaled and exhaled slowly to calm down her heartbeat. She held her hand to the locker and opened the door, ready to face reality again.
Her resolves faded in a second when she bumped into Lucas, pacing in front of the toilets' door, obviously waiting for her. His gaze was very serious, his expression full of annoyance and something else Alexandra wasn't sure about. Was it concern?
"I haven't wash your shirt yet," she said first, forcing a smile.
"So, how was it with Dr Shannon? Is everything alright ?" He asked bluntly.
"Yes, you know, just checkup routine," she shrugged lightly, hoping her attitude looked detached enough.
"Why are you lying to me?" He asked her honestly. Lucas had tried many times to ask her indirectly what was going on and she had always avoided the subject. Now, he wasn't going to waste time. She was going to tell him, no matter what.
"I'm not," she frowned.
"Tell me what's worrying you. Don't say it's nothing because surely something is bothering you."
"No, honestly, I'm fine," she forced a smile, his insistence already annoying her. She felt like a prey in front of a predator. He was determined and it scared her.
"So you're not pregnant?" He asked bluntly, his tone very serious.
"Pregnant?" She scoffed. "What made you think such a stupid thing?"
"You didn't answer."
"No, I'm not pregnant!" she exclaimed, shocked he could believe she was. "What's wrong with you?"
"You're sick."
"I'm not sick," she denied, but she could tell that he didn't buy it at all.
"You don't drink alcohol."
"Since when is that a bad thing?"
"You can't keep food down."
"Do I have to remind you I just arrived from 2150? My metabolism needs time to adjust here."
"You're tired."
"I told you I don't sleep well."
"You have mood swing…"
"I'm a girl."
"So, you're not pregnant."
"When do you think I would have had the time to sleep with someone and get pregnant?"
"You didn't reply," he said in a raw voice.
"I'm not pregnant."
"Look me in the eyes and swear to me you're not pregnant," he commanded her firmly, anger evident in his voice. His eyes were locked on hers and she could see how furious he was inside.
"I swear to you, I am not pregnant," she hissed, insisting on every single word. She was very upset now. Why did she have to prove him such a thing? Who was he to ask her such a question? It was obvious he was fuming inside but so was she. He seemed to ponder if he should trust her or not, before speaking again.
"Okay, you're not pregnant," Lucas admitted, quite relieved. "So, what's going on?"
"Why do you think there's something wrong?"
"I can recognize when a woman pretends not to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid."
"Liar."
"What do you know about fear anyway?"
"A lot."
"I am not afraid!" She denied. "I was a spy for my father, then a drug addict, and now I'm pregnant? Where do you find all of those delirious theories?"
"Just facts."
"Is there another one you'd like to share?" She sneered.
"I've got one last one. But I don't like it. Not at all. And I really was hoping I would have found the truth before I had to reach this desperate one."
His tone was too serious and Alexandra's smile vanished almost immediately. He would not let go this time. She could see how much he was ready for it. He would hunt her down until she would break and tell him the truth.
"Then don't," she snapped coldly.
"Skye told me you've been here many times this week…"
"Skye… she should learn to shut her fucking mouth. Isn't she supposed to keep secrecy with the patient or something like that?"
"So you're a patient," he groaned, his face somber. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You vomit a lot…"
"How do you… Skye ! Have you both forgotten that I arrived a week ago, my body needs time to adjust here."
"It's not Skye. I saw you this morning." His confession stopped her from responding. She looked away, even more upset with herself. "Skye told me you've been crying." There was concern and worry in his tone, but it triggered anger only in her mind.
"She told you I… Fuck! If she wants me to be mad at her, she's good at it."
"Skye told me about it 2 days ago. I waited, hoping you would tell me."
"Tell you what? There's nothing to say."
"You saw Dr. Shannon twice a day for 3 days now and you believe there's nothing to say? It's starting to be ridiculous," Lucas groaned.
"Ridiculous? You're ridiculous! You're the one with the absurd ideas and ludicrous theories about me!"
"I'm giving you an exit door here. I'm giving you an option. I'm asking you, one last time, what's wrong?" He said, fighting his anger to stay calm.
"You don't want to know the answer."
"Try me."
She inhaled and exhaled slowly, staring away. Her eyes were starting to prickle. She pressed her lips in frustration, she really hated this situation.
"Sorry, but no," she answered, glancing back at him. She was tired of fighting with him. Her meeting with Dr. Shannon had not ended well and his attitude was too much to handle. She wanted him to stop digging. Why couldn't he understand she wanted him to stay away? What was the point of telling him anyway? He had never asked for it. She had never wanted to tear apart his life and then go and leave him with mess to cope.
"Don't shut me out," he said, shaking his head angrily.
"Why do you have to know? It doesn't concern you!"
"I warned you," he said in a blank tone, approaching. "Remember, I gave you an option."
"Are you threatening me?" She asked in disbelief, her heart suddenly quickening its pace.
"Tell me," he insisted, stepping even closer towards her.
"No," she said harshly through gritted teeth.
"Tell me," he insisted again, more firmly.
"This is none of your business," she hissed. "Now get out of my way."
"I said, tell me," Lucas said, walking so close towards her that she stepped back and felt the wall against her back.
"No."
"For God sake, Alex! Stop being so stubborn!" His voice was full of rage now.
"This is between Dr. Shannon and me, just me! End of the story. Now just move," she ordered him.
"Not until you tell me," he replied in a determined tone that scared her.
"I won't, you're just wasting your time. So move," she said, trying to walk away without success.
"Alex, now you are going to tell me what's fucking going on!" He yelled, grabbing her shoulders roughly, shaking her.
"No!" She cried loudly. She tried to push him away but he was stronger than her.
"God damn it, Alex!" He bellowed. "Tell me, now!" He pushed her hard against the wall, making tears flow out her eyes, her lips trembling in pain. She looked at him with her watery eyes, fuming with anger.
"I'm dying!" She hollered. "Okay? I'm dying and nothing can change it! Happy now?"
Lucas stared at her in disbelief, his mouth agape. Shock made him lose his grip on her.
Alexandra took the opportunity to get out of his grasp and walked away, her vision blurred with tears. That was it. That was the end of it. Now, Lucas knew it. Soon, everybody would know it. Everything would be different and Alexandra was not ready for it. She ran to her house and locked the door. She paced a circle in the living room, panting and crying, before collapsing on the floor. She curled herself into a ball and shut her eyes, praying to God to make her disappear from the rest of the world.
Lucas stayed shocked a moment before his mind functioned again. He headed straight to Dr. Shannon's lab. He had to talk to her, he had to know.
"Lucas?" Elisabeth asked when she saw him enter her lab, his face very serious.
"Dr. Shannon, I need to know everything about Alex's disease."
Elisabeth's face paled at his order.
"What disease?"
"Don't start this silly game with me," he replied witheringly.
"I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone."
"I have killed for less than that," he warned her.
"Are you threatening me?" Elisabeth asked, afraid.
"I know she's dying. She confessed it a minute ago. So, now, tell me."
"She confessed it?" Elisabeth couldn't believe him.
"How did that happen?" Lucas continued.
Elisabeth thought quickly about the situation and eventually decided to tell him what she knew. She had wanted to do that the instant Alexandra had told her about it a few days ago. Yes, she had promised to keep her secret but now Lucas knew, it was totally different.
"During a mission in Russia, to destroy the 4th portal, she said she had been exposed to radiation."
"Radiation?" he asked, stunned.
"Nuclear radiation."
"How bad?" Lucas' voice was steady. It was the scientist talking. He needed to know every part of the story to understand it and find a solution to this problem.
"Very bad."
"She's…"
"Dying."
"Are you sure?" He asked with hope. "Have you run tests? Have you tried…"
"Yes," Dr Shannon cut him off, "I'm still trying. But… I can't. There's no cure for her."
"Not here," Lucas said coldly. "But there is in the future."
"Actually, it's what she said."
"Did she?"
"She said that back in 2150, she had a plan B."
"What plan B?"
"She had an inside man. His name is Sean Harris, he works with her father and he is the one who made her blood tests. He was working on a cure when she arrived here. But he needed time."
"He did the tests? Well maybe he's wrong, maybe he lied to her. Have you thought about it? If he's working for her father, we can't trust him."
"No, she trusts him. He made her trust him. She said he deserved her trust."
Lucas was pacing the room, his mind rushing with hopeless ideas.
"Lucas, she said that Russian had been working on this poison during the last years. They inject you with the radiation as a liquid. At first you're normal, then you start to have symptoms. When you contract them, it's too late. You die in a month or so."
"It's impossible…" Lucas mumbled to himself.
"At first she thought it was inoffensive, she had no symptom. She really thought she had been through it. But then she started to feel pain weeks after, She asked a friend of hers for blood tests and… The results said she had been exposed to a high level of radiation.
"What are her symptoms?"
"Well, the radiations have changed some of her molecules. She's not exhausted when she exercises. She can stay awake for a very long time. It's like her brain is always working. But her mind starts to get worn out. Her muscles have started aching and her stomach is the worst part. She can't keep food, digestion is too painful. I gave her some antiemetic for the last three days. But it doesn't seem enough anymore."
"Damn it Elisabeth, you should have told me!"
"I couldn't."
"How old are you? Of course you could. How could you be so stupid? You made us lose a lot of time to find a cure!"
"She made me promise her I wouldn't tell anyone!" she defended herself. "Not even my husband, Taylor, you… Anyone. As a doctor, I can't discuss about my patients with anyone. I swear I tried to convince her to tell someone, but she didn't want to."
"She's so stubborn," he groaned. Lucas had expected a lot of things, but surely, not this. "Is it contagious?" Lucas asked her.
"No, it's not," she responded. "Lucas, I can't help her more. The drugs I give her are not enough anymore. They reduce the pain only. Her disease is growing up too fast."
"How much time does she have left?"
"A week or so…"
"That's all I needed to know," he said resolutely, before leaving the lab and heading outside the building.
So... She's gonna die. The revelation is not what Lucas had expected. She's back in his life only to get out. Quite a hard news to handle, even for our brave Lucas. Things start to be complicated for them, don't they?
