Part 5

Blinking the heaviness from his eyes, Wesley surveys the private room in Sickbay, locating his mother dozing upright in the chair next to his biobed. Shifting upwards onto his pillow, Wesley stretches, wondering how long he had been sleeping.

At the sound of the sheets ruffling, Beverly's eyes dart open, hypersensitive. She straightens, already visually examining Wesley in the bed beside her. "Hi, sweetie."

Rotating his head to look at her, Wesley smiles weakly. "Hey. I guess I was out of it."

Standing out of her chair, Beverly studies the biomonitors above the bed, relieved to note that Wesley's vitals are stable. "You're just fine, honey. How are you feeling?"

"Just tired," relays Wesley simply as his mother fusses with the monitors. "How long was I…."

Beverly perches on the edge of the bed, appraising him comprehensively. Brushing his hair out of his face, Beverly smiles lightly. "Your fever's gone. You're starting to produce new cells."

Furrowing his brows, Wesley looks up at her curiously. "Who donated the bone marrow?"

Alarmed, Beverly momentarily pauses, uncertain how to respond. "Oh, uh…don't worry about that now. I'm going to get you something to drink. Are you hungry? Would you like some soup?"

Watching his mother step back, Wesley is bewildered. "I'm not hungry. Who was the donor, Mom?"

"I'll be right back," Beverly tells him, starting for the door.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Wesley wonders, wondering what he had missed and why his mother is being evasive.

Halting at the door, Beverly decides the best course of action would be to tell him casually and try not to make a deal of it. If she acts suspiciously, Wesley may press her for more details, and she and Jean-Luc had not had an opportunity to discuss revealing the news of the boy's true paternity to Wesley. She pads back across the room to Wesley, trying to be nonchalant. "Oh, uh..it was the captain."

"Captain Picard?" Wesley confirms in disbelief.

"Yes," answers Beverly with a shrug of her shoulders. "It was generous of him. You can thank him after."

"Why? Why was he a match?" presses Wesley, trying to comprehend what his mother has just told him.

"Oh…well….I checked the database and he was an ideal match," shrugs Beverly, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Puzzled, Wesley looks to his mother skeptically. "Why wasn't it you?"

Laughing awkwardly, Beverly resumes her seat in the chair next to the bed. "Honey, if I could have donated I would have. A perfect stranger could have been a close match. In your case the captain was an ideal match."

"But, he's not a perfect stranger," Wesley reminds her pointedly. Looking at his mother's red face as she strings her hands together, Wesley is suspicious. "He's not a stranger. He was a genetic match. Why was he a genetic match?"

Swallowing hard, Beverly looks to Wesley pleadingly. "Honey…."

Eyes wide, Wesley's jaw falls open. "He's my father, isn't he?"

Lips trembling, Beverly hardly knows how to respond. "Wesley…"

"How could you?" Wesley stutters, eyes as wide as saucers. "How…how could you keep this from me? How…."

Leaning forward, Beverly reaches for her son's hand. "Honey, I…"

"You lied!" Accuses Wesley bitterly. "You cheated on Dad…Well, I suppose he's not actually my father, is he? You cheated on your husband. How could you?"

Tears brimming in her eyes, Beverly shakes her head. "Wesley, please try to understand, it's very complicated…"

Shoving her hand away, Wesley's eyes blaze. "I don't care! You lied to me!"

Sobbing, Beverly reaches for his hand again. "Sweetie, you have to understand. I never intended to hurt you. I was only trying to…"

"You lied!" spits Wesley, fuming. "You let me believe that Jack was my father, when you cheated with Captain Picard."

Other hand shaking, Beverly grasps his arm. "Wesley, I know you're upset and shocked. It was very complicated. Please let me just explain…"

Shaking his head furiously, Wesley pushes her away. "No. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk. I'm pissed. You're a terrible wife, cheating on your husband like that. You're the worst mother, keeping this from me my entire life. I don't want to see you."

Trembling, Beverly sniffles. She squeezes his hand, rising out of her chair. "You need some time to cool off."

Rotating his head in the opposite direction, Wesley deliberately doesn't watch as Beverly slowly, reluctantly makes her way to the door.

PAGE BREAK

Jean-Luc enters Wesley's private room in Sickbay, where Wesley immediately glances up from his biobed to see who is visiting. Striding purposefully across the room, Jean-Luc puts his hands on his hips.

"I don't care that you're ill. I don't care that you're shocked. I won't hear any excuses. Your behaviour is intolerable," Picard declares, approaching the end of the bed.

Eyes wide, Wesley stares up at Picard speechless.

"You will never, ever speak to your mother like that again. Do I make myself clear, Ensign?" Picard fixes the boy with an intimidating no-nonsense glare.

Nodding stoically, Wesley swallows hard.

Stepping around the side of the bed, Picard studies the boy carefully. "Now, you'll apologize to your mother for your language."

Bobbing his head, Wesley's eyes follow Picard's. "Yes, sir."

"Very well," nods Picard, satisfied. "Now, I presume you have some questions."

Bewildered, Wesley gives his head a shake. "I'm…I'm upset."

"You've every right to be," Jean-Luc validates, planting himself in the chair next to the bed. "I'm not pleased that your mother kept this from me for over fifteen years, either," confesses Jean-Luc seriously. "But, Wesley, our anger can accomplish nothing. Your mother is a loving, caring, selfless person. She had no intention of hurting me, Jack, and especially not you. She was only trying to do what she had felt was the right thing for you."

Brows furrowed, Wesley purses his lips. "But, it doesn't make any sense."

"I know," agrees Jean-Luc. "But, our…relationship, the situation, was a little…complicated. She thought she would be giving you a family where you'd know love and security."

"Because she thought you wouldn't want me?" clarifies Wesley, trying to keep the disappointment out of his tone.

"She mistakenly assumed it would be best for everyone," explains Jean-Luc honestly. "Wesley, her heart was in the right place, but she was wrong. I wouldn't have been ashamed of you. I would have been thrilled to have had a son."

Bowing his head, Wesley desperately wills back the tears forming in his eyes.

Leaning over, Jean-Luc grasps Wesley's hand. "Wesley, this may be confusing and messy. Never doubt that you have two parents who love you, and who love each other."

Glancing up at the man he had only just come to learn is his father, Wesley blinks back the tears in his eyes, utterly overwhelmed.

Footfalls near the doorway draw Picard's attention to the door, where Beverly has paused, observing the interaction between her son and Picard.

"I'm sorry," Beverly starts, arms folded across her chest. "I just wanted to check in."

Waving her over, Picard straightens and stands out of the chair.

""You alright?" Beverly asks tentatively of Wesley as she approaches the bed.

Bobbing his head, Wesley attempts to compose himself. "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"That's alright," nods Beverly in acceptance. "You're shocked, tired, sick."

"It's no excuse," Wesley says, his eyes briefly darting over to Picard, who has laid his hand on Beverly's elbow.

"Let's forget it," suggests Beverly, forcing a smile.

"The past is the past. We need to focus on the future," suggests Jean-Luc, urging Beverly to take the chair. "Wes' recovery is our top priority."

Appraising the monitors above the bed, Beverly notes that although his blood pressure is elevated, Wesley is doing well overall. "How do you feel?"

"Just tired, a little nauseous," confesses Wes.

"I can get you something for that," Beverly offers, standing to go retrieve a hypo.

Inhaling deeply, Wesley closes his eyes. Maybe this is all some anesthetic dream.