Chapter 28:

Story time

6/3/02, 6/12/02

It all started about 40 years ago….Cyrus starts.

(The picture now fades to about 40 years ago in a hospital where the twins were about to be born.)

Mr. Dr. Spengler paced the hospital floor. Cyrus and Suzzy sat in the other part of the waiting room. They had been there all night with both of him. His wife was about to have their first child. He was a nervous wreck. He stopped the pacing and came up to Cyrus and Suzzy.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get some coffee in the other room. I don't think that I can take much more of this."

"Why don't you go in there and be with your wife. She's having your baby and not even in the room with her. She probably needs you." Suzzy called out. She knew that Mr. Spengler didn't want to hear this.

"And I hope that she's only having one. I will kill if she has the another one."

"What are you talking about brother?" asked a now concerned Cyrus.

"She might have twins and I don't want her too. I hope that one dies. I don't need two brats running around my lab." Both of them give him a worried look. "I don't want to be in there when all of that is taking place. That's why. I'm not in there with her. I never wanted a baby anyway. It's just one of those mistakes that happen." He rolled his eyes as he started to leave.

"Well, Can I check on her?" Cyrus asked as he got up from his chair. H had to do something other then listen to his brother talking about killing his own child.

"Sure brother what ever you want too." Mr. Spengler leaves the waiting room. "I see that he really doesn't care about this child at all. Or any other ones." Responded Suzzy.

"He doesn't mean that? Does he? Killing his own child?" Cyrus called out after his brother was out of sight.

"I don't think so but I'm not sure. Stress can cause someone to say things they don't mean. One look at that kid and he'll feel different. I don't think that he really wanted one at this time." Suzzy responded.

"I better go check on her. I'll be back. I have to warn her." Cyrus snuck into room and told his sister-in-law what his brother said.

"I don't know if he meant it or not though." Cyrus had a sad look on his face. "I just don't know. I had to warn you. It's the least that I can do."

"What am I going to do?" she cried as the door opened. The nurse came in with the twins. She handed them to mother. Then her beeper went off. "Sorry I have to go. I'll have another nurse stop by in a few minutes."

"That will be fine." called Mrs. Spengler.

"Well, congratulation to you new family. They are beautiful."

"Thanks." As soon as the door closed, Mrs. Spengler talked upset. "I didn't know that he was so upset about this. I can't let him kill my baby." She put here boys close to her. "I love them so much."

"He won't."

"How? Once he sees…."

"That won't happen, either." He smiled at her and the boys. "I have a plan. Pretend one of them died."

"What?" She looked into his eyes still not knowing what to do. "I just can't abandon my own child."

"You won't." Cyrus smiled reaching out to her with his hands opened wide.

"Do you mean what I think you mean?" she breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Yes, if you will let me. I will not let anything happen to my family either. My brother is all I have." He swallowed. "Well, except for you. I want to protect what I have." She smiled when he said that. "We," he walked up to her and the boys. "Are all family and I'm not going to turn my back on you. I was taught and so was my brother that no one should give up on family. I can't let it happen now. I know that this might be wrong to lie to him but in the long it will all work out."

"You would do that for me?" Cyrus saw tars starting to form in her eyes.

"Yeah," he smiled sheepishly, for he knew his dream was about to come true. He always wanted a child but Suzzy couldn't have any. "I always wanted a child to raise."

"Do you think that we can pull this off?"

"I know that we can. Trust me." Cyrus picks up one of the babies. "We just wrap him up and I'll tell my brother that he died. We run away back home with him." Mrs. Spengler liked the plain even though she knew in her heart that it was the wrong thing to do, lie about the birth of her own son. She kissed him good-bye and wrapped him up almost all the way. She looked at Cyrus standing there willing to risk it all for her son as well. If they were ever caught they could go to prison for a while. She had to make a diction that would change history-- the death of her son, or fear of that and her son's only chance for a good life with a man that loved him. She sighed"I have to give you up my baby it's the only way."She looked down at him. "Mommy loves you sweet heart. Some day you will understand why I did this." She whispered to him. She face Cyrus again."I hope that this is what is best for him."

"It is." Cyrus tried to convince her. "If he stays with you he might be killed. We can't take that chance."

"No," she swallowed. "I can't. I can't do that to him. I have to protect him from harm and that's what I'm doing." She started to cry again. Cyrus held her hand.

"I know my brother has put this stress and all on you. I….."

When she was able to find her breath again, she spoke. "What should I name him?" She thought for a minute. "I think I want his name to be Israel." She looked back at her baby. "I think that name fits him."

"Very well, Israel it is." Just then, the door to the room slowly began to open. Mr. Spengler walked in. Cryus had to make up a sad look. He nodded to her.

"It's time." He started to make himself cry. His brother gave him a funny look when he walked out with the wrapped up baby. Mr. Spengler followed his brother out of the room.

"I'm sorry." Cyrus had to put on one of the best performance of his life and it was working. "Your wife was going to have twins but well," he sniffed, "one didn't make it. She told me to take it from her sight and get the nurses to bury it for her. She said that she did not have the heart too. She really didn't want you to see this either." He patted his brother on the back.

"I don't blame her." He started to sound like he was actually caring but then his voice changed and waving his hands about. "Take it away." He was talking like his son was just trash. He went into the room and slammed the door behind him. All the racket that they made attracted all the people's attention who where sitting in the waiting room. They all stared in the direction of Cyrus. He handed the baby to Suzzy and quietly told her what happened.

"We have to take him and run." So that is what the both of them did.

The screen fades back to modern times.

"See Israel that is why we didn't ever tell either one of you about each other. We were afraid that if we did and Mr. Spengler found out then well," he looked right over at Israel. "He might come after you or Egon. We couldn't take that chance. We decided to raise you and well, we don't regret that at all."

"I hated to lie all these years but I didn't want to see this family more hurt then it would have been." Suzzy responded. They both stared at Israel who was staring at them. Janine held his hand. He looked over at her then back to what he thought, was his parents.

"So to my own father I was…" a couple of tears fell from his eyes. "I was just a…" he sighed. "A piece of trash that he could throw out." He snapped his fingers for empathies. "Just like that. He didn't even look at me." he placed both his hand over his eyes and let the tears flow. Janine wrapped her arms around him holding him tight against her. He placed his head on her shoulder. "I…."

"shh…" she calmly whispered. "We are all here for you." He looked up and blinked. "So, Egon doesn't know any of this either?" Israel asked.

"No," Suzzy said smiling at Israel.

"We right now, don't know how he will react." Cyrus commented. "We wanted to tell the two of you but with my brother still alive."

That got Israel thinking. What if Egon doesn't want anything to do with me? What other memories would that bring up? Where was his brother anyway? Monica said he had been away on a trip but where? Is this why I have been having all these dreams about New York City but never been here? Is there some short of connection that Egon and me share with each other?

"Talking about Egon, where is he? Monica," he looked over at Janine, "told me that he was out of town. Is that true?"

"Something like that Israel." Janine smiled at him. "Something like that."

A dinner they tried to explain what happened to Egon and his friend Peter. Janine didn't think that Israel was buying it though. Cyrus and Suzzy left that evening but Janine insisted that Israel stay with them for a few days to see if Egon returned. He gladly accepted her offer. They spent most of the night talking about his past and all about Egon's way of life up here. Israel was amazed at the stories. Wow if this guy is all she says he is then I want to know him. I wonder why we are so different. I hope that he likes me. I hope that we meet some time soon before I have to go back to Florida.

To be continued…..