TTWTB

Disclaimer in Part 1

If you're still reading this story I know it's been a while since I posted, so maybe you should read the last couple of chapters at least before you read this one.

Part 23 by Rhasa

"Ssshhh….. sssshhh…"

Jed's cries pulled at Max's heart. She may not have been a "mother" for very long, but she knew enough to know that something was wrong with the bundle in her arms. From what she had heard from others in Terminal City and what she had experienced with Jed in the last few months, transgenic babies didn't cry very much. And yet Jed had gone from crying to whimpering then to bawling for the last four hours.

Max continued to pace him across the room as she had for the last few hours, patting and rubbing his back in a steady rhythm, trying anything to bring him some comfort. She looked down at Jed's splotchy red face and wiped the tracks of his tears. She almost couldn't bear to see the pain in those beautiful green eyes of his. His mouth opened wide and howled at her again, as if to say, why can't you make it stop? "I know, I know," she whispered, as she kissed the top of his head. Her arms ached, but that was nothing to the stab of fear she felt in her chest. This just wasn't right. He's a transgenic. Max was at a total loss as to what could be wrong. She threw another look at an equally helpless Logan who had been sitting in the rocker for the last few hours.

Logan was still trying to wrack his brain. "Could he be teething?"

Max paused while considering Logan's theory. "I doubt it," she told him. "I doubt that something like 'teething' could distress an X5 baby this much."

"He may be an X5 Max, but he's still a baby. I've heard that teething can really mess up ordinary babies for a few months. When Brittany was young, her parents put aspirin gel on her gums and-"

"It's not teething, Logan." Max sighed.

They had ruled out the usual contributing factors to a baby's discomfort – fever, hunger, over tiredness, uncomfortable diaper, too hot, too cold, colic. Max knew Logan was trying to help, but felt that he should stop comparing Jed with ordinary children and trying to pass off what was happening as something all babies go through.

Logan wondered to himself whether he should push the issue. He understood Jed was an X5 but he also knew that Max was a relatively new at this sort of thing and just like any other first time mother was lacking in experience and self-confidence, desperately wanting to get it all right and have it 'go according to plan'. Perhaps she just needed some support – or some gentle persuasion. "How can you be so sure it's not teething?"

Max was extremely tired. "Because….. because I just know."

Logan got up and came over to her. "Here, let me take him. You've been on your feet a while."

A part of Max appreciated his offer - she was still feeling as ill as she had been during dinner, her nausea coming and going in waves like Jed's cries – but another part of her felt like shielding Jed away from Logan's open arms. She paused before handing him over wondering to herself just why it was she felt that way. It's not that she didn't trust him – she knew that Logan would never hurt Jed - it was just that seeing Logan holding Jed in his arms seemed ….. wrong in some way…. Somehow it just wasn't right… it wasn't natural.

"Why don't you get some rest," Logan tried to persuade her. "You look beat."

Jed let out another almighty cry as Logan took him from Max's arms. Clearly not wanting Logan to comfort him, Jed tried to throw himself back towards Max, only to have Logan spin him quickly around towards the window in an attempt to distract him so Max could remove herself from the room with a minimum of fuss.

Max tried to swallow the lump that rose in her throat. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as she fought the urge to reach back to Jed again. As Jed's wails grew louder, she began to feel a cold flush creep up through her body. Her hands began to tremble as a cold sweat broke out across her brow. As another wave of nausea hit, she could feel that she was going to pass out. A small part of her brain told her that now would be a good time to sit down in the rocker behind her; but she ignored her body and remained on her feet, swaying slightly as Logan stared out of the window trying to distract Jed, and being totally oblivious to her own distress.

"I think we should take Jed back to Terminal City and have Kyra take a look at him," she said to Logan's back. It was clear that Jed was more distressed in Logan's arms then before, so Max swallowed hard and stepped in and took him back again, feeling relieved and a little less sick in her stomach once she had him in her arms again.

"Max, it's only been four hours."

"I know," she told him. "But something is wrong, Logan. I can feel it. He shouldn't be crying like this."

Logan sighed in frustration. "All babies cry – even transgenics."

"Not like this."

Logan sensed that he was never going to win this argument. "There's a peadiatrician in Kewell. That's an hour's drive from here."

Max shook her head. "We can't risk exposing him by taking him to a peadiatrician."

"We can't risk exposing him by taking him for a three day drive back to Terminal City."

Max ignored him. "We need Kyra. She's been treating all the transgenic babies in Terminal City for the past year. She'll know what to do. If we had the comms link for the video feed then maybe we wouldn't need to make the trip, but since that's not a possibility then returning back to TC is our only option."

Logan ignored her comments about the comms link – it was obvious she was still angry with him about that. "Max, if there is something seriously wrong with him like you say, then a three day trip could be dangerous for him."

"I'm aware of that, Logan. But it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"And what about Alec? Would he want you to take that risk with his child? Max, Alec wanted us to have Jed to keep him safe – going back to Terminal City may just jeopardise that."

"But if Jed gets any worse so could not going back."

"Max, we don't know that he's going to get worse."

"No. No we don't. But you have to trust me on this one, Logan. Something is desperately wrong. I can feel it. I don't think this is going to get better."

"All mothers say that. It's part over protectiveness and part fatigue talking," he tried to reassure her, as he reached a hand out to gently cup her cheek. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to Jed if I could help it. We're a family now."

Max couldn't help it she visibly cringed at his touch and his words.

Noticing her obvious aversion to him, Logan dropped his hand and sighed. "Max, if I thought that we truly needed to go back then we'd go in a second."

"Logan, it's not just Jed."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to tell you, I didn't want you to worry. But I'm sick too. I don't know what's wrong. I thought that maybe it had something to do with the injuries I sustained during the attack on Terminal City, but now my seizures are beginning to return-"

A look of alarm came over Logan's face. "We can get more tryptophan-"

Max shook her head. "No. I have enough trytophan but it isn't working as well as it should."

"You should have told me."

"As I said, I didn't want you to worry. But now….. now that Jed is sick too….. I think we need to go back…."

"I can take care of you Max, both you and Jed. That's what I vowed to do. Whatever's wrong, we can get through it together. You know I wouldn't let you down. You know I can take care of you."

"I know…." She said sadly. "But the best way to take care of us right now is to take us home."

"I had hoped that here would be your home."

Max didn't say anything.

Logan sighed, knowing that he had just lost this battle. Didn't she know just how much he cared for her? He had feared this would happen. He had tried to make this her home in the past few months. He had allowed himself to think that everyone needed a little 'adjustment' time when they moved so far away, but who was he kidding? Max would never settle down here. Max doesn't seem to do 'settle down'. A part of him could understand her restlessness – she had been on the run for nearly a decade after her escape from Manticore. But another part of him couldn't for the life of him understand her need to go back to Terminal City. Logan didn't want to think of what was back there that seemed to call to her.

He looked at Max and flinched when he saw the tiredness in her eyes. He couldn't help it – he loved her – desperately. And if something was wrong, then he would never jeopardize her health.

He bent forward and softly brushed his lips against her cheek. "I'll go pack some things."

Max smiled softly as Logan left the room, an immense wave of relief washing over her. Jed let out a fresh wave of howls. Despite his squirms she held him close to her chest and planted another small kiss on his hairline.

"It's okay," she cooed. "Everything is going to be okay now. We're going to see Daddy. Yes we are. We're going to see Daddy and he's going to make everything okay."

She walked towards the window and took up the patting and swaying rhythm she had adopted previously. With her back to the door, she didn't notice Logan standing in the hall, his shoulders slumped.

The hand on Alec's bicep made him spring into action. In true transgenic form, it took Alec less than a second once he had registered the threat to make it to his feet, grab hold of his assailant, slam him onto the ground, and wrap his hands around his throat. Now as he looked down at the form before him with his heart hammering in his chest, a look of total confusion marred his features.

"Dalton? What the hell?"

"A – Alec. You didn't answer the door! I've been knocking for a good five minutes."

Alec released the younger transgenic, who sat up, coughed and rubbed the red marks that now lined his throat.

"Sorry, man," a sheepish Alec said. "I must have been really out of it."

"Yeah," coughed Dalton. "That, I figured when you didn't answer the door. Either that or you were 'entertaining', if you know what I mean."

Alec stretched out a hand to help the boy up. He gave him a good solid pat on the back which said 'ho hard feelings," then turned to his bed and grabbed a T to ward off the chill in the room.

"Don't do that much entertaining these days," Alec mumbled, then added, "Don't you know how dangerous it can be sneaking up on an X5 when they're sleeping?"

"I wasn't sneaking. Like I said, I hammered away on that door of yours for a good five minutes. Mole said you might be hard to wake, that you haven't slept for the past three days."

"Yeah, I don't know what's been wrong with me. Tonight's been the first night I've been able to catch some Z's. If Mole knows this then he wouldn't send you here to wake me unless it's something important."

"He didn't send me," Dalton told him. "Kyra did. You're wanted in the infirmary. Like now."

Alec nodded. It wasn't all that unusual for him to be roused in the middle of the night to attend to some urgent matter that called for his leadership. Busted water pipes, security breeches, a particular nasty fight amongst TC occupants – all reasons why he had been woken in the past. Alec viewed most of these as minor inconveniences and as such they were part of the job of being number one in TC. Still, he liked to be prepared. "Do you know what's going on?" he asked, as he reached for his boots.

Dalton shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. "Yeah, but I think she should tell you."

"Tell me what?" Alec pushed, as he tied up his laces.

Dalton avoided both the question and Alec's gaze.

Alec thought it must be kind of serious if Dalton was avoiding telling him. The younger transgenic usually loved to be in the thick if things, it wasn't like him to be holding back on something. "Come on, man. Tell me what?" Alec asked again as he stood and reached for his jacket. "What's going on?"

Dalton sighed. His reluctance to 'spill' was not lost on Alec, and that made the older man just a tad concerned. Alec threw him a look that said, "Well?"

Dalton swallowed. "They've come back."

Alec's brow wrinkled in confusion. "They? Who's come back?"

"Umm…"

Alec was getting annoyed. "Dalton, just spit it out man. I'm going to find out in about four minutes anyway."

Dalton swallowed hard. "It's Max and Jed, and they're not doing too well."

And for the second time that evening, Alec's heart was hammering in his chest.

For four o'clock in the morning, the infirmary was a hive of activity. Alec could hear the commotion before he had even made it to the doorway. Try as he might, he hadn't been able to get any further information from Dalton on his way over. He didn't really know what to expect. But he knew whatever it was it must be serious for them to come back to Terminal City. Had White found them? Had they been attacked? The last communication they had had with them had been almost three weeks ago through a mule. There had been no suggestion that their location had been compromised then. All he knew was that it was 'serious' and that both Max and Jed were involved.

Alec's acute hearing picked up the barked orders of TCs only 'doctor' just before he burst through the doors. There was an edge of panic to Kyra's voice, something that was seldom, if ever, heard. Alec threw the doors open only to be stopped by a huge scaly hand to his chest.

"Just hold on a tic there princess," Mole, sans cigar, slurred.

"Mole. God tell me what's going on," Alec pleaded.

"That's what we're trying to find out just now."

Alec craned his neck over the lizard man's shoulder trying to get a closer look. All he could see were two huddles of people, working desperately around two beds. Kyra was moving back and forth between the two beds, giving orders for IVs and other medicines. Alec couldn't tell who was on either bed. The fact that there was no noise coming from either bed was making him extremely nervous. He had an overwhelming urge to kick the ass of his second in command and push his way over to the beds, but the sane part of him knew he may be compromising their care if he did. Instead, he swallowed his panic. "Kyra sent for me," he told Mole.

"Yeah. She'll need you in another minute or two."

"Why? What happened? White?" Alec asked.

"No," Mole shook his head. "They're not injured," he told him as he threw a look over at the beds again. "They're… sick."

Alec was confused. "Sick? Sick with what?"

"That's what Kyra's trying to find out. There was talk about quarantining them before we knew what was going on, but…"

"They're X5, Mole. X5's don't get 'sick'," Alec growled.

"I know."

Alec strained again for another look. What Mole had told him didn't make sense. How did an X5 get sick enough to warrant this amount of medical attention? What on earth was wrong with them? And why both of them? Why Max and his son? As he watched the activity which didn't appear to be lessening any he noticed for the first time, Logan standing in the corner of the room and began to push pass Mole.

Mole's hand stilled him.

"Logan," Alec whispered by way of explanation.

Mole followed Alec's gaze, nodded and let his leader pass.

Logan, who had been slumped against the two walls in the corner, straightened as Alec approached. Up close Alec could see that the older man's body was wracked with fatigue while his eyes were full of fear and worry. That didn't dampen the anger that had suddenly begun to rise in Alec though.

"What happened?" Alec asked not bothering to 'greet' him.

Accepting that Alec would want answers straight away, Logan nodded his head. "Jed took sick three almost four days ago. He was crying all the time. No fever, no other signs, just the crying. We thought it might be teething or something."

"Teething?" a now seething Alec mocked.

A sheepish Logan shook his head. "We didn't know what was wrong with him, Alec. We were just guessing. There was a peadiatrician up near us but Max didn't want to take the risk. We were trying to figure out what was going on then Max got sick too. She told me her seizures had come back. She was taking her meds, but they were worsening. Max said their best chance was to get back here. That Kyra would know what to do. We left straight away. I drove pretty much straight through. Max lost consciousness eighteen hours ago, and Jed, well….." Logan didn't finish, instead he looked over towards the two beds.

Max was unconscious? Alec's panic rose up a notch. X5's didn't simply fall into unconsciousness. What on earth was going on? Alec was about to press Logan for more details, with his fist if necessary, when Kyra came over to him at last.

"Alec," she said tiredly.

Alec swallowed the lump in his throat. "Kyra, what's wrong with them?"

"I think we've got Max stable. Her heart beat is back to normal. Her blood pressure is on the way down. She's still unconscious though, and we'll have to do some more tests. The good thing is that she seems to be responding to treatments."

Something in Alec's heart lifted as Kyra spoke, but as she talked he noticed that there was still fear in her eyes. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"What about Jed?" he asked.

Kyra's shoulders dropped a little and she shifted her feet. She raised her hand and placed it on Alec's back, steering him away from Logan. "Let's talk over here," she whispered.

Alec knew from her behavior it wasn't good. He followed her lead for a few steps but then shrugged her hand off abruptly. "Kyra, please tell me," he begged. His heart was breaking from concern for his son.

Kyra took a deep breath. "Alec I'm sorry but it looks like progeria."

It felt like a truck had just crashed into Alec's chest. "No," he whispered. Alec had seen first hand the devastating effects of the dreaded disease. The rapidly aging condition was something the Manticore doctors had battled for years with their subjects. He had seen how it could turn a seemingly healthy X5 into an old man overnight as they grew older by decades in just a matter of days. What was worse, he knew that it always ended in the patient's death.

Alec didn't want that for his son. He wanted his son to grow up free and to have a life, a life that was his choosing. A life free from the torments of Manticore. And in a brief moment, Alec could picture that very life. He could imagine his son growing up becoming a teenager then a young man, with him, his dad, by his side. To know that his son wouldn't have that, to realize that he as his father would be denied all that, brought tears to Alec's eyes.

"He's going to die?" Alec asked.

Kyra sighed. "I want to try something. I want to transfuse him with your blood. I don't know … maybe the anti bodies in your blood will be enough to stave off the disease."

"Surely Manticore would have tried that with the others," Alec said despondently.

Kyra shrugged. "Maybe they did. Maybe they tried transfusion, but maybe it wasn't with a direct relative. We don't know what treatments Manticore tried. We don't know why some of us got progeria and some of us didn't. We don't know what prenatal care the females received during pregnancy or what care or treatment Jed's mother received before she escaped Manticore. All I know is that if we do nothing he will die, Alec. But I vow to you I will try everything I can possibly think of before that happens."

Alec looked into the other woman's eyes and saw determination. He knew that she meant what she said. She would try everything.

"Thank you," he whispered as he swallowed the huge lump that was in his throat.

She nodded. "Let's go see your son," she said.

TBC

Til next time

Sarah