Chapter 22 : A New Kind of Adventure - Part 6 : Revelations
Alex POV
The helicopter landed in the front of the other me house, where the other Lily waiting for us in the front yard. She didn't wear her usual pink rooster helmet, letting her blonde hair to be blew by the wind. I admit, she really look nicer if she didn't wear her rooster helmet. Maybe I should tell Lily to not wear her rooster helmet sometimes, or maybe not. Now it was sunset, and none of the neighbor seems disturbed by the helicopter landing in the housing complex.
"There you are, I've been worried about you all." She said to us.
We all got off from the helicopter, I helped Maxwell got off from the helicopter, his left leg is wounded like what happened to me back on the Capital City. Where we fighting zombies and stuff, "Are you okay Alex, Maxwell?" She asked me, "Yeah- actually, no. I got shot and Maxwell just got hit by a rocket." I replied nervously.
She sighed and face palmed, "Get inside, kids. I'll treat your wounds." She said in a, both frustrated and annoyed voice. I can tell you why she like this, she just frustrated seeing us like this. She doesn't want us to get hurt, that's why she has a bad feeling when the other me suggesting that we should participate in a battle, just like my mom does. That reminds me of my mom, damn, I miss her so much right now. her beautiful face, and her soft brown eyes, I can't shake that thought off my head.
Once we were inside the house, the other Lily told us to sit on the couch, "Lily, get me some bandage, antiseptic, and tweezers from the first aid box in the bathroom. Sophia, get me some cotton in my room and plate in the kitchen." She told Lily and Sophia, they quickly nodded and took off to grab the things.
"Let me see the wound." She said to me, I showed the red bleeding hole at my upper right arm, "It's not that bad, but looks like the bullet pierced through your arm quite deep." She said, yeah that's what I also thinking too, and now the blood stained and soaked my hoodie sleeve. Meanwhile, Maxwell. He didn't say anything at the journey, which is weird because he always been the noisy one, except for some groans because of the pain from his leg. His leg pretty much has some cuts and bruise on it, which is the same thing happened to me before. Guess now we're even.
Moments later, Lily and Sophia returned with the stuff that the other Lily has asked. "Take your hoodie off." She told me, "What?", "I said, take your jacket off so I can take the bullet off from your arm."
"Alright." I removed my hoodie, and the star necklace. Unfortunately, I forgot to put a shirt underneath it on the morning, so I guess now I'm half-naked. Sophia, who has seen me and other boys a lot being half-naked when we changed our clothes into pajamas on a sleep over party, only stared at me blankly with no expression at all.
Meanwhile, Lily, staring at my body like it was something to her. Her eyes widened and inspected me from head to toe, I'm not that muscular or six-pack stuff either, my body was just like other boys around. But, only a bit bigger and an inch taller, or fatter as my father said it.
She dug the tweezers deeper through my flesh, I winced in pain. No, seriously through. It hurts like hell, but I tried to ignore it. That was until the cold tweezers reached something stuck between my muscles, it must be the bullet. She gently tried to pull it off from my arm, it was more hurt than I thought, the bullet must have pierced through my arm deeper than I thought. After she manage to pull it off, she inspected the bullet, "That's one big bullet." She muttered as she set the bullet and the tweezers on the plate next to her. Next, she took the antiseptic and the cotton.
This is the part I hated the most, cleaning the wound so it would not get infected. "Lily, Sophia, could you take care of Maxwell? He doesn't look good." She said to Lily and Sophia, they nodded and took some bandage with them.
She poured a lot of antiseptic into the cotton, I gulped in nervousness, I already could imagine how stung and pain it is. When the cotton touched the wound, the unbearable pain came, I winced in pain and shoved my arm away from her. "Don't be such a baby, it won't hurt next time. I promise sweetie." She said to me.
Huh, she just like my mother. She always said that to me every time when I got wounded and she clean the wound, guess I just consider her like my mom now. After she finished cleaning the wound, she bandaged it, with a red stain in the middle of it.
"Where did you learn this medical stuff?" I asked. She was like an expert doctor or something, not many people can pull that bullet off my arm without made a wrong move like a doctor does.
"My husband always got wounded when he finished a mission, sometimes ended up getting shot, burned, broken bones, and stabbed. So, I usually did this almost every time. Like, pulling a bullet off, tending second-degree burn and broken bones, and even stitch his wound." She explained.
I heard a helicopter landed again in the front of the house, none of us bother to check outside. The door of the house suddenly kicked open by someone, which made all of us jumped a bit. We saw the other me being helped to walk by the other Maxwell, with his stomach bleeding.
"Honey, what did I tell you about going on a mission again?" The other Lily asked him with an scowl on her face, "Now I have another patient to take care." She face palmed.
"Come on Lily, at least we got the shard." He replied, the other Maxwell set him on a chair, "Don't worry Lily, I'll take care of him." The other Maxwell said as he grabbed some bandage, the antiseptic, and cotton. Then, he pulled off the other me clothes off from his body, showing his quite muscular body.
"Thanks Max, you're really helping." Lily thanked.
"No problem sis." He replied and began his work at the other me.
"Mom! Is daddy home?" Rosa asked from the kids bedroom upstairs.
"Yes, I'm here kids! Just.." He winced in pain when the other Maxwell clean his wound with the antiseptic and cotton, "Come down here."
The other Lily looked at him, "It's time we tell them the truth, we've hid too much from them." He said to her, the other Lily nodded.
So, they're going to tell them about the truth. About what is his real job, the Alliance, and who we are. The kids rushed downstairs to see their father, or my other self. I think.
I mean, he's no different than me, the same black hair, sea blue eyes, even his face is like me. The only thing that he different from me is his thin beard and he was adult, maybe at his mid 30's, and I'm only a 13 years old kid. Meanwhile, the other Lily. Is no different than the original Lily, the same blonde hair (even through there's a rare chance you could see her hair), dark grey eyes, and her face is no different than Lily.
The kids rushed down to the downstairs, they stepping quite fast on the stairs, but created a quite noisy commotion, "Kids! Careful when you walk down the stairs!" The other Lily told them, with the usual warning tone like every mother told their children, "Yes mom!" They replied excitedly, I could feel that they missed us and their father so much right now. Honestly, we all forgot to say goodbye to them first before we left to the Alliance's base, including the other Lily. I hoped she doesn't left them without a food, like my mother does when she very busy with her job. I had to do cook the breakfast for Sarah and Kevin, and Kevin, being the lazy arse as he does everyday. Never helped me.
"Uncle Maxwell!" They said in unison, the other Maxwell stopped bandages the other me stomach and went to hug the kids, "Hey, isn't this Daniel, Marcus, Nichols, and Rosa? Long time no see." He greeted them.
"Where have you been uncle? Dad said you went to Paradise City to look for a job." Nichols asked.
"Maybe your dad could explain it."
They frowned, and stared at the other me, "Mom, why is dad hurt?" Marcus asked, "Listen kids, I need to tell you all something." The other me said to them, while the other Maxwell continues to bandages his stomach, "My real job isn't an employee, nor a banker as I told you all."
"Then, what is it dad?" Daniel asked.
"Actually, me and uncle Maxwell are the leaders of the Alliance, the money we got are some of the fund the Alliance that spared for a member who had a family, or live alone." He explained.
The kids look stunned for a second, they look like didn't expecting that kind of answer, "Why didn't you tell us dad?" Rosa asked.
"Because, I didn't want you kids to ended up like me. Following my footsteps for being a soldier and risked yourselves getting killed, I just wanted you all to find a safer job for your own safety." He answered.
The room fell silent for a moment, no one speak, or whisper at each other. Only a sound of the bandage being tied, and someone wincing in pain. Probably, it was came from Maxwell. And the other Maxwell has finished bandaged the other me, "So, dad. Actually we're proud to have a father like you dad." Daniel broke the silence, "We didn't care you're a soldier, an employee, or even a beggar. We only wanted you to spend more time with us."
The other me stared at Daniel in shock, I was also shocked at his answer, to be honest he only a 12 years old kid, only a year younger than me, but he has a mind of a mature teen. "And well, since I'm injured. Maybe I could take a break and compensation to spend more time with you all kid." He smiled, the other Maxwell rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He muttered, the kids hugged him, causing him to winced and hissing in pain. But he keep smiling to his child, it reminds me of my father, well, sort of.
"And kids, we have one more thing to say." The other Lily said to them.
"What is it mom? Is it about something about dad again?" Rosa asked her.
"No, it's not about your dad. It's about them." She pointed to me, Lily, Sophia, and Maxwell. "They're actually not my nephew's kids. They actually came from another world, the younger version of me, your dad, uncle Maxwell, and aunt Sophia." She explained.
The kids seems surprised, "Wow! So, you're basically our parents?" Marcus pointed to me and Lily.
"Yeah, sort of." We took off our rooster helmet, revealing our hair. Which made us identical with the our other selves, me and Lily stared at each other, "So, where do you come from?" Nichols asked.
"We're from the same world, maybe this is the other dimension or some sort. I don't know." I answered, "And thanks to him." I pointed to Maxwell, "We're trapped in this dimension and the machine that brought us here is missing some part, it took some time to repair it."
"I heard that!" Maxwell shouted from the couch.
"So, what happened to your arm Alex?" Rosa asked me.
"I got shot, and if you asked why Maxwell is wounded. He got a rocket exploded behind him." I answered.
"Why? Or you're-" Daniel was cut off by the other Lily, "Kids, why don't you go up with them and rest while I make dinner?"
"Yeah, that would be great." I said to her, "Anyway, could lend me a hoodie to wear?" I asked the kids, "Mine's got soaked with blood and now it's smells like..." I sniffed my hoodie, "Kerosene or something."
Hopefully I could get a clothes to wear, we've been in the same clothes for 3 days and not changing it.
"I got one, come on." Rosa said to me, and we headed into the kid's room. I forgot about Sarah, she hasn't come home yet. I worried about her, she always come home late whenever she hangs out with someone.
...
"I'm really okay with purple, but pink? Seriously?!" I asked Rosa, who was offering me her plain light pink hoodie to be wear until my hoodie is cleaned.
"Alex, it's the only hoodie I had. The boys didn't even have one." She replied.
I sighed, guess I had no other choice than wear it, rather than left half-naked all the night. "Alright, I'll wear it." I took the hoodie from her and wore it with my star necklace, surprisingly it fit on my body, and more comfortable than my hoodie. Someone kicked the door open and stepped in, it was Sarah. Thank god, she's safe and home now. She looked very tired, dragging a black bag behind her. Her eyes were red and a black eyebag appeared under her eyes, probably due to the lack of sleep and rest.
"Sarah, where have you been?" I asked her, she collapsed on the Nichols and Rosa's bed next to us with her face first.
"I'm so tired, too much hacking and answering calls and requests from many soldiers." She answered, with a mumbled voice.
I sat on the bed next to her, "Now, go to our room and get some rest, I'll call you when dinner is ready." I took the black bag from her, it was quite heavy, I wonder what is in this bag. "Alright, jeez. You sounded like mom sometimes." She said to me with a tired look, she slowly got up and exited the room.
Yeah, I've been said that to her every time when she was sleepy and tired to wait for mom and dad to come home, and with the same answer every time. Well, I was trying to be responsible brother to her, since Kevin was a lazy arse. Wait, Kevin! Oh god, I hope he didn't threw a party at the house or else I'm screwed. He always threw a party at the house when mom and dad told us that they'll come home late, in the morning I was blamed by him.
I decided to watch movie at the tv with the others, to wait for the dinner to be ready, the other Maxwell, or should I say, uncle Maxwell. He has decided to join the dinner tonight, maybe I should consider to call us the other us with the other name. I guess. I sat between Lily and Sophia, and they stared at me with odd look. But, before they could open their mouth, I cut them off, "Don't ask, I got it from Rosa. She said it was the only hoodie that she has." I said to them while held my right hand up.
I heard a silent giggle coming from Lily, maybe thinking about why a boy would wear a pink. "Hey, so how's your arm going?" Sophia asked me.
"It's fine, but it's still a bit hurt." I answered, rubbing my right upper arm.
"So, about when you're yelling on the desert." She paused, "Where did you get the british accent?"
I paused, what should I tell her? If I tell her, maybe she wouldn't believe me, "Did I ever tell you that my grandfather is a british married with a native american woman?" I asked her.
She seemed surprised by my answer. Yeah, no one knows that my grandfather is a british man, he moved to America with his Italian, Russian and Turkish friend he met in the college. There he met my grandmother married her in a wedding party on a lake , I remembered when he told me about the boat incident when the boat they were on broke into two and forced them to swim into the party back. It was hilarious through.
"So, basically your father is half British and half Native American?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, and maybe my grandfather's british accent is descended to me." I answered.
"Wow, I never knew that. Why did you never told me before? Or someone else?"
"It's because I just didn't like to reveal my family secrets."
"So, what is your real full name?"
"Alex Smith Johnson."
We continued to watch some movies until dinner.
...
After dinner, we all waited until the kids were asleep. Because, the other Lily said that we are going to make a surprise birthday party for all of them tomorrow morning, since they were born in the same date, but only different in year. Well, at least I didn't have to scared them off like I did the last time on Maxwell's birthday.
"Alright, so it's settled then. Maxwell and Sophia is going to take care of decoration with me." The other me said.
"Alex, Lily. You two is going to help my wife to make the cake, so you two need to wake earlier." He continued.
"Maxwell, your job is easy." He said to uncle Maxwell, "Just watch them until we're finished, we don't want them to know what surprise we have for them."
After we finished discussing the plan, some of us headed to bed, leaving me and the other me in the living room with uncle Maxwell snoring on the couch. "So, um. I just wanted to asked something." I said to the other me.
"Just ask." He replied.
"Well, I just can't call you by our name. Maybe I should call you by the other name, like uncle Maxwell." I pointed to the snoring uncle Maxwell, "You know, like I should call you uncle Alex or something."
He thought for a while, rubbing his thin beard on his chin, "Just call me father if you want to." He said. I was surprised, he told me to just consider him like my father, but he was entirely different! He's like my future self, but he was some sort of father figure to me for the past days.
He's like my father, but more nicer than my father, and the other Lily. She's been acting like my mother, the way she caring for me and her soft words toward me. Maybe, I just consider them as my parents now. They're like my parents back at home, is it mean I had to call the other Lily, mother? It almost doesn't make sense, why do I have to call my other self and Lily a father and a mother? This is just ridiculous.
"So, kid?" He called me, I quickly snapped out of my thought.
I finally made my choice, "Alright, father."
(A/N : Alright, so Alex has decided to call the other him and Lily 'father' and 'mother', and the other Maxwell, 'uncle Maxwell'. Rather calling them 'the other Alex, Lily, Maxwell, etc.')