Bayek had never dreamed he would have the chance to hold his son again, and for most of the day following Khemu's surgery, Bayek still isn't entirely convinced that's going to change. There are an awful lot of things in this hospital that seem more harmful than helpful to Bayek (even if Layla seems to take them all in stride). Chief among these are the Wire and the Tubes. English words without exact parallels in any language Bayek speaks, so in his mind they just morph into a nebulous kind of threat.
Bayek sits on a stiff chair too far from Khemu's bed (there's no room anywhere close to him, and even though Bayek is aching to lie next to his son and just hold him, he… can't). For most of the morning, he just glowers at all those Wire and Tubes, wishing them away already. Layla, and occasionally Berg, pass in and out of the room as they deal with doctors and something called Insurance, another English word with no direct translation, although this one does seem to annoy Layla. Bayek doesn't know what lies they tell, but at around noon, he asks Layla why the Wires and Tubes haven't been taken out yet.
Layla, who looks exhausted, says, "Because then he would die."
"He'll die without them?" Bayek demands, because what kind of life could Khemu possibly have, tied up in these… things?
"They're helping him, Bayek," Layla says. "They'll help him get stabilized, and then when he's healthy, it'll all come out."
Bayek relaxes, and Layla seems to see that. Of course she does. She knows him remarkably well.
"But until then," she says quietly. "He needs them."
"Alright," Bayek says. "Just as long as they are coming out."
"Soon," Layla promises.
And he trusts her. It's not that he hadn't trusted her before, of course, but there's something more to it now. He had lashed out at her, and she'd responding by travelling two thousand years into the past to save Bayek's son. He owes her his trust, if nothing else.
That particular train of thought leads Bayek to a new question, and at least it's a distraction from worrying about Khemu. "You used the apple," he says, turning to look at Layla.
She doesn't answer at first, but then she says, "I don't know how, if that's what you're wondering."
"The Sages told me I could use it because I had a good bloodline," Bayek says. "You're not my descendant, so that's not something we share."
"I don't know," Layla says.
"But it's important," Bayek insists. "You just did something that until now, we thought only I could do. We need to figure out why."
"Does it make a difference?" Layla asks. "Maybe I do have a good bloodline, and this is just a massive coincidence. Or maybe it's something to do with all the time I spent as you in the animus. I don't know, Bayek, but the point is that it did work. We could sit here and question it or we could just accept it, and frankly I haven't slept in two days, and I'm in favor of the second option."
He smiles a little. She looks so tired. "Okay, Layla," he says. "We'll just accept it. For now. But I think we should try and find a Sage at some point. I'd like to find some answers, if we can."
"What are you two talking about?" Berg asks, coming back into the cramped hospital room and leaning against the only part of the wall that didn't seem to be covered in equipment.
"Finding a Sage," Layla says. "Bayek thinks it'll help."
Berg responds with a snort of laughter. "No," he says. "I've met him, and no, he will not help."
Bayek badly wants to ask for more details, but while the earpiece Rebecca had given him lets him understand Berg's English, it doesn't do anything to help him speak it himself. Layla looks like she's about to press Berg with some questions of her own, but before she can—
There's a slight rustling on the bed, and the sound of the hospital machinery—which has been humming and beeping constantly—changes slightly. Bayek can't tell if it's a good change or a bad change, but he knows what it means when Khemu opens his eyes. He's at his son's side in an instant, hovering as close as he can get with those damn Wires and Tubes in the way. Khemu looks so tiny, dressed in the flimsy tunic they'd put him in after the operation, surrounded by unknown machinery—when Bayek reaches out and gently takes his hand, he looks even smaller.
"Papo?" Khemu whispers, squinting at Bayek as his eyes adjust to the harsh hospital lights.
"I'm right here, son," Bayek says. His voice is breaking, and if there aren't tears on his face yet, he knows they must be there in his words.
"Where are we?" Khemu asks, and he tries to sit up.
"No," Bayek says. He carefully maneuvers his free hand onto Khemu's shoulder, holding him down. "You need to stay in bed for a little while. There was an accident, do you remember?"
Khemu shakes his head. "Not really," he says. "Just… I remember we had a fight."
Bayek's stomach lurches.
"And you told me to go home but I was scared, and then…" Khemu whimpers. "It hurt…"
"I know it did," Bayek says. "I know." He closes his eyes and tries not to think about that. "But you're going to get better, Khemu. And I'm sorry. For arguing with you, and trying to make you leave, and… I'm so sorry, Khemu. I'm so sorry."
Layla leaves at some point to get a doctor, and when she comes back she translates a long series of questions the doctor has about what how Khemu is feeling and where it hurts. Khemu is visibly intimidated by how alien the hospital looks, and by the presence of strangers. He's too nervous to talk directly to Layla, so the answer to every one of the doctor's questions is whispered into Bayek's ear, then passed on to Layla, who turns around and translates to the doctor.
When he leaves, she turns back to Bayek, smiling. "He says Khemu's doing great," she tells him. "Better than he expected."
"But he said he's still hurting a lot," Bayek points out, and puts his hand back on Khemu's shoulder to keep him from moving as he starts to squirm uncomfortably.
"Because he got stabbed yesterday," Layla says, rolling her eyes. For the first time in years, Bayek doesn't mind the reference to Khemu's attack so much. Because for the first time, that's all it is. Just an attack, not a killing. "You've been almost killed enough times, Bayek, you know you don't just get up and walk off the next morning. Especially if you're eight."
"Well alright," Bayek allows, but he crosses his arms a little. So what if he wants Khemu back up and on his feet and healed now? Is that such a selfish thing for a father to want for his son? "But he'll be better soon, right?"
"Yes," Layla says. "The doctor says that as long as his condition stays stable, the machines can mostly be unplugged tonight, before he goes to bed. And he can come home—well, back to our base—tomorrow or the next day."
Less than a week, and Bayek will be able to take Khemu out of this place. Less than a day, and he'll be able to…
"Papo?" Khemu asks, clearly getting tired of Bayek and Layla's conversation. "Why are you so happy?"
And Bayek smiles at him, and says something light that makes Khemu laugh, and doesn't tell Khemu just how badly he's looking forward to holding him again.
-/-
True to the doctor's word, the Wires and Tubes come out later that day. The sun is setting outside the window when they start, but it's fully dark out by the time Khemu is totally free. The process had been complicated by the fact that Khemu is very clearly just starting to grasp the idea of. He panics a little with each new wire that comes out and machine that gets unplugged.
Bayek doesn't let go of his hand for even a second, which also doesn't speed things up any, but at least it seems to help Khemu calm down a little. And finally, the doctor declares that the last wire is out, that Khemu is doing well, that he'll be back in the morning.
And Bayek, doing what he's been waiting what feels like forever to do, sweeps Khemu out of bed and into his arms, and holds him tight as Khemu wraps his arms around his neck and clings. Bayek cries. Khemu cries, although he can't possibly understand how much this means for Bayek, or how long he'd thought this moment was impossible.
When the doctor comes to tell Bayek that he has to leave—visiting hours are over, apparently, and for some reason they think it'll be good for Khemu to spend the night alone—Bayek stubbornly continues to not speak English until they just give up and leave him alone. Good. Layla and Berg have gone back to the base to check in on and everyone and see if there are any more messages from Desmond, but Bayek feels fairly safe staying here with Khemu until he's well enough to be released. Senu's been banished from the hospital, which is the only really unfortunate part, but Layla's promised to look after her, and Bayek trusts them to watch each other. And he'll see her when Khemu is released, when he'll be able to bring his son back to their base full of armed and dangerous people that are all on their side.
Khemu gets tired early, and curls up on the edge of the bed, leaving room for Bayek to join him. Which he does. As Khemu's eyelids droop and he just starts to drift off, he asks, "But where are we?"
It's a question Bayek hasn't quite decided on an answer to, because it opens the door to so many other questions he doesn't want Khemu to ask. Someday he'll have to explain, about Juno, about the Hidden Ones, about the time travel. But that day doesn't have to be today, does it? Bayek can have just this one perfect night, can't he?
"It's called New York," he says, which is factually true while avoiding all the really important parts. "It's on the other side of the world from Siwa."
"Then why are we here?" Khemu asks. "When are we going home?"
Bayek takes a deep breath. "Home," he says carefully. "Is where the people you care about are. Home might have to be here for a while."
"But what about…"
Khemu looks up at him, blinking slowly, clearly struggling to keep his eyes open. He doesn't finish his question, but Bayek understands what he's trying to say. Of course he's worried about his mother, why wouldn't he be? It's just that Bayek has no idea what to tell him. Aya is dead, she'd told him so herself on the day she left him and chose to start a new life as Amunet.
Amunet, who chose not to have a husband. Amunet of the Hidden Ones, no longer Aya of Siwa or Alexandria or anywhere else. Amunet, hard and cold, who might have any reaction in the world to seeing Khemu again. Bayek can imagine her kneeling down in front of him to hold him again, as easily as he can imagine her turning her back and walking away.
"She isn't here right now," he tells Khemu, who looks crestfallen. "But I am, Khemu, and…" He remembers, almost guiltily, that soon he'll have to go chasing after Juno. "And there are a lot of great people here too. When you're feeling better I'll take you back, and I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Okay," Khemu says, but he clings a little more tightly to Bayek as he says it. Bayek feels awful for him, far from home and without his mother, but he doesn't know what to say to make it better. Instead, he just holds his child as tight as he dares, until Khemu finally falls asleep.
It's midnight, or close enough, when Layla drops in through the window. Bayek has been sleeping lightly but he wakes all at once, tense in the moments before he recognizes Layla. Then he sees the look on her face, and tenses all over again. He extricates himself from Khemu as gently as possible, and climbs out of bed to face Layla.
"You found her?" he asks.
Layla nods. "Desmond did," she says. "I just got an email from him—Juno's with his ancestor Altair, in 1191. She's going after another apple."
"Why?" Bayek croaks. "Why now?"
There's no answer to that, of course, and Layla doesn't try to give one.
"I'll go in the morning," Bayek says. "As soon as he's awake and I can say goodbye."
"You could wake him now-"
"I won't," Bayek says. "I've waited years to have him back, and I can't give him up without just…" He takes a breath. "One night, Layla."
Silence settles between them for a moment. Bayek can tell that Layla's having a terrible idea, but she takes her time to think it over before saying anything out loud. "I'll go," she tells him at last. "Why not? We know I can do it now, and you can stay here with Khemu. I'll give Bayek the password for the email Desmond's sending messages to, so he can handle that. And you have your translator, you can take over helping out with everyone in the animi."
"I can't ask you to do that," Bayek says, although something in his stomach leaps just at the suggestion.
"Sure you can," Layla says. "Why not? You can take the next one."
And for now, at least, he can stay with Khemu. Until his son is back on his feet, and back safe at their base with them.
"Thank you," Bayek says, and means it more than he can possibly say. Then he adds, "Take Senu. She'll help you get there safely, and… I trust you to take care of her."
It's the highest praise he can think of at the moment, and by Layla's smile, she seems to recognize that.
-/-
So the next morning, while Bayek and Khemu sleep, Layla finishes explaining to Bayek that she'll personally gut him if he takes advantage of her absence to hurt Desmond, or any of the Assassins. She gets a brand new earpiece of Rebecca, one that will let her understand the thousand year old Arabic of Altair's time. She does know modern Arabic, but a language can change a lot in a millennium, and the translator isn't going to hurt anything.
Then there's nothing else to do. She'll figure out the rest when she gets there, so Layla grabs the apple, waits for Senu to settle on her shoulder, and then takes them back in time.
-/-
Next chapter: Altair, finally! A new ancestor!