During the car ride, Walter had explained what the results were from the hydrostatic weighing to Cabe.
"Right now there isn't much we can do about it, so don't say anything to Ralph about me going for it. He just lost his Mom. He doesn't need to worry about me now." Walter told him.
"Son, not being honest about things is how we got into this pickle." Cabe cautioned him as they drove to Ralph's school.
"I know Cabe, but not right now. After her memorial." Walter told him tiredly.
"I hope you know what you're doing son." Cabe told him as he turned into the parking lot. "Made it just in time." Cabe smiled as he pointed towards a group of kids as they walked out the main door and Ralph was among them.
As they parked in the line of cars, Cabe saw the driver's door of a car a few spots ahead of them open and a woman about Walter's age got out. He watched as she opened the back of her car and then reached in. A moment later she was walking back towards them carrying a cardboard box that looked heavy. She smiled at them and Walter slipped out of the SUV as did Cabe.
"Jill, it is nice seeing you again." Walter said.
"Jill?" Cabe questioned.
"She is Daniel's Mother. The boy who had gotten the wrong tablet that day at the museum and we had to track him down." Walter told Cabe.
Cabe nodded in recognition.
"Walter, I am so sorry about what happened. I hope you don't mind but I fixed you guys a really big lasagna to help out during this time of adjustment." Jill said sadly.
Walter gave her a sad smile and nodded.
"That was very thoughtful of you." Walter told her.
Cabe stepped over and took the box for Walter and was putting it into the back of the SUV when Ralph and the small group of boys reached them.
"We had wanted to do it last week, but we were trying to let you have some time to just absorb what happened." Jill said sadly.
"Good afternoon Ms. Klein" Ralph greeted her. "Hey Dad." Ralph said before he started to fist bump Walter and then decided to hug him instead.
The normal noise of the activities around them was broken by Daniel's tablet speaking.
"Have a good night Ralph. If you need to talk, you know where to find me." Daniel typed out.
"That goes for us too Ralph." One of the other boys said. "We're really sorry over what happened."
"Thanks Daniel, guys. I appreciate that." Ralph said after breaking the hug. "I'll do that." Ralph told them.
"And thank you Jill, I am sure we're going to be very happy with the lasagna." Walter told her.
"You're welcome Walter. It is heavy, so it is in a couple of aluminum baking pans, you can either recycle them or if you want to wash and reuse them then do so. I don't need them back.
"Thank you." Walter gave her a weak smile.
"So you know, George's Mom is bringing dinner tomorrow for you guys as well. Sam's Dad is fixing dinner for Wednesday. Mark's Mom has Thursday covered and here is a gift card. Ben's parents are a bit busy so they figured they'd treat you guys to a night out to eat on Friday." Jill explained as she handed him the gift card.
"This was very thoughtful of all of you." Walter choked up. "You didn't need to go to such trouble. My parents flew in from Ireland and along with Cabe and Allie and some other friends, we're well cared for."
Jill shook her head.
"No Walter, this is who we are. We help take care of each other. You and Ralph are part of us." Jill said softly. "I'm glad to hear you have them there helping you out though. Have a good evening guys."
"Thanks Ms Klein." Ralph told her.
Jill waved as she turned with Daniel and walked back to their car.
"Is your hair damp?" Ralph asked.
Walter laughed.
"Yes, after dropping the heart monitor off, I felt like I was under water." Walter laughed as his hand wiped across his forehead.
Ralph laughed with him as they got into the SUV.
"Better get used to that son, you are a single Dad now. Your worth among single Moms just went up." Cabe teased as they drove off.
Walter shuddered as Ralph groaned.
"No, that part of my life is over Cabe. Paige was it for me. So if anyone is trying to get you to fix me up or something, just don't." Walter told him seriously.
"You know Paige wouldn't want that son, she'd want you to try and find someone else to be happy with." Cabe told him.
"It isn't about what she would want me to do Cabe. It is about what my heart tells me." Walter smiled at him. "Paige meant the world to me and I'll miss her until I die."
Cabe sighed as he nodded.
Walter called his Mom to let her know they had dinner with them.
The next morning after Ralph was ready for school he stopped to give Walter a hug.
"I've got Caltech classes in the late morning. And then I'll be back at school at one p.m.." Ralph reminded him.
Walter nodded.
"You want Cabe to pick you up and take you to Caltech? I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Walter asked.
"No, I got my bus pass. Besides, something might come up and you both have to be somewhere else. It is more efficient this way." Ralph grinned.
Walter chuckled as he nodded.
"Maybe you better go lay down Dad. You look really tired." Ralph said, looking at him.
"I feel really tired." Walter yawned. He wasn't sure if it was their discussion that he yawned or if it was natural. "But I'm expecting to hear back from Gettlemen on that software patch."
"Okay, but don't overdo it." Ralph told him just before Cabe walked into the Garage.
Ralph smiled at Cabe and walked over towards him.
"Be safe." Walter called out.
Ralph grinned and waved back.
Walter sighed as he walked to his desk and sat down. He knew it didn't really serve a purpose but he found himself listing everything he'd give up to have another day with Paige.
Twice he nearly nodded off. He stood up even as he yawned. He decided he better go splash some water on his face. Maybe get the coffee pot going. He needed something to stimulate him. He shook his head as he set up the coffee pot. How he could sleep so much and still be so tired was beyond him. If it wasn't for his concern of providing for Ralph he'd just switch the phones to the answering machine and go to bed.
He decided he better go to the bathroom while the coffee was brewing. As he crossed the floor he looked about the Garage and noticed the other whiteboard was back there out of the way.
"Why would Ralph put this back here?" Walter said even as he walked over to it.
Walter's eyes took in the math on the board even as he frowned.
"What is he trying to figure out?" Walter thought as he went over each equation. His left hand reached out and grabbed a blue marker. His right hand held onto the cap as he pulled with his left. He reached up as he began writing different values in places where either the value seemed wrong or was missing. His brain, even in the fog of tiredness, was piercing through the math quickly.
"Why is Ralph calculating atomic disbursement?" Walter thought as it was the only thing Ralph could be doing with some of the expressions.
Walter's mouth dropped open as his mind figured out he was trying to understand what happened to his Mom.
"Oh Ralph." Walter said in pain. "Science can't help with this. I've got to call Dr Rizzuto, you need more help then I can give you buddy. I'm sorry. I'm not a good replacement for your Mom."
"Yes you are." Veronica said as she walked up behind him.
"Oh, good morning Veronica." Walter greeted her. "But I know my limitations and my guiding him through his loss isn't working well."
Ralph walked into the diner at just three minutes before ten. His eyes darted about the few patrons there and then noticed the man he wanted to talk to, Dr Robert Phillips.
"Ralph." Mr Nemos greeted him in his husky voice.
"Mr Nemos." Ralph smiled.
"I was sorry to hear about your Mom. How you holding up?" Mr Nemos asked.
"Thank you. We're doing okay." Ralph gave him a slight smile.
"Alright, you can sit wherever you want." Nemos told him before Ralph nodded and then walked over to the table where Dr Phillips sat.
"Dr Phillips." Ralph said cheerfully as he slid into the booth on the opposite side.
Dr Phillips looked at him suspiciously.
"This better not be a game." Dr Phillips told him.
"It's not. I'm sorry for misleading you, but I didn't think you'd agree to meet me if you knew my real last name." Ralph told him.
"Which is?" Dr Phillips said now feeling very nervous.
"My last name is Dineen." Ralph told him.
Dr Phillip's eyes went wide even as he quickly slid out of the booth.
"I'm sorry, I can't be here. I need to go." Dr Phillips said before he turned to leave.
"Wait." Ralph said. "Help me Dr Phillips. You're my only hope." Ralph knew Dr Phillips was a big Star Wars fan.
Dr Phillips' eyes closed and then he turned to look at Ralph.
"What is it you want?" Dr Phillips asked.
"To start with, please sit down so we can talk." Ralph told him.
"Might as well call me Robert." Robert said as he sat down in the booth.
"Thank you Robert." Ralph smiled.
"Look, while I'm very sorry about what happened to your Mom, that's not my fault." Robert told him.
"I know it wasn't. I'm not here to blame you. Beauchamp had crappy safety features in place for the project." Ralph told him.
"That's why I got fired. I kept complaining about the safety features, or rather the lack of them. They kept saying because it was still in a testing phase we didn't need them, that everyone involved would be disciplined in how to work on it. Like, how having a locking mechanism on your door you can't open in an emergency?" Robert complained angrily, shaking his head. "When word reached me that they were going to fire me I did the only thing I could, to ensure the system wouldn't work. I modified a small parameter that was easy to overlook. It would make it impossible for the system to open the lead apertures. That would mean the system couldn't work. I had no idea who Centipede Partners were, and I didn't think they would be able to figure it out."
"I have been trying to understand the process of what happened to my Mom, but the information I've been able to glean from Beauchamp's servers has holes in it." Ralph explained. "I was hoping you could fill in those gaps."
"I'm sorry Ralph, but I can't." Robert sighed. "I'm under a contract concerning the whole process."
"Please." Ralph said in that way he learned from his Mom with Walter. His big eyes tearing into Robert, just like they did with his Dad. "You don't know everything about what happened and is happening now because of it."
"W-what could still be happening?" Robert asked, his voice shaky at best.
"My Dad is suffering various effects from it. Did you know he watched as my Mom's hand disintegrated in his hand?" Ralph asked.
Robert's face reflected the horror that image forced upon him.
"H-how is that possible?" Robert said weakly, feeling like he was about to throw up.
"Dad was only a few seconds from saving her when the system activated. He had used a steel pipe to smash a hole through the ceiling, both inside and outside of the test chamber. He was pulling my Mom up through the hole. She had to have felt such elation thinking she was saved." Ralph said, hoping to guilt Robert into telling him what he needed. "And now my Dad has been having some kind of horrific trauma every morning. His scream when it happens could gut you."
Robert sat there swallowing as he fought not to cry.
"And in some way, I think somehow part of my Mom has been integrated into my Dad. The other night after my Dad fell asleep, I tried a test to see if the lotion my Mom liked to use would help my Dad not have one of these events. As I got ready to leave his bedroom, I spoke softly telling him I hoped he had a good night's sleep." Ralph said as he continued calculating Robert's physiological responses. "And he responded with the perfect cadence and inflections Mom would have used. My Dad might have said them, but it was my Mom who directed what was said."
"R-Ralph." Robert stuttered as his stomach continued to roll. "It isn't possible. The scrubbers would have converted her molecules." Robert shook his head. "You must be mistaken, there is no way."
"Robert, my Dad's IQ was measured at 197. He's maintained mine is higher. Trust me when I say, there is no other explanation for what is happening. Is there no chance her essence could have been incorporated into his?" Ralph asked.
"Ralph, you're talking more science fiction than science fact. If she was far enough away from the scrubber, then yes, her molecules wouldn't have gone through the whole process. But somehow being integrated into another person? I don't know." Robert sighed.
Ralph sat talking to Robert for nearly two hours. At one point ordering food and eating as they talked.
"Ultimately, I worry how this is going to affect my Dad. I don't know if his body can continue to survive like this. I am not suggesting we can find a way to undo what happened to my Mom, but we have got to find a way to save my Dad. Will you come back home with me? Help me with my calculations?" Ralph finally asked him.
Robert sighed.
"I can try." Robert finally agreed before he took the bill from Nemos and paid it while brushing off Ralph's objection.
While he drove them to the address Ralph gave him, Robert called in to work and took the next couple of days off.
Walter looked up from his desk as the door opened and he stood up as Ralph came through it.
"Ralph, what are you doing here in the middle of a school day?" Walter demanded.
"Dad, please relax. This is Dr Robert Phillips." Ralph said as he gestured to the man that came in behind him. "He's here to help me with…something."
Walter's eyes darted back and forth several times.
"Does this "something" have something to do with your calculations on the whiteboard in the back?" Walter asked.
"Grandma wasn't supposed to tell you about it." Ralph sighed.
"She didn't. I found it when I went to the bathroom back there this morning." Walter told him.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Railman - I always enjoyed the way Veronica wanted Walter with Paige in the show. And it looks like Ralph is convinced that his Mom has somehow merged with his Mom...Perhaps next chapter we'll know more. Surely Ralph wouldn't invite the man home without planning to explain his thoughts. Thank you.
Marti - Thank you, so glad you are enjoying the story! Ralph is definitely about to spill the beans to his Dad!
James - I'm glad the scene helped you feel that! Ralph wanted you not to worry about that, he didn't want to have the full conversation with anyone before he had the information he needed to convince his Dad. Hopefully next chapter will have more information about what has happened. Glad you are hooked and still enjoying it! I keep hoping to get to the last chapter so I can increase the posting schedule for the story.
Lucy - Well, now we know what Ralph believes happened, can he convince his Dad? Maybe the video Ralph saved will help him convince his Dad...
DaToad - LOL Well, I'd imagine if his caboose was big enough to hold 100+ lbs he'd notice that as soon as he tried to put his boxers on! lol As for Tim and loving or caring for Ralph, if a man loves a woman, he should be able to love her child. After all, with all things being equal, it shouldn't be any harder than loving a nephew, even if you hate the sibling's SO. Now obviously attitudes could play a part in that...some kids can be a nightmare in that situation. As a con artist, I think you could be right about Veronica, she might see something in Tim that she felt was wrong for Paige and Ralph, or maybe it just wasn't as good as what she saw in Walter. Yep, the stories on TV have to move a lot quicker.
Pearliegirl - Glad you are enjoying it! Looks like that is what Ralph is thinking, hopefully we'll know more next week. Thank you again, it seems like "Shattered" was more of a ground hit than a homerun for a lot of people. lol
LouBe - He says it has been very tiring in that respect. He's wanted to just explain it all to his Dad but, he knew without more proof his Dad might humor him, but he wouldn't believe it. Thank you, I will say this might be the last chapter to leave us in the dark...I have similar feelings on the death certificate. Yup, the big tech nerd has analog scales! lol I remember back about 30 years ago, buying a new set of scales the wife wanted, they were labeled as "digital". Had to put batteries in it. But the first thing I noticed about them was they were not digital. They just made it so the read out looked digital. The glass covering the read out, was dark, giving the impression of a digital read out. But sometimes the light turned on before the scale had stopped spinning and you could see it moving. Indeed, a sleeping child seems to amplify their weight! lol Yes...oh man...it was so frustrating when I posted the first chapter of "Shattered". FFN finally commented on Twitter about what was going on and getting it fixed. Sadly we still have a number of 1st tier features that are still broken, a month after they broke and FFN still isn't talking about that. Yep, "Shattered" is almost done. I think 8 might be where it will stop. Hopefully everyone will at least like how it ends.
To the Adventure! -Tim