Kade is real pissed with me, and for good reason. I so should have told him about Kelvin before bringing the kid (their father) down to meet them.
Kelvin freaked out when he saw who ‘the team’ for the game was, “I’m not being on the dirty disease team,’ he bawled. I goofed up big style with the whole ‘game’ idea.
Kelvin introduced himself as their father from behind the safety of the glass screen. Kade actually laughed out loud, “WHAT!” He yelled. “This is TOO MUCH to process right now. Tan, go entertain this kid upstairs and we’ll discuss this later,” he said, with a pissed off glare that I’ve never seen in him before.
……
Kelvin is in his room playing Plague Inc. I’ve locked the door (on Kade’s instruction,) and I’m waiting for him in the chill-out area. I guess I’m going to get a lecture on my mistake.
,…..
Kade walks in looking dreadful. His face is real pale and the circles around his eyes have darkened. He looks so authentically sick that I have to ask, “Are you sure you’re not really ill?”
His smile let’s me know he isn’t, “We’re doing a good job, Kelly’s a great make-up artist, she should work in the movies, for sure,” he says.
He looks sheepish, “I’m sorry for being harsh and snappy…”
I cut in, “No – I was stupid. I should never have just brought your da…I mean Kelvin down without informing you first.” I say.
He nods his head and smiles, “You can say Dad, because I know he is my father,” he says, with a resigned confidence.
“Really, are you sure?” I ask.
“I’m sure. I know my father, he looks like my father…”
“He looks like you…” I cut in again.
Kade laughs, “He does.” He lets out a breathy sigh, “Remember when we were on the video call with The Surgeon and she said, ‘he’s just like his father,’ when I walked out?” He asks.
“Yes, I do.”
“Well – I kinda figured something like this had been done. I should have shared what I was thinking with you.” He pauses, looks down then directly at me, “Tanya, you and I have to tell each other everything, share every single thought and emotion, we can’t hold anything back – otherwise we’ll be beat,” he says.
He called me Tanya, not Tan. That’s a kinda Kade change. I’m not sure how I feel about him calling me Tanya.
……
“It’s just too risky to try and get my father on our side right now, it’s best to let him think what he’s been led to believe, that we’re sick and undergoing treatment,” says Kade.
“I totally agree.”
Kade continues, “We’ve decided that when the medical woman arrives that I’m going to appear to not be responding to treatment, to keep them cautious of me. Troy and Kelly will appear to respond and recover quickly, so as not to delay The Wedding – you OK with that?” He asks.
“Sure, it makes good sense, that way you retain some control over them. I don’t know what I was thinking, trying to get a stubborn kid on our side when we’re so close to The Wedding.”
“Stubbornness is only one of my father’s many traits, he was a great father, but a difficult man and I guess he’s the same as a kid,” says Kade.
“You said, ‘was’ a great man, do you think your adult father’s,” I pause, searching for a sensitive word, “erm, gone,” I say.
“You mean dead; I don’t know. I don’t know enough about human cloning to be honest – and right now I don’t have time to research.” He glances at the time on the monitors; “Professor Merton and the medic will be here to check on us soon, we need to get some sleep before the mayhem begins.
