A SON'S RESTITUTION

Chapter 16

(Columbia University, New York City, 5:00 PM)

After finishing his classes, Professor Montmartre or Methu-Selah had returned to the faculty room and gone to his working space where his colleagues kept staring and murmuring at him.

The Kree Eternal was not amused from what he has been experiencing being ridiculed for five months after his wife got acquitted in trial. The Montmartre couple had been a talk of the town ever since the controversy in St. Petersburg and the trial. Methu-Selah and Carol had decided to leave SWORD and Alpha Flight after those troubled times. They couldn't handle the situation for they wanted to live a peaceful private life.

This time, he was preparing to take his belongings and leave the faculty, going home with his wife. Suddenly, a male middle-aged co-professor approached him. Methu-Selah curiously raised his eyebrows and held his briefcase.

" Hey, Monty, " he called him and grinned. " Leaving so soon? Why not join with us after our session? Come on, it's going to be weekend! We can stay up late and...."

" Husband duties, Dr. Bartholomew..." the Kree slightly smiled and secretly read his colleague's mind. " Don't tell me you have been talking about my wife? Everytime I come here, you always talk a lot within the faculty. Sorry for being nosy, it seems you guys need to cease your discussion about her. This is unethical to ridicule and harshly criticize of anyone's issues. I thought you were highly educated people. You don't have such boundaries to put someone into your topics, involving a faculty's family member. I found it annoying and disrespectful after all. "

Bartholomew and the others exchanged glances and got struck from the Kree Eternal's words. They all remained silent and ashamed for what they have been doing. Methu-Selah stared at them and smiled.

" All right then, see you all on Monday, bye for now! Enjoy your weekend! "

The professor left the University, heading back home which he saw a crowd of people wearing facemasks. He saw some began to cough or sneeze. Being a highest form of Kree, he was unaffected by any disease, however he got alarmed with his wife and unborn child to catch it.

He immediately went to the subway, taking a long line of people paying tickets and seeing some coughed and sneezed. Methu-Selah heavily sighed and looked sorry for them, while waiting for his turn to pay for the ticket. Finally, he paid and made his way to the next train, however he was becoming too uncomfortable finding himself in the sea of crowd. He entered and found his seat near the automatic door where an old African-American man sat beside him.

" Some people get sick of everything nowadays, " he said and turned to the Kree. " Gettin' sick of love, money, kids, work, and a lot of hell in their lives. "

" Yes, I do understand that, sir. " Methu-Selah nodded and sighed.

" Everyone's tryin' to fix their lives and strugglin' to deal with it. "

" Well, you're right. My wife is one of them. She has been going under pressure after all she has experienced. Now, she's carrying my child. "

" I see, you have a lot to do as a husband and a father. You gotta shape it right for your family. I know you can do it. "

" Thanks, that's nice to hear from you. I'll keep that in mind and do it. "

" Anytime..."

The subway train stopped at the 77th Street Station when it opened the doors. Some wave of people came and went through the train. Methu-Selah noticed more coughing and sneezing and immediately avoided them. He was heading his way to the stairs and seeing more people getting sick.