Out of Time

Birds

Since it will take a little while to get the cure from Jackson the team leaves the lab, giving me some time with the Oz boys. Jackson still looks weak and tired, but then again we are taking quite a large substance out of his body. I walk over to him and he lays his head on my chest and rubs my stomach with his thumb as I lay my head against his. "Hey there, little guy, it's okay, daddy's gonna be fine." Even Jackson's voice sounds weak.

"Little guy? Why do you assume its a boy?"

"I don't know. I just have a feeling it's a boy."

I sigh and kiss the top of his head and rub the back on his neck with my thumb as I hold him. But as I do I hear Robert clear his throat, "Now, I'd hate to ruin such a nice moment, but I need to talk to the two of you."

I look over to Robert, "about what?"

"Katherine, with the mutation trying to take hold in your body while you are pregnant, especially this early on.... If we don't get the cure disrupted fast enough, it's very likely that you will miscarry."

I can feel and see the tears well up in my eyes, as I do I hear Mitch call out from behind me, "We have another problem." I turn to look to Mitch, "Jackson's not producing enough of the cure compound."

Robert looks over to the bag, "No, you're right. There should be twice that amount by now."

Jackson looks over to Robert, "Well, what does that mean?" Robert doesn't answer and just shakes his head, "Hey, you said no more secrets. What does that mean?"

"At this rate, there's a good chance you'll die before you produce enough of this."

"Okay, then bleed me dry. Take as much of the compound as you need."

I shake my head, "Did you hear what he said? that'll kill you."

"Yeah, I heard him, at least this way, I die for something."

"And you'll leave me and our child."

"That's not how I see it, I see it as I am giving our child a world to grow up in."

Robert shakes his head, "No."

Jackson looks over to Robert, "No, listen, Dad, we tried everything."

"No, no, we haven't tried everything." Robert looks over to Mitch, "Give me the genomic fossil serum."

I shake my head, "Uh, you don't have the mutation. You can't do that."

"This isn't about me. This is about Jackson. With my body pre-staging the serum, Jackson won't have to work so hard to synthesize the cure." Robert looks over to Jackson, "It'll be like that Mother's Day when you were five. You wanted to make your mom an omelet."

Jackson sighs, "Oh, come on, no omelet analogies."

"Indulge me... I cut the bell peppers, the mushrooms, cracked the eggs. And you poured everything into the pan and finished the omelet. Remember?"

"No," Jackson shakes his head, "What I do remember is Mom coming," he begins to chuckle, "downstairs and saying that she was craving pancakes."

"She did, didn't she?"

"The dog got the omelet and we went to IHOP."

Robert nods, before looking over to Mitch, "Hey, Mitch, will this work?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Get the injection ready. And I think, um, I think that was probably one of your mom's favorite Mother's Days."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Dad, but the dog sure got a kick out of it." Jackson looks over to Mitch, "what will the serum do to him?" I can't help but think it'll kill him without the mutation.