MAX
After letting me change my clothes and wash the blood off of me, I am led back to the surgery room where Mars is still on that table with his stomach all out. I look up at the screen and see what they were talking about regarding the intestines.
"Lord, Lym, you got yourself in a tangled mess, haven't you?" I say mostly to myself. "What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to talk to him and give him directions on how to get out of there. Once he's free, I'm going to give Mars a different serum."
"A different one? I thought you said-"
"Agent Holt, please shut the fuck up." Zylith says angrily and I try not to laugh. "I brought two serums just in case something like this happened. They will both save Mars but one of them would have just allowed him to continue carrying the baby until it was ready, but this one will abort the child."
"Abort? Hell no! Mars would never-"
"Not abortion, abort, as in get it out of there. The baby is causing way too much damage to stay in him. He needs to come out and be taken care of outside of Mars."
"Will that hurt Mars?" Agent Holt asks.
"No, it shouldn't if Max can direct him out of the tangle of intestines."
"Will it hurt Olympus?" I asked, looking up at the screen. "Mars would rather die than us kill his son."
"Like I said, once he is out of harm's way, things will be fine. I wouldn't suggest it if it couldn't be done."
I nodded and walked over to Mar's rotund belly and touched it softly. I felt a ripple under me and I knew the baby knew I was there.
"Hey, Lym... Got yourself into a bit of a situation huh? Listen, I need you to try and get out of there. I know it's going to be scary and I know you're already trying, but I'm going to guide you out, okay? You have to listen to me or Mars dies... Can you show me that you understand?"
I look up at the screen and find Olympus moving his hand. I looked over at Zylith and Agent Holt.
"Okay, show me what to do..."
*************************
It felt like hours upon hours as I directed Olympus out of my best friend's intestines, we were rushed out of there while they performed and emergency C-section on him to get Olympus out. Since Zylith was technically a surgical technician (in Earth terms), she was allowed to stay while I had to be outside. She gave me her cell phone just in case and I was left to myself. It was so strange not to be coughing or feeling weak anymore.
As I waited, the phone rang and I decided to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Who is this?"
"I could ask the same."
"I'm Kasai."
I blinked in confusion and then shook my head. "Oh, I see... This is Max."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Dad?"
"Yeah... I guess... Odd feeling, you calling me that and sounding like you do and such..." I said nervously.
I know I've talked to Kasai through my dreams and such, but this was the first time he had ever sounded so clear. It was like he was right next to me... I've never met him before and pretty soon, I think I might and that's kind of scary.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be this way. I really tried not to but..."
"I'm not upset, it's just that I don't think we've ever spoken to each other while I'm awake."
"Yeah, same here... Um... I can't wait to meet you! I mean... I've been looking forward to it for so long."
"I can't wait either... I hope you don't expect much from me. I'm not the best person nor am I world's greatest dad. I'm just a kid."
"That's okay. I wasn't going to try and make you be who you don't want to be. I just have never seen you before and I wanted to... to say hi and maybe hug you... if that's okay?"
"It would mean the world to me. If you needed Zylith she is helping with surgery on Mars."
"Uncle Mars is in surgery?"
"The baby got wrapped up in his intestines and was causing damage. She was going to try and salvage the pregnancy but said he was too far damaged and they had to get the baby out."
"Did she help you with the blood serum?"
"Yeah. I can finally stop dying on an hourly basis." I said with a nervous laugh.
"Hold on a second."
I could hear the phone rustle for a moment and I waited for what was going to come.
"Max? Baby?"
"Mama?" I said subconsciously, surprised to hear her voice and surprised to hear her call me 'baby' again.
"Oh, sweetheart! Are you okay? Did they hurt you in there?"
"N-no... no... I'm fine... um..."
"Max?"
"Papa?"
"Hey, son..."
"Wh-why are you calling me now? Is this A675309?"
"A972." I heard Kasai say. "And no, this isn't him. It's really your parents."
"We were given a thumb drive that had all the information from when you missing on it. There were videos and pictures and... Oh, honey, I don't know how you ever endured any of what happened to you."
"We came to bring you home, Maxxy." Dad said. "We're right outside the gate of that place you were taken to."
"Adah told us everything about her husband and what's happened."
"You're outside?"
"Yes. We came to rescue the both of you."
I didn't hear anything else as I turned off the phone and started running down the hallway.
*********************************
It took me a few minutes to get to where I needed to go, but I found the exit and burst through the doors. When I got to stairs, I found everyone waiting outside of the gate. I saw Mom and Dad and Dawaen and Kole... then I saw him. He looked just like me but a little bit different. He was definitely more mature than I expected him to be but he looked uncomfortable standing there and I knew immediately that it was my son. I raced down the stairs towards my parents. My dad punched one of them and broke the other's kneecap, slipping through the barrier, my mom in tow. I sprinted as fast as I could towards them.
Just as I was about to get to them, I saw someone get in my way and a loud scream echoed in my ears as I stopped in my tracks, slipping backwards. Kole had appeared out of nowhere wielding a knife, no doubt. He had been coming towards me but someone got in the way. Dr. Bluewater grabbed Kole angrily, making him drop the knife, and I stared at who had jumped in front of me.
"Ka... sai...?"
Horror filled me as I stood up and raced over to my son, sliding next to him.
"Kasai?!" I screamed over him.
He looked at me with a smile. "It's really you..." He reached up and touched my face. "You're even better than I thought you'd be."
"Are you hurt? What happened? What did he do to you?"
Kasai coughed and blood ejected from him. I looked around his body and found there the blood was coming from. I grabbed his hand and pressed it over his wound, my hand on his.
"Stay with me, Kasai... You can't go. We haven't even met yet. We haven't... we haven't gotten to talk and get to know each other. Mars knows you better than me right now... Please... Please, my precious son, don't leave me like this..."
Kasai's eyes filled with tears and he smiled. "Precious son... I like that..."
"That's what you are. I know you didn't come about in the most convenient or conventional way, but you're my son. You're mine, you hear me?" I asked, putting my forehead to his. "Please... I promise I won't ever let go if you just stay with me..." I whispered.
"I need a doctor." He said softly. "I know if we get one, I can live."
I felt someone kneeling next to me and looked over, finding Dawaen.
"Tell me where they are in there and I'll go get them. All this excitement has Kole going into labor as well. We'll need them."
"You really think you can beat the clock?" Kole yelled, looking over at us so menacingly. "I landed a fatal wound to your 'precious baby boy'. It was supposed to be you. So if he dies, you can blame yourself for your slowness."
"Aaron..." I heard Kasai say behind me. "It's A972 but if you call him Aaron he will go ballistic, but it's worth it."
I got up and walked over to Kole, who was struggling against Dr. Bluewater and Dr. Market and labor pains. I looked at him for a moment.
"Tell me, Aaron, what have I done to you? Why are you insistent that you make my life a living-fucking-hell?!"
Kole smiled this evil smile and I knew it wasn't Kole.
"Because I enjoy watching you suffer."
I had had enough to this nonsense today, I pulled back my fist and punched him straight in the throat. He went down and I shook my hand, not used to fighting. It felt good though.
"Max! You need to come back." Dawaen yelled, standing up. "I'm going inside to get someone. Where are they?"
"They are still in surgery with Mars. Try to get a nurse out here." I said, going back to Kasai.
Dawaen nodded and took off inside of the building. I got on my knees next to Kasai and grabbed his head, putting it in my lap.
"I won't ever leave you again, okay? I'm going to be right here. They're going to fix you up and you'll be good as new." Kasai smiled, but his face was getting pale. "Kasai, please... please, please, my baby... Please don't leave me..."
"I'm trying. I'm trying as hard as I can."
I touched his face and ran my fingers through his hair, exploring him like I couldn't when he was born. He was perfect... He reached up and grabbed my hand, putting it on his head.
"Pet my head and tell me everything will be okay." He whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. "Please..."
I smiled and pet his head tenderly. "Everything will be okay, Kasai. I promise..."
Kasai smiled. "I love you, Papa."
"I love you more than anything in this world. I will save you."
Just then I heard footsteps and looked back, finding Agent Holt with a gurney and a few others.
"Hurry up and get him into surgery, right now." They moved me out of the way and put Kasai on the gurney to take him away. Agent Holt looked at us and then looked at Mom and Dad.
"Geneva; Brunswick... Fancy seeing you here?"
"We could say the same." Dad said and then pointed behind him. "That kid is going into labor. I think he's all the excuse and experimentation you need?"
Agent Holt looked over and his eyes got wide with curiosity and a 'wtf' look. The remaining people all left to go into the facility and then where was nothing.
My best friend is getting his son extracted from him. My son just saved my life and is hanging on death's door. The guy I thought was my best friend is about to have a baby taken out of him as well... I felt a small hand on my back and turned, finding Dad.
"They'll be alright, son."
I turned fully to him and hugged him as tightly as I could. He returned the favor and I felt like I was finally home since I was taken two years go. Mom joined us and I finally felt safe and loved, something I hadn't felt in a long, long time.
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oh no! aaron took over kole's brain and tried to kill max but ended up really wounding kasai! this isn't the end everyone! or is it?