MAX
After Mom came to me that one time, I didn't see her again for a while. I couldn't even think about her really because I was so sick. The serum that I was injected with on the ship was making me cough up blood and I was always getting a coughing fit at least once a day. David and India were by my side, never giving up hope to try and help me. India worked day and night to try and find a good explanation for my parents that I was the real son that they thought they lost. It's not that I gave up on my parents, but I was just too weak to care.
*************
Weeks went by and eventually it started getting easier to deal with the pain. I was given a mild sedative in the morning to help start the day a little easier and then I would try to move my arm around and keep it from getting too stiff. When I was cut on my arm, it severed the muscle and because the hospital didn't want to take care of it properly, the muscle got some infection in it. India was able to help get it out but it weakened it a little.
**************
I haven't been sleeping very well due to the coughing fits and the constant low grade fever that seems to come with the territory. I have night sweats and horrific dreams, some that I can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy. I almost stabbed David once because I thought he was one of the aliens... I was starting to feel like I didn't have any control over my life. Was I really the real Max Taylor or am I a clone that just thinks they are? Am I even real?
***************
"Papa?"
I opened my eyes and found Kasai sitting in a chair beside me, his legs crossed as he watched me.
"Kasai..."
"Oh, Papa..." he said, looking so worried as he leaned over and touched my forehead. "You're really warm."
"Yeah... I have a fever that won't go away." I said with a small smile. "I feel like I haven't seen you in so long... I mean... I never got to see you anyway..."
Kasai looked really worried and got off of the chair, climbing into the bed with me. I put my arm around him, his body cool to the touch and it felt good against my raging skin.
"I'm really sorry that you're like this."
"It's not your fault."
"If not for me-"
"Shhh... Nothing is to blame..."
We are silent for a moment as I just relish in the fact that I have my son here with me. My son...
"Papa?"
"Yeah?"
"I know that I didn't really grow in you... It was just a clone but..."
"You're mine." I said, pulling him closer to me. "You'll always be mine. I gave you a name, I gave you a face, I carried you... I love you. Please don't think different. Please..."
Kasai snuggled closer to me. "I knew everyone was wrong... but..."
"What?"
"You have to wake up now."
"What do you mean?"
"You're not well." he said, suddenly getting out of the bed as a flush of heat came over me. "Papa, you have to wake up! WAKE UP!!!"
*************
"Max, wake up! Max! India, hurry up!"
I felt my consciousness coming back but I was shaking, unable to stop. David was holding me and India came back and something really cool was pressed to my forehead. It felt like heaven...
"Go and get an ice bath ready. He can't stay here anymore."
"He needs the Taylors." India snarled.
"Well when you would like to force them to come and be with their son then be my fucking guest, India! They don't want to be here with him! They've made their peace and they don't want to be bothered..."
"Mom..." I found myself saying. "I want my mom..."
"I wish I could bring her to you, Max, I wish I could so much you don't understand." David said, looking at me sadly. I felt him touch my face tenderly, very gentle and sincere. "We've tried everything that we can think of to get your mother to come back here, but she won't do it. I failed you, Max... I'm so sorry..."
"I'm going to give you something to stop the seizure and help you sleep." India said, and I felt something prick my arm.
A few minutes later, I wasn't shaking anymore and I felt sleepy.
**********
"I know I'm not doing that well of a job and I've made you feel like you were a nuisance, but it's nothing of the sort. I vowed the day you were born that I would protect you and when you got taken... when you were out of my reach and beyond my hands... I vowed that if you ever came home, I would make sure that you felt comfortable and safe and loved."
*************
"Papa..." I whispered.
I gasped quickly, sitting up in a bed. I made a face. This isn't the same bed I was in... This was an actual bedroom with bedroomy things in it, not the clinic. What's going on?
I got up and went to the door, finding it unlocked. I have no idea where the hell I am. Did I get kidnapped? Was this another one of those fucked up alien dreams? I frowned and started checking all the doors to see where they led; most of them were normal things or other rooms. I heard someone walking down the hallway and I breathed in, ready for anything. I wasn't going to run away from these people any longer. I was tired of the alien bullshit. I wanted peace... The footsteps came around the corner and I waited.
"Max? What are you doing up?"
I didn't realize I closed my eyes until I opened them, finding my mom. I blinked in confusion.
"Mom?"
"Yes?" she asked.
"Where are we?"
"Don't you remember that we moved? Remember, we had agreed that when the baby was born that we would move since your dad took that job offer in Coupeville... Are you okay, sweetie?"
She started to walk towards me but I stepped back.
"You're not real."
"What?"
"You're not real. You think I'm dead..."
Mom made a face. "What kind of dream did you have, Maxxy?"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!" I screamed, scaring her. "Unveil yourself right now. This isn't funny anymore!"
"What's all the screaming about?" a man's voice said.
The man turned the corner and my dad stared at me. I pointed at him angrily.
"Get out of that body right now." I snarled.
"Geneva..."
"I think he's having another episode."
"I'm not "having an episode"! Stop mocking me!"
"Baby, you need to calm down or you'll wake up-" WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAH! Mom sighed. "Kasai..."
"Ka... sai...?"
My parents stared at me. "Yeees... do you not remember your little brother?"
"Little... brother...? Huh?"
Dad sighed. "Did you forget to take your medicine this morning?"
"Medicine?"
"Stop repeating everything we say."
"I'm only doing that because I don't understand. What do you mean that Kasai is my little brother and that I have to take medicine? I've never had to take prescription medicine in my life!"
Mom and Dad looked at each other in worry.
"Sweetie, are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"I want to know what the fuck is going on!"
"I'll get the baby..." Dad growled, leaving me to deal with Mom.
Mom started walking towards me but I started walking back.
"You had those nightmares again, didn't you? The one about the aliens abducting you and impregnating you?"
"It wasn't a dream."
"Of course it was, honey. You've been having nightmares for a while now."
"How long?"
"A few years now. You had a traumatic encounter at the treehouse and ever since then you've just had the most horrible nightmares. You have to take something to keep your mind in check."
"What traumatic incident?"
"With Mars... How could you forget about Mars?"
"What about Mars?"
"Honey, he died at the treehouse and you found him there. Ever since then you've been having these vivid dreams that you thought were so real that you've almost gotten hurt before. Aliens and being pregnant and experimentation..."
Max!
I looked around and narrowed my eyes at her.
"You're a fake. I'm not that dumb anymore. You can't fuck with my brain now. I know who I am, I know my parents aren't even talking to me because they think I'm dead. Kasai in my *son, not my little brother, and I *did get abducted by aliens and experimented on. If you're that asshole Aaron or whatever it is, it's not going to work this time. IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK!"
Max!
Mom grinned. "You have gotten so much better at this, Max Taylor. It's sad but also fascinating."
"Get out of my head."
"I don't think it's really your head you need to worry about. See, we may not be able to fool your mind, but your body... mmm, well... Let's just say that autopilot is on."
"MAX!" two people screamed in my ears.
***************
I opened my eyes and found myself standing on top of a roof. It wasn't my roof... Where was I?
"Max, you've got to wake up! Please, get down from there..."
I looked behind me and found David trying as hard as he could to stay on top of the pointed part of the roof top. I looked around and then looked back at him.
"How did I get up here?"
"That's what I'd like to know. You had a small seizure and then you started mumbling to yourself. Soon, you just got up and started walking. We thought you were cognizant until you started climbing out of the window... Come on, now, let's go back inside."
I nodded and carefully walked towards David and shimmied into the window. India grabbed a hold of me and hugged me tightly.
"Oh my god, we thought we were going to lose you... Oh my god..."
David made his way back in and sat on the window sill, looking exhausted.
"What happened? Did you have another dream?"
"Dream?"
"You were sleepwalking."
I blinked and pulled away from India. "This... is real, right?"
"Yes."
"I was pregnant and abducted by aliens, right?"
"Yes."
"And my parents don't want to see me, right?"
"Uh... yeah..." David said apprehensively.
I nodded and India ran her fingers through my hair to look at me.
"What did you see in your dream?"
I told them about the dream and India looked at David with a look in her eyes. David stood up, smoothing out his clothing.
"I think we need to talk to Britain again."
"What does England have to do with me?"
"It's a colleague of ours. Her name is Britain Armiallo, she's a psychiatrist. She works with abductees of all kinds and happens to be a xenological hobbyist. Since we really haven't seen anyone else from the crash, we told her not to come but... I think we need her help."
"I'm not crazy." I said.
"Just because you talk to a psychiatrist doesn't mean you're crazy. The aliens communicate through your thoughts and dreams, causing you to forget where you are, if you are, and where you are. It's causing you to get mixed up about reality. She's an expert in her field and because she also likes alien things, she is the perfect candidate to understand and help."
"You know what would help me?"
"What?"
"If I could just be normal again." I pulled away from India and looked at the both of them. "How about that? No more memories, no more fears, no more aliens, and dreams, and illnesses... I want my family. My dad promised me that he would always protect me. He said that he would make sure that I was shown comfort, safety, and love... Where is he now? Why can't I get the happiness that I deserve!? I've been stuck on that ship for so long! I just want to feel the touch of my parent's hands and the warmth of their hugs. I want to hear their voices, see their faces... I just... I want normality..."
India touched me under my chin. "If we could give that to you, we would have done it one hundred times over."
I start sobbing and I feel David's arms around me.
"Come on. Let's get you back in bed. You were doing really well until that dream..."
Dr. Bluewater leads me to a room when the doorbell goes off. Dr. Bluewater made a face and led me to the door instead, planting me near the hallway and he went to the door.
"Yes, can I help you? Oh god! India! I need your help!"
I didn't know what he was yelling about so I started walking to him when he started pulling something. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Dawaen?"
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hey, double chapter for waiting so long! enjoy!