“I’ll have to ask Mom again. Well, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thank you so much for all your help, ma’am. I’m going to head down to human resources right now. Maybe I’ll see you around here soon,” and with that he gave her his best smile, waved, and turned towards the bank of elevators.
In the business office of the hospital, Sam found a nice looking young receptionist that he turned his charm on. Explaining that he was hoping to find an afternoon internship – volunteer, of course – he asked if he could fill out an application for employment. She was happy to help him, and told him about all of the positions they had available for high school applicants.
Oooh… Candy striper or janitorial duty. How could I possibly go wrong here? Bed pans or toilets… I can’t decide.
Sam took the application and clipboard and sat down at a chair nearby to pretend to fill out the paperwork. Keeping his head down as much as possible, he scanned the room for any filing cabinets he could peer through to read the files inside.
It’s a good thing the metal barrier is starting to lift. I can easily see through this thin stuff… So cool!
He rifled through the cabinets in the room he was sitting in, but didn’t see anything he could use in his research. His gaze lifted up to the office doors around the perimeter of the room. Each door had name plaques and corresponding titles neatly posted to the right of door facing. He found the door to the Director of Human Resources office and trained his eyes to look through the wall and into office.
The owner of the office wasn’t present, and he couldn’t find any metal cabinets inside, but did find a couple of desk drawers full of personnel files. Upon further examination, he saw a file marked “Server Retention.” His vision sifted through the paperwork in the file, and he found the information he was looking for – the website and access information into the personnel files and medical records for the twenty years prior to the new server they switched to eight years before.
Rather than reaching into his back pocket for the notebook he had stashed, he wrote down the information he needed onto the application, and headed towards the gal behind the front desk.
“Ummm… I’m afraid I don’t know some of this information. I’m going to take this application home to my mom to help me fill it out,” Sam smiled meekly and tried to act embarrassed. “Here’s your pen back. I’ll just bring this back tomorrow when I’ve got it filled out completely.”
“Okay,” she smiled at him, like it happened all the time. “No problem. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
He turned to the door and headed toward the bank of elevators which would take him to the exit nearest his car.
Mission accomplished.
Chapter Thirteen
“Rowe. It’s me.”
“Uh, hi. Listen, now’s not a very good-”
“I’ll be brief. I’m going to be emailing some information soon on Sam Dixon. He’s the second one I’ve found. You’ll get the DMV records, address, phone, vitals, all that stuff real shortly. I want you to start a file on him. You know what to do.”
“Um, okay. Do you know what… symptoms he presents with?”
“Symptoms? What’s the matter – are you with someone?”
“Not right now, but I am in my office, which is filled with people.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“Look. I’ve got a practice to run.”
“So you keep rubbing in my face every chance you get. You know you wouldn’t have anything, had I not covered up your involvement. You could have lost everything like I did.”
The silence on the line was heavy, awkward. “Yeah, I know. Right, so I’ll start the file on the Dixon kid. Do you know what he presents with?”
“Not yet. But there is a slight wrinkle in the situation.”
“Which is?”
“He just left the hospital. I’ve been tailing him, and just saw him leave-”
“Wait. You’ve been tailing him?”
“Of course I have. I’ve been trying to find these kids for years! Now that I’ve located two, and they’re working together-”
“They’re working together? That doesn’t bother you?!”
“No, not at all. In fact, it’s just what I had hoped they would do. With me directing them, of course, guiding their ways, but that can come later. For now, I’m happy just keeping a distance. Hopefully they can lead me to more.”
“What exactly do you plan to do with this group of kids, once you get them all together?” His voice cracked slightly with the tension behind it.
“That’s none of your business, Rowe. That’s not what I pay you for. You just do what I tell you, and you won’t have to get involved any further. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I understand you perfectly.”
“Good. Now back to my wrinkle, the hospital. I can’t be sure, but I think Dixon may be snooping around for information on me. Do you know if there are any of the old staffers still there?”
“It’s been years since I’ve been there. I have no way of knowing.”
“That’s not good enough. You’re still in the medical circle. Find out.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know.”
“When I figure out his power, I’ll let you know what it is. I need you to figure out the chemical combination so that I can recreate the serum. I’ve got Conway’s formula perfected now.”
A huge exhale filled the pause. “You’re recreating the-”
“Never mind that now. That’s nothing you need to worry about. You just deliver on your end of the work. I’ll take care of mine.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of this…”
“It’s not for you to like or dislike. None of this has ever been up to you. Are you telling me you want to quit working for me? Because that could have drastic consequences for you.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’ll do it.”
“Perfect. Stay in touch.”
The line went dead.
Chapter Fourteen
Sam got home just in time to run into his room, stash his school bag and notes from his afternoon field trip, and grab a snack before he heard his dad’s engine as it purred down the neighborhood street. His dad walked in the front door and greeted him with a smile.
“Hey, Sam. I just need to change real quick, and I’ll be ready to go. You may want to change into some different shoes, too. We will be getting a little dirty with this project.”
“Sure, Dad.” It was on his list of things to do but he hadn’t gotten to it yet. He ran upstairs to change into old tennis shoes and a sweatshirt.
Back in the car, Sam remembered his other bit of homework to accomplish – working on his sense of touch to determine if he could extend it out further than his immediate reach.
He closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of his seat. His feet could feel the glide of the wheels on the road, and the subtle bumps of the pocks and cracks in the pavement. Through his seat, his body could feel the churning of the engine and the changing of gears each time his dad slowed down or sped up. But all of this was something he was feeling through immediate sensations – something his body was already resting on.
Improvising, he decided to reach his fingers out and concentrate on the air outside the SUV as it drove down the country road. He imagined reaching his fingers through the closed window, and suddenly he had the sensation of the wind’s resistance on his hand, as if his hand was truly reaching out the open window. His eyes flew open, just to make sure that his father hadn’t opened the window without him realizing it. Sure enough, it was still closed, and his wrist was still resting on his leg, fingers stretched towards the window. He was clearly feeling the coolness of the outside environment as they sped down the road!
Wow… I can’t believe it!
He then concentrated on his toes, mentally stretching them toward the front of the car. Extending their reach forward, he could feel the heat radiate from the running engine. Wonde
ring if he could use more than fingers and toes, he concentrated on the soda can his dad set in the cup holder when they got in the car. Leaning his head slightly to the left, his cheek could feel the coolness radiating from the can he had taken from the refrigerator just minutes before.
Wish all my homework was this easy. I’d ace high school for sure!
Sam knew that although this particular assignment was a breeze for him, he still had plenty of research to finish with the details he brought back from the hospital earlier that afternoon. And even if he got some initial answers from the hospital’s ancient server, it still didn’t answer the most important question – what happened to him and Leesha, and more importantly, why.
By the time they got home that night, Sam didn’t have much time to do anything but shower and get his math homework done. He’d neglected his homework in that class as of late, and he knew he was on thin ice with his teacher, so he dutifully finished his worksheet and was too tired to do anything else but fall into bed and into a deep sleep.
When he woke the next morning, his abilities were gone.
Crud. Fantastic. Just when I thought I was making headway!
Sam shoved himself out of bed and got himself ready for school, stewing the whole time. When he went downstairs, the whole family was already gathered at the breakfast table.
“Good morning, honey.” His mother greeted him in her normal morning sing-song voice.
“Morning,” he grunted back, and stomped over towards the pantry. He didn’t notice the raised eyebrow Lexi shot over to his mother. He grabbed a Pop-Tart and headed out the door to his truck.
“What do you supposed is wrong with him?” his father asked as the door slammed behind him.
“Beats me…” Lexi said, her eyes still watching him as he climbed into his truck and slammed the door. It was a good thing Sam couldn’t read her mind right now, because if he could, he’d know she was worried again and contemplating telling her parents about what she saw happen to him in the car last week.
Sam’s mood didn’t get any better over the course of the school day, as he continued to wait for the flash that never came. By the time he got home that afternoon, he was fit to be tied. He barely spoke through dinner, which the entire family noticed, then excused himself to his room with the explanation of school work he didn’t intend to do.
He decided to focus instead on his other homework – the work Leesha assigned to him. Doing a quick search for the server he found in the old files at the hospital, he poked around long enough to find the hospital records he was looking for. Narrowing his search down to the month and year in which he was born, he printed off lists of hospital employees that were on staff at the time – sectioned by practice field. He knew he could go back in and get more detailed contact information and personnel information on each of them, but at this point, until they narrowed down their search, he wasn’t going to waste the paper. He bookmarked this page and filed the lists in the envelope under the bed.
Soon he was able to find the medical records of everyone who was treated in the same period of time. He sectioned these lists by treatment rendered, printed the patient lists and filed the paperwork in the envelope as well. His mood was still foul, so he had absolutely no interest in reviewing the paperwork he had printed. He just wanted to finish his assignment, and knew Leesha would know what do to with it when he delivered it to her on Sunday.
Resigned with his progress, he then logged on to see if Leesha was online. She was.
He sent her a clipped message: “I’m down again.”
“Sorry, Sam. I know you’re frustrated, but you’ll feel better again soon.” He recognized her attempt at speaking in code while they were chatting online. “Listen, I’ve been doing a little research on my end, and I wanted to do a little digging…”
She proceeded to batter him with question after question about his past – houses his family had lived in, where his father worked, where his mother worked, previous jobs both of them had held…
What vacations had they taken as a family? Where? When?
Had they ever been out of the country?
What schools he attended prior to high school?
Where did his relatives live?
Did you ever go to summer camps?
What church do you go to?
What activities have you been involved in, for your entire life?
Sam answered question after question.
Why is she asking all of these things?
His mood had been bad from the start. The more she dug into his past and that of his family, the more invaded he started to feel. He didn’t like that she was digging not only into his past, but she was also asking personal questions about his family, and this made him feel threatened and consequently protective of his family. This only escalated his mood from foul to angry. By the time her questions started to slow, Sam was ready to log off. He quickly excused himself, saying he was tired, and they said goodnight. He turned off his light, rolled over and willed himself to sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Sam woke the next morning to the strong smell of bacon and the quiet sound of it bubbling in the skillet in the kitchen downstairs. He raised his head to see if his bedroom door was open, and realized that it wasn’t.
I’m back! I can smell… I can hear! Wait… That means my senses came back in the middle of the night and the flash didn’t wake me up!
He did a quick rundown of his body – sight, hearing, touch, smell – everything was heightened again. He could feel the dull burning in his body, but it was so slight that it didn’t even seem uncomfortable.
I must have slept right through it. Amazing! I really MUST be making progress!
He got up, got ready for school, and practically skipped down the stairs to the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mom,” he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Bacon! Yum…”
He poured himself a glass of orange juice, filled his plate full of bacon and scrambled eggs, and almost danced toward the table to sit down next to his sister to eat breakfast.
“You look nice today, Lexi,” he smiled at her. “Is that a new top?”
“Uh, yeah. I got it last weekend when I was shopping with the girls.” Her expression was filled with wonder, but her mind was blank with surprise, so Sam never even noticed.
“Hey Dad, I was thinking about going to the football game this Friday. Do you want to go with me?”
His dad glanced up at him, a bit surprised by the invitation. They all noticed that he was holed up in his bedroom most of the time lately, so he was pleased at Sam’s attempt at family time – he wasn’t going to pass this up. “Sure, pal! Sounds great.”
“Great, Dad!”
He finished his plate, chugged his orange juice and threw his dishes haphazardly in the dishwasher. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom! I’m gone.” And with that, he flew out the front door.
His family just sat there for a moment, shell shocked. His mother was the first to speak. “Well, that’s certainly a change in attitude. What do you think has gotten into him now?”
“Huh.” His sister shook her head. “No clue. Um, his PMS is over?” she half smirked.
Her mother swatted at her with her napkin, they shared a giggle, and Sam smiled to himself as he climbed into his truck.
I heard that!
Sam’s mood couldn’t have been better for the rest of the week, and nothing could have ruined it. Not Ty, who had once again broken up with his girlfriend and whined to him during every lunch for the remainder of the week. Not his mother who went out of her way to plan a huge birthday celebration on a precious Saturday evening. Not even Leesha, who continued to grill him more about his background and family history.
Leesha was thrilled when Sam reported on Wednesday evening that his “health” was back, and asked how he was doing with his homework. She seemed happy with his progress, then proceeded to batter him with questions – this time about his health history and that of his family.
>
When’s the last time you’ve been to see your doctor?
Height? Weight?
Does the doctor think you are still growing?
Any health problems with any other family members?
Cancer? Radiation?
Genetic disorders?
He told her that other than some thyroid issues Lexi encountered in when she was nine, which was finally resolved through medication, everyone in the family was in good health. He did feel a twinge of protectiveness, but when he asked her why she was asking all of this, she said that she would explain it all to him on Sunday. He was satisfied by that answer, for now.
By Sunday when they met at Mo’s, Sam’s abilities were going strong, and Leesha could instantly see that he was more positive and cheerful than she had ever seen him.
“Yep,” he said, answering her thought. “They’re still here!”
“And the burn?” she questioned, this time out loud.
“Still here too, but I barely feel it. It’s been here since I woke up on Wednesday morning.”
“This may be it, Sam.”
“That’s what I’m hoping,” he responded, sitting down and reaching into his bag. “Here’s the research you asked me for. But you first. I’m dying to know why you’ve been drilling me all week with the questions.”
Leesha sighed, but smiled up at him. She sensed early on that he was feeling a bit cornered and defensive about her line of questioning, but she hoped that once she explained it to him, he’d understand her train of thought and forgive her online evasiveness.
“Okay,” she started. “We know that we were born at the same place on the same day, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, I’ve been trying to timeline my life and yours to see if there is any other connection where we could have possibly crossed paths at one time or another.”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s hard for me to think that what has happened to me, and what is happening to you is just a coincidence.”
“Understood.”
“I believe whatever it is that is making us… different from everyone else… happened to us at the same time. I believe whatever happened, was done to us at birth. Think about it. We’d be so young, we wouldn’t remember it.”