The Oddities of Grand Marquis - Book 3: Elegant Armageddon 🪼✔️

Eighteenth

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.

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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...