Fluctuating Beats

Chapter 12: The man with the roses

After grabbing some food with Gally, you'd been left alone to go and speak to the noseless Lawrence. The guy was creepy but at the same time, kind of cool, he knew your dad in their days at the Right Arm, so maybe you could get some answers about him.

"Gally showed you the building then?" He breathed.

"Yeah," you nodded stood awkwardly by the steps not sure if you should sit down or not. Lawrence didn't seem like the most hospitable person.

"And you have a plan?" He was bust tending to a patch of roses on the other side of the room and didn't spare you a look while he moved around. 

"I'm forming one yes," you nodded sighing.

"I won't kill you if you don't come up with something. I could always use a trusted guard like you. From what Gally told me, you're a good fighter."

You scoffed quietly, "It's more improvising than actual fighting."

He glanced around, his face half-covered in shadow, "Improvising. Fighting. If it works it works," he paused, "Your father always used to say things like that."

"What did you know of him?" You jumped on his comments standing up and taking a step forward eagerly. 

He slowly turned around again and shuffled over to the chair opposite yours. You sat down as he did, your eyes glued to his distorted face. 

"He was a very brave man. He and a few others were some of the first leaders of The Right Arm, he hated Wicked, hated everything they stood for. Janson on the other hand agreed with what Wicked was saying. Janson was all in for prioritising those who could pay for the cure above the poor. I didn't know him well but I think he was just greedy and power-hungry. The type of man who would watch the world burn just because he was in a comfortable position." 

"That sounds like him," you scoffed angrily an image of Janson floating into your head strutting around the Wicked base as if he owned it. 

"What was dad like? His personality I mean." 

He thought for a moment as if struggling to recall memories he hadn't thought about in a long time. As if opening the box in his mind where the memories were kept was painful for him. That box clearly hadn't been opened in a long time, he pushed the memories away but kept them safe. Memories from a long time ago that made him sad.

"He was wise and kind. He always believed in giving people a chance. Bold and courageous, he wasn't as sarcastic as you are now, You got that from your mother, she was a fierce and terrifying woman and-"

"Did you know her too?" You cut him off eagerly, leaning forward in your seat.

Lawrence nodded slowly, "I'm afraid not very well, but I knew a little, your father was very private with his personal life. When you and your sister were born he kept you away from The Right Arm to keep you safe from Wicked. From what I remember, your mother got sick, no not the flare." He clarified as your eyebrows got closer and closer together. " Then you moved into the camp. When your father was away your Auntie looked after you both."

"I had an Auntie?"

He increased the rate at which the drip was flowing through his tube and nodded, "Your mother had a twin sister too, runs in your family. She looked after you and your sister along with her own son. He was a month or so older than you I think."

You closed your eyes knowing exactly where this conversation was going. If your dad had a younger sister who gave birth to a boy about the same time you were born, and Dr Emelia said you matched the DNA of another immune. That immune was unmistakable, Thomas.