What Could Have Been

Chapter 1

Sanitarium, 2039

          Nathan Wallace was a complete and total emotional wreck at the moment and nothing could really prepare him for what he was about to do. He had just lost the only person he had ever truly loved and he almost lost his daughter in the process. Marni was dead and Shilo almost died because he was foolish and careless. He exhaled slightly as he adjusted his coat and walked up to the door in front of him, prepping himself for what he was about to do. Nathan took a deep breath and walked up the steps and knocked on the door, hoping that the one who owned the house wouldn’t be home.

          Magdalene Defoe, or Mag to her friends and “Blind Mag” to her fans, had been waiting for the phone call from Marni that she and Nathan’s child had finally arrived and still she had heard nothing. She was starting to become worried that she had heard nothing from her best friend and was beginning to fear the worst. Mag looked up as she heard the knock on her door and stood up and walked to the door, smoothing down her dress before opening it expecting to see either Luigi or Pavi coming to get her because their father was looking for her, but she didn’t expect to see the green red-rimmed eyes behind the black framed glasses that belonged to Nathan. “Nathan…” the word left her mouth in a shocked tone. The look on his face said it all but she didn’t want to believe what she was thinking. She stepped slightly to the side and opened her door wider to let him inside. “Come in, you look like you’re freezing.” She tried to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke but that was a bit of an effort.

          He looked up at her and attempted a slight smile but he failed horribly. He walked inside as she opened the door and told him to come in. “Hello Mag.” He removed his coat and held onto it. He sighed a little and no matter how much he tried to put up his defenses and shields that he would normally use when he was delivering this kind of news to a family he just couldn’t, this one was just too personal. He cleared his throat slightly and looked at her. “I thought it best that I should deliver this news face to face, rather than over the phone.” He looked down for a moment and tried to compose himself.

          She looked at him, her eyes full of concern for the words that may leave his lips and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nathan, whatever it is you can tell me.” She said, trying to reassure him as she seen just how much pain he was in. She could only begin to imagine the news that he was about to give her, but she tried to remain slightly optimistic. She noticed how he was shaking, like he was still recovering from sobbing for hours and became even more concerned.

          He exhaled and straightened himself up only to slouch his shoulders a little, his attempt to keep his defenses up being totally useless. His voice shaking as he tried to get his words out. “M-Marni didn’t make it…” a sob catching in his throat as he tried to speak. “She’s dead Mag.” He removed his glasses a moment and bit back some tears as he placed them back on. He looked at her, somewhat dreading seeing the pain in her eyes that was all too evident.

          Mag felt like she just had a knife run straight through her when Nathan told her that news. Marni, her best friend, the one who gave her the chance of sight, was gone. “What?” Her voice was quiet, like a child that had been scolded for misbehaving and was trying to apologize while being yelled at. She looked up at Nathan as she had a minor thought and a slight flicker of hope in her eyes. “What about Shilo? Nate, at least tell me Shilo made it.” Mag had to hope that their child had survived, for both of their sakes.

          Nathan bit his lower lip as he considered actually telling her the truth that Shilo had indeed survived. But the more he thought about it the more he thought that GeneCo may have some influence on Shi as she grew up. No, he couldn’t let GeneCo get to Shilo like it had to him and Mag. He looked at her and shook his head, hating himself but knowing that it may be best to lie. “No she didn’t. I did everything that I could to save them both but it wasn’t enough.” He leaned slightly on a nearby table and tried to hide his face as a tear rolled down his cheek.

          She almost broke down at that point. Neither of them had lived, not even Shilo who didn’t get a chance to experience the world. “Nate, I-I’m so sorry. I knew Marni was ill but I didn’t realize how bad it was. When Marni hadn’t called me I should have come over but I didn’t think anything of it.” She regretted not being there for Marni and she knew it was going to haunt her.

          He shook his head as she spoke and looked up at her. “There’s no need to apologize. There’s nothing that you could have done anyway.” He was going to live with that ghost haunting him for years, knowing that it was his fault, that he killed his wife. He ran a hand through his hair and blinked slightly. He was slightly taken aback as she hugged him out of nowhere and he gently hugged her back, finally allowing tears to fall and grieve a little bit.