1 | thrown into the future | | terra nova, the umbrella academy

ten

november . . .

2144 . . .

Five got sick again that November. Not as bad as the year before, but enough that he was bedridden for two whole weeks with a cough that rattled his chest and a mild fever. Jim and Elisabeth took turns staying home with him during the first two weeks where he was so weak he could barely get out of bed. He was staying in Maddy and Zoe's room at this time, far too weak to try and get up and down the stairs to the loft or walk the distance from the loft to the bathroom. He also lost a lot of weight in this period, unable to eat enough food to keep the weight on. Elisabeth had him hooked up to an IV, giving him the nutrients he needed that he wasn't getting. He got better after a few weeks, thankfully, but he still had a cough and still had trouble eating without thinking he was back in the apocalypse, everything tasting like ash.

"Honey, why aren't you eating?" Elisabeth asked Five after watching him push the food on his plate around for several minutes.

"I can't." He admitted. "Everything tastes like ash and smells like smoke."

"Why do you think that is?" Jim asked.

"I got sick, really sick, my first year in the apocalypse." Five said, voice distant as he thought about those fifty years. "I almost died. I didn't regain my taste for a long time after that."

"So getting the flu has somehow tricked your taste buds into thinking everything tastes like ash." Elisabeth concluded. "I'm sorry honey." Five shrugged, putting a bit of the chicken in his mouth and chewing.

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Five finished his freshman coursework by the end of December, impressing his teachers. They approved him to start on the sophomore work, and at the same time Maddy was finishing up her grade work and was supposed to start the same grade as Josh in the New Year. Josh turned fourteen. Maddy turned twelve. And Five was happy.

2145 . . .

Five was sitting in the cafeteria on his plex, half-heartedly picking at the fake chicken he'd been given. He didn't particularly enjoy being around teenagers, even if he almost was one himself, but it was a small price to pay for somewhere to sit.

"Excuse me, mind If I sit here?" Five looked up to see a teenager, probably about seventeen, with red hair and freckles, holding a tray.

"Sure." Five shrugged. The boy sat down, setting his tray down.

"I'm Richard." He introduced himself.

"Five."

"You're the genius kid, right? Shannon?" Richard asked. "The one that does all his classes online and only comes in for tests and exams?"

"That's me." Five replied. "I'm pretty smart."

"So I've heard." Richard said dryly. "I'm actually the captain of the robotics club. Some of the others heard how you fixed Mikey's plex last month and wanted me to ask if you'd be interested in joining as tech support?"

"I don't know. I'm not much of a team player."

"Just think about it." Richard suggested. "We meet in Lab six on Wednesdays and every other Saturday at 1600. If you want, drop by, take a look. If you don't like it, we won't bring it up again."

"I'll think about it." Five conceded.

When Five got home that afternoon, Zoe latched onto him almost immediately.

"Zo, what's wrong?" Five asked her, lifting her onto his hip. She tucked her head into his neck, whimpering.

"She's been like this all day." Jim explained, taking Five's bag from him and sitting it on the table. "She wouldn't eat, sleep, nothing. Just kept asking for you and moping when I told her you were at school." Josh and Maddy got back then, closing the door behind them. Zoe didn't talk much for a one-year-old. Most of them would babble, repeat the same words and scream when they wanted attention. But Zoe didn't do those things. She knew their names 'Mom - sometimes she called her Mamo from hearing Five say it -, Maddy, Five, Josh, Daddy' but she never really spoke other than that.

"Hmm." Five sat down on the sofa, adjusting Zoe on his lap. "Are you having a bad day, Zo-Zo?"

"Fivey." Zoe whimpered. Five looked lost.

"I don't know what's up with her." Five said helplessly.

"Mom will be home in an hour, maybe she can help." Josh suggested.

"Good idea Josh. Maddy, do you mind starting on dinner?" Jim asked.

"Sure dad."

When Elisabeth got home, Five was sitting on the sofa with Zoe asleep in his lap, working away on his schoolwork. Jim and Maddy were working on dinner, and Josh was up in the loft.

"I'm home." She called, hanging her bag and rebreather up.

"Hey hun." Jim smiled.

"Hi mom." Maddy grinned.

"How was school?" Elisabeth asked.

"It was good. I got an A in my organic chem lab." Maddy beamed.

"Well done honey. And what about you, Five?" Elisabeth asked.

"I got asked to join the robotics club as tech support." Five answered distractedly.

"That's awesome." Elisabeth grinned. "Are you going to do it?"

"Maybe." Five shrugged. "It involves socialising. Which, is not my thing." Josh snorted.

"That's an understatement." He called.

"Shut your face, before I shut it for you!" Five said back. "I told the guy I'd think about it."

"You should consider it." Maddy said, bouncing over. "It looks really good on a college transcript."

"Maddy, you do realise your brother will probably graduate high school next year?" Jim pointed out.

"Actually, the Dean thinks I could be done with my course work before christmas. I've already tested out of most of the AP classes."

"Which is exactly why he should start applying for colleges!" Maddy explained. "They take longer to consider applications from people under sixteen. The deadline for 2146 enrolment is in September."

"I'll take it under advisement." Five said. "Now, talk about someone else, please."

"Alright. Jim, how was your day?"

"Terrible. Zoe refused to eat, sleep or do anything until Five got home." Jim said exasperated. Elisabeth frowned down at her youngest, running a hand over her head.

"Does anybody know why?" Everyone shook their heads. Elisabeth sighed.

"Food'll be done in ten minutes. Everyone, tech away, wash your hands."

date written : 23 / 07 / 2023
date published : 23 / 07 / 2023
edited : yes
word count : 1007