The First

Chapter 26

Alexa read the results again, each line--every number. "Are you sure?"

Ray nodded. "Yeah."

Her trust in Ray's work had never faltered, however, millions of lives hung in the balance of these results. "Do it again."

"I've already done the test four times."

"Again, Ray. We have to be sure. If not, we could kill the mother and child."

"Okay. I'll run it again." He scurried out the door.

She searched through her pocket until she found her phone. On the fourth ring, Teagan's voice-mail message came on.

"You've reached Teagan."

"Tea Bags", chimed Ellie.

"I'm with my girls, probably getting some froyo, so leave a message and I'll call or text; if you deserve it."

The line beeped.

"Young lady, I've asked you time and again to please keep your phone on. Especially with everything going on right now, I need to know you're safe. Call me immediately." Then she said something she rarely ever said, "I love you. Call me back. Please."

She'd never been one to easily say those words to anyone, not even her own daughter and had only told her husband a handful of times. He'd say, "Why don't you ever say that you love me?" She'd answer, "Because if you say it too much, one day it will no longer be true. The words jumble back into letters and cease to be emotions. They become a scratched record, stuck on a line over and over until someone lifts the needle." He'd answered, "But if it never got to that line in the first place, we wouldn't have what we have." He'd flipped a picture of Teagan out of his wallet, effectively ending the conversation.

When he passed, she thought those words died with him, that her record had been smashed against the wall. She realized this was the first time she'd said those words since his passing and hated herself for it. To blame her non-emotional father or verbally abusive mother on her intimacy issues would be ridiculous. If she knew one thing, she knew that she had control of her emotions. She owned herself and could give herself to whoever she wanted.

She texted Teagan: Please call ASAP. 911 - MOM.

Back to work. If the test came out positive again, she'd know her idea had worked. No scientist had ever accomplished this caliber of gene extraction and splicing. A gene from a live fetus, using DNA from the stem cell to cease or destroy a mutation within another fetus. What could this possibly mean? The end of genetic disorders as we know them, no more cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, trisomy 13, and any other physical or mental disorders known to man. She sat back, studying the calculations on her computer as she waited for the final results and a call back from Teagan.

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Short chapter, because you all know what comes next.

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