Scientific Crescendo - Book 2: The Genetics Project 🪼✔

15 - Displaced

I stare at the letter for a long time, trying to process the information. How could this be? How could he have written this letter? He was in jail forever... What the hell was this all about?!
"How could this be? Dad..."
"I don't know. The police would have told us something if he had escaped from jail. They are obligated to do so since he had a direct attack on our family... I'll call up there and make sure."
"No, Dad, this is his handwriting. He's out! He's out and he's going to come for us..."
Dad sighed, running his fingers through his hair and then back down his face.
"We have to tell everyone that he's out and... and I think it's time we tell the boys."
"Really?" I asked, not sure this was a good time.
"If he's coming after us then the knows about the boys and if he knows about the kids, then he'll take them as well. We need to let them know that they are going to be targeted and why."
I understood what he was saying but it was still a little disconcerting to me. I mean, this was a big deal considering we would have to tell them that they were brothers, they were born from Dad and that they will be targeted by a crazy madman because they just might have the seahorse gene that dad has... which they do but it's not activated yet. It's a lot to handle and too much to take in all at once. Plus, if I were them, I would feel very betrayed and confused.
But Dad was right... they had to know because Gerald would definitely go after not just me and Dad but the boys as well since they are a product of his experiments. They are his successes and he will want to see if that can go further. God I hate that bastard!
"I would wait to tell them though... After Mom's funeral or something. It's a sensitive subject and it needs to be done tactfully."
"Agreed... Ugh, why did this happen now?"
I sighed with him, wondering how exactly everything was going to pan out.

When we got home, I found Tayla sitting on the front porch of the house and Dad looked at me.
"What is she doing here?"
"I guess this has to do with earlier today..."
"What do you mean?"
"Nanobots..."
"Ah... are you going to tell her?"
"Not yet. There's no need."
Dad made a face but let me do as I wish and went inside the house.
I sat next to Tayla as she swung her legs on the banister.
"How are you feeling?" I asked softly.
"Better than before... So your nanobots are inside of us?"
"Yeah; me, you and Bay. I really can't tell you if they will behave and keep you the same size. As of right now, you shouldn't grow or anything..."
"That's good. You never did tell me if it did something to you."
"It did.. but I can't tell you yet. Mine's kind of a two parter and stuff so... But I will try to make sure that it doesn't happen again."
"It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been stuck in my room." She swung her legs and looked around a little. "My dad came back..."
I looked over at her house and saw that there was a car in the driveway.
"I see..."
"Can I stay at your house?"
I thought about it for a moment because she would have to sleep with me in my room since Kalij and Ichor were already sharing Ichor's room because I was home. I don't think Dad would approve but if I hadn't been drunk, I would have never had sex with Sansr and I would never take advantage of Tayla. Especially in that way...
"I guess so... How long?"
"I don't know when he's leaving again. I can sleep on the couch or something..."
"No, it will be awkward if my dad sees you there."
"And it won't if I'm in the same room with you?" she said with a smirk.
"I won't do anything to you." I assured.
She grinned. "I know. You're sweet... But that's not what I meant and you know it."
"He doesn't check up on me like a kid, ya know?" I said with a frown.
Tayla chuckled and looked at me.
"You're getting fat."
"Shut up." I snapped.
"It's the milkshakes. You shouldn't drink them so much."
I growled and got off gently from the banister. I held out my hand to her.
"Come on, get down..." She looked at my hand and I held out my arms. "I'll catch you."
Tayla smirked and got down and I caught her, letting her slide down to the floor. She looked up and I looked down at her. Her eyes stared into mine and I thought for a moment that we were moving toward each other but Tayla turned her head away and let me go.
"I don't think your dad would like it if he saw us like that."
I really didn't think Dad would care but I know that things like that are sensitive for Tayla and so I let it go as we went into the house.

That night, I unlocked the window and sighed, looking at the ceiling. Tayla would be in the bed with me and even though that was great, I didn't want her to find out about the baby. She already saw that I was getting big and I just didn't want to have to explain everything to her. I can't sleep with a shirt on because it makes me feel suffocated so I have to sleep with my chest and abdomen exposed... Plus, I was hoping I didn't have any bad dreams since I found out about Gerald. Tayla has been in my room before when they would hit me and I know that it isn't very pleasant for her.
I hear the window slide open and I looked over as Tayla crawls in like a frog. She stands up from almost falling in and pulls the window down and turns. She gasps when she sees me looking at her.
"You scared me. I thought you were asleep."
"I can't sleep right now..."
"Did something happen?"
"My mom died..."
"Oh... I'm sorry."
"It's not that big of a deal. I mean, sure she was my mom but we never had a good relationship, considering she was in the crazy house and all."
"But it's still not something that is easy to deal with." She said, slipping under the covers with me. "I mean, she's gone now."
"She was never there for me and contributed to a lot of what the hell is wrong with me. So yeah, forgive me if I don't bawl about her death." I snapped, a little angry.
I loved my mother, of course, but she did so many things to me and was never there for me so how could I feel hurt? My dad raised me and Tamari helped bring me up to be who I am. Tamari was the best mother I could ever have... Julie was just the name of the woman who rejected me because I was incubated in the wrong body.
"There's nothing wrong with you, Sim." Tayla said softly.
I looked at her and she snuggled into one of my pillows and looked up at me.
"You're perfect."
"I most certainly am not and you know that."
"We all have traumas that screw us up in the head just a little. You have your mother and I have my father. Sure they make us a little bit off the deep end but that's what makes us, us. We didn't ask for it but it happened and all we can do is either fight against it or let is consume us. If it weren't for you, I would have let it consume me... But you were so vibrant even though all of those things happened to you that I knew if I could just have a little bit of your strength, I could get through it all too. And yeah, there were times when the past rammed into your life like an angry bull and it beat you around a little bit but you always shook it off and kept on going. Your strength made me realize that I can do better and that I could still live."
I felt my cheeks get red from her telling me this. I turned away from her and fidgeted with my sheets for a moment. I sighed and turned back but saw that she was asleep and I breathed out. I leaned over and made sure she was all the way on the bed –she had a habit of just falling onto the bed and then falling asleep with half her limbs hanging off- and pulled the covers over her. I then touched her face softly and went to sleep myself.