End of tomorrow

Chapter 17

"How long have you been having these headaches?" questioned Sam. Alessa went back to a similar room as the lab in HIRI and was surrounded by familiar faces.

Next to the general stood an equally broad man with dark brown skin, small beard and a permeant scowl on his face that would rival Finn's as he studied her. Alessa had a feeling he did not like her. At all.

"For about a month before my eighteenth birthday," replied Alessa, impatiently. "Can I now go and see my grandmother? It's very important." They ignored her request and continued to study her brain patterns, looking impressed. The Arab doctors conversed with each other in Arabic, glancing at the screen and her now and then again.

"Please," called out Alessa to the general. He stopped his conversation with the Arab General Ahmed and looked at her. "It's important. It could help us." The general walked over as the doctors parted to let him through.

"How can it help us?" said the general.

"I think-I know my grandma knows something. I just need to talk to her and she'll only talk to me. Please!" Alessa pleaded with the general. He sighed, nodded in resignation and motioned for the doctors to her go. As soon as Sam helped her remove her electrodes, Alessa jumped off the chair.

"I don't know if comatose people can talk Miss Alessandra but we need the information desperately," said the general. Alessa nodded and followed Sam into a dark corridor with no windows and doors on the windows side. It reminded her of HIRI.

"It's because all the structures are similar," said Sam reading her face. "They also carried out the test here on people with abilities like yours, Bobby and Finn's." Alessa nodded. So, there must be more people in here like her. People with abilities. This idea excited her.

"Sam, can I go see my parents first, real quick?" pleased Alessa. Sam nodded hesitantly and turned right. She opened the door to her left and ushered Alessa and closed the door behind them.

The room was similar to that in HIRI she shares with Finn and Bobby. James was sitting on the leather couch, flicking through the Arabic channel with a bored look. Her dad was sitting next to James with his eyes on the screen but not seeing anything.

"Alessa!" Alessa's mother, appearing from her right and hugging her. James and her dad scrambled from the sofa and crowded around her with Lily joining them at a slower pace. They took turns hugging her with her mum refusing to let go of her.

"Mum, dad. I just wanted to make sure everyone was ok since I didn't get the chance when I... er, woke up," said Alessa. He mum burst into quiet sobs and hugged her tighter. "Mum, I'm ok," reassured Alessa, rubbing her mum's back. She looked pleadingly at James who gently peeled their mother off her.

James mouthed, "Are you ok?" Alessa nodded and turned to her dad and Lily, the only people that weren't hysteric.

"Is it true that grandma's..." They nodded grimly and looked worriedly at her mum. Alessa grimaced at how heartbroken she looked. "I'm going to see her," she whispered.

"We'll go with you," said her dad, starting to walk to Sam. Alessa shook her head.

"No, dad. I need to see grandma alone. Please?" her dad studied her, conflict clearly shown in his eyes. He ran his hand through his hair and nodded. Alessa smiled thankfully and followed Sam.

"I'm going with you," added James, standing beside Alessa. Alessa opened her mouth to protest. "No, I'm going with and that's final." She rolled her eyes. James smiled triumphantly and followed Sam.

Worry and fear clouded Alessa's mind. The worry for her grandma's health and how it affected her mother and fear for what her grandmother was going to enclose. Alessa's stomach twisted. She still remembered vividly the seriousness her grandma's eyes held as she told Alessa to visit her after her eighteenth birthday.

"Here we are," whispered Sam in front of the door. "I'll leave you two to it." Alessa smiled and Sam turned the way they came from. Alessa saw her brother watch as Sam walked away.

"She already is in a relationship," said Alessa sympathetically. James broke out of the trance and rubbed his neck sheepishly at being caught staring.

"Is it that obvious?" he said, opening the door and walked in. Alessa shrugged and followed him.

"To me, it is."

A strangled choke left her lips and Alessa fell on the wooden chair beside her grandma's bed. Her grandma laid motionless with pale, papery skin that showed her veins with an oxygen mask around her mouth. The monitor showed the steady beat of her heart.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Alessa picked her grandma's pale hand and grasped it between her two hands. She couldn't help notice how cold it felt against her warm palms and brought it to her cheek.

James wrapped his arm around Alessa and gave a gentle squeeze. Alessa looked so much like their mum at the moment and James was afraid it would affect Alessa as much as it had affected their mother. Alessa looked up, wiping her tears. "Was she like this when you brought her here from the Home?"

James shook his head, not knowing how to explain to Alessa. "We didn't bring her from the Home. Grandma turned up at the front door when the general came to collect us."

"What do you mean 'grandma just turned up' by herself at the front door? You know she can't due to her condition," retorted Alessa angrily. This was not the time or place for James to play a joke on her.

James pulled his arm away as he sensed Alessa's anger. "You can ask mum and dad or even Lily – grandma just turned –"

"Alessa..." called out a raspy voice. James and Alessa froze. They looked at their grandma in disbelief.

"Alessa..." rasped their grandma. Alessa felt her grandma's fingers twitch and her eyes roll. She looked at James in shock and looked back at their grandma. "Alessa..."

"She's calling for you so you better respond," said James. Alessa nodded and place one hand on her grandma's forehead.

"Grandma, I'm here. I'm here," Alessa said in a soothing voice.

Her grandma opened her eyes and scanned the unfamiliar room. The blue eyes met the familiar blue eyes and a smile broke across her face. Her grandma patted her cheek.

"Come close Alessandra," said her grandma. "I need tell you something very important." Her voice crackled from not being used for years. James poured a glass of water and helped their grandma drink it. Her grandma leaned back and sighed. James and Alessa waited for her to continue.

"It's about the reality of your birth and the apocalypse," said her grandma.