Out of Time

Sloth

The team continued to search for more Triple Helix animals that we need to help find the cure and figure out how to help Jackson. We had managed to get the sloth and thanks to our trip to England we have bones that have helped us figure out what we're looking for, we know all the animals but one. Dariela had stayed behind in England to help more people to safe zones, but oddly enough we find ourselves in Miami, trying to find some flash freezing lizard. We tried to use nitrous oxide on the little guy, but it didn't work and we had to inject him with a sedative. Once we catch him we put the poor guy in a freezer if he's happy in the cold, why deny him the cold.

I sigh and look over to Jackson as he and Abe put the freezer into one of the trucks, "I always imagined if we came to Miami it would be for the beach, not a lizard."

"Yeah, maybe we can come back sometime, spend the whole day at the beach." Jackson steps towards me and wraps his arms around my waist and I place my hands on his shoulders.

"You mean when flash freezing lizards aren't running around."

Jackson nods as he leans his forehead against mine. Mitch clears his throat, "why do you two do that?"

I turn to Mitch, "do what?"

"You two rub your heads together like you're lions or something... it's weird."

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know, we've always done that."

Abe walks over and places his hand on my shoulder, "I think it's cute. You two are both strong and resolute like lions, why not act like them a little bit."

I chuckle and roll my eyes before the group gets into the two SUVs we brought out with us and head back to the plane. When we get back to the plane the boys rush the lizard inside, we don't want to start tests on him and for him to wake up in the middle of it. When we get inside Mitch drills some air holes into the top of the freezer.

"First time we captured a Triple-Helix animal before it was able to create an environmental catastrophe," Jackson comments as he and Abe find a place for our new freezer.

Jamie walks in a few minutes behind us with Logan, "local authorities have been notified in case any more flash-freezing lizards turn up in Florida."

"Well, we're gonna try and have a cure before they do."

I sigh softly, "so, what's the last Triple-Helix animal that we need to track down?"

"I don't know yet," Mitch sighs, "the rest of these bones, I could put together with my eyes closed. The vulture, the sloth, the snake. Lizard. This last set just doesn't make any sense. Gonna take me a while to figure it out."

I nod and look over to Jackson, who starts coughing. Coughing up what looks like tar, "are you okay?"

"Y... Yeah. I'm fine," Jackson grabs a paper towel and wipes his mouth, as he walks away.

I follow him and stop him outside the kitchen, "Jackson, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Really, I'm fine."

"We're going to fix this. We have to."

Jackson scoffs, "I'm not so sure it can be fixed."

"What do you mean?"

"When you and Mitch were pointing around in my head, I remembered my father before we left, he injected me with it."

"Why?"

"He must have had a reason. Maybe he was punishing me. I don't know what kind of father does that to their own son."

"Jackson..."