Scientific Crescendo - Book 2: The Genetics Project 🪼✔

32 - Return the Slab

THREE MONTHS LATER
There was a dull ache in the back of my eyes that made me turn over and clutch the pillow harder. I've had a consistent headache ever since I accidentally smacked it on the car door. It is still a dull ache but it has escalated from that point to being a little more unbearable. I turned over but felt something in my back. I turned a little but I heard something gurgle.
"Say 'good morning daddy'..." a soft voice said from beside me.
I finally got myself to turn over and I saw Tayla was lying beside me playing with Northern. She looked up and smiled.
"Hey."
"Hi... why is she here?"
"When I crawled in she was crying so I changed her diaper and stuck her in bed with us. You don't mind, right?"
I shook my head as North grabbed my finger, trying to stick it in her mouth.
"You okay, Sim?"
"As good as I can be. Why?"
"When I came in she was bawling really loud, enough to wake someone but you didn't hear her at all... Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?"
"Yeah..."
"Sim, you know that you can tell me anything, right?"
I looked up at her and she looked at me lovingly but with worry. I smiled and looked back at Northern, who was looking at us in confusion, not understanding a word that we were saying.
"I've told you everything that I have ever wanted to tell you. You know my secret of my family and my own secret about Northern... There's nothing left to tell you but 'I love you'."
Tayla grinned and looked at North.
"Did you hear that, North? Your daddy loves me..."
Northern cooed as she played with her feet.

********************************

I went to visit Uncle Tarot, bringing another book to read to him. He was healing up and he had woken up once but he was very weak and was always asleep when I went to go and see him. When I went in, I found Bay there as he stared at Uncle Tarot; I could see a tear running down his cheek as he held his hand.
"Come on, Dad... You gotta wake up and see your granddaughter... Sh-she's really pretty and even though she's not related by blood to you, sh- she's just like you."
I knocked softly on the door and he turned quickly, wiping his face.
"S-Sim..."
"How is he?"
"The doctor said he was doing fine but he is too weak to do anything. He said he's starting to get a little stronger, his eyes flutter every once in a while but other than that, he doesn't do much."
I walked in and sat beside him, putting my arm around him. He leaned on me and I touched Tarot's hand. He stirred a little and Bay leaned more into me.
"Sim, he's not waking up... What do I do? What if he never wakes up?"
"He will... We have always been able to go against the odds... I promise that he'll wake up."
"Mmm... Fine..."
We turned as Uncle Tarot squirmed and his eyes fluttered. We stood up and watched as he fought his eyelids to try and look at us.
"Bay..."
"Dad? Are you okay?"
"Mmm... Bay..."
Bay laughed and hugged Tarot tightly as he tried to breathe in right. Since he was shot and stabbed, it messed up his organs a little and it made him have a problem breathing at the moment. The doctor said that he'll most likely have a breathing problem for the rest of his life, like asthma or something.
"Dad, you're okay..."
"Dex..."
"No, Dad, it's me... It's Bay..."
"Bay? Who's Bay?"
"Dad, quit screwing around." Bay said with a laugh.
Uncle Tarot looked at him with a confused expression and Bay stopped laughing. So did I.
"D-dad?"
"What is it, Ace?"
"Ace? Ace isn't here."
"I want to see him... Is he still around?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, making my head hurt more than usual.
"Uncle Tarot, Ace is dead."
Bay looked at me with a growl and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What are you talking about?" he hissed.
"Dex, what do you mean?"
"Dex? Uncle Tarot, I'm Sim."
"Sim? Stop playing around, Dexter. That's a pretty cruel trick to pull."
"Uncle Tarot... Bay, go get the doctor and I'll call my dad."
Bay nodded and left as I dialed home, kneading my head to try and get my migraine to go away.
"Hello?"
"Dad, we have a problem."
"What do you mean? Tarot's alright, right?"
"He's fine but... I think he's lost his memory."
"Huh?"
"He keeps thinking I'm you, he doesn't know who Bay is, he thinks that I'm still five, and Ace is the one from his finger."
"Ah shit... I'll be there shortly. Try to convince him of what's happened."
"I will but... but what if-"
"No. We'll wait for things to be diagnosed, not take guesses. Just wait for me and get the doctor."
"Okay..."
Uncle Tarot had leaned back again, breathing heavily. I walked over to him and he looked up, blinking.
"What happened?"
"Well... We got captured by Gerald and he did a lot of experiments on us and stuff... Things didn't go so well for everyone but Gerald is dead now."
"That's good... Sim will be happy."
I bit my bottom lip and touched Uncle Tarot's hand.
"Uncle Tarot, I'm Sim... It's been almost fifteen years since the first time you were in the hospital."
"Dexter-"
"I'm not Dexter. I'm Sim, little Sim, the one you helped raise, the one who loved you like a father at times... I'm Sim... Look at my eyes, my hair..."
Uncle Tarot looked me over and looked confused. He took in my face and then looked at my eyes. His eyes widened and he looked around for a moment.
"Wh- what's going on? What is this?"
"Please don't get upset. You're in the hospital and having a hard time, okay? You've been in a semi-coma for the past couple of weeks and everything..."
"Where's Dexter? I... I don't believe you."
I sighed as Bay came back with the doctor. The doctor checked on Tarot as we stepped outside to wait for Dad to come. Bay's bottom lip trembled and I looked at him as he put his hand on his stomach.
"Bay?"
"I'm not his son... He doesn't remember that and he won't ever remember me. I'm lost to him and he'll never know about me or Prudence..."
I put my arm around him and he leaned into me, crying softly. I knew this was hard for him, going through all this for his baby and Gerald's kidnapping and now this? It was too much for even me to handle. This craziness was for the birds and this family just didn't need any more of this mess.
Dad came in a little later and touched Bay's face with sympathy. He pulled away and Dad sighed.
"I know you blame me a little for this but I promise that we will make things right. It has to be from the lack of oxygen..."
He walked in and Bay looked at me.
"Can he fix him?"
"Never hurts to try..."