Chapter 7 – Jeopardy
William woke up later that morning with a mild headache. Everything that happened yesterday was like a dream. As a matter of fact, he believed it to be a dream. But it felt so real but he wasn’t sure. The school wasn’t the same that day. Those guys who usually used to bully were not in the school. The next day they came but scared to look at him. A week later there was no bullying at all in the school. And those guys were also cool with it, but they always looked over their shoulder for Will. They were scared but what they figured was that if they never did what they used to do, they will not be in trouble.
It was a raining evening. As usual, William was having those consistent nightmares that he had been having for the past couple of months. He never remembered what it was but when he was asleep it terrified him to death. He would wake up sweating heavily. Something was wrong with him. He always had this weird feeling but he had no idea what it was about. And the day when he realized that all that happened with the kids who bullied was real, he had his new set of questions. He wanted to know what was happening to him and what was wrong with him. He wanted to know if there was anything that he could do to avert all that was happening to him, his nightmares. He felt as if he was losing himself in search of the unknown. So he decided to stop thinking about all that and take a break from everything. Maybe things might fall into the right perspective if he had given some time perhaps. It was almost summer and he told Uncle Ben that he was going on a camping trip with friends, only that he had no friends. He just wanted a break so that he could think a little clearer.
_____________________________________
It has been a year since Arthur had been working on a cure for Alex. Still no luck. It was almost ready but not quite. It was failing all tests. Alex’s dad was getting worried. As he had this weird feeling that he would be late and could not deliver it on time. Finally, after a lot many modifications, one test showed positive results, but it was also inconclusive. Arthur had no idea what was going wrong. Everything according to the papers should have yielded the right result but he was almost close. It was late mid-night when his cellphone beeped and there was a text from the doctor that Alex’ condition was serious. By the time he went, he was a few seconds late. He couldn’t control his agony, and so was the case with his wife. He sat down as tears trickled down his cheek. And then he realized about the drug in his bag. In desperation, he injected the Elixir Stage I drug into Alex. A few seconds later there was a pulse in the Electro Cardiograph. The doctor said sometimes when the breathing slows down it decreases the pulse drastically. Maybe that was the reason. Alex looked more worried than happy. He had no idea what effect it will have on him. He was worried what might happen to Alex now. What he did was a mistake, a very big mistake indeed. He realized it, but it was too late now. The damage had already been done; the damage which was still unknown to all. He had already put Alex’s life in jeopardy.
______
Joseph burned almost all that was important. And all that he never wanted to get into the wrong hands. It was the last time Joseph saw Alex/William for the last time. he tried to contact him later but he knew the better of the situation. Already they had a target on his sister who had not been in contact for decades. He last spoke to her when she went to college and later never ever got a chance. Nor did he try to. The last time they saw each other they weren’t on good terms with each other. But that didn’t mean he never loved her. He had always had a soft corner for his sister, after all, she was family. But he was so engrossed in work and the life going haywire his sister slipped his mind as days passed by. He remembered about her the night when his colleague Dr. Cage mentioned her name. He was dragged to the laboratory and was forced to do redo everything he had destroyed. He couldn’t even if he wanted to. All the work was Arthur’s research and he was the only person who knew almost everything. Joseph also knew a few things, but those were not so clear in his mind. He didn’t want to drag Arthur into all this. He was already going through a lot. The only thing was that no one in the lab knew that Arthur was still alive and that he was the one who had all the data. When they inquired about who that mystery man was, Joseph didn’t say a word other than stating that he was a college mate. And that those guys had caught him, he would go undergo. But Dr. McClaine was desperate. So he demanded that the drug to be made at any cost. He had a few research with himself which was handed over to Joseph if any further assistance was necessary. Dr. McClaine came to know that there was a third person who was the center of all conversations between the so-called-college-mate and Joseph, probably a kid. His name was never disclosed. He had no idea who the kid was, where he was and what he did. Most of all he had no idea what all this had to do with him? He knew that Joseph won’t talk about it even if asked or tortured. He was kept under full surveillance and any sort of communication made by Joseph will be immediately informed to Dr. McClaine.
The post for the eleventh day (J) of the April month is titled ‘Jeopardy’ under “The Secret Life of Wilson” for April A2Z Challenge.
