Waiting by Erin Dennington ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 64 While Marty jotted down street locations and times, the rest of them wrote down their thoughts and observations on the "insect dilemma," as they had dubbed it. Davis led the discussion, although Christina was sure that he knew more than he was letting on. She waited for the others to finish tabulating their information before clearing her throat and taking the plunge. "Davis, you had us all come here for a reason and you don't even come clean with it until now. Excuse me for being impatient, but we haven't even finished this video and I'd really like to see how my husband is doing this stuff. And I'd like to know your role in all of this and how you came to meet him." Davis met her eyes, taking her measure, and then nodded. Christina's heart pounded as he slowly gathered himself to his feet and gazed back at her. "I apologize, Christina," he said, and she found herself wondering when everyone had slipped to a first name basis. "I know that most of you have that same question. I would, too, if I were in your shoes. However, I am not so sure that it's going to be easy to answer. I'm sorry about that, too." Christina held his gaze, letting him know that she supported his decision to tell what appeared to be a hard topic for him to talk about. "This morning, when you had your accident, Christina," Davis said, "I was standing in my personal office, looking down, when it happened. I saw the entire thing. I was in a bad mood, ready to retire from the job I love, and reporters were hounding me." He winked at Bill and then continued. "I have cancer. I am going to die before the year ends and there's not a thing I can do about it. It's fucking depressing as hell. I guess I haven't been dealing with it, as I couldn't tell my wife about it until after I helped save your life, Christina. It's a fucked up world we live in. I was at MIT when Mateo started his work and when I saw the insects that clouded Christina's car, I knew it had to be his work, because they instantly disappeared. If I weren't who I am, I might even be one of those men that Mateo finally recruited. Lord knows that he tried to talk me into joining. He wanted me to work on the bio-mechanical side of the bomb part, but I took him to be a harmless lunatic and turned him down. To be honest with you, this scares the hell out of me, because I saw those insects and the way they acted. They had intelligence." Bill slowly nodded in agreement and Christina found that she couldn't hold Davis' reluctance to let them in on everything against him. It wasn't his fault. Encouraged, Davis continued. "When the accident happened, I wasn't thinking about anything but my impending retirement and the issues surrounding it. The roads were terrible and I knew that emergency vehicles would most likely be awhile in coming. I ran down the stairs, wanting to help. I didn't even think about it. Then I saw those insects and it was like I was back in graduate school and Mateo was talking to me. I knew that his plan was coming true and that we were all in trouble. Suddenly I saw that I could make a difference in someone's life and it hit me that maybe there was more to life than just me and my fears and pains. It sounds so terribly corny, I know, but it's true. I saw this interview as a way to get the word out, but I didn't know how to approach you all beyond the simple 'you were a part of the accident scene, and I'd like you to be there.'" Christina stood up and, walking over to Davis, offered him a hug. It was one of her more impulsive moments and she found that she could trust this man she had just met today. Stella joined them a minute later and, when she did, Christina felt a soothing warmth steal through her body. She didn't know how Stella did things, but she made Christina feel alive. Pulling away, Stella felt energized and ready to get down to business. She asked if anyone minded if she hit play, so they could finish the movie, and everyone said no, they didn't mind. "There are only 5 more minutes, anyway," Bill added. "Well, if that's so," Marty said, "then you will all need to start taking notes. I haven't seen a single one of you taking notes." Bill reached over and gently shoved Marty. "Shut up, you prick," he said. "Hey now," Marty said. "I don't have to take that." "Yes, you do. You're my assistant. Now shut up and watch the film. You might even learn something." 22:25 - 11.20.02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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