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"You're not cranky. We were terrorized and traumatized a few hours ago. You're not cranky.
Sometimes I don't know how we stand it."
"We really have no choice, do we?"
"We have no choice," he agreed. He leaned up against the headboard and pulled the quilt up.
"I want to have Eric's eyes checked by Karen," Sara said abruptly.
"Why? His eyes aren't black. We just saw his blue eyes. It was just more emotional illusion-torture by
the Zeta. More specifically, the Doctor."
"Maybe his blue eyes are a covering like mine and maybe he doesn't know that."
"You're making too much of this, Sara."
"I want to know if he has alien DNA."
"Sara, listen to me. You know the Zeta have mislead us before. Tonight was just another one of their
experiments to see how we would react emotionally. They put the illusion of Eric's eyes as black into our
minds. They can put any image there."
"I don't want Eric to have black eyes like mine. I hate my eyes; I don't want to hate his."
Sara," Daniel took her hand in his, "we don't know the origin of this little boy. He may not even be . . ."
"Human?" Sara interrupted.
"Maybe he isn't. Maybe he's . . ."
"Not an illusion," Sara interrupted. "Daniel, you had better not say he's an illusion."
"I didn't say he was and I don't think he is."
"Then what is he?"
"I don't know. Why does it matter?"
"It matters because that boy has a right to know where he's from-how he came to be."
"Maybe you're right," Daniel conceded.
"You know I'm right. Tomorrow I'm going to make an appointment for Eric with Karen. If you want to
come with us, you're welcome. But if you're going to cause me grief while she's examining him, don't
come with us."
"This isn't like you, Sara. Why have you become so hateful towards me?"
"I'm not hateful. I'm just so . . . so tired of these people ruining our lives. I can't take it anymore. It's got
to stop, Daniel. They won't even allow us to raise our little boy." She laid her head on Daniel's shoulder.
"Maybe he's not so little, Sara."
Sara looked at him in the strange orange glow of the night light. "Are you trying to make my life even
more complicated than it already is?"
"Surely you noticed how mature he appears at times."
"I've noticed."
"Do you suppose Karen could figure out how old he may really be?"
"I don't know. Maybe. Perhaps Father can tell us when he comes. You know I love you, Daniel. We'll
somehow get through this-somehow." She reached over and clicked out the light and was sound asleep
before Daniel could kiss her good night.
***
"Look directly into the light, Cutie."
Eric sat quietly as Karen shone a light on his eyeball. "Now turn your head for me." With her fingers she
gently turned his head to the right. "All right, Cutie, you can hop off the table now. I want to examine your
mommy's eyes now."
Sara said, "You're going to examine my eyes? Why? We brought Eric. I didn't bring myself to be
examined."
"Do you want me to give you an intelligent assessment of Eric's eyes, or not?"
"You don't have to examine my eyes. There is no genetic relationship between Eric and me."
"Then, Sara, I can't give you an answer," Karen said firmly. "You have black eyes. You think Eric has
black eyes. At least let me make a physical comparison."
"I won't . . ."
"Sara," Daniel interrupted, "let's step outside for a moment." He stepped to the door. Sara followed him
out the door and into the hallway.
"You're embarrassing me, Daniel."
"No I'm not. You're just frightened. You don't want Karen to examine your eyes. But choke down your
fear and . . ."
"Daniel . . ."
"And stop hating your eyes. Stop hating this part of you. I don't care why you have black eyes, and I
can tell you Eric certainly doesn't care. Don't make our little boy responsible for your happiness. You are
responsible for it. Now, will you please let Karen examine you?" he pleaded.
Sara opened the door and walked back into Karen's office. "What do you want me to do?"
Karen smiled. "I want you to sit, open your eyes, and look at the light."
"All right." She sat.
Karen looked at Sara's left eye, made some notes, looked at her right eye, and made more notes. She
stepped back from Sara and said quietly, "Now take out your lenses."
"Is that necessary?"
"Yes," Karen said kindly, "I have to compare the reflective and refractive properties of the surface of
your eye with the lenses in and with the lenses out. If Eric has a covering over his eyes, I may know it
after I examine your eyes."
Sara hesitated.
"Sara, are we good friends or not? Do you truly think I'll think less of you when I see your eyes? You've
already shown them to me. You weren't ashamed of them then. Why are you ashamed now?"
Sara tipped her head down and dropped the lenses into her hand. Then she put her head up as Karen
shone her light into them. She took more notes. "Hmm . . ."
"Well?" Daniel asked.
"Eric has no covering over his eyes. Now, I don't know how these beings fooled you. I've never been up
there-to my knowledge, at least-so I don't know what the lighting is like in their ship. If the lighting is dim,
it would be hard to make out the details of an eyeball in a white field-even at a distance of only a few
feet. Maybe it's as simple as bad lighting. Maybe you just panicked when you saw Eric."
"Panicked?" Sara said incredulously. "Panicked? Every time we go up there we think we're going to die.
And now they take Eric up there, too. Karen, can you even begin to imagine what Daniel and I go
through when the beings take us? Can you?"
"No," Karen said, "I can't. But here's the bottom line, Sara; little Cutie here," she stopped and smiled at
Eric who was listening intently, "does not have black eyes."
"Good." Sara breathed.
"Why is that so important, Sara? What real difference would it make if he did?" Karen studied her
intently.
"The black eyes mean . . . they mean he's some sort of mutation. Like me. He won't belong. He won't
be accepted. He'll have to hide them . . ."
"Like you hide your eyes."
"Yes. Like I have always hidden my eyes. The black eyes are Zeta eyes. The Zeta are monsters."
"And Eric could be 'half-monster'?"
"Yes. I can't bear that."
"Because you . . . fear . . . that you could be half monster, too?"
"I know I am, Karen. It can't be any other way. I must be part Zeta. I don't want Eric to be part Zeta,
too. And my baby-I think when they do horrible things to it-it will be half-Zeta, too." Sara sat huddled in
the chair. Tears streamed down her face.
"There. I've said the unspeakable," she sobbed. "Daniel, I know you've been thinking the same thing."
Daniel could only nod his head in silence.
***
Usually when Daniel's phone would jangle at work it was either a student or it was Sara, so he was more
than a little surprised when he heard Ann speaking to him. He could tell by the sound of her voice that
she was upset.
"Daniel, I probably should have called Sara since I know her half day with Eric is when you're working
and it would be less intrusive of me to call Sara at home instead of bothering you, but I need to ask you
this because I didn't want Sara to have to go through the grief of getting you to cooperate."
"You're really painting me as the bad guy, Ann."
"I don't mean to, Daniel, but damn it all, I need the help of both of you so much."
He could hear tears welling up in her. "Ann, let me make this easier for you. Whatever you plan to ask
me, I promise I'll say yes. Now, does that help make you feel better?"
"Oh, Daniel, you know how much I want Sara to help him. Please don't put me off anymore."
Daniel paused, realizing he couldn't put Ann off any longer.
"All right . . . okay . . . Should we come tonight?"
"Yes, if you can. Come to my house. This is a social call, not a medical call." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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