I've been sitting on this thing for ages. This is the fifth story (yes, I know I haven't finished the fourth, and it's going to be a while yet) in my universe A Realignment of Life Forces. The story is NSTP/Millennium. The home page (and all the stories) for this uni can be found at http://members.aol.com/ngwjaguar/writing/Life_Forces/ Check it out there if you'd rather not read it on e-mail. This specific story doesn't need any background in my universe. You also don't need to know anything about Millennium (there are a few details you might not get, but they don't really matter), as it's the first story in the uni with TP and MM. Thanks to my Beta readers: Fleur and Jeffl1965 for putting up with about fifty revisions.
Disclaimer: The TP (namely Adam in this story) and everything related belong to Roger Damon Price and Tetra Films/Thames Television/Nickelodeon [US]/ITV [UK]. Wow, disclaimers for TP is a pain in the butt. Millennium (Frank Black, Jordan Black, and the events of "Borrowed Time" are the property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. Cassia and Dr. Linsai (who may or may not appear in later stories) are both mine.
Apologies: I have absolutely no knowledge of how medical school works. I don't know what it's called when students begin working in hospitals. However, the point here is that Adam, being Adam, is *volunteering* during his free time. Yes, I know med students aren't supposed to *have* any free time, but this is Adam. Also, I'm aware that some of this writing is, as my friend Fleur put it, 'tacked on.' I wrote the first draft at one in the morning, what do you want?! *g* No matter how much I reworked the stupid thing, it wouldn't stop being so melodramatic!
"I find myself wondering about humanity. Their attitude to my sister's gift is so strange.
Why do they fear the sunless lands?
It is as natural to die as it is to be born.
But they fear her. Dread her. Feebly they attempt to placate her."
-The Sandman: Prelude Nocturnes (The Sound of Her Wings) by Neil Gaiman
*****
"Adam, go and get the blood results for me?"
"I'll be back with them in a moment, Dr. Linsai."
"Will you call me Sarah, already?"
Adam paused at the door and grinned. "Sure thing, Dr. Linsai." He disappeared into the hallway before Sarah could respond, leaving her watching his back with mild annoyance.
He was an incredible help in the hospital, very good for a second year med student, but he could drive people nuts at times. And then there was that infectious smile of his, which tended to have the rest of the medical staff grinning like fools at the most inopportune moments. When he got a job, he'd have a wonderful bedside manner, but Sarah always wondered if he was cut out for the medical profession. She wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle being around those who were suffering. He'd expressly requested not to be put into the emergency ward, but rather one that didn't handle injuries as often, she remembered. On the other hand, she couldn't ask for better help in her job. He had a way of always knowing exactly what was needed for a patient before she asked for it.
Sarah meandered around the lab, gathering together the information that she would need for her rounds for the next hour. She just had to get the blood results for her various patients, and she'd be ready to start. Glancing at her watch, she realized that she had to get going in about a minute and wondered where Adam was. He was usually beyond punctual. Even when there was heavy traffic, and she expected almost everyone to get in late, he tended to suddenly come up behind her and tap her shoulder. Now, though, he'd been gone for about five minutes on a short trip down the hall, which should have taken about one.
Pulling her doctor's coat over her clothes, deciding to start without him, Sarah pushed open the door and stepped into the activity of the hall. As she pulled the door closed behind herself, she almost walked into Adam, who was standing with his back to her.
"Adam?"
He didn't respond immediately, shifting his weight slightly. "What's going on?"
Sarah followed his gaze across the hall to a room where a young girl was lying on a bed, asleep, with a number of doctors, nurses, and an older man hovering around her. Sarah sighed. "She was brought in here a while ago with a very high fever, almost unconscious. Her father had just picked her up from school because she was feeling sick. The school nurse said that she didn't have a fever when she left, though. Right now, she's displaying symptoms of Meningitis, but as far as anyone can tell, she's not sick. We're all stumped."
"Is she getting better?" Adam's eyes were still riveted on the tiny form on the bed.
"We've managed to get her fever down."
"But you don't know what's wrong, so you can only fight the symptoms."
Sarah shook her head. Adam could be too damned observant for his own good sometimes. "No, it's not looking good." She paused, letting the information sink in. "Her father's not taking it well. His wife, the girl's mother, died recently, I think. In the viral outbreak." Sarah knew that since Adam wasn't yet a licenced doctor, she was probably overstepping patient-doctor confidentiality to a certain degree, but he tended to crave details about the people he helped. It could be helpful at times, putting patients at ease when they realized that someone really cared for them. But that was also the problem. Adam cared deeply for everyone that came into the hospital. Sarah had been waiting for the case when this would backfire on him, and this young girl looked like she was going to do it.
She walked around, positioning herself in front of Adam, as he continued to stare over her head, and clapped him reassuringly on his upper arm. He finally shifted his gaze to look at her hand detachedly. "Adam, it happens sometimes. This is a hospital, and everyone does their best, but it's always going to happen. It's not something you'll get used to, but you will need to learn how to deal with it." She pulled her hand back. "I need to start my rounds. Why don't you stay and see if they need any help."
Leaving Adam standing in the same place, Sarah had to wonder if he'd heard a singly word she'd said. However, after a moment, he started towards the room, repositioning his doctor's coat around his shoulders, composing his face, and looking for all the world like he belonged there. Maybe he did.
*****
"Doctor?" Adam said from the entrance to the room.
The blond woman looked up for a moment. "I'll be right with you, Adam."
Adam nodded and turned his attention to the girl's father, only to find himself already under scrutiny. Their eyes locked, and Adam had to throw up mental walls around his mind as protection against the powerful barrage of emotions he got from the man. He could still feel the strength of the grief and helplessness battering against his defenses, but didn't turn his gaze. It wasn't the right time to take notice, but the man was, on some level, a psychic, and stronger than most that Adam had met. The Tomorrow People aside, of course. Eventually, he was able to fully gain control over his powers again and took a step forward.
"I'm Adam Newman," he introduced himself. "Second year med. I do what I can here when I don't have classes."
The man nodded and turned to gaze at his daughter, still asleep in the bed. "Frank Black. This is Jordan."
*****
Frank had been startled out of whatever reverie he'd been having when the door swung open, revealing a young man in a doctor's coat. The words exchanged between the long-haired youth and the doctor had escaped him as he stared. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, it registered that the man had an Australian accent. What held his attention, though, was the feeling he'd picked up when the door first opened.
Frank wasn't sure how to describe the feeling. Aura was the closest word, but it didn't really encompass what he was picking up. There was nothing threatening about it, quite the opposite, actually. The man who he kept seeing outside the window had a darkness about him that always alerted Frank to his proximity. And to the fact that he was responsible for Jordan's condition. This young man, though, was almost comforting. Strange, and very foreign, but comforting.
Eventually, the Australian turned to look at him, and their eyes met. The feeling intensified, and Frank could see the change in his eyes and posture as he picked up on it. A brief look of panic flashed across the youth's angular face and Frank knew that if the man was picking up on his own "aura", just as Frank was picking up his, he wasn't a very happy camper. After a moment, though, the expression settled into it's previous mold and the man took a step forward.
"I'm Adam Newman. Second year med. I do what I can here when I don't have classes."
Frank broke eye contact. For whatever reason, he'd been hoping that this total stranger was going to be a doctor who would treat his daughter. He sighed. The influx of feelings he'd felt a few moments earlier was rapidly diminishing, and he wondered if he was simply adjusting, or if Adam had been able to control it somehow.
"Frank Black." He rested his gaze on his daughter's still form. "This is Jordan."
*****
Having finished whatever she'd been doing, the doctor strode across the room to stand in front of Adam. "Yes?"
"I was wondering if I could help at all. Dr. Linsai suggested it."
The blond woman considered his offer for a moment. "Well, I have to go make the rest of my rounds, and the nurses have other things to do, so I guess you could just stay and keep an eye on things. It probably wouldn't be very interesting though."
Adam shook his head. "It's fine," he assured her.
The doctor was going to object, but saw the look on his face and decided against it. "I'll be back later to check in on things." She picked up a clipboard and strode out of the room.
Still standing, Adam again looked at the girl on the bed. She was pale, with curls slicked back on her forehead and darkened by sweat. After a moment, he remembered himself, and turned towards Frank. "Is that alright with you?"
The older man nodded tiredly and Adam reached for Jordan's charts before seating himself in a chair next to the bed to read them.
"Thank you."
Adam looked up sharply, surprised at the words.
"Thank you for staying."
Nodding, at a loss for words, Adam returned his attention to the charts.
*****
"Adam!"
Cracking his eyes opened, and trying to focus on the blurry image in front of him, Adam drew a hand across his face. "Huh?
"Adam, it's getting late. You've been asleep for hours. You should get home."
"Dr. Linsai? I'm still at the hospital?"
"Yeah. I just finished my rounds, so I'm going to take off. You OK?"
Grinning sheepishly, Adam nodded at her. "Sure, I'll be fine."
"Alright. Jordan's doctor should be back in about ten minutes. We managed to talk the kid's father into going to get something to eat." Sarah smiled. "I think he was glad you were here. Go figure, all the doctors in this hospital couldn't make him happy, but Adam Newman, mild- mannered second year med student did the trick."
She shrugged and laughed lightly. "See you tomorrow, Adam. Just make sure you don't wear yourself out."
Adam saluted smartly and she shook her head before shutting the door after herself. Finding himself alone with the unconscious girl, Adam went to stand next to the bed. He could practically feel the heat radiating off her tiny body from the fever. 'It's not right!' he growled mentally, barely catching himself before he sent it off as a telepathic message. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to be mother-henned by four concerned Tomorrow People. Even Cassia tended to check in on him occasionally, as difficult as it was to imagine.
Taking Jordan's clammy hand in his own, Adam settled to his knees so that he was closer to her level. Studying her closed eyes, he could see the telltale movements indicating that she was dreaming. She wasn't about to wake up, though.
Adam's mind drifted back to his experience earlier that day, when he'd first met Frank Black. He picked up more than just emotions from the man. It was as though he'd been transmitting everything that was going on in his mind. Adam made a habit of not taking notice of what people were thinking, but he hadn't been able to avoid it this time.
He'd caught glimpses of images of a yellow house and a woman who bore an unmistakable similarity to Jordan. Her mother. There had also been wisps of thought which meant nothing to Adam, even as he analyzed them. Above the collage of pictures, sounds, helplessness, and desolation, though, there was one thing which stood out. Loneliness. The man had absolutely nothing left except for his daughter, and when she was gone... Adam shuddered.
It wasn't right that someone should be left like that. Adam knew that all the Tomorrow People had been lonely before they met each other, but it was nowhere near what Frank was feeling.
For the past several minutes, something had been nagging at the back of Adam's mind, and as much as he tried to ignore it, it wouldn't go away. This was one of the biggest problems with working around the sick and injured. He always wanted to help, and he knew that he often could. Weeks had been spent trying to accustom himself to the idea that he couldn't allow himself to do it.
Healing exhausted him when used for anything besides the most minor of bruises and scratches. He didn't doubt that he could easily kill himself if he went overboard. Perhaps two of three people could be helped before he would simply keel over. He couldn't help disease anyway. Only heal damaged cells if he caught them in time. But even if he wasn't in the emergency ward, which handled most of the injuries, the urge to heal was often difficult to fight. Ami especially, though, had convinced him that he was more important alive and helping as a normal doctor and as a Tomorrow Person than he would be if he selected just a very few people to heal.
In this case, though, he felt that it was an exception. Without Frank Black's incredible mental presence, Adam could pick up the same type of thing in Jordan. It was different somehow- lighter- but obviously in the same class. It drew him to her. Besides that, if she died, he knew her father might as well be dead also, and somehow the two of them were too important to lose.
Adam knew that he was justifying his actions to himself, but he didn't care. Rolling up the sleeves of his doctor's coat, he positioned his hands over Jordan's body. Closing his eyes, he allowed the red warmth to suffuse his hands. Slowly, the light spread over Jordan's body, pulsating.
He could feel that he wasn't helping, merely exerting energy. Jordan was very sick, but there were no real injuries for Adam to heal. A tiny paper cut on her finger quickly faded into nonexistence. As Adam began to pull back, though, he felt something pushing him away. The feeling intensified as he tried to concentrate on it, and Adam ended his attempts to heal, instead trying to find whatever force there was. It was very strong, but Adam was able to slowly push it back as he focused his mind on it. It didn't seem malicious, but it certainly wasn't there to help Jordan. He couldn't understand what it was.
Suddenly, there wasn't anything to push against. He could still feel it, though. It was hiding, and as soon as Adam stopped his assault, he knew that it would be back. He couldn't reach it where it was. Adam's brows furrowed in consternation as he realized that there was nothing he could do.
Sighing in a combination of helplessness and exhaustion, he pulled his hands back and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was immediately met by Frank's, as he realized that the older man must have been watching. Adam nervously ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to break the eye contact, taking notice of the tiny bit of hope that he saw disguised there. "I'm sorry." He'd said it so quietly, he wasn't sure at first if Frank had heard him, but there was a short, acknowledging nod.
Adam stood, gracelessly, hearing the vertebrae in his back popping in protest. Somehow, he felt he'd just failed horribly, though he wasn't certain why. Eyes cast towards the floor, he slowly circumnavigated Jordan's bed and then crossed the room to the doorway, pausing beside her father.
"There's no way..." Frank trailed off and then started again, rephrasing his statement, "You can't understand." There wasn't any irritation or anger lurking behind sentence. Just an incredible sadness.
Adam shifted his weight to one foot and looked forward, focusing his gaze on the opposite side of the hall. He knew that he couldn't fully comprehend what the older man had to be feeling, but he knew what was at the root of his own emotions.
"Whose right is it," he began slowly, "to decide when it's your time?"
*****
Frank ignored a nurse's muttered curse as he darted down the hallway. He'd managed to eat half a sandwich and down a cup of coffee. He knew that the doctors were right, he wasn't any help to Jordan if he starved himself to death, but he didn't want to be away from her. There was no way that he would have left if Adam hadn't been with her. Asleep or not, the youth's presence was a comforting one.
Rounding the corner, Frank sprinted the last hundred or so yards to the door of his daughter's room. What he saw brought him up short. Adam was kneeling next to Jordan's bed, his hands splayed out over her body, pulsing with a soft red light. He began to reach for the gun that he kept in his waste band, but something stopped him. Everything about the scene in front of him looked wrong, but it felt right. Instinctively, he knew that Adam wouldn't do anything to hurt his daughter.
Pulling the door closed behind himself with as little noise as possible, Frank turned to watch. The light had spread to cover Jordan's entire body, and small beads of perspiration were forming on Adam's forehead, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration. Frank stood, mesmerized by the display of power. He somehow knew that while Adam was by no means divine, he was probably Jordan's best hope for survival.
A few moments later, Frank watched as the younger man's brow furrowed and the glow slowly began to diminish. However, the hands didn't move, and it was obvious that something was still going on. Eventually, Adam's face contorted into a grimace and he leaned back, slowly pulling his hands away.
Frank waited, hoping that something had happened, but feeling that Jordan was no better than she'd been a few minutes ago. As Adam sighed and opened his eyes, Frank stared at him. Eye contact was made immediately, and Frank knew that nothing had changed. He also knew that his scrutiny was making the younger man nervous, but needed to hear it.
Adam's gaze flickered slightly, but didn't leave his own. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his now sweaty hair. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. Frank felt his heart sink, but nodded curtly, determined not to make the youth feel any worse than he already did.
Frank stood, glued to the floor, as Adam broke the eye contact, stood, and rounded the bed to cross the room. He thought that Adam was going to leave, but instead he stopped next to Frank, still not looking at him.
Feeling the burden to say something- anything- to the man who'd obviously just given so much to try to help his daughter, Frank opened his mouth to speak. The words that came out, though, hadn't been what he'd expected. "There's no way..." No, that sounded accusatory, but he needed to continue with the same line of thought, now.
"You can't understand," he amended. It wasn't much better, but he hoped it was enough.
He waited, silent, as he felt, rather than saw, Adam shifting his weight. Finally, slowly: "Whose right is it to decide when it's your time?" Frank looked up at him sharply, feeling as though his mind had been read. He wouldn't put it past the young man's abilities, but it didn't seem like something that he would do. Somehow, he'd just been able to understand.
*****
The Next Day
Dr. Sarah Linsai shrugged into her long, white doctor's coat. Grabbing her clipboard from her locker, she left the room and started down the hall, mentally going over the patients she had to see that day. She was pulled up short by the sight of Adam standing in the middle of the hall, staring at the room that Jordan Black had been in the previous night.
"Adam?"
There was no response, and she realized, with a certain amount of irritation at the rest of the staff, that no one had told him.
"Adam, she's alright. The fever died down earlier today, and her father took her home."
At that, Adam turned to look at her incredulously.
Sarah snorted. "What, do you think I'd lie about that?" She rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing, too, the ER got in four near-drownings a little while before she left, and we needed the extra staff. We almost lost the poor kid for a little while. We must have had a fifth of the ER people up here with her. She just started spitting up gallons of water." The doctor shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it."
She looked up at Adam, who was grinning like the cat who got the canary. "Adam," she began with a serious tone. "Adam, it's going to happen sooner or later. It didn't this time, thank God, but it will. You'll need to accept that."
Adam turned and met her eyes. "I know, but as you said, it didn't happen this time."
He turned away again. "I need to go get my stuff ready. I'll meet you in the lab in a few minutes, Sarah." With all the maturity of his twenty-four years, knowing that he'd caught her off guard by using her first name, he winked at her before starting off down the hall.
*****
"How are you feeling, Jordan?" Frank placed a palm against his daughter's forehead.
No fever.
"OK, Daddy." She yawned hugely, eliciting a smile from her father.
"A little too early, honey?"
Jordan nodded, uncaring of the fact that it was already one in the afternoon and she'd just woken up.
"I'll let you go back to sleep then." Frank kissed her on the cheek and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. "Goodnight, Jordan," he said as he turned off the lights and opened the door to leave her room.
"Daddy?"
He paused. "Yes, Jordan?"
"Do you think we'll see that man again?"
Frank grimaced, thinking about the man with the watch, the one responsible for Jordan's near death. Fortunately, he'd died drowning, his own time for living being given to the other people on the train. "Which man, honey?"
She sighed softly, as though it were obvious. "Adam."
At this point, Frank knew better than to be surprised when she did such things. The fact that she'd been unconscious the whole time aside, it was normal for Jordan. "I don't know."
"I think we will." She snuggled farther into her covers. "Goodnight, Daddy."
-end-