August

February 19: Sunday

"Good Morning, Phidias."
Phidias jerked awake, his heart pounding. He looked warily up at the group gathered at the foot of his hospital bed. There was Adrian, whom Phidias had specifically requested be present at all times, and Dr. Long, who had, for the past week, been trying to take steps in Phidias' defense - he'd argued for him to keep his job, stay out of the Centre, and maintain full custody of Caddy. So far, only one of those wishes had come true. Adrian and Dr. Long were accompanied by three other men; two in uniform, and one thin, wiry looking man with a clipboard. Phidias didn't recognize any of them.
Phidias swallowed and pulled himself to a sitting position in the bed.
"Um, hi...everybody."
Adrian exchanged a worried glance with Dr. Long, then stepped forward.
"Phidias, this is Dr. Weirmeier. He is one of the resident geneticists here at the Centre, and he's been working particularly hard on your case."
the wiry man in the lab coat stepped forward, extending his hand.
"Hello, Dr. Alexander. Sorry to wake you so suddenly."
Phidias nodded, then his gaze drifted over to the two officers. Adrian fidgeted, then indicated one of them, the older one on the right, to Phidias.
"And these gentlemen are from the DHI, the Domestic Health Institute. They um, would like to have a word with you - with all of us."
The older officer grunted, and the younger one stepped forward.
"Carrier, as Dr. Weirmeier will tell you, you are certainly a rare case. To date, there have been only four other reported instances of in-family carrier duality. Two of those were proven false; adoption cases. Yours appears to be real. Cadmus is your biological son, and both of you seem to have changed. This is of priority interest to the DHI. We have a team working day and night on isolating any potential genetic causes that may have led to this. In the meantime, we wondered if you might be so kind as to contribute your own experience as a help to us."
Phidias furrowed his brow.
"What, do you want me to keep a journal?"
The younger officer laughed. It wasn't a very nice laugh.
"No, something a little more complicated than that." he turned to the man in the lab coat. "Dr. Weirmeier?"
In the corner of the room, Adrian was biting his nails. The skinny man stepped forward. Phidias looked him over. He took his cues from the young officer; not someone used to being a leader. He wore no jewelry, no wedding ring. His glasses were simple wire frames. His eyes darted in the room, but hands were steady on his clipboard. A man who knew his work. Dr. Weirmeier cleared his throat.
"It's just that with a phenomenon like this, we don't want to waste any time. We want to fully explore the possibilities of the situation." he hesitated, looked at the younger officer, then looked at the clipboard again.
"We...don't have any definitive answers at the current moment. Not sure whether this is random, or perhaps due to genetic or environmental factors. We are sure that we would like to see it in action."
Phidias looked at them all suspiciously.
"So what do you want from me?" Phidias asked, almost afraid of the answer.
The older officer to Dr. Weirmeier that he should go. Seemingly eager for the escape, the man scurried quickly out the door.
The older officer turned to face Dr. Long, who had stood with an understanding and angry expression by Phidias' bedside this whole time.
"You as well, Dr. Long."
Alan shook his head. The older officer's voice hardened.
"I believe Phidias would like his privacy for some time." Alan still resisted. The older officer scowled.
"Then perhaps our dear professor would benefit from a reminder of the expectations of a carrier in residence at this Centre." there was a pause. "Or perhaps his son would."
Phidias heard the threat of punishment, and quickly snatched his hand away from Alan's.
"It's OK, sir. I'll be fine. You can go."
Alan looked worriedly at his charge.
"Phil, if you want, I can - "
Phidias looked up at him, his eyes pleading.
"Please go."
Alan turned and went slowly to the door, letting it close gently behind him. Adrian bit more nails as he watched the old professor leave. The officer turned his attention to Phid.
"We want you to breed, Phidias." he scrutinized the anthropologist's reaction, but got nothing. Satisfied, he rocked back on his heels. "As soon as possible."
Adrian reentered the conversation now.
"Which is something that we should discuss. I don't think anything less than a year would be reasonable. Phidias has just changed, and given his age, I think he needs time adjust, mentally and physically, before he starts getting involv - "
"Six months."
Adrian stared at the younger officer.
"Ask him if we can't make it four." the older one chimed in.
Phidias didn't speak, just lay silently in the bed, squeezing the sides of the mattress, and hoped to God or Emily or whoever was listening that someone would come and get him out of this. He missed Caddy.
Adrian was looking at the men with a firm look.
"I told you: a year at the least."
A year, Phidias thought. How much could he do in a year? Could he finish all his papers, his reports, his studies, before he was forced to leave them behind?
The younger officer stepped forward, chest thrust out, only stopping when he was toe to toe with Adrian. His voice had menace in it.
"You trying to give me a command, carrier?"
Adrian appeared to hesitate, then folded his arms across his chest and plunged forward.
"I'm just saying. A year. No less."
The younger officer narrowed his eyes at the carrier.
"I believe I said six months."
Adrian bit his lip, seeming more uncertain, then shrugged.
"Can't be done."
The officer squared up, anger spilling out across his face.
"Perhaps we should discuss this in more privacy. Come here."
Before Adrian could resist, the younger officer had him in a vice grip around his upper arm, and was dragging him into the next room, letting the door slam behind them. Phidias tried to get up from the bed, but found himself impeded by the many monitors he was attached to. He hesitated, unsure what any of them did. This gave the older officer just enough time to get close to him.
"Calm down, carrier. He won't be harmed."
Phidias shook his head.
"He didn't have to grab him like that."
"Tsk. He's just a young man, lets his temper flare. He won't hurt him seriously. Your friend will be fine, and they're not going anywhere far. Next room is storage; there's no door to the outside. They're just going to chat."
Phidias felt sick to his stomach. Nothing seemed right.
"I would really rather get up right now."
he began peeling off the electrodes. A hand on his wrist stopped him. He looked up into steely grey eyes.
"Did you hear me, carrier? I said your friend is fine."
Phidias didn't know how to react to this; he wished Adrian were in here so he could follow his lead. Swallowing pride and anger and fear, Phidias just put his head down and nodded. The older man released him, satisfied.
"Good." he patted Phidias' head. "Good."


Inside the storage room, the younger officer first checked the lock on the door, then reached out and slapped Adrian across the face.
"Don't you ever, ever fucking talk back to a man that way."
Adrian backed up, his gaze now steadily on the floor.
"I'm sorry." he murmured, cupping his cheek. "Sorry. But he does need more time. Please, he really does."
The officer shook his head.
"I repeat myself: he has six months."
Adrian thought about this, then bit his lip slightly. His voice trembled when he spoke, but he said it anyway.
"He gets one year, or you get no carrier."
The officer practically snarled, advancing again on Adrian.
"Don't tell me what I get."
Adrian glanced up fearfully; he had been here before. The officer pressed against him; he was half-hard already. Adrian backed up, away, the only place he could go. His back hit the wall. He looked around for other exits. There weren't any. The officer followed him forward, keeping an intimidating closeness. When he had Adrian pinned against the wall, he leaned forward, grinding his hips against Adrian's, and spoke into his ear.
"You want this? Hmm? Is that what this is? That whole fucking clever carrier act out there? Is that why you came in acting like such a grade-A bitch? You wanted a little of my attention? You want a little of my discipline?"
Adrian shook his head furiously.
"No. Please. Stop. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked back. I didn't mean it, and I won't do it again. Let me go."
The younger officer glanced back over his shoulder one more time, then laughed a little.
"Why should I?"
Adrian bit his lip again, and his hands went to the officer's chest.
"I have a fiancé."
The officer took up a wider stance, shoving one knee between Adrian's legs to keep them apart. A hand groped the front of Adrian's natori and it made his stomach turn, but he knew better than to resist or slap it away.
"He breed you yet?"
Adrian paled and was silent.
"ANSWER ME!" the man shouted. Adrian shook his head. The officer's hand traced the outline of Adrian's dick through the thin fabric, then slid around to his ass.
"How long has he had you?"
Adrian was silent again, shaking instead with rage and honest fear.
"HOW LONG, CARRIER?"
Adrian's lower lip trembled.
"10 months."
The officer nodded.
"Almost a year. If he didn't breed you, he don't want you."
he snaked a possessive arm around Adrian's waist.
"So why don't you come home with me?"


Adrian came out of the storage room looking none the worse for the wear, Phidias decided with relief. He looked a little shaken, and his eyes kept darting, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. No bruises, no cuts. Phidias relaxed a little. Adrian came and stood next to him. He lingered there for a moment, not speaking.
"I - I think that it might be better..." he paused, cleared his throat and glanced at the younger officer, who was busy tucking his shirt back in. "Better, if you do things more quickly. Officer Wick might be right. Six months would be better."
Phidias looked down at where Adrian was squeezing his hand and noticed that the young man was trembling. He looked again at the younger officer - Wick, he supposed. The man was smiling.
"Get up, Adrian."
Adrian got up then, his movements stiff and robotic.
"Explain to Phidias why you have to go now."
Adrian focused his gaze again on the floor.
"I - I have to go." Adrian seemed unable to say more, but Wick stepped forward and he hastened to continue. "Because I need to find a doctor."
Phidias blinked uncomprehendingly at Adrian, who wouldn't look at him.
"And the rest, Adrian."
Wick's voice was firm, but amused.
"I..." Adrian shook his head; his throat felt impossibly tight suddenly. How was he going to explain this to Steven? He couldn't. It was fucked. It was over. And now Wick wanted him to say - he couldn't take it. Adrian shook his head, eyes watering over, and ran out of the room.
The officers exchanged glances.
"Better go after him." the older one said. "Won't do to have him denying what you did. He'll douche it out, you know. Better go and catch him."
Wick swore and disappeared out of the door. The older man turned to Phidias.
"I do hope you'll consider what we've said. And take care of yourself, carrier. You are, after all, the future of our world."
With that, he left.

~:~