Chapter 24: Crossroads

Sirius' POV

I was getting closer and speeding, so the humans had already discovered that I was an evolved man and were aiming their weapons at me from afar. I skidded in the dirt, kicking up some dust and stopping next to my father. His two coworkers had brought him here.

"Father," I murmured, kneeling beside him and touching his shoulder. "What happened?" I asked the others.

"Stop!" Marien shouted.

I turned and saw her arrive, but she wasn't talking to us, but to the humans on the wall. I went to shield her in case she was attacked, my pulse still pounding in my throat. To my relief, I saw the humans lowering their weapons. Good. I knew Marien was safe with her people, at least for now.

She leaned on her knees, breathing deeply, very exhausted.

"Are you okay?" I regretted running out without telling her to wait for me in safety.

"Yes, don't worry," she gasped. "They can't attack us."

With that assurance, I returned to see my father. He had lost a lot of blood, and I was worried.

"An acquaintance of ours attacked him without giving reasons," said one, making me suspicious.

"He needs medical attention, but I don't know if we will get to our town in time," added his other companion.

"We'll take him to the hospital in this city," Marien suddenly intervened, and I looked at her in surprise.

The others shook their heads.

"Impossible. That's a human city."

"You'll see. Follow me."

Now, Marien was the one who ran. I looked at the two men and shrugged slightly. They agreed and carefully lifted my father.

"Let us pass!" My determined girl asked the guards.

A metal door opened on the side, and three men came out.

"They are monsters. They can't pass."

I was about to growl, but she insisted.

"They are as human as us, ignorant!" Oh wow. That was my Marien. "You must let us through; they are with me. I work at the central hospital!"

"You can come, but they can't. Anyways, the less Evolved People, the better."

She grabbed him by his shirt, surprising us all.

"You! See this?" She showed her ring. "That man is my husband's father, so by law, they have the right to enter!"

I smiled involuntarily, although I was alert. If they dared even to touch her, they would find me.

"What are you talking about, ma'am? Are you on drugs?"

"This." She showed her ID. "I work at the hospital, and they are with me. I'm part of the toxin research for the government."

The senior guard reviewed the document and saw us from the corner of his eye.

"The government and its shit," he whispered. "It's true. She's from the government. Open the door."

Finally, they agreed, and we entered the city.

Marien first used her backpack to break a car window, and we got into it. The guards exclaimed threats of fines as we left.

She accelerated and entered a highway.

"Who attacked Dad?" I wanted to know.

"Orion..." The man said, and I clenched my fists. I knew it! Coward. "We barely managed to escape. We don't know why he did it."

"I do," I murmured, anger filling my throat.

"He will be fine," Marien reassured me.

Her sweet voice had an effect on me.

"It's my fault... But I don't understand. He didn't have to attack him; that's not allowed; his problem is with me."

"It's obvious that Orion likes to play dirty."

And now I was beginning to realize it, even though he was my tutor almost all my life. I spent so long without thinking, without discerning that his attitude was not honorable, but the opposite.

When we arrived at the hospital, we entered through a secondary door that said 'Emergency,' and the few people there began to scream and run away in terror. Ugh, these humans.

A young doctor turned to see us, surprised and scared at the same time.

"Marien! What?!" He hid behind the counter.

"This man needs urgent medical attention!" she told him.

"What? He peeked out. "He is an Evolved!" And I felt that he said it as if we were some animal.

"I'll do it then." She pushed him aside and guided us towards some special room.

"Hey, but wait!" exclaimed the young man and followed us.

Marien began to give orders to everyone who was there. They placed my father on one of those stretchers they used, and I stayed close.

I heard Dad groaning.

"I'm here," I told him in a low voice.

"What... What did you do now?"

Huh?

I swallowed hard and looked down. What had Orion told him? That I was a traitor, probably.

With great fear, a nurse told us where we should wait and hurried away, so I backed and left with the others, looking at Marien, who was about to do her thing.

I felt that my father was in excellent hands, and suddenly, I also realized how much I admired that beautiful woman, how competent she was in what she did, and what great character and strength she had.

***

"He will be fine," Marien announced with a sweet smile.

A couple of hours had passed.

"Thank you," I whispered with relief.

"And now, what do we do?" Dad's friend spoke.

"Calm down, Phoenix. We'll wait here."

"You can stay as long as you like," my lady suggested, again to my surprise. "My coworker told the guards not to notify National Security or anyone. Anyway, all the patients fled or were relocated."

"Thank you."

"I'll call Rosy and get you to spend the night here. Tomorrow morning, he will be almost recovered. It would be best if you waited hidden. First, I must explain everything to Rosy before she sees you."

They accepted and walked away to look out the windows, and I understood their curiosity. We did not know or had not seen many things about humans.

I heard Marien talking to her friend and then to her aunt, who took us in that night after the attack in the other city. I smiled slightly when I saw her happy, but my expression disappeared when I remembered that she almost died because of me. She almost didn't get to tell her friends and family that good news.

Despite everything, she cared to convince me not to surrender to the punishment of death. She agreed to join me, and now she had saved my father's life.

I sighed and shook my head silently. She was too good. I wanted to be better for her. I would do everything to be better, take care of her, and protect her.

She finished speaking, so I went to her, but her friends showed up pretty soon. In a hurry, Rosy hugged her while Marcus looked at me, stunned. I pursed my lips into an apologetic smile, or something like that, for my appearance.

Rosy came to want to greet me, too, but when she saw me, she screamed and covered her mouth, making me flinch.

"I knew it!" Marcus exclaimed as he approached, and Marien chuckled at their reactions. "Oh shit. I knew it! But how?!"

"Excuse me," I told them, "This is my true appearance. I'm sorry for lying to you."

"Oh, my God!" Rosy exclaimed, coming out of her surprise.

"When did he change?" Marcus wanted to know, looking at Marien.

But she, secretive as she usually was, gave him a half answer.

"Let's say you were right in your theory."

Theory? Wow. This guy.

"Yes! I knew it!"

It was exciting for him to have been right about whatever he suspected about me, but I understood.

"Were you scared when he told you?" Rosy began to question Marien, taking her a couple of steps away. "God! You must tell me everything!"

She, however, was quick to ask them to host my father's companions. Although Rosy was scared again when she saw they were Evolved men, she soon accepted.

"But we only have two extra rooms," Marcus clarified.

"Don't worry," I hastened to say. I'm going to take care of my father overnight.

"Okay. We'll give you one of the rooms. Follow me, please."

"Thank you. You are the best," Marien told him as he led the men away.

Then Rosy looked at her again, searching for answers, so I smiled at her curiosity.

"I'll leave you in privacy if you like," I suggested.

Marien shook her head, but Rosy insisted, so I walked away, keeping my smile. I was happy to see my beautiful lady calm. I took another look and saw her sitting with her friend while they talked.

I found the room where Dad was and looked at him through the long, vertical window. I pursed my lips, still feeling like it was my fault. Orion knew I had escaped and wanted to get me out.

I realized that I would have to hide all the time, or I might get Marien in trouble. I was an evolved person, and if people saw me, they would fear me...

A little scream made me react. Rosy looked at Marien's ring. She jumped up and came towards me to look at my ring, too, and she ran back to hug Marien.

"Congratulations!" She exclaimed euphorically. "Wait. Is that legal?"

Marien laughed, and her eyes landed on mine. She blew me a kiss, surprising me, and she laughed again. She was so happy... Maybe it wasn't so bad that I stayed with her. In the end, that was what I wanted most, even if I had to hide my appearance. After all, I came to ensure that my species no longer had to hide.

They continued talking, and I could hear just a little, but I didn't pay attention until Rosy murmured something that intrigued me, of course.

"So... Did you guys do it already?"

I looked out of the corner of my eye at Marien, and she was utterly blushing. What was Rosy referring to? Kissing, maybe?

"N-no. Uh..." my girl stammered.

"How is it?" Her friend insisted.

"No. Not yet..." She lowered her voice to explain her, and I couldn't listen.

Something we hadn't done yet? What was it?

Marcus entered the room and looked at us.

"So..." He took a deep breath. "You were an EH. Interesting. Next door, the National Security men have built some sort of training camp. Let's see if one of these days you give an exhibition of your skills. I want to study you."

"You're crazy, Marcus," Marien intervened, approaching. "I won't let you experiment with him."

"It's fine," I calmed her. "I will show him what he wants as long as I stay here without them trying to open my belly."

"Calm down, my friend," he continued. "All this will be for scientific purposes."

She laughed.

"Excuses, excuses. I'll still keep an eye on you in case you want to cross the line."

"Yeah, whatever." They continued laughing in silence. Night had fallen, and the building was quiet, except I could hear those machines they had all over the place... And it still smelled like a hospital, of course. "It's very late. Come, I'll show you your room."

"Yes, just give me a second." I saw Marien coming and smiled again. "I'll stay with you if you like," she murmured.

"No. Get some rest. I'll be fine." I cradled her sweet face to caress her, and she took my hand to kiss it. "Go. I'll see you later."

She nodded after sighing and left. Marcus had raised an eyebrow but looked at the situation strangely before going with them.

"Okay, that was weird," I heard him say. "Do you—?" I saw Marien showing him her hand with the ring, and the young man jumped. "What the—?! Is that even legal?!"

"Oh, my God!" She laughed.

I took a deep breath and entered the room where Dad was. There was a small sofa next to him, so I sat there.

This wasn't over. Orion wanted to make me get out. I knew he wouldn't let me be, and he knew he had made me angry.

I had to avenge what he had done to my father out of honor. That was what the old leaders always said and what I felt I had to do.

I clenched my fists, feeling at a crossroads. Since I did not surrender, according to my people's rules, Orion thought he could also do whatever he wanted. I would go after him, but I had Marien and couldn't leave her. No... I didn't want to leave her.

I huffed and leaned against the back of the couch, closing my eyes.

If Orion had been able to break his honor and rules by attacking Dad, he could now attack Mom.

My Mom. She had done a lot for me. She gave me the warmth and appreciation that other mothers did not offer to their children. She went on without caring that they always told her she should not have had me or that her honor was in tatters. She never minded being told she spoiled me.

I had been a bad son. I let Orion men watch and bother her... I couldn't let them beat her or humiliate her in the central square because of me. Ganymede said that what I did no longer affected her, but with what Orion had done, I no longer knew what to believe.

I had to prevent them from harming her. I had to return to the town.