Dragon Gold

Chapter 4

Four

Saturday, December 18

Sternberg Center for Cancer Cures

Thomas sipped his coffee as he watched the sunset through the windows in his office. Today had been a good day. He and Ivan had made preparations for a new group of patients who might qualify for his cutting-edge CRISPR gene therapy to cure their cancers. Ivan had sequenced the genetic codes and made suggestions for cancer targets to program into the CRISPR-Cas 9 system to seek and destroy. The trick was to find cancer sequences not present in the host DNA. Thomas reviewed all the suggestions, then created customized plans for each child. These treatment plans would then go on to an ethics committee for further review. So far, all his requests had been approved. Of course, Thomas dealt only in somatic cell lines. He didn’t think the world was ready for dabbling in germ-line cells. That would change the code of all the progenitor cells, including offspring, which would raise concerns about eugenics and long-term unintended consequences. And after coming face to face with a mutant Tylosaurus, Thomas had a renewed appreciation for the fact that he played with fire.

His phone rang, and he jumped. He’d meant to put it on silent. He started to silence it, then saw that it was Mel. He picked up.

“What’s happening, Chief?” he said.

“You need to block off time in March, son.” On phone calls, Mel never paused for pleasantries but dove headfirst into his demands.

Thomas smiled. “I’m in over my head with a new cancer treatment study. I don’t think I could possibly get away.”

Mel grunted. “If you’re going to be the best man at my wedding, I don’t see that you have a choice.”

“Wedding? So you actually asked Romina to marry you? Congratulations! I just hope she knows what she’s getting herself into.”

Mel laughed. “I’m going to ask her. Soon. Eva helped me pick out a ring—a band with sapphires. Romina likes blue stones.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful.”

“It is. And I appreciated Eva’s help—that tells me she’s okay with it. I’m hoping you are too. I know it might be weird for you, me being married to Eva’s mother.”

“Yeah, it’s weird, but it’s not like it makes Eva my sister. I’m happy for you. I am.”

“Thank you. Now go ahead and ask. I know you want to.”

“Ask what?”

“About Eva. I know you two don’t talk much and when you do it’s only about your research and the dolphins.”

Thomas chuckled. “Okay, how is she?”

“She’s like the daughter I never had. I got her certified as a search-and-rescue instructor, and she’s been helping me teach on the weekends—like I’d planned for you to do. Right now, she’s working on a crazy plan to hunt lionfish with the dolphins. Oh, and we’re teaching Soledad how to dive.”

“Sounds like you’re getting more than a wife. You’re getting a whole family.”

“I really am. After Romina and I marry, I plan to adopt the kids. They need a dad.”

“I knew you would. I just hope you’re not adopting Eva too.”

“I read that stepparents can adopt adult children.”

“And then Eva really will be my sister.”

“No, son, I was your master chief, not your father. But you’ve always been like a son to me. And that won’t change.”

“So when’s the date? Assuming Romina says yes.”

“I’m hoping Romina will agree to March 29. That’s a Monday, but it’s a special day for us.”

Thomas remembered what had happened on that day. He just couldn’t figure why that would be so important to Mel.

“That’s Chico’s birthday,” Thomas said.

“It is,” said Mel, “but it’s also the day I had my mini-stroke and Romina came to sit with me at the hospital. So, it’s sort of like the anniversary of our first date. And believe it or not, we realized on that first night that we were meant to be together. Unlike some people, we don’t try to fight fate.”

Thomas ignored the barb, despite disagreeing with it. He and Eva hadn’t tried to fight fate. Quite the contrary: fate seemed to be fighting them.

“Listen, Chief, I really want to be there, but I’m booked. My treatments are the last hope for these kids. I can’t reschedule them. They might die in the meantime.”

“That sounds like something I’ve heard before. But you need a break, son. You can’t work a year solid and expect to stay on top of your game. Even a SEAL should know that.”

“Mel, I’m a doctor now. Work doesn’t stop for us.”

“So you say. But I’m not giving up on you, son. We’ll find a way to get you here.”