Destroyer of Time: Pyrokinesis

Chapter Eleven: Hit by the Heat

I slowly came back to consciousness, fumbling mindlessly in the darkness. My mind was in shambles, and I couldn't think straight. All I could do was flail around in my mind. 

     “That was kinda scary. I didn't expect him to drop like that so suddenly,” a faraway voice said. His voice sounded like echoes coming from a cave. 

     “Yeah, me neither. I think he’s just under a lot of stress right now. He just had his promotion match today, Road, and I'm sure he has a lot of things going on with his school. Then there's that thing with him and me. I feel sorry for him. I didn't even consider how he would feel about the things I told him. I really am a terrible father." 

I heard his sigh of defeat, and I wanted to console him. I wanted to tell him that it was all in the past and that I'd moved on from that already. Also, he should stop blaming himself for the things that happened. However, I couldn't find the energy to open my eyes, much less speak. 

     "Ron, you gotta stop blaming yourself. From what you've told me, it seems like you told him how you feel, and he forgave you." Yes, thank you. "You gotta start moving on because if you keep holding this guilt, it'll eat you up, and sooner or later, it'll affect your relationship with him." Tell him, bro! "What you gotta focus on now is actually fixing the things that you could. He gave you another shot even if you screwed up badly. Don't waste that on drowning yourself in guilt. Be happy and be there for him. He deserves that from you. That's the least that you can do for him." Is this guy a mind reader or what? Cause that's exactly how I feel.

     "I don’t know, Road. I know it sounds stupid, but I just couldn't stop thinking about how I abandoned him after Claire left. His mother just left us, and what did I do? I ditched him at the same time. How the hell does he not hate me? Because Jesus, I hate myself just thinking about it."

     "So, what are you gonna do? You just gonna keep thinking about all that s**t, or are you gonna actually keep your promise to him this time?" I heard a thump, but I wasn't sure what it was. "Yeah. He needed you then. But think about it, Ron. He still needs you now. So, get your s**t together and be there for him now."

Silence fell around, and I strained hard to listen for anything. A minute passed before my father's voice came back. "You really think he has forgiven me? That it's not just because I sprang that on him, and he felt like he didn't have a choice but forgive me?" 

     "I really do. Besides, he doesn't seem like the type to be forced into anything. He's a Pendigram, for god's sake. Stubbornness runs through our veins. If he didn't want to forgive you, I don't think he would have."

I heard my father laugh. "I guess you're right. We are pretty stubborn. I just hope that I don't mess up again. I don't wanna lose him, Road. That will kill me if that happens."

     "That won't happen," Road consoled him. 

     "But I'm a shitty father. Actually, I don't even know how to be a father, to begin with. I've missed my chance to watch him grow up. He's his own man now. How would I know what to do, so I don't screw up?" There was a tinge of panic in my father's voice, and for a second, I thought I was dreaming because I'd never seen him panicked my entire life. Then, a sharp pain on the left side of my body reassured me that I was awake. 

Road snorted at him. "I'm gonna tell you now. You will mess up again eventually. But that's just part of parenting. Sometimes, you screw up. You can't help it. What you can do is learn how to treat him better. Learn how to be there for him like how you told him you would be. Learn how to be really his father. Not a stranger who just lives with him. So, when the day that you screw up again comes, you will be able to talk things through."   

Another short silence followed. "How did you get so smart when it comes to this kind of thing anyway?" My dad asked after a beat, amusement evident in his voice. 

Road laughed. "Believe me. After spending so many years, surrounded by kids, you pick up a thing or two."

     Surrounded by kids? What does that mean? Does he have kids? Do I have cousins? 

I was mentally freaking out as they continued with their conversation. "I want you to know that I'm happy for both of you, Ron. I've always known that you can be a great father, and sure, you weren't for a while, but you can change that now. Your son also seems like a good kid. A bit spunky. I look forward to knowing him better,” Road said with a smile in his voice.

     "Yeah. He reminds me a lot of Dad."

     Wait. Dad? Dad's dad? My grandfather?

     "Huh. I guess he does act like Father. Not that I have much to base that on since I just met him." I heard him approach closer to me. "And now that you mention it, he got his eyes too. I know Claire got green eyes, but your son had our father's eyes, I swear."

     "I thought so too. So did Claire, to be honest. That was one of the first things she pointed out after he was born."

     "I wonder if he looks exactly like dad when he's angry. I caught a glimpse of it earlier, but I couldn't pinpoint it. It looked very familiar, though." 

I heard my dad chuckle. "He does. It's kinda freaky. Whenever he glared at me before, I couldn't help but feel like it was Dad doing it, and he was about to lecture me." 

Road joined him in laughter. "Now, I really gotta see that."

Once their waves of laughter ceased, they fell silent again. I was still having a small freakout inside my head, meanwhile. They just talked about my grandfather, and my Uncle seemed like he got kids, which meant I had cousins. 

     Here I was, thinking I'm alone in the world. I got relatives out there!

I tried to force myself to move so I could ask them all the questions flying inside my brain, but it was to no avail. I was still trapped in that damn darkness and had no choice but to keep listening to their conversation.   

     "Hey, Ron."

     "What's up?"

     "You obviously have been laying low for years now, and it seems like you spent most of that time in your lab judging by the state of your relationship with your kid. So, I gotta ask. Did you find something with your research?"

     Find something? Dad did spend all his time in his lab down in the basement, and I was never allowed to go to that room. I wonder what he could've been working on. 

I waited with held breath for my father's response, but that wasn't a very good decision because, by doing so, the sharp pain on my side hurt more. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips as finally, my consciousness broke through the surface. My eyes slowly opened as I heard my dad say, "Let's talk about this later." 

I could've slapped myself for messing up such a perfect opportunity, but the body wanted what it wanted. Besides, I was very dehydrated too. 

I could see both of them walking closer to me from the corner of my eyes before my dad's father hovered in front of me. “Hey, buddy. Feeling okay? Want some water?” he asked me with concern. 

I could only nod back. He disappeared for a few seconds, but when he returned, he had a glass of water in hand. I felt like I was a disabled person because I had to be helped to drink the water. I tried to sit up once I had my fill, but I didn’t have the strength to do it and ended up falling on my back. 

     “Take it easy, Hunter. Just rest for now. You look incredibly tired, and I don't think it's wise for you to move around so much," my dad told me, holding me back down when I attempted to sit up again. I noticed that I was resting on the couch in our living room and had the urge to stand up again to go to my room instead. My father saw this, and he held me down, shaking his head at me. I couldn't fight him off since I had no energy. "I’m gonna cook something, and maybe you can eat a bite or two. Then I'll help you to your room. Sounds good?” my dad told me in his I'm-not-gonna-take-no-for-answer voice. 

I felt weird because I wasn't used to having someone take care of me. Not that I needed a lot of help since I never got sick. Now, my dad was telling me that he was going to make my food and help me to my room. I felt like I stepped into a twilight zone. It seemed so surreal.

Dad patted my shoulder once more before he walked away. “Road, can you look for him for a while? Don’t let him go anywhere, okay?” he called out. 

     “Sure. I’ll punch him if he even tries,” my Uncle yelled back. He sent me a smirk. "I'm not opposed to beating him up once or twice." 

I rolled my eyes at him and slowly lifted my hand, giving him the middle finger once it was high enough. He laughed loudly, and I shook my head at him. The world spun a bit when I did, and I stiffed straight on the couch, trying to stifle down the wave of nausea that came with it. 

There was no way that I was going to get through him, even if I tried my best, so I surrendered to my fate. I was stuck on that couch until Dad deemed fit to release me. Instead of causing any problem, I closed my eyes again and pondered the things I'd heard. I had an entire list of questions I wanted to ask them, but it was going to have to wait because I felt myself getting pulled under again. After a few seconds, I was asleep once more. 

♠♠♠♠♠

     “Son, wake up for a little bit. Just eat this, and you can go back to sleep," the voice of my father penetrated through my dreamless sleep. "C’mon, eat this while it’s hot. It’s good for you.” 

I cracked my eyes open and saw him hovering over me with a concerned look on his face. He helped me sit up once I was fully awake and put a pillow in my back. It was strange and new to me when he held a spoon full of chicken soup in front of my face. I almost recoiled back in surprise when he did. My father was feeding me. Now, that was something that I never imagined happening. Hesitantly, I opened my mouth and let him push the spoon in.   

     Where did he learn to cook soup? I bit back the question to myself.

The soup wasn't bad, but it was pretty hot. I didn't bother telling my father that, and he seemed oblivious to it. All I could see were concentration and concern written in his face as he kept feeding me, so I just chose to endure it. I got burned a few times but didn't show it, and by the time the bowl was empty, my tongue was already numbed. 

Once I had finished everything and drank some water, I laid back down with his help. He checked my temperature and confirmed what I had suspected. I had a fever. 

Usually, having a fever wouldn't be so strange if it happened to anyone but me. I never got sick. Not even when I was little. I thought it was weird initially but came to accept that my immune system was just incredible.

Therefore, having a fever was definitely something new for me—another unique experience.

     Certainly a lot of those lately.

I looked around the room and noticed that Road wasn't around anymore. My dad saw that and said, “He’s in the kitchen, trying to make something for the two of us to eat. Apparently, everything I make is inedible." I would've laughed if I had the energy to do it on how pouty Dad sounded. "He barged in earlier while I was trying to figure out how to make soup and kicked me out of the kitchen.” 

     So, that's where the soup really came from. Thanks, Uncle Road. I guess. 

I glanced at the direction of the kitchen before looking at Dad again. I cleared my throat and pushed myself into asking him, “Dad, is he really my uncle?"

There was a look of surprise in his face before he nodded. "Yeah. It's true. He's your Uncle."

     "Then why am I just meeting him now? I thought that we didn’t have any living relatives."

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "Well, that's also kinda my fault. I lost contact with him years ago and didn't really attempt to reach out to him until recently. I'm actually surprised he didn't knock me out for ditching them a long time ago. I sure as hell deserves it."

     "Is that right?" I mumbled thoughtfully. "Why is he here now?"

     "I asked him to come. I've wanted to reconcile with him the same way I've done with you. I want to correct my mistakes, and this is one of them. Road is your Uncle, and you have the right to meet him. The same way that he has the right to meet you. I'm sorry for keeping that from you, son," my father said with regret and sadness.

I tried to sit back up since I didn't want to keep having a conversation lying down, and my father assisted me. Once I was settled and had a pillow on my back for support, I told him, "It's okay, Dad. That's in the past. All that matters now is that I'm meeting my Uncle."

     "Thanks, son. I appreciate you for forgiving me after all the things I've done." 

     "Again. That's okay, Dad. Actually, if I hear another apology from you, I would be furious. So, I better not."

He chuckled. "Alright. No more apologies." He gave me a look and shook his head. "I feel like our roles are reversed. I feel like you're my dad instead of my son."

I laughed at that. "Me too. Anyway, I got another question."

     "Go ahead, then."

     "Do we have any other relatives besides Uncle Road?" I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I couldn't stop myself from wishing that it was true.

Dad must have seen the expectation in my face because he laughed at me a little bit. "Well, you got another Uncle, an Aunt, and I'm pretty sure she has two kids."

     "You're pretty sure?"

He looked sheepish for a second. "I haven't really talked to her in years, and by years, I meant before her kids were born. But I know she got kids, for sure. Road told me."

     "Elizabeth and Benedict," a voice interjected from the other side of the room. We saw Uncle Road leaning his broad shoulders on the doorway with a smile. For a second, I wondered how I was related to this mountain. He literally covered the entire doorway. "Two little rascals. Very lively and playful. Very handful too," he said with a laugh. "But also very cute. I hope you get to meet them someday." 

     "Yeah. I hope so," I agreed with him. 

     "Oh, yeah. Your other Uncle also got a kid. He's around the same age as you."

I looked at my dad in question. "I got another cousin?"

     "Yeah. I forgot to mention him. God, I haven't seen them in so long. I bet they wanna kill me by now."

Road walked towards us. "Ron, I hate to tell you this. But Estella will definitely kill you when she sees you. "I'd crushed that bastard under my heel next time I see" were her exact words last time your name came up. So, just a fair warning."

Dad just snorted and smiled. "Sounds like her, alright. I appreciate the heads up, though."

     "Anyway, the food is ready."

I met my father's concerned stare, and I grinned at him. "I'll be okay, dad. I'm pretty sure I can handle myself being alone, considering I'm already nineteen. Besides, I was thinking of going up to my room and taking a shower before going back to bed." 

My father grabbed my arm. "Let me help go up there, then."

I shook my head at him. "I'm pretty sure I can go up to my room by myself, dad. But thanks. Go and eat with Uncle Road. Bet you guys have a lot of things to talk about."

It was pretty comical seeing the surprised look in my Uncle's face when I referred to him like that. I smugly smirked at him, and he returned it when he finally recovered. He shook his head and went back to the kitchen. Meanwhile, my dad was still beside me, looking concerned. 

     "Dad, seriously. I'll be fine. I'm feeling a bit better now. I promised I'll go and get some rest after I shower."

He still looked unconvinced, but he finally relented. "Fine. But make sure that you go to bed immediately."

     "I promise. Don't got the energy to do anything else besides that and shower anyway."

     "Before you sleep, though, take this."

He handed me a blue tablet, and I held it in my palm. "What is this? Some kind of medicine?"

     "Something like that," he quickly answered. "I'll check up on you later once we're done eating."

He stood up and left to follow Uncle Road to the kitchen, but not before kissing me on the forehead. 

I was stunned for a second because I didn't expect ever in my life that my father would show any form of affection towards me. Yet, he just kissed me in the head like I was a kid.

     What a strange day, I thought. 

I slowly stood up once I got my head together and my way up. I had to grab the railing for support because the world was still spinning a bit, but somehow, I made it to my room and then to my shower stall. I took a quick shower, and not even ten minutes later, I was on my bed. I popped the blue tablet my dad gave me into my mouth and pushed it down with some water before arranging myself under the blanket. 

My thoughts were swimming inside my head, and I wanted to wait for Dad to come up so I could ask him a bit more questions, but I felt drained once again. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't resist my eyes from closing. I thought of the things I discovered today, like having living relatives and even having an uncle, who was just downstairs, as I slowly drifted away. 

     Finally, I got a family. 

That was my last thought before the darkness claimed me once more.