| Subject: The Dragonslayer, Chapters 27 & 28 |
Author:
Jaron
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Date Posted: 19:23:36 12/18/01 Tue
In reply to:
Jaron
's message, "The Dragonslayer" on 16:44:37 12/16/01 Sun
The Dragonslayer, Chapter 27
When Rene heard the man order his father to wake up, he giggled and quickly clapped
his hand over his mouth. He knew that he was probably not supposed to hear what
the man had said to his father. His Mom had told him it was not nice to secretly
listen to the conversations of others. Rene quickly stepped back from the curtains
and, in doing so, caused them to flutter.
A voice said sharply, “Who’s there? Come out so I can see you! NOW!”
Rene knew an “in charge” voice when he heard one. His Mom used that tone of voice
when she wanted him to do something “right now.” He walked forward and parted
the curtains to find the man towering over him and looking down at him. Rene had to
lean his head way back to look up at the man’s face. He had large blue eyes, made
even bigger by the glasses that he wore. The man looked annoyed that he had been
overheard.
“And who, may I ask, are you?” The man continued to stare down at Rene.
“I’m Rene, and why did you ask that? I bet I’m the only little kid in this whole place.
So who else would I be but Michael’s son? Have you brought any other kids into this
place lately? You’re my Daddy’s boss, aren’t you? And what’s your real name? I
heard them talking about Operations. That’s you, isn’t it? What kind of a name is
that?” The words tumbled out of Rene’s mouth. He always talked a lot when he was
nervous, and this man made him nervous. “And while I’m at it, why were you so
mean to my Daddy?”
Operations was surprised by the emotion in the boy’s voice. So many questions
thrown at him by so small a person made him take a step back from Rene. He didn’t
know what to say to Michael’s son, but he recovered quickly.
“Mean? When have I been mean to your father? Even as he said it, Operations knew
what Rene meant, but even so, he tried to cover for himself. “I happen to think very
highly of your father, Rene. Sometimes he seems more of a son to me than my own
son.” Operations couldn’t believe what he had just admitted to Rene.
Rene put his hands on his slim hips and stared straight into the icy blue eyes staring
down at him. “Would you try to make your own son think his son was dead? How
would you feel if someone told you your son was dead. You must not love your son
very much if you could do something like that to someone you say means as much to
you as your own son!! Pausing for a breath, Rene continued his tirade. “If you are my
Daddy’s boss, then you make things happen around here. Are you the one who told
my Daddy I was dead? I don’t know how you could do that to someone you say you
care about! Well, are you the one?”
Rene’s green eyes were flashing with uncontrolled anger and Operations was amazed
that he found himself speechless. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. It
was the first time that he had been forced to think about the human side of what he
and Madeline had done to Michael when they told him Rene had been killed by a hit
and run driver.
“I...I...I...” was all he could force out of his mouth. Somehow, a nervous laugh passed
his lips, which only incensed Rene even more. He thought Operations was laughing at
him.
“You are a mean, evil man!! I hate you! I hate you! Don’t you dare laugh at me and
my Daddy!!” Hot, angry tears pooled in Rene’s eyes and then overflowed. He lunged
at Operations with small fists flailing at the powerful leader of Section One, who had
quickly retreated from the enraged Rene. He took several steps back before he
remembered who he was and where he was.
Rene continued his assault until Operations stooped over and picked Rene up, pinning
his swinging arms with his own arms. “Rene, stop it! Rene, listen to me! Let me
explain!!”
Rene quieted, the rush of adrenaline dissipated. He glowered at man holding him
captive.
“You know, Rene, you remind me a little of my own son. You two have the same
spirit. Your Daddy is a very lucky man to have a son like you.”
“Then why did you take me away from him. How could you tell him I died three years
ago?”
Operations glanced over at Michael’s still form. “That’s, that’s kind of hard to
explain.”
“Try!!” Rene pierced a cold heart with his stare. “Try!!” he repeated.
The Dragonslayer, Chapter 28
“Try!” Rene demanded. Operations had said it was difficult to explain how he could
have told Michael that Rene was dead, and Rene was not about to let it go. He
wanted an answer and he wanted it NOW!
Operations acquiesced to Rene’s demand. “Okay, but let’s sit down. This could be a
long story.” Operations carried a silent, and much calmer Rene over to a chair by
Michael’s bed and sat down, settling the child into his lap. It had been years since he
had held his child, or any child, in his arms. Somehow it felt comforting to him. They
both unconsciously glanced at Michael, a silent sentinel to their approaching
conversation.
Just as Operations was about to speak, Michael’s nurse walked up to Michael’s bed
smiling, but came to a screeching halt when she saw who was sitting by his bed with
Rene in his lap.
Operations just looked at her and said, “Some privacy, please?’ And she disappeared
without a sound.
Rene blinked in surprise and asked, “Does everybody do what you tell them to do
without even a word?”
“Ahhhh, yes. Most of the time,” Operation smiled down at Rene’s face, chuckling
briefly to himself at Rene’s bemused expression. “People around here usually listen
and do what I say.”
“That’s because they are scared of you. I’ve seen it in their eyes.” Rene said. “They
listen to my Daddy because they respect him and they know that he won’t ask them
to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself. Do the people who work for you respect
you like they respect my Daddy?”
Operations was dumbfounded at Rene’s question. Out of the mouths of babes, he
thought. “You know, Rene, I don’t know the answer to that. I never really thought
about it. I just expected their respect.” Thinking back, Operations could only
remember fear or indifference on the faces of those he commanded in Section. But
respect.....he had to think hard on that, and he came up empty.
“What about your son, does he love and respect you like I love and respect my
Daddy?” The sound of Rene’s voice brought Operations back from his thoughts of the
past.
“I don’t know,” he confessed. “I haven’t seen him to talk to him since he was your
age.”
Rene was shocked that a father wouldn’t want to see his son. “ How old is he now?”
“He’s almost your father’s age. I haven’t seen him for a long time.” Operations was
somewhat ashamed of that admission.
“What kind of a Daddy are you?” Rene sputtered, astonished that a father could go so
long without seeing his son. “My Daddy would never do that. We keep in touch even
when we can’t be together. Look!” Rene held up his wrist to display the new watch
that was a match, albeit child-sized, of the same watch that Michael wore. “It’s like
my Daddy’s. The alarm goes off every day at 3:30, and we both stop and think of
each other.” Operation’s eyes acquired a far-away look as he remembered a briefing
just last week that was interrupted by the faint beeping of an alarm. He remembered
giving Michael a disapproving look, only to find Michael in deep thought, his eyes
momentarily closed, a slight smile on his face. Remembered also when he made a
biting comment about operatives paying attention during the briefing, smiling to
himself as he watched Michael snap back to reality and saw his secret smile disappear
from his face, once again giving Operations his full and undivided concentration.
For some reason, Operations felt a pang of shame that he had destroyed the moment
of time for Michael’s silent communion with Rene. Again, Rene’s voice drew him back
in. Rene was saying, “It’s just a few seconds or minutes each day, but at least for that
little bit of time, we each know we are loved by the other. How can you not see your
son. Don’t you love him?”
“I do, very much, but he is safer not knowing me. People would try to use him against
me, just like those bad men tried to use you to get to your father.” Operations felt
awkward trying to justify himself. Answering a seven-year-old was a new experience
for him.
“But my Daddy came and saved me. Wouldn’t you do that for your son?” Rene asked,
tilting his head to look up at Operations.
Always the hard questions with this young one, Operations thought. “I have a lot of
responsibilities here and I have to deal with a lot of really bad people. I’ve been
fighting evil men since before your father was born. I wanted my son to be safe from
all that.”
Rene stared at Operations with an expression that was something akin to awe. “You
actually fought the bad guys yourself?” Operations nodded, and thought to himself,
every day of my life. “Then you are a Dragonslayer too! Just like my Daddy, and even
my Mom! Wow!”
“Dragonslayer? What do you mean, Rene?”
“My Mom says anyone who fights the bad guys is a Dragonslayer. She told me a story
a long time ago. Wanna hear it?” Operations nodded and so, Rene began the story
that helped him understand why he could no longer live with his parents.
He was just finishing the story when he felt Operations gently nudge him in the side
and point toward Michael’s bed.
Rene’s eyes followed the pointing finger and let out an ear-shattering whoop that
brought doctors, nurses, and Grace and Walter racing into Michael’s room at a
dead-run.
Rene found himself staring into a pair of clear, green eyes just like his own. Michael
smiled lovingly at Rene and held out his right arm, the left one still a prisoner in the
bandages that bound it to his chest.
“DADDY! Rene yelled. “DADDY! He began to scramble from Operations lap, but
Operations stood quickly and deposited Rene onto his father’s bed. Father and son
embraced awkwardly, because of Michael’s bandages and because Rene didn’t want
to cause his father pain. Grace, Walter, and even Operations gathered around the
bed, each more than a little misty-eyed at the reunion taking place in front of them.
The Dragonslayer had awakened.
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