But it didn’t come. The bone regrew, finishing the feet, and then the toes, and there was no more for it to do. The muscle continued, covering the ankle, tendons snapping into place, protecting the feet, and then the toes. The skin was last, and it formed.
Minutes passed, the operating room dead quiet, and Tommy healed.
The skin finished healing, and Tommy was whole again. Tears poured down Jon’s cheeks, but he didn’t wipe them. He did his best to blink his eyes clear. The room stayed silent. They knew the true test.
“Stop the pump,” said Jon. The pump slowed to a halt. “Pull him from the nutrient bath.”
The team grabbed him, needing a couple more now that he had the extra weight of legs. They guided him back to the stretcher, toweled him dry, and covered him with a sheet.
“Wake—wake him up,” said Jon, his voice catching in his throat. The anesthesiologist pulled the mask off Tommy’s mouth and nose. He breathed real air again, and a few minutes later, his eyes fluttered open. Jon stood there, and Tommy came back.
“Dad?” asked Tommy.
“Tommy,” said Jon. He grabbed his hand. “Take it slow. Breathe for me.”
Tommy breathed.
“How do you feel?” asked Jon.
“I—I can feel my toes again,” said Tommy. He raised his leg and poked out his foot. “They’re real.” Jon hugged him then, hugged him hard. The team cheered. They had succeeded.
“Bravo! Bravo!” yelled Shaw from above.
Jon held Tommy, hugging him hard. He didn’t look up to Shaw.
But he hadn’t forgotten his rage.
26
Tommy took tentative steps across their living room. An old game show played on the television behind him, the volume down low. Tommy made it across the room, and then put a hand on a chair, bracing himself.
“How do they feel?” asked Jon.
“It’s weird,” said Tommy. “It’s really weird. It’s getting easier.”
Jon looked at the bare legs of his son. They seemed healthy, with strong muscle, no sign of atrophy or weakness. They regenerated just as if Tommy had lost them yesterday, not six years ago. And while the legs themselves were strong, the rest of Tommy’s body hadn’t had lower legs for quite a while.
They had been under house arrest for a day now, with Shaw being true to his word. The doctors had taken Tommy aside after the operation, doing every kind of test they could think of. Their prognosis is that he was as healthy as a horse. But then Shaw had talked to him.
“We don’t have much time, Jon,” said Shaw. “I wasn’t lying about that. But everything is falling into place. Soon, we’ll all be out of here, and everything will work out. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you back on the surface. Regardless of our differences down here, I couldn’t have done any of this without you. I will reward you, after I take control. I want to thank you, Jon. None of this would have happened without you.”
And then the guards took Jon and Tommy back to their home. Jon had been wrong, because Tommy rode his wheelchair back, his balance still not good enough to walk. But after a day of practicing, he was better, almost normal. Tommy sat down again after another circuit of the living room.
“What’s going to happen to us?” asked Tommy.
“I don’t know,” said Jon. “We’re very comfortable prisoners right now. Shaw said he’ll take care of us, after everything is through. I don’t trust him, so who knows.”
“What is Mr. Shaw planning?” asked Tommy.
“I don’t know for sure,” said Jon. “Tabby saw a completed beam weapon of some kind. Something powerful, very advanced. There’s my research. There are dozens of other projects, and Shaw alluded to most of them being complete. He talked about factories, on the surface. My guess is he’s going to try and seize power.”
“He’s going to take over the world?” asked Tommy. “Doesn’t he already have everything he wants?”
Jon laughed. “Men like Shaw, they’ll never be happy. The only happiness they feel is fleeting, when they get what they want, but then they have to find something else they have to have. Whether it be power, or money, or even their arm back. I don’t know if Shaw wants the world. Maybe he just wants a small part of it. Or to sell it to the highest bidder. But he already has all the money in the world, so I don’t think it’s that. I think he’s going to use it to take over somewhere.”
“Do you think he will?” asked Tommy.
“I don’t know,” said Jon. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know,” said Tommy. “Won’t the other governments try and stop him?”
“Probably,” said Jon. “But a lot of places were in shambles before we came down here. Who knows how they’re doing now. They might have lost control. And that’s when it’s easiest for someone to step in and take it. Especially if they have the resources Shaw does.”
“What can we do?” asked Tommy.
“I don’t know,” said Jon. “Not much, I guess. We can be frustrated. Are you okay?”
“I guess,” said Tommy. “Everything worked out, I guess. I’ve got my legs back.”
“Yeah,” said Jon, exhaling. “It wasn’t exactly an ideal situation, though. And I haven’t forgiven Shaw.”
“Isn’t this what you wanted, though?” asked Tommy.
“I thought so,” said Jon. “For a long time. And I’m glad you can walk again. But you were right the whole time. I made a mistake, that night, and it hurt you. But hurting you more trying to reclaim something wasn’t worth it, even if it resulted in this. Your mom and I might still be together, and we’d be in a different place. Would the world be better? No. But I’m sorry, Tommy. I’m sorry for everything.”
“It’s okay,” said Tommy, and he hugged Jon. Jon hugged him back.
“What do we do now?” asked Tommy. “Do we just wait?”
Jon sighed. His frustration, his anger and rage toward Shaw hadn’t disappeared, but it was impotent now. They were trapped.
“We wait,” said Jon. “We watch some old TV shows. Hope for the best, I guess.”
“Can I play a game?” asked Tommy.
“Sure,” said Jon. “I’ll be reading in my room if you need me.”
Tommy set up a game on the big screen, and Jon went back to his bedroom, laying down and opening up his tablet. The ShawNet had a huge eBook library, and he had all the time in the world to read. He started Anna Karenina when his phone buzzed on the nightstand.
He looked at it. They had turned off messaging and calls for him, for everyone in house arrest. He had tried to contact Tabby a thousand times, but it never worked. The phone buzzed again, and Jon grabbed it. It simply read Operations. Maybe they were calling to ask for a grocery order. He answered.
“Hello?” said Jon.
“Hello, Dr. Matthews,” said a familiar voice. “This is Nadia.”
“Um, hello,” said Jon. “I—I didn’t expect you to call me.”
“No, I imagine not,” said Nadia. “I have a proposition for you, Dr. Matthews.”
“Please, just call me Jon,” he said. “And what is it? Is this another of Shaw’s deals?”
“I don’t work for Shaw,” said Nadia.
“I—what?” asked Jon. “Yes, you do.”
“My proposition is this. I get you out from house arrest, along with your son, and anyone else you need. I get you to the surface, and I take you to safety, provided you fulfill your end of the bargain.”
“And what is that?” asked Jon.
“You kill Eaton Shaw,” said Nadia. “In roughly three hours, Shaw will undergo the same procedure as Tommy, to re-grow his arm. Dr. Stone will oversee it. It provides us with an opportunity, a very rare opportunity, where Shaw will be vulnerable. And you’re uniquely qualified to help, with your knowledge.”