5. You don't have to say goodbye

Eva took keen notice of her associate's behavior change. Luke had left in a hurry saying there was an emergency, something involving his older brother. By the looks of things, that something was severe. Of course, Eva didn't stop him; the woman knew the importance of family above all else. The family was why she was doing this, so another family would not be as broken as hers.

Eva sent one of her assistants down the hall soon after Luke and the others left the lab. When the shy intern returned, he had company, a man in a military uniform. Conrad Jones was the government liaison for the group's research. He was also someone very special to Eva.

"Hey, honey, where's Lizzy and the gang headed in such a hurry? If you sent them for food, you should have told me. I would kill for a biggie with cheese right now. That meeting with the FDA guys ran long, and I missed lunch. I feel like my navel is touching my spine; I'm so hungry!" While Conrad wasn't as ...eloquent as he could have been, he wasn't as dumb as he acted.

"No, something has happened to Luke's brother, I think. You will look into this, yes? " Evas said, smiling, as usual, shooing her assistant away.

" Something... like what, like an accident. Cassie would have called me... wait, you don't think it involves Cassie, do you ?. " Conrad paled a bit. Indeed, the hospital would have called if his sister had been injured.

Eva frowned, noticing the scared look on her boyfriend's face; she quickly stepped forward and took the soldiers' hands. " Conrad, I don't know; this is why I ask you to make that call. Then we will know. I'm sure Cassie is fine. As you say, she would call you if she had been harmed, right?"

" Yeah, your right. Will was probably doing something weird again. It's probably nothing. I'm going to be like 5, maybe 10. You know, long enough to make a couple of calls to make sure, " Conrad said before returning to his office.

Things returned to usual in short order; the rest of the crew and Eva were working in different areas of the lab, and one would never know something had been amiss. They all picked up a bit of slack here and there with their fellow scientists gone. Eva couldn't help but glance back at the door every so often.

Something in her gut was telling her something important was about to happen. Something that would change everything.

It was 15 minutes later when Eva looked up and saw Conrad standing in the hall, leaning against the wall. The man's posture bothered her; it wasn't normal. She headed out of the lab and eyed the man alone and lost.

"Conrad .... " she said, walking up slowly to the soldier who had a vacant expression.

"Conrad, what is wrong? Tell me. " She stood before him, looking up into his tear-rimmed blue eye, and took hold of his shoulders, trying to find something other than a pain in his gaze.

"Will is ....he's dead. I talked to the cops; it was a home invasion. The perp ....shot him right in the chest. My God, Cassie... this will destroy her, Eva. Cassie loves him so much; I thought they would get married, you know? She's never.. had anybody not like this. We have to go. I don't know what she'll do."

Conrad looked terrified. His sister was the only family he had. She knew what Will meant to Cassie; the pair were so connected in a way that Eva would be afraid to allow for herself. Though she wished she could, there was too much baggage to enable it.

She knew that Conrad had been so worried about his sister after both their parents were gone. He had often told Eva about his childhood and the coldness in their home. How he often had to be the one for Cassie to lean on. Then the divorce came, and they made their choices. He chose his father under some misguided need to impress the man. Cassie went with their mother. Conrad often regretted not seeing his mother more before her death.

After their mother was gone, Cassie didn't have anyone. Her brother had worried she would never let anyone else in. Then William was there; as much as he hated to admit it, Will was remarkable for his sister. In a way, he felt like the man had saved his sister's life. Now he was gone; he didn't know if his quiet sibling could cope.

Eva, admittedly..., wasn't Williams's biggest fan, but she certainly didn't want the man to die. She was fond of Luke, and one of the reasons she wanted to work with him was his devotion to his brother. She respected that about the man. She also liked Cassie, not just because she was her boyfriend's sister, but because she was kind and gentle and reminded her of someone close to her heart. Most of all, she knew Conrad would be devastated if Cassie were to give up on life after that. Then and there, staring into her lover's frightened eyes, she made a choice. Now it was just up to Luke and Cassie to accept the help she was offering.

When Eva and Conrad stepped off the elevator, Randall gave his coworker a rather pointed look as if the wheels were already turning in the brunette's mind at what the other was planning. He didn't voice it, though. If he did know, Victoria and Anthony had left him some time ago as they couldn't stay, and he had his hands complete with Liz and Felicia.

Conrad gave his girlfriend a pleading look which she nodded in understanding. He took off down the hall to find his sister. Eva, however, took a more leisurely pace until she came upon Luke sitting alone in the corridor. Looking down on the man who sat with his head nestled in folded arms, Eva took the first step down this road of no return.

"Luke, I have a proposition for you. You..want your brother back, yes?" she asked, but she already knew the answer, didn't she? She knew because a similar question brought her to this country. That ruled her work and haunted the empty spaces left in her heart.

Luke lifted his head; his blue eyes rimmed red from the tears already shed. He knew what was happening in Eva's mind and what she was asking, but he wanted his brother back more than anything. If playing God crossed the line, he would charge that barrier unapologetic. Maybe he lost his soul but regained the man that meant so much. " Yes. I do, Eva, I do."

"We have much to discuss then." Eva smiled and offered her hand, long ox-blood red nails glinting in the flickering fluorescent lights, helping the man to his feet. She placed a hand on his shoulder in what could almost be a sign of comfort if you didn't know how awkward that was for her. More than anything, it was a tool to seal this deal. Physical touch was disarming, after all. " I know you care for your brother; you understand that to agree to this means a risk? This will be unlike anything we have tried before." She asked.

" Yes, Eva...I'm not stupid; I knew that when it all started. As mad as this research is, I knew exactly what it meant. I never thought it would be my brother. But I can not stand here and do nothing when there could be a chance. " Luke met her eyes with a desperate plea.

"This is true, but once we do this, there is no turning back, understand? You have seen all the things that could happen to other subjects. I want your specific answer; then, we will talk to Cassie. " Eva now held both of the man's shoulders as she stared at him, searching for any doubt. She knew this could have easily been her years ago if such a thing were possible. It could still be her now, in a way. She wanted this for her reasons. If this could work, it meant they had finally done it. All the research, all the trial, and error, they would have done it. They would have conquered death.

" I am sure. " Luke's eyes bore resolve even if it was foolish. He had to believe they had all worked hard enough on the formulas. That William would be different. He was human. He wasn't a rabbit, rat, or monkey. The results would be different if they had to be; they had to try.

"Come, we see how Conrad and his doing are doing, yes? I anticipated this and will have the paperwork for the hospital. It will all be settled within the hour. The van is waiting with Edward, one of my assistants, then we go ." Eva smiled and patted the man's back. The two headed down the corridor to find her boyfriend and his sister.

However, their conversation had been overheard by a confident man, who came running up with his wife.

"Luke, NO! You can not be serious! " Randall said, stopping the two in their tracks.

"That is your brother! Not a ..a...Guinea pig. Even if I couldn't stand William, I wouldn't stand there and see his body desecrated! You're not thinking clearly, And Eva, you! My God, I can't even believe you. I know you wanted to move this along for your work, but this? Is your poaching a tragedy for your gain? " The brunette was fuming. Liz tried to calm him down.

Before Luke could say a word, Eva stepped between them. "No, Randal. While I want to further our research, I also know what it is like to lose your family. You are not to question my motives ever. I wish to help before more unneeded blood is shed. Liz dear, I suggest you keep him in check as I am not as kind always as I am now. "

Randal seemed to lose steam. He wasn't done with this yet, but he may not test Eva again. He would try to talk Luke out of this before it was too late.

Just behind them, Felicia came down the hall, nursing a glass of water. "Luke, are you ok? " Felicia trembles before sliding up to her husband, hugging the man around the waist.

" Yes, Felicia, everything's going to be fine ..." He hoped.

Meanwhile

When Conrad saw his sister, he thought his heart would break. Francis was sitting on the floor with Cassie trying his best to reach the girl. Oliver looked like hell standing by the glassy-eyed young woman patting her hair, kindly trying to offer comfort. He had seen many people come over there to identify bodies or say goodbye. It was part of the man's job, but seeing someone so close to you draw up into themselves in a sea of grief. It was shattering.

" How's she doing?" The uniformed young man said regarding his sister.

"How does she bloody well look like she's doing? " Oliver snapped, receiving a glance from the crouched plastic surgeon."Sorry, ..she's ..not well ." He corrected, offering Francis a hand up off the floor.

"Can you both give us a sec? " Conrad said, kneeling toward Cassie.

Francis nodded and wrapped an arm around the smaller male. He desperately needed the nicotine anyway before his emotions got the better of him as well.

Conrad smiled, leaning forward to his sister. Their foreheads touched as he rubbed the slighter blond arms. " Cassie .. it's Con. Can you hear me, sis? I need you to be ok. I know it hurts, but I need you to be with me, alright? Please look at me, Cassie; I need you to listen."

Cassie's eyes flitted up, looking into her brothers' sky-blue ones. Conrad smiled and patted her cheek, rubbing away some stray tears. " Hey....there you are ..Cassie, I need you to listen, "

"ok.." Cassie whispered, reaching out and clutching her hands in the others' lapels as if holding on made him real.

"I know you don't know what we do at the lab, but you like Eva. You know she would never hurt you or me. Well, we want to help you, and...William. " Conrad didn't know how to approach this, to be honest, so he thought he'd just test the waters first before saying anything odd like ' Hey, I've got an Idea, hear me out; let's reanimate your dead boyfriend like resident evil only without the freaky tentacles or spikes ok sis!' ...that did cross his mind ..thank god he was listening. He didn't go with that.

Cassie clenched her jaw, feeling the pain welling up again. What was Conrad saying? I was too late. There was no making this better. "H-he's gone ..Con..he's really ...he's gone ."

" shhh no, come on, focus on my voice Cass, " Conrad said, trying to stop this new wave of tears and tremors wrapping his smaller sibling ."Cassie, it's not too late. I can't explain everything, but I need you to hear me out. We can do something to bring William back. I know how this sounds, but you are my family, and I love and need you to trust me. Do you trust me ?"

Cassie's mind was reeling. 'bring Will back ?' That was impossible. Will had been shot. He had been dead when the police arrived. She saw him, sat there, and touched her lover's cold body. But... Con would never lie. Never lie about something so painful, not like this. She wanted William; she needed him. She wasn't ready to let go."I ...I trust you."

"ok, everything is going to be ok, I promise. I'm still your hero. I always chased the monsters away, didn't I? " Conrad held his sister to his chest. This was different than when they were little and their parents would fight. This wasn't as easy as holding on through the screaming and telling stories in the dark to make everything around them disappear. That didn't mean he still shouldn't try.

 

"Conrad, has she agreed? " Eva said as he walked toward the two, Luke trailing behind her.

"yeah, babe hey, um, I'm going to take her ahead, OK? " Conrad gathered up his sister in his arms gently. The other was still in such a fragile state he didn't want to leave her alone. 

 

The woman understood the look in her lover's eyes. She offered a smile and leaned in and kissed the blonde's temple before looking down at Cassie, who seemed far away, clinging to her brother. Eva offered a thin, sad smile now; she couldn't help but be reminded of her sweet big sister looking at Cassie. She would do what she could to help the young woman. " Yes, I will be behind you. We have everything ready ."

Oliver and Francis watched as Cassie's brother carried her to his Jeep. They hoped somehow the quiet, sweet girl wouldn't be ruined for life by this.

"Christ...this is all such shit. " Oliver breathed, leaning on the railway on the back platform where the two had been smoking, trying to find some calm in the cool night air.

Francis hugged him from behind and rested his scruffy chin on the more petite man's shoulder ." how could a day so terrible exist? William was a good man, and Cassie ...poor Cassie .."

"I know love; life isn't fair. How were you doing, taking care of her like that? I know this hurts you too," he turned and touched the man's face, regarding his worn expression.

Before he could answer, the creak of the doors alerted them to the others exiting. True, it was late, but this mass Exodus seemed odd. Odder still, Oliver saw a woman standing, motioning a van into the loading area.

" what's all this?" the doctor questioned. Unfortunately, his partner seemed just as confused.

The van's rear doors opened, and three men unloaded a wheeled gurney. Oliver had a bad feeling about this. He went to meet them as they approached. Before he could launch into a few choice words, one of them, a slim brunette, shoved a clipboard in his hands. The trio passed him on their way into the morgue.

" You wait a damn minute! " he shrieked, flopping the paperwork against Francis's chest. Fortunately, the man read the documents and reached out, stopping the others' tirade.

" I think you should have a look at this. This says they are taking William's body; it looks like it's all in order with military seals and everything ." the surgeon flipped through the pages before handing it back.

Francis was correct; there was nothing he could do. The pair watched as the black bag atop the stretcher was loaded wordlessly into the military van. Eva waved, grinning like she always did as she slipped into the driver's side. 

Oliver couldn't help the uneasy feeling that ran through his spine as he watched the convoy of taillights fade in the distance. Something was about to happen that he didn't know. For as long as he could remember, he had always had a sense of these things, like an animal before a storm. That tingling sensation fell over his skin, begging for a fight or flight. " I don't like this," he said, shrinking himself against his partner's side, letting the taller man hold him close. On a typical day, he would have struggled to be treated like a distressed maiden. Not right now.

"I don't either. Let us wait and see."