“His body started to reject the Chip?”Sebastian offers.
“Yes!” I say. “And the seizures. He startedhaving the seizures.”
Sebastian looks to Varya. “This is what youwanted to ask me? About anti-rejection serums?”
Varya nodded, not meeting his eyes. “Connorsaid… said he thought you might know about one. We haven’t beenable to develop one that we can test in similar enough conditionsto ensure its safety. I need to know it’s safe.”
Sebastian smiled then, a watery, tearysmile. “You’ve cured the cancer?” Varya nods. “And so… he’s stillin the Time Lock because of the Chip rejection, the seizures?”Varya nods again. “But that’s the only thing?”
“Yes,” she whispers hoarsely. “And it’s myfault. It’s my fault because I rushed the treatment without theproper tests…” She’s slumped at my feet now, twisted to face him.She flicks her eyes up to his briefly, trying to judge his reactionto this news.
He shakes his head in amazement. “Varya, youfound a cure. You saved his life. That’s incredible.”
She moans. “I nearly killed him, Sebastian.I nearly killed him because I was rushing. I wanted it to be right.I wanted to be right. And it nearly killed him. I nearlykilled our son.”
He stood up suddenly. “Can I see him? Is henear? Who’s looking after him?”
“Yes,” says Varya.
“He’s asleep,” I interject. “Can you fixhim?” I ask, annoyed that they have had this big long discussion,taking up my valuable minutes but still not solving the issue athand.
“Y-yes. Yes, of course. I can fix him,” saysSebastian, distracted. He’s trying to focus on me at the same timeas looking around wildly trying to find where his little boy mightbe hiding. But I need to know. I raise my eyebrows expectantly.“Yes, Connor was right. We’ve been advancing in the field ofanti-rejection serum over the past few years. We have severaldifferent types, including one that was developed specifically todeal with organ transplants and blood transfusion cases. It’s fullytested and operational. No side effects.” He turns to Varya. “Theydid a blood transfusion as part of Kir’s treatment?”
She nods. “Several.”
He grins. “Well, there you go. That’ll bewhat triggered it. The Chips are programmed to the recipient’sgenetic code. Transfusions and transplants can screw with them ifthe genetics are too different, even if the blood typematches.”
“Okay,” she says, barely willing tobelieve.
“I can fix him,” says Sebastian.
“Okay.” Her tears flow again. I think minemight as well.
“But can I see him first? Please?”
“Yes,” she says.
I glance at the clock.
“Varya, my dear.”
“Mum? Mum, how many minutes do you haveleft?” She puts her hand on my knee, her other on the couch, andpulls herself up to sit beside me.
I put my hands over her hand. “I havesixteen minutes left, my darling Varya.” I look up to Sebastian.“Spare room down the hall, walk through the shimmery circle, thensecond door on the left down the hallway. Don’t make too muchnoise. He’s asleep.”
Sebastian pauses, then nods and walksquickly out of the room.
“I need to say good-bye now,” I tell Varyawhen he is gone.
She doesn’t try to fight me this time.“Thank you. Thank you for…” She sobs. She hasn’t prepared for thismoment, but I have. I have had much time in that Time Lock to thinkabout this.
“Sssh,” I soothe. “Listen to yourmother.”
She nods.
“Our Kir, he has a long life ahead of him.Reggie, he measured Kir’s life span for me.”
“Is that why he took the time transfer tech?Reg?”
“Yes. I asked him to take a reading. I had adream, a premonition, that Kir only had a life span of just sevenyears. I was so sure I was right. I didn’t want you wasting awayyour own years trying to fix a child who would die soonanyway.”
“But you were wrong,” Varya said, a smalllaugh escaping along with her next sob.
I roll my eyes. “Yes, on this one, singleoccasion. I was wrong.”
“So, how long does he have?”
“Barring catastrophe, he has a total ofseventy-eight years of life span. He’s already lived nine years,but only four years out here. The Time Chip, Reggie says it willlet him live his full sixty-five years out here, it won’t count theones in the Time Lock. So, our Kir has had five bonus years.” Igrin, incredibly pleased with myself. My Kir will get to live forseventy years in total before his Rest Time.
“Good,” Varya nods fiercely, then. “Good,”she says again.
“Yes,” I agree. “It is very good.”
We both sit, silently contemplating Kir as ateenager; Kir as an adult; Kir as a father himself, maybe; Kir asan old man waiting for his own Rest Time Ceremony, a long time fromnow. I pat her hand.
“And now I have to let go of you. I willmiss you, Varya. But I’ll see you again one day, a long time fromnow, after your own Rest Time. And Kir. We’ll all be togetheragain, I’m sure.”
“Oh, Mum, you know I don’t believe in…”
“Hush. I will believe for us both. You cando whatever you like. Don’t rain on my afterlife.”
I hold my arms out to her for a big hugthen. She comes into my arms and we hold each other fiercely, notlooking at the clock, not checking the time. I know it is nearlytime. I don’t need the clock to tell me that. I breathe in thesmell of my Varya’s beautiful hair, remembering how soft it waswhen she was first born, how soothing it was to stroke my fingersthrough it. A damp crown of prolific dark hair, which all fell outsoon enough.
I feel the first stage of the Time Chip’srelease. My limbs start to relax, and I feel Varya’s silent sobsincrease again.
“I love you, babushka. You take care of ourKir, won’t you?”
It’s the last thing I say to her as my eyesclose.
“I love you, too, Mama. I’ll take the bestcare of Kir that I can, I promise.”
As the final stage of the Rest Time Chipreleases I hear soft footsteps.
“He’s so beautiful,” Sebastian breathes ashe comes into the room. I can picture him
