Chapter 192: A scientist without morals is dangerous
"What?" May’s voice was choked, and she reached for Andrew, grabbing at him thoughtlessly, just knowing that she needed to touch him. Andrew’s throat closed up, so all he could do was nod.
"Andrew was missing for about a week." Maxwell’s voice, which had previously been full of anger and rage, was now more subdued. It sounded as if even he was fighting tears. "She lured him out the day after to a coffee shop nearby. She was going to drop off the laptop he had used at the company and she said that she wanted to apologise. I had Andrew share his location with me on his phone, but when he was kidnapped, he forgot it. I knew he shouldn’t go, but I also knew I couldn’t convince him otherwise." Maxwell’s voice held a deep, tight sadness that had Andrew exhaling slowly.
"You can’t blame yourself, Max. We didn’t know how crazy she was." Andrew’s lips shook. "I...she was really crazy though. She said she was going to fix me."
"Oh my god." Rose said, and Andrew swallowed.
"I didn’t know what it meant at first. She also...she wasn’t alone. She had a partner in crime, and guards and the like. I...I didn’t just manifest." Andrew shook. "I was changed against my will."
"Oh my god." Rose sounded even more distressed. May muffled a sob.
"That’s...that’s a human rights violation! How did-oh my god." Richard pushed his chair back, and moved to the kitchen so he could pace. He was so full of emotions, and Andrew couldn’t blame him.
"Are you okay?" Ford asked, and Andrew looked up at him. His eyes were swimming, and tear trails ran down his face, but he reached for Andrew’s hand even if he couldn’t touch it. Andrew was doing his best, but eventually his face just crumbled and he shook his head.
"No. I never wanted to be this. I know that Maxwell accepts me no matter what but I just...I was just getting comfortable with the idea that I could be normal, maybe settle down and then this happened and I just..." Andrew sucked in. His tears splattered onto the table below him, soaking into the piece of pie he had been served and the tablecloth below. "I don’t want to be like my father." Andrew admitted. "And now I am everything he ever wanted. It’s...devastating."