Bitter Reunions: Chapter Three



The conversation with his father had pretty much ended there.

And now, three days later, he still didn't know anything more 
than what his father had told him in that one discussion. He 
hadn't wanted to know, and he'd made it clear to his father and 
the hospital staff.

He hated the look in his father's eyes. He didn't want to hurt 
him.

They'd released him the day after he awoke, claiming that there 
was nothing wrong with him - nothing that could be fixed by 
medicine anyway. One of the physicians had recommended a 
psychiatrist to help the two of them deal with the sudden 
changes. Dr. Quest had promised to consider it.

They'd driven home in almost total silence. Dr. Quest had 
mentioned something here or something there, nothing too 
close to home, but enough to really make it clear that things 
had changed and the last few days weren't just a bad dream.

Then they'd arrived at the Quest Compound.

It was bigger than Jonny remembered. With a lot more people. 
Apparently in the past fifteen years his father had become even 
more famous and influential.

Dr. Quest had smiled at the look on Jonny's face. "A lot's 
changed," he said.

Even his room. While Jonny's room was almost exactly as he'd 
left it - maybe a  little cleaner - he could tell that changes had 
been made. The first things he noticed were the pictures. A 
bulletin board hung over his desk and more than a dozen 
pictures had been attached to it with thumb tacks. He saw 
himself in every picture, surrounded by his friends. Some had 
his father, others Race, others Hadji or Jessie,  there was even 
one with him and Bandit.

"Hadji and Jessie made that," Dr. Quest explained quietly. 
"After the police stopped looking. They spent weeks trying to 
decide what photos to use."

Jonny could feel tears building up as he examined the pictures. 
"Are they all still... around?" he asked hesitantly. "Race and 
Jessie and Hadji?" He didn't ask about Bandit. Poor little pup. 
He would have died years ago.

"They're all right," Dr. Quest assured him. "Race is off visiting 
his grandson. Hadji and- Hadji is in Bangalore. He visits a few 
times a year for a couple of weeks at a time." He hesitated. "I 
called them, when I found out you were still alive. They're 
trying to get here, but it's a bad time. Especially for Hadji. 
There's been a drought, the economy's pretty bad right now."

Jonny nodded and turned away from the photos. "Mrs. Evans?"

"She died four years ago. Heart attack."

"Estella?"

"Remarried and living in Central America. She comes 
sometimes to see Jessie and her grandson. I'm sure she'll be 
happy to see you again."

"Jessie has kids, huh?" Jonny smiled at the thought. Jessie as a 
mom. What he wouldn't give to see that... "I bet she's great with 
them."

"She is," Dr. Quest said fondly.

Jonny finally met his father's gaze. "You're just dying to tell me 
the whole story, aren't you?" he asked. "Go ahead. I think I'm 
ready to hear it."

"Where would you like to start?"

"With Jessie. She's married, I take it?" He grinned. "I have gotta 
meet her husband. I always had the biggest crush on Jessie..."

Dr. Quest paused. "You're not upset about this, are you?"

Jonny pursed his lips. "Nah. I'm... I was... I *am* fifteen, Dad. 
That's a little young to be making life plans. Besides, it was 
just a crush."

"Good. Because she married Hadji."

"*No way!* Jonny stared at his father. "Hadji and Jessie? 
Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Well, all right Hadji!" Jonny grinned. "Can you imagine that? 
Ms. Temper and Mr. Meditation. I would've loved to be a fly 
on the wall during one of their fights!

Dr. Quest chuckled, glad to see Jonny beginning to return to 
his old self. Even if it was only momentary. The brooding, 
somber young man he'd driven up from the hospital in New 
York was not the young man his son normally was. "They've 
been married for about five years. Hadji proposed just after 
Jessie graduated from college and she accepted. She makes a 
lovely Queen," he added fondly. "You should have seen Estella 
when she found out that her little girl was going to be helping 
to rule a country!"

"I thought Jessie wanted to be a scientist," Jonny put in. "Did 
that change?"

"Not at all. Jessie focuses mainly on computer sciences and she 
does most of her work in Bangalore. They have the proper 
equipment and Hadji is more than qualified to help her. She's 
employed by Quest Enterprises."

"Of course," Jonny said. "Jessie's not the type to give up on a 
dream that easily."

"Definitely," Dr. Quest said wryly.

"So what else?" Jonny asked impatiently. "You mentioned 
Race and Estella had grandkids. Jessie and Hadji are parents?"

"They have a son," Dr. Quest informed him. "They named him 
Jonathon."

Jonny paused, struck the touching legacy his two closest 
friends had given him. He blinked away the tears. "Geez."

"Indeed. And Jessie is confident that this one is going to be a 
girl." Dr. Quest studied his son carefully. "Would you like to 
see them?"

"Huh?" Jonny peered at him as if he hadn't heard the question. 
"You said they were busy, that it was a bad time for them to 
come-"

"I meant that we could go there. I know they're anxious to see 
you. Believe me," he added wryly, "you should have heard 
*that* conversation."

"I can imagine."

"Is this what you want?" Dr. Quest asked. "We can be in 
Bangalore by tomorrow night."

Jonny studied the photo collage above his desk. What would it 
be like to see his best friends - his brother and a girl who had 
been like a sister - fully grown? They would have undergone 
fifteen years worth of changes while Jonny remained exactly 
the same. Did he really want to deal with that?

On the other hand - if he avoided the situation, he wouldn't see 
Hadji and Jessie and Race.

And little Jonathon Singh.

Jonny shrugged. "I'll pack."

________


To be continued