Folsom (End of Men, #1)(23)

“You go do what you need to do,” I tell her. “I’ve got this.”

“We still have a few labs to do on him, and so far we’ve been unsuccessful in getting a sperm sample…”

I struggle to not let my eyes widen. “Okay…how do you want me to—”

“You hand him a dirty magazine and get him to ejaculate into a cup,” she says quickly.

“Got it.”

“I’m just going to remind you that everything we find in the tests is classified. The only ones privy to this information are the doctors on the case, you, me, and the few designated in the Society. No one else can know the contents, including the patients themselves. Laticus is asking a lot of questions, if you could just put his mind at ease. You’re good at peopleing.” She opens his door and I follow her in, mouthing “peopleing?”

I am absolutely not good at peopleing. I hide from most people.

Laticus is watching the Silverbook hovering high on the wall across from him, and when I hear Folsom’s voice, I follow the sound. It’s live footage of the party last night and Folsom says “brilliant” before picking the lottery number. Another shot flashes across the screen of Folsom getting his picture taken with a group of women. I see Sophia in the background and inwardly groan. She’s going to be furious with me for avoiding her all day.

Laticus glances over at me with an expression of boredom and fear. I try to look comforting and safe, but I probably look more manic than anything. There’s no reason he should trust me.

“Hi, Laticus.” I flinch at the sound of my voice, so unsure. I clear my throat and force my next words to sound more confident. “I’m Gwen,” I say. “I’m here to make sure you’re comfortable.” He just stares at me so I continue. “Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”

He shakes his head.

“I’m hungry,” I say. And it’s true. I realize I haven’t eaten at all today. “I’ll just order something up in case.” I pull out my Silverbook and send a message to the cafeteria. Assuming teenage boys eat the same things we do, I order half a dozen dishes and then switch the Silverbook to idle.

“Your father…?” I ask, nodding toward the Silverbook on the wall. He nods.

“I’ve never met him.” Those are the first words he says to me and I sigh, relieved we are on speaking terms.

“I have,” I say brightly.

Laticus sits up straighter in his chair, his eyes suddenly interested. “Is he here? I saw about the…”

“Yes, he’s here. He’s doing okay,” I reassure him.

He settles back down, returning his eyes to the screen.

“What’s he like?”

I study his face and am struck by how similar his facial structure and eyes are to Folsom’s. His hair is lighter and he’s not as muscular, but he looks how Folsom must have looked at his age.

“Well, the two of you favor one another a lot,” I say quietly. “Mind if I sit?” I motion to the chair next to the bed.

“Please,” he says, his curiosity chipping away at his reservation.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s dedicated to helping the Regions to the best of his ability, even if it means he suffers in the process.” I shake my head, as it registers how awful he must have been feeling yesterday, even when we were together, to have had such a massive heart attack by last night. “He’s serious, even though he’s capable of teasing.” I grin and Laticus grins back faintly. “And he’s kind.”

“Is he tall?” he asks.

“At least 6′3″ maybe more.” I nod.

“There’s hope for me to get there still then.” He smirks and I swear it’s like Folsom all over again.

I groan. “The girls are going to love you.”

“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?” he says, just as there’s a knock on the door.

Vera pushes a cart filled with trays and starts unloading it on the table. “I might have to leave the cart here. There’s not enough room on the table for all of this food!” She lowers her eyelashes at Laticus and smiles shyly, while I move closer to him, folding my arms over my chest. I dare her to flirt with him on my watch.

“Thank you, Vera. We’ll take it from here,” I tell her.

I uncover the trays and Laticus’ eyes grow wide when he sees the array of seafood, baked potatoes, two salads, fruit, and an assortment of desserts.

“Anything look good?” I ask.

He laughs. “Uh, yeah.” He reaches for the lobster tail and takes a bite, his eyes rolling back in his head. “Oh my God, what is this?”

“Lobster? Have you never had it?”

“Never. It’s so good.” He then stuffs five pieces in his mouth at once.

I laugh at him. “I take it you were hungry.”

“Always.” He motions to the shrimp. “Is it okay if I eat that too?”

“You can have all you want. I’ll just take this baked potato and salad. Have at it.”

“When can I meet my father?” he asks, mouth full.

I spend extra time chewing while I try to think of how to answer him. “Well, technically, you’re not really supposed to know he’s here, and vice versa, but I couldn’t lie to you when you asked.”