To Do What is Right.

To David's surprise, the rest of the evening was pleasant. Even the presence of Marcus eventually ceased to strain him, and he listened with interest as Taubert was telling stories from Elena's childhood.

David did not expect his wife to remember so many situations from early childhood. On the other hand, it was not surprising given Elena's abilities. Over the past week, something happened to her, and it was not only due to the change in eye color. The man hoped that these changes were for the better.

With a smile, Marcus recalled his daughter's tricks and pranks and smoothly avoided answering or changed the subject when Amelia was mentioned in the conversation. As if he didn't want to talk about her.

And although no one knew what happened between the two, that Amelia escaped with her daughter, David noticed how the man's eyes dimmed when Elena mentioned her mother.

At about nine o'clock in the evening, Elena went upstairs to put her son to bed.

David went outside to see the twins off.

"You, I suppose, do not need a ride?" Armand asked Marcus.

"Well, only if by a helicopter," the elder Taubert clarified, and Armand rolled his eyes.

"What time are we meeting tomorrow?" Armand turned to David.

"How about 12? Daniel can be away from the clinic for a couple of hours at lunchtime."

"What does your brother have to do with it?" inquired Marcus.

"Well, he is actually the director of all medical projects in our company, but thanks to you, he is hanging out in the clinic, trying to save Rick's life. Do you want to help with anything, since you are so almighty, unlike us?" David's question was reproachful.

Marcus took a cigarette case out of an inside pocket, pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a spark from his own fingers, "Don't be sarcastic, dear son-in-law."

"Don't call me that, it gives me goosebumps," David grimaced. "So, what about Rick?"

Marcus took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. Smoke with the smell of menthol and herbs mixed with the air like a cloud, "Nothing. He will die with a 99 percent probability."

"His condition is poor at the moment, but stable. You can restore it, can't you?"

"I can't," Marcus put out the cigarette on his own palm, and turned its remnants into ashes, "The cells of his body have undergone a transformation, it is like a mutation, it has no reverse process. This idiot stuffed two extra chips into himself and activated them at full capacity," Taubert grumbled. If he could, he would have brought Rick back to consciousness a long time ago, only to thrash him hard again.

"Are you saying he didn't do it on your order?" doubted David.

"No. My order was different," Marcus didn't go into details. He checked the incoming message on his phone and put it back in his pocket. "Tell good night to Elena from me," the man nodded and disappeared without further ado.

David and Armand looked at the empty spot where Marcus had just stood. Comments were unnecessary.

"Tell me, has your brother always been so arrogant?"

Armand laughed, not knowing how best to answer this question, "To be honest, I myself do not know what my brother is now, but as a child he used to be a real darling, so not all is lost. Probably," the younger Taubert smiled, waved his hand and went to the gate.

"Hmm, I hope not all is lost too," David repeated to himself as he watched the white Audi drive away from their house.

The evening was cool but pleasant. For a complete feeling of the holiday, only snow was missing. But this year it did not fall even in Siberia. For the first time in the history of meteorological observation.

...

Daniel took a sip of hot double chocolate and breathed in fresh air. It was quiet and calm outside. The clinic's visiting hours were over, and silence reigned around the building. The parking lot was empty, except for a few cars of doctors who were on night duty.

Anderson looked at his watch, Nick was late. Daniel decided to wait a couple more minutes and return when headlights flashed at the clinic gates.

A black lacquered motorcycle, roaring with its engine, crossed the parking lot and stopped in front of the entrance. The man looked at this action in amazement, but he was surprised not by an expensive two-wheeled animal, but by its "stylish" owner.

Daniel even forgot about his chocolate. The motorcyclist was wearing the same black leather jacket to match his vehicle, but he was wearing pink gloves. This entire splendor was complemented by a rainbow helmet with a fluffy tail and a horn on the top of the head.

The bike looked familiar to Daniel, but when the driver took off his helmet, the man burst into loud laughter.

"If you don't shut up right now, I'll hit you!" Nick hissed, flushed with embarrassment. Daniel sat down on the steps, unable to stand on his feet, and whinnied at the top of his voice throughout the parking lot.

"Ahaha, my goodness, what is this?!" Anderson brushed away the tears in his eyes and reached into his pocket for the phone,

"Wait! Put it back on. This should be photographed!"

"I'll take a picture of you with this helmet punching your head now!" Nick barked, hastily tucking his helmet into the trunk and pulling off his gloves.

"Come on, I think it's cool. So no girl will forget about you," Daniel honestly pressed his lips together so as not to burst out laughing again, but could not. His gurgling laugh was heard within a radius of several meters.

"Judging by the fact that you arrived on Elena's motorcycle, is our queen at home?" Anderson got up from the steps, shook off his pants and walked over to Nick, "Mom spoils you, since she allowed you to ride her favorite toy," Daniel ran his hand over the handlebars of the motorcycle. This Honda fascinated even him, although he preferred cars.

"She gave it to me. Like all this. Although I guess there was a madman who had a hand in it," Nick didn't mention Marcus, but he was sure it was Taubert's idea. It never occurred to the guy that Elena was capable of such a thing. In truth, the gloves and helmet were very comfortable. But Nicholas chose not to voice this detail.

Daniel put his hand over his nephew's shoulder and patted him encouragingly, "Tell me the details during the procedure. We have big plans for the evening," the man winked.

Nick grimaced, knowing what plans were being discussed. "And why is everyone trying to poke a needle at me? The same is in the future, the same thing is now. Found yourselves a rabbit to experiment with," the guy muttered, but Daniel knew it was just words.

Nick's blood and plasma was unusual. He had never seen anything like it before. The immune cells were so strong that they defeated any virus in the shortest possible time. If a medicine could be created from these cells, it could become a panacea for ninety percent of diseases.

This discovery was delightful and frightening at the same time. Daniel kept all research in strict confidence. The ability of Nick's body, which could save tens of millions of lives, endangered the life and safety of the guy himself.

"How is Rick?" Nick asked Daniel. They climbed the stairs to the closed wing of the clinic, where access to key visitors was restricted.

"Bad, but stable," Daniel replied. Nick noticed that dark circles appeared under the man's eyes. "The presence of Corey allows him to keep his condition in the more or less stable condition, but as soon as she moves away from him, the indicators deteriorate. So you understand, the situation is so-so."

Nick frowned. He tried to remember something from his past about what happened to Rick, but he couldn't. Ashley refused to discuss this topic. But Nick knew one thing for sure - Ashley's father was dead.

"So Corey doesn't leave his room at all? Hmm, I admire you. I probably would not be able to watch my girlfriend spend at the bedside of some other guy day and night."

Daniel smiled at the corners of his lips, "You think too well of me, Nicholas. I just do what I think is right. And my feelings have nothing to do with it. As for Corey...," he held the keycard to the lock. The door beeped and opened.

They went into the spacious foyer. Daniel pulled a white robe off the rack and draped it over his shoulders.

"We broke up," he said briefly and, without another word, walked towards the room where Rick was.