Transmission

“Is it the best thing?” Kevin asked.

The nurse shrugged. “Officially, I’m not supposed to have an opinion on that. Unofficially… I hear a couple of the doctors are talking about using variations on gene therapies developed for people with other illnesses, like Alexander’s syndrome.”

“I didn’t think there was anything like that available for me,” Kevin said, thinking back to the consultation with Dr. Markham, and all the ones that had followed it.

“There hasn’t been, but you currently have most of the biggest brains in the country on your side. If anyone can tailor something to your condition, it’s them.”

And then Kevin would find himself taking an experimental treatment that might cure him, might do nothing, or might make things worse. Would that be worth the risk of losing the alien signal completely?

“For the moment, though, you have a visitor.”

She nodded to the doorway and the short figure coming through it. Kevin’s eyes widened at the sight of Luna, looking as casual as if she’d just called around to his house to see if he wanted to ride bikes down to the reservoir.

“Luna? How did you get here?”

“My mom brought me along,” Luna said with a smile. “Because your mom thought you’d like to see me.” She held up an orange, then threw it to him. “I didn’t have any grapes.”

Kevin caught it clumsily while Luna perched on the edge of his bed. Her expression changed from happy to see him to worried.

“How bad is it?” she asked, most of her usual cheerfulness gone from her voice.

“I don’t know,” Kevin said. He glanced away for a moment. “Well, I guess we kind of do know.”

Luna put a hand on his shoulder. “They might have said that you’re going to die, but I refuse to let you die yet, Kevin. I haven’t even fallen madly in love with you yet.”

Kevin laughed at that. “If I have to wait for that, I might live forever.”

“True,” Luna said, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Kevin could see how much it hurt her having to be strong for him, having to be cheerful.

“It’s okay to cry if you want to,” Kevin said.

“As if I’m going to cry,” Luna said, although she looked like she might for a moment.

She didn’t cry, but she did hug him, hard enough that Kevin thought his ribs might break. He surprised himself by noticing how good she smelled.

“I’ve missed you, you know?” she said.

“I’ve missed you too,” Kevin assured her. He’d told her that it was okay to cry, but now he was the one with tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

“Hey, I shouldn’t make you upset,” Luna said. “One of the military guys in the hall would probably shoot me if I did that.”

That was enough to make Kevin laugh. Luna had always had the knack of doing it.

“What’s it like out there?” he asked. “Out in the real world? What’s it like at school, or on TV? I’m sick of everything just being about the things I can see for people.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Luna said. “But there’s plenty about you on TV. There are reporters at your house most days now, and people talking about whether this is real, or a hoax, or an advertising campaign that got out of hand. There’s even a weird alien cult that has started up, people wearing antennae as they walk around and claiming that the aliens will save us from everything from environmental breakdown to high grocery prices.”

“You’re making that up,” Kevin guessed.

“Maybe the part about the antennae,” Luna said. She looked around. “It must be peaceful being here. It’s really quiet.”

“It’s been a lot busier since people found out what I could do,” Kevin said. “And I spend most of my time listening for the signals, so it’s not exactly a library.”

Luna smiled the smile of someone who usually did all the talking they wanted in libraries anyway.

It didn’t stay quite that peaceful, either, because Professor Brewster, Dr. Levin, and Kevin’s mother all came in together.

“You’re pushing Kevin too hard,” his mother was saying.

“We’re really not trying to, Rebecca,” Dr. Levin assured her. “We don’t have any control over the signals we receive, and Kevin is able to stop whenever he needs to.”

“And Kevin has barely listened to any today,” Professor Brewster said. “Besides, he’s receiving better treatment here than he would be able to get anywhere else in the country.”

“That’s… true,” his mother admitted. She sounded pretty reluctant to do it though.

“We are looking after your son,” the institute’s director continued. “And Kevin is doing important work here. Speaking of which, Kevin, do you feel up to facing the cameras?”

“Now?” Kevin asked. He wasn’t sure.

“There have been some rumors that you’re unwell today, and it seems like a good idea to show people that you’re healthy,” Professor Brewster said.

“Even though he isn’t?” Luna asked, beside Kevin.

“Especially because of that,” Professor Brewster said. “And anyway, people are waiting to hear more of what Kevin has to say. Kevin?”

“You don’t have to do it,” his mother said.

Kevin nodded. “It’s okay. I’m feeling a lot better now. If it will help, I’ll do it.”

***