OBSIDIAN: Birth to Venus

2069

Every summer, they made their pilgrimage to Chiang Mai. Each time, Jai ventured further, enjoying the gorgeous beaches and learning more and more about the culture. It wasn’t until her final year at MIT, when she’d finished her degree early at 19, that the family took an impromptu hiatus from traveling.

Jai placed her suitcase at the foot of her four-post bed, happy to be home. “Jai,” Mom called. “Come sit beside me,” she said, and patted the bed. Immediately, Jai could see the concern on her mother’s face. Normally so at ease with herself, it was rare for Mom to show any inkling of worry. But, her grin was not the glowing smile she usually showed her daughter, not today. “Come,” she beckoned.

“What is it, Mom?”

Mom placed her hand along Jai’s cheek, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind Jai’s ear. “You know, your father and I love you and Darin.”

“Yes.”

“We would do anything for you and always have.”

“Yes. What is it, Mom?”

“Your father’s been away with Darin.”

“Yeah, I know.” She nodded.

“I’ve been visiting them for months now, while you’ve been away.”

“Yes, the latest dig. It’s the longest trip they’ve taken.”

“What we haven’t told you is why.” Mom’s eyes were filled with tears now. Her voice was shaky. “It’s Darin. Your father was doing one of his tests. He decided to throw Darin’s specimen in the mix, just out of curiosity. He found a mutation in Darin’s genes. It’s correlated with a condition. Darin isn’t well.”

“What do you mean, Mom? He’s fine. I just saw him a few months ago, jumping around, playing like always. He was all over me, wanting a piggyback ride.”

“Yes, he appeared to be fine, love. But, what we weren’t able to see at the time, and what your father has since confirmed, is that he has a rare single-gene disorder. Genes code proteins, but, in his case, there’s a mutation that compromises an essential gene’s ability to function normally. Those who carry the mutation don’t necessarily develop any health problems, but there are studies showing a correlation between the mutation and what’s called ‘ALL.’ It stands for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This mutation, in particular, is located on a ‘master gene’ that plays a key role in regulating several other genes. There are normally two gene copies, but, like other kids with leukemia, one of the two copies is missing. Your brother only has the mutated version.”

“What? How can that be?” Jai shook her head, wondering how to reconcile what her mother was saying with the happy, bouncing brother she last saw.

“We hadn’t noticed it before. He’s never broken a bone or anything, so we’ve had no reason to test him, take him to the hospital, or give him anything aside from acetaminophen for a mild fever here and there. We’ve only noticed a bit of bruising. He does bounce around a lot, so we thought he might’ve bruised from that. Running around and bumping into things is not an irregular occurrence for toddlers. But, it’s not that simple.” She turned to look in Jai’s eyes. “For months, your father’s run the tests again and again. I’ve looked at them too. More testing’s shown that his blood platelet counts are low and slipping. We wanted to let you know before I take you to see him. Darin’s actually in the hospital.”

Jai’s eyes widened in shock, as Mom continued. “He’s been there a long time. Your father actually canceled the dig. He flew back with Darin only a few weeks after they took off. Darin began treatment soon after. We didn’t want to worry you with the news until your last semester was over.” Jai’s body was going limp. Tears were pooling in her eyes. “We’ll visit him tomorrow morning. It’s your father’s turn with him tonight. We just wanted to prepare you beforehand, before you went to see him.” Mom took hold of Jai’s hand. “It’s important, Jai, for you to be strong for him. He’s only a child, and things have progressed faster than you might think. Last time you saw him, he was a bright-eyed boy with a brown mop of hair, but he’s well into chemotherapy now. The doctors just combined it with an experimental immunotherapy; they’ve reprogrammed Darin’s own T cells to eliminate the cancer. But, he’s very weak. He’s nearly bald.”

Jai’s gaze fell to the bedspread. Its embroidered flowers seemed too cheery, saccharine somehow. Her throat was dry and scratchy, and a throbbing pain banged against her right temple. The room seemed to spin as she sobbed into her mother’s shoulder. She could not, would not, imagine herself as an only child. Not again. The thought of losing him was more than her heart could bear.