IN THE NAME OF LYNCH

In The Name of Lynch

-Chapter 12- Waking-

Having sent Ai to track down her brother in Tassie, Jenny had been working on finding Bryce's other two offspring herself. By the time the phone call came in from Ai, she still hadn't tracked anyone.

"Can't talk long, mum," Ai told her. "Aunt Sadie's gonna scold me when she finds out I'm in here and not on the pot. I found my brother in Tassie. His name's Oliver Burgess. No tech background, though."

"Doesn't matter," Jenny told her. "it's in his blood. Anyone else?"

"No. Oops gotta go! Oh! We need to have the meeting here. Olly can't leave his aunt's farm. Baby cow coming. Will explain more later." She hung up quickly, leaving Jenny no chance to reply.

"Great," she said, turning back to her search. "She wants to meet at some farm in Tasmania. What am I supposed to do now? There's no way I can hook up this unit at a farm. I doubt they have a strong enough power supply."

She heard a noise that she wasn't familiar with coming from the cryo unit that Bryce's body was in. A soft sighing hiss that built slowly to a throbbing hum.

Fearing that something was wrong with it, she began trying to fix it, only to have each attempt technologically rebuffed.

A readout appeared on the screen that Cat9's image had vanished from.

~Vital signs: optimal~

~Infection : 0%~

~Thawing Cycle: Complete~

With a shock, Jenny spun just in time to see the cryo unit swing open.

Bryce was awake.

Jenny led him to the bathroom, then left him alone. Shortly after she'd returned to the computer, she heard the shower running. She didn't blame him. She was sure he needed to warm up after over twenty years of being frozen.

Bryce came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, dressed in a robe and putting drops in his eyes, which were both still sticky, though the warm shower water had gotten rid of the solid matter and had freed them from their glued-shut state.

"I'm sure my eyes will be fine in a few hours," he said, his voice hoarse from disuse. "What have we got so far?"

"Like I said, just Ai Murray, our daughter that is, and Oliver Burgess in Tasmania. We still need to locate the other two. Then we need to get to Eccleston in Farm in Tassie."

"Farm first," Bryce said. "We can track the others from there."

"How?" Jenny asked.

"Now that I'm up," Bryce explained to her, "its time for me to reawaken an old friend."

"You know, Bryce," Jenny said, as she packed. "This is going to be really weird for everyone. You're their father and you're only sixteen while they're in their twenties."

"Even weirder for me," Bryce admitted. "I suppose as a department head I should have no problems dealing with the age difference regarding being in charge, though."

"I think you're going to find it very different," Jenny warned, smiling at him. "And what about me? I was in love with you when we were both the same age. Now we aren't anymore."

"Of course we are," Bryce told her. "I may be physically sixteen, but the cryo unit I slept in wasn't a time machine. I was physically in the room with you every moment of every day. I'm the same chronological age as you. The fact that I look as young as I do is a mere side-effect. Doesn't really matter right now anyhow. We've got more pressing matters to deal with. Emotional pursuits will have to wait until another time."

"Well, at least we know your mind survived the thawing process intact," Jenny smiled. "That sounds like the Bryce I knew and loved."

"Go make reservations for the morning flight to Tasmania," Bryce told her. "It's time for me to wake up Max."

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