A/N: Always have a plan when writing. You don't have to stay with that plan but a plan makes completing your story easier. (I'll add my plan at the end of the story)
Over the weekend, Gemini found out his grandfather wasn't taking any visitors, which only alarmed him more. Not only that, but he was now heading into end of year exams and the stress he found himself under was quickly crushing him. As the week progressed, Gemini's determination to speak to his grandfather grew but it wasn't until Friday afternoon when Gemini was finally able to see him.
When he entered the hospital room, grandfather sat on the lounge chair by the bay window, about to eat a cookie.
"Hey! You can't eat that." Gemini said, immediately going over to his grandfather, and taking the cookie out of his hand.
"Ow. I can't believe I got caught. Do you have any idea how long I had to wait before I could get this." Grandfather complained.
"I don't know who gave these to you but you're not allowed to eat them. Doctors orders." Gemini told him, removing the bag from the table.
"More like your mothers orders." Grandfather mumbled.
"How have you been?" Gemini asked, seating himself opposite.
Grandfather let out a sigh and gave a forced smile. "Good. The doctors haven't found anything that's off any concern."
"Then, you should be able to go home soon." Gemini asked. If Grandfather could return home it would bring Gemini peace of mind.
"Soon, yes." Grandfather replied as he leaned over and patted Gemini on the knee. "I know it's been difficult for you these last few weeks but I asked you to trust me."
"That's why I'm here. I want us to have a serious talk about what's going on." Gemini asked.
"We will. When the time is right. We'll have a long conversation about why I've done what I've done but until then please be patient." Grandfather asked Gemini.
Gemini thought about his conversation with Fourth and decided he wouldn't say anything until he could talk to Fourth again. He would get Fourth to investigate the future to help with the past.
Grandfather patted Gemini's knee again before pulling back and asked, "So, about that cookie?"
"No. You can't have them." Gemini scolded.
Grandfather pulled a face of disgust but no longer argued.
As Gemini left Grandfathers room he met his own father in the corridor.
"Gemini." Father said, surprised. "I didn't realise you were also visiting grandfather. How are you?"
"Father. Hello. I'm good. And you? Is the house still quiet?" Gemini asked.
"I'm good, thank you. Yes, the main house has been extremely quiet. Thankfully, I still have the vegetable gardens to keep me busy and the house is never without something needing fixed. Old homes are like that."
"I don't think we'll ever talk grandfather into giving it up." Gemini added.
"No, it's been his family home his entire life but it would be good to modernise it." Father replied.
"Good luck convincing grandfather of that." Gemini smiled. The main house belonged to grandfathers, father and although big enough to accommodate the entire family, grandfather had always refused to make any real improvements. Gemini himself had grown up in the main house and although his parents often talked about buying their own home, that never happened. Grateful to have grown up in the main house, Gemini was glad his mother had been able to convince their father to stay there.
Father laughed. "I gave up long ago. Even when he's gone I doubt I will be able to convince your mother to modernise it."
"You might be lucky. Mother's easy to win over." Gemini replied.
"For you maybe. So, how was grandfather when you saw him." Father asked.
"Good. But someone's sneaking in cookies to him." Gemini held up the paper bag in hand to show his father.
"Ah. Could be one of the staff. I'll talk to them again. I'm sure grandfather has been in their ear about bringing them to him." Father replied.
Gemini smiled, "You could be right. I caught him before he could eat these."
Gemini went to hand them back to his father but his father held out a hand in refusal. "You keep them. No one else will eat them." Father told Gemini with a laugh.
Gemini also laughed and nodded. "That's true. They are an acquired taste after all. Are you visiting grandfather now?"
Father nodded. "Mmm. He has some jobs for me so I should let you go."
Gemini stepped forward and hugged his father, and as his father hugged him back, told Gemini, "I know you have end of year exams next week, so focus on them and try not to let this worry you too much. Okay."
Gemini pulled away and replied, "I will."
When Gemini reached the foyer of the hospital he was stopped by an elderly couple seeking assistance with the vending machine. When Gemini realised they were trying to purchase a snack he considered the bag of cookies in hand and without hesitation offered the bag to the elderly couple. They graciously accepted the cookies, thanking Gemini. At the loss of the cookies once more, Gemini left the hospital, heading back to the dormitories.
The anticipation of finding Fourth in his room intensified the closer Gemini got but the disappointment he experience as he entered his empty room almost crushed him. It had become this way now every time he entered his room and the expectation had begun to take its toll.
Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his phone rang and glancing at the screen saw his aunt's name. Not in the mood to speak with her, Gemini ignored the call. Not more than a minute later, his phone rang again and expecting it to be his aunt, Gemini almost ignored it again but thought better. With a glance at the screen he saw Ken's name.
"Hello." Gemini said, answering the phone.
"How was your grandfather? Did you find out what was going on?" Ken asked. Gemini had shared the conversation he had with Fourth and they had speculated all week if there was the possibility of his grandfather dying.
"He was in good spirits and before I could say anything he told me to trust him and that we'd talk about it when the time was right."
"What does 'time is right' mean." Ken asked.
"No idea. But there is definitely something going on. I'm sure of it." Gemini told Ken.
At that moment the key in the door sounded and Gemini immediately sat up, and said, "He's here."
"You mean, Fourth." Ken asked.
As Gemini watched Fourth entered the room, his dejected expression lit up the moment he saw Gemini.
"I'm so glad you're here." Fourth said.
From the phone, Gemini heard, "I'm coming over now." And Ken hung up.
Gemini lowered his phone and standing, went to Fourth. "Are you okay?"
Fourth nodded. "I had to present a report today. It was tough."
Gemini indicated towards the bed, and said, "Come. Sit down. Tell me about it."
Fourth moved towards the bed and sitting, lowered his bag to his lap.
"Final report for the year." Gemini asked. He had always assumed he and Fourth were living the same day a year apart, so it shocked him when Fourth replied, "No first semester mid-report."
Gemini's brow frowned in confusion. "First semester? What is the date in your time?"
Fourth told him and Gemini stared in confusion. "That means we're only five months apart."
At this, Fourth also showed confusion. "Five months. Why five month?"
"I'm heading into end of year exams. The school year finishes at the end of this month." Both Gemini and Fourth stared at each other with confused expressions.
"That makes no sense. Why can't I find you?" Fourth asked.
Only that week, Gemini confirmed his course selections for the following school year and asking Fourth, "You said I'm not at the university?"
"Mmm. Your friend Ken is. If he's the same Ken who we know! But we haven't been able to contact him. He's been missing since Monday." Fourth responded, baffled they had not been able to contact Ken or been able to locate him at all.
"Ken will be here shortly. He was on the phone when you called. He heard your voice." Gemini said excitedly.
If Ken was the same person perhaps he could help Fourth in the future. But it wouldn't help Gemini in his own time line. At the sound of the knock on the door, Gemini smiled and gave Fourth a nod. If Ken was the connection between them, it would be now they would finally have an answer. Gemini went to the door and smiled as Ken stood in the corridor.
"Is he still here?" Ken asked and Gemini nodded, letting Ken in. But both stopped when they realised the room was now empty.
"Shit." Gemini said, running a hand through his hair. "He was here before I answered the door."
"I heard him when he entered the room." Ken said.
"You did. So you believe me now." Gemini asked.
Ken nodded. "What do you think happened?"
Gemini glanced at the bed, then back towards the door. "The doors have something to do with it."
"Or," Ken replied, "you are the only two people to be in contact in that reality. Any time someone else is involved the connection doesn't exist."
Gemini thought it over and began to realise it was possible both he and Fourth needed the right conditions for the connection to work. He recalled numerous times people being in the corridors on his return to his room. Could that truly impact the conditions for them to meet.
"You might be right. But that doesn't explain how you heard him." Gemini suggested.
"True. Maybe it's not about the explanation. Maybe it's the reason." Ken asked.
"Which we don't know.' Gemini said with a sigh. "I'll try experimenting on the environment to see what happens. Oh, when Fourth and I talked, I learn some thing I wasn't aware off. Firstly, he's only five month in the future."
"Five months. If there's going to be a portal between times, why only five months, thats... ridiculous."
Gemini nodded, "I know. The second thing is, you're his friend in the future."
"Me! Why?" Ken asked.
Gemini shrugged. "No idea, you turned up before I could ask. I was hoping you could meet and discuss it together."
"But... if we know this now what does that mean for the future."
Ken and Gemini stared at each other, then Gemini raked his hands through his hair in frustration. "I have no idea. I'm never with him long enough to ask any questions."
"Maybe you should write down everything you want to ask so you can ask him when you see him next."
Gemini smiled, and replied, "Great idea," knowing if he left it on his desk there would be a high chance Fourth might see it before they met next.
"So there's only a five month time difference?" Paul asked Fourth, both lounging on Paul's bed. It was early Saturday evening and the remains of takeaway food lay on the floor at their feet. Fourth had been reluctant to leave his room, however Paul had been sullen after Ken's disappearance, that Fourth was beginning to worry more about his friend than his own situation. Throughout the evening, Paul continuously and unconsciously stared at his phone at the dozens of unanswered messages. He'd been mindful about leaving his room it case Ken turned up, so Fourth had been spending his evenings with Paul.
"Yes. Five months." Fourth replied. "Ken was on his way to the room but I was back in my own room the minute Gemini opened the door for him."
"Wait. What if the reason we can't find Ken is because he's gone back in time?" Paul suddenly sat up.
"Could that be a possibility?" Fourth asked, his brow creased in thought.
Paul shook his head. "Who knows anything about what's going on. Man, five months. You would think someone would know something." Paul complained.
"Mmmm." Fourth's reply was made deep in thought. There would have to be others who knew Gemini. They'd seen his photo with Ken. Didn't that prove he existed. Fourth suddenly sat up to face Paul.
"We know Gemini's not here, which is why everyone we've asked doesn't know him. Right!" Fourth asked.
Paul nodded.
"But Ken is here. So someone should know him." Fourth said, with eyes wide and a large smile, expressed his genius. "Even if he has disappeared, there's bound to be someone who knows him."
"Brilliant." Paul replied, his expression as excited as Fourth's.
"Let's head to university early on Monday and start asking around." Paul suggested and Fourth nodded his agreement eagerly.