Rule 18

After a few minutes of crying, Thaor collected himself enough to speak. He must have left something to point us in the right direction. Somewhere. he said as he began to search through the paperwork.

What does this bit here mean, "Esophagus shows signs of scaring, indicating repeated emesis. Muscles show signs of cachexia. Abdominal cavity shows signs of ascites. 4cm mass appears to have caused ductal adenocarcinoma, leading to discoloration of skin. he turned to Robert. What does all of that medical mumbojumbo mean? he demanded as he took a large gulp of his firewhiskey, which burned on the way down; but not as much as all of this hurt him.

"Means he was very ill," Robert said, dodging specifics on purpose. "Digestive system dysfunction." He intended to talk in some general circles first.  "He certainly didn't see me for treatment. That doesn't mean he didn't see anyone, but I certainly wasn't aware of anything. 


"If he knew or felt he were that ill, he might have done what he did because he was betting on you to be able to carry on and move forward more than he believed that perhaps he could," Robert said. "That symptomology isn't good. He might well have known that.


"But the polyjuice..." Michael said.


"He believed Thaor was cursed. He probably was disguising as his father to redirect the focus to himself rather than to his father. In essence, taking his place and avoiding contamination of the time continuum."


"Sounds like it was premeditated," Michael said.


"It seems like it, yes," Robert said.

Without missing a beat, Thaor responded. We have to go back, we have to set things right, and you need to treat him. he said to Robert. He didn't want his son's story to end this way, he didn't want it to end at all.

He also thought it was unfair of Jr to do this to him, especially without first talking to him about it. Then he realized, he wasn't the best at talking, and it was probably the list of rules he lived by that caused his son to do this.

I believe, I've made a new rule today. I realize we can't go back, he apparently did this with no real effect on the time continuum, other that we switched places. If we went back, we would risk upsetting everything. he said with a sigh.

"Thaor, based on what I'm seeing from the autopsy, his odds of a full recovery were a little against him.  My guess is that he made a very calculated decision, much like you would have undoubtedly done," Robert said quietly. He knew it was of very little consolation to know that his son had probably not made his choice on a whim.

"And, it looks very much like he was very precise and calculated in working to not make any missteps in following out history as he understood it, so that it disrupted nothing.  

"It looks very much like he gave you a second chance," Robert said. "Perhaps you need to take a day or so, and decide what you'd like to do now that you're back on this side of the veil."