Forgiving The Wounded

by Agent Sandy


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.  Kerren is a creation of the author's. Please do not use her without asking  the author's permission first.



Author's Notes:  In the aftermath of Liam's struggle, he finds that he is not the only one who needs to heal.



Rating:  PG



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Liam stopped and watched the small dark figure that was sitting in the cell. He had come here to find answers, but he had to wonder if the answers would be anywhere near what he expected. After all, the man in the cell never stopped surprising him. He had, after all, been instrumental in helping the Resistance take over the Mothership, but had put up no fight when the other leaders had insisted that he be taken prisoner and punished along with all of the others who had helped the Taelons.

Liam took a few more steps forward, but stopped again when he heard the prisoner crying to himself.

"How will he ever forgive me? I...I never knew. Oh God, I didn't know he was my son" Sandoval whispered to himself in a choked voice. "Why do I destroy everything I love or would love?"

Liam started to speak when his father paused, but his throat caught. After a few seconds Sandoval continued.

"My son… My love… My life… And he will never know. He would not believe me anyway. Not after all that I have done to him. How could I have been so blind not to know…even when they brought him in and told me that he was a Resistance spy and part alien? I should have known! I should have remembered, but I didn't! And because of that, I helped to torture my own son!" Sandoval ran his hands through his hair, "How can he ever forgive me? How can I forgive myself?"

Sandoval's voice dropped so low, Liam had to risk moving closer to hear him.

"If only there was something I could do, but there is nothing. If the Resistance doesn't kill me-as they have every right too-my CVI will soon enough. Perhaps I should save them the trouble. If I could get a hold of a weapon…" Sandoval paused as an angry hiss came from his skrill. Sandoval ran his hand over the skrill to comfort it. "It is nice to know someone cares even if it is for purely selfish reasons. Somehow it is fitting that the only thing that loves a violent man is violent itself."

Sandoval sighed and fell silent. Liam watched and waited for him to begin speaking again. When he didn't Liam took a step toward, and whispered, "Dad?"

Sandoval's head came up and he looked at Liam. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"I need to talk to you," Liam stated.

Sandoval nodded and shrunk back against the wall as Liam entered the room.

Liam saw him move and shook his head; "I'm not going to hurt you." Sandoval looked shocked; "I am surprised. You have every right to want to kill me." "You are my father… You are the only family I have," Liam said softly as he sat down across from him. "Besides, you didn't know. You only did what you had to." Sandoval looked at him, his voice suddenly low and tense, "How can you forgive me? I tried to kill you! I had a part in torturing you!" Liam shook his head and repeated, "Dad, you only did what you had to. Had you done differently, you would be dead."

"As I should be!" Sandoval suddenly stood, "How am I supposed to live like this? Knowing I am no better than Zo'or?" Liam watched his father, "Stop it Dad. You are so different than Zo'or that there is no comparison. If you wish to feel sorry for yourself and what you have done, that is your right. But I will not. I came here to find out if I could forgive you, and I have."Sandoval's face softened as he collapsed back onto the bench and started to cry, "Why? After all that I have done, why?"

Liam moved to kneel beside his father and held him as he cried, "Because you are as human as anyone one else." He whispered, "Your mistakes are no more than that, and even though you won't admit that to yourself, I know it is what you believe deep down. You need time to heal and once you have had that time, then you will be able to understand why I love you."

Ronald nodded and shut his eyes as tears ran out of them. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, his son was right. He needed to accept that he could heal just as his son had. More than that, he could also be forgiven his mistakes by his son…and by himself…

THE END