Page 53 of Evermore

“This is where I've been happy,” Finn replied simply. “For the first time since Mom died, I've been building something that feels like home.”

Captain Torres nodded slowly, accepting the implicit criticism of his absence during Finn's grief and recovery. “It's a good place. Peaceful.”

As evening settled around them and they began planning for the experimental treatment, River felt cautiously optimistic about their approach. They had medical expertise, family support, and clear protocols for managing risk. Maybe the experimental treatment would provide the stability Finn needed to maintain his grip on reality while preserving the love and connection that had become the center of both their lives.

But as they prepared for bed, River noticed things that made his protective instincts flare. Captain Torres kept checking locks and windows, his military training apparently activated by something he couldn't articulate. Maya seemedjumpy, her psychology background making her hyperaware of environmental factors that might affect Finn's condition.

And Finn himself seemed different—more grounded but also more fragile, like someone who'd accepted the reality of his condition but wasn't sure what that acceptance would cost him.

River lay awake long after the others had fallen asleep, watching over the person he loved while wrestling with the growing certainty that the experimental treatment was their best hope but also their biggest risk. Whatever Dr. Voss's medications did to Finn's brain, whatever changes they produced in his neurological functioning, there would be no going back to the version of him that River had fallen in love with.

The lighthouse beam swept through their bedroom windows with its usual steady rhythm, but tonight it felt less like guidance and more like a countdown to changes none of them could predict or control.

Chapter 16

The Treatment

Finn

Finn sat in Dr. Voss's basement laboratory surrounded by enough monitoring equipment to run a small clinic, trying not to think about how much the setup looked more like an academic research facility than a medical treatment center. EEG machines, blood pressure monitors, and neurological testing apparatus covered every surface, humming with the kind of electronic intensity that made his skin crawl with anxiety.

“This is really happening,” he said to River, who was gripping his hand like a lifeline. “We're really doing this.”

“We don't have to,” River replied immediately, his green eyes dark with worry and something that looked like dread. “We can walk out right now, find other doctors, try different approaches.”

“What other approaches?” Finn gestured at the monitoring equipment that had been tracking his episodes for months without providing any useful treatment options. “Every doctor we've seen either thinks I'm having a psychological breakdownor wants to study me like a lab rat. At least Dr. Voss is offering to actually do something.”

River's grip on his hand tightened. “Something experimental and potentially dangerous. Something that could make your condition worse instead of better.”

“My condition is already getting worse. Yesterday's episode lasted six hours, River. Six fucking hours where I lived through decades of experiences that felt more real than this conversation.” Finn looked around the laboratory, noting Dr. Voss making final adjustments to equipment that looked more like university research apparatus than medical devices. “I can't keep disappearing into fantasies while my actual life falls apart.”

Dr. Voss approached with a clipboard and the expression of someone about to explain something complicated to people who probably wouldn't understand it. But there was something else in her demeanor now—an excitement that seemed less about helping Finn and more about the opportunity to study him.

“Are you ready to begin?” she asked. “The setup is complete, and the neurological mapping looks optimal for documenting your specific brain activity patterns.”

The word choice—documenting rather than treating—made River's attention sharpen. “Explain it one more time. What exactly are you going to do to him?”

“The targeted magnetic stimulation is designed to anchor his consciousness to linear time by disrupting the neurological patterns that seem to trigger his displacement episodes.” Dr. Voss gestured toward machines that hummed with barely contained energy. “We'll use transcranial magnetic stimulation to recalibrate his brain's relationship with temporal perception while monitoring the neurological responses in real time.”

Finn felt his stomach twist with nerves. “So you're going to use magnets to reset my brain?”

“Essentially, yes. The magnetic fields will target the specific regions showing unusual activity during your episodes, ideally stabilizing them to prevent future displacement events.” Dr. Voss's confidence was both reassuring and troubling. “The procedure is experimental, but transcranial magnetic stimulation is an established treatment for various neurological conditions.”

“Are you sure you’ve told us all of the risks involved?” River asked, his protective instincts clearly working overtime.

“Temporary headaches, possible short-term memory disruption, minor changes to mood or cognition during the adjustment period.” Dr. Voss delivered the list with clinical detachment. “But given the progressive nature of Finn's condition, the risks of not intervening may be greater than the risks of treatment.”

But there was something in her tone that suggested she wasn't being entirely forthcoming about either the risks or her true motivations for offering this treatment. River caught it too, his expression growing more suspicious.

“How many times have you performed this specific treatment?” River asked.

Dr. Voss hesitated before answering. “Finn's case is unique. The treatment protocol has been designed specifically for his neurological responses.”

“That's not an answer,” River pressed. “How many times have you done this procedure?”

“This will be the first clinical application of the specific protocol,” Dr. Voss admitted. “But the underlying technology is well-established, and the theoretical foundation is sound.”

Finn felt cold dread settle in his stomach. “I'm going to be your first test subject.”

---