Here we are at the end of 2022, how has your year been?

Written for Pancreatic Cancer UK to fundraise and help raise awareness of this terrible illness after losing my dad in November 2020

Part 5

The Professor’s

We have been time jumping for over a week now and had met fifteen different Professor Jeffries.  Each one working on their own research and just two who became scared and dubious of our arrival.  If we had stepped outside together, we would have looked a strange bunch.  Two women and now five identical professor’s.  All fifteen had wanted to cure major diseases, and all had researched the lightning and hurricanes.  Some had heard of Hurricane Hannah, some Ruth and others Josie. Between the timelines, there are so many differences.  Thank fully, so far, in all timelines they accept British pounds sterling, so we can buy food.  We have slept at the university, not very comfortable but it’s warm and dry.

Starting to give up hope of finding answers, maybe no one in any timeline had found a treatment for these devastating diseases. Even if we did find it, I’m not sure how we would get back to our Kirsty and Abigail.

Watching the five professor’s travelling with us, they were a strange bunch.  Highly educated, laughing and discussing hurricanes and lightning.  We were going against known reality, a small army of unknown superheroes. The media would love us if they knew what we are doing.

Thoughts

Looking at Georgie, I can see she is thinking the same as ne.  She is yawning with her back against the warm red radiator. Will we find a cure? and how will we know when we are back in our correct timeline?

“So, Professor’s, what is the plan? Do we continue time hopping? Any ideas here?

“Somewhere in these timelines must be a professor who has worked this out, or a scientist who has created a cure.  Also, there must be one who can somehow get the information to all times”.

“But, we are all working on this, and so far no answers.  Plus I try and talk to the scientist’s and get told I’m mad”.

“So, do I.”

“I think across the timelines we are all considered a bit mad, which is good, means they leave us alone to focus on our work”.

“I think Kerry, we continue on our quest, one of us should also have worked out how to get home”.

Standing up, I realise that we are getting nowhere just sitting here.

“Come on, let’s go then, this world Professor are you coming?”

“Sorry, I can’t, I have a family depending on me.”

The other four stared at him.  All single men, they had been so busy with their research and careers that they hadn’t stopped for a wife and family.  Here was the choice that they wish they had taken but hadn’t.

Another jump

Holding hands, we shouted goodbye to this worlds professor and Georgie started the lightning ball.  As the room changed around us, we became aware of a new presence and then four men shouting dad and then, Grandma. This was an unexpected new development. Squeezing Georgie’s hand, surely this was a good sign.

As the men hugged their dad, Georgie and I looked at the frail woman. If the Professors are in their sixties, then dad must be in his eighties and Grandma in her hundreds.

Our professor noticed our stunned faces.

“Dad died from Cancer, and Mum, Dementia in our times”.

This world Professor now spoke. “Here there is early diagnosis, medication and much higher chance of recovery.  How did you get here?”

“Recreated Lightning, did you experience Hurricane Hannah?”

“Yes, we did, why? What’s happening?”

I explained our story and our quest, the fact that all the doppelgangers needed to be returned back to their right timelines, and the cure for these terrible diseases shared.

The elderly man now spoke, “they took my cancer away and they brought mum back”. There are six professors here and a teacher. We can work this out surely.”

“I’m a teacher too”, I said.

Now the elderly lady spoke, “from what you have told us, you have done something which Kenneth has committed his life too. He has been researching the lightning with hurricanes and had an interest in the theory of different decisions leading to different timelines.  For the two to be related, that is book worthy for all professors in all timelines. Now we need to work out how to disseminate the treatment and best practice on all diseases in all timelines.  Here, there is no cancer, unless someone from a different timeline accidentally brings it in.”

“The Professor banged the table, making us all jump.

“I had a phone call earlier from the hospital, a doctor has diagnosed stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, I said, Impossible.” He picked up his phone, as the hospital answered, he passed on the bad news to check the patient again as the doctor might be right.

Better in all worlds

It took a week for the Professor’s and family to work it out between them.  Creating another form of lightning, a large Hurricane storm, now named Hurricane Tracy in our timeline.  As we all stood in the Cambridge University office with all the information that we needed, it was uploaded to the internet and somehow fed across all the parallel timelines.  As the storm started I took a last look at everyone around me, this was it, I was going home and would never see my doppelganger friends again.

A week later

Staring at the ceiling, the last few months were a blur. I had taken a rest from school, thankfully they were understanding.  My doppelganger stand in had not been too focused on the children for months.  They had decided that I need a break and that I’m not well, sadly they might be right.  However, I did need a break.  The repercussions of our traveling were immense. The information that we had shared through the timelines meant that someone very special was still with me, my dad.  I had not expected this result and I now needed to cherish him.

It had been a brave experience to travel but having dad was certainly the best reward I could have.  The treatments now have changed healthcare dramatically.  I’m so grateful that Kirsty made the effort to come and find me.  That we had had our DNA checked and then followed our plan through. It had seemed drastic and scary at the time, but I’m so glad that we did it.

Some challenges and experiences are worth undertaking and this certainly was one.

Written for A story a day for Pancreatic Cancer UK

Here is my fundraising page if you would like to donate.  Any size donation is appreciated.

I hope you have enjoyed these stories.  Thirty stories in thirty days has been a huge undertaking.  I now hope to take a break and maybe sometime soon get an early night.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the above story was true.  We lose our loved ones, often to horrible painful illnesses, we all want to have them with us longer.  One day hopefully there will be treatments, early diagnosis and cures.  Until then we al have to keep on fighting!