Chapter 176: Lending a Hand
"I learned this from you back in school. I used to be more introverted until you led me astray," Walter complained.
"Come on, you introverted? Remember when we had that little dorm party, sneaking behind Gretchen's back? You didn't seem shy then," Frank teased, recalling their wild college days.
"Those were the old days. We were young," Walter coughed, trying to brush off the memory.
"Speaking of those times, do you know what I remember most about you?" Walter shifted the topic.
"What is it?" Frank asked, intrigued.
"I had just moved into the dorms, and we barely knew each other when this woman barged into the school looking for you, holding a pregnancy test claiming it was your child."
"I vividly remember her name, something like... Nikki?" Walter recalled.
"Yeah, Nikki rings a bell," Frank nodded.
"She wanted to keep the baby, but you told her to get an abortion and denied it was yours. You even told her to lose your number. That was shocking to me, never having witnessed such a thing before," Walter recounted, pausing.
"You'd never seen someone like me, who runs away after the fun's over, huh?" Frank helped fill in the blanks.
"You..." Walter shook his head with a chuckle.
"Nikki and I barely knew each other. We met at a party, both high, and ended up... on a dryer, I think. I remember shoes thumping inside, and we just went with the rhythm," Frank reminisced with a knowing smile.
"So, I told her the kid wasn't mine. I never intended to have kids back then," Frank said, then paused, his expression changing.
"What's wrong?" Walter asked.
"Nothing, just remembered something important that slipped my mind," Frank murmured.
"What's that?" Walter couldn't quite catch Frank's mumbled words.
"Nothing," Frank shook his head.
"So, if you don't want Gretchen and Elliott's charity, what's your plan? Not getting treated?" Frank inquired.
"If it could be cured, of course, I'd want treatment. But the cost..."
"I'm exploring options. I met some friends online, one of whom mentioned a potential solution," Walter explained.
"What kind of solution? Does it involve money?" Frank asked.
"No, it shouldn't cost anything. He discovered a special substance that, if cracked, could cure any disease," Walter shared.
"Cure any disease?" Frank's interest piqued, though skepticism lingered.
Such claims screamed scam, a notion Frank knew well from his time with Steve, where he'd seen many con artists.
"Do you know this person?" Frank questioned.
"Not in person, just online. He goes by 'Dr. Blue' on forums, a talented and knowledgeable biologist," Walter said.
"Be cautious about believing strangers online," Frank advised.
"I know. I've discussed my situation with him, though he can't help currently. He did send a sample for me to study. It hasn't arrived yet," Walter noted.
"Be careful with samples. Don't ingest anything randomly," Frank warned.
He feared Walter might resort to desperate measures, given his situation.
"It's not for ingestion, it's injectable," Walter corrected.
"Even worse! Don't inject unknown substances!" Frank urged.
"I know, I'm not foolish. I won't use it without understanding it first," Walter assured.
"Speaking of help, if you won't accept Elliott's, consider what I mentioned earlier," Frank casually suggested.
"I'll think about it," Walter, slightly inebriated, slurred his words.
Frank and Walter spent the night chatting and drinking.
Unlike their usual moderate drinking sessions, Walter overindulged, getting sick and needing Frank's help home.
The next day, Walter called Frank, thanking him for the ride home but avoiding any talk of starting over. Frank didn't press.
Days later, Frank received a call from Skyler, inviting him over.
"Where's Walter?" Frank asked upon arrival, noticing his absence.
"At work, hasn't returned yet. It's me who wanted to talk," Skyler said, offering coffee.
"What's up?" Frank asked, surprised.
Though familiar with Walter and even young Walt Jr., Frank barely knew Skyler beyond pleasantries.
Frank had never spent time alone with Skyler before.
"Recently, we've had some issues. You remember Elliott's birthday party, right?" Skyler recounted the situation to Frank.
Skyler's story linked back to the party, where Walter discovered her scheme and rejected Elliott's offer, furious she had told them about his cancer.
Walter remained angry for days, his mood apparent even at meals.
Skyler understood Walter's temper after years together, but his prolonged anger worried her.
So, she reached out to Frank, Walter's close friend, for help.
(End of Chapter)