Chapter 21

Cress and Marshall have no luck finding a solution. Kit attempts to help Cress relax.

Marshall canters across the room, his lab coat bouncing at his hips. His perfectly slicked back hair glistening in the fluorescent bulbs. I could not help but admire his eagerness and excitement whilst he worked. For two weeks now, we spent most of our days together in this lab, looking through blood sample after blood sample, extracting my bone marrow. Which, might I add, is not as fun as it sounds. But Marshall’s optimism is what kept me going.

                “This will be the one, I can feel it.” He would say after every serum specimen was finalized, but it never was. We have tried four different serums, all a fail. So here we are again, stuck in a loop of blood extractions and marrow drilling. So, I sat with my arm strapped to the IV, watching Marshall dance in place while sorting through blood samples. His eyes now suddenly on me, he placed the samples down and walked over, pulling up a chair and having a seat in front of me. He stroked my arm to look at the IV needle securely puncturing the veins in my left arm. He gently caressed my elbow, looking me dead in the eyes.

                “Last tap for today,” he reassured me, “I promise.” I nodded; breaking eye contact to look at the bag filling up with my blood.

                “I don’t think its going to work.” I said finally, “I was in the Vat for a hundred and fifty years. I don’t think they would have left me in there that long if it were this simple.” Marshall chuckled a little.

                “Yes, but you were the first. They didn’t have bone marrow and blood from an immortal to test serums with. We do.” He slid his hand down my arm and rested his hand on mine. “What do you remember from your time inside the Vat?” he asked.

                “At first, nothing.” I said, thinking back, “but then, I just remember feeling pain, excruciating pain all the time.” I swallowed, “At the time, I didn’t know how long I was in there, but I knew I was awake for most of it. When they finally pulled me out is was like no pain I’d ever felt before, but then suddenly, it was gone. I didn’t feel normal, but I felt,” I paused thinking on the word, “different.” For a moment Marshall just stared, saying nothing, his eyes reflecting his empathy.

                “I’m sorry you had to endure that torture.” He said finally, taking my hand into both of his, “But something so amazing came out of it in the end. There is so much good that can come out of this. There is so much good you and I can do together.” His smile sent shivers down my spine. I nodded at his optimism and he nodded back. He looked up to the bag and stood up. “Looks like you’re about done.” Sliding on a pair of gloves he gently reached down and removed the tape that held my IV in place, then removed the needle. The dot immediately vanished, and I could feel the color flooding back into my arm. “Same time tomorrow.” He said, as he pulled the blood bag from its hook and placed it in the freezer.

                “Yeah, see you tomorrow.” I collected myself and made my way to the cellar door. Marshall’s lab was in the basement of his house, with an entrance through his backyard cellar door. As I made my way into the night, I could smell the familiar scent of rain blossoming from the cloudy night sky, the stars barely visible against the foggy darkness. A slight chill ran up my arms as the wind shook the trees. The leaves were finally starting to grow back now as we were coming into the summer months, but the rainy season was always my favorite.

                The cooler weather, the muddy boots, and cozy sweaters. My mind ached for the lost memories of a time when I could sit on my windowsill and watch the rain from my bedroom. When I would sit and watch the droplets race down the glass. A memory so long gone I wasn’t even sure it was real. It was then that I felt a cool raindrop fall against my cheek, a smile formed on my lips, as I closed my eyes and let myself feel the mist of the small drizzle trickling down around me.

                I followed the road to the house, as the rain began to come down a little harder, soaking my hair and jacket, but I didn’t care. I came up to the door and stomped my boots onto the cement landing knocking off the mud and rocks before entering.  

                “Tap out.” Said Kit, as the boys were entangled in one another on the floor of the living room, Kit’s arm around Wills neck. Will tapped his elbow and pulled away from his grasp, an obvious grin of pride swept Kit’s face.

                “Yeah, Yeah, we get it. You’re the best.” Will said sarcastically, as he walked over to the kitchen taking a swig of water. I took off my boots and soaked jacket, throwing them next to the door, shaking off the chill of the weather.

                “How’d it go today, make any headway?” Kit said walking up to me, clocking my obvious lack of enthusiasm.

                “Nothing yet,” I sighed, “I feel like we are getting nowhere. Day after day of poking and drilling, it gets tiring.” I reached up to my arm where the IV had been placed every day for the last two weeks. “I know it heals fast, but damn.” Kit’s empathetic eyes locked on mine. I could feel the cold rain still trickling down my back and cheeks, and now very aware of my wet dog like appearance. He reached up and stroked my cheek, wiping away the droplets.   

                “It’s been weeks, it’s hard to believe you’ve gotten nowhere.” He questioned, I shrugged shaking my head.

                “I’m not the scientist, he is.” I began to walk around Kit toward the couch in the living area, but he grabbed gently at my wrist, his hand sliding down slightly into mine.

                “Wait,” he said, “I have a surprise for you.” He began pulling me down the hall. My heart began to flutter. A surprise? I thought. Suddenly my stomach began to turn as we made our way to the room I had claimed at the end of the hall. He opened the door with a smile, and to my delight the room was covered in lit candles and the scent of lavender. A pile of pillows laid neatly on the corner of the bed and a book and cup of water sat on the table beside it.

                “What is all of this?” I walked into the room, picking up the weathered book off the side table, Treasure Island.             

                “I figured you needed a relaxing night, so me and Will set this up for you.” He said, leaning on the door frame, looking pleased with himself. “I’ve had that book for as long as I can remember, I thought maybe you’d would enjoy it.” He smiled down at me, and I felt myself soften at his gaze. I smiled back,

                “Thank you,” I said softly. He walked up and placed his hand on my shoulders.

                “You’re not to leave this room for the rest of the night, got it? Your job tonight is to relax and enjoy an evening in with a book and a s**t ton of candles, that took way to long to light.” He joked.     

                “Got it.” I laughed and he left the room shutting the door behind him.

.                          .                          .

                Kit walked back into the living room where Will stood, his arms crossed, peering down the hall.

                “Well?” he whispered to Kit, who immediately looked back to the closed bedroom door.

                “We are all set. She shouldn’t be leaving that room for the rest of the night.” He whispered back, grabbing his jacket off the couch. “Now lets go find out what this b*****d is hiding from us.”