A Companion for Life (Part 5)
#3 of Companion
A Companion for Life Part 5
"This isn't good..." a man said as he peered through a glass wall. "If I don't get another sample soon she'll go berserk again." He clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall. "And I'll be damned if I let that happen! It'll ruin everything!"
"What will you do if that happens?" A voice behind him asked.
"I'll have no choice but to keep her asleep, but what will that solve!? I need a sample now!"
"Sir..." a female voice said.
"What is it, Eve!?" The man yelled in frustration.
"I've found him."
"What?" The man looked at her in disbelief. "Where?"
"On the television."
"Let me see." The man pushed his way past her. He went to the television. It was a news channel headlining the awakening of a man that had been in a coma for six years. He watched as the camera showed the man in the hospital bed and his parents, and then it panned to the right, showing his younger brother and a black Doubu standing next to him. The man grinned. "Found you."
At the hospital the last of the reporters were being herded out of the room by the doctors. When they were all gone only one doctor remained with Sam and his family. The doctor sighed with relief, locked the door, and turned to face the others. "Now that they're gone we can discuss some of the serious matters at hand."
Sam and his parents remained silent. Jet didn't understand what was going on.
"It's common for anyone who goes comatose from brain trauma to experience Post-Traumatic Amnesia. As you can see, Tyler is feeling a bit disorientated right now." They all looked at Tyler whose eyes were roaming all over the place while trying to remain opened. "It'll be a while before he regains his senses, and the ability to talk."
"It's temporary though, right?" Sam's father asked. "He'll get better soon, right?" He was hoping that the doctor had some good news for him, but his hope faded when the doctor just looked at him, not saying a word.
The doctor finally sighed. "The duration of the amnesia is dependent on how long the patient has been unconscious. Tyler was comatose for six years; it'll take months or even years for him to regain all of his memories."
"What!?" Sam blurted out. "Years!? Isn't there anything you can do to make him regain his memories faster?"
"I'm sorry." The doctor shook his head. "There's nothing we can about that." Jet could see the disappointment that filled Sam.
"Do you know when we'll be able to bring Tyler back home?" Sam's mother asked.
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that, mam. Along with his memories, Tyler's muscles and motor skills have also weakened from the prolonged period of inactivity. He'll need to stay here for rehabilitation."
"Thank you, Doctor." Sam's father said, obviously crestfallen about the fact that Tyler's troubles weren't over yet. Doctor nodded his head and headed towards the door.
"Are you alright, Sam?" His father asked.
Sam sighed. "Yeah... it's just disappointing that I waited so long for him to wake up only too have to wait even longer to get him back."
"If you'd like..." the doctor said as he unlocked the door. "You're free to come visit him every day. Some doctors believe that patients recover faster with a member of the family close to them."
"I thought you said there wasn't anything that could be done to speed up his recovery." Sam's father said with a bit of annoyance.
"I said some doctors believe it helps. I don't. I'm letting you know it's an option if you wish to pursue it."
Sam chuckled. "I guess Jet and I could come down here after I get off school."
"Is that the name of your Doubu?" Sam nodded. "Well I'm afraid that Jet won't be able stay here."
"What!?" Sam said with annoyance. "Why not!? I've seen a few Doubu here in the hospital."
"They assist the doctors here, and they too will not be permitted to come anywhere close to Tyler."
"Surely you can make an exception for Jet, doctor." Sam's mother asked.
"I'm sorry. The answer is no. Tyler is in a very delicate state right now and we cannot risk sending him into shock from seeing a Doubu. I didn't say anything earlier because of the reporters and because Tyler is currently disorientated right now."
"But..." Sam wanted to seem as though he was arguing with the doctor, but his words came out as a defeated sigh.
"I'm sorry. Once Tyler remembers what Doubu are then I'll allow you to bring Jet."
"Thank you doctor..." Sam's father said.
When the doctor left they were all silent. Jet could understand from the conversation that he wouldn't be allowed to come here anymore. He looked at Sam who was now leaning his back against the wall, his eyes staring at the blank ceiling.
Sam sighed, trying to figure out what to do. His plan had been to take Jet with him to the hospital after the got off school, but now it seemed that plan was ruined. He could go by himself, but he wondered if Jet would be alright for Jet to be home alone for so long.
Jet watched Sam glance at him momentarily. "Are you alright, Sam?"
"Jet... I need to ask you something." Jet looked at him curiously. "Would you be alright if I didn't come home until nighttime?"
Jet's ears perked up from the suggestion. "You mean... I'd be alone longer?"
"Yeah..." Sam couldn't think of anything to sugarcoat what he was asking.
Jet's muzzle opened slightly. He was about to say no; that he couldn't stand being alone for so long, but then he saw how Sam's eyes kept looking at Tyler. This meant a lot to Sam...
"I... I'll be alright, Sam." He watched as a smile appeared on Sam's face. Seeing him smile made Jet feel better about his decision.
Despite how happy it made him feel that day, he couldn't help but feel miserable the days following. Sam took the bus to the hospital every day after school and usually didn't come home until after nine. By that time his parents were already home. When Sam would come home he would usually be too tired to do anything with Jet; he'd have a little snack and go to bed soon after.
Weekends were a bit better. Jet had the chance to spend some time with Sam since he wouldn't leave for the hospital until after noon. When that time came, it went back to being like the weekdays.
Sam's parents would try to keep Jet entertained when they could. They would watch movies with him; his favorites seemed to animated movies mainly from Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks.
Those could only last so long though. It got him through Saturday, but the next day he wasn't really in the mood to watch anymore movies. He found the movies enjoyable, but he wished Sam was watching them too.
Sam's parents decided to try something new. Sam's mother pulled something large from atop the bookshelf. She and her husband sat on either side of Jet. She held a large binder in her lap.
"What's this?" Jet asked curiously.
"It's a photo album" she answered.
Jet had no idea what a photo album was. "What's it for?"
"Preserving memories." Jet looked even more confused. The two laughed. "It holds pictures we've taken over the years." Instead of letting Jet ask any more questions, she opened the binder. Inside were colored pictures in a variety of locations. "These are pictures of Tyler when he was a little kid."
Jet was confused. The pictures showed a little boy, not the grown man he'd seen in the hospital. "That's... Sam's brother?" Jet asked as he continued to look at it.
"Yep." Sam's father said. "This was taken before Sam was even born." He reached for the edge of the page and flipped it. "But here's Sam when he was just a baby."
Jet looked at the picture closely. "That's Sam?" Jet was amazed at how different Sam looked from the picture. He watched as Sam got bigger and bigger after each turn of the page. It didn't take long before he started to resemble what he looked like when Jet first met him.
"Sam was very attached to Tyler." Sam's father said as he pointed to all the pictures that showed Sam and Tyler together. In each one Sam had a big smile as he posed next to his brother.
"He's smiling in each one." Jet said. "Was he always smiling when he was younger?"
"Only when he was with his brother." Sam's mom said. "After the incident however..." She flipped some more pages that showed Sam alone. In most of the photos he wasn't even facing the camera. In the few that he was, he showed no trace of joy.
All the pages afterwards showed the same thing until they ended. "Are there anymore?" Jet asked.
"The last photo we took of Sam was the when dropped him off at his grandfather's. We just haven't had the time to take anymore photos since he came back. Jet flipped back to the pages with Sam and Tyler. Jet eyed one photo that caught his attention. In it Sam was behind Tyler, his arms wrapped around Tyler's neck and legs at the waist. It reminded Jet of how Sam carried him from the roof.
"What's he doing in this photo?" Jet tapped the picture.
The parents chuckled. "The three of us decided to surprise Tyler one day. We had Sam jump onto Tyler's back and we took a photo of his reaction. We took this one afterwards with both of them composed. The mother flipped to the previous page to show the initial reaction shot.
Jet looked at the photos for a while. He then flipped back to where the photos ended. "Can you... take a photo of me and Sam?"
"That's a wonderful idea, Jet!" Sam's mother said with excitement. "How do you want to take it?"
"Like this one." Jet pointed to the same photo again. Sam's parents looked at each other with concern.
"I don't know... you might be a little too big for that..." Sam's father said. "I don't know if Sam could support you."
"He can. He's done it before with me." Sam's parents looked at each other again. They shrugged their shoulders and told Jet that they would do it.
Later that day around six Sam walked through the door. "I'm home!" Sam announced as he walked further inside. He looked around and found it weird that Jet hadn't already charged at him. He walked into the living room to see if Jet was taking a nap. "Jet? Where are y-" without warning he felt a sudden weight crash into him from behind.
He was unable to keep his footing from the sudden extra weight as he toppled forward. "Sam! Are you alright!?"
Sam lifted his head and looked behind him to see Jet sitting on his back. "Jet? What are you doing?"
He then heard chuckling. He looked up in front of him to see his parents. "What's going on!?"
"Don't you remember doing this years ago?" His father asked as he showed him the picture on the digital camera. It didn't show his face since it was buried into the carpet, but it did show Jet's expression. His eyes were closed and he had a huge grin on his face, but that was before he realized he might have hurt Sam.
"I remember..." Sam groaned. "But I don't think it was this painful when I did it."
"Well then you should remember that we need to take another picture now" his father said.
Sam groaned as he got to his feet. "You know I don't like getting my picture taken anymore, right? Why did you choose now to take one?" Sam's voice was becoming more and more agitated. "What gave you the dumb idea to do this all of the sudden!?"
"I just wanted to be in a picture with you..." Sam heard Jet say meekly behind him. Sam bit his lip. Both his parents could see the 'oh shit' face forming on Sam.
Sam turned around. "Hey, I didn't mean to say it like that, Jet. I'm just a little stressed right now, and I wasn't expecting this to happen."
"Oh... I guess you don't want another picture taken then, huh?"
"Oh no; I'll do it if you want me to."
"Really?" Jet's tail started to wag slowly. "So can we do it like you did with Tyler?"
"If that's what you want." Jet's tail started wagging faster.
After about a minute of positioning, Sam finally had Jet on his back in piggyback style. Sam held onto Jet's legs while Jet wrapped his arms around Sam. Sam's mother counted down to take the picture. Three. Two. One. A bright flash came from the camera. She and her husband waited for the picture to appear on the screen.
When it came up it showed Jet staring at the came with a big grin, trying to mimic what Sam did in the picture. Sam, however, wasn't facing the camera. He was looking at Jet whose head was over his left shoulder. What's more, he had a smile on his face; nothing like the ones he had when he was a kid which showed excitement, this one was a caring smile.
A knock came from the door. Sam let Jet down and answered. At the door was a man that Sam had never seen before. "Ah, you must be Sam."
"Um... yeah. Who are you?"
"Oh, so sorry. My name is Charlie and I used to work for your grandfather. Can I come in?"
Sam didn't say anything. He was so surprised to hear anything about his grandfather after so long. It was then that his father came up behind him. "Did you say you worked with my father?" Charlie nodded. "Then please, come in."
Sam's father closed the door behind Charlie. Charlie looked around and focused on Jet. "You've certainly gotten bigger since I last saw you." Jet looked at Charlie with slight confusion. He could vaguely remember him from all those years ago.
"Would you like something to drink?" Sam's mother asked.
"No thank you. I just came to talk, to Sam actually."
"Me?" Sam pointed at himself. "About what?"
"Have you thought about what you want to do after you graduate from high school?"
"Not really."
Charlie smiled. "Have you ever thought about picking up where your grandfather left? Have you ever thought about being a Doubu researcher?"
Charlie's suggestion took everyone aback, especially Sam. "A researcher?" Sam chuckled. "I don't think I could be one."
"Why not?" Charlie asked. "You've been interacting with one for years now. I think joining the field is a perfect match for you. Think of all the things you can learn."
"I'm more concerned about the methods of learning these things." Sam glared at Charlie. Since he knew Jet it was obvious that he was working with Sam's grandfather during the time they kept Jet. "I'm not as lenient as my grandfather."
"I'm more concerned about how beneficial this will be to Sam" said his father. "Is this an internship, or will it progress into a career. Will he be allowed to continue his education?"
"Of course. I've was pursuing my Master's degree at time of... well... at the time of the incident with Arthur..."
Sam's father sighed. "So you hadn't seen him recently before the incident, huh?"
Charlie shook his head slowly. "I only heard about it after it had happened... it struck me pretty hard."
"I see..." Sam's father said. "Well it's really up to Sam whether or not he wants to pursue the career you're offering." Sam looked at his father and then to Charlie, his eyes showing no interest in accepting his deal.
"I see..." Charlie said, meeting Sam's gaze. "Could I talk to Sam alone for a few minutes?"
"I'm sure whatever it is you're going to say to Sam can be said to all of us" Sam's mother said.
"It's alright, mom" Sam said as he got up and walked towards the door. "I'll listen to what he has to say out in the hallway." Charlie took that as a cue and followed Sam. Jet started to follow. "Stay inside, Jet. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Sam closed the door behind them. They walked a few feet away from the door. "So shoot. What did you want to say?"
"I understand your older brother is in the hospital, am I correct?" Sam stared at Charlie with a glare that told him to get to the point. "Well... there is something that your grandfather hadn't been researching; it's something I discovered after his death, and I think it would be beneficial to your brother."
Sam was now a little curious. "Help my brother? How? He has amnesia and no motor skills. There isn't any medicine on the planet that could cure him of that."
"I'm not talking about a medicine, Sam. I'm talking about DNA." Sam was confused. "Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. I'm sure you've experienced something with Jet that's left you scar-free." Sam's eyes widened.
"How do you know about that? My grandfather wasn't even aware of it."
"I did some research of my own. At first I didn't believe it was true, but then I remembered that day your grandfather and I found you and those other kids along with your Doubu. All of them were covered with wounds except for you. Admit it, you and the Doubu joined bodies which allowed him to take all the injuries from your body."
Sam swallowed hard, not sure where exactly Charlie was going with.
"Relax Sam. It's obvious that you know what I'm talking about, but that's not what I'm focusing on..." Charlie turned his back to Sam. "When we brought your Doubu to-"
"Jet."
"When we brought Jet to our lab we thought he would need months to recover, but he did it in only a few weeks." Charlie started to get excited. "There's something in the Doubu genetics that allows them rapidly heal. Could you imagine the possibilities if we could somehow use Doubu DNA to give humans the same regenerative ability, even if it's only temporary? Think of how it could help the medical field!"
"And if you do find something... Tyler could be..."
"Yes!" Charlie said with excitement. "You could drastically cut the time it would take for him to recover, or even better: cure him entirely!"
Sam starting to breath heavily. He swallowed hard. "You really think something like that is possible?"
"It is, and I want your help to making it real."
"I don't know... it sounds too good to be true. Why do you even want my help?"
"Because you and Jet are the only ones I know who have joined which makes you the most experienced when it comes to something like this."
Sam was still filled with hesitation.
"Look, I know this is a lot to take in, and I'm not expecting an answer right now. I just wanted to see if you were interested." Sam was quiet; thinking to himself. "Let's get back to your family."
When they went back inside Sam immediately sat down. "Is everything alright?" his mother asked.
"Everything is fine." Charlie said. "I'm just not sure if Sam is completely convinced yet." Charlie started speaking to himself. "It's a few weeks until he has winter break..."
"What?" Sam's father asked.
"I was just thinking of something... would it be possible for Sam to visit my lab for a few days during his winter break?" Sam and his parents were surprised by his proposal. "I just thought it might help him decide if he got to experience it first-hand."
"Well where is your lab?" Sam's mother asked.
"It's not far from where Arthur's lab was." Their eyes went wide.
"You want us to drive Sam all the way back there just for a visit!?" Sam's father asked in disbelief.
"I will be paying for the plane tickets."
"But where will he stay?" Sam's mother asked.
"He can stay at my house. I usually sleep over at the lab anyways."
"You own a house? By yourself!?" Sam's mother said in disbelief.
"I told you my field is a very lucrative business. And I'm sure you're familiar with the house; I bought it in full earlier this year."
Sam's parents were speechless. They couldn't believe this man, who was only in his late twenties, was the one who had bought Arthur's house. It was because of this person that they were able to work less hours in the week. They both decided they needed to take a seat with Sam.
"Arthur's house is located far from other people, making it a perfect place to allow the few Doubu that I have to roam outside. It's the only reason I bought the place. As far as I'm concerned it's still Arthur's, and so that makes it your house too." Charlie paused for few seconds. "So what do you say?"
The three sitting on the couch were still in disbelief. Sam had been in his stupor long enough though, and turned to face Charlie. "I'll do it, but I get to bring Jet, right?"
Charlie smiled. "Of course! I want you to bring Jet." Charlie's eyes widened as he remembered something. Speaking of Jet, could I ask a favor?" Sam and Jet looked at Charlie curiously. "I was wondering if I could take a bit of his fur back to my lab."
"Um... sure." Sam said as he got to his feet. He went to a drawer and pulled out a small pair of scissors. He handed them to Charlie. "Don't take too much off of Jet."
"I just need a little bit..." Charlie positioned himself behind Jet. He grabbed a handful of fur on Jet's neck and snipped it off. Sam examined the cut. Jet's fur was so long and dark that he was barely able to make out the area that had been snipped, even at such a close distance.
"Thank you, Sam." Charlie said as he wrapped the fur in a cloth and carefully placed it in his pocket. "Make sure you're ready to leave when your break comes." Charlie waved goodbye. Only Sam and Jet gave him any acknowledgement since Sam's parents were still in a stupor. It was only the sound of the door shutting behind Charlie that the two of them were brought back to their senses.
"Oh, did he already leave?" Sam's mother asked as she looked around, confused.
"Yeah." Sam said. "And I decided to accept his offer."
"Well Sam we respect your decision, but are you sure you really want to go back there?"
"It's only for a few days, dad."
"I understand but I also know that place- that house may bring back some bad memories. Are you sure about this?"
"I am. Don't worry about it, dad; I've lived with the memories of Tyler for much longer." Sam left it at that as he headed towards his room. Jet followed.
Sam sighed as he collapsed onto his bed. "Well Jet, I guess we'll get to back 'home' for a while."
"Will we see your friends there?" Jet asked as he jumped onto the bed with Sam.
"Of course." Sam said as he reached into his right pocket for his cell phone. He selected Ryan, Emily, and Jeremy's names. He selected the 'Send Text' Option.
The next day after school Sam went to the hospital as usual. It hadn't been that long since Tyler woke up, but his state has definitely improved since then. He couldn't speak or move his body yet, but his eyes had stopped wandering around the room. Now he just had a blank stare that always looked forward. Sam couldn't imagine what was going through his brother's head. Sam would notice the occasional twitch in Tyler's eyes; focusing on him for a brief second before resuming their forward stare.
"Hey Tyler." Sam took a seat next to him. "I've got good news. I'm going to be working with an old colleague of grandpa's. He's told me that there may be a way to speed up your recovery, or even heal you completely." Sam sighed. "I really hope that he can find this cure before my gradation; I really want you to be there for mine like I was for yours... but..." Sam was silent. "That's just me being optimistic and selfish... I doubt we can find this within a matter of months, and I don't want to do it just so you can do something for me. You've lost so many years of your life and I just don't want you to waste any more on this bed."
Sam stood up and grabbed his brother's hand. "I'm going to leave early today. I think I've been unfair to Jet with spending all my time with you." Sam chuckled. "That and I don't want him getting anymore crazy ideas from mom and dad." Sam let go Tyler's hand. "I'll be coming every other day now, alright?"
Jet's mood quickly improved in the following days as he was once again able to spend time with Sam without him being tired or busy. He didn't care that it was only every other day that Sam would come home; that was better than him not coming back at all.
The snow started to fall in the month of December, something that made Jet feel a bit anxious. He couldn't help but remember the rock incident. The only thing that made the snow in the city better than the snow in the mountains was that none of it was close to touching him. He even found it soothing as he watched the snow fall from the window so high up since it reminded him of the time he and Sam flew.
He enjoyed the scene while he could since only days later he was in a plane. For being so comfortable in the air, Jet was very nervous being in a plane. Charlie had gotten them both first class, and Jet had to sit next to the window. Sam wouldn't have minded switching spots with Jet except they were urged by the flight attendants to sit the way they were so that the passengers behind them wouldn't get anxious. Sam thought their reasoning was a bit ridiculous and that if they worried about other passengers seeing Jet then they should have just sat them in the back of the plane.
Sam learned something new then. Apparently, there are only two ways a Doubu can fly on a plane; in first class, or in cargo like other animals. Sam was thankful to Charlie for having the foresight to give them first class seats. He couldn't imagine Jet having to be kept in cargo for the entire trip.
Jet was so happy when he finally got off the plane. His joy turned into anguish when they stepped out of the airport with Sam. All around them were fields of white snow.
Jet's ears remained flat against his head for the majority of the time.
Things were awkward to say the least when they arrived at the house that Sam called home for over three years. None of the original furniture had remained; there was barely any furniture at all. Charlie had said that he mostly slept at the lab and that the house was more for the Doubu.
"I've prepared a room for you and Jet. I believe it's the same room you used while you lived here."
Sam chuckled. "Then I guess I won't have any trouble finding it."
"Indeed. Well, I'll let you get situated today, and then I'll take you the lab tomorrow. Before I go, however, I'd like you to meet two of my Doubu." Almost on cue two Doubu entered the house from the backyard. One was identical to a golden retriever, the other a black panther. "This is Adam and Eve. They originally were part of your grandfather's lab, but after..." Charlie paused for a second. "Well I took them in. They're actually my lab assistants as well."
"It is good seeing you again, Jet" Eve said.
Jet's ears twitched as he suddenly remembered the two. While he was at the lab he would sometimes be allowed to interact with the two of them, but only in activities planned by the scientists. He never talked to them, however.
"Hi." Jet said.
"I'm sure there's some catching up you need to do so I'll leave the four of you alone. There's food in the freezer, Sam. My cell phone number is on the fridge if there's an emergency."
"You're making me feel like a babysitter here."
Charlie chuckled. "Adam and Eve are quite independent. They shouldn't bother you at all."
"Don't you need them to help you? Aren't they your lab assistants?"
"Yes, but I only have them come to the lab when I have to deal with something that could be... dangerous if I went at it alone." Charlie opened the door. "I'll be here tomorrow at ten." The door closed.
There was a bit of silence when Charlie left. Sam was alone with three Doubu, two of which he had never met before. He needed to break the ice, but the only thing that came to his mind was food. "So are any of you hungry?"
"Yes, but it is not time for us to eat." Adam said. "Charlie has told us to eat three times a day at specific times to maintain a schedule." He looked at the clock. "We still have half an hour until we can eat."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "He has you on a schedule? What do you eat then?"
Adam and Eve grabbed two large bags. Sam's eyes widened. He couldn't decide whether what he saw in front of him was hilarious or just wrong. The two of them were holding bags of food meant for cats and dogs. Sure their appearance is like a cat and dog, but is it really right to feed them like one? He didn't dare ask if they poured the food into a bowl and ate similar to a pet.
"Does Charlie ever cook anything for you?" Sam asked.
"No. We were always spending our days at the lab, but ever since he got back from his trip a few weeks ago he's had us stay here more often."
"Well I think you deserve to eat something other than kibble." Sam entered the kitchen. "Let's see what he has around here..." Sam opened the fridge. "You're kidding..." Sam started to laugh. The fridge was filled with nothing but bottled water and what appeared to be more varieties of pet food. He then remembered that Charlie had said there was food in the freezer... Sam closed the fridge and opened the upper door. He laughed again. The freezer was packed with a variety of frozen foods. "I know I'm not going to be here long, but did he really have to buy only frozen food?"
"There is a living quarters and shower at the lab." Adam said. "Charlie can spend days there without needing to come back."
"So he only bought frozen food to prevent anything from rotting..." Sam sighed. He looked at the contents in the freezer again. There were things such as frozen pizzas, chicken, and hotdogs. Sam smiled as he pulled out a pack of hotdogs. "Have either of you ever had hotdogs?"
Adam and Eve looked at Sam with confusion, not even knowing what a hotdog was. Jet, on the other hand, immediately became excited.
Sam was thankful that Charlie had the sense to get some kitchen essentials so that he could at least boil water, eat off a plate, and use silverware. Jet actually could use silverware as well to eat, but he still needed Sam's help to cut the food. When Sam served everyone some hotdogs Jet immediately started eating while Adam and Eve just looked at the food with hesitation.
"There's nothing wrong with it." Sam said as he cut a piece of hotdog off. "Jet likes it." That was a bit of an understatement. "Try it."
Adam and Eve looked back at the food. Sam had cut it up for them, but he didn't insist on them using silverware. If they wanted to he would let them, though. They both picked a piece up with their paws. Doug sniffed his before they both put it in their mouths. Their ears perked up. They started gulping down the hotdogs at a pace that rivaled Jet's.
Sam watched the three ravage their food. "Are hotdogs really that good?"
It was about noon when Sam finished cleaning all of the dishes. The three Doubu seemed to be in a minor state of bliss from the food. Sam couldn't help but chuckle.
The doorbell rang. The three Doubu immediately regained their composure as their ears stood up. "Looks like they're here" Sam smiled.
Sam opened the front door and was immediately pushed back as Ryan and Emily barged into the house. "I can't believe you're here!" Emily said as she gave Sam a hug. She turned to Jet. "And you're back too!" She hugged Jet.
"Did you get more Doubu while you were gone?" Ryan asked as he noticed Adam and Eve. "Because that's really not fair."
"They're not mine."
"Cool, so can I have one?" Sam rolled his eyes as he gave a playful punch to Ryan's arm.
"Ouch!" Ryan said as he recoiled from the punch. "Did you get stronger while you were gone as well?"
"Maybe?" Sam had forgotten that his strength had somehow increased drastically. He decided to refrain from doing anything physical with them. "Where's Jeremy, by the way?"
"His entire family is visiting for the holidays, so he wasn't able to get out of the house." Emily let go of Jet. "So how's your brother been since he woke up?"
"He's doing alright, but the doctors said it would take months or years for him to fully recover."
"That sucks." Ryan said. Emily scowled at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Not in the same spot!" Ryan gritted his teeth as he clutched his shoulder.
"Think before you say something like that."
"No. He's right; it does suck. I just want my brother back to the way he was."
"You couldn't have said that before she punched me!?" Ryan took a deep breath. Sam shrugged his shoulders.
"Quit whining!" Emily said. She turned to Sam and grabbed him by the arm. "There's something we want to show you outside." She dragged Sam to the door. Sam could hear Ryan chuckle behind him as he followed. Jet only followed to the door.
"You got a car!?" Sam was dumbfounded as he stared at the car sitting on the road.
"WE got a car." Ryan emphasized as he walked outside. "We have to share and take care of it together, at least until graduation when we'll both have one." Ryan smirked. "I'm a little worried though. You probably couldn't tell by looking at her, but Emily is crazy when she gets behind the wheel. She drives so recklessly that I'm afraid she's going to total the car someday." Ryan started laughing, but was silenced when he felt something cold and wet hit the back of his head.
"I am not, you jerk! I drive cautiously and responsibly. If anything you're the one who-" She was interrupted as a snowball hit her in the face. She glared at Ryan. "Oh it's on now."
Ryan scooped some snow in his hand. "You know what we have to do now..." The two scooped snow into their hands and formed it into a ball. Sam was in the middle of the whole thing. He shook his head at how easy it was for the two of them to get competitive. Seconds later he felt an impact on his chest, and then shortly later he felt another on his back.
"You're not getting out of this, Sam." Ryan said as he scooped more snow in his hand. "If there's going to be a war it might as well be a three-way one."
"Or how about a four-way war?" Sam asked. He looked over at Jet who was standing on the porch by the door. "Hey, Jet! Want to join us in a snowball fight?"
Jet's body was shivering. "No thank you. I'm... I'm going to head back inside..."
Sam watched Jet walk back into the house. He was considering going inside to join him, but then he felt another snowball hit him in his back again. He turned to face Emily. "It's my turn now!" He scooped up some snow.
Back inside Jet sighed as he lied down on the couch. Ever since that day he never did like the snow, but seeing that game made him quiver even more. He thought of snow as a dangerous thing, and didn't want to interact with it.
Jet looked around. Adam and Eve were gone. He didn't want to be alone if had the choice, so he started to look for them.
He checked the rooms on the first floor, but all of them were empty. He walked up the stairs. He checked the room Sam and him used to sleep in. If felt so weird to him to see how different the room was now. There was nothing in the room except a bed, and it was a different size than the one he remembered. This whole house seemed like nothing more than an empty shell.
Something caught Jet's attention. There were odd sounds coming from the room that used to belong to Sam's grandfather. The closer he got to the room the clearer the sounds became. They sounded like grunts. He also began to smell something odd. When he was next to the door he could clearly tell that the ones making the sounds in the room were Adam and Eve. Jet grabbed the handle and opened the door.
Jet tilted his head in confusion. Adam was hovering over Eve, his body impacting hers over and over again. "Are you wrestling?" Jet asked. Adam and Eve gasped as they turned their heads.
"Uh... yes, Jet." Eve said.
"We were told do this once every day by Charlie... he wants us to keep in shape."
"Can I join?" Jet asked.
"No!" Adam and Eve said almost simultaneously.
"Why not?" Jet asked. "Sam's playing outside and I have nothing else to do."
"This is something that only the two of us can do... alone." Adam said.
"You should go join Sam outside." Eve added in.
Jet sighed. "Fine..." He closed the door behind him as he left the room.
Jet was relieved when he got to the door and saw that Sam and the others were already coming in. "Hey Jet." Sam said as he walked in and took off his Jacket. He looked around as Ryan and Emily walked in. "Where are Adam and Eve?"
"They're upstairs wrestling on the bed."
The trio's eyes widened. "Wrestling?" Emily asked.
"Yeah. I think Adam was winning because he was on top of Eve and she was grunting." Sam, Ryan, and Emily remained silent as they stared at each other. "What's wrong?" Jet asked.
"Nothing!" They said together.
"We were just about to watch some TV." Sam said. "Go ahead and pick out a channel, Jet."
"Alright." Jet went into the living room.
"You don't think they were really doing it, do you?" Sam asked in a whisper.
"Either they were or they have a very awkward way of wrestling." Ryan whispered back.
"Should we say something?" Emily asked.
"I say what they do when they're alone is their own business." Ryan whispered. "Who knows? They're Doubu; they might just be following instinct or something. They probably have urges."
"Jet never gets like that." Sam said.
"Well you don't also have a female Doubu living with you as well." Ryan said.
"Can we just stop talking about this now?" Emily interrupted. "Let's just be glad that Jet didn't figure out what they were actually doing up there."
"Hey, they still could have been wrestling awkwardly..." Sam and Emily glared at Ryan. "It was a joke..."
"Are you going to tell their owner?" Emily asked.
"No. Ryan's right. What they do in private should stay private."
"Please just stop saying that word." Emily groaned as she went into the living room with Jet. Sam and Ryan followed close behind.
The next day Charlie took Sam and the Doubu to his lab. It was a small building forty minutes away on the outskirts of the town.
When they walked in there were two doors. Charlie told Sam that one led to the lab and the other led to the living area. They took the large steel door to the lab. "There's another reason I wanted to bring you here, Sam." Charlie said as they walked down the short hallway.
"What's that?"
"I need yours and Jet's help with this..." They turned the corner and right in front of them was a glass window. On the other side was a sleeping white Doubu. "I've been having trouble dealing with this one, and I think that Jet is the only one who can calm it down."
"How do you figure that?" Sam asked.
Charlie closed his eyes. Memories of that night flooded his mind.
Charlie's back was up against the wall as the enraged Doubu walked into the room. Its teeth were bared as it growled. Charlie breathed heavily as the Doubu just stood there for so long. Finally the Doubu bent its knees and leapt forward. Charlie closed his eyes and screamed, waiting for those teeth to sink into him.
He heard the Doubu land in front of him, but as the seconds passed he became confused. Why hadn't it killed him yet? He slowly opened one of his eyes to see. The Doubu was standing in front of him, but it wasn't looking at him; it was looking up at the ceiling and it was sniffing the air.
Charlie gasped when the Doubu slowly moved away from him and towards the bed in the room. It sniffed the bed and sheets over and over again. Charlie slowly got to his feet and slowly walked back towards the door, keeping his eyes on the Doubu in case it was planning to attack him from behind. "What the..." Charlie got a good look at the Doubu's eyes. They were no longer completely black; now they were regular with dark blue irises. Charlie actually stopped walking when the Doubu lied down on the bed and started cuddling itself into the sheets.
Charlie was dumbfounded. This Doubu had just killed his four co-workers and now it was acting like an innocent puppy!? Charlie couldn't take it anymore. He dashed out of the room, closed the door, and activated the sleeping gas pumps. The room slowly filled with gas. The Doubu let out a yawn before falling asleep a few seconds later.
"What the hell is going on!?" Charlie slammed his fist against the door of one of the other rooms. He then quickly realized that the door belonged to Eve. He quickly unlocked the doors to let Adam and Eve out.
"What's going on?" Adam asked as he let out a yawn. He was quickly woken up when he smelt the faint smell of blood. "What happened? Where's Arthur?"
"He's dead! They're all dead because of that!" Charlie pointed at the room with the white Doubu. Adam and Eve looked through the glass.
Adam and Eve became depressed. "What's going to happen to us now?" Eve asked.
"I'll take both of you with me. I'll figure something out."
"And what about the little one?" Adam asked, pointing at the white Doubu. Charlie didn't say anything. He opened the door, letting out a slightly sweet smell. The amount of gas left in the room couldn't put anyone to sleep, but it did make Charlie a bit drowsy.
"Both of you come in here." Adam and Eve entered the room. They got a good look at the Doubu. It was completely white with the exception of a large patch of black fur on its back.
"She looks just like him..." Eve said as she looked down at the pup.
"Him?" Charlie examined the pup for a few seconds. It really did look like the black Doubu, except its fur color was opposite. He grabbed a part of the sheet and yanked it in front of Adam's face. "What do you smell? Does it smell of the black Doubu that was here before?"
Adam sniffed the fabric. Beyond the smell of the gas there were traces of Jet lingering in it. "Yes. I can smell him."
"What this mean? Why does the scent of the black Doubu calm her down, and why do they look alike." Charlie tried to think to himself, but he was having a hard time thinking. "Damn it! This is neither the place nor time to think about this!" He looked down at the Doubu. "We're taking her with us."
"But she killed-" Eve started to say.
"I know what she did, but we can't leave her here for when someone starts to investigate."
"But..."
"This is not a debate!" Charlie yelled. "Adam, carry the Doubu. Eve, take the sheets. If the scent of that Doubu is the only thing that this one sane then we're going to need every trace of it that we can find." Charlie noticed a stuffed teddy bear lying in the corner. He picked it up and led them out.
"Wait in here." Charlie said to the Doubu in his car. Adam and Eve watched Charlie enter the lab again. Ten minutes later he came running out. The Doubu watched as a fire erupted on the side of the building.
"What did you do?" Eve asked.
"I started a fire to destroy all of the evidence. I can't risk someone figuring out that a Doubu was responsible for the deaths of four people." Charlie sighed. "Sorry Arthur..." He said under his breath. "You, Julia, Doug, and Cynthia deserved better than this." Charlie reached into his pocket and pulled out the flash drive Arthur had given him. He clutched it in his hand before driving off.
Charlie opened his eyes. "No one could control this Doubu. However, when it was surrounded by the scent of Jet it calmed down and became easier to work with. Until recently we've been able to keep her calm with the sheets and stuffed animal you see in the room. That's why I took the fur sample from Jet; I've taped it into the collar she's wearing so that the scent is always close to her, but that will only last for so long."
"Wait... how did all of this survive the fire?" Sam asked.
Charlie's eyes widened momentarily. "The fire had been put out before it had reached the section that housed the Doubu."
"Oh." Sam turned back to look at the white Doubu. He was amazed by how much its fur pattern was similar to Jet's. "Can we go in?"
"Sure, but exercise some caution; I don't know how she'll act in front of a stranger." Charlie opened a nearby door.
"Come on, Jet." Sam said as he entered the room.
"Coming." Jet followed behind Sam. Charlie closed the door.
The sound of the door opening and closing caused the white Doubu to part her eyes a bit. Slowly, her eyes opened more and more to get a better look at the two strangers in the room. She sniffed the air. Her eyes widened and she stood up on her four paws. She looked at Sam first and then Jet. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him.
Jet was starting to feel anxious from the intense staring. "Why is she staring at me Sam?" Jet asked as he slowly started to back up.
"I don't know..." Sam was barely paying attention to Jet. He couldn't help but stare at the white Doubu's eyes; the same blue eyes that Jet had. Sam turned to face Charlie through the glass. "Charlie! Where did this Doubu's egg come from?"
"Your grandfather's notes say that he found it in the same cave that you found Jet's egg."
It couldn't be a coincidence. Jet and the Doubu had the same fur pattern, same eye color, and were both found in the same cave. Sam started to chuckle. Jet turned his attention to Sam momentarily, but that was all the white Doubu needed to charge at him and pounce on him.
Charlie had a look of panic on his face as he watched the white Doubu jump on Jet. He was about to open the door when Sam stopped him. "There's no need to worry, Charlie." Charlie stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Sam in confusion. "Look." Sam pointed at the two Doubu. Jet was lying on the ground, paralyzed with shock, while the white Doubu lied on top of him. She went back and forth between snuggling into Jet, licking his face, and playfully nibbling at his ear.
"Both their eggs were found in the same place. So doesn't it make sense that they might be part of the same nest?" Sam asked Charlie.
Charlie was skeptical. Doubu have been found in huge quantities in many areas, but many of them showed no resemblance to any of the others. Sam's words could have some merit on these two though since they were the only Doubu found in that cave. Charlie had checked it over and over again, but never found anything else.
"They just might actually be brother and sister..." Charlie said under his breath. "...But why does she act this way towards Jet, but Jet doesn't do the same to her?"
Sam slowly approached the two Doubu. "Are you alright, Jet?"
Jet remained silent. He was still surprised from the sudden surprise attack. Sam knelt down beside them. The white Doubu glanced at Sam for second but went right back to snuggling with Jet. Sam slowly let out his hand and gently ran his hand along the white Doubu's back. For a moment Sam could have sworn he heard the Doubu let out a sigh.
"Does she have a name?" Sam looked at Charlie.
"Uh, no. I was never good with coming up with names."
Sam looked back down at the Doubu. He remembered how he gave Jet his name based on the color of his fur; jet black. This one, however, was white like the snow outside. Sam smiled. "From now on your name is Snow." Snow gave Sam a curious look. Jet on the other hand let out a groan from hearing Sam's decision.
Outside the room Charlie turned to Adam and Eve. "Looks like it was a success."
"But what about when Sam and Jet leave?" Adam asked.
Charlie thought to himself for a moment. "I'll think of something when the time comes. Right now, though, have the two of you had any success?"
"We do what you told us to do every day, but nothing is happening." Eve said. "What are you trying to do?"
"Don't worry about it; I'm just testing something. With this though..." Charlie watched Sam and the Doubu. "I can proceed with the next step faster than I thought possible. I just need to make Sam and Jet willing to go along with it."
"Very good Sam." Charlie said as he entered the room. "Now she can move outside of this room. Now it's time we started working on finding a cure for your brother." Sam immediately stood up. Charlie looked down again at the Doubu. "We're going to need both of them to come too."
Hearing those words Jet quickly got to his feet, sliding Snow off of him. Sam followed Charlie out, Jet followed Sam, and Snow followed close behind Jet. Jet just looked at her curiously, trying to figure out why she was acting this way around him.
"This is the actual lab." Charlie said as he brought them into another room filled with a few computers and a variety of equipment. "The majority of the equipment is used to deal with blood and other genetic material. And speaking of blood..." Charlie turned to Sam and Jet and gave them a smirk. "I'm going to be drawing some blood from you."
Sam's face showed some discomfort from that idea. He was long past the days when he was afraid of needles, but his body couldn't help but shiver a bit from the memory of past encounters. "Is it necessary?"
"Yes. But before we do this I want to demonstrate something..." Charlie looked at Jet. "Tell Jet to try to merge his body with me." Sam and Jet looked at each other. "Trust me." Sam gave Jet a nod.
Jet's eyes turned black, causing Charlie to involuntarily take a step back. Jet approached him and pressed his right paw against Charlie's arm. Seconds passed but the paw remained on Charlie's arm. "Thought so..." Charlie said under his breath. "Doubu can only merge with the one who awakened him or her." Charlie turned around and reached into a metal drawer. "Now onto the next demonstration..." Charlie turned around to show a scalpel in his right hand.
Both Sam and Jet's eyes widened from seeing the sharp blade; Jet was surprised since he'd never seen it before while Sam was worried what Charlie was going to do with it. "What are you going to do with that?" Sam asked with hesitation.
Charlie ignored the question and instead looked towards Adam and Eve. "You two, prepare the bandages and antiseptic." Adam and Eve went to a cabinet and pulled out a roll of bandage tape and a bottle of surgical alcohol. Sam was starting to become even more worried. "Relax, Sam, it's not like I'm going to perform a surgery on either of you." Charlie approached Sam with the scalpel in hand.
"Could you at least tell me what you're going to do then?" Sam eyes were concentrated on the flesh cutting blade coming closer and closer.
Charlie stood in front of Sam. "Look at me." For a moment the focus of Sam's eyes went to Charlie's eyes. Not to soon after Sam felt a sharp pain in his right arm. He looked down and saw a long, shallow cut across his arm. Jet's eyes widened from the sight.
Sam yelled from the initial cut. His left hand immediately clutched down on the bleeding wound. "Why the hell!?"
Charlie ignored his outburst and looked to Jet. "Merge with him, Jet." Jet looked back and forth between Sam and Charlie. "Merge with him so you can heal his wound." Jet didn't think twice after that. His eyes turned black again and he pushed himself into Sam.
Snow's eyes widened as she watched Sam and Jet's bodies merge into one.
"Good." Charlie said. "Now don't separate yet..." Charlie pulled out two syringes. "I need to collect some blood now." Sam was still clutching the wound on his right arm as Charlie unexpectedly pierced through the fur and skin into a vein. Slowly the clear glass syringe started filling up with dark red blood. When he was done he pulled the needle out and capped it.
"Are you done now?" Sam asked with a bit of agitation.
"Hold on a second..." For a second time Sam felt a sharp pain, this time on his left arm. "Now you can separate."
Snow started growling as she watched Charlie cut through Sam and Jet's left arm. Her eyes started turning black for second, but they returned to normal when Sam and Jet separated bodies.
"Just what are you trying to do!?" Sam started to shout at Charlie, but felt a pain in his left arm. He looked down and saw the same cut that Charlie had given him and Jet a few seconds ago. Sam looked at his right arm; the cut was gone on that arm, but not on the left.
"Just one more thing... got to be quick with this." Charlie took the other syringe in pushed it into Jet. After extracting another sample he placed both syringes into the fridge. "To answer your question, I was testing my theory." Charlie held Jet's right arm. He parted the fur so show a cut sealing itself. "This is the cut I gave you before you merged." He parted the fur on Jet's left arm. The cut on this arm didn't show any sign of accelerated healing. "And this is the cut I just gave you while the two of you were merged." He signaled Adam and Eve.
Sam felt a stinging pain on his left arm as Adam and Eve applied alcohol to the wound and bandaged it up. They then went to Jet.
"I needed two blood samples; one of from when you two are merged, and the other from Jet after separating from you. I'll examine the blood later, but right now let me explain myself. I've proven three things with this. The first is that Doubu take the ailments of their partner into their own body and heal it at an accelerated rate. The second is that any wound inflicted while you two are merged will stay with both of you after you separate. The third is that Doubu cannot heal those wounds quickly; just like they can't heal regular wounds inflicted upon them quickly.
Adam and Eve finished bandaging up both of Jet's arms.
I want to examine the blood of a Doubu merged with a human and the blood of a Doubu going through accelerated healing. There might be a clue hidden in one of those samples as to how they heal so fast.
"That's great and all, but did you have to explain it in such a manner?" Sam rubbed his left arm.
"I assure you that that's the last you and Jet will have to go though. The rest will be left to me as I analyze the blood samples."
Snow didn't understand what anyone was saying. She looked over at Jet who was being bandaged up. She looked back at Sam and then at Jet. She tilted her head in curiosity, trying to understand what the two had done. She remembered seeing Jet's eyes turn black, and then he pressed into Sam. She was curious to give it a try.
Charlie gasped when he saw Snow's eyes turn completely black. He remained still and watched as she approached Sam. She pressed her head against his leg and kept moving forward. Charlie's eyes widened as he watched the two merge. "It can't be..."
Sam was speechless. He looked down at himself and found himself covered completely with white fur. "What's going on?" Sam thought to himself.
"Hi." A voice echoed in his head.
Sam looked at himself again. "Snow? Is that you?"
"Yes. I wanted to see what it was like..." A brief second later the two separated. "It was fun."
Everyone in the room stared with awe at Snow. In just a few seconds she went from being an illiterate Doubu who couldn't change from its feral form to a bi-pedal Doubu speaking perfect English. Snow let out a little whine. She looked down at her left arm and noticed blood staring to form. Sam rubbed his arm again. He unwrapped his bandage a found no trace of the cut. Snow started licking her wound, which was showing no sign of immediate healing.
"What are you two waiting for?" Sam asked Adam and Eve. "Bandage her wound."
As the pair worked on Snow's wound, Charlie silently stared at Snow in disbelief. It made sense now. When Jet came to lab he was only a pup, and yet he already knew how to walk on two legs, and seemed to understand what everyone was saying. He knows now that Sam and Jet merged shortly prior to him being brought to the lab... so it can mean only one thing.
When a human and Doubu merge they fuse both their body and mind. The merger not only allows Doubu to adapt to walking on two legs faster, but they also copy all of the knowledge that the human processes; allowing the Doubu to learn a language in an instant.
Does it work both ways though?
That question was overshadowed by another one plaguing Charlie's mind. How did Snow merge with Sam? Is there something special about Sam? Or is there something special about Snow? The latter seemed to make more sense when considering the nature of her origin.
He watched as Adam and Eve finished bandaging Snow up. There definitely had to be something about Snow, otherwise his second theory about accelerated healing of the wounds transferred from human to Doubu would be proven invalid.
Charlie couldn't help but grin. "What if Doubu like her don't follow the same rules?" He thought to himself.
When she was done being bandaged Snow went to Jet and placed her head on his chest. Jet looked at Sam with confusion; he wasn't used to attention like this. Sam laughed at how much Snow was like Jet when he was a pup. "You're her older brother Jet. She's to you what you are to me."
Jet didn't say a word; he just let Sam's words sink in. He loves Sam very much... so does that mean Snow loves him very much? He didn't have any experience with this so he relied on what Sam did with him. He slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around Snow.
Snow's eyes widened from his action. It pulled her closer to him. She sighed and copied him.
The hug felt a bit weird for Jet; he'd always been hugged by Sam. While hugging Snow wasn't bad, it was something that would take time for him to get used to. For Snow, however, she immediately loved it.
While Sam watched the two hug, Charlie pulled Adam and Eve away. When they were out of earshot of the others Charlie whispered into their ears. "That activity I have you do every day- do it twice a day now."
Adam and Eve's ears twitched momentarily before they flattened against their heads. "What does that accomplish, sir?" Eve asked. "What are you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to create Doubu eggs!" Charlie elevated his voice a bit, but not so much that it reached Sam, Jet, and Snow. Adam and Eve were speechless. "Don't give me those looks. You two are the only Doubu I have and you happen to be of the opposite sex. I am tired of HIM at the Tokyo lab having the only steady access to Doubu eggs."
"What about Snow?" Adam asked. "Isn't she yours too?"
"I have no more use for her right now, just like I have no more use for Sam and Jet. The three blood samples I've collected will be enough to keep me busy for a while."
"Three?" Eve asked. Where did the other one come from?"
Charlie smirked. "You don't think I kept Snow in that room for show, do you?" Charlie left the two speechless Doubu where they stood. He walked over to Sam. "Again, Sam, I must thank you for what you've done. Sorry about the unorthodox methods I used."
"As long as you don't do anything like that again, I'm fine."
"Good, because there's one more favor I have to ask of you." Sam looked at Charlie with weary eyes. "Don't worry; it's nothing painful. I want you to take Snow back with you for a while."
This caught the attention of Jet and Snow. "Are you sure you're not going to need her?"
"She's much better off if she's close to Jet. Perhaps spending enough time with him will make her more cooperative when she returns. If I ever need her I'll let you know."
"Is there anything Jet or I can do?"
"No. I'll be spending the majority of my time with the blood. If I find anything interesting I'll let you know. So how about I take you back to the house."
"Won't the car be a bit cramped now with an extra passenger?"
"Don't worry about that. Adam and Eve are going to start working on something I discussed a while ago." He looked at the two Doubu. The looks on their faces showed that they knew what he was talking about, and would start after they left.
Sam, Jet, and Snow spent the rest of the time at the house. It only took a few days for Snow to stop being so clingy to Jet. However, she still followed him around like his shadow; watching what he did and trying to mimic what he did. Jet might not have, but Sam found the sight amusing.
Things started to change when they returned to the city. Sam's parents didn't mind Snow moving in at all. They said it would be great for someone to keep Jet company while everyone was gone. Sam couldn't agree more.
As Jet spent more time with Snow he began to get more comfortable with her. They would spend their days talking and with her napping next to him. Over time Jet began to enjoy having someone to always be there with him. So much that he began to miss Sam less and less. He still loved Sam very much and always jumped at the chance to spend time with him, but having Snow around filled the void for him.
"You wouldn't believe how quickly he's warmed up to her." Sam told his brother as he sat next to the hospital bed. "I had wanted to only come every other day, but since Snow came into our lives I've decided to continue coming every day. Not weekends, though; those are the days I spend time with both of them. For the other days I'm letting them spend time together... I guess I'm letting them catch up on lost time..." Sam sighed.
Sam opened his wallet. He pulled out a picture. "I took this after I came home one night. Both of them must have been tired because neither one noticed me coming home." Sam looked at the photo that showed Jet and Snow, in feral form, lying on the ground, snuggled against each other with Snow's head lying on Jet's back. Sam smiled.
He looked at his brother, then at the ceiling. "Please hurry Charlie."
"Dammit!" Charlie shouted at Adam and Eve. "You've been doing it for months and months and yet there are still no signs of pregnancy!?"
"We're sorry sir..." Eve said. "Perhaps because we are different species of Doubu we are incompatible."
"That's really what I want to hear... Another waste of time!" Charlie pounded his fist on his desk. "I haven't been able to find anything within these damn blood samples! They're all similar in that they all belong to Doubu, but nothing distinguishes them apart!"
Charlie rushed to the fridge and opened the door. Inside were the three blood samples. He grabbed the sample he took from when Sam and Jet were merged. He held the syringe in his hand. "What makes the Doubu so special if it isn't in their blood!?"
"Please try to calm down sir." Adam said as he and Eve approached Charlie.
"Calm down!? How can I be calm when I know that asshole in Tokyo is getting away with what he did to the others!?" Charlie tightened his grip on the syringe. He could barely see his distorted reflection on the glass. "Research isn't getting me anywhere so it's time to experiment!" In one swift motion Charlie stabbed the needle into his arm and injected all of the blood into himself.
"What are you doing!?" Eve said as she watched him pull the needle out of his arm. He tossed the empty syringe aside and stood still.
A faint laughter echoed in the room. The laughter became louder and louder as Charlie couldn't contain his emotions. "That's it!? I inject Doubu blood into myself and I don't even go into a seizure!? This has all been a waste of time!" Charlie once again slammed his fist against the desk. This time, however, his hand crushed the desk.
Charlie was silent. Adam and Eve were shocked. Charlie looked at his fist in disbelief. He walked down the hallway to the steel lab door. He slammed his fist into the door and created a huge dent. To his amazement, it didn't hurt his fist at all.
Charlie started to laugh again, this time out of amusement. He clenched his fist in front of his face. "I think I'm though with all of this research. Why try to create my own resources when there's an entire lab full of it in Tokyo."
Charlie turned to meet Adam and Eve's gaze. He smiled. "We're going to Tokyo."
He knew better than to just charge in. He needed to make HIM drop his guard so he can make his move. He needed Sam's help.
Charlie couldn't help but get excited from the thought of killing two birds with one stone.
Chapter 5 is done and what a relief
Please comment what you thought of this chapter. Please point out what you liked / disliked.
The end of the series is coming up soon. I never do like ending a series, but I do have a new series in mind afterwards.