Marcy and Polly nervously passed through the door of the large laboratory. Her parents and Chilly had to remain behind at the atrium. Horizon Labs was not keen on having visitors wander through the building, for obvious safety and security reasons. But after the situation was explained to a very patient human resource representative, they agreed to let Polly take one guest with her to visit her brother in his lab. Of course she had chosen Marcy, her new 'big' sister.
The interior of the lab was huge, almost the size of a hangar. Marcy wasn't surprised, given the nature of their research. The majority of the lab was used for storage. A multitude of boxes of varying shapes and sizes lined the rear portion of the lab.
And also in the rear was her ... it.... the monster Heather. The large hybrid dinosaur was lifting and moving heavy boxes with ease, carefully making a note after dropping off each load.
Although the government had tried to dispel the aura of fear that surrounded Heather by humiliating her on television, she was still pretty intimidating. It was wasn't often you saw a dinosaur in person and the ones in the museum looked fearsome enough. The government had publicly announced that after careful analysis by her psychiatrist, Heather was deemed no longer a danger to society. But, like a large number of Animalians, Marcy still didn't trust her.
The front of the lab was less cluttered. The walls were lined with a number of strange machines, the purpose of which Marcy could not fathom. She did recognize a few things, like what appeared to be common freezers and refrigerators. Several lab benches lined the center of the lab. An odd assortment of beakers, chemicals and Bunsen burners sat on the bench, all meticulously labeled and safely stored with care.
Also in the center of the lab was a large desk. A very haggard man with wild hair in a grimy white labcoat sat at the desk, his back to them. In contrast to the lab, the desk was a mess with papers haphazardly lying about it. An empty pot of coffee sat next to a dirty mug.
As they moved further into the lab Heather turned to look at them. She eyed the new arrivals with some suspicion before walking quickly towards the man.
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"Heads up, Doc. We got company," said Heather as she stood beside him.
Jeremy groaned inwardly.
Great, just what I need, he thought. Another interruption.
Although they had made progress, Jeremy still felt like he was falling behind. It seemed like Dr. Stein or someone else was always dragging him away, demanding a progress report or wanting to show him some experiment ... and delaying his own work.
Usually Sophie would take care of the gawkers and lookie lous. But Sophie was off, gone away somewhere for her Fall Break.
Jeremy wasn't sure where she went. He didn't have time to watch her show. He wasn't sure how that girl was able to accomplish all that she did. Between school, her show, her work for the Animalian council, and her time in the lab, she was spreading herself pretty thin. But Sophie was a smart girl. She would make a great scientist some day, if she chose to pursue her studies. Although she still had a lot to learn, she picked things up remarkably quick. To his credit, Jeremy didn't just have her cleaning beakers and watching Heather. After several long lab safety lectures, he allowed Sophie to participate in some of the experiments. Heather did her best to help, but there was only so much she could do with those large claws. Bench work required steady hands and a delicate touch. Heather was restricted mostly to keeping inventory, doing the heavy lifting, and taking notes.
But Sophie was something else. Her quick wit and creativity had helped the project progress rapidly. Yes, she would make a great scientist. Shame she wanted to become a dinosaur like Heather. That would put a stop to her bench work and any future dreams, just like poor Polly. Still, the world was making adjustments for the new Animalians. The engineering department worked very quickly to create things for Heather, like chairs and tables. Perhaps in a few years they would have lab equipment that even a pterodactyl could use.
Still, it didn't matter. It was highly improbable that Sophie wanted to be a scientist. More likely she would go into politics or maybe even become a television news correspondent. He didn't know which choice he dreaded the most. But he dearly wished that he had Sophie here now to use those social skills to entertain and distract his unwanted guests.
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At first Marcy didn't recognize the scraggly man that turned to face them. Of course she had only seen his picture briefly on television. But the poorly shaven man with deep bags under his eyes looked nothing like the clean cut picture she had seen on television.
Polly recognized him immediately.
"Jeremy! Where have you been? Why haven't you called? You look terrible!" said Polly as she angrily stomped over to him.
Jeremy's face lit up, but Heather was not so pleased.
"Hey! Back off, bitch! He was been working his ass off for you guys. So you can just piss off!" said Heather angrily.
Polly crumpled. She placed her head on Marcy's chest and began to cry. Marcy's anger boiled over, numbing any fear.
"Whoa, nice mouth. Guess you didn't learn much in the nut house. Maybe you need to go back for a few more lessons. Someone needs to teach you some manners," said Marcy.
Heather bristled.
"Really? You wanna try to teach me something, you fat lump of fur?" said Heather angrily.
"Maybe!" said Marcy, stepping up.
Jeremy stood between them, gently placing his hands on Heather's chest.
"Easy, Heather. This is my sister, Polly. She is just a kid. She didn't know any better, " said Jeremy.
Heather immediately backed down and felt kinda guilty. She knew a little about the story of Jeremy's sister.
"Doesn't look like a kid to me," snorted Heather.
"Maybe because you have a pea brain now, " said Marcy.
Heather leaned forward again and Jeremy gently restrained her. They both knew that he couldn't really stop her, but the gesture was symbolic and Heather relaxed a little.
"Why don't you take a break and work on your posters while I have a chat with my sister?" said Jeremy.
Heather snorted again.
"Sure, I got better sh.... stuff to do anyway. Nice to meet you, Polly," said Heather. She glared at Marcy. "You can get lost, fuzzball!"
Heather went to sit down at her oversized desk. She began to scribble furiously on her paper with custom-made pencils.
The drawings were crude, like something a child might make, but Jeremy had to admit they were getting better. Heather had been working on posters for the Halloween Carnival. Jeremy doubted that any of the posters were good enough to be displayed, but he knew the therapy was good for her.
Heather's large tongue lolled out of her mouth as she worked, her brow furrowed in concentration. An outsider might think that this was a side effect of her conversion. But Jeremy remembered the young art student who had rewarded his tutoring sessions with a free portrait. As he patiently posed for her while she worked, Jeremy remembered Heather showing the same concentration, her tongue sticking out in the cutest way, a French beret tilted on the head of the serious artist.
Jeremy turned back to look at his sister and her friend.
"Um, Marcy, is it?" asked Jeremy, reading the name on her visitor tag. "I take it you are her guardian."
"One of the them," said Marcy, still a little perturbed.
"Well, thank you for your help, Marcy. I really appreciate it," said Jeremy. "But I was wondering if I could have a word alone with my sister."
"You could have at any time," said Marcy. "If you had ever bothered to come visit her. Or even return her calls."
Jeremy sighed.
"I know and I should have," said Jeremy sadly. "But I have just been so busy....I know it's not a good excuse, but it's the only excuse I can make. Now, can I please have some time with my sister? Alone?"
Marcy gently lifted up Polly's head to look in her face.
"Is that okay with you, Polly?" asked Marcy.
Polly sniffled, wiped her nose and nodded her head.
"Well, I'll be right over here if you need me, " said Marcy. She stayed in the room, but moved to the corner, where she was far away from Heather but could still keep an eye on her.
"Come on, have a seat, Polly, " said Jeremy, patting the cushion on Heather's chair.
He dearly missed the time when his little sister sat on his lap. But in her current condition that would have crushed his legs. So he had to settle for sitting in her lap. Her fur was soft and warm, but a little damp from her tears.
"What's the matter, Polly?" asked Jeremy.
"I don't like her," said Polly, glaring at Heather. Heather pretended to ignore her and continued her drawing.
"Aw, she is not so bad. She is just a little grumpy because she has been working so hard. We all have, " said Jeremy with resignation.
"Is that why you haven't come to visit?" asked Polly.
Jeremy nodded. Polly thumped him on the chest, a little too hard, almost knocking the wind out of him.
"That was bad. I was worried about you. I thought you got hurt or something. Or maybe they were punishing you again. I heard some people say they took you away," said Polly.
Jeremy chuckled as he rubbed his sore chest.
"No, I am afraid that is not it. No conspiracy, I am afraid. Nothing quite so nefarious. I just got carried up in my work," said Jeremy.
It wasn't the first time. Polly remembered how Jeremy would disappear for days at a time, sleeping overnight in his lab during his college years. But after their parents had passed away, Jeremy spent more time with Polly, especially after her transformation. Now that it looked like she had new guardians, Jeremy had just fallen back into his old bad habits.
"I thought.... I thought maybe you didn't like me anymore," said Polly.
"What? Why in the world would you think that?" asked Jeremy.
"When you didn't come to visit .... I thought that you were ashamed of me. Cuz of how I look," said Polly sadly, dropping her head down to her chest.
Jeremy's heart broke. He tilted her head up till she was looking in his eyes.
"Look at me, Polly. I would never be ashamed of you, no matter what you look like. You are my sister and I will always love you," said Jeremy. "It's just that ... "
Jeremy struggled to find the right words. His sister was so young. How could he explain it to her?
"It's just that, I wanted so much for you. I wanted you to live a long, happy life. I wanted you to grow up, go to college, get a career. Maybe even become a doctor like your big brother, " said Jeremy.
Polly chuckled a little at that.
"I wanted you to go to school, to play with other kids, to play sports, to learn to drive a car, to date, to go to prom, all the stuff normal kids can do, " said Jeremy. "And even to get married and have kids. I wanted you to have a normal life. But now - because of me - you can't. Polly, I am not ashamed of you. I am ashamed of myself, of what I did to you. I just hope one day when you are older you can learn to forgive me."
"But, Jeremy. I can do all that stuff now, " said Polly. "Well, most of it. I go to school, I have friends and we play the most fun games. I even have a new sister. Sure, things may be different. But is that so bad? Please don't be sad. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Thanks, Polly," said Jeremy.
"Now, will you come to visit?" asked Polly.
"Well, I do have a lot of work..."
Polly squeezed him tightly in a bear hug.
"No, I am not going to let go until you agree to come visit," said Polly.
"Okay, okay. Just let me go!" said Jeremy coughing and sputtering.
"Promise?" asked Polly.
"Yes, I swear, " said Jeremy.
"So will you come over tonight?" asked Polly.
"Well, I need to ..."
Polly put her hands on her hips. Jeremy spied one of Heather's posters.
"How about the Halloween Carnival? I'll take you there and we'll spend the whole day together, how does that sound?" pleaded Jeremy.
"Well, okay. But you better come. And I want you to come visit me and my new family at our house. You will like them. They are very nice, " said Polly.
"I am sure they are," said Jeremy, hoping off her lap.
"But you better take a bath first. You stink, " said Polly, holding her nose and giggling.
Jeremy hadn't even noticed. He didn't remember the last time he went home, much less took a shower. Had he even paid rent? He hoped his landlord hadn't evicted him.
Jeremy led Polly back to Marcy.
"Thanks again for all your help," said Jeremy.
"So, dumping her off again?" asked Marcy.
"What? No, I thought she was happy with your family. At least that is what it sounded like from the messages. If it is an inconvenience, I can arrange for another surrogate family. Or if it is a problem with money, I can pay...."
"We don't need your money. But being a good brother is more than just tossing money at your sister. It means being there, supporting her, helping her to cope. Do you have any idea how much you hurt her? How she cried when she didn't hear from you? She wanted to come home with you. But if you can't even bother to pick up the phone, if your work is so much more important than your sister, then maybe you don't deserve her. Maybe she would be better off without you, " said Marcy.
"Marcy, don't say that. He loves me. He will do anything for me," said Polly.
"Except what really matters. When I changed, my family didn't run away. They supported me. They even changed into polar bears to help me. What have you done, other than try to avoid your responsibility?" said Marcy coldly. "Come on, Polly. Let's go home."
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Marcy's words continued to echo in Jeremy's head long after she and his sister had left. Jeremy slowly walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a vial of Polly's blood, a remnant from his previous attempt to cure his sister. He walked slowly to his desk and sat down, rolling the vial in his hand as he looked at it.
"Maybe she is right, " said Jeremy. "Maybe I haven't been there for Polly. Maybe I should have made sure she wasn't alone a long time ago. It's not too late. I could still be the brother she wants, the brother she needs...."
Jeremy felt two rough hands massage his back. Heather's fingers were very big, but they could do magic after a long day. The rough claws could apply just the right amount of pressure.
"Don't let that kid get to you, " said Heather. "You are a good brother. You have done everything for your sister. One day she will recognize the sacrifices you have made for her and she will thank you for it."
"I don't know, Heather. Maybe she is right. Maybe my cure is nothing but a dream, some kind of white whale that I am fruitlessly chasing. I don't want to waste my life here and miss out on her growing up. Maybe I should just give up, " said Jeremy. He held up the vial of his sister's blood to the light. "Maybe there is one more thing I can do to make her happy, one last sacrifice that will really help her."
Heather eyed the vial in Jeremy's hands with fear.
Heather wanted Jeremy to be her mate, but she didn't have the courage to ask him. Now she feared it might be too late.
It wasn't just the long hours they spent working together. Heather had liked Jeremy for a long time. Even in school she had developed a crush on him. True, they were polar opposites. Jeremy was the brainy nerd with his nose always buried in some book and Heather was the dramatic artist, always dreaming and trying to bring beauty into the world. But after many long night tutoring sessions, Heather had eventually realized she had genuine feelings for Jeremy. Sadly, despite her misguided attempts to flirt, Jeremy had remained aloof and uninterested. It was like the only thing he cared about was his stupid work. It was only later that she learned the real reason. Jeremy worked so hard and diligently because he was racing against time to find a cure for his little sister. And that noble mission had endeared him even more to her. But it was ultimately the same noble cause Heather shamefully exploited to satisfy her own selfish needs.
Heather wasn't settling for Jeremy by any stretch of the imagination. Although she was not very popular in Animalia, she still did get her fair share of fan mail. Quite a few were letters propositioning her, most of which were very disturbing even to a 'monster' like Heather. Even now Horizon Labs was screening volunteers for the Mesozoic project, one of which would ultimately become her mate. Although they were still slowly accumulating more DNA samples from bones in an attempt to create a complete genome of other dinosaurs, it was already possible to use her blood to make more Syntixisaurus rex. Thanks to a little help from Dr. Miyamota and the discovery of the 'snake-heart' gene that had allowed her family to survive the conversion process, Jeremy had developed a new serum that could - theoretically - convert another human being into her mate. They just needed to find the right candidate. Although any volunteer had to be approved by Horizon Labs, Heather ultimately had the final say on who would be her mate. It felt a little odd to read through the files of potential candidates, like looking through the profiles on a dating website or something. Or more like a mail-order groom service. But where was the love?
Heather knew what she wanted.
She wanted Jeremy.
Heather continued to massage his back, nervously watching Jeremy fiddle with the vial of the polar bear variant of the Animalia virus. She needed to do it - she needed to confess her love. But what if he rejected her? How could she live without him? How could she stand to see him day after day as a miserable polar bear, forever out of her reach? She had to stop him from making a mistake.
Maybe I can arrange a little accident, thought Heather. The sample is ready for testing. If I infect Jeremy with the new serum created from my blood, he will have no choice. He might be angry at first, but he will come around. He is a good person. And I know we belong together. But what if he never forgives me?
Heather continued to massage Jeremy's back, lost in thought, as her tail swished back and forth behind her.