“Stay, Private. I still need urine, saliva, and blood samples from you before we head down to the gym lab. Sorry to say the last one will involve needles. But how about you Justin? Willing to stay behind as moral support and showing Nikki how its done. You won’t get a lollipop, but as my temp assistant you can run the medical equipment.” While the words were directed at the teenager, Dr. Abrams’ empty eyes were locked squarely onto his mother.
With Margret’s chin resting on his head, he couldn’t see his mother’s expression. But he felt the tightening of her embrace just before he was released. Justin’s crawled with tingling electricity from his voyeuristic watching of the serum-enhanced soldier. His serum. Just the thought made his head spin a little at how unreal this success still felt. “Sure. For a tour of this place, I’d do anything.” Nothing approached the kind stuff they had here at his high school.
“Excellent. There’s a bathroom on the left.” Two plastic cups appeared before Justin and Nikki’s face. “Either of you need a diuretic?” In a way it was a relief when Justin could see the same mixture of awkwardness matched by Nikki’s frozen expression.
The Private had more issues than Justin doing her business. Well after the undramatic act was done, Justin could hear her grunting and swearing through the thin walls of the separate toilets. The young man’s hormonal mind had his own way of filling in the blanks. Reality was more mundane.
Broken fabric ran like battle scars down the dark green t-shirt of Nikki’s fatigues. Justin studiously kept his focus on defined musculature of the soldier’s partially bare stomach. Otherwise it’d drift further down to the open zipper and torn underwear. Attuning his breathing to the rippling abdominal cliffs, Justin slowly began to pretend he didn’t notice on their way back.
It was only a glimpse. Abrams had held her palm close to his mother’s face before she had swept it away with an annoyed gesture. Like it had been in an argument. In the next heartbeat Margaret beamed proudly at Justin.
Meanwhile, Tiffany was making herself scarce. “Pizza run. Your mom already told me your favorite toppings. Thick and greasy for Nikki, that’s the doctor’s orders.”
“In a way we’re surprised you’re still standing. Immediately tell me if you feel lightheaded or hungry, Private. Especially during the exercise tests. For now, both of you can sit down here. Open your mouths and say ‘aaah’.” As Abrams gestured at an operating bed, Justin had a sense she was stalling.