Andrew and Marsha enjoyed the others company during the month of November and December of that year. The many changes that the Doctor noted continued to develope. Mason and Angie had signed a release paper insisting that the Doctor not inform the State Board of health.
Andrew having had sex with Marsha spread his infection to her. Now both families wishing for privacy sent the two youths to stay as guests of the Hopper Foundation. Their long time friend, a very rich man Henry Hopper was president of the experimental foundation. The research they had accomplished during the previous ten years had increased Mr. Hopper's wealth a hundred times.
As January began and the winter snows piled high Andrew was quarantined. The Dixson family was told that his infection had taken on a contagious status.
It was Mr. Hopper who was overseeing the quarantine and was fully enjoying the radical process.
Andrew was being kept in a closed room, no windows, dim lights, he was fed by tubes iserted weeks before. Yet the groaning of his agony was easily heard through the walls. Mr. Hopper was the only person allowed to visually examine the boy, not even a doctor from the foundation could get inside.
March brought about such changes that the room in which Andrew was kept could nolonger be of use. One evening Mr. Hopper and three assistants entered the room of Andrew. The youth was sedated and half awake when the assistants disconnected him from the feeding and evacuation tubes.
"Andrew can you hear me?" asked Mr. Hopper in a soft but clear voice.
A groan and the youth gave a nod of the head.
"I am having you moved to our swing room and there the orderly's will attent to your needs. Have you seen yourself at all Andrew?" asked the man.
A shake of his head meant No!
The assistants and Mr. Hopper loaded Andrew onto a wheeled cart. The lights were very bright to Andrew's eyes as he was wheeled to his new room. The continued injections which sedated him for so long were wearing off as they arrived to the swing room.
Andrew lifted his head a little to see his new room. Brightly lit the room walls were like pine boards nailed together in a tight tongue and groove style. The floor was gray concrete that seemd to slope towards the middle of the room.
Much tugging and pulling was going on around his middle section. The feeling was strange as he felt his penis being pulled and stretched in a not too friendly way.
A squeaking sound as he felt his body being lifted off the cart till niether feet nor hands touched anything but air. A sling was pulled under his chin which gave an ease to holding up the head, it seemed so heavy!
"Andrew, Andrew, the sedation time is done! Now the orderlys and my scientists will work out the details of this infection. I'm sure that over the coming few days your thoughts of future thrilling times will bring about many questions," said Mr. Hopper.
Time seemed to come back to a fact for consideration as the next day began. Andrew's sedation had worked out of his body and left a clear mind.
Unable to turn his head Andrew tried to scream for help from some of the orderly's passing by his room's window. As each straining cry escaped Andrew's lips the ecko sounded simular to some memory.
The welcomed sight of Mr. Hopper and a group of white coated men coming into his room brought on wiggling and glee.
"Gentlemen we have here a specimen showing our new process of D.N.A. blending with hormones of both animal and human. Note the beastial muscles tones and the animal hide with animal hairs. See the almost human reaction to my coming as this very bright minded beast looks forward to my arrival. Of course your first note might be that it relates to me and food. However this would be incorrect since I am never here when the creature is fed."
Andrew turned his head a little as he was being poked and prodded by the men. The words on beastial, creature, animal, all made Andrew wonder what he might look like or wven if Mr. Hopper was talking about something else.
"Mr. Hopper do you believe that this enormus creature will change to way we think about food production?"
"No Sir I think this beast will be the sire of many more of his size to come. They in years to come could produce such quanities of food that the Farming world will sit up and take notice."
The group all applauded and walked out of Andrew's room.
"Mr. Dixson this is Henry Hopper at the Foundation. It is may deepest sorrow to inform you that Anmdrew has passed on. At some time during the evening his heart stopped and it was over in a split second. Of course due to the infection I've had the body creamated and the ashes will be returned to you within a day or two."
A sad Mason Dixson now had to inform his wife of the loss of their oldest son. It was bad enough but in the past weeks his other sons had begun to complain of lower back pains too.
The family returned from the grave sight and tried to regain some family lifestyle.
"Good evening Andrew," said Mr. Hopper.
Andrew lifted his head up from looking down at the concrete floor.
"It's about time now that you learn the truth about your body and the wonderful things that my scientists have done," said an affectionate Mr. Hopper.
The sound of the squeaking winch was filling the room as Andrew felt his toes touch the ground for the first time in months. Then his hands felt the cold concrete too. Yet the feeling was strange even numb as his fingers touched the groud.
The sling was pulled away and Andrew tried with all his might to push himself to a standing position.