Return of the Re-animator-Chapter 5
Title: Return of the Re-animator
Verse: Same
Characters: Herbert West, Daniel Cain, Megan Halsey, ensemble
Pairings:
Rating: Mature, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence, Gore, Sex
Status: Unbeta'd and I know it.
...
Daniel stretched out his stiffened legs. Looking at his watch he yawned. It was after one in the afternoon. He had been driving more than ten hours. The only thing that had kept him up-right the last few was pure adrenaline and now he was bottoming out. He desperately needed a cup of coffee. Glancing at Herbert he noticed that he had finally stopped writing in his journal and was staring straight ahead as if in a trance. “Hey Herbert, what say we make a quick pit-stop?”
“For what?” came the toneless query.
“Gas among other things. Aren’t you hungry or anything?”
“No, I’m not hungry or anything,” Herbert said trenchantly, his eyes still locked on the road ahead.
Now this was familiar. Daniel sighed, he hated it when Herbert got like this. It was like dealing with a petulant child, but it did go a long way to easing his worries concerning Herbert’s state of mind. “Suit yourself, but I need to take a break.. badly.
Herbert seemed to respond to that. “It’s alright, I’ll drive for awhile Dan. “I’m not tired.”
Daniel smiled gratefully, “Great, I need to check on Megan again. I think I’ll sit with her awhile.” Herbert nodded, he seemed pre-occupied again. “There’s a quick mart coming up in about twenty miles. I’ll just stop there.”
“Fine” Herbert returned to staring out the window.
“You think the cops are onto us yet?”
“Probably,” another toneless response.
“Oh,” Daniel glanced nervously back at Megan. The authorities would never understand. They would put Megan away somewhere. They would study her like some kind of lab animal. He couldn’t let that happen, he wouldn’t let it happen. Megan was his world now, his reason for being.
She was the only thing keeping him from putting a gun in his mouth and blowing out the back of his head. Dan rubbed his eyes. Those kind of thoughts were just a reaction to shock, he rationalized. He had to concentrate on making Megan well again. It was possible. Herbert was living proof of that, well maybe not quite living. He shook his head hoping to jar loose some of the cobwebs. No, he wouldn’t go down that road again.
As Daniel made the next exit, a non-descript blue sedan pulled off behind him. Following close, but not too close. The last thing Berkov wanted to do was alert his meal-tickets that they were being followed. This was the one. Berkov felt it in his guts. This was the story that would make his career. Hell, maybe even win him a Pulitzer. One thing was for sure, he’d be set for life.
While bribing his way into Miskitonic Hospital Berkov had his editor do a little digging on Herbert West and what she’d found was pretty hot stuff. While working in Switzerland, West had been implicated in the death of his mentor, Doctor Hans Gruber. Either the Swiss government didn’t have enough to charge him or they were anxious to see the whole thing over and done because before you could say “cover-up” the incident was dropped and West was asked to leave the country.
All he could learn from his contact was that there had been some unauthorized experimentation with human remains. Obviously, the Swiss Institute was doing its best to bury whatever had been going on with their potential Nobel-winning Doctor and his protégé.
Now West was here and the next thing you know Miskitonic is in chaos, people are dead and there are rumors about corpses not being where they should be. Not to mention the intriguing little fact that West was supposedly killed by Miskitonic’s grant machine Doctor Carl Hill.
“Looks pretty lively to me,” Berkov puffed, the ash from his cigarette falling to the floorboard unnoticed. “What the hell did it all mean?” Berkov’s brow furrowed. “And where does this guy Cain fit into this?” he mused.
A young doctor on his way to a brilliant career lies to the cops about West and apparently kidnaps the Dean’s daughter, Megan Halsey, from her hospital room. From what Berkov had learned from colleagues of Cain’s, he hadn’t even met West until a few weeks ago, and now he was on the lam with him. It had to be something pretty damn shattering to make the guy do something so uncharacteristic.
Berkov’s conscience gave him a momentary twinge. He attributed the sensation to the breakfast burrito he’d had and pulled a lint encrusted antacid tab from his jacket pocket and swallowed it dry. He’d follow them to where ever it was they were headed and find out the real story behind the carnage at the hospital. If he played his cards right, maybe used a little blackmail, he might even get one of them to talk. An exclusive interview would top things off nicely. Still, he wouldn’t be greedy about it, after all there were some people who had been killed. It was a potentially dangerous situation. He would need to be very careful. Very careful indeed.
Daniel leaned against the van stretching out his aching muscles. He was glad that Herbert offered to drive because he would just end up driving them off the road. Opening the side door he leaned in to check on Megan. She was just as she had been for the last twelve hours. Still as death. He caressed her hair lightly. “It would be ok,” he told himself for the millionth time. They could do this. They could make it right.
“Dan?” The young doctor jerked around to find Herbert standing right behind him. His expression was one of concern. Herbert awkwardly lay his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “You all right?”
“Yea, I’m.. I’m doing better now. I’m just exhausted that’s all.” Herbert nodded, “Well let’s get some gas and supplies and get the hell out of here.” Herbert turned.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Daniel ran his hands through his sand colored hair. “You think we should give Megan another injection?” Herbert looked at his watch. “Couldn’t hurt. But let’s wait until we get down the road a bit. We can pull off where there aren’t any prying eyes.” He motioned to the two other cars waiting at the pumps.
“You’re right. Good plan, good.”
“Why don’t you go in and pay, I’m going around back to clean up a bit.” Herbert studied Dan’s frazzled appearance.
“Sure.. Yeah.. I can do that.” He stared at the van a minute, “I should lock up though. She’ll be ok, right?”
“She’ll be fine Dan, you can see the van from inside. Just keep an eye out.” Herbert watched Daniel walk slowly towards the mini-mart. This would simply not do. Daniel was at the point of complete collapse. He was useless to him in this condition. He glanced into the van and scowled. This would simply not do at all.
=================================================================
Herbert walked around the side of the station following the neon lit bathroom sign. He’d been giving a lot of thought how best to proceed at this point and the conclusion he came to again and again was that he needed Daniel’s full commitment. And as much as Herbert didn’t like the idea, there was only one way he could think of to make sure that Daniel would offer that co-operation. Megan Halsey.
She was the key to assuring that Daniel would do whatever it took to achieve results. Herbert inwardly sighed. He supposed he would just learn to deal with the simpering affection their relationship produced. He smiled. Besides the former dean’s daughter might just be exactly what he needed as well. She would be a perfect lab-rat. He would need to adjust serum levels and do refinements. He didn’t want to have severe serum reaction for the rest of eternity and he’d just as soon not have to experiment on himself. So that left Megan. He didn’t have a problem with it. Herbert started whistling lightly. He was actually feeling much better about the situation.
======================================================================
Berkov parked the car off the side of the road watching the combo gas/mini-mart from a perfect vantage point. Doctor Caine had gone into the shop while Doctor West had headed around back to the restrooms. Berkov suspected that his fugitive physicians were headed to the border. Was their final destination in Mexico or would they be heading back to West’s old haunt in Switzerland? More likely Berkov felt that the journey would end in Mexico. Taking a kidnapped woman by plane would involve money, and a great deal of it. So far he hadn’t seen anything to indicate that either man had that kind of backing. They were on the run and on their own which suited him just fine. Desperation made people do stupid things. Things that Berkov hoped to capitalize on. All he had to do was watch and wait. His opportunity would come.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Herbert looked around the bathroom in utter disgust. He shook his head. “Typical,” he snorted. Reaching up, he took a paper towel and ran it under the tap. His skin felt grimy and dirty. Herbert washed his neck and face. He could still feel Hill’s hands on him. His breath against his neck as Hill leaned in, “I will show you the real meaning of power, West! I will have your discovery and you will help me.”
“Not in this life or any other, you plagiarist son of a bitch,” Herbert mumbled. At least this time Hill was dead and not coming back.
Looking in the mirror, Herbert tried to ascertain if he looked any different than he had two days ago. Two days that were literally a life-time. He drew his fingers down his face. He didn’t see any obvious changes. His skin felt cool to the touch and he was pale. Then again he had always been pale, spending most of life in labs and schools. No, nothing obvious, at least not in his outward appearance. Herbert leaned in closer, but there was something. Herbert could almost see it, lurking behind his eyes.
The door to the bathroom swung in hard slamming against the wall. The two cackling punks came to an abrupt halt when they saw Herbert standing at the sink.
Herbert turned and looked the newcomers up and down with the same distain he had shown his surroundings. He rolled his eyes and went back to toweling his face.
“Well, what have we got here, Cal?”
“Don’t know Matt, looks like he’s kinda sweet on himself.”
The young doctor shook his head and tossed the towel into the over-flowing garbage can.
“Great, just great,” he thought, “This is just what I need, these assholes.”
He knew their type so well. Ignorant, brutish animals whose only aspiration in life was to make others miserable. Herbert had dealt with them for most of his life. He had never fit in, never wanted to and never tried to. Needless to say it didn’t make him very popular, coming home from school more than once with bruises or a black eye. But he never gave into them. Not then and not now. Herbert’s anger sharpened. Suddenly he felt light-headed. Was this a precursor to serum withdrawal?
Cal addressed Herbert with a sneer, “So you sweet on yourself? Huh? Or are you one of those guys that likes to hang out in the “boys room” The two young punks laughed like it was the funniest joke on earth.
Herbert didn’t respond to the taunt. In fact, he ignored it completely. Not knowing what to expect from his new existence he was far more concerned with these new sensations he was now feeling than anything these jerks had to say. If he went into withdrawal here and now, there would be all kinds of trouble. He didn't need the police asking questions. Herbert took a deep breath hoping to staunch whatever was happening to him.
In an instant, the world went silent around him. There was a heat radiating out from the center of his chest, spreading out along his limbs. Herbert knew he should be worried, but he wasn’t. It didn’t feel like anything was wrong. It didn't feel like withdrawal. In fact it felt damn good.
“You hear me, faggot? I said you got any money!?”
Herbert's attention snapped back as the punk named Matt stepped close. Leaning in face to face he spat, “That your problem? You a faggot?”
Matt placed his index finger to Herbert's chest. “I.. AM.. TALKING.. TO.. YOU,” he accented each word with another finger jab to Herbert's chest. Rage filled a place behind Herbert's eyes. It poured into the sockets and turned his normally blue eyes oily black. It was molten in intensity. It consumed his thoughts and his reserve.
Suddenly Herbert was galvanized to action, grabbing the offending finger he bent the punk’s hand back until he heard it snap. The man’s eyes went wide with shock. He began to yell in pain. Herbert put his hand to the punk’s face and shoved. He flew back against the grimy wall striking with enough force to crack its tiled surface. He crumbled into a heap and was still.
Realizing his mistake, the other man snarled and pulling a knife from his pocket, charged at him. Herbert batted the weapon from the punk’s grasp like he was swatting a fly. Grabbing the man by the throat he squeezed. He struggled in Herbert's grasp, flailing, trying to land a good punch. Herbert merely lifted him off his feet. The punk’s face was turning a disquieting shade of reddish purple. He pried at Herbert's hand as he dangled some six inches from the floor. Herbert studied his face. Skin blotchy, eyes bugging out, it was downright comical.
Herbert began laughing. Just a small contraction of his hand and he could crush the life out of this useless bag of skin. Herbert pondered his next move, or he tried to anyway. He was having a hard time concentrating all of a sudden. In fact, all he could seem to focus on was the rush of blood in his ears and the feel of flesh in his hands. He wanted sensation and he didn't care much what kind. At this moment Herbert knew the feel of crushing the life out of this punk would feel just as pleasurable as sex. There was no difference now.
The man’s struggles had become feeble, he was losing consciousness. And just as suddenly as the black rage had filled Herbert's mind it subsided. He blinked his eyes as if waking from a dream, their color faded to a familiar cool blue.
Herbert snapped his hand open and stepped back in shock. The man fell to the floor next to his friend. Silent. Herbert’s breath came in ragged gasps. What the hell had just happened to him? What was he doing? He never lost control, not ever! He prided himself on his ability to divorce himself from common emotional response. He did what was necessary in a cool detached manner. Not this. With his mind still reeling, Herbert stepped over the still forms and fairly ran from the bathroom.
Dan was already waiting in the van. He had nodded off, his head against the wheel. Herbert threw open the driver’s side door startling him awake. “Move over, I’ll drive,” he announced in a rush.
“What's going on?” Dan questioned.
“Nothing. We should get moving that’s all.” Dan wasn’t convinced for a second. Herbert looked upset and it took quite a bit to rattle the young doctor.
Herbert jammed the van into gear and tore out of the parking lot. Dan grabbed the dash and craned his neck around to make sure Megan wasn’t in a heap on the back floorboard. “You need to slow down! You're going to run us off the road!” Herbert stared straight ahead, no indication that he had heard Dan at all. “You're going to attract attention to us, Herbert. You don’t want that do you?” That seemed to get through to the agitated man. Herbert let up on the gas, the van slowed to a more sedate speed.
Dan took a deep breath, his heart settled back to a more staid pace. “What the hell? You want to tell me what that was all about now?”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine. No problem.”
“Fine? Now I know something’s wrong.”
“Just leave it alone,” Herbert shouted.
He was feeling strange again. Calm, you need to be calm. It’s a reaction to stress that’s all Herbert rationalized. His hands were shaking. He could feel pressure rising in his chest. Herbert took deep breaths, in through his nose and out through the mouth. It didn't seem to be helping. He felt like tearing the steering wheel off and was scared to think that he might actually be able to do just that.
Dan watched him growing more and more agitated by the moment. “Listen Herbert, maybe we need to give you an injection. It’s been more than twenty four hours. What do you say?”
Herbert’s face had a fevered sheen to it. He nodded uncertainly. “I think we need to do something Dan. And quickly. I’m not feeling very well.”
“Ok look, you can pull off just up ahead. Pull off and I’ll get a syringe. Just take it easy. We’re going to take care of this. Everything will be all right.” Herbert looked scared. Dan couldn't say he blamed him. I mean the man had been dead. Was dead, sort of. Who knew what could happen. Dan hoped that they wouldn’t find out the hard way. He thought about all the others that had come back. He was scared too. For Herbert and for himself. But mostly for Megan. Without the reagent he wouldn’t be able to treat Megan. And without Herbert there was no reagent.
The van came to a skidding halt off the side of the road. “Just give me a sec, let me get the re-agent and we’ll get you set up. Ok, Herbert?” Dan comforted. He dove into the back seat rummaging through his backpack.
“Just hurry.” Herbert tugged at his sleeve, rolling it up. His hands were shaking badly now. There was a deep rage pressing in behind his eyes. He really wanted to hurt someone. Anyone.
“Ok, ok just a sec. I’m almost there. Here.” Dan tossed up a length of rubber medical tubing. Herbert secured it around his forearm tightly.
Dan crawled back into the front seat next to Herbert. Their eyes locked. “You ready?”
“Do I have a choice?” Herbert replied resolutely.
“I based the dosage on your instructions. I don't know how bad the reaction is going to be.” Dan swallowed hard. “If it doesn’t work..”
“Just get on with it.”
Dan nodded, lined up the needle and pressed it home. Hebert hissed slightly and closed his eyes.
Herbert could feel the re-agent traveling up his arm. It was like liquid ice. Cold, fire was burning through his veins, driving all rational thought from his mind. It was like an orgasm, only better.
Then a wave of pain swallowed him whole.
Verse: Same
Characters: Herbert West, Daniel Cain, Megan Halsey, ensemble
Pairings:
Rating: Mature, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence, Gore, Sex
Status: Unbeta'd and I know it.
...
Daniel stretched out his stiffened legs. Looking at his watch he yawned. It was after one in the afternoon. He had been driving more than ten hours. The only thing that had kept him up-right the last few was pure adrenaline and now he was bottoming out. He desperately needed a cup of coffee. Glancing at Herbert he noticed that he had finally stopped writing in his journal and was staring straight ahead as if in a trance. “Hey Herbert, what say we make a quick pit-stop?”
“For what?” came the toneless query.
“Gas among other things. Aren’t you hungry or anything?”
“No, I’m not hungry or anything,” Herbert said trenchantly, his eyes still locked on the road ahead.
Now this was familiar. Daniel sighed, he hated it when Herbert got like this. It was like dealing with a petulant child, but it did go a long way to easing his worries concerning Herbert’s state of mind. “Suit yourself, but I need to take a break.. badly.
Herbert seemed to respond to that. “It’s alright, I’ll drive for awhile Dan. “I’m not tired.”
Daniel smiled gratefully, “Great, I need to check on Megan again. I think I’ll sit with her awhile.” Herbert nodded, he seemed pre-occupied again. “There’s a quick mart coming up in about twenty miles. I’ll just stop there.”
“Fine” Herbert returned to staring out the window.
“You think the cops are onto us yet?”
“Probably,” another toneless response.
“Oh,” Daniel glanced nervously back at Megan. The authorities would never understand. They would put Megan away somewhere. They would study her like some kind of lab animal. He couldn’t let that happen, he wouldn’t let it happen. Megan was his world now, his reason for being.
She was the only thing keeping him from putting a gun in his mouth and blowing out the back of his head. Dan rubbed his eyes. Those kind of thoughts were just a reaction to shock, he rationalized. He had to concentrate on making Megan well again. It was possible. Herbert was living proof of that, well maybe not quite living. He shook his head hoping to jar loose some of the cobwebs. No, he wouldn’t go down that road again.
As Daniel made the next exit, a non-descript blue sedan pulled off behind him. Following close, but not too close. The last thing Berkov wanted to do was alert his meal-tickets that they were being followed. This was the one. Berkov felt it in his guts. This was the story that would make his career. Hell, maybe even win him a Pulitzer. One thing was for sure, he’d be set for life.
While bribing his way into Miskitonic Hospital Berkov had his editor do a little digging on Herbert West and what she’d found was pretty hot stuff. While working in Switzerland, West had been implicated in the death of his mentor, Doctor Hans Gruber. Either the Swiss government didn’t have enough to charge him or they were anxious to see the whole thing over and done because before you could say “cover-up” the incident was dropped and West was asked to leave the country.
All he could learn from his contact was that there had been some unauthorized experimentation with human remains. Obviously, the Swiss Institute was doing its best to bury whatever had been going on with their potential Nobel-winning Doctor and his protégé.
Now West was here and the next thing you know Miskitonic is in chaos, people are dead and there are rumors about corpses not being where they should be. Not to mention the intriguing little fact that West was supposedly killed by Miskitonic’s grant machine Doctor Carl Hill.
“Looks pretty lively to me,” Berkov puffed, the ash from his cigarette falling to the floorboard unnoticed. “What the hell did it all mean?” Berkov’s brow furrowed. “And where does this guy Cain fit into this?” he mused.
A young doctor on his way to a brilliant career lies to the cops about West and apparently kidnaps the Dean’s daughter, Megan Halsey, from her hospital room. From what Berkov had learned from colleagues of Cain’s, he hadn’t even met West until a few weeks ago, and now he was on the lam with him. It had to be something pretty damn shattering to make the guy do something so uncharacteristic.
Berkov’s conscience gave him a momentary twinge. He attributed the sensation to the breakfast burrito he’d had and pulled a lint encrusted antacid tab from his jacket pocket and swallowed it dry. He’d follow them to where ever it was they were headed and find out the real story behind the carnage at the hospital. If he played his cards right, maybe used a little blackmail, he might even get one of them to talk. An exclusive interview would top things off nicely. Still, he wouldn’t be greedy about it, after all there were some people who had been killed. It was a potentially dangerous situation. He would need to be very careful. Very careful indeed.
Daniel leaned against the van stretching out his aching muscles. He was glad that Herbert offered to drive because he would just end up driving them off the road. Opening the side door he leaned in to check on Megan. She was just as she had been for the last twelve hours. Still as death. He caressed her hair lightly. “It would be ok,” he told himself for the millionth time. They could do this. They could make it right.
“Dan?” The young doctor jerked around to find Herbert standing right behind him. His expression was one of concern. Herbert awkwardly lay his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “You all right?”
“Yea, I’m.. I’m doing better now. I’m just exhausted that’s all.” Herbert nodded, “Well let’s get some gas and supplies and get the hell out of here.” Herbert turned.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
Daniel ran his hands through his sand colored hair. “You think we should give Megan another injection?” Herbert looked at his watch. “Couldn’t hurt. But let’s wait until we get down the road a bit. We can pull off where there aren’t any prying eyes.” He motioned to the two other cars waiting at the pumps.
“You’re right. Good plan, good.”
“Why don’t you go in and pay, I’m going around back to clean up a bit.” Herbert studied Dan’s frazzled appearance.
“Sure.. Yeah.. I can do that.” He stared at the van a minute, “I should lock up though. She’ll be ok, right?”
“She’ll be fine Dan, you can see the van from inside. Just keep an eye out.” Herbert watched Daniel walk slowly towards the mini-mart. This would simply not do. Daniel was at the point of complete collapse. He was useless to him in this condition. He glanced into the van and scowled. This would simply not do at all.
=================================================================
Herbert walked around the side of the station following the neon lit bathroom sign. He’d been giving a lot of thought how best to proceed at this point and the conclusion he came to again and again was that he needed Daniel’s full commitment. And as much as Herbert didn’t like the idea, there was only one way he could think of to make sure that Daniel would offer that co-operation. Megan Halsey.
She was the key to assuring that Daniel would do whatever it took to achieve results. Herbert inwardly sighed. He supposed he would just learn to deal with the simpering affection their relationship produced. He smiled. Besides the former dean’s daughter might just be exactly what he needed as well. She would be a perfect lab-rat. He would need to adjust serum levels and do refinements. He didn’t want to have severe serum reaction for the rest of eternity and he’d just as soon not have to experiment on himself. So that left Megan. He didn’t have a problem with it. Herbert started whistling lightly. He was actually feeling much better about the situation.
======================================================================
Berkov parked the car off the side of the road watching the combo gas/mini-mart from a perfect vantage point. Doctor Caine had gone into the shop while Doctor West had headed around back to the restrooms. Berkov suspected that his fugitive physicians were headed to the border. Was their final destination in Mexico or would they be heading back to West’s old haunt in Switzerland? More likely Berkov felt that the journey would end in Mexico. Taking a kidnapped woman by plane would involve money, and a great deal of it. So far he hadn’t seen anything to indicate that either man had that kind of backing. They were on the run and on their own which suited him just fine. Desperation made people do stupid things. Things that Berkov hoped to capitalize on. All he had to do was watch and wait. His opportunity would come.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Herbert looked around the bathroom in utter disgust. He shook his head. “Typical,” he snorted. Reaching up, he took a paper towel and ran it under the tap. His skin felt grimy and dirty. Herbert washed his neck and face. He could still feel Hill’s hands on him. His breath against his neck as Hill leaned in, “I will show you the real meaning of power, West! I will have your discovery and you will help me.”
“Not in this life or any other, you plagiarist son of a bitch,” Herbert mumbled. At least this time Hill was dead and not coming back.
Looking in the mirror, Herbert tried to ascertain if he looked any different than he had two days ago. Two days that were literally a life-time. He drew his fingers down his face. He didn’t see any obvious changes. His skin felt cool to the touch and he was pale. Then again he had always been pale, spending most of life in labs and schools. No, nothing obvious, at least not in his outward appearance. Herbert leaned in closer, but there was something. Herbert could almost see it, lurking behind his eyes.
The door to the bathroom swung in hard slamming against the wall. The two cackling punks came to an abrupt halt when they saw Herbert standing at the sink.
Herbert turned and looked the newcomers up and down with the same distain he had shown his surroundings. He rolled his eyes and went back to toweling his face.
“Well, what have we got here, Cal?”
“Don’t know Matt, looks like he’s kinda sweet on himself.”
The young doctor shook his head and tossed the towel into the over-flowing garbage can.
“Great, just great,” he thought, “This is just what I need, these assholes.”
He knew their type so well. Ignorant, brutish animals whose only aspiration in life was to make others miserable. Herbert had dealt with them for most of his life. He had never fit in, never wanted to and never tried to. Needless to say it didn’t make him very popular, coming home from school more than once with bruises or a black eye. But he never gave into them. Not then and not now. Herbert’s anger sharpened. Suddenly he felt light-headed. Was this a precursor to serum withdrawal?
Cal addressed Herbert with a sneer, “So you sweet on yourself? Huh? Or are you one of those guys that likes to hang out in the “boys room” The two young punks laughed like it was the funniest joke on earth.
Herbert didn’t respond to the taunt. In fact, he ignored it completely. Not knowing what to expect from his new existence he was far more concerned with these new sensations he was now feeling than anything these jerks had to say. If he went into withdrawal here and now, there would be all kinds of trouble. He didn't need the police asking questions. Herbert took a deep breath hoping to staunch whatever was happening to him.
In an instant, the world went silent around him. There was a heat radiating out from the center of his chest, spreading out along his limbs. Herbert knew he should be worried, but he wasn’t. It didn’t feel like anything was wrong. It didn't feel like withdrawal. In fact it felt damn good.
“You hear me, faggot? I said you got any money!?”
Herbert's attention snapped back as the punk named Matt stepped close. Leaning in face to face he spat, “That your problem? You a faggot?”
Matt placed his index finger to Herbert's chest. “I.. AM.. TALKING.. TO.. YOU,” he accented each word with another finger jab to Herbert's chest. Rage filled a place behind Herbert's eyes. It poured into the sockets and turned his normally blue eyes oily black. It was molten in intensity. It consumed his thoughts and his reserve.
Suddenly Herbert was galvanized to action, grabbing the offending finger he bent the punk’s hand back until he heard it snap. The man’s eyes went wide with shock. He began to yell in pain. Herbert put his hand to the punk’s face and shoved. He flew back against the grimy wall striking with enough force to crack its tiled surface. He crumbled into a heap and was still.
Realizing his mistake, the other man snarled and pulling a knife from his pocket, charged at him. Herbert batted the weapon from the punk’s grasp like he was swatting a fly. Grabbing the man by the throat he squeezed. He struggled in Herbert's grasp, flailing, trying to land a good punch. Herbert merely lifted him off his feet. The punk’s face was turning a disquieting shade of reddish purple. He pried at Herbert's hand as he dangled some six inches from the floor. Herbert studied his face. Skin blotchy, eyes bugging out, it was downright comical.
Herbert began laughing. Just a small contraction of his hand and he could crush the life out of this useless bag of skin. Herbert pondered his next move, or he tried to anyway. He was having a hard time concentrating all of a sudden. In fact, all he could seem to focus on was the rush of blood in his ears and the feel of flesh in his hands. He wanted sensation and he didn't care much what kind. At this moment Herbert knew the feel of crushing the life out of this punk would feel just as pleasurable as sex. There was no difference now.
The man’s struggles had become feeble, he was losing consciousness. And just as suddenly as the black rage had filled Herbert's mind it subsided. He blinked his eyes as if waking from a dream, their color faded to a familiar cool blue.
Herbert snapped his hand open and stepped back in shock. The man fell to the floor next to his friend. Silent. Herbert’s breath came in ragged gasps. What the hell had just happened to him? What was he doing? He never lost control, not ever! He prided himself on his ability to divorce himself from common emotional response. He did what was necessary in a cool detached manner. Not this. With his mind still reeling, Herbert stepped over the still forms and fairly ran from the bathroom.
Dan was already waiting in the van. He had nodded off, his head against the wheel. Herbert threw open the driver’s side door startling him awake. “Move over, I’ll drive,” he announced in a rush.
“What's going on?” Dan questioned.
“Nothing. We should get moving that’s all.” Dan wasn’t convinced for a second. Herbert looked upset and it took quite a bit to rattle the young doctor.
Herbert jammed the van into gear and tore out of the parking lot. Dan grabbed the dash and craned his neck around to make sure Megan wasn’t in a heap on the back floorboard. “You need to slow down! You're going to run us off the road!” Herbert stared straight ahead, no indication that he had heard Dan at all. “You're going to attract attention to us, Herbert. You don’t want that do you?” That seemed to get through to the agitated man. Herbert let up on the gas, the van slowed to a more sedate speed.
Dan took a deep breath, his heart settled back to a more staid pace. “What the hell? You want to tell me what that was all about now?”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine. No problem.”
“Fine? Now I know something’s wrong.”
“Just leave it alone,” Herbert shouted.
He was feeling strange again. Calm, you need to be calm. It’s a reaction to stress that’s all Herbert rationalized. His hands were shaking. He could feel pressure rising in his chest. Herbert took deep breaths, in through his nose and out through the mouth. It didn't seem to be helping. He felt like tearing the steering wheel off and was scared to think that he might actually be able to do just that.
Dan watched him growing more and more agitated by the moment. “Listen Herbert, maybe we need to give you an injection. It’s been more than twenty four hours. What do you say?”
Herbert’s face had a fevered sheen to it. He nodded uncertainly. “I think we need to do something Dan. And quickly. I’m not feeling very well.”
“Ok look, you can pull off just up ahead. Pull off and I’ll get a syringe. Just take it easy. We’re going to take care of this. Everything will be all right.” Herbert looked scared. Dan couldn't say he blamed him. I mean the man had been dead. Was dead, sort of. Who knew what could happen. Dan hoped that they wouldn’t find out the hard way. He thought about all the others that had come back. He was scared too. For Herbert and for himself. But mostly for Megan. Without the reagent he wouldn’t be able to treat Megan. And without Herbert there was no reagent.
The van came to a skidding halt off the side of the road. “Just give me a sec, let me get the re-agent and we’ll get you set up. Ok, Herbert?” Dan comforted. He dove into the back seat rummaging through his backpack.
“Just hurry.” Herbert tugged at his sleeve, rolling it up. His hands were shaking badly now. There was a deep rage pressing in behind his eyes. He really wanted to hurt someone. Anyone.
“Ok, ok just a sec. I’m almost there. Here.” Dan tossed up a length of rubber medical tubing. Herbert secured it around his forearm tightly.
Dan crawled back into the front seat next to Herbert. Their eyes locked. “You ready?”
“Do I have a choice?” Herbert replied resolutely.
“I based the dosage on your instructions. I don't know how bad the reaction is going to be.” Dan swallowed hard. “If it doesn’t work..”
“Just get on with it.”
Dan nodded, lined up the needle and pressed it home. Hebert hissed slightly and closed his eyes.
Herbert could feel the re-agent traveling up his arm. It was like liquid ice. Cold, fire was burning through his veins, driving all rational thought from his mind. It was like an orgasm, only better.
Then a wave of pain swallowed him whole.