Dr Shaheed welcomes them all back.

Their collective tension thunders around my basement, adding tightness to the cold air. 

Clark cuts in like a blunt blade, "Has it worked?" Dr Shaheed ignores his question; instead she gives each of my friends and my Father a single gaze. Her professional stare settles on me, "You were an exemplary specimen to work on Kirk; I think you have real potential to become a reanimate role-model."

I requested Jess be with me during the procedure; I'm comfortable with Jess seeing my reality.

Dr Shaheed turns her focus toward Jess, "I'm astounded by your inherent insight and intellect. The suggestion you made during the procedure could be one of great importance to the reanimate population. The Association and I will be taking it very seriously indeed. In fact, I need to leave soon; to deposit the sample tissue I took from Kirk at The Association HQ.”

Clark's not happy, "Dr Shaheed, I won’t pay until you can assure me Kirk will pass his perfunctory human medical." Dr Shaheed doesn't look at him, "Kirk’s implants are now fully functioning, and will be at the time of his medical; I am confident he will pass it. But, I can't assure you his carcass won't reject the implants." She looks at all my friends, "You need to watch him; rejection usually begins seven days after implant. The symptoms are flu like: severe fever, shaking, and constant retching. If these symptoms occur while he's in custody, he'll be admitted to Hospital. And then, well, we’re all in trouble."

Dr Shaheed fixes Clark with a steely eye, "I don't want your money." She begins to pack her equipment, "The concept Jess gave me during Kirk's procedure is worth more to me and The Association than your angry dollars."

Casey turns to Jess with a look I read as awe, "What did you suggest – Miss Grade-A-STAR?" Jess gives a shoulder shrug, "I kinda just said what came into my head. I got thinking about the Hellix, the piece of Kirk's soul that was returned to him from Dale – I figured there might be some of Dales DNA in Kirk's tissue. If Dr Shaheed can extract some, we can use it as further evidence to nail Dale. I’m no Doc, just thought I’d ask Doc Shaheed when she cut Kirk’s thigh."

“That’s genius Jess! Like, we could ad Dale’s DNA to the Brass Knuckle that he beat you and Tobes with. The one he probably sterilized and planted back in Tobes house.”

Dr Shaheed lifts her hand, “That’s unrealistic Casey. Jess’s concept is only theoretical; it could take many years, perhaps decades of Scientific work and research to extract strains, if any, of Dales’s DNA from the sample I took from Kirk.”

Dr Shaheed then kind of inhales/exhales and says – “However, if we do find any trace of Dale’s DNA, then the implications for mankind are huge – if the soul contains DNA, we could potentially prove there is a life after death.” She shakes her head with a look I read as incredible.

Dr Shaheed snaps back to us, “Look – you guys must pursue Dale using the realistic evidence you already have. It’s essential we keep Kirk’s reanimation status stalled here, at double discovery. Do all you can to avoid Kirk’s triple discovery. He’s important to us all, an essential tool in our fight with the Dark side."

......

Dr Shaheed calls my friends to my table-side, her tone is serious. “The Dark Side are pushing Dale pretty hard. Things are going to be tough for you guys. I have something that may give you some support.” She gives them a code to download a secret Association app, “Use it whenever you need help, answers, or just a member to communicate with.” She embraces my friends in a warm group hug.

Dr Shaheed's parting words are delivered with a look I read as worry, “Do all you can to avoid any more images of Kirk going on Facebook. The rise in reanimate triple discovery has risen sharply since the advent of Social Media.” She finishes with a positive smile, “I hate putting such huge preasure on your shoulders – but I believe in you guys.”

Clark’s attitude jumps back in, “Can you give me access to this app Dr Shaheed,” he says, with an angry arrogance. Dr Shaheed’s reply makes Casey smile a little, “I think you’d be wise to download ‘Angry Birds’ Clark; go vent your anger there, it might do you good.” She gives him a disrespectful smile.

......

Dad escorts Dr Shaheed from my basement with a respectful gratitude.

Unfortunately for her, Clark has to drive Dr Shaheed to The Association HQ. Only the parents of triple discovery reanimates are given access to its location. 


Mom hopes we never have to find out where it's situated.

……

The time is 6.38 am. My friends should be getting ready for school, but they’re still with me. Jess is especially worried, “Case! Your folks, they’ll be waking about now – shit!” she says. Casey remains cool, “My parents leave for work real early, they usually just yell the time before they go. They trust me to make school myself. If they they do figure I'm not there, I'll find a way to deal with it.”

Toby yawns, “Man, I’m tired. We’ll have a tough time staying awake today Case,” he says, rubbing weary eyes.

After a loud, wide mouthed yawn, Jess says, “I feel bad I can’t be with you guys. The Police don’t want me back at school until they feel closer to what happened to me." She gives Casey a gentle shoulder punch, "Hopefully they'll get closer when they hear your phone audio,” she says, with a  smirk. 

Jess yawns again, "I’ll stay with Kirk today. Let me know what’s going on at Arlington – specially all the gossip about what happened to me – the stories they spin – they blow my mind."

......

Casey gives my cheek a kiss goodbye, “Wow, you feel warm Kirk, like living warmth. Dr Shaheed’s amazing!”

Casey says goodbye again with a second kiss on my opposing cheek.

I kind of enjoyed those little gestures of affection; they made my fake beat, beat faster. Dr Shaheed sure did a good job.

Toby touches my cheek with the back of his hand, “You feel as warm as the guy you used to be,” he says, with a tone I read as brotherly love; it makes me feel good, almost human. He thumps my shoulder with a gentle affection, “Get used to the rhythm friend – it's gonna help us all.”

……

When Jess and I are alone, she unshackles me, and helps me off the table. The pulsating rhythmic beats in my chest cavity make me feel weird; like there’s something trapped inside me, struggling to get out. 

Dad's blood, in thin silicone tubes snake under my skin and over my pulse implants. Staring at them, I look like I've been invaded by worms, "Jess, do my veins look real?" I ask. "Sure they do, they'll look even better when you've been spray tanned," she says, with a confident tone.

……

I dress in a reanimate onesie. These are all in one absorbent paper suits, almost like full body diapers. Dad usually puts them on me after a post-feed power hose; they absorb my slow-after-seepage.

I put this one on today for convenience, I’m not going out, there’s no point wearing human clothes when I’m staying indoors; and Jess doesn’t care what I look like, just what I feel like.

……

“Let’s go upstairs Kirk, I could use a coffee,” says Jess, with a tired tone.

When I read the tiredness in her face, I’m reminded of how much you humans need sleep, and how the lack of it impairs your actions.

…..

Jess doesn’t hear the commotion happening above us – she’s too sleepy.

......

Raised voices rage through my living space. I continue upwards toward the noise. Jess stops half way up, “Kirk, I’m real zonked out. I’m gonna forget that coffee and take a nap in the basement,” she says, descending with a weary wobble.

......

I recognize the raised voices: Casey, Tobey, Mom, Dad – DALE. 

They’re having a human argument, the type I still struggle to instantly understand . 

It goes something like this:

Dad yells, “How dare you stalk my house!”

Dale shoots back, “I ain’t stalking nothing, just checking your dangerous son’s safely inside, out a the public domain.”

Dad responds,“My son does not pose any threat to the public!”

Dale laughs, “ Yeah right! So – I bumps into my cus and his new best friend Casey leaving your house at 7.28 am – doesn’t take a genius to figure something weird’s gong on here. Explanation please?”

Casey answers, “Nothing weird, the opposite in fact. It’s pretty normal for friends to check on a friend in trouble. Don’t forget Dale, you have fans, not friends.”

Dale spits,“You got that right big girl – he’s in trouble!”

Casey shouts,“You got that wrong small man, you’re in trouble – take a listen to this…”

…. I hear shouts of ‘No Casey’ coming from: Mom, Dad, Toby. I don’t want Casey hurt, so I enter my parents living quarters and follow the escalating sounds with considerable speed.

……

They squabble and bicker on the front lawn. I see Casey holding up her cell-phone. Dale lunges towards it, sending Casey flying backwards. She hits our tarmac hard.

I have some pre-feed, post-procedure strength and act instinctively. I lunge at Dale, grab him before he snatches Casey’s cell-phone, and carry him away from her. 

"It's OK, Put him down now Kirk," says Toby, with a tone I read as calm. 

When I place him at our gate, I read the surprise in his face. Dale has felt my strength.

I return to gently pick Casey off the tarmac. 
I read shock and physical pain in her face. But also feel she’s intact, nothing broken. I’m happy.

An intrusive sound distracts me – 'piturch!’ I turn towards the familiar noise of a device recording an image.

……

Dale checks his phone and laughs, “What are you wearing freaky fella, an adult diaper!"

He runs off. His laughter sounds hysterical. He turns and yells triumphant, "This is going on Facebook – NOW!”