Sanders Experiment: Second Edition

By Bo James Cortez

After an illegal experiment explodes by a lightning strike in Sanders, Kansas, a pregnant woman breathes in the lethal mist that it caused and passes it to her unborn son, causing him to start rapidly growing immediately. She dies during his birth due to the size of her son in just a few hours later. The son, named Guy, survives and starts growing exponentially with heightened strength, hearing, and the ability to tap into parts of the brain that no one else can. When a doctor and his wife adopt him, they suddenly realize his illness and return him to the orphanage, where he is secretly kept in a locked room and tutored by a professional while growing up. In just two months time, he has grown to look like an 18 year old teenager. The evil mastermind of the experiment is wanting to erase any and all evidence linking him to his experiment, which he does. However, after learning that a boy was born with the serum inside him, he sends his goons out to find and kill him, along with anyone who stands in his way. Will Guy ever have a life free from pursuit? If so, will a cure ever be found to stop the rapid aging caused by the experiment?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491709894

Bo James Cortez

Born on July 29, 1965 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Bo is the youngest of five children. He graduated at Dillard High School in 1983, and worked at several bowling alleys as a mechanic while attending Tampa Technical Institute. After graduating TTI in 1985, he worked as a pager technician for Contact Gabriel for seven years before they went out of business. Now retired, he decided to write this first story, which he conceived at an early age, imagining different scenarios for the sole purpose of falling asleep. Bo has completed Sanders Experiment II: Rivalry in late 2012.

Book preview

SANDERS

EXPERIMENT

SECOND EDITION

BO JAMES CORTEZ

[e-mail]

iUniverse LLC

Bloomington

Sanders Experiment

Second Edition

Copyright © 2009, 2013 Bo James Cortez.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-0988-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-0989-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013917935

iUniverse rev. date: 10/11/2013

Contents

CHAPTER 1       NATURE’S FURY

CHAPTER 2       THE BIRTH

CHAPTER 3       EXPOSED

CHAPTER 4       THE ADOPTION

CHAPTER 5       DISAPPOINTED

CHAPTER 6       SOLITUDE

CHAPTER 7       LIFE AT THE ORPHANAGE

CHAPTER 8       LESSONS OF LIFE

CHAPTER 9       INTEGRATION

CHAPTER 10       BOOK WORM

CHAPTER 11       FIRST JOB

CHAPTER 12       NEW ROOMMATE

CHAPTER 13       ENEMY WITH FANGS

CHAPTER 14       A DAY AT THE FAIR

CHAPTER 15       HARD TO SAY GOODBYE

CHAPTER 16       NEW FOES

CHAPTER 17       NEW FRIENDS

CHAPTER 18       A COLD DISH OF REVENGE

CHAPTER 19       A SECRET REVEALED

CHAPTER 20       BLACKOUT TO INSANITY

CHAPTER 21       THE TRIAL

CHAPTER 22       COME OUT AND PLAY

CHAPTER 23       A NORMAL LIFE

Dedicated to the memory of:

Daniel Z., Sr. and

Pauline J. Cortez

Special thanks:

Helena Sicher-Smith and

Dwight Michael Williams

CHAPTER 1

NATURE’S FURY

It was the normal routine for Alice Krouger to be at the grocery store on a glorious Saturday afternoon, rubbing her pregnant belly that held her unborn son of eight months as she shopped. While in the produce section, she chose her fruits and vegetables carefully, squeezing and smelling them for freshness. She had no doubt in her mind that she wanted to raise a healthy family with her new husband Sam. The two first met when she had a flat tire and Sam stopped to help her. Needless to say, that moonlit night wasn’t the last time they’d see each other, as it was love at first sight for both of them. She had beautiful, long, dark hair accompanied by a neatly trim body, and Sam, slightly taller than her, had thinning brown hair and a little beer belly, but what he lacked in looks, he made up with charm. Since neither had family, and no one really knew them well, their wedding, which was held at Sam’s farm, only consisted of them and the priest. They didn’t have much money, only each other, and that was more than enough to be happy.

After finishing her weekly shopping, she packed the groceries into her tiny blue Honda, and started on her way home. Driving by the Sanders City power plant, just two miles away from their farm, she noticed two big trucks parked next to a rather luxurious limousine. On the side of the trucks were the words Manson Pharmaceuticals, accompanied by a small biohazard symbol. Alice may have been a simple country girl, but she knew her chemistry. Why would a power plant need dangerous chemicals? I sure hope they’re not polluting the farms, she said to herself.

When Sam noticed her driving up to the house, he immediately went out to greet her with his hillbilly accent. Now you jest go in ‘n rest while I put these groceries away. If ya stay on yer feet any longer, that there baby jest might fall right outta ya.

Well, this is one time I’m not gonna argue with you, she jested, then went into their small cabin house.

While Sam was making his trips back and forth with the groceries, he heard a faint rumble. It was a cool, sunny afternoon, and the breeze grew stronger as he looked toward the west. There, above the plains, were some mean-looking black clouds, which were producing multiple lightning strikes in the distance, each one hurling down to the ground in a millisecond. Looks like some nasty weather comin’ our way tonight, he muttered.

Meanwhile, back at the power plant, the truck drivers finished unloading their chemicals and headed for the road. Inside the building, Frank Manson, founder of the Manson Pharmaceutical Company, used his pass card to enter an airtight glass-walled laboratory. Nobody really cared too much for him, with his grey hair that accompanied a smug, rich, and annoying personality. But in this small town, money talks, so they dealt with it. Give me a progress report, he demanded from one of the four scientists in the room. They all sighed while gazing at each other, since no one wanted to give him the bad news. Well, don’t all of you talk at once, he demanded again in his stern voice.

Three of them finally looked at Tucker, since they knew he was the one who could talk to Frank and tolerate his abusive and degrading remarks. Well, Mr. Manson, it’s like this… We started injecting the fruits with a low dose of the growth serum with little results. Every time we increase the potency, the inside of the fruit grows at an accelerated rate, just as we predicted. But since the skin of the fruit doesn’t contain the serum, it ends up breaking and exposing the fruit, causing early decay. We keep running out of immature fruit, which the stores don’t sell. If we keep stealing them from the nearby farmers, sooner or later we’re gonna get caught, and I’m afraid this experiment of yours, which we worked on for months now, is going to get exposed. We need a farm of our own so we can inject the serum directly into the plant stem to feed the skin along with the inside fruit. That way the skin will grow with the fruit at the accelerated rate. There’s just no other way.

Frank locked eyes with him and said in a low voice, With the money I’m paying you guys, I don’t feel compelled or obligated to start an expensive farm to satisfy your ridiculous needs to continue the experiment. If you don’t want to steal fruit for your tests, then steal a whole plant instead. Just make sure it’s confined to this lab. I’m sure the farmers wouldn’t even notice if one of their precious plants is uprooted. Even if they did, they’d probably just pass it off as a prank from the brats that live in this God-forsaken town.

He grabbed his expensive alligator briefcase and started out the door just as Tucker started to say, But sir, you surely don’t suggest we…

Frank quickly turned around and interrupted him. It would be in your best interest not to finish that sentence. This conversation is over. Just make it happen. Now, does anybody else have anything to complain about?

They all looked down, and in a low voice said, No, sir.

I thought not, he responded, then continued out the door.

When he was out of sight, Tucker looked at the other three colleagues and said, You guys are a bunch of no-good lowlives who couldn’t back up a truck if the only gear was reverse. Okay, tomorrow I’ll buy some pots and planting dirt while you guys uproot some of the farmers’ plants. For now, let’s go home and get some rest. We’ll reconvene back here at 8 a.m. And the next time Mr. Manson decides to pay us a surprise visit, I’m excusing myself to the bathroom to let you guys deal with his bull. As he exited, the other three said goodnight to him, in which he replied, Whatever! before the door shut behind him.

The others then followed him at a distance and left the power plant after saying goodnight to the two night-shift maintenance workers, who were playing cards. As they sat in their cars, the wind was blowing pretty hard. The sun was just setting down over the horizon, even though it was covered by dark clouds that migrated over the small town. It was 6:31 p.m. when the scientists left the parking lot. As they drove off, streaks of lightning lit up the sky, while the faint sounds of thunder followed.

Back at the Krouger residence, the groceries were all placed in the small cabinets. Sam and Alice were watching the news on television, in which the main story happened to be the nasty thunderstorm that was headed their way. Sam noticed that his wife was nodding off, so he got up, gently took her hand, and helped her out of her comfortable chair. Easy does it, he said as she rose up slowly. Now you jest go in da bedroom and lay yoself down, and I’ll be in ta join ya in jest a little while. There’s a storm brewin’ outside, and I wanna make sure we git no surprises, so I’m gonna jes stay awake awhile ’til it passes over. After getting her in bed, she immediately went to sleep. He then closed the bedroom door and windows to block the sound of the television, as well as some of the thunder. When he was back into the living room, he gazed out the window at his cornfield while glancing at the sky that was filled with God’s fireworks. Yep, he uttered to himself. It sure looks like we’re in fer a big one tonight.

Three hours had passed, and the maintenance men at the power plant, both obese, middle-aged, and somewhat lazy, were still playing cards at their consoles. While listening to their country tunes, they heard a rumble over the music. Did you hear that? Mack asked Jeff.

Yeah. It’s my stomach growling. Let’s order a pizza.

You’re kidding, right? You just ate after the scientists left. I swear if you’re still working here next year, they’re gonna have to widen them doors just to let you in and out of this place.

Oh, yeah? Jeff replied. You’re getting so big that they’re upgrading the minivans to maxivans, so that people like you can still drive. By the way, what do you suppose they’re doing in that soundproof room?

I don’t know, and the Manson man is paying me enough not to care as well. As I know he’s also paying you to keep your mouth shut, I suggest you do just that. This building is in the middle of nowhere, so that’s why I’m guessing he chose it, away from civilization.

Well, it doesn’t hurt to guess, I suppose.

No, it doesn’t. And that’s all we’re gonna do, since there’s a lock on that door for a purpose. Just then, they heard a very loud rumble that literally shook the building, prompting them to look at each other with more concern. Two seconds later, a louder rumble shook the building even more. An electric spark was heard as the lights flickered. Wait here. I’m gonna check outside. Mack then got up and walked to the entrance. When he opened the door, the wind yanked it from his hand, and it slammed it into the wall, almost causing it to come of the hinges. In a blink of an eye, he then witnessed a huge bolt of lightning hurtling down right on the main transformer. The sparks were so bright, it lit up the whole building on the outside. Frightened of being electrocuted, he found the strength to close the door against the strong wind, and run back inside to his friend. With a trembling voice, he said, Jeff, we’ve got to find shelter. I didn’t see one, but there’s got to be a tornado nearby.

Are you sure?

No, I’m not sure! But it’s better to be under shelter than to be blown away by a… He stopped his sentence when he noticed the roof starting to crumble over the sealed lab.

As the pieces of concrete came down, they broke the glass vials of the serum, causing the chemicals to mix together on the countertop. Suddenly, the equipment and outlets started sparking as the lights flickered more. The sparks inside the lab caused the mixed chemicals to start a fire. When Mack saw Jeff grabbing a fire extinguisher to break the glass, he grabbed him and said, No, don’t. That glass is saving us right now from the fumes of whatever it is in there.

Little did they know that the roof above the experiment chamber now had a hole in it. The wind blowing across that hole created a whistling sound. When they both looked up to see where the whistle was coming from, a bright bolt of lightning came down into the lab, sparking the volatile experimental chemicals. Oh, sh… , Mack started to say, but didn’t have a chance to finish his profanity when the lightning caused the chemicals to explode violently into an orange ball of fire that, at contact, caused their whole bodies to rapidly decay in three seconds, leaving just their skeletal structures flying through the air. Outside, in an instant, the building exploded, as if a nuclear bomb had landed on it. The explosion, which was loud enough to be heard 10 miles away, caused a huge, orange fiery ring to skim across the ground in every direction, eating the crops, trees, livestock, and anything else that was in its path.

While still watching television, Sam heard the explosion and saw the orange bright light two miles away from his window. At first he thought it was just a power line going down, since his lights immediately went out. Then he noticed an orange glow quickly approaching his house just above the cornfield. Curious as he was, but not too bright, he walked to the door, and when he opened it, the orange,misty ring, weakened by two miles of cornfields, hit him just enough to throw him in the air on the wall behind him. After he landed on the couch, he started screaming in agony while his clothes, skin, hair, and eyes began to deteriorate, and expose his muscular structure. As the mist continued into the house, it caused his muscles and veins to blister until he was reduced to a skinless charred corpse.

In the closed bedroom, Alice was awakened by the startling thud on the bedroom wall, which prompted her to call out to her husband, but there was no answer. A bit worried, she started to get up out of bed, but the weakened mist seeping in underneath the closed door knocked her unconscious. Barely alive, she continued breathing in the growth serum while lying there in bed.

When the storm had finally passed, it took nearly two hours for a helicopter to arrive and assess the damage at the scene of the explosion. Shining a light down where the building had been, the pilot started speaking through his radio mic mounted on his helmet. Base Control, this is Skywatch Two-One-Seven. We have somewhat of a situation here. It seems that the power plant is gone.

A voice replied, Well, how soon can it be repaired and back into operation? There are a lot of people without power.

Base Control… uh, I don’t think you quite understood my report. The power plant is gone, as in wiped off the face of the earth. There’s nothing down there but a huge, orange smoke ring where the building once stood. No crumbled bricks, walls, or anything that even suggested it was there to begin with.

Pilot, are you trying to tell me that a whole building just disappeared without leaving a shred of its existence? Are you at the right coordinates?

"Sir, with all due respect, I’ve been a pilot for six years, and I know where I am. I’m not trying to tell you there is no building here, I am telling you there is no building here. I’ve flown over this town a half dozen times, and I know there was once a building down there. That is my final report to you, sir."

Okay, head back to the base. I want your full report on this matter on my desk first thing in the morning. We’ll send a crew out to investigate this catastrophe immediately.

Yes, sir. Please be advised that I’m recommending extreme hazardous conditions on this site, and that the clean-up crew use the appropriate precautions. It looks like we have some kind of unknown contaminant on the ground.

Copy that.

I’m heading back to the base now. Two-One-Seven out, he replied, then turned off his search lights and left the area.

CHAPTER 2

THE BIRTH

It was 6:07 a.m. when the sun’s light started to rise over the Kansas plains. Unfortunately, in the heart of Sanders, there were many men and women dressed in white biohazard uniforms who were scraping up the orange goo that covered the ground in the two-mile radius of the blast area where the power plant once stood. Sarah and Eddie, who were inseparable, always worked side by side in any cleanup operation, and made sure they were within 50 feet of each other, just in case one of them made a noteworthy discovery. Eddie, over here, he heard her exclaim. He looked up and saw her signaling him to come over. As he approached, he could see she was holding something in her hand that resembled a human hand bone. What do you make of this?

Looks like we found our first victim, but in all my years in this business, I doubt if a lighting strike, or even an electrical explosion, could do this to a human body. He then pressed the button on his radio. Malcolm, this is Eddie Hopkins. I need a forensic team over here.

Malcolm, who was always in charge of any mission, glanced over and noticed him waving. Whatcha got over there, Ed?

Looks like our first victim, sir.

Good work, he replied, then immediately assigned two specialists to Eddie’s area.

A little insulted, Sarah grinned and said, You know, it’s just like you. I find the evidence, and you manage to take the credit all the time. Don’t expect any special favors from me tonight.

As they walked away from each other again, searching for more victims from the blast, he responded like a begging dog, Oh, come on, baby. You know I share everything with you. After a few seconds of no reply, thinking she was ignoring him, he continued, Come on, honey. Don’t be mad at me.

I’m not. Come and look at this.

I’ll look at anything you want, baby.

Can you be serious for once? When he reached her, she bent down and lightly rubbed her glove on the ground. Look at this pattern of goo. It’s in the shape of a human, but there’s no bones. Do you suppose…

After seeing what she was saying, he exclaimed, Holy Mother of God! You need to call this one in because I think I’m gonna… Before he could finish his sentence, he turned away and almost barfed in his helmet, coughing and choking a little.

She shook her head at him in disappointment, then called the two specialists on her radio. Guys, I think we have a second victim here, but don’t hold me to it. You’ll have to see this to believe it. She then took a red flag from her bio-suit and planted it on the ground, then placed her arm on Eddie’s shoulder to comfort him. Are you okay, babe?

Yeah, I just couldn’t look at that any longer. We’ll continue until I actually do hurl my breakfast.

The two lovers combed the ground for hours, until they reached the front end of the Krouger’s resident. He turned to her and asked, Do you feel like making a house call?

I don’t know. I left my Jehovah’s Witnesses kit back at home. A slight chuckle as a response made her happy to know he was back to his normal self. But all kidding aside, let’s check it out.

Right after you, babe, he answered, then clicked on his radio. Malcolm, this is Hopkins. We found a cabin just beyond the edge of the blast area, and we’re going in to investigate.

Roger that. Proceed with caution. If there’s anybody home, order an immediate evacuation. I know some of these country folk don’t believe in phones, and probably don’t know what the hell is going on.

Sir, the door is already open. It looks empty.

Copy that. Report anything out of the ordinary.

Yes, sir, was his last response before proceeding into the house, with Sarah following. While she panned to the left, he noticed Sam’s burnt body that was still on the couch. Sarah, over here.

As she approached, she speculated, From the looks of the charring of the muscles, I don’t think this guy went quickly. He probably suffered burning before he died. When she noticed him reaching for his radio, she quickly grabbed his hand. There’s nothing we can do for him. Let’s continue through the house before calling in anything.

He nodded in agreement, then both went separate ways once more, with her continuing to the left where the kitchen stood, and him toward the bedroom. When he opened the door, he quickly noticed Alice still lying in her bed. He could plainly see her breathing with her arm slowly moving up and down while on her stomach. Ma’am, he yelled to get her attention. When she didn’t wake up or respond, he rushed to her side and yelled once more, Ma’am!

Are you talking to me? he heard Sarah shout.

He slowly glanced at Alice up and down, and with squinting eyes, noticed that her skin pigment was somewhat of an orangish color, with little patches of burn marks all over her body. Sarah rushed in the door just as he clicked on his radio. Malcolm, this is Hopkins. I’m located about two miles east of the blast site, in the wooden cabin we’re investigating. We have a survivor. I repeat, we have a survivor. A white female approximately 22 to 28 years of age, barely breathing. It looks like she’s about seven to eight months pregnant, and is in need of immediate medical attention. Just then, he heard Sarah beginning to cry while she was looking down at the half-burned body. With concerning eyes, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then said with a stern voice, Honey, get a grip. Is there anybody else in the house?

She looked back at him and shook her head just when Malcolm’s voice came over the radio. A medical chopper is on the way. Are there any other survivors?

Eddie looked at her for confirmation, and after shaking her head once more, he answered back to Malcolm, That’s a negative, but there is one corpse in here too decayed to identify. Request for another forensic team to the cabin.

Request granted. They’re on their way. Stay with the mother until the chopper arrives. Malcolm out.

Since they did not know who these strangers were, and found nothing that would identify them, Eddie repeatedly tried to wake Alice up to find out her name. Ma’am, can you hear me? Ma’am? As she lay still on her bed unresponsive, the sound of a chopper landing perked his ears. Sarah, go tell the paramedics where we are. Seeing that she was still in a daze, he screamed to snap her out of her spell. Sarah! After receiving no response again, he grabbed her arm, which caused her to jump just a bit as she turned and locked eyes with him, finally realizing what he had just requested. With a reassuring nod, she quickly ran outside to lead the helicopter crew in.

The paramedics, both very young and still somewhat inexperienced, entered the bedroom with a gurney, and said to Eddie, Sir, I need you to move. Please recheck the house for any other survivors.

He complied and gave them space. There’s no one else in the house.

Then check to see if you can find anything to identify these folks with. Any mail or documents would help significantly.

While Eddie and Sarah searched the other rooms to carry out his request, the paramedic started working on Alice with his partner, who was shining a small flashlight in her eyes. Her pupils are dilated. What’s her BP?

Checking it now.

A few seconds went by as the partner became impatient. Well? What are her vitals?

If I told you right now, you’d look at me like I was crazy, so I’m double checking. After doing so once more, he shook his head in disbelief and confirmed, BP is 90 over 30. Pulse is 32. Let’s get her outta here now before we lose her.

They quickly placed her on the gurney, and on their way out, they bumped into Eddie and Sarah. The second paramedic asked them, Did you find any info on these people?

Eddie responded, No, all the papers are burnt. Furniture and everythi…

Thank you, interrupted the first paramedic, then he and his partner started taking Alice out to the chopper while talking on the radio. Dispatch, this is rescue chopper Seven-Niner. We are transporting one survivor from the Sanders incident. A Caucasian female, mid 20s, first-degree burns, and about seven to eight months pregnant. She is non-responsive and vitals are unstable. Please have emergency staff ready for arrival at West Meredith Medical Center. Approximate E.T.A. seven minutes.

Eddie gazed at Sarah with sympathetic eyes. Knowing she had more expertise in the field, he said to her, That poor woman. She’s not going to make it, is she? He held her close, putting his arm around her for comfort.

She answered in a wavering voice, It’s better not to think about it. I’m just wondering what’s going to happen to the baby, if they’re gonna be able to save it. I mean… If it lives, what kind of complications is it going to have? For all we know, it could turn out to be normal. But if it’s not… I just… I just can’t imagine… What kind of cruelty will that kid have to endure for his or her entire life?

Gently taking her by the hand, he led her out of the house. Come on. We still have a lot of cleaning up to do.

As the rescue chopper flew above the ground, a sad view from the sky within the blast radius revealed over a hundred men and women still cleaning up what was left of the fields surrounding the power plant site.

It was 9:26 a.m. when the paramedics landed on the roof of West Meredith Medical Center. They were greeted by Dr. Steinburg and other paramedics. Let me have it, the doctor demanded.

While wheeling her into the hospital, the first paramedic answered, We started to give her some antibiotics and morphine. But truthfully, I don’t think she’s in any pain. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think she knows she’s alive at this point. She’s totally non-responsive, and her vitals are slowing down by the minute.

Okay, if we can’t save her, let’s see if we can save her baby. Get her in the ER and prep her for an immediate cesarean delivery.

In the emergency room, the nurses propped Alice on a bed. They tore off her night gown and started to connect every piece of equipment to her chest and abdomen, along with an oxygen mask. After all the wires were in place, they turned on the machines. Nurse Agnus quickly looked at her vital signs and had a mystified expression on her face. Dr. Steinburg… , she uttered, just to get no response, since he was more concerned about saving the unborn child. Doctor! she yelled once more.

What is it, Agnus? he finally replied.

You might want to take a look at this.

He turned and glanced at the vitals being read by the machine. What the hell? he said in disbelief. Do nothing until I get back. With an angry snare, he stormed out of the room quickly, causing the door to slam into the wall. After locating the two paramedics, who were at the nurses desk filling out paperwork, he headed right toward them, taking rather large steps, and having an evil look that could only be described as being Satan himself. You half-wit mother-fucking assholes! he screamed as he approached them. He then yelled in a much higher and irritated voice, Which one of you dipshits is the comedian?

As they both looked at him very confused, the first paramedic said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

There’s nothing wrong with that woman whom you just described as being next to dead. Her vitals are those of a typical well-pregnant woman. I almost cut her open for nothing!

But sir, that can’t be, explained the second paramedic. We were constantly monitoring her vitals during her transportation, and I’m telling you that her heart rate was about 20 and her blood pressure continued to drop starting at about… uh… I think 90 over 30-something. I have it written down on these papers I just filled out. So, what are you trying to say?

He glared at them with much disappointment. Her blood pressure is 138 over 90, and her heart rate is 77. The only thing wrong with her are those first-degree burns.

Doctor, I don’t understand. Is this the same woman we’re talking about?

Yes, the only one you brought in. I suggest you guys stop getting your diplomas online, and graduate from a real college. With that said, he made an about face and walked away in disgust, uttering, Stupid, idiotic young people these days… always looking for the shortest way to a career.

What an asshole, said the first paramedic in a low voice.

I heard that! yelled Steinburg as he reentered the emergency room. Any change in her condition? he asked Agnus.

No, sir. She’s as stable as they get, considering what she’s been through.

Well, I don’t want to remove the baby prematurely while she’s stable enough to sustain it. Move her up to the third floor with the other expecting mothers, and keep the equipment in her room just in case she crashes. Something here just doesn’t add up, and I want to be prepared.

After he left the room, Agnus turned to the other nurses and said, Okay, you heard the doctor. Let’s move her on outta here. With help from the others, she rolled Alice through the corridors, up the elevator to the third floor, and into her own room, where they set up all the equipment to monitor her while on her bed. She then left and went straight to the nurse’s desk, telling the nurse there, Keep a sharp eye on room 315. We don’t know who she is, but Doctor Steinburg made it strictly clear to notify him if there are any changes in her status. Even if it’s just a hiccup.

Yeah, right. If I only had a quarter every time I heard that.

Well, consider this one a dollar’s worth, she replied, then patted her palm on the counter twice and left.

At 4:27 a.m. on the third floor of the hospital, the hallways were dim and silent, like an eerie graveyard, while the air blowing through the vents created a soft, whispering howl. In room 315, however, a small rumbling noise from Alice’s stomach could faintly be heard, but not loud enough to get the nurse’s attention. Her stomach started to stretch and defect as the baby inside her, throughout the rest of the day, grew to the equivalent of an 11-month pregnancy. It was kicking and punching as if it were trying to escape from a paper bag. Since the machines attached to her were so busy trying to make sense of her vitals, showing random numbers and question marks every half second, they couldn’t send out a signal until it had an answer on what her stats were.

Just then, the nurse heard a strange noise that sounded just like a very tight water balloon popping in one of the rooms. She glanced down the hall from where the noise originated, and was confused as to what could make such a sound. All of a sudden, several warning lights on room 315 lit up, prompting her to look at the monitor in disbelief, as all the lines were flat. She quickly grabbed the phone and made a quick call over the speaker. All doctors, Code Blue in 315! After repeating the statement twice more, she rose from her chair and proceeded to the room just a few feet away. When she looked in, she screamed in horror, seeing the mother’s blood and guts all over the bed. The baby was lying on top of her, waving it’s arms and legs, with an oversized umbilical cord attaching it to the inside of the mother. The nurse was startled when a pair of doctor’s arms grabbed her and pulled her out of the way, as another one entered the room.

What in God’s name… , the first doctor said, unable to find the words to finish. He slowly walked over to the bed, slightly slipping on the bloodied floor. After looking at the chart very quickly, he yelled, "Nurse. Call Steinburg. Don’t tell him what happened, just tell him to get his ass to the hospital. Fly if he has to. Then turning to the second doctor, who arrived with him, he said, Come on. We have an infant to save."

While detaching the baby from the dead woman, the second doctor said, This infant looks like it should have been born months ago. It’s so big.

Yeah, well, either the chart lied, saying that she was only eight months pregnant, or…

Or what?

The first doctor took a long pause as he recalled the data he saw on the chart. While slowly glancing back at it, he asked, Did you hear about the explosion in Sanders?

Only bits and pieces. But that just happened yesterday.

Well, according to the paperwork, there was one survivor. An eight-month pregnant Jane Doe. And her chart here states that this is Jane Doe number three. I bet it’s her. Get a blanket from the closet, will ya? While the second doctor carried out his request, he continued, Yeah, Dr. Steinburg literally chewed the asses off of those two poor paramedics that brought her here. He said they misdiagnosed her, and that she was close to death. I bet as soon as she got out of that town and into a clean environment at the hospital, her vitals stabilized, making them look like fools.

The second doctor walked back with the blanket and handed it to him. I heard Steinburg was an overgrown punk, anyway.

I know for a fact he is. Try working with him for seven years. After he finished wrapping the baby, he said while they both headed out the door, Watch your step. This floor is slippery. I’m surprised this baby is alive and well.

I’ve seen weirder things happen.

Like what? the first doctor asked, anxious to hear what would top this miraculous birth.

Did you notice the time when you snipped the baby’s cord?

No. I don’t multitask, he responded as they walked with the infant down the hall.

It was 4:44 a.m.

What’s so strange about that?

What’s today’s full date?

April third. No, it’s after midnight, so… April fourth, 2004.

So, what time are you going to put in your report for date and time of birth for this miracle baby?

April fourth at four… He paused for a second, then said, Wow. His birthday is all number fours. April fourth at 4:44 a.m. in 2004.

That’s what I call weird.

During their stroll toward the pediatrics ward, they saw Steinburg stumble in, screaming, Why the hell was I woken up at 4:30 on a freaking Sunday morning without an explanation?

The first doctor replied, You lost a patient, doctor. Jane Doe number three. But you seem to have gained one at the same time.

After glancing at the infant, he exclaimed, I don’t understand. She was only seven to eight months pregnant. This baby looks too big to have been inside her.

The first doctor responded sarcastically, "Well, if you would have read the full report that the paramedics tried to push on you yesterday, maybe you could have prevented this catastrophe, and saved her and the baby! As he watched Steinburg heading toward Alice’s room, he added, You might want to grab a barf bag before you go in there."

It was just a matter of seconds before Steinburg’s voice echoed throughout the halls, Oh, my God!

I told you he was a prick, the first doctor said to his friend as they turned the corner.

CHAPTER 3

EXPOSED

The two paramedics found themselves