Doctor Whitlock's Experiment

Chapter 4

Before her lay a cushioned, blue table lined with tissue paper. A circular spin chair sat in the corner. Various equipment was set up in an orderly manner. The room she'd entered was a doctor's office.

She shouldn't have been surprised. He was a doctor after all, and she was supposedly here to be cured by him (from what she didn't know). Still, the fear made her heart hammer in her chest. She turned to run, but the doctor, in a fluid motion, easily slipped behind her and pushed the door shut.

"Oh, darling, don't be frightened," he said in a low murmur. His voice sounded so sweet that it made her physically ill. Her stomach squeezed into a tight little knot.

"Why couldn't mum and pa...." she trailed off. Her bottom lip was quivering. She chewed it so hard she risked drawing blood. The self inflicted pain caused the tears to flood her eyes. "Why couldn't they be here?"

"This is a lot for them to handle, and I wished to spare them the pain," he explained. He was filling his voice with emotion, but it was fake. It was all fake.

"'Spare them??" Seraphina repeated in a quiet voice. She stared at him in horror. Then she repeated it again. This time there was fire in her voice. And, something had snapped. Word flowed forth as though the flood gates had opened. "Spare them? The hell, you'll spare them! I know what this is! I don't have any damn disease! You lied to them, and they trusted you! They trusted you and you..." she paused a moment, shaking with fear and anger. "I don't know what you're going to do to me, but don't pretend you're sparing them from anything! You stole their daughter! You-- You--"

When she couldn't find a word awful enough to describe him, she crumpled sobbing to the ground. She had no wrath left, and in its place there was only a tremendous fear. Her entire body shook. Her teeth chattered violently. She hunched forward with her arms crossed over her chest, making herself smaller. Closing her eyes tightly, she thought, Maybe, if I make myself smaller and smaller, I'll get so small that I'll just disappear.

Her fantasy was interrupted. Two hands firmly grasped her upper arms. Her entire body tensed, her eyes flying opened. Dr. Whitlock guided her to the table. Then, he bent his head so his cold blue eyes bore into her. "Cooperate," he said plainly. A shiver tingled down her spin at the threatening tone behind such a simple word.

Too terrified to fight, she climbed onto the table. Sera's entire body trembled as she sat there, legs dangling off the table. Her breathing shuddered in and out. Her chest heaved. Her heels clicked together repeatedly echoing her wishes to go home, but there were no magical ruby slippers to save her.

"Lay down," said the cold voice. As the words registered, Seraphina realized that she wanted nothing more than to do exactly as he said. She was beginning to feel exhaustion taking its toll. She had always tired more easily than others. Before, she'd thought nothing of it. Thinking more, she recalled how she'd been frail and sick often. Her parents had kept her out of school, telling it was too exhausting for her. Now, she wondered if there was something wrong with her for wanting to fall asleep in this situation. Still, unconsciousness could be a welcome escape...

"Yes, doctor," she breathed as she complied. As she was about ready to close her eyes, a question struck her mind like lightning and with it flooded a storm wave of sorrow. "Why me?" she murmured sleepily as she gazed up at the doctor.

A sickening smile spread across Dr. Whitlock's face. "Why you, my dear?" His voice was sweet as kids' Tylenol is sweet. "Because you are special. I needed someone whose genes would cooperate. From studying your father--"

"--my father?--" Sera whispered.

" -I was able to define that his daughter, or son as I did not know at the time, would be the perfect subject. Your father, of course, was completely ignorant and lent me his blood and DNA samples without suspicion. His blind trust," the doctor tsked. "It's really what has gotten me so far."