Amoeba (The Experiments) (65 page)

“This is not the Holiday Inn,” Greg huffed to the maintenance man as they stood in the back of the control room. “If they want accommodations like this, then they ought to stay at a fuckin hotel and not in our quarters.” Greg ran his hand over his own head. “Sorry. I’m sorry. Just do what you can.”

The somewhat frightened maintenance man made his quick exit.

Dr. Jefferson walked up to Greg. “It’s not his fault.”

“I know.”
Perturbed, Greg looked over his shoulder at the loud investors who chomped on pizza, drank beer, and watched the monitors. “I just wasn’t expecting this. Two more controllers dead.”

“It’s very hard to take. I know. I was in your shoes last experiment when we lost our entire controller staff. Plus
, I don’t think you were expecting to lose two Stasis’ in one day.”

“No.” Greg shook his head. “But, there’s still one out there. Jake can’t find him and neither can our satellites. He’ll show back up.”

“Do you suppose that’s what they’re waiting for?” Dr. Jefferson twitched his head to the investors.

“I suppose. Awfully convenient how they showed up
, wouldn’t you say?” Greg raised an eyebrow.

“I would say. All five
, too. And look how happy they are. I wonder why?”

“I’ll tell you why
,” Greg said with irritation. “Because there were two kills today, and neither of them were one of
their
participants.” He grunted. “I’d be a happy camper, too.” Tossing his hands up, Greg put on a fake pleased look and headed back to what he felt was the lion’s pit when he walked back into the air space of the investors.

There were three reasons that Jake showered and cleaned up at Rickie’s bungalow. One, he knew Cal hated it when he was covered in blood. Two, Cal was in the bathroom. And three, the biggest reason, Rickie’s tub was so dirty that what fell from Jake’s body would hardly go noticed.

Even though the small cut above his eye
still bled some, Jake was clean, and he headed into his bungalow, ready to see Cal, wanting to share the good news and the bad news with her, and wanting pretty much to fool around. He was still feeling that rush from when Cal saved his life.

Figuring he couldn’t offend her by smelling or looking bad, Jake reached for the bathroom door when he heard the shower running. It was locked. He tried it again just to be certain because Cal never locked the bathroom door. “Cal?” He knocked.

“Be out in a second.”

“I don’t want you to come out, I want to come in. The door
’s locked, babe.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“I’m taking a shower.”

“And I’m missing it. Cal?” He heard the water shut off. “Fuck.” He spoke quietly to himself.

“One second
, Jake.”

Tossing his hands up, Jake backed up and sat on the bed. He stared at the shut door.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Cal walked out wearing a robe. “Sorry.”

“Why was the bathroom door locked?”

“Privacy.”

“From who?”

Cal moved to her dresser laying her tee shirt and shorts on top. “I just . . . Jake?” She stepped to him. “Oh, look at your eye.”

“It’s fine.”

“Did you clean it?”

“Of course. I’m clean
, right.” He felt Cal’s hands touch his face and he closed his eyes. “You smell good.”

Cal giggled. “I just showered.”

“Cal, you saved my life today.” Jake softened his voice and laid his hands on her hips.

Cal pushed his hands away. “I just helped.”

Jake replaced his hands on her hips. “Cal?” He pulled her into him, putting his head near to her chest and with his mouth found the opening at the top of her robe.

“Jake
, stop.” Cal stepped back. “I’m trying to see your eye.”

“And I’m trying to be seductive here.” Jake’s huge hands gripped her hips tighter and pulled her back. “Cal, come on hon, what’s wrong? It’s been almost two weeks.” Again
. Jake ran his lips softly on her chest.

“Jake. No.”

“Cal, come on. You know what I get like when we have an exciting day. We’ve had a few and you’ve been denying me. I’m getting a complex.” His hands searched the front of her robe.

“Jake, my body has been tired.”

“I’ll do all the work,” Jake whispered, grabbing the edges of the lower portion of her robe.

“Jake.” Cal giggled his name. “Stop.” Her hands fought to move his insistent and roaming ones.

“Cal.” He complained her name reaching in her robe.

“Jake. No.” She tried to grab his wrist and pull him out.

“Please?” Hands touched upon the bare skin of her hips.

“Jake. No.” Cal struggled.

“Cal just . . .” Jake’s hands stopped cold and his head sprang up. “Cal?”

“See!” She shouted, smacked his hands and spun around. In her race away she snatched up her clothes, ran into the bathroom
, and slammed the door.

Jake’s hands were still extended outward, only touching cool air where her body once was. He blinked several times
, holding them out. “Cal.” He called out her name.

“One second.” She mumbled something uninterpretable and then the door opened. Cal emerged wearing the tee shirt and shorts. “I’m hungry. Are you hungry?”

“Stop.” Jake called to her.

“Jake
, I’m really . . .”

“Stop!” He yelled as she reached for the door. “Get back here.”

“Jake, I’d really rather . . .”

“Cal!” Jake wiggled his finger to her. “Now please.”

Almost stomping, Cal headed back to him. “What?”

“Lift that shirt.”

“No!”

“Cal, lift that shirt.”

“No!”

“Lift that fuckin shirt now
, Cal!”

“All right!” Cal stepped closer to him and lifted the shirt to just below her breasts. “There.”

Jake gasped and nearly fell backwards when he saw her.

“Satisfied?”

“No.” Jake saw her lower the shirt. “Lift it again.” When she did, Jake, in a slanted walk, eyes peered low, moved closer to view a small but protruding round belly. “Wh . . . wh . . When?” His index finger poked the small stomach that started below her belly button and rounded out like a normal pregnant woman. Jake let out a tiny peep when he felt the firmness of it. “When?”

“About two weeks ago I started to show a little, then bam. It seemed like every
day I woke up I got bigger and bigger. Can I lower my shirt now?”

“No.” Jake dropped to his knees. “Two weeks now. It’s not been this big for two weeks. I think I would have known.”

“Not for two weeks, no. For three days it’s been this big and I’ll tell you, it’s been difficult hiding it from you. Why do you think I didn’t fight with you about going today? I know I can’t. I can’t.”

“Oh my God.”

“Sorry.”

Jake’s hand reached out, fingers spread, and he laid his hand palm flush on her stomach. Slowly he felt it. “I cannot believe you didn’t share this with me.” His eyes stayed glued to her stomach as he felt it.

“Do you blame me?”

“No
,” Jake said. “This is amazing that this has happened to your body so soon. Are we gonna feel it moving in there any time in the near future?”

“Soon enough. Actually
, almost any day or week now.”

Jake looked up at her with a wide grin. “I love this.” His hand kept feeling. “There is something actually in there.”

“Yeah.” Cal rolled her eyes.

“And your stomach is rock hard.” Jake knocked on it. “Look how little and cute.”

“Jake. Please.” Cal raised her eyebrow at Jake who spoke like she had never heard him speak. She stepped away from him and lowered her shirt. “Stop.”

“What’s wrong?” Jake stood up.

“Nothing. I have to tell you, Jake, I didn’t think you’d be happy about my transforming body.”

“Neither did I. But I think seeing it has made the pregnancy real. I mean, let’s face it, anyone can say the
y’re pregnant and throw up all the time, but this . . .” His hand reached for her stomach and Cal smacked it away. “Cal?”

“I’m glad you
’re happy about it, Jake, because I certainly am not.”

“Why? Isn’t it normal?”

“No. No!” Cal tossed her hands up. “This.” She poked her own belly. “Is not normal. It’s big. It’s bigger than it should be. And you wanna know why? We didn’t lose a twin Jake. I think we lost a triplet, because there is more than one in here.”

“Two?” Jake said in shock. “How . . how . . .”

“Fuckin Stan.” Cal threw her hand out and brought it to her eyes as she paced. “Remember . . . remember . . .”

“Cal.” Jake, hiding his laugh, saw how upset she was. He lowered her hand and backed her up to sit on the bed. “Calm down.”

“I can’t!” Her words were so emotional she could have been crying. “How can I, Jake? Huh? Remember the other day when Stan was here with the mutant boar you killed?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I pulled him aside and I showed him this.” She pointed to her stomach. “And I told him it had started to get big, but it seemed like I had grown overnight. And I asked him when I lost the one baby, was there more than two. And you know what he did?”

“Answered you?”

“No! He put his hands in his pockets looked up and started to whistle. I had to yell at him. And then, and then he answered me. And his exact words were. Ready? He said, ‘Uh, um . . .yeah’.”

The laugh he held in finally escaped Jake as he knelt down before her. “Twins? Cal, we’re just not having a baby. Babe, we’re having a family. Oh
, wait until we get back home and I fuckin brag about this shit. Why does this have you so upset?”

“I work so hard on my body Jake. So hard for this to happen. Will you still want me
when I get very pregnant?”

“Cal, please.” Jake rested his hands on her legs. “I’ll always want you.” He watched her smile. “I may not be intimate . . . kidding
.” He kissed her. “And don’t worry about this body. This body is awesome and it will stay awesome no matter what. Of course you do know with two in there you are gonna get huge.”

Cal grunted and her eyes moved up. “Thank you very much
, Jake.”

“Cal.” Jake moved into her and put his arms around her. “I love you.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m happy. And . . . there is something very important I need to ask you.”

“What’s that?” Cal looked into Jake’s staring eyes.

“Well
, since we have two dead Stasis today, Lou on guard, and this hiding your body from me out of the way, can we please . . . please make love?”

Even though Cal still felt large, she felt better. So with a smile, and purposely hesitating in answering Jake’s question, she dropped her forehead to meets
his.

^^^^

“Ready?” Jake asked Billy who stood in the center of their bungalow that evening.

“Jake.” Cal scolded.

“Ready for what?” Billy asked, still holding his sleeping bag.

“This.” Jake lifted the end of Cal’s long tee shirt.

“Jake!” Cal nearly shrieked at him.

“Oh my God!” Billy gasped out dropping his sleeping bag. “When did that happen
?”

“Recently
,” Jake answered.

“Enough.” Cal fought with Jake to lower her shirt.

“Bill.” Jake pointed. “Guess how many are in there?”

Billy’s eyes grew wide. “More than one?”

“Two.”

“Shit.” Billy grinned.

“Stop.” Cal pulled down her shirt. “Jake, aren’t you supposed to be on the roof or something with Rickie?”

“Yes
,” Jake answered, then looked back to Billy. “Amazing isn’t it?”

“I can’t believe she hid it. How did she find out there’s more than one in there?”

“They failed to tell her, and when she started to grow . . .”

“I am in this room!
”Cal snapped.

“So am I
,” Rickie said when he opened the door.

“Rickie.” Jake spun to him. “What the hell are you doing in here
? You’re supposed to be on your roof.”

“So are you
, guy. But, like, I’m waving and waving to your roof and no one’s waving back and then, like, I realize, cold and in the arctic ash blizzard, I, the humble Rickie-Meister, sit on my roof alone.”

Jake’s top lip curled. “What the hell was all that for?”

“Sarge, like, I got this poet in me that, like, just comes out and I can’t stop it.”

“Stop it and
get back to your roof.”

“O
kay, okay.” Rickie held his hands up. “But, like, are you gonna blow off duty and hang out here making sure that Bambi isn’t hitting on the Cal-babe while you’re protecting her safety?”

“Rickie.” Jake warned. “Out.”

“I’m going. But awfully convenient him getting scared all of the sudden and having to hang out in here with Cal-babe all night long.” Rickie backed up to the door. “And, like, Sarge, you’re letting him.”

Billy watched the door shut
, and in defense of himself, he turned to Jake. “Jake, look, it isn’t all of the sudden I’m scared. With this monster thing running around I’d really prefer to be where you are, Cal or not.”

“God
, Billy.” Jake winced. “You’re a man for crying out loud. I cannot believe you admit to that.”

“I never claimed
to be a tough man, Jake. Never.”

Jake grumbled, spun his M-16
, and pointed it up tapping on the hatch and opening it. “I’m going up.” He kissed Cal on the cheek. “If you need me, call for me.”

“I will. I’m probably just going to go to sleep. Once Billy starts tapping on that lap top it puts me out.”

“Good.” Jake smiled and grabbed for the rope ladder. “Night.” He climbed up a few rungs and stopped. “Oh, and Billy. No erections.” Very seriously Jake finished climbing up.

It took Billy a few seconds after he felt the cold air from the roof disappear, and then he slid his hand down from covering his face. “Please tell me why he does that all the time
,” he asked Cal.

“He doesn’t want you to get . . .”