Amoeba (The Experiments) (26 page)

‘No.”

“Please?” Rickie begged.

“No.”

“I’ll take a green one this time. Dude . . . I’ll let you have one of the root beer flavors. Come on, what do you say. Be a bud.”

Stan huffed out. “All right. But if it melts, no more.”

“Got it. I’ll run real fast.” Rickie smiled as he watched Stan move toward a freezer. “Aren’t you, like, glad you’re my Mr. Rourke.”

“Who?” Stan handed Rickie a popsicle.

“Mr. Rourke, guy. Fantasy Island. De plane boss. De Plane.” Rickie laughed, but Stan did not. “Guy, lighten up. I liked you better when you were, like, a flunky at the toot.”

“I’m fun now.”

“Prove it. Come and party with me and Louie-Louie tonight.”

“I can’t.” Stan walked over to the freezer and pulled himself out a popsicle. “I have monitor duty tonight.”

“Can I watch with you? I’ll do commentating.”

Stan thought about it. “I’ll clear it with Dr. Haynes. Check back.”

“Okay, thanks. And I’ll steal some beer off the big guy.” Rickie hurried to the door. “I’d hang a little more, guy, but I have to go before the drip factor occurs. See ya.” Rickie took off running.

Stan chuckled and sat down to enjoy his root beer flavored popsicle.

^^
^^

Sitting on the bed, Cal watched Jake, pull a medium sized black bag out of the closet. “Jake.”

“O
kay.” Jake closed the closet. He walked over to the desk, grabbed a chair, and slid it over near the bed laying the black bag on it. “Remember this bag?”

“Yeah. You called it your surprise goodie bag and wouldn’t let me see what was inside.”

“You didn’t peek, did you?”

“No.” Cal shook her head.

“Good.” Jake unzipped the bag. “I was going to save this for later. But . .. I can’t. After today you deserve to have this now.”

“Is it a present for me?”

“Yep.”

Cal shuffled in excitement. “And I get it now?”

“Yep.” Jake reached his hand into the bag. “I’ll give it to you. But we’ll probably not move into that phase until a little later. You might as well see it. It’s part of your Stasis training.”

The excited look dropped from Cal’s face. “Stasis training.”

“Oh, yeah, Cal. As soon as I heard we were coming back, I started to come up with a Stasis training regimen. We might as well take out the son of bitch early since we know how. And I designed something. Had two made, one for me and one for you. It’ll make our battle easy. Here you go. Happy experiment!” With a kiss to her cheek and a look of pride, Jake pulled the item from the bag and laid it in Cal’s hand.

Less than enthusiastic
ally Cal looked at it. It was a knife, but it was an odd looking knife. It had a long silver handle, maybe eight inches long, three across, and a rim at the top where the blade was, although not much of a blade protruded. The sharp object was no wider than a pocket knife, narrow, pointed, and short. “Jake, good job.”

“You look confused.”

“Hon.” Cal tried to seem impressed. “Are you sure this is going to take down a seven foot indestructible beast? Maybe they got your measurements wrong.”

“Huh?” Jake looked oddly at her. “Oh. You’re being facetious. Watch.” Into the bag he reached again taking out a Styrofoam head with a face drawn on
it.

“Cute.” Cal
said.

The head had a neck and part
of the shoulders attached to it. Jake held it to her. “Now, how do you kill a Stasis?”

“Get close enough to it to sever the brain stem
,” Cal answered.

“Exactly. Watch.” Jake grabbed her weapon and placed it in the back of the neck of the Styrofoam demonstrator.

Cal hummed. “Okay.”

“
Oh ye of little faith.” Jake grinned, and shifted his thumb to the end of the handle. He threw the styrofoam head high in the air and, with a clicking sound, a thick blade came out of the handle of the little knife. “Ha! A Jake guillotine!”

Cal shrieked with excitement. “Jake, that is the coolest thing
!”

“It is.” He retracted the blade with a button on the side of the handle. “The smaller object secures the stem and then the blade cuts right through.”

“Oh wow.” Cal took the knife back, stood up, and extended it out. “Ha!” She clicked out the large blade, laughed, retracted it, swung the knife about like a sword, and ejected the blade again. “This is so great.”

Jake looked
at Cal proudly and very pleased, as if he were watching a child with a toy. “I knew you’d like it. I thought we could make our own dummy stasis and train.”

“I’d love it.” As Cal turned around to face Jake
, she saw him looking elsewhere. “What’s wrong?”

“Speaking of a Stasis. Rickie.” Jake pointed toward the window and moved to the door. “He blew me off today.”

“Blew you off for . . .” Before Cal knew it, Jake was out the door. “What?” She retracted the large blade again, laid the object on the bed, and followed Jake out.

“Rickie.” Jake stormed to him.

“Sarge, not now
, look.” Rickie held up the popsicle that still had about an inch worth of enjoyment on it. “I have to get this to my body guard.” Rickie kept moving toward Lou’s bungalow.

“You blew me off this morning
, Rickie. You know you aren’t supposed to do that.”

“Sarge, like
, I ran ten times back and forth to the Control center, that equals twenty miles guy.”

“How fast?” Jake asked as Rickie went to the porch.

“Top speed last time.”

“All right. But you aren’t off the hook. Give your . . . wait a second. Bodyguard?”

“Yeah.” Rickie knocked on Lou’s door and Lou answered. “Here you go, guy. Lime.” He gave Lou what was left of the popsicle.

“Thanks.” Lou smiled and took it.

“Rickie . . .”

“Jake.” Cal ran up to the porch.

“Cal.” Jake held his hand out to her. “Rickie, why do you need a body guard?”

“Cause
, like, Sarge, it’s cool. Lou-ster, do your bodyguard look.”

Lou crossed his arms over his stomach and glared. Rickie shrieked and jumped behind Jake.

Jake let out a breath of annoyance at Rickie’s laughing. “Rickie, go wash your hands and get ready. Give me twenty minutes of your precious time.”

“Eye-eye
, Sarge.” Rickie stepped into Lou’s bungalow.

Jake turned around on the porch to Cal. “You know what
, Cal? You should . . .”

“What are you up to?” Cal asked as Jake walked off the porch by her.

“Just something Rickie and I have to do.”

“Jake, I’m a little jealous.
At the last experiment, you didn’t leave my side.” Cal hurried to catch up to him. “And why are we heading to Billy’s? He hates me right now.”

“He doesn’t hate you
, and I’d still prefer you not to be alone. But I have to do this with Rickie, so stay with Billy until I get back.”

“You’re pawning me off
,” Cal complained.

Jake stopped walking. “Are you . . . are you whining?”

“No.”

“You are. And it’s
extremely unbecoming and not you. Knock it off. You’re bitching that I’m leaving you alone. I recall last experiment you bitched that I wouldn’t leave you alone. At least this experiment you have others to watch out for you besides me.” Jake stepped onto Billy’s porch. “And I’m using one of those options now.”

“He won’t let me in.”

“Sure he will.”

“No he won’t.”

“Watch.” Jake knocked on the door.

“Yeah?” Billy spoke funn
ily, almost like he had toothpaste in his mouth. He re-wrapped the cloth that held the herbal powder that Paul had given him for his bruising and swelling from which he had just taken a pinch to put under his tongue to let it dissolve slowly, as Paul had suggested.

“Billy
,” Jake called out. “Can I come in?

“Yeah, just a . . .” Billy picked up his glass of Jack and took a drink to rinse that herbal
powder down. He cringed. “Minute.” He walked to the door.

Jake looked at Cal when he heard the door unlock. “There you have it.”

Cal smiled, tip toed up
, and kissed Jake on the cheek. “Thanks.” She turned the knob of Billy’s door and walked in. Billy was standing at his dresser. Quietly she shut the door and stepped down the single step into the room. “Hey.”

Gripping the edge of the dresser, Billy in shock, looked up. “Cal?” He grunted and turned away. “I’m killing Jake.”

“And I’m hurt.” She walked up behind him. “And why are you drinking this early in the morning? You’ll be hung over by lunch.” She moved the bottle and glass out of the way. “Billy? Are you in pain?”

He gave a soft chuckle. “You could say that.”

“Are you mad at me or something?”

“No. At myself. I feel . . . I feel like such a loser right now.” He lifted his head slightly when he heard Cal laugh. “That makes you laugh?”

“No.” She stood behind him and reached around, laying her hand on top of his. “What’s wrong huh?”

Billy shook his head.

“Why don’t you want to see me?” Cal asked softly. “Billy, thank you for what you did for me today.”

Billy shifted his eyes to her hand. He separated his fingers slowly allowing room for her fingers to slip in between his. He took a shivering breath, moving his index finger enough to lift up and brush against hers.

Cal rested her chin on his shoulder speaking near his ear. “Thanks for coming to my rescue . . . my . . . hero . . . my . . .” She snickered. “Knight in shining armor.”

“Cal.” Billy swayed his head and moved to his left then stepped back. “It’s not funny
, okay? I feel really bad.”

“Why?”

“I’m embarrassed. How are you gonna look at me now?”

“This is a macho thing
,” Cal said as she stepped towards him. “Get over it. God, Billy, even Macho Jake doesn’t get embarrassed when I step in.”

“Has Jake ever been knocked out?”

“Well . . . no.” She saw Billy’s head drop to the side. “Billy, we’re friends. Don’t be like this.” She drew close to him and said, “Do you think maybe your drinking is making things worse? You tend to exaggerate everything when you drink.”

Billy nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right.”

“And . . . Jake has faith in you. He’s running around doing something secret with Rickie, and he made you in charge of me. Of course, he doesn’t realize how much you’ve been drinking.”

“I’m
okay. I’m not drunk.”

“Good
, then. Give me a hug, and you and I will go outside, hang out on the porch, and make fun of the remaining participants.”

With a slight laugh
, Billy stepped to Cal and she placed her arms around his neck. He hesitated. His embrace not as tight as it could have been. He thought Cal noticed because when she stepped back, she had a curious look on her face. “What?” He asked.

“I just . . . I just realized how different that hug was.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh
, don’t be. It’s not your fault. It’s me. I realized how . . . and please don’t tell Jake I said this. Please.”

The corner of Billy’s mouth raised. “What are you talking about?”

“The hug. Jake is so . . . so big, that we don’t hug normally. It’s like the first time in a really long time that I didn’t have to sit or lay down to feel that closeness. It was neat.”

Billy smiled. “Well
, then, anytime you need to get that fix just . . .” Billy’s words were stopped when Cal embraced him again. He felt her chest press against him, her face so near to his. A shock went through him, and his hands warmly gripped to her back, pulling her closer, sliding up to hold her. He wanted to hold her like that and not let go, but a part of Billy was afraid she would feel how fast his heart was beating. His nose brushed against the softness of her hair and his eyes closed tightly. And just as Billy’s hand moved up her back under her hair, and his mouth parted with a ‘wanting’ close to her cheek, he caught himself. Caught himself slipping uncontrollably into a moment that really wasn’t. Billy pulled back, running his fingers through his hair, and smiled at Cal awkwardly.

Cal returned the smile and spoke in a clueless, upbeat way. “That was nice.”

“Any . . .” Billy watched her move to the door. “Did I just scare you away?”

Cal turned to face him. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re just leaving.”

“No I’m not. I just told you, ‘let me go make you some coffee, I’ll be back and we’ll sit on your porch’.”

Billy blinked several times. “W . . . when did you tell me that?”