After 6 short months the child was born. Pre-mature, monstrous, clearly amphibious, but as healthy as any parent could ask for.
Since the ultrasound, Dr. Grant had been in very intimate contact with the parents. He advised them to conceal the abnormalities of their unborn child, as he felt that secrecy would allow them to find a suitable environment to raise him.
He knew that was impossible.
What he didn't foresee was just how many different organizations would feel the same. Even though all the family and friends of the couple were aware of the complications involved in the pregnancy, the media was never alerted.
Strange.
Journalists are always hungry for a freak show, unfortunate birth, or genetic mistake, but the parents were never harassed, and no inquiries had been made at the hospital.
Wait until the baby is born he told himself. Then hell's gonna break loose. Surely...
But it passed undisturbed. All was calm.
The hospital staff gossiped as was to be expected.
The mother was terribly disturbed, and the father never left her side, foregoing his occupational responsibilities, but no cameras...not one.
It wasn't until the child's grandparents began to show up. Nothing out of the ordinary, until the third set came along.
Three sets of grandparents? It was time for some questions. But Dr. Grant wasn't the only one monitoring his patients. His head nurse had already sent security after the third set of elderly 'family'.
But they checked out - the father's parents.
Thats when it clicked. The first set of grandparents to show up had already claimed to be those of the father, but when they showed up the couple was resting and were unable to meet them. That was nearly 24 hours ago, barely enough time to relax after the birth.
Dr. Grant quickened his pace, anxiety creeping up his spine, he'd heard nothing alarming from any of the hospital staff,
"Dr. Grant?" queried the mother's mother. Sitting in the same waiting room with her husband where he had left them over six hours ago.
"Dr., when will we be able to see our grandson?"
Oh shit. Without a response he darted to the maternity ward. Violently swinging the door to the couple's room open, he couldn't dare believe his eyes. His head nurse, on the ground, out cold. A quick check of her pulse, alive. Thank god.
"Mr. Mano? Mrs. Mano?!" Dr. Grant could feel himself breaking into hysteria.
"It's Doctor Grant! Please, please tell me you're alright! Mr. Mano?!"
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, hair. Suddenly frightened, his fear grew as he caught sight of a pool of blood seeping out from behind an overturned bed.
Cautiously he stepped over to the scene.
"Mrs. Mano?!"
"Doc?!" Mr. Mano croaked out. His face had been sprayed with blood, his composure - terrified. He looked like a wild animal, cornered and caged.
"My word! Whats happened here?!" Dr. Grant began,
"They called me son... I've never seen these people before..." he started.
"Go on lad" prompted the doc.
"When the old man here started talking to the nurse, I noticed her eyes go wide before she sat down.
It scared the hell out of me, and then this woman here starts telling me its gonna be alright."
Dr. Grant looked over to the corpse lying on the floor. Sure enough, he recognized her, and the man lying on the other side of the couple. But he had never seen the first set of grandparents come to visit, he recognized them from somewhere else... couldn't put his finger on it, but there were bigger issues to address right now.
- "Leave it Doc. Another time" he told himself.
"What did you do, lad?"
"She reached for my boy, so I stayed her hand. I asked her who she was, and she said "I'm the child's god mother", and then I felt a hand on my back... I was scared doc! I reacted! It didn't feel right, I'm sorry!"
"Get a hold of yourself man! Did they hurt you?"
"No, I never gave them the chance, but I saw the needle in her hand come out when I twisted the old man's arm around. My wife started screaming and I just lost it, I beat the shit out of this old lady."
his eyes were rimming with tears. Mrs. Mano was silent, rocking back and forth with the child, sobbing uncontrollably.
The child... "Can I see the child sir?" this question prompted a glare of dangerous fear from the father.
"I don't need to hold him, I just want to see that he's alright."
Mr. Mano hesitated, then turned to his wife, "Ariel, let Dr. Grant see him, honey," he beckoned softly, "Sweetheart, just lift your head, doll."
Sobbing, she relaxed at the sight of the doctor, taking comfort in the man they'd both grown to trust over the last several months.
Dr. Grant froze.
It had barely been a day, yet the child was composed and alert. He looked Dr. Grant right in the eyes, and for a moment, the two just stared at each other, in complete awe.
"What are we gonna do Doc? I killed them!"
Dr. Grant leaned over and checked the pulse on the old lady, dead. But the old man wasn't a goner just yet. After a quick once over Dr. Grant looked at Mr. Mano in horror, "What did you do to this man? You say he didn't hurt you?"
"He's not as old as he looks Doc, that's one tough old bastard."
There was no doubt about that. The elderly gentleman was fit and in shape, clearly sent to do a job. Nothing in his pockets, but a state drivers license bearing the last name Mano, and a set of keys.
"You said you twisted his arm around, then what?"
A short pause, then he started "I've been taking martial arts since I was a kid Doc, and this guy's no slouch. I barely managed to keep him in check while I defended my wife. I managed to break his arm, which gave me enough time to notice the syringe in the old broad's hand. In the few seconds I had before having to deal with him again, I broke that old lady. I just couldn't let her get near my wife and child! But this old guy, I got him in a sleeper hold, and I didn't let go until Ariel started crying for me to let go. I think I broke his wind pipe."
"That you did lad. That you did."
"Doc, we gotta get out of here!"
"Definitely, but I have a feeling thats not going to be a walk in the park, lad. We're in some deep shit here."
"We? Dr. Grant?" Ariel finally managed to speak up.
"Yes, my dear. We. That child's going to survive. I swear to it. Now get yourselves together, I'll keep this down, and send for some clothes for you ma'am. But you and I lad, we've got some questions for this one here," gesturing to the shell of a man that lay on the floor.
"We gotta be quick, but I can get him to talk,"
"A doctor and an extractor?" jested Mr. Mano.
"You don't get to the top being a nice guy."
They shared a smile, and the baby smiled too.
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