Rating: Explicit

Notes: Many thanks to Missy & Becky for beta reading duties and encouraging my insanity. Canon wise this takes place directly after the events of Beyond Re-Animator with heavy reference to the previous two films.

Warnings: horror themes, animal death, reanimation of the dead

Disclaimer: This is a work of fictional parody in no way intended to infringe upon the rights of any individual or corporate entity. Any and all characters or celebrity personae belong to their rightful owners. Absolutely no money has or will be gained from this work. Please do not publicly link, repost or redistribute without letting me know first.

Written: 4/2012

Finding Dan was relatively simple; he was nothing if not predictable. Unsurprisingly, he had gone no further than Boston in the thirteen years Herbert West had been incarcerated. He'd set up a small private practice and was a fairly quiet, respectable general practitioner who lectured at his alma mater on occasion. It had taken West less than a week to locate him with information garnered from basic searching on a library computer.

The first day he had waited outside the unassuming office where Daniel kept his practice in a strip mall, casually blending in as another middle aged man out doing whatever it is one does when not working in the middle of a weekday. Dan arrived at the office just after eight, the receptionist shortly thereafter. At ten-thirty, there was a coffee run, at one Dan walked to the café at the end of the block and had a turkey sandwich on wheat with minestrone and bottled water. At three, more coffee, no doubt due to the quick flow of patients he seemed to have – mostly young mothers and the elderly. They locked the doors at five, but the last patient did not leave until well after six.

West had considered following him home, but on foot that would be a difficult task. Of course, the papers had already reported his escape – catching on far more quickly than he had suspected they would. A decade before, it would have been at least a month before there was official word given that his remains were not among the many found at the prison. It hadn't even made the front page, just a short article on page A-4 that mentioned him by name and listed his crimes and then accused him of orchestrating the elaborate carnage and apparent mass hysteria and ensuing riot at the prison as a cover for his escape, ending with a vague description that could be any number of middle aged men in the city… right beside a full-page Macys one-day-sale ad. It was likely the police were already keeping close watch on Dan's home, and a small miracle that he hadn't been caught so boldly observing him at his place of work.

After spending the night in a seedy motel two blocks from Dan's office, Herbert knew he had to make a move; he'd been smart enough to collect a little bit of cash, but funds were running low and petty theft wasn't exactly his style… he was a scientist, not a thief. The next morning he had called from the hotel and requested an emergency appointment to be worked in at eleven-thirty. After a shower, shave, and reading the paper with a cup of bitter, overly hot coffee, Herbert – or as he'd told the receptionist over the phone, Howard Hill – was thirty minutes early for his appointment.

The nurse did a full write-up, paperwork, a payment plan due to his lack of insurance and complete medical history with only a little fuss considering that he had no prior physicians treating him in the last twenty years. When she had done what she could, she took his vitals and left him in a small, dismal examination room with green walls and orange-red tiles that made it feel like he was trapped in a bad painting of the 1970s. Some twenty minutes later, he was graced with the presence of a face he had not been so close to in over a decade. Daniel Cain hadn't changed as much as Herbert had expected; he was still of average build, a little gray around the temples and with creases at his eyes that spoke of too many hours reading small print.

He was still flipping through his new patient's chart without noticing him directly when he asked; "Well, Mr. Hill – looks like you don't like doctors… what sort of emergency brings you here today?"

"I've got a broken heart, Daniel." He replied in a quiet tone that was clearly recognized almost instantly. Slowly, Dan looked up from the false chart – his mouth agape in utter horror and his eyes wide with disbelief. Before he could speak, Herbert said; "Perhaps that was a tad melodramatic, but I never did figure out what I would say when we met again… after our last encounter…"

For a long moment, Dan appeared stunned by the mere sight of him – he backed against the closed door, but curiously did not open it. Finally, when his words found voice, he whispered; "It's true, then? I had my doubts when they said that you were presumed dead, and then just yesterday it was in the paper that your body wasn't among the remains and it was being treated as an escape." He stared at West, taking the situation with a significantly more calm response than Herbert had expected; "You planned your escape for what… revenge?"

A slow smile curved Herbert's lips, he hadn't expected a fond hug and reminiscing about the good old days – he knew there would be questions. "The escape was a happy accident, chance… perhaps fate telling me my work was not done and with my penance served it was time to return to my studies in a less confining atmosphere. While solitude may bring with it time to find the flaws in my theories, it has too long stifled my work… as is evidenced by the circumstances surrounding the incident at the prison. I am sure you were keenly aware at the lack of details beyond 'maimed' and 'mutilated' bodies?"

"West…"

"Please, Dan… we're old friends, I think after spending so long apart you could at least use my first name."

"I'll call the police," he threatened, taking a cell phone from his lab coat and holding it up; "They've been watching me since you escaped – they knew you'd come for me."

"Of course they did, Dan. Of course."

Dan appeared taken aback by Herbert's repose; while nothing new to him it was unexpected that someone being threated would only sit calmly on the examination table like a compliant patient. "So, what, then? You want to kill me?"

West shook his head; "I wouldn't. I am not a murderer, and you only did what any honest person would do. I suppose maybe I should be a little angry…" Herbert slipped off the exam table and paced to the far end of the small room where a window barely large enough to fit through was open to the warm afternoon breeze. "They wouldn't have convicted me without your testimony."

"Your lawyer wanted to cut a deal, Herbert." Dan admitted quietly; "Either you were found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental hospital for the rest of your life or I could testify and put you in prison. You know as well as I do what they'd have done to you in a psych ward."

"Not to mention, you would have lost your medical license and been deemed an accomplice if you didn't, yes… of course, I assumed as much. But, this is ancient history, friend." His smile stretched slightly and became almost unnerving, even to himself – seeing Dan falter with the phone clutched in one hand and the chart in the other – his back still pressed into the door.

"You don't have friends, Herbert."

"I have you," he replied softly. "Or would you consider our partnership beyond the confines of simple friendship? One could make the case that our fate is so deeply wound the term 'friend' has no significance in our particular context…"

"Why are you here? If you don't want to kill me, then why come to Boston? You know that you're probably going to get caught."

"Inconsequential, the police haven't caught up yet."

"Then why, Herbert? Why me, why now?" Dan spat, throwing down the chart in frustration. "Why are you here, in my office?"

"I need you." He replied simply, "I need an assistant, Dan, and you are the only person who has been able to perform in such a capacity without question." Hebert removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, irritated by color scheme and fluorescent lighting. "I only need three weeks, two weeks to produce the newest formula and the last to find one specimen and prepare for the final test."

"Final test? Herbert, please… tell me you aren't still chasing this! Your experiments have gone nowhere. There are too many variables, nobody can get better results." He laughed out loud, the sound just as sudden and manic as it had been every time he'd accused Herbert of insanity. "Nobody can give the dead life."

"We can," Herbert stood his ground. "On the last day, you will kill me and following my exact procedure you will bring me back."

Dan laughed again, the sound taking on a haunting shrill note that would surely alert anyone who knew him well that he was under a certain amount of duress. "You're insane, Herbert. You don't need an assistant, you need mental help."

"Mental help… come on!" Herbert growled and replaced his glasses with a frustrated scowl. "You know this is within the scope of my work… all that was missing was one tiny little piece." His eyes flashed with determination as he stepped closer until he was pressing Dan once more against the solid door – pressing his chest into him. "I found the missing piece of the puzzle."

Dan hesitated, not long but long enough to let both of them know that the thought had taken root in his brain; perhaps only fleetingly, but it was there. After a moment he quietly replied; "I don't believe you. How many times have you claimed to have found the key, Herbert? No. I'm going to call the police; you need to be locked up…"

"Damn it, Daniel!" He growled through clenched teeth and snatched the mobile phone from his shaking hand – throwing it across the room hard enough to break the case against the block wall. "I'll prove it. I have enough of the reagent for an animal trial. Tonight, and if you still hold any reservations as to the certainty of my work I'll let you turn me in."

Dan froze, acutely feeling the press of the smaller man's body against him – the intense stare behind his glasses boring into him as they had two decades before when he'd first crossed paths with Herbert West and his 'work'. The ease to which he resorted to such a claim unnerved him; "And if I turn you in?"

"I won't hold it against you." He replied much more quietly, calmly even, and continued to stare him down. He meant it, every word. If there was still question that he could make it work with what he had then there was no use being free – it was no use continuing with the experiments if the prison was a fluke and he could not recreate the results.

His own gaze unfaltering and trying as much as he could to not let on that, in all honesty, Herbert's intensity frightened him, Dan placed one hand on each of the smaller man's shoulders and pushed him back. "I can't believe I'm even considering this…"

Herbert stumbled backwards several steps, but did not fall. "One night," he said calmly. "All I need from you is a safe place to do my work and two specimens… cats should work well." After a pause, more than anything to ease the difficulty he knew Dan would have with animal mortality, he added; "And for you to trust me."

He scoffed; "Trust you? Really, you're an escaped murderer attempting to convince me to not only harbor you but to eventually kill you…"

"No!" Herbert cut him off; "I am not a murderer and you know it." His voice dropped back to the menacing, frustrated growl. "I have never killed for the sake of taking life. Sure, there have been unfortunate casualties…"

"Oh, is that what you're calling it now? And the dead prisoners? The warden?"

"Societal detritus. Rapists, murderers, men that would torture the innocent for their own sadistic pleasure… barely human," he spat, his mouth twisted with disgust. "I would have had little remorse for killing them, it would have been a mercy to society as a whole… but I'm afraid they were responsible for their own demise."

Somewhat surprisingly, his phone buzzed from where it lay broken on the floor and Dan quietly said; "I have patients waiting."

"And tonight?"

Slowly, he nodded; "One night. Meet me here at seven…"

"You leave by six."

It hadn't exactly occurred to him that Herbert would know his schedule, but it didn't shock him either. "I have a date; I'll have to cancel…"

"Cancel now."

"You don't understand…" a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Oh, I understand just fine, thank you. The adventures of Doctor Cain and his libido haven't changed since University." Herbert shook his head; "tell her you have conflicting business."

"And she'll want to know what it is."

He sighed, narrowing his eyes before sarcastically spouting, "Well, bring her along. Why not, she wouldn't be the first girlfriend to interfere in our work."

"She's not my girlfriend," Dan admitted quietly, hanging his head. "She's a student… we met last fall when I did a series of guest lectures at Miskatonic…"

"So you're either sleeping with her or want to be… it's not important. What is imperative is that you cancel your engagement."

"I agree." Dan nodded, "Fine… I'll call Anna and tell her that an emergency has come up and then you can meet me here after Mary leaves for the day, I'll leave the delivery door open for you."

"No." Herbert shook his head, "not acceptable."

"Well it'll have to do." He shot back; "I don't exactly have access to a proper lab, I'm a physician now… as you may have noticed I gave up being a mad scientist when you were out of the picture."

"Please…" West shook his head with the slightest hint of a laugh; "you were hardly a scientist and our work was far from mad…"

"Yeah, well any sane person would disagree with that."

Shifting slightly on his feet, Herbert suggested; "Your home."

"No, no… absolutely not…"

"Our research requires absolute privacy…"

"And my neighborhood is crawling with cops who would like nothing more than the medal they'd get for catching us working together again." Dan shook his head and pushed past Herbert to retrieve his phone, the screen and case were cracked but otherwise it was still useable. "Maybe… no… no, that's a bad idea…"

Herbert took a step closer, forcing his features to soften as he once more caught Daniel's eye. "What is it, Dan? If there is somewhere safer…"

"No, I shouldn't have even thought about it." He shook his head, "we can do it here."

"If there are any alternatives it would be foolish not to explore them. Perhaps a hospital? The morgue even would do…"

He sighed loudly; "When my mother passed away she left me the vacation home on Nantucket Island but I haven't been there in years… it's been vacant…"

"Perfect." Herbert replied quickly, it would likely be considerably further from other homes and have less of a police presence than anywhere in the city. "We can set up a makeshift laboratory fairly easily while obtaining the components for the reagent."

"I still haven't even agreed to participate; this is just me humoring an old friend…"

"You will." Herbert let the smile come again, "you will."

Half past five, Herbert arrived with two small pet carriers that had a yowling stray in each consuming hamburger laced with a mild sedative for the trip. It was a short, silent drive but the atmosphere in Dan's unremarkable sedan was clearly heavy with tension. Less than an hour into the three hour trip, Dan was the first to speak. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

"You've missed it." The corners of his lips turned up slightly as Herbert stared out the window at the passing scenery, he couldn't say that he missed it much but there was a slight twinge of pleasure at the sight of the familiar Massachusetts nature. "You'll never admit it, but I know deep down you've missed working together."

The blank, almost drugged expression Dan wore through the trial despite obviously scripted statements and testimony that didn't cover the half of what they had done and the never refused, yet one sided attempts at correspondence only confirmed Herbert's suspicions on the matter. Every month for the first few years, and then every several months for a decade tapering off to twice in the last year, he'd written composition books detailing his stay – the mundane life in prison and information about his experiments that could only be deciphered by someone who had worked with him directly. Dan never responded, but like clockwork a return receipt for each delivery came. He wore that same blank look he'd worn on the stand as he drove – staring out at the light traffic as he went five miles an hour under the posted speed limit. "I'd rather live a normal life, though I don't expect you understand that concept…"

"What, normal? A life working yourself ragged in private practice for next to nothing treating ear infections, skin rashes and old women with rickets? Oh, yes… I can see the appeal." Herbert frowned, but didn't push further.

"I happen to enjoy what I do. I left town, you know – tried working in emergency medicine, surgical consulting, I even did three years in administration…"

"I don't care…"

Ignoring him, Dan continued; "And then four years ago I realized that all I've ever wanted to do was help people."

"Oh, ever the Samaritan…"

"My patients need me, Herbert; I serve a vital role in their lives but don't have the strain of losing them."

And that was enough to quiet Herbert's questions for several miles. He truly hadn't changed, Herbert had known from the beginning that was precisely why he had continued as his assistant after losing Halsey's daughter. "We aren't so different, Dan. We never have been. I simply prefer to work toward prolonging life as opposed to your palliative tending."

Dan sighed, but said nothing to the contrary. Over an hour later they were cued and waiting for the next ferry while hastily eating a sack of small hamburgers. The unfortunate felines slept, as Herbert had assured them they would, and the local jazz station faded in and out on the radio. "We don't have to drive back to the city tonight; I had Mary reschedule my appointments."

"Good, good." Herbert nodded; "And this house we're going to, I assume it will have a cellar?"

"Yeah, I haven't gone down there since the last time Diana and I went – but should work fine." He continued to stare and explained; "Diana was my wife."

"Mmm," Herbert replied, only peripherally interested in his erstwhile friend's personal life. "She died?"

He shook his head, "No. We divorced a few years ago. She lives in Palm Springs with our daughter."

For a moment, the thought struck him oddly. It shouldn't be surprising that Daniel had married or had a child… nor that they were estranged - and yet it twisted his insides to think of it. "I see."

Dan let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "No, no you don't. Even if I believed you were capable of understanding human emotions, I doubt you would know what it's like to love someone that much."

"Oh? Just as you loved all the other girls?"

Dropping what little remained of his hamburger into the greasy bag; Dan shot him another dirty look. "My therapist thought it would be a good idea to tell her about what happened, about you and our experiments."

Suddenly much more serious about the matter, Herbert asked; "And?"

"We haven't spoken since."

He raised an eyebrow; "The therapist?"

"No, Diana and me. I still see my therapist twice a month." He replied emotionlessly. There was more to say; there always was, but clearly he wasn't ready to say it. "She couldn't handle knowing that I was partly responsible for so many crimes against nature."

"Nature failed, Dan. We didn't commit any crime against it; we're improving on the biggest flaw of humanity."

"Yeah, well, she didn't see it that way."

Another long silence fell between them and they were ushered onto the ferry for the silent trip to the island.

The house was well cared for outside; Dan had hired a service to keep up with it during his absence like the other vacationers but didn't bother to give the same courtesy to the interior. It was dusty, showing obvious signs of neglect. For his part, West made quickly for the cellar of the large house and was not disappointed with the wide open space. It was a shame to drive all the way out and then back for an experiment that would take less than an hour – but the safety of being away from prying eyes and the police force was worth it in the unlikely event that his solution failed.

Somewhat shockingly, Dan followed behind him some time later with a pair of large wooden crates on a dolly. For a long moment, Herbert was amused at the thought that after so many years Dan had slipped so easily into being his assistant yet again, that he had already procured the necessary materials – and then he saw the thick layer of dust on them and when Dan cracked open the first one he was met with equipment he hadn't seen since the night he'd been arrested. "You got my equipment."

"Some of it." He replied quickly, "I hid what I could before the raid – they got a lot of it, but maybe something could help?"

"I could kiss you." He laughed, pawing through the collection of carefully wrapped glassware and hot plates and stack after stack of his personal notebooks. "Dan… you could have turned all of this in."

"I know." He lowered his eyes, opening the second crate to retrieve two sets of leather restraints that could easily hook over a card table stashed against the back wall. "I didn't do it for you."

Herbert knew that tone all too well, even Dan wasn't so sure of that fact – and while it piqued his interest, he was much more concerned with getting down to the business at hand. "Right, right… help me with the table."

"What, just like that?"

"Would you prefer to wait until the sedative wears off?" He raised an eyebrow over the heavy frame of his glasses, lips pursed – he needed no answer to his question… the obvious horror on Dan's face was more than enough to solidify his feelings on the matter. As far as Herbert was concerned, Dan had gone soft in private practice and probably hadn't even seen a body in ages. "Let's get some light in here, and I'll need an extension cord, a salad fork and electrical tape… please."

For a moment, Dan appeared dumbstruck – but he'd learned long ago that when it came to Herbert West there were two courses of action that both ended in doing what he asked. At the moment, it was far easier to not question his needs. "Yeah, I think I can do that…"

"Good. I'll prepare the specimens. Quickly, please – we haven't got long." Herbert didn't bother to wait for Dan to spring into action before hauling out the card table and setting up the restraints. It had been a long time since he'd worked with felines but he was certain that his calculations were perfect. When Daniel returned with the items requested, he'd already strapped down the heavily sedated animals – the larger of the pair already beginning to come out from under the induced sleep but unable to manage more than a pathetic mew. "My bag." He requested curtly. "Once we have obtained the N.P.E. we must work quickly. Do you understand?"

"Of course." Dan nodded, retrieving the bag and then opening it so that Herbert could simply reach inside for the bottle of reagent and the vial of thorazine. "What is N.P.E.?"

A slow smile spread across Herbert's lips and he shook his head; "Ahh, simple, simple Dan…" he mused before answering, "I am referring to the nano-plasmic energy, what you might refer to as one's 'soul' transmitted as a basic unit of energy that leaves the body upon death. Barely perceptible, but it presents the key to maintaining one's faculties after reanimation."

Dan listened silently; clearly hesitant to ask the myriad of questions such a statement presented… not the least of which being if Herbert had indeed finally lost his mind entirely. He watched in abject silence as his friend drew out a syringe of each fluid – and then set them aside only to cut off the extending end of the cord and strip away the protective exterior before integrating the fork and crudely affixing it with the black tape. "You're going to kill it by electrocution?" He shouted, disgusted by the mere thought.

"Only the bigger one." Herbert replied without looking up from his work. Before plugging in the device, he handed Daniel his only surviving makeshift capsule after the commotion at the prison. "You will hold the light… and observe. When it's done, you will check their vital signs. I will administer the electrical current; I would not advise you to touch the patient until I tell you it's safe."

"I'm not an idiot." Dan sighed, rolling the small glass bulb over in his hand – examining it as he attempted to break down the composition of it before placing it on the table. "This is impossible."

"You're more of an idiot now than when we met – at least then you could open your mind without some proof of concept like the other professor types. You'd get along well with Dr. Hill now, wouldn't you?" His face went slack with concentration and frustration, once more ensuring the animal was secure as it became more acutely aware of the precarious situation it was in. Without further explanation, Herbert plugged in the cord and approached the feline – looking up only once to make fleeting eye contact with his assistant before doing the deed. As anticipated, the animal went quickly – a bright, brilliant light curling in the capsule exactly as it had under the conditions at the prison.

"My God…" Dan whispered as the energy swirled and filled the capsule – quick to retrieve the stethoscope from Herbert's bag and check the spent feline's vitals – as expected it was deceased. "What just…"

"Wait," Herbert snapped, picking up the syringe of thorazine as he quickly dragged the cable to the other side of the table. "Check this one."

Life signs were weak, but present – and Dan held the stethoscope still as Herbert injected the double strength dose… listening to the slow lub-dub as it tapered off to stillness. "It's dead," he whispered, eyes locked on the bloody tines for a long moment before he moved his hands clear of the patient.

"And life… anew." Herbert smiled, only a small upturn of his lips, as he administered the reagent. As expected, the feline – now another foul creature of West's making – vomited raw hamburger and began to strain and fight against the leather straps, an unearthly yowl emanating from it. "And the spark…" he murmured under his breath and quickly drove the metal tines into place, "of life."

Disgusted, incensed, and frankly loathing himself as much as West for his participation in the insane display, Dan watched in utter horror as the beast jolted and cried out – his own memory of a feline long gone haunting, but nothing compared to the stench of death and singed flesh and fur assaulting him… he'd remember that smell in his nightmares. "What have you done?" He spat accusingly, waiting until West had tugged the cord free of the socket and dropped it before once more listening to the cat's heart. He didn't need an answer from his friend, no… it was loud and clear – what had barely registered moments before was a throbbing tachycardic beat. "It's going into arrest…" he pressed his fingers against the cat's throat, counting the racing pulse as it let out a loud yowl.

"Give it time, Dan…" Herbert remained still, letting one slender hand rest on the beast's brow – barely stroking over the dark fur between its eyes. "He's had a long night…"

"He's going to die!" Dan gritted his teeth, moving his hand over the animal's ribcage and gently massaging. There was no telling what a standard dose of thorazine would do to a cat, let alone one that high… and putting it on top of the reagent and electrocution and it was a miracle it had pulled through at all. Granted, not the most shocking of miracles when one is used to the work of Dr. West.

"He already has… inside him now is everything that made his departed friend unique… memories, thoughts, feelings…" Herbert licked his lips and watched as the animal's tail began to twitch side to side. "Observe…" He unfastened one buckle, pushing Dan aside as he set the animal loose. For a moment, the black cat appeared stunned – reasonably so – and crawled to the edge of the table, his leg muscles spasmed and knocked him off the edge, but as expected it dragged it's lower half across the cellar floor for several strides before realizing it could move it's lower extremities.

"What is it doing?" Dan asked incredulously.

Herbert's smile returned as the cat put weight on its hind paws and then scurried towards a corner and hid behind a stack of forgotten boxes. "The larger specimen was paraplegic, he was to be euthanized but I insisted that he was the one I had to have."

"Paraplegic? He… he couldn't move his legs…"

"I'll let you consider what you've seen." Herbert pulled away, knowing that Dan was confused and uncertain as to why they weren't attacked as they had been every single time they'd successfully used the reagent. He looked back at him only a moment, a wry smile lingering on his lips; "If you wish, you may spend some more time with… Whiskers. I'll be upstairs working on my documentation."

Dan caught him by the elbow, his fingers gripping tightly as he demanded; "Tell me about the prison, the night you escaped."

Slowly, a smile crossed Herbert's lips and he replied; "I believe that's a fair question to ask of me." He nodded slowly and started toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"I think coffee and somewhere more comfortable are in order."

Upstairs, in what would probably be considered an old-fashioned sitting room; Herbert had curled himself into an oversized armchair and was making detailed notes of the successful experiment. He was thrilled; clearly, even if the animal did not survive the night the N.P.E. was a significant success – and surely enough to convince Dan of his commitment to his own gambit. After the success with Laura and the warden, he was increasingly desperate to recreate the results with a human specimen… and willing to use himself as the donor. He'd considered it at length since the escape, it would be the only way to evade capture and continue his research unfettered. The only hurdle would be to secure the recipient body… it would have to be someone in relatively good health, capable of continuing on with his work. Someone perhaps younger, more fit – and yet also, ready to die and possessing a will weaker than his own. Granted, few possessed a stronger will than that of Herbert West, a body that was prepared to die but also in relatively good health was a nearly impossible order to fill.

He was drawn out of his thoughts and his meticulous notes when Dan entered the room with a pair of fresh travel mugs; "I should get groceries." He muttered off hand, clearly still shaken.

"Do you wish to continue on with the experiment then?" Herbert asked bluntly, accepting the drink as he shifted in the chair to turn and face his long-time friend and sole confidant. "I wouldn't bother shopping if we'll be contacting the police come morning."

Dan was silent a long time, and then took a deep draw off his mug before saying; "If I was going to call the police I wouldn't give you that sort of head start."

"No, of course not." The smile returned in full force, quiet but obviously pleased with the silent acceptance of his offer. "Tomorrow morning you should return to Boston… tell your receptionist a personal matter has come up, you will need three weeks leave…"

"I can't do that, Herbert," he replied. "You can stay here, but I can't just abandon my practice to pursue this."

He sighed loudly; "I need you, Dan… if it was as simple as a place to stay I wouldn't have put myself in such grave danger to find you."

Dan seemed to consider the thought for a long moment, looking away from Herbert and towards the unlit fireplace. The house was as good of a place as any to be; but he had patients to attend to… plans that had already been made. After several long minutes he conceded; "Give me this week. I'll have Mary reschedule my patients to see a colleague of mine for two weeks – but I have a lecture Friday I must be present for."

Herbert frowned, it would have to do… he was perfectly capable of handling the process on his own, of course, but it wouldn't be the same without his assistant. "I'll make a list tonight; there are several items I will require in addition to the previous solution's materials…"

"Anything." Dan cut him off; "I'll get what I can, and bring it with me Friday."

"Until then?" Herbert chuckled without humor; "Would you really have me simply wait here, alone?"

"Sure, take a break… maybe catch up on current events." Dan smiled, considering the notion of Herbert watching The Simpsons and eating tv dinners like a normal person. He seemed more like an ER fan, really.

Herbert narrowed his eyes; "I'll make do."

"I'm sure you will, it can't be half as bad as prison…" Dan stopped mid-thought, catching himself much too late. He hadn't meant to bring it up like that, but tried to use the slip to his advantage by adding; "What really happened that night, Herbert?"

Herbert settled back down into the chair, tucking his feet up under himself as he considered the question. He supposed he did owe it to Dan to give him all the pertinent information, and seeing as how he hadn't even taken notes on what had occurred – much less committed them to his research notebooks –the only way to truly give it to him was to tell the story of Howard and Laura and the warden leading to his eventual escape. "The night that I was arrested, there was a boy…"

"Howard Phillips." Dan added quietly, eliciting a nod from Herbert.

"The boy became a doctor and chose to do his internship there to work with me, to enable my research… I believe it was his intention to find some method to bring back his departed sister, or at least to somehow assuage his own guilt for her death." He shook his head; "Howard was misguided, but an apt assistant."

Dan laughed and shook his head; "You were sleeping with him?"

Herbert looked directly at him and narrowed his eyes once more behind the familiar glasses; "Curious, the tone of your voice suggests that the thought repels or upsets you."

"So that's a 'yes', then?"

"No." Herbert shook his head, "In the course of our research he became smitten with a girl… a reporter."

He scoffed; "I seem to recall that was never a barrier."

"Then you should also recall that unlike you, Daniel, I am not governed by the baser human instincts." Herbert shot back, undaunted by the implication. "For the record, there was no interest outside of our common research. I've learned my lesson about trusting people." He wanted to be even more hurtful, a cruel streak bubbling up with the desire to further twist the jagged knife. Shaking his head, he forced back the urge – the uncomfortable emotion – and continued; "I don't believe I require further companionship."

The implication beyond the obvious dig wasn't at all lost on Dan, he was all too aware of Herbert's feelings (and contrary to popular belief, he did have them) on the matter of their somewhat strained history and sex… and even the point where the two thoughts briefly intertwined. "We can talk about that after you tell me about what happened to Howard Phillips."

He sighed again, frowned, and then settled in to relate the remainder of the story – leaving out most of the insignificant details but sure to highlight his theory that Laura's willpower was too weak to resist the strength of the warden inside her, allowing him to take full control of their shared flesh. When it was over, Dan sat quietly for the better part of an hour and processed the new information. In light of what he had seen with the cats, if it were not enough to convict him of Herbert's certainty that his hypothesis was ready for a final test nothing would be. Dan stood up to leave the room, the clock lingered close to midnight and he was undoubtedly ready for sleep, and Herbert said; "You understand why I want to do this, Dan. I know you do."

Dan paused, leaving his back turned to his friend. With a soft sigh, he said; "I understand." After another long silence, he turned just enough to look Herbert in the eyes; "I don't know if I can do what you want me to do."

"Think about it, Dan. That's all I ask… think about it, and help me prepare." He swallowed hard when Dan turned his back on him once more; "You should check on the cat."

The cat, Herbert had dubbed him 'Whiskers', survived the night. For the first time in years, Herbert West slept soundly in a strange bed across the hallway from the room where Dan tossed and turned, fitfully aware of situation that had been put in his hands. The next morning they did not speak, he left Herbert with supplies for the cat and enough groceries to last the week in addition to most of the cash he kept on him – he could probably make a few appearances on the island without stirring up too much talk, but they both knew it'd be better if he kept as scarce as possible. In addition, Herbert had provided him with a long, detailed list of everything they would need to prepare; chemicals, equipment, and at the very bottom in his innocuous print was; 'one specimen in peak physical condition – close to death'.

When Dan returned late that night, he came with several of the chemical components – enough to begin distilling the base compounds and keep Herbert busy for a while. He let himself into the house through the cellar door and was a bit surprised to find that Herbert wasn't there, however the glassware had been set up as best he could with many of the obvious components missing. Somewhat amused that he had remembered the set up in such vivid detail, Dan ascended the stairs. The kitchen was dark, as was the sitting room. The master bedroom door was open and inside he could hear the familiar soft breaths of Herbert West, sure enough he was sound asleep on top of the duvet. He was wrapped around Dan's pillow with the small black cat curled up at the foot of the bed with a catnip mouse still clutched in his paws. For a moment, Dan could have sworn the once dead cat was purring.

In another life, another world, it wouldn't have been hard to get what he saw in Herbert West – that moment of frailty, the small man curled up on his duvet. In their youth, they had clung to each other after Meg… died. For almost nine months all they had was each other and picking up the pieces after the massacre – they alone holding the secret of what had happened that night. In the small hours between twilight and sunrise, things had happened that he'd only shared since with his court ordered therapist and eventually, his wife. And he'd not even told them that after Francesca left him to go on semi-permanent assignment in Brazil, he'd come crawling back to West.

He liked to think that Herbert had come for him then, that when the small man appeared in his bedroom it had been a shock, but in truth he had been waiting for the moment. He'd missed the thrill, how close they got to unlocking secrets that no man had ever seen before. They were so very close… and in a way that alone had been enough to seal intertwine their fates. Perhaps even going about his routine in Boston every so often he had expected that Dr. West would come back into his life in bolder form than the composition books that arrived at his door step every so often – notebooks he'd never allowed himself to open and simply stacked in a crate in the attic as though holding them for the scientist's return. No, the true romance in his life with Herbert West was not their occasionally physical relationship… nor even the emotional ties that neither would admit to; it was in their mutual lust for completion.

And what then? What if he did kill Herbert's body… put his… his soul into another. Would that prove his research? Would they release papers and go on world tour as the doctors that cheated death? Would anyone even believe that it had actually happened? Surely no American organization would fund further research…

Drawn out of his own wanderings, Dan caught himself smiling when Herbert grunted and pulled his knees up even tighter against his chest – he could imagine that finding sleep had been hard for Herbert for quite some time… probably always would be. Dan himself had spent many years on and off various sedatives to sleep without nightmares, and he hadn't had to endure over a decade in prison.

As silent as he could be on the weather old floor, Dan walked across the room and around the edge of the bed until Herbert's back was turned to him. It was late, he'd planned on staying the night – but climbing into bed with Herbert was a dangerous game. It was acceptance, it was embracing the past… embracing him, if not literally then figuratively. It would change things.

He stepped out of his wingtips, slowly loosened the knot on his tie before lifting it off over his head, and then gave one last consideration to what he was about to do before climbing into bed behind his old friend. For several minutes he remained still, the realization that he had made a horrible decision dawning on him slowly until he felt the long-past memory of Herbert's back against chest – the rasp of stiff cotton shirts against each other as the smaller man rolled onto his back to look up at him. "Dan?" Herbert asked quietly, squinting without his glasses even in the dim light.

"It's me." He replied quietly, his palm moving of its own volition to rest on Herbert's stomach – catching a small, clear button between his fingers. "I left some chemicals in the cellar; it should be everything you need to get started on the solution. I'm, uh… I'm staying tonight – I'll catch the morning ferry."

He nodded sleepily and licked his lips. "Yes, yes…" he yawned; "I'll, em… the guest room."

"No." Dan could barely believe he was letting himself retreat back to full circle, was he really so lonely that the pull of Herbert West once more held sway over him? "I need to know something, Herbert."

"Of course." He replied without hesitation, letting out only the softest sound of protest when Dan leaned over him and kissed him. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation, but unexpected. When the larger man broke for breath, Herbert expected it would be over and he would have found whatever it was he'd come looking for – instead Dan kissed him again, even more forcefully.

It had been a long time, and there had never been another man; women, sure a few… he'd tried with Anna but backed out every night before he walked her back to her dormitory. And now, Herbert was staring up at him blindly, his hands lingering on Dan's back as though waiting for permission to move. It was different than before, before it had been out of desperation – sheer need, more than anything… for Dan, at least, it had taken on meaning he couldn't pin down. "God…" he sighed, rolling onto his back and staring up at the dark ceiling.

"You kissed me. Twice." Herbert stated matter-of-factly. "Was there a particular reason?"

"No. Yes. I don't know, maybe." Dan's reply was quick, forced out as though he didn't want to think on it too long. "I'm sorry, I should go…"

Herbert called what he saw as a gambit and quickly grabbed the front of Dan's shirt – rolling easily on top of him so that he sat astride the somewhat wider hips as he had a long time before. He was no young man now, but he understood the basic biology of it… and he knew the routine. If he wanted to ensure that his plan went off without a single possible hitch, he would play the game… he would give in to the physical instinct just as much as he had before things were suspended. He didn't dislike the mechanics, as hard as that would be to explain to someone who knew that he had been celibate for nearly fourteen years without so much as the desire to masturbate. "Stay," he said calmly, leaning in to press a much gentler kiss to his friend's somewhat stunned lips, his nimble fingers working open the small buttons at Dan's collar.

"This is…" Dan began to protest, only to have his words cut off with another press of lips. Without thought, he jutted one socked foot out and shooed the cat off the edge of the bed.

Dan didn't take much convincing; he was a simple enough creature that when the buttons were pressed in the correct order nearly anything was possible. "Take off your pants."

He nearly laughed at the sheer absurdity of the demand in Herbert's casual monotone; but complied no less – opening the zipper and pushing the wrinkle-free Dockers down his hips and then kicking them off even as Herbert's strong hand pushed under the waistband of his boxers to find him almost embarrassingly responsive to Herbert's cool touch. "Herbert…"

"Shh." Herbert shook his head and sat back on his haunches, watching Dan's face contort as he stroked deliberately slow; the other man's eyes locked tightly closed and his mouth hanging open with silent pleasure. Before, Dan had always had the upper hand – always told him what he wanted, what to do and how… this new, older Dan Cain was indecisive and unsure of himself. The only remedy was to tell him what he wanted and make him believe it. "You've been lonely, Dan."

He nodded, eyes remaining closed against the sensation. "Yes."

"Frustrated… impotent, emasculated even…"

"No… no!" His eyes shot open and stared straight at West. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's okay, Dan," he murmured with that same impish grin – knowing full and well he was pushing buttons best left alone. "I understand that your life is quite demanding, you've hardly got the chance to meet women."

"I am absolutely not," he shot back rocking his hips up against the smaller man, knocking him forward until Herbert was kissing him again. Somewhat unexpectedly, he felt the brush of Herbert's slacks opening against his bare skin followed by the gentle dig of the other man's bare hardness against his groin. "I… I can't…"

"You can." Herbert's kisses trailed back until his lips were pressed tight against Dan's ear. "Please."

It was enough. Only somewhat hesitant, Dan wrapped his arms around Herbert's slender shoulders and rocked his hips against the sensation of skin against skin. In light of their past, let alone their present, it somehow felt even more depraved than the time spent in Herbert's bed – rutting in the dark in the middle of the night as though it would cure their perpetual nightmare.

And then, seemingly as quickly as it had begun, Herbert's body began to tremble and he held even tighter to his companion until he felt the warm heat spread across the curve of his stomach and stick against his white shirt – giving only a few more furtive thrusts before groaning against Dan's ear with his own somewhat unexpected release. For a moment, he was content to allow Dan to hold him, relaxed on top of him until the discomfort settled in and he quietly excused himself to the lavatory, less assured of the situation than when he had instigated it.

For three days, Herbert amused himself with his notes – running minor tests on Whiskers and analyzing the feedback. His tools were limited, but there was much one could learn in the act of leading a cat through exercises that encouraged it to use natural behaviors. In the name of science, of course, as much as Dan would say it was 'cute', there was nothing 'cute' about testing motor skills and reasoning capacity. By Thursday afternoon, he'd grown bored even with his own scribblings – the lab was set up to the best of his ability with the salvaged equipment and what he was able to repurpose from the vacation home and he'd taken the base reagent as far as he could with what he had to work with. Over the course of his quiet interment, he'd learned quite a bit about Dan's life in the time he'd been away. His father had passed away, he'd married an apparently insufferable woman named Diana that his mother didn't care much for and a year later they'd had a daughter called Melinda whom Dan clearly hadn't seen in several years. Several career changes and the divorce settlement had left him almost as high and dry as turning to the relatively low paying private practice – and while he wasn't exactly living on the street, his condo had been inexpensive and was likely in a bad neighborhood. Not the sort of position a respectable physician should be in, let alone one with the capacity that Herbert knew Daniel had.

Tapping into the cash that had been left for the first time since, Herbert walked to the docks and boarded the ferry back toward the mainland. He needed to be in Boston – reasoning that if nothing he had to ensure that Dan hadn't gone back on his word and informed the police as to his whereabouts. Not surprisingly, by the time he made it the strip mall where Dan kept his offices, they had locked the doors.

It was after six, but a quick check of the lot revealed that Dan's sedan was still parked behind the building and Herbert invited himself to peek into the exam room windows – all empty. Finally, he found the blinds on the back office window barely open enough to peek through. Dan sat behind his desk, leaned back in the swivel chair, his eyes closed… for a moment Herbert couldn't imagine why Dan's parted lips unnerved him – and then he followed the slope of the man's chest down to the desk where an unfamiliar head of dark curls moved somewhat enthusiastically just under the wooden expanse.

"Oh, Dan… you have been a naughty, naughty boy…"he murmured under his breath, shaking his head as he continued to watch the scene unfold. The girl, Anna he assumed, climbed up into Dan's lap and hiked up her skirt – Dan's skilled hands already tugging at her blouse like a common animal. His first instinct had been right.

With a frustrated frown, Herbert shook his head and once more crossed the rear of the building – finding the service door unlocked. Slipping into the office unnoticed was easy, he could hear Dan's familiar panting moan barely covered by the girl's high-pitched sighs, clearly they were much too busy to take notice as he crept past the partially open office door and into the small area behind the receptionist's desk. He couldn't possibly explain why, but the thought of leaving never occurred to Herbert, he had to know what was going on.

For the better part of twenty minutes, they panted and moaned… each excruciating moment twisting a knot of rage in his belly until Herbert West was keenly aware of what he had to do. The girl had to go; she would impact their work perhaps even more than any other had before. It wasn't until he heard the soft coo of her honeyed voice in their post-coital bliss; "Doctor Cain…"

"Dan, Anna – please." He chuckled, his voice taking on a nervous note that Herbert knew all too well. "I think we're past formalities, aren't we?"

"Of course…" she giggled again and Herbert flinched from his hiding spot under the expansive desk. "When will your receptionist be in? I'll be coming by tomorrow morning to pick up my insulin."

Their idea of pillow talk was hardly what Herbert had expected, but he knew all too well that he was hardly one to judge. "I can do better than that, meet me before my lecture and I'll give to you when I take your blood work."

"You vampire." She laughed, another impossibly annoying titter; "All you want is my blood."

"You agreed to let me use your results in my lecture next month."

"I know, I know…" she giggled again and then let out a soft sigh; "Dan, we should go away this weekend. I want to get out of Boston for a little while."

"Go away?" He sounded almost panicked, but Herbert couldn't be certain why, be it simple nerves or the knowledge that his weekend was sacrosanct. He hoped for the latter. "We've barely been together two days…"

"It feels like longer, we've been practically dating over a year!" The young woman whined, "Come on, Dan… there's a cute little bed and breakfast on the cape…"

"I can't." Dan replied quickly, "I'm heading out of town on Friday for a couple weeks…"

"A couple weeks? Why would you ask me out now if you're leaving town?"

"I… I had to, okay? I don't know what's going to happen in the next few weeks and I wanted you to know that no matter what, I love you." Dan's voice cracked and Herbert heard the loud squeal of his office chair – picturing the slight woman climbing out of his lap, probably looking confused at his confession.

A long silence passed between them and Herbert peeked around the corner as best he could – seeing no change. Then suddenly, the girl said; "What are you doing, Dan? I mean… for a year, nothing and now suddenly you're in love with me and skipping town? Are you enlisting or something?"

"No! No, I just have something I have to do. It's only a couple weeks and when it's all over we can figure things out between us."

Herbert seethed silently, biting down into his lower lip until he could taste the familiar tang of his own blood. There was another long silence, broken only by the rustling of clothing and zippers, and then the girl's voice again, much more subdued than before; "It's him, isn't it?"

"What?" Dan laughed nervously, and Herbert held his breath, waiting to hear how Dan got himself out of the obvious accusation. "I don't know what you're talking about, Anna… it's just a study I'm helping conduct."

"I've done my research, Doctor," she practically spat at him, "don't forget that we met in your lecture on tissue necrosis. You directly cited Doctor West's research with the lizards in Peru… I'm not so young that I don't remember he was your contemporary before you turned him in."

"You can't believe everything you read, Anna." He replied bitterly, the corners of Herbert's mouth twitching with the barest hint of a smile at the defensive tone. "You don't know anything about Herbert West."

"So it is him, then?"

"No," Dan lied and Herbert found himself wondering if the girl had bought it. "And if you want to make this work, you won't ask me another question about him."

"He's a murderer, you know. He killed like a dozen inmates getting out of prison. They passed around flyers at the university with his mugshot on them."

"You don't know him." Dan practically whispered, just within Herbert's range of hearing. "He didn't kill anyone, Anna. He's a scientist, not a murderer."

"Then tell me, Dan. You know you can trust me." Her voice softened, an emotional appeal no doubt. Herbert pushed himself forward and way from the desk, crouching down as he moved into the exam room directly across from the office – sitting against the wall just inside the door. "Are you working with him again?"

Dan didn't answer right away, no doubt the girl had put it together – she was less than a year away from her internship, she couldn't be completely ignorant of human nature. Finally, he said; "One more experiment, that's all. He's really on to something, Anna. His work… it's… it's brilliant, and half the time I don't even understand it. After it's over we won't hear from him again."

"You'll turn him in?" she whispered.

Herbert closed his eyes and waited for the response, focusing on the weight of his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he held his breath; not letting it out until he heard Dan reply; "I won't have to. He'll be… gone." It was truth enough, already far more than anyone needed to know of their plan – the girl was a liability, and a dangerous one at that.

And then she asked; "You're going to kill him?"

"I'm a doctor!" Dan shouted, with a loud squeal indicating him lifting up out of his chair. "Do you really think I'd kill anyone?"

"I think you'd do anything that creepy little psychopath told you to. He's dangerous, Dan… and if you don't take care of him, I will."

"Is that a threat, Anna? Because you don't even know what we're working on." Dan shouted; "He figured it out, don't you understand? He figured out how to make it work."

The girl sighed and Herbert slowly opened his eyes, wishing for a fleeting moment he could see the doubtless look of disbelief on her face when Dan told her. She said; "I don't believe you."

There was another drawn out pause and Herbert froze when he heard the creak of the office door opening. "Anna, wait…" Dan sighed loudly and continued; "tomorrow, after the lecture I'm taking up most of the supplies we need. Maybe if you… you know, maybe you could come up and talk to him and then you'll understand why I have to do this."

"Damn it." Herbert mouthed silently, once more closing his eyes. He couldn't let that happen, she already knew far too much… but if he were to intervene it would undoubtedly mean the same thing it would have resulted in twenty years prior. His brain began to flit over ways to remedy the situation, tuning out of what was clearly an affirmative response.

The heavy back door slammed loudly, drawing him out of his thoughts and he could hear Dan as he sat back down at his desk. They were alone together, though Herbert wouldn't dare let on that he was there. Instead, he lay in wait until well after ten and listened as Dan played dutiful assistant and arranged to pick up various items that had remained on his list. Just before he left, he signed for an overnight package.

The thought struck Herbert as he heard Daniel in the reception area opening the small refrigerator to store what was undoubtedly Anna's medication. Insulin, he recalled, she was a diabetic. It was criminal, but he'd easily come to terms with it as he waited for nearly a quarter hour after Dan had left to make his move, but it was an act that the scientific cause could justify. She would have compromised his research, and the only way to get her out of the picture without resorting to outright murder was to somehow detain her long enough to get through the procedure. He wasn't above tampering with her precious insulin to get her out of the way of proper science… she'd be securely hospitalized and he'd have Dan's capable hands at his disposal again.

When the deed was done, Herbert allowed himself to sleep in Dan's chair – his senses equally teased and disturbed by the scent of the girl still lingering in the air. Some time before morning, when he woke, he slipped back out the service door and made the long walk back to the ferry.

When Anna picked up her insulin at his office instead of coming to him, Dan was worried… and when she didn't show up for the lecture at all, he knew something had happened.

He checked emergency first, admitting and then stumbled on her file almost on accident as he searched the register. The psychiatric ward. After getting in touch with the treating psychiatrist, he'd gotten no further than finding out that her roommate had found her wandering the dormitory halls shortly before the lecture, muttering about cadavers. It was his fault, of course, he realized that she must have been upset and administered her own insulin without double-checking the dosage.

"Anna?" He knocked on her door, lucky that the nurse had allowed him ten minutes alone with her in her state.

The psychiatrist had administered a sedative but she appeared mostly alert, "Doctor Cain."

"How're you doing? Doctor James says you were hallucinating…"

She blinked several times and lowered her head, tilting upward to look at him; "I… I need out of the submarine so we can go to the cape."

"Anna…"

Her lips twisted into an exaggerated frown and she sobbed; "I can't think… they've got me locked up here and there's a phone that won't stop ringing and it hurts! And I made them turn off the lights, but everything is blurred."

His stomach sank; "Anna, look at me…"

Blinking away tears, she tilted her head even further, "I can see you, Doctor Cain."

"Dan, please. This is important, Anna… do you understand what I'm saying?"

She nodded and let out a sharp cry, closing her eyes against the pain of her headache. "I'm not crazy. Someone did something; they gave me a drug or something…"

"No, no you aren't. Where were did you go yesterday?"

"I had class… and… and… did I miss class?"

"Damn it," he sighed under his breath, picking up his phone. "Anna, I need to call Doctor James… we're gonna get you upstairs and see if we can do something about your headache."

Her grimace slowly rose into a frown as she laid back down against the bed, apparently satisfied with the response. "Will this be out of my system soon? I don't want to miss your lecture…"

"Yes, Nurse… this is Daniel Cain, I'm with a patient; Anna Black. Doctor James' diagnosis was wrong, we have an emergency situation here, we need to get her to CT immediately – she's had an aneurism.

Just after six-thirty, Friday evening almost two weeks after returning to Boston, Herbert was drawn out of a languid afternoon slumber by the shrill shriek of a telephone. Slow to respond, he wandered to the kitchen just as it switched over to a bland answering machine message. Whiskers, still remarkably alive and healthy, turned lazy circles between his ankles – stopping when Dan's voice came loud and clear over the tinny speaker. He'd been back in the city for the day, visiting Anna in the mental hospital where she had been taken two days after finding out the nature of Dan's pressing research after her supposed nervous breakdown, and the call was unexpected to say the least.

"Herbert! It's me, pick up… pick up, damn it."

Herbert snatched the old phone from its cradle and answered; "Dan? Yes? I'm here."

"There's been… a... a problem …" he sounded near tears, his voice hitching with each pause for breath.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, no… it's… Anna." Dan paused and took a deep breath; "I need you to come quickly, take a taxi."

"Dan, what's going on?"

"She's… she's gone, Herbert. Please, just get here. I'll be waiting at Miskatonic."

"I can't just waltz in there, Daniel…"

"You won't be here long. They're still working on her, but by the time you get here she'll be prepped for the morgue." His voice suddenly went cold, realizing the girl was lost. "The surgeon nicked an artery; he repaired it… but… she's lost a lot of blood…"

"We can run a transfusion during the reanimation, but without donor N.P.E. she's as good as dead." Herbert looked down at his feet where the cat had returned to its lazy winding and rubbing against his legs.

"I know," his voice didn't waver; "it's time, Herbert. Are you ready to prove your hypothesis?"

"We've got a heartbeat…" Dan's voice was somewhere above him, Herbert couldn't tell where.

"This isn't possible, Dan… she's been dead three and a half hours." A man, much younger from the sound of it.

Dan's voice sounded heavy, changed; "I told you it was unorthodox… but we have a heartbeat, Matt."

"Blood pressure's stable, doctors." A female, young.

"We shouldn't have done this, Dan… I'm pulling the plug… I know you're still clinging to that voodoo science West put in your head, but this is wrong…"

"Don't!" Dan shouted; "Just… give me a little more time." He sighed and Herbert felt a strange, heavy sensation on his body – he was still mostly numb, but if things had gone as well as he'd expected it wouldn't be for long. The girl had been dead hours before he could make it to the hospital, she'd lost a lot of blood in the accident… it was difficult to tell the extent of the damage. "Nurse, leave us. She's stable."

"Yes, Doctor Cain."

The room was silent save for the steady throb of a respirator and the hum of equipment until the nurse had been gone a long moment. Dan was the first to break the silence; "Matt, listen to me very carefully. I can make this accident go away, the record will show that the surgery was a complete success. Nobody needs to know you've been drinking or that you slipped…"

"And what, Dan? You killed a man – I saw you kill him."

"Matt, it's not what it looks like, okay? Just trust me, he wanted it this way."

Another long silence, and then Matt said; "He's smaller in person… I always figured the man responsible for the Miskatonic massacre would be bigger."

"I'll take care of the records and the video. All you have to do is walk away now; Herbert West was never here and Anna made it through just fine."

"Did she, Dan? She has a heartbeat… she's barely breathing. How do we know that when she comes out from under she'll even be human?"

He could almost hear Dan's frown, picture the almost-menacing glower; "We don't. But if she's not… I know how to handle it."

"Like you did back in the day?"

Dan's voice cracked, near tears. "Yeah, Matt. Like that."

The weight shifted, and suddenly Herbert gasped, letting out a loud shriek as he took breath for the first time in his new body. The world was still dark and he couldn't move, no doubt restrained at the wrists and legs… just in case.

"Jesus, Dan… is she..."

"Anna! Anna, can you hear me? It's Dan… I'm here… everything's gonna be okay."

Hebert tried to open his mouth, but couldn't even feel the tug of an oxygen mask – nothing at all but his breathing.

"Dan?"

"Get out of here, Matt. I'll stay with her tonight… do your regular rounds and I'll keep you updated."

"You owe me for this, Cain. I know I could lose my license over what I did… but you're asking me to cover up a murder and your weird ass experiment…"

"It'll work, Matt. Just… trust me, okay?"

"Dan… look at her…"

"Wha… she's… she's moving… Anna! Anna! Say something…"

He couldn't move, couldn't make the prison of flesh respond to his wishes; and yet a soft, scared voice came from his throat; "Doctor Cain? What… what have you done?"