Beyond the Soul- Chapter Two: Rejection
Ian immediately jumped up, moving between Doc and I. "What?" Without even giving the human medical expert a chance to respond, he yelled again. "What is it?!"
Doc exhaled and pulled up a chair, sitting.
It was an odd feeling in my stomach just then. I felt like I was on the outside, looking into the situation. It was as if I was... just a presence floating above, and I had left my intestines in my body below. Melanie had once described it as the feeling kids sometimes get when being high in the air on a swingset.
Now that it was confirmed something was wrong, I didn't want to hear my sentence.
"Wanda, during your insertion, did you have any problems securing your, ah, antennae, I suppose?" The look on Doc's face was somber. I had though the only time I would ever see that face was the day I had discovered what Doc had been doing to previous souls, or maybe if the day ever came that he would lose Sharon.
I was sucked back into my body, forced to answer his question. "No, everything seemed to go normally." Even with Pet's happy-go-lucky vocal chords, I sounded weak. I began to quiver and Ian placed a hand on my knee, still standing.
"What's wrong with her, dammit?" He grabbed Doc by the collar of his shirt with the other hand, shaking him. I had never seen him angrier than when he and Kyle tried to kill me before Jeb interfered.
"Ian, stop!" I called, reaching forward and grabbing him by the shoulder. "Just let the man speak!"
The long, fair-skinned hands relinquished Doc's shirt instantly. He looked at his feet, regret and shame clear in his face. "I... apologize."
Doc leaned back. "No, I'm sorry. I'll get straight to the point. Your breathing seems heavy, labored. Have you noticed a difference?"
I looked wearily from Ian to Doc. "No... Should I have?"
"Is that all?" Ian blurted.
Doc heaved a sigh. "I wish I could say it was. It's not. Your heart's beating abnormally fast. It may be because you're not getting enough air, but I can't be sure."
"Well, what does it mean?" Ian's words were rushed. He seemed more terrified about my prognosis than I was.
"Unless Wanda's got asthma, I can only think of one thing. The host is rejecting the soul."
The words were like a death sentence.
The two men were silent. I was staring straight at the doctor, but from my peripherals, I watched Ian's inky black hair shake as he took his place on the cot beside me once more. I wasn't sure if he was just shaking his head, or crying, or maybe both, but I knew it seemed like my end for him as well.
"Is that possible?" Doc's tone was much softer now, caring and understanding.
I couldn't remember why I had once seen this man so terrifying. I couldn't even remember my own name right now. All I could remember was the process of my most recent insertion compared to my insertion into Melanie. I could feel no difference, just thinking about it. My lids fell shut and I let them stay that way, heavy and veiling against the news I had just received. I let myself become immersed in my memories. I tried to remember every single one of my antennae attaching, but there were too many. Instead, I attempted to focus on the vitals, or the ones that could be damaged. The brain, the stomach, the lungs, the heart...
My head snapped up as I peeled my eyes open. "Wait." I felt the blood circulating quickly in my head, and I got a flash of nauseating vertigo. My hands flew to my temples and I clutched them, trying to steady my vision. "Something went wrong."
"What?!" Ian and Doc exclaimed in unison.
"I don't... know." I groaned. "I think... something... Ugh. I think that... Pet tried to harm her own body before you removed her. Not to the normal extent. Just to the point of causing the body a slow and painful death..."
"How do we fix it?" Ian asked, wrapping his arms protectively around me.
"Do you think we can reverse it?" Doc inquired.
"No. You're right. Pet's rejecting me." The notion was sickening. I felt my stomach lurch, and I leaned away from Ian. I managed to control the muscle spasms, but I closed my eyes once more and let my head fall upon the small pillow.
The next thing I knew, I was dreaming.