Here is the next chapter and thank you for the reviews, before you read the story I would like to extend a big thank you to: HKay, Bogg, and Kame-sama. Thank you very much, every one of you!
Chapter 3,
Coming To Terms,
"I barely remember anything." David said, after pausing for a few moments,
"It's amazing it's like you experience some kind of amnesia." Jack said,
"It's anything but amazing I have no way of knowing what the hulk is like I have no idea what he's done until I read about it in the paper...I don't know what I'd do if he ever killed anyone." David explained,
"So you don't think you had any part in what happened to cause Elaina's death?" Jack asked,
"Mr. McGee." David began; Jack could tell his voice sounded somewhat annoyed and frustrated,
"Allright, allright try not to get angry I don't want to have to pay some huge bill for property damage you know...to tell you the truth I even started to doubt the hulk being capable of the murder I accused him of...especially when I had several more encounters with him." Jack admitted, "I'm sorry now that I printed what I did about the hulk…because I had no idea that he was the gentle, kind creature, which was a primitive version of your own nature." He added,
There was a moment of silence,
"How did you..." Jack began,
"How did I what?" David asked, unsure of what it was Jack was asking,
"How did you become the hulk...I mean what did you do to transform into this alter ego of yourself?" Jack asked,
"Well it all started with the death of my wife...I really believed there was something I could do I never felt so helpless." David began,
"Yeah I read about that in the paper it was in an automobile accident wasn't it?" Jack asked,
"Yeah." David replied,
"But how can you blame yourself for her death from what the article said it was physically impossible to save her." Jack protested,
"Yes but there are exceptions...how do you explain the actions of a mother so desperate for the safety of her own child, that she is capable of lifting a car off of him...now to a laymen that would be a miracle." David reasoned,
"Yeah well I never really did understand all that scientific stuff but I see you're point...only I don't entirely understand what that has to do with blaming yourself for a situation you had no control over." Jack admitted,
"I became obsessed in finding the key to the hidden strength all humans have."
"Where you successful?" Jack asked,
"No...but at least not at first, you see Elaina and I tested people who had experienced abnormal strength during periods of extreme stress now we discovered that every subject who had obtained that strength were exposed to high level gamma activity from the sun." David replied,
"What's gamma?" Jack asked,
"It's a form of radiation." He replied,
"Oh...so what did you do then?"
"I decided to expose myself to high level gamma radiation to try and duplicate their phenomenon...I only made one mistake I didn't take human error into account. Now I had regulated my intake very precisely but the machine was not collaborated properly...and I accidently absorbed 2 million units of gamma." David continued,
"You're lucky you're alive." Jack exclaimed,
"Yes very lucky if you weren't expecting anything to go wrong." David agreed,
"Well what about the side affects?" Jack asked,
"There were none." David answered,
"None?" Jack asked,
"Well at least not at first." David said disappointedly, "As I was driving home that night, it was a terrible evening, it was raining, and I had a blowout, I was having a very difficult time changing the tire and I scrapped my hand, I got very angry." He added,
"And that's when you first turned into the hulk?" Jack asked,
"Obviously...because I blacked out, the next morning the police came to the laboratory, they had found my car in the bottom of a ditch and it was demolished." David agreed,
"So this overdose of gamma you took by accident allows you to transform into the hulk when you get angry or you're under stress?" Jack asked,
"Yes well at least that's what we thought, so Elaina and I decided to try and recreate the events of that night, this time in a laboratory under controlled conditions; I mean the rain, the lightening." David continued,
"Did it work?" Jack asked,
"No at least not the way we thought it would, it was very late and I fell into a restless sleep, I couldn't forget the accident with Laura, Elaina must have sensed something was wrong..." David answered,
Flashback,
"Dr. Banner began rapid eye movement indicating dream state, considerable agitation, and rapid increase in ESG and EGG response, especially the beta frequency...I think he's having a nightmare." Elaina said, recording her voice with a tape recorder,
"There seems to be some malfunction in the EEG." She said, after it suddenly stopped recording, she walked over to the steel room where David was, "Dr. Banner himself has..." She was suddenly cut off as a green fist shot through the window, she screamed due to the sudden activity,
"David..." She said softly,
She saw him smashing things inside, "He's just smashed the control consol and he's now reaching for the steam pipe, his just ripped off a piece of it. No he's trying to get through the first hatch, good the locking wheel is broken off he can't get through the hatch." She said, but she then saw him slam his body against the door to get out, he then smashed open the door,
"He seems to be driven by the rage to escape; I think he's going too." She said,
The hulk then began smashing at the wall trying to escape, he began to tare off the roofing, after kicking at the floor denting it, but he escaped after he tore a section of the wall that housed a window, he then stood there eyeing Elaina.
"Elaina told me later what I...What the creature had done, I felt so helpless, I felt so powerless." David answered,
"And that's why that contraption in the laboratory was wrecked because the hulk had broken out." Jack concluded,
"Yes that's right." David agreed, while Jack tried to smother an escaping yawn,
"Say David do you want some coffee...I mean if we're going to come to terms with each other we might as well stay awake." Jack reasoned,
"Yes thank you I would like a cup of coffee." David thanked,
"You continue I can hear you fine from over here." Jack said, as he rose and walked into the small kitchen area that was only a few feet from where David sat at the table,
"Well after the explosion at the lab I ran." David said,
"Yeah I know all about that, and listen...I'm sorry I made it hard for you to stay in one place long enough to perhaps find a cure because of my relentless and selfish pursuit of what I saw to be the biggest story around." Jack apologized, as he was now facing David and addressing him with respect,
"I know and thank you." David added, as a form of forgiveness,
"I haven't stopped running until now, I couldn't, I couldn't stop until I had found the cure." He said,
"So what did you do then?" Jack asked, as he began to fiddle with the coffee maker,
"I heard about Dr. Caroline Fields in Hawaii, who was doing research with hypnosis and therapy." He continued,
"You thought you could use hypnosis and therapy to rid yourself of the creature?" Jack asked,
"Yes it sounded like a good idea at the time." David replied,
"But how could it have cured you from your overdose in radiation?" Jack asked,
"I was trying to get help in controlling the beast that dwelt within me." David explained,
"And you thought that she could help you do this?"
"Yes I believed she could she had a high cure rate." David answered, "She had a terminal illness we had no illusions but did decide to collaborate to help each other...we were married the week before she died. A hurricane hit the island, I had to get her to the hospital she was in such terrible pain, it was more than she could bear, she jumped out of my car, I remember chasing her, but then I blacked out the next thing I knew, she had died in my arms." He added,
"So you turned into the hulk, found her and then she died in your arms?" Jack asked, as he once again turned to face David,
"Yes." David replied flatly,
Jack walked over to David holding a coffee mug in his hand while placing his other hand on David's shoulder,
"I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you, but I can't begin to imagine what's it's like to lose the woman you love twice, if it means anything I offer you my condolences." Jack said sympathetically,
David placed his hand on top of Jack's to show he appreciated his kindness, Jack then placed the mug infront of David, then retrieving his mug he sat opposite to David,
"I'd like to thank you." David said,
"Thank me...for what?" Jack asked,
"This has been bottled up inside of me for a very long time it's such a relief to be able to tell someone that understands technically, and still has sensitivity, and compassion." David replied,
For the first time Jack felt like David was actually his friend, before they hadn't trusted each other, before they had fought, but now everything was coming together for a good cause, and Jack was happy to be apart of it.
Hi I hope all those that have congregated on this story recently have enjoyed this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it. ;) Please Review ME!
