Caesar's Pearl Chapter 2
1 Year Later:
Since that night when Will and Caroline first brought Margo home to the old Victorian some sort of contact had been made between her and Caesar. That connection seemed even more obvious now.
Will made a point to note it in his scientific research studying Caesar's intellectual progress. Speaking of which Willow was currently in his study at present recording his findings while watching Caesar on videos playing games, undergoing various tests, and with the family on various computer screens on his desk. Will had taken extreme care to keep this a secret from Caroline knowing she would never approve. But she knew this room was where he went when he wanted to be alone to his own devices.
With Caroline working at the zoo Margo spent her day at home. Right now she was playing with her stuffed monkey. It was a birthday gift her mother got at the zoo where she worked. It was fun and she loved it, but it could never replace the real thing. At a stage in her development where she could crawl Margo chased Caesar everywhere. They had to put gates on the stairs so she wouldn't fall whenever they were up there.
"Right away, Caesar displayed signs of heightened intelligence. So I kept him and brought my work home.
By eighteen months, Caesar was signing up to twenty-four words.
By age two, Caesar was completing puzzles and models designed for children eight years and up.
At age three, Caesar continues to show cognitive skills that far exceed that of a human counterpart. He completed the Lucas Tower in fifteen moves, a perfect score.
I maintain my hypothesis that, A, the green in his eyes indicates that the ALZ-112 was passed genetically from mother to son and, B, that in the absence of damaged cells that need replacing, the drug in his system has radically boosted healthy brain functioning," mused Will, taking notes in his notebook.
On his laptop screen played a video of Caesar learning how to play chess. The Caesar in the video was more interested in the camera than the pieces themselves.
"And…," said Will, grudgingly admitting, turning the king piece over in his hand, "he plays chess pretty well."
Will then looked at another video on a separate screen. In this one a younger Caesar was attempting to teach a six-month-old Margo how to crawl. She'd been on her blanket surrounded by her boys lying flat on her stomach. Caesar was on all fours moving his hands and feet a couple of inches so she could imitate him. Margo didn't come close. Frustration getting the better of her Margo screamed crying. In the video Caesar picked Margo up holding her close. He rocked his little sister gently in his arms hooted softly at Margo rubbing her back.
"Caesar was initially apprehensive of Margo when Caroline and I first brought her home," said Will. "Resistant to reality, he avoided any sort of contact, refusing to be in the same room as her. But after the first night Caesar made a complete turnaround. Caesar's practically dedicated himself to her care, diligently making sure Margo's never alone longer than a minute. Though they're both part of two separate species neither sees the other as unrelated. This-."
Will was abruptly cut off by a loud crash from above. Muffled yelling from upstairs was the sign an ensuing argument broke out. Charles was having another one of his terrible episodes and his nurse Irena was trying to calm him down in his confused mental state.
By the time Will got to his fathers room, holding his daughter in one arm, Charles had thrown the lamp he and Irena had been fighting over on the floor shattered, destroyed.
"Dad," said Will.
Charles was bent over mumbling nonsense to himself, Irena standing with her back pressed against the wall a trembling hand over her mouth. She was deeply shaken by Charles most recent display of his lack of control.
"Irena, I'm sorry," apologized Will, approaching her.
Distraught, collecting herself, Irena said "I can't do this anymore. He belongs in a home. This is no way for him to live." She then went to leave. Irena stopped in the doorway. Turning around she gazed at Margo carried in Will's protective arms. "And will, as long as he's like this I can't recommend he have anymore contact with your daughter. He's a danger to himself and those around him. If this keeps up I'm going to have to report him and Charles will be removed by force." Irena spun on her heels and this time left for good. A few seconds afterwards the sound of the front door shutting signaled Irena was gone.
Will slumped on the edge of the bed rubbing his eyes with his free hand tiredly. Margo tapped her daddy in the face with a fist to get his attention. Will smiled at her and then looked with saddened sorrowful eyes at Charles. The man was rocking back and forth in an chair next to the window clutching the hand that was cut at the palm from the lamp.
Charles was repeating what Irena said in a mantra over and over again, murmuring "No way to live. No way to live. No way to live…"
Charles is rapidly deteriorating. At the rate the Alzheimer's was eating away Charles body and mind he didn't have much time remaining. The dreaded eventuality would be inevitable. Will was set determined to change that outcome, not ready to just let him die without a fight.
Later when he was doing stuff at work Will took some canister vials he had at Gen-Sys of the ALZ-112 in storage. These were being used in his experiments. Will swiped them while his back was facing the security camera and he was inspecting inventory stock data on a clipboard. No one was the wiser. Besides no one would miss a few samples disappearing here and there.
When Will got home in the evening he immediately put three of the four vials he obtained on ice in a refrigerator in the garden shed. Here they'd be well hidden and preserved for later use.
Unbeknownst to Will, Caesar was observing from his attic room window. He'd seen everything. When Caesar saw Will coming back into the house he ran out of the attic to get to him.
Will was quiet, careful not to disturb his sleeping wife and child in their rooms as he went to his fathers. On his way Will was beginning to wonder if he was doing the right thing. Maybe he shouldn't give his father the drug. When Caroline found out about the drug tests on apes in Gen-Sys after they began she told him they were messing with things that aren't meant to be controlled. Maybe she was right.
But when Will entered Charles room that all changed. Any lingering doubts Will had on what he was about to do vanished, his resolve strengthened exponentially.
In his Charles slept peacefully, but he wasn't alone. Curled on her grandfather's chest sound asleep was Margo. The sight was enough to get Will to stand fast in his choice. If he didn't go through with this Charles was going to be placed in an assisted living home for the elderly. He probably wouldn't even see his granddaughter again all the way to his death. That's how far gone he is. No, this cannot and will not stand.
Taking the AlZ-112 out of his pocked Will approached the bed sitting on the left side. Willow slipped over the cap on the end where the needle was. He'd switched on the lights part of the lamp on the nightstand to see and that nearly blinded the old man causing him to wake for the procedure.
"It'll make you better, Dad," promised Will, sticking the needle into Charles's arm.
The old man whimpered at the prick he felt in the skin, but didn't object barely reacting his eyes unusually dull.
Will then caught someone peeking in at him through the doorway. Silently, looking at Caesar, Will held a finger to his lips a gesture Caesar mimicked outside in the hallway.
This has to be a secret. No one can know, not even Caroline.
Authors Note:
Hope you guys like this. We're getting further into it now.