I am terribly sorry for the wait. I've been incredibly busy with last minute details for this really awesome event the place I intern for is having.
I tried to rush this, so sorry for any mistakes, I'll be going through this story really soon and cleaning up what I don't like. Chapter 5 will be posted in a matter of hours. To make up for the delay, I'll be posting 2 chapters tonight.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter, reviews, follows, etc are greatly appreciate. I would like to thank all those who recently started following and who reviewed!
Caesar heard heavy foot beats come up the stairs. It had to be Will! He would finally be able to see this girl, this new friend. The more Caesar thought about this change, the more he was growing to like the idea of it. There were so many things he wanted to do with her, play, read, sign to one another.
So wrapped up in his own thoughts, Caesar neglected to think what she might think of him. The thought her potentially disliking him was pushed so far back in his conscious, completely shadowed by glee.
So Caesar waited ever so eagerly and the second he saw Wills head pop through the wall, he bounded toward him and wrapped his arms around him.
Will, nearly losing his balance, held the wall desperately while attempting to manage Caesar, "Woah! Wo-well at least you're ready. We're not, none of us are, this could be my downfall..." Will muttered rashly. Caesar didn't mind the word vomit coming from Will, he was just too focused on this girl, that he didn't bother to register Wills distress.
Caesar looked left and right, around each corner, desperate to see this new person. And as Will carried him around another corner, toward the dining room, he finally saw her.
The contrast between expression and reaction was forever imprinted in Wills mind, as his surrogate son held a gaping grin, one saying he was exponentially happy, while his nieces face held pure exasperation.
The second she caught sight of the hairy creature in her uncle's' arms, she felt herself go numb. Fear, anger, adoration, all completely devoid as she stared at the grinning…chimp.
So dazed and unaware of the world around her, she didn't hear her grandfather practically preach to the choir about the brilliance of the ape, nor did she notice the panicked look Will was completely shooting at her. And most of all she was numb to the keen chimp as he tried to pry himself from Wills arms.
And then, she was blasted with thought, each racing through her mind at the speed of light, never giving her the chance to reconcile a single, miniscule thought.
An ape? An ape was living in this house. A wild, face ripping off ape was living in this house, the very same in which her semi-recovered grandfather was living in. When did this happen? How did it happen? Why hadn't Will...Will.
"You have a chimp Will."
Oh, there as that cold sweat once again. He felt it coming, the storm of emotion. He juggled Caesar in his arms as he attempted to wiggle away.
"Yes Rona."
"You have a chimp, in this house. The very same in which my elderly, sick grandfather lives in and who could barely protect himself if that...thing were to ever, EVER go berserk!" Her voice gradually crested, allowing the pent up emotions to implode in one fell swoop.
Caesar stopped his movement, his grin dropping severely. Will and Charles felt stagnate, unable to comprehend her harsh change of mood. Caesar felt her anger, truly felt it. This wasn't normal, if Will or Charles became angered because of something he did, they wouldn't practically abuse him, they'd let out a brief, effective spat, then calmly tell him what he did was wrong and why it was. There was no reason, or at least he believed there wasn't any reason, for her anger. He began to pout, conflicted by her judgmental, glowering stare.
"Will, what in the name of whatever God is out there made you believe this is okay?!"
"Ah-." He stopped, unable to form any sort of response. He knew this wasn't going to start well, nor would it end well. He could understand her shock and frustration. Caesars motionlessness hadn't gone unnoticed, this had to get straightened out before either of his loved ones would do something wholly irrational. A nervous ape was never a good thing, and even though Caesar was different, he reacted poorly to a large amount of negativity, and Will knew Rona well enough to know she wouldn't hold back if it meant "protecting" her family.
"You couldn't have said something, ANYTHING about this!" She pointed an accusing finger at Caesar, and noticed a slight glare in his eyes as she did so, and quickly recoiled, but her verbal instigation did not stop.
"How long have you had him? Don't you think you're putting everyone in danger by having him here? What if he goes berserk? Wil, l have you not been paying attention to the news? What if mom finds out?..." Rona continued. There were just too many questions and a relentless lack of pause in her questioning, Will wasn't allowed the chance to justify himself. But he knew this was going to come. Her questions were justified, she was scared, obviously. The news hadn't exactly painted a good name onto chimps and their owners due to recent incidents that resulted in severe mutilation or death of humans.
"Rona please, just listen." Charles interrupted his raging granddaughter. Almost instantly, Rona stopped. Her eyes glued to her shoes, and a hand raised to her forehead as she mulled over everything.
That's all it took to calm her, her grandfather. The fact she hadn't even looked at Charles hadn't gone unnoticed by Will. Her actions outside eye contact had, as it became apparent she stood nearest her grandfather, almost completely in front of him. Will didn't know if she had taken notice beyond the blizzard of emotion that had been blowing in her mind. It was almost as if, subconsciously, she had moved to protect Charles, and that was so like her to do something like that.
Charles wrapped his arms around Rona, rubbing her arms in round motions. His touch instantly reduced her stress. His presence was just so naturally soothing.
"Rona, Rona, Rona. Just breathe in and out, and calm yourself. Now, I know this is a terrible shock, but you have to realize it was with the greatest amount of care and thought that Will brought Caesar into this house. I know Will's told you about my progression. Rona, it's all because of Caesar that I am getting better…" He trailed off, allowing her to absorb the new information.
As he started speaking again about things she simply didn't understand, or didn't want to, she brought her gaze to...Caesar.
She could tell he was young, having seen what full grown apes look like thanks to visits to zoos.
"He's different…" She heard Charles say, and oddly enough, she could see it. His eyes, they were so full of displeasure yet curiosity hinted its way through the glow of indignation. He wasn't looking at her with a stupid, 'give me a banana' sort of observation, there was genuine intelligence in his stare. He was analyzing her, and now that she had shown him just how mad she could get, he was wary. He was concerned, and mistrustful. She felt she could understand his wariness, and felt almost...intrigued by the ape. However, no matter his intelligence, the fact there were so many secrets her uncle AND grandfather hadn't revealed to she or her mother left her unable to comprehend just how smart he was. There was warrant in her own mistrust, and whether she would get over her present prejudice was something only the future could tell.
"You say this is for grandpa?" She finally spoke, softly.
"What-."
"How is this for grandpa? Will, I'll never understand why you couldn't just maintain your experiments at that lab you work at. So, you have a lot of explaining to do. I want to know why. Tell me everything and if...IF I decide that there is legitimacy in what you say, then I won't tell mom, but I'm not so certain about staying here. Or even-"
"Rona, just sit." Charles demanded, pulling Rona toward the table and settling down in his own seat.
Will held Caesar, and remained standing. If there was anything they didn't need right now, it was another freakout by Rona, so he felt it would be better if he kept she and Caesar a part for now.
He looked to Charles for guidance, but all he received was a curt nod directed toward Rona. She deserved to know everything, and only then would they be able to move forward and start a life together...hopefully.
And so, he told her everything, from the death of Caesars mother, to raising him, to his increasing intelligence, to the injection of ALZ-112 into Charles and his incredible progression.
"He's cured Rona. I can't say much more than that. I've been monitoring both of their progress, and it's simply astounding how far both are coming. Caesars a little over two years old now, he should have the intelligence of a second grader, but he's nearing fourth grade. And look," Will hurried off to the kitchen. Rona heard rustling, papers being moved, and the occasional curse from Will, who was most likely struggling with multitasking. He finally rushed out, holding a bulging folder full of papers.
Without realizing, Will stepped over the physical barrier he had established between Caesar and Rona and settled Caesar down on a chair across from Rona and began to lay out graph sheets, each with lines descending at particular points and sharply rising at others.
Rona immediately felt uncomfortable with the chimp seated across from her, and tried to nudge her chair further away from the table, which proved slightly difficult to do thanks to the high carpet.
"The beginning may not look like much, that's because, while the injection did show immediate promise, the progression was slow, sometimes almost nonexistent, until about three days after the injection point, which is here," he pointed the the second graph sheet "This is where dad took a dramatic turn for the better. These dips signal brief, very brief slips, but otherwise his progress has just skyrocketed. Rona don't you see?" Will turned to Rona, grasping her shoulders, "This injection, the very same medicine that has given Caesar his heightened intelligence, has given Charles, your grandfather another chance at living, without forgetting, without worry, without Alzheimer." He paused, tightening his hold on Rona.
He looked for a response, waited for one, but nothing came. She turned to face Caesar, and he had not moved since she was forced to look over the data. She should have felt disgusted, angered, ready to pack everything into her car, even her grandfather. Yet, like a sprout coming from the earth, she felt in the depths of her mind, hope. And it continued to bloom, becoming a sapling, and soon enough a young tree.
She turned to Charles and placed her forehead on his.
"Do you want me to stay?" She asked warmly, yet uncertainty wove itself into her voice.
Charles simply nodded before bringing her in for a much needed hug.
Feeling his nod, she sighed, and turned to Caesar again, who's stare was unmoved from her.
"Just give me time. That's all I ask for."
