Chapter 27: Hoping for a Cure
It was decided they would stay at Clamp's place until the genetics lab was set up and try to begin treatment for Billy and Gerald but even though they would be living with Clamp, Lynn and Sheila insisted on cooking for everyone and that first night it was Lynn's meatloaf with mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli and Sheila's homemade blueberry pie for dessert.
"Now this is food," Billy said before he took another bite of his loaf and smiled at the two mogwai in the high chairs that were placed across from him. They were also enjoying the meal.
"Told ya this was the best," Gerald said through a mouth full of meatloaf. He shoveled some more into his jaws before he took a long drink from his soda. "I already know I'm going to have seconds."
"Agreed," Billy said before he took another bite. It was nice and tender and practically melted in his mouth. He and tried to replicate the recipe and it was close but a bit more chewy and Kate made her own version of meatloaf, but he never had the heart and had too much common sense to tell her otherwise.
"This is the best meatloaf," Darwin agreed after he had swallowed his bite.. "This is the only meatloaf I ever had, but it is the best meal I've had."
"I'm glad you two are enjoying it," Lynn told them before she ladled on more gravy onto Darwin's mashed potatoes.
"It is delicious," Penny told her. "My grandma is the best cook."
"I wanted civilization for myself and my kind," Helix said as he stared at the glass of wine he had. "That was my previous life to make everything better for us and for us to rule and why did we attack humans? Was it simply because it was fun or perhaps we thought we were making the world better for all other life."
"Cause of what we been doin to the ozone layer and the rainforests?" Murray asked. He came by after he had his shoulder taken care of and decided to eat with them while Kate and and his mother returned home to eat dinner with his father and their kids. "Cause if it is pollution you guys aint any better."
"You have raised a good point," Helix said. "Becoming advanced in my level of intelligence was a start. I wanted to become quite civilized but I was the one that truly wanted to achieve that level and I felt had to improve myself and learning of the goblins existence would benefit me. I felt if I was more human then I would not give in to my chaotic nature and thus began my quest and that was when I followed the notes, stole the animal serums and created the human and gremlin versions before I created the cellular degenerative component."
"What of doctor Cordova," Billy asked. He was still unsure why the light brown goblin was there with them. He still didn't trust him, nor did he like him. "You wanted to change her and she was unwilling to be turned."
"Another flaw that was part of my old cognitive process," Helix said while he carefully cut up his food with a fork and knife. "As I was seeking clothes I thought of what Valerie would like to see me in and I thought about what she needed to wear and that lead to the fact would she love me."
"Not if you transform her against her will," Gerald said before he shoveled more mashed potatoes into his mouth.
"I came to the same conclusion and learned I couldn't make someone fall in love with me and I may have misread her kindness for love."
"Take it from me," Gerald said after he had swallowed. "If she has no interest in you then back off and if it looks like she might like someone else then back off."
"He's got a point there," Marla said as she entered with the bottle of wine. Billy couldn't believe that he was so happy to see her after his incident. She was still wearing one of her bright red power suits and still had her make up on. "Tried flirting with this one once." She pointed at Billy with a crimson fingernail. "He was so adorably naïve he didn't even realize I was hitting on him, but to cut to the chase if you keep going after the uninterested then you will miss your one chance and the one who is interested in you." She refilled the glasses of those who were drinking wine and walked away.
"Find true love," Penny said with a smile before she looked over at Gerald who smiled back at her. He lost his smile when he had noticed that Billy was looking at him.
"Huh," Gerald said and pointed at the direction Marla had walked towards. "How did you not know?"
"I thought she was being friendly and really liked my work and wanted to help me since I'm small town guy in the big city," Billy explained as he filled a spoon with more spuds. "And I was engaged to Kate. She is always on my mind, so I didn't really notice Marla until she felt me up with her foot."
"Fair enough," Gerald said with a shrug and went back to eating.
Billy took a bite from his buttered bread and chewed. He hoped the former gremlin would take Gerald's advice, especially since Billy had a feeling that Valerie was starting to have feelings for Chuck and he had been rooting for his young friend the whole time. He was glad that Chuck didn't need stitches and just needed a little medicine and bandages for his scratches and just needed to give his leg some rest. After dinner a good night's rest was something they all could use.
Billy wasn't sure if he was going to get to sleep at night. He can't remember if he had come across a sleeping gremlin before, except for that one mole mutant, sure mogwai go to sleep but do gremlins? He had pondered that thought as he stretched out in his bed. It was a real bed and not a cot and it was soft and comfortable and he was full from a large delicious meal and warm pie topped with ice cream. He yawned once more and lowered his lids.
And woke up twenty minutes later to the sounds of moans and snarls coming from Gerald's room. Oh he was going to have a little talk with the two of them in the morning. He rolled over and buried his head under the pillow.
Billy wasn't sure what he was going to say to Gerald when they woke up and he had woken up first before he took care of what he needed to do in the bathroom. Was he angry at the other goblin? Yes. Why was he angry? Well he did sleep with his goblin daughter and he was going to have to speak with her later about it.
"Good morning, Peltzer," Gerald greeted as he practically skipped out of his bedroom. He was certainly chipper that morning. Like Billy he was wearing kids sized pj's.
"Gerald," Billy acknowledged him with a low voice.
"Something the matter?" Gerald asked. "Did you not sleep well?"
"Kind of hard to sleep with all the noises," Billy answered. "Did it bother you with all those loud moans?" He stared deep into Gerald's eyes. "Wouldn't know anything about it?"
"Oh that," Gerald smiled weakly. "I know you would of found out about it sooner or later, but yes Penny and I slept together."
"You," Billy growled and grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall. "With Penny? You slept with my daughter?"
"Your adult goblin daughter? Yes I did. Three times in fact-"
"Three times?" Billy could not believe he was hearing this. "You slept with her three times. When were the two other times?"
"The first when we were in the bedding department at Sears and the second was in a changing room at a clothing store." He reached up to grab Billy's wrists. "I know how you feel, my oldest, Lily is nine and in a couple of years she will be in middle school where they have dances and she might slow dance…with a boy. The idea makes my stomach uneasy."
"You still had to get in her dress."
"More like she—No I won't finish that thought. I know she spawned from you and you barely got to know her, but that is just it. You don't know her. She came from you as a fully grown adult, possibly the same age as you. She's like that Greek story about Athena and she is smart. She pretty much knows everything you know, just that she needs a few more skills about being an adult, a civilized adult."
"That I and my parents and Kate will teach her." Billy loosened his grip. He was still angry but he didn't want his darker nature to take over. "She will be living with my parents."
"I think I'm falling in love with her," Gerald said when he reached up rub his head. "I know you don't want to hear it but I am."
"You barely know her." Billy felt his nose twitch as the scent of coffee entered them and there was something else in the air, cinnamon and bacon. Somebody was cooking breakfast.
"That is the same for both of us," Gerald sighed. "And I want to properly get to know her."
"We can talk about this later," Billy said while his stomach growled and not a second went by before another similar growl came from Gerald's stomach. "Let's get some breakfast."
Two weeks later.
Valerie Cordova had thought it was going to take much longer for her to get the lab set up, but she had underestimated the power and sway that Daniel clamp had. The laboratory was not quite as big as the one she had worked in previously but it was enough. There was plenty of space and work stations and most importantly she was working with her previous colleagues and they brought in a few more people including the Stanton twins and Walter Tanner
"We have a few lab assistants that might not be what you are used too," Valerie explained while catching the bewildered looks from some of the human assistants. "The two of them are unusual."
"I can be unusual," one of the interns said. He was in his late twenties and was more than eager to join the team. His name was Peter Fontaine and he like Billy and Gerald was from Kingston Falls and knows about both mogwai and gremlins.
"Not human," Valerie said before she smiled at him. "Billy told me you have an interesting sense of humor, Pete."
"I'll try to be serious," Pete answered as he grabbed a tray. "This is for Billy and I'd do anything to help him."
"We have worked with the unusual before," Martin said as he looked at his clip board. "We are working on separating cells?"
"Separating the DNA of two different species to be more exact," Helix said as he approached them. He wore black pants, a button down shirt and a lab coat, all tailored to fit him. His hair was slicked back.
"It's uh…him," Walter raised a finger and pointed at the goblin. "I didn't know he was still around."
"Not exactly," Lewis said as he studied Helix. "He didn't have any hair last time."
"And he was shorter," Martin added. "And his jaw was different."
"Oh and there are four fingers," Lewis said and pointed at him.
"I have given myself a dose of human DNA," Helix explained. "There are only a few others like myself and two of them are the reason you are here, gentlemen. You see they were once human and they were kidnapped and altered against their will." He handed the three of them the paper work which they immediately read.
"Is this possible?" Walter asked after a few minutes before he lowered the paperwork. "Did doctor Friedrich really do this?"
"The DNA of the members of my former species has been proven to be highly unstable," Helix explained. "You do remember how some of my past brethren had mutated themselves." He waited for them to nod. "Our DNA can also mutate others, including humans. It is possible and the two men in question are creatures like myself and they desire to have their humanity restored."
"Doctor Friedrich did this?" Martin asked. His face twisted up in shock and disgust. It was the same face Valerie made and the same expressions sported by the rest of their colleagues when they learned the horrible truth about their former head of genetic research.
"This is why we need your help," Valerie said. "It will take all of us to change them back."
"We will do everything we can," Lewis said as he lowered the paper. "I'm ready to be a hero."
"The first thing we need is the current blood samples from the two men," Doctor Lei had approached them. He was followed by Brody who was also wearing a lab coat that was tailored to fit his smaller frame. "My personal assistant has them." He smiled as Brody held up the tray carrying the two small vials.
"Uh there is another one," Walter said. "And this is what you meant by unusual." He took in a deep breath.
"Brody is not just an assistant," Lei said as he placed a hand on the gremlin's head. "He's also a close friend of mine."
Valarie felt a warm sensation in her chest as she watched the way that Lei and Brody looked at each other. It was the same bond she shared with Gene and Billy Peltzer had with Gizmo. The others were crestfallen when they learned what had happened to their former mogwai but grew to accept what happened and pointed fingers at Friedrich and Razor being bad seeds.
"We also have blood samples of when they were human," Valerie continued. It was going to be a long journey ahead of them and today was the first step.
One month later
Billy sighed as he stretched out in the chair, ready to receive more injections of human serums and mixtures that would try to separate cells and those that would target the gremlin cells. Twice a week for the past few weeks he and Gerald would go in for the treatment, the same treatment that had yet to take any effect. He knew he should not give up hope. It was still too soon to give up.
Clamp was good as his word and had the perfect cover story. He went with the experimental monkeys instead of rats and the creatures had killed doctor Friedrich, his assistant and a body guard.
Forster did some further investigation and discovered that Tim had purchased a wig and fake goatee from the costume shop and later wore them to make suit purchase from the men's clothing store to purchase a duplicate suit and wore that when he went to leave Gerald's car at the airport and had Hector drive him out of there, as for the two of them assisted Friedrich in the first place it was all due to money. Their paychecks were triple the amount of what other assistants and others in the third party security the medical building used.
The mall was cleaned up and restored and the fake day panels were removed and replaced with real skylights. The mall was able to open up two weeks before school started to give everyone enough time to finish their back to school shopping and now fall themes filled the stores along with Halloween decorations.
Forster assisted Chuck with a temporary job until the mall had reopened, right after Chuck's leg had healed off course. Billy felt somewhat relieved that Chuck didn't need stitches although both Kate and Murray did and the stitches have been removed since then and Chuck still visits him. They talk about sports and art.
"I've enrolled at the community college," Chuck had told him and held up a paper schedule. " I got everything sorted out with work as well so I can do both. How have the treatments been so far?"
"Nothing has taken yet," Billy had said with a shrug. "I'm still trying to be optimistic."
"Keep your fingers crossed," Chuck said as he placed the schedule back into his pocket. "Not just for you but also for me. I'm going to ask Valerie out."
"I hope she says yes. I've been where you have been, knowing a wonderful lady who is sweet and caring and smart and beautiful and mustering up the courage to say yes, maybe the two of you can go on a double date with me and Kate."
"I look forward to that."
Billy's thoughts had returned present time once he received the injection and felt the post swabbing and bandage was placed.
"Just need you to wait about fifteen minutes," Valerie told him. She was wearing the button she had gotten from Coney Island during her first date with Chuck. "We are about to try the second part of this treatment."
"Second part," Pete had written down "At two fifteen." He was always a welcome site to Billy and glad that he had both his bachelor's and master's in biology and was currently working on his PhD. He hadn't seen his friend in a few years and during treatments they would often chat about comic books and life.
"What do you mean second part?" Billy asked and instead of a answer he was given a magazine to read. Great he is still left in the dark both metaphorically and in reality. He missed being in the sun and wished he could just pull back the blinds and feel the warmth and he could feel it, on his left hand at least.
"New treatment plan," Pete explained. "I would have gotten you the latest Masked Shadow but apparently there is a delay."
"Don't worry about it," Billy said as he flipped through the magazine.
"I..I think it's working," Valerie's said.
Billy looked down as Valerie had a glossy black device that was the shape and size of a remote and emitting a bluish purple light on his hand. His hand that was now less green than before and the claws had retracted and there was a small growth where a fifth finger should be.
"It's working," Billy gasped and nearly jumped out of his chair. "It's working. What is this?"
"A little UV light," Valerie explained. "We have been restoring and strengthening your human cells it is time to weaken and kill the gremlin cells, but we did it. We found the cure."
Billy was so overjoyed he leaped out his chair and embraced her and kissed her cheek.
"Sorry," He apologized before he was pulled into an embrace by Pete. "Thanks, buddy."
"No need," Valerie said as tears formed in her eyes. "No need." She wiped her tears before she and Pete exchanged a few high fives.
One and half weeks later
"Good to be me again," Billy said as he stared into the bathroom mirror. It was his mirror in his bathroom of his bedroom in his house, well the house he shared with Kate and his family but he was home and he was human. They didn't want to rush things and it would be a daily treatment where he would receive a shot and some of the light, and a few days ago he would spent a little time outside growing more and more human. Now he was back to his normal self, save for that burgundy streak down the center of his hair. Maybe he should dye it? Nah it would probably go gray in about ten years.
Gerald had also been treated and was on his way back home, yeah back home and away from Penny. Gerald said he had grown to love her and said he was willing to continue a relationship, well if Kate could love him as a goblin then Gerald could still love Penny, though it was still weird since she was his daughter in a way and Gerald was right she was an adult and Penny did confess that seduced Gerald and…yeah that didn't make him feel better but the last few weeks they were respectful and Clamp even set things up so the two could go on dates while in his home.
"Are you sure you don't want to join me?" Billy called out to his wife. He was about to do something he wasn't able to do for a while, take a nice relaxing shower.
"Making art in the kitchen," Kate had explained. Somebody did have to keep the kids preoccupied.
"Another time then." He removed the bathrobe and stepped inside. The warm water felt comfortable as was the scent of his two in one. He savored the feeling of his hair being washed before he scrubbed the rest of his body, but when he tried to put the soap back he noticed it the shelf higher than normal and his hand was turning green. "No…damn it…no." He turned off the water and jumped out and dried himself as quickly as possible. He did not feel the pain much less the tingling.
"Billy?" Kate's voice called out. "Is everything all right?"
"No it's not," Billy answered as he stared into the mirror. He had reverted to his goblin state. "I just turned back."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see." He put the robe back on and opened the door. He looked up at Kate who stared back down at him in shock.
"Oh…Billy, I'm sorry." Kate reached out to him. "How did this happen?" She held him close in an embrace. "After all that…and they thought they had cured you and it worked and you were completely human." Her voice cracked.
"I don't know," he answered softly. "I just went to shower and this happened."
"Maybe the sun can help?" She looked at him. "It worked before."
"It, it might," Billy said. "But then it could kill me." He had to find out. "Call Gerald and warn him." He walked over to their bedroom window and placed a hand between the blinds and the glass. He could feel the warmth of the sun and some tingling, but no burning. It felt the same as it did when he received the UV treatment. He pulled back his hand and saw that it was human. "You are right." He pulled up the blinds and let the sun do its work. He could feel himself grow and fill out the bathrobe. His mouth felt strange as his incisors changed shape and size and he could feel his ears as they also transformed. Once the he could no longer feel himself transform he stared at his hands and down at himself. "And I'm human again."
"I have a theory," Kate said as she held the phone to her ear. "Hey Gerald, it's Kate. We think there might be a hiccup in your treatment." She pointed towards the bathroom. "Well we're about to test out this theory. It happens when you get wet." She gave him a look and gestured to the bathroom again with her head.
"Oh right," Billy said. He still had to rinse out his hair. Again he dropped the robe and hopped back in the shower. He felt the water soak him and wash out the cleanser and once again he shrank and turned green. He turned off the water and stepped out, dried himself and put the robe back on. "Changed back into a goblin." He told Kate before he stood in front of the window and once again the sunlight turned him back. "Well that is interesting." He was going to try once more. "I'm going to do this again." He ran back into the bathroom, dropped the robe and soaked himself with the warm water and once again he had transformed. He dried himself, donned the robe and stood in front of the warm sun before he changed back. "Your theory was right."
"It's confirmed," Kate said as she continued to talk. "You'll change back into a goblin when you get wet and become human in the sunlight." She blinked. "Well you are taking this in a healthy stride. Yes we will keep in touch and I do like that idea of our children going trick or treating together."
"He's okay with this?" Billy asked.
"I guess he figures out this is the best they can do," Kate said with a shrug. "How are you going to take this?"
"I just know I'm going to make this work," he said as he stepped away from the window and pulled her close. "We will make it work." He brushed the bangs out of her eyes before he leaned down to kiss her.