The day started out normal for Doctor Jon Withers... well as much for the 16 year old doctor. He limped out into the lab's outdoor area with his lunch to start eating. Jon excelled at school since he was young but he excelled at science. He graduated at 12 and got his PHD at 15. He was half way through lunch when the door behind him opened up. "This is one of the eating areas for our employees and here's one of them now." A lady said leading a group of children out of the building. Jon forgot that there was a school group visiting today. "Hello Doctor Withers. Enjoying lunch?" She asked.
"I was until you showed up, Majors." Jon said in a joking tone. "I see you pulled the short straw and had too lead the tour group around." He said grabbing his cane to stand himself up.
"I certainly did. Everyone, This is Jon Withers, he is the head of special disease research here at Gen Tech." Doctor Majors informed the group. "Does anyone have a question for Doctor Withers?" She asked, some hands went up in response.
"How about you?" Jon said pointing out a student.
"Why do look so young but have a cane?" He asked.
Jon laughed and lifted the leg of his jean to show a very bad scar. "A wolf attack crippled me when I was young. Spent most of my time here, studying. In fact, one of the reasons I have a job here was because I solved a major problem they were having while still in my bed. They wanted me to finish school and come work for them and so here I am." Jon answered.
"What do you do here?" A young girl asked.
"I look over long gone diseases and some newer ones to make sure we can find a cure or at least find a way to help people with it such as myself. I couldn't even walk before but now, I'm starting to make my way back up. Might even be able to get back to playing some airsoft aga-" Jon started until a large sound was heard.
One of the students screamed "What is that?!"
Jon turned around to see a rocket blasting off. He hobbled to the edge of the balcony. "What in the world? Who shot off a-" Jon was cut off again. This time by the rocket exploding and releasing a purple mist into the atmosphere. "Oh no. EVERYONE, GET INSIDE NOW!" He screamed, hobbling towards the door. The mist descended on the whole city and into the building. Nothing was stopping it. Jon looked around and saw that it was seeping into everyone's skin. "Everyone. Stop. It's too late."
"What's going to happen now?" One of the students asked.
"I'd like to keep you here so we can observe what happens. That mist was a bio weapon but those haven't existed for years... I'd like you all to call your parents. They can come see you but I'd like you all to stay here. There's no telling what that mist did."
It had been two weeks since the mist was released. Everyone in the Gen Tech building was working hard on tests and research to figure out what happened. Everything was going smoothly until a scream rang out. Jon turned from his work and ran to the source as fast as he could. He found one of the students writhing on the ground. "Sarah! What's wrong?!" He said, crouching down to her.
"My lower body feels like it's on fire!" She said.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Not for long. All that felt different was that my legs felt swollen but now, I'm really hot and it feels like my jeans are getting tighter!"
Jon looked down and saw something weird. Her jeans were getting tighter around her legs but her shoes seemed to be falling off. He pulled one off to find Sarah's foot slowly morphing into a nub. He checked the other one to see the same thing happening. "We need to get you to an examination table." He said picking her up struggling on his bad leg.
"Are you alright?" Sarah said, noticing his struggle.
"I'm not important. You're the one who's ... transforming for lack of better words."
"What!?" She screamed.
"Yes, I know it sounds crazy but I have a theory, did you bring a skirt with you when the quarantine started?"
"Yes but what does that have to do with anything?" Sarah asked.
"Unless you want me too see your privates while this happens..." He trailed off.
She thought for a second. "It's ok for you to look. This is for science and you're a doctor."
"Ok, how much do you care for these jeans?"
"Not a lot."
"Alright. I gotta cut them off." He said grabbing scissors. He cut off the pants to find a weird rash. "This isn't like anything I've seen." he said. He felt them. "They feel like scales."
"Like a snake? Snakes are cool" Sarah said, trying to keep a brave face.
"It seems like your lower body is going through a metamorphosis. The most important this is that I don't know how to stop it." He said leaving the room and turning the camera on, grabbing a watch and a chair, then re-entered the examination room. "From how it looks, this is gonna take a while but I will be here with you though-out it all."
"Thanks Doctor Withers."
"Please, call me Jon. We've got a lot of time to spend together."
Time seemed to flow slowly as Sarah's change continued. First, skin grew connecting her legs into one large body. The underside was soft while the backside became covered in scales. "I think you were onto something about snakes. I think your legs are turning into a snake tail. Could you open your mouth for me?" He asked. She obliged and opened wide. "Fascinating. Your tongue has become small and forked and your teeth are sharper." He said writing it down on his note pad. "How're feeling?"
"I feel weird. My back doesn't hurt but it feels weird and like most of my organs are down in... my tail, I guess I should call it. Also, I think my hearing has increased."
Jon went to check her ears to find that they had elongated and been covered in the same scales. "Let me test something..." He said getting up and leaving the room.
A couple seconds passed until Sarah screamed. "I can hear you loud and clear."
Jon walked in, "Incredible, it's like your a whole new species. Is it okay if I take a blood sample and run it?"
"Go ahead." She said looking away from the needle.
After Jon took the sample, he sat down. "Now, I have to tell people about this. I don't want to give this info to anyone with out your permission. May I give out this info to help the world?"
"What do you mean help the world?" Sarah asked.
"If I'm being honest, You might be the first case to react to that mist but I'm sure as hell that you won't be the last." Jon said putting the vials aside. "Now let's get to work. We need to get you up and moving." He said sliding the tail off the table.
"What are you talking about?"
"You can still move, I'm guessing that we can get you moving if we work. First, balance. With this tail, your center of balance is gonna be out of line."
"Alright." She said getting up... then falling over. "Oww." Jon helped her back up and after an hour of trying she finally stood up on her own. "Finally, somewhat normal."
"What's it feel like? To have a tail?" Jon asked.
"Honestly, it's weird. It's like having a sleeping bag around my legs that I can't take off." She said feeling her tail. "Should I try slithering around?"
"Yes, don't worry, I'll catch you if you start to fall." Jon said getting near her. Sarah slowly shifted her body around, trying to move.
"Alright, I think I got WOAH!" She said, staring to fall. Jon quickly ran over and caught her. She looked into his eye and started blushing. "T-thanks."
"No problem. You have anything else you need me too do? I gotta do this blood work."
"Yeah, c-could you t-turn up the h-heat? It just g-got super c-cold in here." Sarah said. Jon looked at the thermometer to see that it was 80 degrees in the room.
"Why would you... Oh! Right, I'm guessing you're cold blooded now." Jon said cranking it to the max. Sarah stopped shivering as Jon walked out to continue his work.
"Doctor Withers, what are you doing?" said Doctor Majors walked into her and Jon's shared lab.
"I'm looking over blood work taken from Sarah Greenwald. Could you pull up her most recent one?" He asked.
"That isn't the most recent sample?" She asked.
"Yes but I need a... uncontaminated sample." He said. Majors walked over and handed him a set of files and a tube of her blood. Jon quickly put the blood on a microscope tray and flipped back and forth from the new and old sample. "Incredible. Majors, can you take a look at this and confirm that I'm not seeing things?"
"Sure Jon." After looking over the samples for a minute she spoke up. "What happened to her blood? It's like her DNA suddenly change." She asked.
"It did. I was walking around when I heard her scream. Long story short, she has a snake tail instead of legs." Jon said nonchalantly.
Majors stared at him for a minute. "You're joking right?"
"Afraid not. I don't blame you for doubting me. If I wasn't there watching, I wouldn't believe it either. Follow me." He said getting up. Together, they walked into the examination room where Jon threw off his lab coat, expecting the heat. "Sarah, I've brought Doctor Majors." He shouted into the room. Sarah slithered out to meet him.
Majors just stood there for a bit. Astounded by what she saw. "This is not possible." She said walking around Sarah, looking her over.
"We had a Bio weapon released into the sky. That hasn't happened in decades. Anything is possible." Jon said putting up some pictures for Sarah. "This was your blood and DNA before your transformation and this is after."
"It... looks different somehow." She remarked, looking at the small differences. "Did this show you how to get me back to normal?" She asked.
Jon fell silent. "Sarah, I don't think you'll be able to return to normal. It would take so much blood to try and swap out what's contaminated and that's a walk in the park compared to your DNA."
"T-that can't be true! There's gotta be something you can do!" Sarah said, shaking the doctor.
"I'm afraid not. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'll say it again, you were the first case but you won't be the last."
So what did you guys think? Should I continue this?
