They are not mine, they belong to TH; I'm having a lot of fun creating new adventures for them and hope you enjoy them.

Chapter 8.1
Two More Victims

They remained silent for a long time, Clarice slightly stooped over, as if in mourning, while a few tears ran down her checks.
The Doctor leaned over to wipe them, and when he did, her shoulders began to heave slowly at first and then violently, so that she was sobbing uncontrollably before the doctor managed to hold her firmly against his chest, soothing her softly, while he called her name and ran one hand softly over her hair.

Obviously disturbed by her crying, Adam joined in, bawling loudly for the first time in his short life, wailing, unabashed and unrestrained, at the top of his tiny lungs.
That did the trick! The sound of his crying stopped her cold. She wiggled herself out of the Doctor's embrace and looked at him with visible panic in her red, swollen eyes; her breathing still uneven.
"What's wrong with Adam?...he never cried like this before!"

He shook his head ever so slightly. "Nothing is wrong with Adam, he was just offset by your crying and he responded the only way he knows."

They both walked toward the crib and when they approached him, the baby's cries subsided as suddenly as they had started. Hannibal Lecter picked him, and in the manner he seemed to favor, accommodated him with the little head cradled on the crock of his arm against his chest, not unlike the position commonly used during feedings. Thus cuddled against the doctor, the baby closed his eyes, apparently exhausted from his first real crying tantrum. Then Lecter turned to Clarice.

"Let it go, Clarice, let's concentrate instead on beating them at their game. On making them pay for all this."

"A year ago, the thought of making them pay, would have horrified me." She commented, "now I find the prospect quite gratifying."

The Doctor nodded.

"Why don't you go to sleep Clarice, you need the rest. I can clear up and then care for Adam. We'll be fine."

Clarice cooed a few words to Adam who opened his eyes at the sound of her voice and looked at the intently, his maroon eyes staring right into hers.

She stood there for a few beats, her eyes again filled with tear, apparently undecided as what to do next, then, in an impulse that astonishment them both of them, she placed one hand on the Doctor's arm, leaned over and kissed him on his bearded cheek.

"Good nigh, Hannibal" she muttered and quickly left the room.

Lecter couldn't remember when was the last time that someone kissed him, and rubbed his fingers softly against the spot where she planted her kiss. By the time he looked up, she was gone.

He turned to the baby.

"Just you and I for the rest of the night, buddy. How about we heat up your bottle while I load the dishwasher?" His tone was easy and he made a conscious effort to lower the "intellectual" level of his monologue to what he considered "baby talk".

Clarice woke up a little disconcerted, alarmed at first to see the empty cradle; then immediately remembered all that had happened, and quickly got in the shower.

The doctor has stocked up a variety of wonderful lotions, hand creams, body lotions and oils, in addition to delicately scented soaps and skin scrubs. She smiled to herself at his thoughtfulness, and after a quick shower, still towering her hair dry, went back to the bedroom to explore the closet and drawers for whatever else he had purchased for her.

There were plenty or undergarments, and she found a good selection of footwear, a pair of sandals, an inviting pair of Gucci loafers, a pair of both Birkenstock clogs and back-strap sandals, and a pair of running shoes exactly like the ones she wore daily.

The clothes were entirely casual mid-America. Chinos, T shirts, a few skirts, a dress, a couple of blouses, and a few pairs of pants from Banana Republic, running shorts; a pair of comfortable Lounging pants from the Gap. Another pair of pajama pants and matching top. All clothes seemed aimed to allow her to blend in a crowd and become "invisible".

Clarice picked a pair of comfortable Gap pants not unlike ones she owned and a T shirt. Slipped in a pair of clogs and set out for the kitchen, were she was sure she'd find the two men in her life.

Sure enough, there they were, Doctor Lecter feeding Adam while he talked to him in a soft voice, muttering words she couldn't hear from where she stood watching them.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Clarice, I take it you had a good night sleep?"

Clarice nodded while she pointed with her chin at Adam, who had stop feeding and turned his head to her at the sound of her voice.

Hannibal Lecter shook his head in wonderment,
"He is definitely not expected to do this at 4 days old, Clarice. "
She grinned, completely accepting of Adam's improbable achievements.
"Adam is different from other babies, Hannibal." She reminded him, and then addressed the baby directly "Adam is the first of his kind, right Adam?" Adam wiggled in the doctor's arms, his huge eyes rapt on her face.

"We got up early this morning, this little fellow and I, so I took the opportunity to examine him. He actually weights 5 lbs Oz which is in the small side, but normal, and I'm sure he'll grow just fine. He has excellent reflexes, his lungs are fully developed, his little heart sounds good, his hearing is fine; at present, he is in perfect health. We have no evidence as to the degree of his immunity.

"When will he catch up with this immunity situation?"

"Clarice, natural immunity results as a passive transition from congenital immunity. Maternal antibodies cross the placenta and remain in the child for 3-6 months and disappear as the child's immune system starts to perform.
We know these two unfortunate ladies provided him with immunity agents but we don't know what kind, we should assume they did a good job, they both had excellent credentials and clearly the best intentions. Still, Adam is the first of his kind, and everything about him was experimental. There was no previous data to go by. In short, we'll have to play it by ear, until his own immune system begins to perform, we must be careful."

He paused as if waiting for questions, but Clarice was too intent absorbing what he had to say and seem to wait for more. So he continued.

"He had his hep B shot and in two month he'll get his first DPaT and his Hib, that will begin to cover him for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, and influenza type b and he'll get his first Polio vaccine, and then another every month thereafter to complete the series."

"Yes, but what until then, will be safe?"

"We'll have to keep him away from risky environments, malls, airplanes...DR's offices, where all the other kids come in with their little deadly germs"

"Is he going to be all right?" Clarice seemed to have lost her voice.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Clarice, we just have to be careful. You understand that even in the most extreme case we cannot start a vaccination series until he turns two month."

"How do you plan to get them, the medications, without taking risks? I DON'T want you to take foolish, whimsical risks. In fact, I don't want you to take ANY risks." Her mouth was set in that stubborn gesture he knew so well.

"No risks, Clarice. I've already managed to get a good supply of everything we could possibly need. I made a short intermediate stop at an old friend's on my way from the west coast, and she provided plenty of medical supplies. We can get more if need be."

She smiled, relaxing visibly.

The small TV set in the kitchen had been turned to the news all along, but it was not until they were in the middle of their breakfast that the FBI log filled the screen, followed by the announcement of a News Bulletin. The doctor immediately increased the volume

... the FBI ranks this morning with the murder, just a few minutes ago, of Assistant Director Noonan, in conditions similar to those that ended the life of Section Chief Clint Pearsall yesterday. This new tragedy, prompted Director Tunberry to mobilize all available manpower to investigate the murders. Our mobile unit is on the way and we'll bring you more news as they develop.

Immediately following, another photo filled up the screen, this time that of the pediatrician who examined Adam at birth.

"Dr Jason Kramer lost his live when a gas explosion wrecked is Georgetown home early this morning. Dr Kramer, a pediatrician specialized in neonatal pediatric immunity, famous for his research in the regulation of lineage-specific gene expression blood cells, epigenetics and regulation of chromatin structure during prenatal development. The Doctor retired from private practice last year and was entirely dedicated to several projects of Government research."

Clarice, who had been holding her breath, leaned back on her chair and exhaled. She suddenly looked drawn

"That was the guy that examined Adam right after he was born."

"I figured that much, Clarice."

"Do you think the next one is Tunberry?"

"Frankly, I don't care who goes next, as long as is not you. And I am almost certain that for now, I have covered every track."

She looked at him, but didn't speak

"Like I told you, Clarice, I don't sleep much, last night, after the 4 AM feeding, I bundled up Adam, placed him in his stroller, and we went to the garage where I replaced the original tires back on the truck."

"You had changed the tires?"

"Yes, the Expedition was bound to leave some tire tracks in the area around your cottage, specially because as your probably remember, I parked off the road. So I purchased some used tires and switched them before I went to fetch you."

"No wonder I failed to capture you" she smiled a semi crocked smile, and raised her eyebrows ever so slightly.

"I wouldn't say that," his eyes sparkled with mockery "you had difficulty tracking me, still you captured me years ago, Clarice."

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I hope you like the direction we are following here. Let me know how the story line looks from your standpoint. The will be more action in the following chapters and their relationship will develop further, so stick around.

C