Chapter 11-December 28
Samuel sat on the exam room table and buttoned up his shirt while the doctor read a file that a technician had just handed him. Samuel quirked an eyebrow at the younger man in question.
"And?"
Thomas Wroblewski, Samuel's doctor and close friend, scratched his head in confusion and then handed the file to the Professor who perused the results. "I don't get Sam. For all intense purposes, you have the body of a man in his late 30's. What the hell did you do?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, Tom. Suffice it to say, my research went awry and I suffered some minor alterations from it."
"I'll say. Do you know what people would pay for something like this? You realize that you could change the field of science and medicine…"
Samuel sent the doctor a look. "No, Tom. What happened to me was a fluke. I highly doubt that the exact conditions could be recreated. I didn't come to you to tell I'd found a cure to old age. I came to you to make sure nothing was wrong with me."
"Over all, you're in perfect health Sam. Your white cell count is a little high. But the tech's just figured that was because you have some foreign chemicals floating around in your bloodstream."
Samuel's eyebrows shot up as he flipped to the lab printout. "I thought you said I was in perfect health?"
Thomas tapped a finger on the page. "I seriously don't think theirs anything to worry about. They identified two distinct chemicals in your system. The first one has actually bound itself to your DNA and is now officially part of your genetic makeup. The second was a solution that was 90 saline and every time it goes through your system it breaks down and gets filtered out. We figure it'll be completely gone in a couple more weeks."
"But what about that first one being part of my DNA?"
Thomas let out a frustrated huff and snatched the file from Samuel's hands. "There is nothing wrong with you Sam! But I do want you to come back every two weeks for a full checkup so we can monitor you. Does that make you feel any better?"
Samuel ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry about that Tom. I didn't mean to blow up on you. I just have a lot on my plate right now."
"Women troubles?"
Samuel rolled his eyes. "Don't even get me started."
!ELDERSHIPPING!
After the whole episode at the doctor's office, Samuel decided to get the worst over with and explain exactly what happened. So, he gathered up his newly returned assistants along with Brock, Misty, and Ash.
It took him two hours and multiple questions later to fully explain the fiasco. Almost all the assistants stared at him with open mouths. Ash and Company (Tracy included) seemed the least bit fazed. Which was understandable after all the weird crap they'd been through over the years.
Slowly the college students shook themselves from their dazes and headed off to do their chores and contemplate the information the Professor had left them with. This left only Ash, Misty, Tracy, and Brock sitting quietly on the upstairs sofa, watching as Samuel lowered himself to his armchair.
He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling before addressing the kids. "You probably have a million questions running through your head right now."
"No."
Misty whacked Ash upside the head for his idiotic bluntness. "What he meant was, we're all just wondering how you're doing dealing with all this?"
Tracy leaned forward and propped his chin on his fists. "Yeah. Is this, like, permanent?"
"I'm…" Samuel stared up impassively. "I'm dealing. As to the permanent part; the doctor wants to see me every other week to keep tabs on my condition."
"You make it sound like you have some kind of terminal disease Professor." Brock said as he fed a piece of pokechow to Pikachu.
"Who says I don't have some sort of illness?"
"Who says you don't?" Ash asked as he watched Togepi trundle around the floor and disappear under the Professor's armchair in search of something. "I don't know. Mom would probably say you have a…what's it called? A new lease on life."
Togepi suddenly popped out from under the chair and climbed into Samuel's lap and then on to his shoulder and seemed to study the man's face with intensity for a few minutes. Everyone giggled when he let out a sudden burp and held out a slightly crumpled piece of paper for Samuel to inspect.
He carefully smoothed it out and found himself looking at the picture he'd drawn of Delia not but three days ago, it had fallen out of the drawing pad. Togepi watched the older man stare at the sketch for a moment before gently patting his cheek and 'prii-ing' nonsensically.
"Pika pika-pi chu." Pikachu stated matter-of-factly as he brushed crumbs from his whiskers.
Ash affectionately rubbed the electric-rodent's head. "You're right buddy. It'll all work out in the end."
