CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: "NO MORE SHOTS!"

When Ian came to, he was cradled in a warm human hand that smelled faintly of lilac. He looked up through half-closed lids and saw a familiar face. "Lucy!"

The female scientist said over her shoulder, "Hey, he's coming around!"

From somewhere beyond Ian's limited, blurry field of vision Harry replied, "You've been saying that for the past half hour."

"But this time he squeaked at me!" Lucy returned her attention to Ian. The rodent squirmed drunkenly in her hand, pressing himself against the soft flesh of the palm. "Yes, he's definitely awake now."

Ian stood himself up, leaning on Lucy's hand for support. "Where's Justin?" he asked of no one in particular.

"Right here, Ian." Justin climbed into Ian's box and came up to him. "You gave us quite a scare. You'd better sit down. Don't want to exert yourself."

Ian sat back against Lucy's palm. Harry had moved forward and now stood beside Lucy, staring down at Ian. The newly-awakened rat wasn't made any more comfortable by having all eyes in the office on him. "What happened?"

"You nearly died," Justin said. "You've been in a coma for the past three days."

"Three days!"

"Yup. You weren't breathing right, and you went through a fit of convulsions the first day. You really had us worried for awhile. How are you feeling now?"

Ian took a deep breath. "I feel very strange. I've still got dull pains all over, but I'm also very lightheaded. Maybe I'm just not fully awake yet." He looked back up at Lucy. "Who let her in on this?"

"Harry thought she ought to know," answered Justin. "I've been telling her everything that's going on. She's going to help us."

"How?"

Justin let Lucy take over. "I've talked to a lawyer friend of mine. He's going to see if there's any way Justin and his people can be protected under the law."

"Justin," Ian asked, "do you think it's wise that so many humans learn of you?"

"I really didn't have a choice. You see, I thought a lot about what you said to me, and I decided you were right. I told Harry where the Fitzgibbons farm was. While you were unconscious, he tried to call the town, but he couldn't raise anybody."

Ian straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"I looked up the number of that town's police station," said Harry, "and phoned several times, but I couldn't get an answer, no matter how long I let it ring. So I tried the fire station, and then stores and the library, and then I just tried home numbers at random, but I couldn't get an answer anywhere. And I must have made about a hundred calls. It's as if the entire town was dead."

"If Jenner had tried anything that big, you surely would have heard about it on the news," Ian said, with Justin translating.

"That's what Lucy and I thought, but we haven't heard a thing. Anyway, I called that county's sheriff earlier today and asked him to send someone into the town to have a look around. He's supposed to get back to me this afternoon."

"If Jenner's killed an entire town," Justin picked up for Harry, "the first humans to find out about it, aside from Lucy and Harry, will try to destroy us totally. That's why Lucy's looking into the legal aspects of the situation."

"If Jenner's gown powerful enough to kill an entire town and keep it a secret," Ian countered, "then we may not be able to stop him at all. Justin, you'd better tell Harry that there's a good chance that sheriff won't be calling him back today."

"He knows that," Justin told Ian. "If he hasn't heard anything by tomorrow morning, Harry's going to drive to the town himself to see what's happening there. I'll be going with him, and I think you should come with us, if you're up to it."

"But … what about my treatment? I can't just stop the shots."

"There won't be any more shots," Justin said solemnly. "Tell him, Harry."

"After the last set of shots, you went into a coma," Harry explained, "and you were very lucky to have come out of it as well as you have. The next time you might not come out of it at all, Dr. Hargraves, and I won't be responsible for your death. I will not give you any more injections."

"And neither will I," added Lucy.

Justin asked Lucy for her small facial mirror. She handed it over, and he held it up for Ian to see his reflection in. "Look at yourself, Ian! You look like death! Your fur is even starting to fall out! You began this treatment to save your life, but it's killing you instead." Justin set the mirror aside. "Maybe the shots you've had won't make you live as long as you'd like, but they'll have to do - at least for now."

Ian was silent for a long time, then he sighed and said, "I don't agree - as far as I'm concerned, I'm ready for the fourth set of shots right now - but seeing as how I'm in the minority, I suppose I'll be putting off the rest of the treatment for awhile. Besides, I'll be wanting to go with you and Harry tomorrow. But venturing into Jenner's territory is going to be dangerous, especially for Harry."

"He knows. I've told him all about Jenner. Lucy wanted to come along too, but we wouldn't allow it." Justin eased Ian into a sleeping position. "You've been through a lot. It's best you rest up for tomorrow. I'll tell Harry to bring you something good for dinner."

Ian lay back and tried to make himself comfortable. "Maybe Harry will get that call after all, and he'll hear that everything in town is okay, just like it should be."

"Maybe," said Justin. "But Jenner's already killed five humans that we know of, and he has to be stopped. It may as well be tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, then." Ian shuddered. "I can't say that I'm looking forward to going back there, Justin."