Murder Genes (17 page)

"It's no use.
 
Doctors can't help."

"You don't know Mom, she's really smart.
 
I promise."

"No.
 
Just, give me a second and maybe you can help me to my car?"

Kyle didn't move.
 
"You don't look like you could drive very good."

She let out a soft giggle.
 
"Are you this sugary to every girl you meet, Kyle?
 
I'll bet you're quite the class sexy."
 
Her eyes rolled back and she closed her eyes like she was sleeping.

"Jess!
 
What's going on?"

No response.

He had no choice.
 
"I'll be right back, I promise," Kyle said.
 
Kyle reluctantly got up to get Del.
 
When he did, he saw Tim and...Callie?

Callie had a silent suffering look as she stared at him.
 
Tim just looked angry like he always did.
 
"Tim!
 
You have to help!"

Tim let go of Callie's hand and came briskly forward.
 
"What happened?"

"I was throwing away the trash and some guys had a needle and put it in Jess.
 
I wanted to get her to Mom, but she was too heavy and I didn't want to leave her."
 
Kyle looked for Callie, but she was gone.
 
"Where'd Callie go?"

"I don't know, Kyle.
 
We can't worry about that right now.
 
I want you to get Del, I'm going to stay here with the girl.
 
Tell Del to bring her bag."

"OK."
 
Kyle turned.

"And Kyle."

"Yeah."
 
He looked back but Tim wasn't looking at him.

"You did good," Tim said.
 
"Now hurry."

Kyle nodded.
 
He went running as fast as he'd ever run since Jeff had chased him.

Del was staring into Jess' eyes with a pen sized light.
 
"What did they do to her?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know yet."
 
Del kept moving, feeling Jess on the wrist and neck and then tapping on her knees.
 
"Did you see what they injected her with?" Del asked him, not looking up from Jess who lay sleeping in the clinic bed.

"You mean the needle?"

"Yes.
 
Did you see what they did with the needle?"

Kyle shook his head.
 
"They took it with them I think."
 
Del sighed just as Jess' eyes fluttered.
 
"Hey, she's waking up!" Kyle said.

Jess moaned and her jaw worked a little.
 
She opened her eyes.

"Kyle, would you stand outside for a bit, I'd like to talk to Jess alone, please."

Kyle nodded and went outside.
 
He understood.
 
He'd seen it plenty of times on computer shows.
 
Whenever a doctor had to talk to a patient, he or she would send everyone out for "confidentiality".
 
It was a long word for secret.
 

Kyle loved secrets.

He kept the door cracked open and put his ear to it.
 
Tim had gone to contact the school authorities, Kyle hoped the guys got in BIG trouble.

"Jess, I'm Del, one of the school doctors.
 
Tell me what happened."

"...I can't tell you much."

"I can help you."

"No, it's not that.
 
He's my fiancé.
 
And he has my parent's consent."

There was a long silence before Del spoke again.
 
"It's the epigene isn't it?
 
They're injecting you with experimental epigenetically altering drugs."

More silence.
 
"I'm not supposed to say anything," Jess said.

"What are they trying to alter?
 
Your height?
 
Your personality?"

Her reply was hesitant.
 
"...my height, yes.
 
My breasts.
 
The usual stuff."

"The bastards..." Kyle heard Del whisper.
 
Pa had cussed from time to time, but Del, he'd never heard her cuss before, it was frightening.
 
"That's why they're coming at you like that, to make you feel helpless.
 
It activates your molecules of emotion, doesn't it?
 
Your need to please."
 
Del swore again, this time loudly.
 
"And their killing your ovaries while they do it too, aren't they?"

"Ryant and my parents and I, we made the decision together.
 
This way I can have a good career and provide for all of them."

Ryant
.
 
Kyle would remember that name.

"A good career and a good life for everyone but you," Del said.

"It will be a good life and I'll be committed.
 
Employers like that.
 
I'll be able to earn as much as a man, more as a woman."

"You can't know this, you're too young to be making these decision so young."

"I'm the second daughter.
 
I can't have children anyway, unless my sister can't.
 
And she definitely can."

"It's experimental, Jess."

"The AMA's approved it."

"The drug, yes, but no procedure has been approved yet.
 
Tests like these need to be done in a controlled environment, not in the back of some school on a girl who hasn't given proper consent."

Jess didn't say anything.

"Plus, the AMA could care less about the emotional trauma involved.
 
Just because they defined the molecules of emotion doesn't make their tests any less ethical.
 
They'd legalize prostitution if they could, just to test if men ejaculate when stimulated."
 

Kyle screwed up his face at the word.
 
He knew what that word was.

"How often do you go in Jess?
 
What do they do to you?"
 
Del was really angry now.
 
Her voice was becoming high pitched and she was yelling in that way that made her voice even harder to hear.

"I..."

"It's horrible isn't it?
 
It hurts and you can't understand why people who care about you would treat you this way."

Silence.

"I've a little experience in this myself, Jess.
 
Get out while you can."

"You?"

"Yeah."

"I'm just a minor."

"Fuck that," Del whispered vehemently.

There was a long silence again, and Kyle pressed his ear closer to the crack and the door swung a little wider.

"Are you really a doctor?
 
You aren't talking like any doctor I've met.
 
Most are afraid of the AMA."

"I know.
 
They don't like me much.
 
But it's a wonder I've kept my mouth shut as long as I have."

"You could get in a lot of trouble."

"I wish I would.
 
At least I could get a few words in the news before they ousted me.
 
And you should be more worried about yourself.
 
Even as a minor you can say something."

"I don't know...they're relying on me to be strong."

"Even if the AMA can't get their heads on straight, a
child
can tell when something isn't right.
 
Kyle's worried about you.
 
You can trust a child's innocence."
 
Del's voice got real gentle.
 
"If there's one thing I want my son to learn, is that he always has a choice.
 
Nothing is written in stone and against any odds you can still choose."

"...I'm sorry," Jess said.
 
"But I can't.
 
You might think I have a choice, but I don't..." she hesitated.
 
"Your son's a nice kid, Dr. Del."

"He is.
 
But he's gone through a lot.
 
I'm afraid that if he goes through much more, his epigenes are going to turn him into something none of us wants.
 
If things like this keep happening to him, he won't become the brave and knightly defender of justice he's trying to become."

"Yeah," Kyle heard Jess say quietly.

"We've seen it before in the news.
 
Kids like Kyle, a flip of the gene could mean the difference between a very good man and a very bad man."
 
Del let out a sigh.
 
"I shouldn't be putting this on you."

"No.
 
It's OK.
 
I'll keep away from Kyle.
 
I understand, I don't want to get him involved in my mess."

What?

"Thank you," Del said.
 
"I'm sorry.
 
I know he seems like a bright light in your life right now."

"That's why you're right.
 
He can't be in my life if I want...if my epigenes are going to...my emotions have to be the right emotions."
 
She started crying again.
 
Kyle didn't understand what had just happened.
 
Why couldn't he see Jess anymore?
 
Because she needed him?
 
It didn't make any sense.

He heard movement toward him.
 
Kyle cut to the opposite side of the hallway and quickly reclined on the floor, hands intertwined behind his head.
 
"Kyle."
 
Del walked through the door.

Kyle lifted his head with his hands.
 
"What'd she say?"

"She's sleeping now.
 
I can't help her, I'm sorry."

"Is it because you don't know what they injected into Jess?
 
Because I can find out.
 
Somehow.
 
I can."

Del closed the door behind her softly.
 
She didn't want Kyle to go back in.
 
"No Kyle.
 
It's because they weren't doing anything illegal."

"But...she was afraid like she didn't want them touching her.
 
How can that be OK?"

"I know you can't understand, but I promise that she wants this and she isn't in any danger.
 
Can you trust me?"

Kyle stared at her.
 
She was lying to him.
 
Lying
.
 
Del warned Jess that she shouldn't be doing whatever she was doing like it was dangerous.
 
He felt like the floor had come crashing down from under him.
 
"You're lying!" he said.
 
How could she ask him to trust her like that, with such a straight face.
 
Tim was one thing.
 
Del, she had been real.
 
If he hadn't known the truth, he would have never guessed she was lying.
 
"Why are you lying to me?"

"Kyle, wait."

"I'm small and I'm young, but I'm not stupid.
 
I was listening at the door.
 
Jess is in danger and you don't want us to be friends because you think she'll hurt me somehow."
 
There was more to the story.
 
The boy with the needle had hidden it behind his back when Kyle saw him, and the leader boy had told the other two to shut up when they were about to say something about getting Del "on board."
 
There were secrets that the boys were keeping, secrets that could get them in trouble.
 
Kyle was sure of this.

"You may not understand, but this isn't something that you can help.
 
You have to trust me."

"I can't trust
liars
," Kyle yelled.

He ran away from Del, down the hallways.
 
He'd figure out the boys' secrets without Del's help then.
 
Del was the only one he'd trusted and she was lying to him.
 
What else had she lied about?

Kyle went careening around the corner of the hallway, right into a pair of legs.
 
He fell backward with an ooomph.

"Told you we'd be seeing each other soon," the leader boy said.
 
There were the others with him.
 
The one with the ring through his lip and the other one, too.

A scratchy bag went over his head that smelled like potatoes, and no matter how much Kyle kicked and screamed it did no good.
 
He felt himself lifted and bumped and shook.
 
And then he fell into something flat, cold, and hard as the sound of a van door closed behind him.

Then it was quiet.
 
A second later, when the sound of his own heartbeat pumped in his ears and rumbling shook his skull, Kyle felt really, really scared.