Chapter 8

“So, he could wake up any time now?”

“There is a possibility, yes, but the healing, although much quicker than we anticipated, hasn’t quite made it to his brain.  The grey and white matter was almost obliterated by that blast doing considerable damage to his frontal lobe.  His brain is still shut down.”

Viv paused for a moment and looked up at the 3D scans of his brain.  The lesions looked like cracks in cement, and from the looks of his previous medical records sent from home base in Canberra, the older ones had been exacerbated.

“Will Charlie…still be Charlie?”

Viv and the LT looked at the doctor who looked up at the 3D scans and sighed.  “This goes beyond the science we’re capable of right now.  The Eternity is completely repairing him.  New skin, 75% of his organs have regenerated.  We’ve never used this much Eternity on someone so physically damaged.”

“You have no idea, do you,” LT said quietly.

“Mr. Hammond is a test case.  The first of his kind.  A human could not have aided in his own regeneration as Mr. Hammond has and vampires have their own super regenerative abilities.  This is unknown territory.  No, I have no idea.”

LT tensed next to her.  “We shouldn’t have done this.  It was wrong.”

“He’d be dead otherwise,” said angrily.

“But he’d be Charlie,” LT said, his voice rising.  “He could wake up and not know who the fuck he even is.  What he is.  Where he is.  He could be a completely different person.”

“But at least he wakes up, Lothias.”

Viv stood as LT paced behind her, stopping only when she mentions that one fact.  His anger is palatable, but she knew it was just because he was afraid for Charlie.  They all were.

“So what now, Doc?  What’s he even on now?”

“Combination of Eternity and Starburst, which is medication to counteract the side effects of such a prolonged use of Eternity.”

“What about its own side effects?”

“Starburst has none.  It controls the tremors, addiction…there’s a wide range but so far it alleviates all of it.  We’ll need to keep him on it for at least a year after he’s released.  Well, a year for a human, but we’ll see with Mr. Hammond.”

“This will all be in your daily report, correct?” LT asked in a weathered voice.

“Of course.”

Viv gave the doctor a smile.  “Thanks, doc.”

Doctor Mallari turned to go when he stopped and spoke to Viv.  “Miss Sena?”

Viv turned around and looked at him.

“If I could?”  He held up his right hand and wiggled his fingers.

“Oh, sure,” she said, approaching him.  Holding her hand out, she showed him her silver burns.

“When did that happen?” LT asked, taking her hand and looking at the scars.  “These are old, but I don’t remember seeing them.”

Viv pulled her hand back without answering him.  Taking the doctor by the arm, she led him out of the room, leaving LT to look after her with an angry expression.

“Why don’t we go down to the labs so I can scan the healing?”

“Sure thing, doc,” Viv said with a nod to JT as they passed him.  “Sure thing.”