Bear My Babies

His hand stilled on her skin, the cool pad causing her lower half to break into goosebumps.

“Why are you doing this, Melissa? I understand having a willing human as a test subject is every researcher’s dream, but I don’t get why you would put yourself through this. Especially being the first subject. Things can go terribly wrong.” Bruce stood up to his full height.

“I am fully aware things can go wrong. We’ve talked about this before. I want to do this. So if you could get on with it.”

Melissa felt instantly guilty for talking to Bruce the way she did.

He was just trying to be a good friend, but she refused to listen to him pleading with her to stop the injections every time he came to her office. She thought she had cleared that up last week. Apparently not.

“Ready when you are,” Melissa said, trying to make amends for being so blunt with him.

Bruce let out a frustrated breath and punctured her skin, pushing the hormones into her body. As the liquid burned though her veins, Melissa focused on her breathing. Her skin turned clammy as pain assaulted her.

“Damn it, Melissa,” Bruce hissed through his teeth. “This is ridiculous. Your body is not acclimating at all.”

“I just finished my first week, Bruce. I need more time. Can you just finish this, please?”

“Did it hurt you this much the first time?” he asked as he the plunger moved down under his thumb.

Melissa gritted her teeth. Her body felt as if the blood had been replaced by liquid magma. She was unable to answer Bruce as all her concentration was focused on not screaming. This was worse than the week before, and Melissa was afraid that next week would be worse.

“Melissa, you need to breathe.” Bruce broke into Melissa’s thoughts. “All right last one,” he said.

She jumped up as soon as the shot was pushed in and ran to the bathroom, almost not making it in time. She wasn’t sure why sometimes the symptoms were worse than others. Sometimes the throwing up wasn’t as violent. Sometimes she wasn’t tired and then there were times like this. Once she’d gotten rid of everything in her stomach, she got up and slowly walked back into the room with Bruce collapsing on the chair closest to her.

Melissa wanted to curl into herself as the medicine took its place, but moving was not something she was capable of doing at the moment. Bruce must have recognized her inability to make her muscles cooperate. He lifted her up and carried her into her office and placed her on the couch.

Melissa vaguely recognized Tilly talking as she tucked a blanket around her.

“Call me if anything changes,” Bruce said to Tilly before Melissa let the darkness take her away from the pain.