Message-ID: <1328eli$9706091248@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Archived-At: <URL:http://www.netusa.net/files/Authors/eli/www/erotica/assm/Year97/1328> Path: qz!not-for-mail Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: <usenet-approval@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded <story-admin@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Story-Submission: <story-submit@qz.little-neck.ny.us> From: "Jeff Rose" <jsrose@ix.netcom.com> Subject: NEW: New U ch.8 New U Ch. 8: Gross Adjustments-What happened while you weren't looking By Jeff Rose [Harry: Shortly after being picked up by Michael] "It can happen to you It can happen to me It can happen to everyone eventually" - It Can Happen (Squire/Anderson/Rabin) "Well, what do you think of the facilities, Mr Selznick?" Harry studied his "assistant" carefully while thinking about his response to Dr. Hanson's query. During his entire orientation, David had been at his elbow from the time Michael and Leonard dropped him off at Biomech's compound outside Ft. Meade in southern Maryland. He'd helped Harry settle into the quarters provided him and walked him through the physical with its various inoculations. Harry had been tempted briefly to slap away David's helping hands when dressing in the disposable jumpsuit provided him, but although David was certainly smaller than Leonard, the strength of his grip and the speed with which he "guided" him made Harry acutely aware that however well trained David was as a lab tech, he was at least as well trained to keep Harry in line. "Biomech seems very well equipped to tackle nanite design and construction. I think I can have your boys up and running within a month." Harry paused to phrase a question and stepped out into the corridor. "David, I thought Biomech had been working on similar Nanite Construction techniques to New U, but this place has so many containment doors and the decon procedures. ..." A female voice jumped in."Well in the good old days of the cold war our primary thrust was bio and chemical warfare research.", The woman in extended her hand. "Dr. Lauren Hanson. I'm the Administrator and Head of Bio-Chem Research." "So your nanites started out as a biological weapon?" "The man who built the bug that is the basis of our system was actually trying to find a means of controlling outbreak while minimizing loss of contractibility." "Send that by me again?", Harry blinked as they stepped out into the hallway. What he created was TRS80." Dr. Hanson adjusted her glasses as David and Harry stepped out of the changing room, and began down the hall. "I'd like you to see why we were so interested in New U Nanotech's approach to bio-manipulation." "You see, TRS80 was developed before the concept of nano-machines had even been broached. The idea was to create a bacteria that would maintain a symbiotic relationship with a tailored virus.", She said, handing him a folder containing the project information. "Understand, a properly tailored virus can be devastating to any target organism, killing in less than 24-48 hours. And for BW purposes they have the added advantage of being incurable.", she continued, "Even if the theoretical 'enemy' creates a vaccine, it will only help non-infected assets. A victim either develops adequate anti-bodies and overpowers the infection or not. That's why the outbreaks of Ebola and other more primitive "killer" viruses burn out so quickly today. Modern medical containment procedures seal off the infected before they can infect others. Since these viruses are unable to exist outside a host organism or a controlled environment for more than, say between a couple of minutes to an hour, there's quickly no place to go to and the epidemic ends." "That's also why AIDS and other more sophisticated viruses are so difficult to wipe out. They kill much more slowly, over a matter of years. And the host is relatively healthy for much of that time. That gives them much more time to pass the infection on. Not to mention the fact Unless you like the idea of concentration camps for all such victims like Castro is supposed to be using, accidents happen. Without a vaccine or real cure, it just keeps chugging along. Just thank God both Ebola and AIDS are both still too primitive to exist outside their host organisms for any real length of time. If they were capable of aerosol transmission..." Dr Hanson shook her head in awe a the thought. "Bacteria on the other hand; While they can be treated with antibiotics, sulfa or other toxins, curing the infected individual, containment of a bacterial outbreak can be much more problematic. Typically bacteria can survive for extended periods outside a host organism or even go dormant until they encounter a favorable environment unless some form of sterilization is performed. " "Battling a bacterial outbreak requires finding the source of the epidemic and sterilizing it. as well as all the normal contact tracing. Ah, here we are.", She finished, sliding her ID through reader by the door. The room was long, thin and crammed with a huge amount of recording equipment. Another tech sat at the right wall, which was occupied by an immense picture window, looking out on a large enclosed and skylighted kennel area. none of the animals were in evidence though. That wasn't too surprising as about ten feet away from the six pens, were the remains of what must have been a very impressive indoor park. As Harry looked into various monitors, displaying various areas of the huge enclosure, He asked, "So what you wanted was the survivability of a bacteria merged with the destructive capabilities of a very primitive virus?" "Exactly. What they developed was a fairly harmless bacteria that acted as a carrier for whatever viral type might be preferred. As long as the virus was made up of a longer DNA or RNA chain than the bacteria; That's all a virus is. Anyway, for a virus to operate, once it has penetrated a cell membrane, it plugs into the existing DNA or RNA and uses the cell's reproducing capabilities for itself. With TRS80, the virus is dormant, but protected by the bacterial component. , She said, becoming excited. "But, when the bacteria finds itself in favorable conditions, how does the virus duplicate much less enter the host?" Harry asked. Staring at one of the monitors. He thought he saw movement in one of the bushes. "For a brief period during the Bacteria's reproduction cycle, the DNA or RNA strands are long enough for the virus to plug in. This prolongs the process and the stress inevitably kills one of the developing cells. The cell membrane ruptures temporarily. spilling the new virus into the environment. The old virus, deprived of a place to plug into goes dormant til the process repeats or the original bacteria wears out. The bacterial aspect is quite benign" "How does TRS80 relate to the New U process?" "Take a look at the project objectives in the folder. We've got another ten minutes or so before feeding time." Harry let his eyes come off the monitor. He'd caught a glimpse of something, but doubtless he'd get a better look at feeding time. "Let's see...You tried replacing the viral component with something similar to New U' S-XII "Groomer" nanites." He continued paging through Biomech's progress. "But this will only..." "Call it planned obsolescence.", Lauren replied. "Repeated exposure must be maintained on a constant basis. The Rebus virus in the TRS80 tends to mutate rapidly, losing it's beneficial effects." "But it works?" "David? Why don't you help Jeremy here with feeding." David shuddered visibly, displaying something other than his normal coolness for the first time since Harry had met him. "Harry and I will be fine right here. Oh, and be careful around Marion. I understand she's gotten rather snippy since dropping her latest litter." David nodded to Dr. Hanson and followed the tech through the doorway at the end of the room. "They'll be a minute or two getting into environmental suits and clearing the airlock." Lauren said. "A necessary precaution I'm afraid. About a year ago we had an accident in one of our labs. A test version of Rebus got out while some of the Rebus development team were working with some test animals. The environment in there is full of Rebus. But you'll see that the results were somewhat startling. You should also be able to recognize the current flaw in Rebus. " "We are really at our wit's end with Rebus. Which means we've had to put additional effort into our R&D with nanotechnology. Since New U patented their nanite construction technology, giving us a leg up on developing our own nanites. They're not as sophisticated as what New U is capable of but that will change. What they haven't patented or copyrighted is their molecular encoding process or the operating language they use. That we did need." A door opened by the kennel area and two suited figures, one carrying a bucket and the other what appeared to be a cattle prod. As the first started scooping what Harry assumed to be feed into the scattered food bowels, he noticed movement in the underbrush at the edge of the kennel. "They scent food very quickly." Lauren commented. Harry's breath caught in his throat as Slowly the one then another of the large 'dogs' came out of the brush. Finally five of the creatures made their way to the waiting bowels. Most moved quite capably on all fours, but two had apparent difficulty. one because of a pair of distinctly human breasts which got in the way of her fore legs. Harry had trouble identifying the other's problem, til he saw him sit by the bowel furthest from the pack leader. He gingerly scooped food out of his bowel with his... hands? That would account for his difficultly walking. It couldn't be easy feeding himself either as it seemed he was unable to rotate his 'hands' palm up. Harry noted silently that the dogs human, rather than canine hair patterns made them seem that much more alien than even the very human faces, with their shortened snouts that made feeding a quite messy affair. "Marion must be waiting for David and Jeremy to leave before she'll move away from the pups. ", Lauren commented. " See how they've established a crude pack order? Sam inspects everyone's bowel and appropriates anything he finds interesting."The one eating with his hands is Larsen, poor boy. Used to head this section. Now because he's not able to function efficiently as a dog he's become 'odd man out'." Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Dr. Hanson suppressed an inappropriate chuckle. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't make it clear. What you are looking at are what's left of the nine members of the Rebus team caught by the accident. They were using a canine version of rebus to clean the congenital deafness out of a dalmatian's DNA.", She shook her head sadly. "That's the main problem with Rebus. The bacterial component easily survives in most mammals and we need a more compact programing language to keep our Groomers from converting everything it encounters to its matrix. After all, we're trying to skim the scum out of the gene pool, not rebuild the earth in Dr Moreu's image." [Rick: Dinner, Saturday Night] Rick watched Jamie and Dan leave the room. That girl will have to watch her step around Dan, he thought. He'd never seen Dan take such an instant dislike to anyone before. Hopefully it's just the tension working its way out. He took out his cell phone, tapped a number and waited. Still, Jamie seemed a sharp lass and not all that disturbed by her situation. "Rick, why haven't.." Chris halted her inquiry when Rick lifted a finger. After about six rings, he was greeted by a rumbling "Hello?" "George? This is Rick.....Yes, I know it's Saturday night. Considering circumstances of the past week or so; I didn't think you'd mind. Now secure this line." Rick waited while alternating tones told him that George's phone and his were discussing scrambling/descrambling protocols. Then there was the click confirming the scrambler was in fact engaged. "Okay George, I just got into Baltimore...No, I already have someplace to stay. I want a meeting at Gordon/Star Monday, noon. Call it lunch. Have a _complete_ report with Michael on hand. ....No don't do anything about it til we have a chance to talk. Just make sure that ambitious slut Hanson doesn't so much as take a shit but that you don't know how much and what it tastes like." Chris mouthed "George?" at Anne, to which she whispered back, "Biomech". "Alright, we'll discuss options then. No, they're as well as can be expected considering. I do want you to start thinking about where Biomech is going to start drawing funds to clean this up. I'll see you Monday.", Rick put the phone back into his pocket. "Right. Anne, what has this done to our schedule? " "The our computer is back online and they're still working on a simplified version of New U for general release, but you know we're going to be blocked on distribution. Beth, Chris and I are still looking over the possibility of altering the Nanites established in Dan and Jamie, but that doesn't look encouraging.", Anne responded. "Wait a minute." Chris said. "What was all that about Biomech? Were they responsible for the sabotage that started this?" Rick had the grace to look embarrassed. "Chris, you knew there were other companies looking into similar technologies. Biomech has been trying to produce something like the New U treatment scince before Anne approached me. George is my Proxy holder at Biomech. When Beth leapfrogged the existing technology, we began pressuring their R&D unit to produce or abandonthe project. They'd already had one very expensive accident. The funding they received through their parent corporation was quite extravagant compared to the operating funds New U has to work with so it looked like it was going to be a piece of cake. After all, Biomech started the project on George's proposal." "So how...? "The project director appears to have acted on her own. That's what the meeting on Monday is concerned about." Rick paused and flipped a few pages in his notebook. "I'd like to suggest putting a recovery program on the back burner. If we have to risk either of those kids lives to get them back to normal, then we won't do it. Dan is alive and healthy. He'll just have to live with it." "And if you get someone to carry on the family name out of it so much the better?" "Now Beth, that's... " "An pertinant question.", The red-head insisted. "You led that poor child to think we had a ready cure. Hell, We can't even suggest SRS for the kid because _his_ system would 'repair' the 'damage' within a month and hormone therapy would be rejected by the nanites out of hand. " " So instead of prepping him for the bad news and trying to convince him that being my son meant no more to me than being my daughter, I let him run head on into a brick wall.", Rick was getting angry now. "That sounds like I was really encouraging the boy! Now I Love my child, no matter what he is." Rick sighed, "I really hoped you would have come up with something. He's been so misserable. Mary usually handles him when he's depressed, but he hasn't let her near him. She's the psychiatrist in the family. I'm just an old con-man with money.", Anne reached over to Rick, but he shook her off and grinned. "Everything I've worked for for the past 30 years and more has been for the future. For my children and their children. And in one swell foop it could come crashing down around my ears before it even really gets off the ground." "I wasn't joking before about needing to do some firebreaking. George is holding up reports from Biomech's Nanite group and unless I can come up with an amicable solution, our medical revolution may well spark the resource war I've been trying to beat." "I thought you were closing Biomech down?", Asked Chris. "The shut down was going to be put to the board as a cost cutting measure. If they find out they now have access to your technology... Well let's face it. The money-making potential of a cure all vacine is what Anne here tried to sell all our investors on in the first place. I do have an Idea about how to get Biomech more or less off our back without taking us any further off track though." [Dan'l: Saturday night] "Don't surround yourself with yourself Move on back to squares Send an Instant Karma to me Initial it with loving care Don't surround yourself" - I Seen All Good People (a: Your Move) (Jon Anderson) Dan'l Angstrom closed the door to the room and looked around. "I'm _not_ a boy." The statement had less force behind it than when she told Jamie where to get off a few moments before. Snapping the television on was even depressing . News and "Cops" reruns. At least it was noise. She thought as the announcer droned on about the world's first commercially run space shuttle. Digging through the sports bag by the bed, Dan'l fished out a worn and beaten diary. Pooh, Christopher Robin and Eeyore looked back, solemnly guarding the contents as they had since Mom bought it for her during the family's last trip to Disneyland, before starting treatments at the New U clinic. At that point she'd been practically wheelchair bound. The effort required to get out of the car and into the chair, left her breathless. Raising the book to her lips Dan'l raised the pitch of her voice a half octave and spoke, "Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin." It was the first line from "Winnie-the-Pooh" one of her favorite books as a child and the reason Mom had bought it in the first place. The phrase barely fit in the voice lock, but she'd been determined and finally got it down into the chip in the thing. Sadly, she realized that If her voice continued to drop, she'd have to reprogram it. It might be easier to just get a new diary; this one was nearly full now anyway. There were only about five pages left to write on. Before putting anything further down though, she paged through the book slowly. Apr 5th: I was done today in only 3 hours! I know that sounds like a lot but, my counts were down again so I got one unit of blood to top off my tank to go with the CDS treatment. The CDS bag was like, a quarter of the size of what I was getting before though and only took about 10 minutes to administer. The rest of the time was waiting for the blood to warm and getting it in through the Hickman. I didn't even need the anti-nausea medicine! (Keeps the tummy from doing weird things but it gives me really shitty headaches.) Dr. Howe was there to make sure everything went smoothly the first time, but she looked different somehow. I know she's at least as old as Dad, and she looked the same as when I met her last week, but something was definitely different about her. It was like she was acting her age rather than ......................... Of course now Dan'l knew that she, Ms. Anderson and Ms. Williams _were_ acting their age. But then, she'd only met them once before, when they looked her over to see if their Chemo Delivery System might help her. It did too, Dan'l admitted. It just wasn't a cure. Not for her anyway. Oct. 3 ...........Mom's worrying again. This last conference with Anne was upsetting for her. Seems what we hoped fell through again. The CDS has stopped the progression, but I'm making cancer cells as fast as the cytoxin can kill them. Dad sent us home while he discussed some more "business" with Anne. When we got home, Mom and I spent an hour or so in meditation while we waited for Dad. I wish he would spend more time with Mom. I think it exhausts her to be brave in front of me by herself and she really needs some support from him. On the up side, I haven't needed blood for the last month and I really do feel better than I have since the bone marrow failed. I let her know that and she seemed to perk up a little. PBS is running "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe" tonight. Break out the popcorn!.......... Dan'l smiled. That had been a good night, achy joints and all, snuggled between her parents in front of the tube. Next to The Forty Acre Wood, Narnia was one of her favorite places to lose herself in. One of the therapists Mom took her to was into "visualization therapy" and had Aslan battling the forces of the Ice Queen in her body. That didn't work either. Feb 6: Well Dad's surprise was a stunner, if not new. I'm going to be starting a new experimental treatment in the next couple of months. That was the "not new" part. The stunner was watching Anne, Chris and Beth remove their "faces" to prove the treatment works, after introducing me to the technicians who'd be giving me the treatment they named after the company. They literally rebuilt them selves and if I survive (more on that later), I'll not only be in full remission, I'll be cured!.............. July 18: .....ACK! Now I know why babies scream and holler when they're forced to breathe air for the first time! You don't mind liquid once you get over the initial shock of breathing it, but afterwards! Even when you get through coughing the foul stuff out of your lungs, you feel all slimy inside for hours after. Yuck. The Therapy room was in a different part of the clinic. on the third floor. Chris said it was her workshop and it looked like something out of a TV science fiction show that spent beau coup money on permanent sets, and then had to fudge any additions. And that tub was definitely an addition. It looked like the ones used at SeaWorld to take care of sick dolphins, except it had a large reticulation/filter system attached. They used the scale for invalid patients to hoist me into it after putting me under. We know that the SOUP works though. Now they say it'll take a month or so to get the treatment finalized and that starter solutions "cooked". After five months of prep and hypno training, I'm ready to ............... "...start a new life." Dan'l sighed and skipped forward to the blank pages. Aug 25: Well, the good news is I'm not sick. The New U treatment is working. The bad news is, the reason my clit has been swelling up and my (GOD I can't believe this!) vagina sealed itself, is that I'm turning into a MAN! According to Anne and Beth there was a really bad sabotage attempt at the clinic and I got some guy's treatment, or it got mixed with mine. It doesn't make any to me. All I know is that a 30 year old man is running around in the body that should be mine. His/her name is Jamie. I don't know what to feel about her. Part of me hates her and the fact that she'll be experiencing everything I dreamed of for the past five years and the other part- There's something happening between us that reminds me of Mom. For a moment, just as we met the feeling of connection was so "tight" it overwhelmed me. Then the connection snapped close. Like a door slamming-HARD. That feeling was accentuated when she dropped the two huge suitcases she was trying to get out of the car on my feet. The rest of the time she's so "surface" though. I mean, Mom always said I had a knack for reading people; her in particular. But although Jamie _looks_ normal (as normal as one could expect considering), it's like a well crafted mask. But the mask was made to fit a different set of features, if you take my meaning. It looks quite good until you notice the edges overhang the face a bit. And that was what made it so noticeable to me. The mask _doesn't_ quite fit. It slips occasionally, Jamie corrects quickly. I doubt even Dad can read him effectively. Nonetheless, if you poke her hard enough the real Jamie peaks through. ............. Dan'l put down his pen and closed the diary. He had been poking and prodding at Jamie all night. The phallic imagery of the thought couldn't be lost be lost on Dan'l as he entered the bathroom, got out of his sweats and made him stop. She'd (HE'D) been trying to force her way through Jamie's defenses. Provoke her into action. Granted, she'd(HE'D) gotten a couple minor responses from him. But for the most part, Jamie had responded by just retreating further into her shell and presenting a calmer, more flippant (if possible) face than before. Instead, she (HE) had ended up acting like a bully. Dan'l's hands started moving the bar of soap around his body as warm water from the showerhead beat a staccato rhythm on his chest. Like it or not with one well timed statement, Jamie stuck at the core of Dan'l's problem. She'd even stumbled across an acceptable name at dinner. One Dan'l knew he could hear without cringing or ignoring. Rinsing the spreading hair across his flat chest, he looked down and there was the most undeniable evidence what was happening and that his declaration to Jamie was blatantly wrong. All four inches of it hung limply to the left as he began slowly soaping the dense hair surrounding his (Go on, say it.) penis and the developing flap of skin where his outer lips had been. Where his scrotum was forming. Dan'l finished washing and toweled himself off quickly and began pulling on the pajamas Dad bought him before they left. Looking in the mirror he brushed out and blow dried his hair. Jamie did let slip some interesting information though. She was aware of the link between them as well. Dan'l's last attack had been meant to unnerve Jamie. Instead, Jamie had only confirmed his suspicion that they were inadvertently influencing each other. The link between them was at least as strong as the one Dan'l and his Mom had forged over their years of meditation together. Stronger really. It took them two years to form the bond. The bond he hadn't felt for the past few days. A bond lost because he couldn't bear to reveal himself to his Mother now that he was healthy, but had reveled in while sick and in his own mind disfigured. Was this that much different? "Alright, so I _am_ a boy." He said, running his hand round the contours of his face. It wasn't a bad face as such things went. Strong jaw line, deep-set eyes, a straight but not pointy nose. No unibrow; that was a relief. Just enough baby-fat still lingering to remind one that this is still a kid. If she'd seen this guy five years ago, she might have thought he was kinda cute. "Course, I'll be cute in a Grizzly Adams way if I don't do something about this", Dan'l said to the mirror rubbing his rapidly sprouting beard. When his hair had started spreading up his stomach and across his chest, he'd been afraid the treatment had left him with hyper-trichosis. He could take care of that tomorrow. Tonight he'd use it to help with coming to terms with his new status. He put the sweats and underwear in a laundry bag, staring at the panties and bra (never mind the extra socks) he'd worn earlier. "No backing up. Do the next thing." Walking back to his room, Dan'l knew that the first step to understanding his twin Jamie was to understand self. The TV was still yakking inanely so he turned it off. He'd left the meditation candle at home, but that was a convenience, not a necessity. Clearing some space at the side of the bed, he chucked the PJs and sat in the position his Mother had taught him. He'd never really bought into his Mom's New Age beliefs. That didn't mean her belief in the power of meditation and self-hypnosis was entirely bogus either. While neither had been able to actually do anything about the cancer eating away at him, Dan'l always felt better after a session. The position was now comfortable, but also made him aware of his body. This might have been easier with Mom to guide him but he thought he should be able to do this initial probe himself. Turning his mind inward, he began checking himself out. Extending his awareness through the core to the ends of each extremity and back again; building a cohesive self image. Dan'l almost laughed to look at it. The image he stepped away from was Jamie. Or at least, the way Dani had pictured herself in the sessions with Mom or her therapist. The differences negligible. He circled the image and began reshaping it to fit reality. Slowly exploring himself from the inside out, he pulled the tissue in from his chest and expanded his shoulders. Did he have a 15 or 16 inch neck? Another giggle ensued when he realized he'd left his nipples at their old silver dollar size. As he started in on each area he tried to cherish it fully before releasing it and bringing the new form in. Dan'l took as long a he needed. Time meant nothing where he was now. When the image in his mind's eye matched what he was getting used to seeing in the mirror every morning now, he settled into it and realized that for the first time since undergoing transformation at the clinic he could _feel_ what was happening inside him again. He could feel his new testicles which were now finishing the journey downward they'd started a week ago, filling the empty sack between his legs. The final stage of his transformation was complete. Dad now had someone to carry on the family line. No! negative thought. Dad's wishes are of no importance. Calm steady breaths. Release your anger. Richard Angstrom's wish for a son is irrelevant. You are Dan'l Angstrom. You are almost 18 years old and you will live beyond this century; maybe even the next. With that thought, Dan'l sank into his mind to begin the second phase of his self examination. The room was a jumbled mess. Memories of Dani Angstrom's life were scattered everywhere. He wasn't surprised by its condition. It had been a while since he'd done any house cleaning in here and Dani had spent the last few days mulling over 'might-have been's and 'used-to-be's. He picked through the scattered memories; cherishing each as much as possible before putting them away. Some were loving moments like the evening watching TV with Mom and Dad. Feelings of safety and security. Laying out in the back seat, on the way home and knowing all was right with the world while Mom and Dad were in the front seat. Happy times, Watching Daddy cheer a particularly good hit a little league, or finding and getting a hug from Pooh at Disneyland on her third birthday. Some were vague wispy things that were hard to pick up, but evoked strong responses. A small red terrycloth robe with Pooh sewn on the pocket, smelled of Uncle Jack's pipe tobacco and Dan'l spent some time in his cabin listening intently as he read her favorite stories. Eventually all that were left were the 'Dust Bunnies' under the bed. He'd never ventured in there without Mom's or his therapist's guiding hand. Slowly Dan'l reached into the shadows and pulled each out. A 'Get Well' gift reminded Dan'l of an incident during the during the Bone Marrow. Dani had been so hopped up on pain killers at one point that she spent and hour arguing with a cat...and only after conceding that the cat was in fact right (Regis is the Anti-Christ) did she begin to suspect the toy balloon of having ulterior motives. A jump rope that brought Dani to tears a week after her original diagnosis when the closing phrase of "Yes my child by and by", took on a more relevant meaning. There too many of those Dan'l thought. But each was taken and held and incorporated. These were the things, both good and bad that made up Dani and laid the foundation for Dan'l. Then Dan'l stood alone and naked in a clean and orderly room. Not empty, everything was that had been there, still was. All the unresolved issues and fears had been packed into the the closet, but the door was open and they waited for resolution and confrontation. He felt ready to deal with the world now. Except for the music coming in through the window. Window? There'd never been windows here before. Open or otherwise. Examining it more closely he saw that the widow wasn't really open. the screen was down. Beyond the screen was an even more interesting sight. A corridor made of concrete, like you'd expect to find in an underground garage or the emergency exits for a mall. At the far end a set of polished oak doors opened out onto a very high priced office set. After staring awhile, Dan'l thought he caught a glimpse of two people, one in a in business suit and the other in rags hurridly running back and forth. Dan'l had constructed the room he was in years ago, with the aid of his Mother and Therapist. It was patterned after his room in the old house and while the original did have a window (two in fact) He'd purposefully kept the walls here clean of outside distractions. There was no other way to look at this but as a distraction. The noise coming from the offices was increasing in volume. For a moment Dan'l though he heard a woman laughing. The comings and goings in the office were picking up tempo as well. A breeze began wafting up the corridor. It carried a very familiar smell to Dan'l. He'd just spent a lot of time breathing it in. The smell of Dust Bunnies left too long under the bed was being stirred up over there. Even as he identified the scent of fear, Frick and Frack over in the office collided with each other and the doors to the office slammed shut on themselves. The shock of that sound made Dan'l open his eyes in the real world. Unlike any other session, he felt bone weary, and a little apprehensive. Bleary eyes scanned the non-descript room he was given and eventually landed on the clock on the wall. "Geez, It's past three.", Dan'l said raising to his feet unsteadily. He felt like he'd just woken from a bad dream and meditation should never produce that kind of feeling. Loneliness and uncertainty flared briefly in the back of his head, sending tingles through his gut. Dan'l shivered and pulled his PJs back on. Crawling under the covers, Dan'l reached over to the night stand and picked up the phone. "Mom... It's me. ", He said turning off the light and trying to feel her comforting presence. *** The talk with Mom helped clear the air about some things and Dan'l woke up feeling much better than he had in a week. The reflection that greeted him in the mirror was actually smiling today. A fuzzy smile to be sure but that could be taken care of easily he thought, toweling his hair. Digging through the small case on the sink, Dan'l pulled out the electric razor his Dad packed. Twenty minutes later Dan'l gve it up as a lost cause and joined his father Anne, and Chris for breakfast. "Planning on growing a beard?", Dad asked, scooping some white goo onto a forkfull of bisquet and egg. "Not really, just didn't seem too important.", Dan'l said scratching an itch on his cheek. "Am I allowed to have breakfast before my check-up?" The savory scent of sausage had Dan'l's mouth watering. "Go ahead, this morning's check-up is my first chance to have a look at my favorite paitent since you came out of the tank. How do you like your eggs.", Anne said, fixing Dan'l a plate. "By the way, did you see the cook this morning while you were upstairs." "No, I havn't seen Beth at all this morning." "Dan son, I think your prejudces are showing." Dad said around mouthfull of bisquit. "What woman in her right mind today would fix a breakfast so loaded with fat, grease, salt, and chloresteral without a alternative?" Anne commented that Dad wasn't much better for that remark and that given Dan's evident need for starch and protiens she might have prepped something similar, but today was Jamie's day to do breakfast. Dan'l had to admit Mom might make something like this for Dad, but would have made sure he got no other junk food the rest of the day. "Well, I haven't seen Jamie this morning, but I think she was up and about pretty early." "Alright, finish your breakfast and meet me down at the lab. I want to do a quick walkabout to make sure Jamie's ok." Anne seemed preoccupied all during the exam and as promised, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. "Well," she said as beth took the samples down from the examination room to the main lab below. "Beth's tests and the kids at Hopkins get the final say, but I will venture to say that outside of your accelerated metabalism, you are the very model of ayoung man just getting over his growth sprut." "I want to talk to a dietitary specialist, but I think I'm going to put you on one of the protein supplement drinks to try to get your appitite under control until you finish growing out." "Doc, Why isn't Jamie scarfing everything down the same way I am? "He's...heh, She's got a bit less growing to do than you. You're 5' 7" right now. By the end of the year our computer is projecting you at just under 5' 11". Maybe a little taller. Your Father's a good 6' and Jamie was 5' 10". I'm not saying you'll be the next Arnold, but your genetic makeup is currently well disposed toward looking very emphatically male. So, in addition to at least three or four inches in height, your body is trying to increase your mass proportionally." "Jamie also has about two or three inches in height to gain but much less muscle and bone mass. In fact she's dumped a large proportion of her bodyweight as it is." "I know what Dad,'s like, but what about Jamie?" "I'm afraid I'm a little prejuduce where she's concerned.", Anne blushed slightly for the first time since Dan'l had known the doctor. "I love her like my own. How are you and your father getting along?" "I don't know what to think about him anymore." Dan'l clenched his fists. "He and I have always had a weird kind of relationship I guess. I mean, he was always interested and wanted to be there for me but the only times he could be depended on was if I was in an important game or seeing a new doctor or about to have a major operation. It was like he just couldn't be bothered by any award I got, unless it was for sports. Did you know my last recital before had to stop playing guitar, I was considered one of the best classical players in the state? Maybe I just wanted too much from him." "Why don't you come out here and play for me now Sweetheart." Came Rick's voice from the door way. "Doctor? Is Dan finished?" "Go along dear, I think it's time for your recital."Anne said patting the child on the rump. "Before you say anything else Dad, we have got to talk about my name...." *** Rick had brought the six string out to porch and Dan'l inspected the insturment carefully before begining to tune it. He worked up slowly testing long and uncalussed fingers with pieces like "Tom Dooly" and "Scarborough Fair". They talked through all the while. Dan'l thought he might be limber enough to take a crack at Steve Howe's "Clap" when Rick asked his son to sing. Dani had often sung in the shower, but was never felt her voice was unsuitable for anything but her own enjoyment. "Dan'l, I know I never really went out my way to see you perform, but I always paid attention when you played and one hearing you "hum and strum", was one of the more relaxing things I got to do when I was home." Dan'l thought for a moment as Chris dropped off some drinks and picked a song he thought his voice could handle. He had a little trouble with finding his pitch at first, but by the time the chours swung around he was staring out past the front hedges and felt he could almost hear the alto harmony gliding airily round his tune. The feeling was of a good bonding taking hold and staring at his father he knew that more than one bond was going to be established today. -- +--------------' Story submission `-+-' Moderator contact `------------+ | story-submit@qz.little-neck.ny.us | story-admin@qz.little-neck.ny.us | | Archive site +--------------------+------------------+ Newsgroup FAQ | \ <URL:http://www.netusa.net/files/Authors/eli/www/erotica/assm/> .../assm/faq.html> /