The Cure: A Genetic Engineering Thriller

Chapter 4

“I don’t know what Irene is going to do when you decide to leave us. She’s gonna be a real mess, I can tell you that.”

James and Reggie had settled onto the chairs on the front porch, brandy in one hand and a cigar in the other. James was more of a beer man himself, but he wasn’t about to turn down a drink after a hard day’s work. He missed it after being on the road for so long. Manual labor was in his blood, as it had been in his family for generations. He was always told he was the spitting image as his father. He wondered if that was why he and Reggie got along so well; he saw a part of himself in his old friend. All he wished was that he’d be able to have half the wealth in his life by the time he was his age—and he wasn’t talking about money.

“Irene is a special woman,” James said. “You’re a lucky man, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, I know, and I’ll never take that for granted. Has she told you the story about how we met? Or should I say, how we came to be engaged?”

James tilted his chin upward slightly, trying to filter through the many stories Irene had told him over the 32 past few days, but how she and Reggie came to be didn’t come to mind. “No, I don’t think so.”

“I wasn’t her father’s first choice,” Reggie admitted. “I wasn’t even in the running. I came from a poor family, no money, no connections or status, just this very ground we’re sitting on.” He waved his hand out to the plentiful land. James tried his best to picture it back in the day, but it was difficult to visualize. “Anyway,” Reggie continued, “they were different times back then. Arranged marriages weren’t unusual, and Irene had been paired up with a wealthy man by her father. She would’ve been well cared for, could’ve had everything she ever wanted, all but one thing.”

“Love,” James muttered without realizing it.

“Exactly. Love. It’s the most powerful magic we have on this earth—it can make even the sanest people do crazy things. We had it though, still do, decades later. She left him, left her entire life, the only family she had ever known, just to be with me. I built this house just for her and did my best to provide and give her what she wanted, something beyond what money could buy.”

“I’m sure she’s grateful.” James glanced at Reggie and sensed something was off; he had only known this man for a few days but had grown to know his expressions like the back of his hand. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

“Can I ask you something?” Reggie changed the subject, still not meeting James’s eye. He just stared out 33 at the fields below, taking a sip of his brandy every once and a while.

“Anything.”

“How did you do it?” the old man asked quietly, James had to strain to hear the words correctly. He waited a few beats, thinking that Reggie would go into detail about whatever James had done, but he remained silent.

“Do what, sir?”

“Lose the woman you love and carry on with your life.”

As if the stars had aligned, everything fell into place. James wasn’t exactly sure how he put the pieces together, the constant complaining of headaches, the inability to stand in bright sunlight for too long, the rows and rows of medicine on top of the refrigerator. The thoughts had lingered in the back of his mind, but he had never felt it was his place to ask or question Irene or Reggie’s health. They were elderly, after all, and everyone dies. That’s just the way of life.

“She’s sick,” James murmured. “What does she have?”

Reggie cleared his throat, discarding his nearly empty cup on the table between them. He twirled his thumbs for a few moments, his jaw moving from side to side. “Brain tumor. Inoperable, of course, which makes it even worse. I’ll have to sit back and watch her die without being able to do anything about it.”

“I can’t imagine,” James blinked away unexpected tears. He had grown to love and cherish the old woman and all her warm and quirky traits. He would never forget her, not until the day he died. “How long?”

Reggie let out a deep sigh. “We’re not exactly sure. The doctors are trying to be optimistic, but I can see the signs. Irene doesn’t like to talk about it. She doesn’t want to leave me alone, you see. Thinks I’ll die of a broken heart.”

James felt as if it were his heart that were breaking instead. This was what Ronald wanted to use the potion for; to help people like Reggie and Irene, so they could avoid tragedies, even if all they were doing was buying more time. For some, that was all they needed.

“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” James admitted. “I wouldn’t wish it upon my greatest enemy. It’s a bit morbid to say, but at least we had not been together as long as you and Irene have. I wouldn’t have been able to function if we’d been married for decades and all of a sudden, she was no longer sleeping in the bed next to me. She’s still here, I can sense her spirit, and know that she’s with me, but—”

“It’s not the same. I almost wish I didn’t know she was dying. You know what they say, ignorance is bliss. That’s the truest statement I’ve ever heard.”

“I wish there was something I could do,” James groaned, rubbing his eyes with closed fists. It felt as if 35 something was twisting his insides, and the aching feeling in the pit of his stomach grew with intensity.

Deep down, he knew that there was something he could do to help Irene O’Connor. There was a lot he could do for hundreds, if not thousands of people across the globe. His blood was the key to everything they had ever known about curing sickness and healing from those who have lost loved ones.

“It’s up to fate now,” Reggie concluded, patting James on the shoulder before standing up. “I think it’s time I head off to bed now, goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight, Reggie.”

***

“Can you pass the peas, love?”

It was the evening after Reggie had confided in James that Irene was terminally ill. That night, he had barely slept a wink, tossing, and turning, getting tangled in the bedsheets. At first, it had been tender sadness that prevented him from falling asleep. Picturing the world without Irene in it; not hearing her sweet voice in the morning, calling him down for a bite to eat. Sitting in the living room by the fireplace, listening to the wonderful and adventurous stories she had growing up and raising her children. What he would miss the most was her hugs, which James was certain could cure anyone of their sadness and despair.

“You’ve barely eaten anything on your plate,” Irene pointed out, stirring James from his guilt-ridden thoughts.

“Sorry,” he blushed, placing his fork and knife on either side of his plate. “I don’t really have much of an appetite tonight.”

“Are you alright?”

Her question was laced with concern, and she went as far as to place a hand on his forearm, looking deep into his eyes. He could barely stand to hold her gaze though. Not when he could be the cure that ended her suffering.

“Honesty? No, I’m not. I have something to tell you, tell you both, actually, and I’m not entirely sure how you’re going to take it.”

“This sounds serious.” Irene glanced at Reggie, and the two shared a moment before turning their attention back to James.

He wondered what worst case scenarios were running through their minds—that he was some sort of murderer that had been sleeping under their roof, or that he was a wanted criminal for embezzlement, or something far more wicked.

“Go on, don’t be shy,” Reggie coaxed. “We’re not the kind to judge.”

“Do you remember that night at The Golden Moonlight?” James started, trying to make sense of how he was going to spill the truth about everything to them. “When we were talking about Amelia and marriage, and how you thought I looked much younger than I actually am?”

“Yeah…” Irene said slowly, not picking up on where this conversation was going. “I had just assumed you were a stickler for sunscreen and that’s why you don’t have any wrinkles.”

“It’s not that.”

Leaning his weight onto one side, James fished his wallet from his back pocket and slammed it on the table, making the glasses clink. His drivers’ licence was the first ID visible, but he removed it from its slot and handed it over to Irene first. Reaching over to the counter beside them, she grabbed her reading glasses and inspected it thoroughly, while Reggie stood up from his chair to get a closer look, too.

“What do you see?” James asked.

“You,” they said simultaneously.

“The picture, do I look the same in it, or younger?”

“Now that you mention it…I’d say you’ve shaved off a few years of aging. So, is that your big secret? You had work done?” Reggie joked.

“Not the kind you’re referring to, I’m afraid. My friend, Dr. Ronald Clark, was a brilliant scientist, one who dedicated his entire life to creating something truly magical. We called it The Potion. One dose had changed my life forever. He’d created it with the intention to help cure innocent people of any illnesses they might’ve been afflicted with; cancer, disease, you name it. What we discovered was even more magnificent. It regenerated the cells in my entire body, reversed my body’s aging by years, at least. But that’s not it. The serum repaired the appendix I had removed when I was a teenager. It rebuilt an organ in a matter of weeks. We’re talking about ground-breaking science that could change the course of humanity as we know it.”

“This is, I mean, what you’re saying—” Irene fumbled over her words, and Reggie grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. “It’s madness, dear, I’m sorry to tell you. There’s no way that what you’re saying is true.”

“It could cure you, too,” James frowned.

Reggie stared daggers into James’s eyes, as if what they had talked about on the porch last night was supposed to stay between them. But James could not bear the guilt of having this valuable information for a second longer. Melanie was right, she had been all along. This wasn’t just about him, it never was. He was just the guinea pig that was more than willing to risk his life to test out Ronald’s theories. Now that they had seen, and had physical proof of what it could do, it was James’s duty to get it into the hands of as many people as he could.

“He told you?” Irene’s voice cracked, and a gentle tear slid down her face. Reggie, unable to stand on his feet, slid back into his seat, defeated.

“I know I sound mad, I questioned it at first, too, but it’s real. I promise you that I mean you no harm. But this information is dangerous, and I have to be careful who I tell. You see, my friend, Dr. Clark, he died, or I should say, he was killed for the serum. It was why I had to leave my home, because they know I have it in my body. There are people out there who want it so much they’re willing to kill others to get their hands on it. But that’s not what Ronald wanted; he wanted the people to have it, and now have to pay thousands of dollars for it.”

“Are we in danger now, too?” Reggie questioned.

“I hope not,” James confessed. “I’ve been on the road for a while now and I’ve seen no sign of anyone following me. My best guess is their trace has run cold and they’re just waiting for me to come back, or for me to use one of my credit cards to track my location. That’s why I’ve been paying for everything in cash and trashed my phone. I don’t know what these people are capable of.”

“You said you could help Irene,” Reggie changed the subject. “How?”

“I think a blood transfusion might work. It’s bonded with my DNA by now, but you’ll be surprised how powerful and potent it is. I won’t be able to help a lot 40 of people like this, but I’ll do my best. His research is what’s most important. Anyone will be able to recreate it with his formula.”

“You want my wife to have a blood transfusion so she can be cured by some magical serum that your doctor friend created?” Reggie asked, but there was a sense of sarcasm in his tone. “What are the risks?”

“Darling,” Irene interjected, “what do we have to lose?”

“I could lose you faster that’s what,” Reggie fired back. “You know I can’t handle that.”

“But what if it cures the tumor? What if I can stay with you longer on this earth? This is a gift, something we’ve been praying for. I don’t think we have much of a choice but to take him up on his offer.”

“You’re sure it’s safe?” Reggie directed his question to James.

“I can’t say it’ll be guaranteed, but just know I had no negative side effects. I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t think it was safe.”

“It sounds to me like you’ve already decided, Irene,” Reggie deflated. “You know I’d do anything to make you happy, so if this is something you truly want, know I’ll be right here by your side.”

“It’s settled then,” Irene declared. “We’ll give Dr. Ardolf a call in the morning and set up the appointment.”