The God Experiment

Chapter No.12. Incision.

Chapter No.12. Incision.

Robert decided that it was a good day to take his family to the Zoo. Janet, James and he joined a long line waiting to enter the park. Janet had a family pass, but it still took time to get in.

The sun was shining to moderate a cool wind from the North West. One of the more popular exhibits involved lions. People loved to watch them prowling around the grounds of their enclosure. James saw something that was not normal.

"What's a kid doing in there," he said, pointing at a five-year old boy.

His wife's eyes ballooned. "Oh my God!"

Robert sensed that the boy had accidently gotten into the enclosure and was in big trouble. The lioness was heading toward him. Normally, a zoo animal wouldn't do anything because they were well fed, but animals are not able to control their instincts.

Robert passed through the fence. His wife and son watched him approach the lioness. The female stopped and reclined. Robert kneeled down to pet it. The boy wandered over and Robert allowed him to pet the beast.

A crowd had gathered to watch this amazing event, although, no one realized what was actually happening.

Two trainers came out of a door of the lion housing and approached with stun guns.

Robert raised his hand. "No need to do anything violent. They won't harm the boy."

They stared at him with startled expressions.

Robert stood up and took the boy's hand. As they walked to the lion housing door, the two trainers followed them, nervously staring back at the lions, which were not moving.

"How did you pacify them?" a female trainer asked Robert.

"They sensed that I would not harm them," He replied. "They're much more intelligent than we realize."

"Are you that healer everyone is talking about?" the other trainer, an older man asked.

Robert smiled and approached him. He placed his hand on his forehead. "Yes, I see the problem. You have macular degeneration. I can fix that."

The man cried out. "Oh my God! I can see again."

The woman trainer looked at him. "I didn't know that you were that bad."

"I didn't have a choice," he replied to her. "They would have let me go if they had known."

Robert took the child's hand and they appeared near his wife. The mother saw her son and rushed over.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" she cried.

Robert nodded.

"He's has mild autism," the women said, brushing hair from her eyes. "He runs off a lot like that."

Robert placed his hand on the child's head. "I can fix him."

Suddenly, the child began talking up a storm, much to his mother's amazement.

"What did you do to him?"

"I repaired the neurons that were not connected correctly."

She stared at him with confused eyes. "Who are you?"

"I am a humble servant of the Lord."

She didn't know what to think of that. She took her son's hand and walked away.

"You sound like you're crazy, dear," Janet told him.

"Maybe I am, but I am telling the truth. They just don't want to believe me."

"We had better get out of here before we get mobbed," she said.

"I agree," Robert said. With that they walked back to the parking lot and got in the car. Neither Janet nor James said anything.

They stopped before arriving home at a Dairy Queen to enjoy ice cream treats.

While they were sitting at a table enjoying their Sundays, a man came over and pulled a chair up so that he could talk to Robert.

"You realize that you could benefit from your ability to cure."

Robert looked at him. "I'm not permitted to benefit from anything I can do."

The man's brow wrinkled. "Who told you that you could not?"

Robert smiled at him. "I think you know who."

The man handed him a business card and stood up. "If you change your mind, I can help you." He walked to the door and left.

Robert looked at the card before tucking it into his shirt pocket.

"You're not going to accept his offer, are you?" Janet said.

"No, but I'll pass this on to the two FBI agents."

"Do you think he's the evil one?"

"No. He's just a dick head trying to make a fast buck."

The old man with a marine decorated hat came over to Robert and saluted. Robert replied with the same.

"You ever in combat?" the man asked.

"Yes, in the Iraq War, First Battalion 7th Marines, I was a medic."

"I was in Nam, First Battalion 3rd Marines." He raised his left pant leg to reveal a prothesis. "Lost a leg near Da Nang."

Robert looked at it. "I could fix that."

The man held up a hand. "No, I would rather you didn't. I've gotten used to it."

Robert nodded. "I understand."

"That was a brave thing you did at mass."

"Actually, it was something I had to do."

"Semper Fi," the man said.

"Semper Fi," Robert replied.

The man stood up. "Nice talking to you."

Robert nodded. He and his family watched him walk away.

"I'm surprised he didn't want his leg fixed," Janet said.

"Who knows, maybe he considers it his Red Badge of Courage."

His wife gave him a smirk.