The Lost and the Found - Michael Morbius

Going Batty

"Michael, you were right, they're here. We found them."

For obvious reasons, Michael was only fit to travel in certain conditions and under specific special circumstances. 

So Selina volunteered to travel to Costa Rica and hike through the jungle along with a group of guides to find 'the cave' using Michael's extensive research and directions. Sounded ominous, and exciting. 

And now was one of those times, one of those special, certain circumstances for travel. Now at her word, he was on his way. This was a special circumstance - very special. 

"Michael, if there's a cure for your disease, you'll find it," Papa had assured him, always assured him, assured all of them. 

Now, it seemed, he was closer than ever in his venture, his life's work.

She could hear the urgency in his voice over the distance, through the phone lines connecting them.  "Meet you there."

"See you soon."

Late the next day was as soon as it could be. The hum of the helicopter overhead turned to thundering as the vessel came into view, transporting a crate hanging below, and touching down directly before the cave. 

"Do you need a doctor?" one of the guides asked as Michael emerged from the chopper.

"I am a doctor," he responded, and left it at that. 

Now he stood before it, the cave, staring down into the deep depths as far as his eyes could see. "Isn't it incredible, vampire bats can eat up to-" he said, nodding to a pile of-

"Oh God-" Selina spun around, but not before seeing the pile of bones and remains of some unfortunate creature - some very large and unfortunate creature.  She suddenly felt more than a little queasy. "Ugh - I don't do blood."

Now they all stood before the mouth of the cave.

"Do I want to know what you're plotting?" she asked him.  

"Probably not." Then he called out to the guides, "set up the trap right here at the entrance to the cave."

She only caught sight of the blade when it was too late.  "Michael-"

"Sorry, it has to be done." He held out his hand, sliced and bleeding palm facing towards the gaping hole. Then he addressed them all. "If you're going to run, do it now."

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And that was how they ended up with a cage full of dozens of vampire bats in Michael's grand office at Horizon Labs. 

"Have you told Papa?" Selina asked him as he poured over his specimens, lab coat and all.  "Lucien? It's his money."

'Whatever you need', Lucien had assured Michael, willing to pour all his wealth into the cause, understandably. But, as they knew all too well, Michael's methods could be, well, interesting  to say the least. And to put it lightly. In fact, there were many words to describe Michael's methods. 

"They know I'm up to something." His lips quirked up into a slight grin.  "As do you."

"They are kind of cute, you know," she admitted, getting up close and personal to the glass cage, looking at the little brown bats. "With their scrunched up little noses-"

"Don't get too close," Michael called. Then he stood and made his way over to the cooler, where he kept the bags of blood samples. Even though it would be easier to ask her to go in and grab the sample he needed, he sweetly respected her dislike of blood and did the job himself. 

"You don't have to do that," she had assured him the first time this had transpired. "I can get it for you."

"And have you puking all over my lab," he'd joked back. 

Now he brought the blood sample over to his lab desk and filled a needle with the contents of the sample - which he proceeded to inject in a mouse.  Selina looked away. 

When she heard the needle clinking back onto the tray she looked back over. The mouse sniffed around for a moment and then flopped over, dead.

Michael heaved a heavy sigh and clicked the button on  his handheld recorder.  "Trial unsuccessful." Then he turned and gave her a tired smile. 

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I couldn't do this without you."

Martine was let in on the project as well, seeing as she worked so closely with Michael. But that was it: Michael, Selina, Papa, Lucien and Martine, only the five of them. They didn't want too many people made aware of this risky experimentation. 

Martine herself entered the lab, dressed in a lab coat as well. "How goes it?"

"It goes. Another unsuccessful attempt." Michael nodded to the dead mouse in the cage.

"I'm sorry."

"And so onto the next trial." He turned away to clean his tools. Selina was back to watching the bats. 

"Michael," Martine suddenly cried. "It worked!"

She was standing over by the cage with the dead mouse - or not so dead mouse. 

"Oh my God," breathed Selina, joining Martine and staring at the mouse who seemingly had come back to life.

"It worked," cried Michael, peering in closely.  "It worked."

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"What you're doing sounds super sketchy." She didn't know all the details - Michael wouldn't reveal them, even to her, so it must be serious (seriously illegal, and sketchy). But she knew he had discussed details with Lucien and funding. Martine would go along with him, the two doctors together. And that, Michael said, was all they needed. "Please, I want to help."

"Please, Selina. You've done enough," he insisted. "I want you there too, but it's for your safety.  I am forever grateful to you. Besides, Martine will be there to keep me out of trouble."

"She'll do her best." She smiled slightly.  "Michael, be careful." Please, please be careful. 

(Well we all know how it goes ;) 

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))