Bitch: Transformation #WATTYS 2018

Chapter 46 - Tryon

The door on the back of the building banged open. And a slender man in a lab coat stepped out and then quickly towards us, Alan trailing along behind him. Red stood up, but the man in the coat only had eyes for me. When he got close he adjusted his little round metal framed glasses to the exact same spot on the end of his nose. He crouched down a little to be at eye level with me. His bug eyes looked comical through the lenses and his adam's apple bobbed when he spoke.

"Amazing. I can see some of the structures are still humanoid. Wow, this is beyond any cutting edge that I know of... And she can move? Like a dog?" He reached out in excitement towards my head.

I tried to yell but it came out as kind of a chuff.

He pulled his hands back in surprise, pupils black rounds in the little glasses. For just a flash, I thought I saw Shen in the doorway holding his bloody hand. I blinked and Shen was gone.

Alan shook his head. "Professor, I told you she understands everything you are saying, and somewhere inside all that, there was a person... Is."

The professor crossed his arms and looked back at me, "I'm sorry for rushing things. I just... you represent an impossibility. A biological impossibility... and yet here you are, staring me in the face. I'm afraid that I'm not sure how to proceed in this situation, the best protocols to follow. My name is Professor Richard Tryon, I'm the head of the biology department here and oversee the animal studies, which includes genetics. Will you come inside and let me examine you?"

I looked at him... he seemed earnest and smelled of disinfectant, musk, and a hint of oregano. I didn't smell hate, or anger. I looked at Alan and he nodded. Even Red seemed to be on board. I glanced back at Apoc.

"And the wolf, professor?" asked Alan.

"Well?" Professor Tryon was not following.

"He's not doing well, I think if you were to examine him, and help him out first it might go a long way to convincing her that you mean well. The last scientist that she dealt with did this to her."

My heart fluttered with a sudden stab of love for Alan. I wanted to kiss him.

"I'm not a vet. I could give some care, and examine him." Professor Tryon was exasperated with this obvious waste of time.

"You have one on retainer for the animal husbandry program." Alan reminded him.

"On a Friday night? Stella would charge me something obscene for an after hours out-call."

"It will get you the subject of your career. You may never have another chance to examine another specimen like her. The government is moving heaven and earth to find her. They blew up my ranger station, just because we picked her up in a canoe." Alan argued.

That got the professor's attention. He waved at me back into the truck under the tarp. "Get out of sight. I'll open the roll up door, and you should back up to doorway. I'll need my senior grad students to assist. And once you are done unloading you should park this truck under the awning next to the greenhouse. I'll call Stella and give her a work space to uh... help the wolf, which is not in a cage! Why is a potentially deadly wild animal not in a cage?!? Nevermind!" He held up a hand as if cutting himself off from answering his own question.

"I will need to get you, and the wolf into cages immediately to keep from attracting attention. Will that work for you?" He finished looking expectantly at me.

I nodded.

He grunted, and shut the tailgate on me.