Scientific Crescendo - Book 2: The Genetics Project 🪼✔

1 - Replay

**Please be advised that this story is an old work (15+ years) and may or may not have views that have now changed.**

++++++++++++++++++++++++

The looming man grabbed me and slung me, making me hit the hard ground. He yelled and screamed at me, bruising my wrists as he shook me. His gnashing teeth and beer stained breath choked me. But I had to endure... I had to make sure he was alright... They were hurting him, making his body do things it shouldn't. He could do nothing to protect me, no matter how hard he tried. I knew it wasn't his fault, it was mine actually...

Squeaking hinges made me jump as I was thrown into a small cage that was made for a dog at least half my size. My face was bruised but I had endured once again. Sure it hurt but he left the room without hurting him... I cried in pain and fear...

I woke with a start and started shaking all over. I couldn't stop and I knew I wouldn't be able to as soon as I started. The memories were too much for me... I must have yelled or done something in my sleep because Dad came in, hitting the push switch on my light.
"Sim? You alright? I heard you yell..." When he saw me he knew what had happened and sat next to me as I curled my legs up to my chest. "Dreams again?"
"Th-they haven't come and now... I..." I tried to tell him but I was just too scared.
I was having a panic attack and I couldn't even think straight anymore. Dad looked at me with empathy, knowing very well how vivid and how horrible these dreams were. He had them himself, considering both of us were in the same situation. Mine were worse though and Dad watched me sadly as I tried to grab my bearings.
Sometimes they would comply and come when I needed them but other times it was like having an asthma attack, hard to breathe and gasping for air. Today was one of those gripping days that just wouldn't let me go.
"I'm going to call Dr. Peters." I heard Dad say as he left my room.
I fell to the side softly, still holding onto my legs as my thoughts kept racing about those events over and over again. These are the memories that scarred my mind... these are the memories that haunted my dreams.

I must have fallen asleep because I opened my eyes and the light was shining through the window. The memories weren't as strong now but I was in a lot of pain. I tensed up bad last night... There was a knock on my door and Mom stuck her head in to look at me.
"Sim?"
"Yeah?" I said, my voice hoarse.
"Your father wanted me to check and see if you were awake. Do you want something to eat?"
I shook my head no. "I'm fine, thanks..."
She smiled at me sadly, knowing full well how much pain and suffering I was in. Dad had the same problem when it got to him as well and she would have to hold him. We aren't weak, my dad and I, but if you knew the hell we had gone through, you'd understand us. My mom isn't my real mom though. She's the one who loved my dad even though he had me the way he did...
I stared at nothing for a while, just relaxing my mind and trying to get it away from the fears of my childhood and back on track, where it needed to be. Besides, I was the one to blame for getting those memories back. I went to go see her and it flooded back more freely than I gave my memory credit for.
Another knock was at the door and I turned to see Dr. Peters come in and sit beside me in the chair.
"Hello, Sim, how have you been?"
"I'm okay, I guess..."
"If you were alright, your father wouldn't have called for me... So, tell me what happened?" he asked, his pen clicking.
"I had that dream again..."
"Describe it to me. I know you really don't want to, but it will help you try and get over the fear."
I stare blankly ahead, hoping to forget he was there and fall asleep. But I couldn't and I sigh, remembering in full detail everything that happened.
"Gerald grabbed my wrists hard and gave me bruises. I could see my dad on the bed, helpless to save me..."
"Ah, this dream. Was there anything different this time? Anything significant?"
"The whole thing is pretty whack, doc." I said, finally turning to him. "I really don't want to talk about it. I'll never get better..."
"You're making wonderful progress, Sim. You want some good news about this?"
"Sure."
"This is the first time I've had to be called in three years. So you see? You're making excellent progress and you are one of my most favorite patients. You're dedicated and you try to move on with your life, despite its traumatic and very unusual beginning. Are you scared?"
"Scared? Of what?"
"Well, when something traumatic happens, sometimes things that make the same sound will cause you to wince, or if someone is in close proximity to you and they lift their arm, do you cringe? If someone raises their voice, do you become very timid?"
"Oh... yeah, I get that a lot."
"Is there a particular sound that gets you?"
"Metal doors on squeaky hinges... they remind me of the cage."
"I see. Anything else?"
"I can't wear necklaces because I feel like I'm being choked, no matter how long it is."
"He choked you?"
"Once... I don't want to go into that."
"Alright. Are you in pain? Does your body remember the pain it was in in the dreams?"
"Sometimes."
"Your father says that you've been working on a project. Want to tell me about it?"
"It's nanobot technology." I said with a shrug. "It's nothing big."
"Nanobot technology is a very big thing, Sim. Why do you down your work?"
I shrugged. "It's nothing very enterprising... I mean, I haven't accomplished anything yet."
"Well, you're only in college but you've surpassed your classmates by two years and you have gotten a lot of recommendations for laboratories around the country. I'm sure your father is proud?"
"Yeah."
"What are you planning to accomplish with your nanobots?"
"I haven't found a purpose for them yet... I was thinking of trying to control the parts that got chopped off in my uncle's experiments with his regrowth and everything. He says that if enough of the skin is chopped off, even just a little piece, it will grow into a person and we don't want clones..."
"That's very interesting. How is that relationship going? Between your family and Tarot's?"
"It's okay I guess."
"Do they know?"
I looked at Dr. Peters as he looked at me with a casual expression.
"They don't need to know."
He nodded and jotted down in on his pad. I turned and looked back at the ceiling. They can never know...