One of Them

Chapter 13

Burst raced up the stairs and down the hall, she glanced at the inscriptions on the doors, searching for the one that had Stitch's name on it. She found it right next to Sprite's room, which was three doors down from hers. She knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Stitch asked.

"It's me, Burst." She said. "I... I need to ask you something about your disease."

Stitch was silent for a few moments, then he opened the door slightly.

"What do you need to know?" He asked, a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Um, before you turn rabid," she asked nervously. "Do you ever feel... Weird? Like something's not right?"

"I often got migraines the week before I turned rabid." He said, his suspicion turning to curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

Burst rubbed the back or her neck nervously. "I have a theory on your disease." She said. "I think that it builds up over time, then it's released in a single homicidal rush. I was wondering if there were any signs so you would know when you're going to... Well... You know...."

Stitch was quiet for a few minutes, then his eyes lit up. "I see what you're getting at," he said, opening the door wider. "And I think you may be right. Come with me, there's something you need to see."

He walked out of his room and walked down the stairs with Burst following him. They walked into the dining room and down the stairs.

"You work down here?" Burst asked, awed by the lab. It was huge. Bottles filled with mysterious liquids and various powders and books lined the shelves on the walls, on the counters next to the walls were many tools and glass vials. In the center of the room was something that looked like a metal bed with leather straps.

"What's this for?" Burst asked, glancing at the slanted bed.

"That's for me." Stitch said as he pulled a large book off one of the shelves. "If your theory is correct, it's going to be used to contain me if I start getting migraines again. So if I do go rabid, I won't kill anyone."

Burst turned back to Stitch. "What are you going to do?" She asked. "Do you really think there is a cure? You've been doing this for years, according to Grimm."

Stitch was silent for a little while. "I'm not looking for a cure, I know there isn't one." He said at last. "I'm looking for a formula that will release the buildup without making me homicidal."

He turned to look at her. "I know that there's no way I can go back to the way I once was." He said as he flipped through the pages of the book he was holding. "But I know there is something that can make me less dangerous, I just need to find out what it is."

Burst nodded. "I hope you find it soon." She said, then she went upstairs and left Stitch to continue his work.