Let it breathe, let it breathe, let it breathe for the space cadets

The treatment

"I am Murt,"

"Okay . . ." Bahosky said.

"I have a colony ship," Murt said.

"Where?" Bahosky looked over.

A ship lowered from behind Murt.

"You're the best," Bahosky grew a smile.

Murt had a nod.

"I am acting purely as a private citizen to help others similar to my species only a little more primitive," Murt said.

"We are not primitive," Bahosky said, insulted.

"Engaging in a war from above King Quano's planet?" Murt asked.

"Under Emperor Dragos," Bahosky said.

"Only primitive people engage in war just for the sake of it," Murt said.

"Sachun!" Bahosky called, turning away from Murt toward the interior of the tent. "Get up here!"

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Weeks went by went without any word from Sakaar regarding Smith's treatment. It was a eventful month that featured strange visitor from other worlds and a few who claimed to be from Earth sticking around space because it was fun. Fun in the final frontier. Fun not terrifying, dangerous, and life threatening. It contrasted against the Robinsons who didn't like being on Priplanus or in space at all. They never wanted to have a adventure. Just a predictable colonization that was boring with its perks. Will found himself with the Robot visiting where Smith had his old campsite. A place that allowed Will to feel closer to his friend. Sometimes, the silence after the aliens were comforting in the illusion that the doctor was there.

"The elevator!" Penny pointed out, one day, when the table was being cleaned after lunch.

The Robinsons turned their attention in the direction that the young girl had pointed in.

The door creaked open with a protest then Sakaar came out of it.

"The monthly progress report," Sakaar said. "The patient's treatment is going on as scheduled."

"Is he less wild than before?" Don asked.

"We are working on peeling away the werewolf aspect, Major West," Sakaar said.

"Yes or no will do," John said.

"Nothing has changed," Sakaar said.

"Except," Don started.

"We have successfully broken down the walls that Zachary Smith set up," Sakaar said.

"Alright!" Will cheered.

"He has lost the two lower set of arms," Sakaar continued. "A little closer to his original schematic but not by much."

"Just two?" Don asked. "Not just three."

"It is a very slow treatment," Sakaar said. "We do not need to make it painful for him."

"Can we see Doctor Smith?" Penny asked.

"Not yet," Sakaar said.

"It has been a month, Doctor Sakaar," John reminded Sakaar.

"It has," Sakaar said. "But it is not allowed."

"Why is it that?" Don asked. "Is there anything that might get you investigated for medical malpractice?"

"That is not why," Sakaar said. "we are only minimizing the pain. You have gone through already from what I have been told."

"We can determine how much pain that we can tolerate," Maureen said. "Not you."

"Your concern is appreciated," John said. "But the rule isn't needed. We can handle it."

"You will have to leave the Robot behind," Sakaar said. "I hate for it to be taken apart and studied how primitive Earthings made him."

The Robot's head bobbed up.

"PRIMITIVE?" The Robot exclaimed. "Now, I will show you primitive!"

"Robot, stop," Don stopped the Robot by standing in between them. "Let's not have a fight here. That is exactly what the doctor wants."

Don glared toward the doctor turning away from the Robot.

"No," Sakaar said. "It is the truth. We have some scientists among our staff very interested in machines like him," then gestured toward the elevator. "After you."

"Children first," John announced, then watched Penny and Will bolt in the direction of the space elevator with Judy lagging from behind.

John turned toward the Robot.

"Robot," John said. "Make sure no one is around when we get back."

"Affirmative," the Robot said.

The Robinsons went inside the elevator then it vanished from the Robot's sensors.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The elevator door was opened before the Jupiter 2 crew letting them out. Will observed there were florescent lights installed on the cieling that was a shade of multiple cool colors. The space elevator had reappeared in a building with gray paint and large windows that showed a green scenery with hills in the background that struck through the clouds acting acting as a skyscraper. There were potted plants decorating the halls, paintings of strange humanoid figures made themselves home on the walls, and strange architecture seen on the counters. Sakaar went to the front and guided them down the hall. They passed by a number of doors taking a corner in the nick of time to miss a grim looking Sachun and a doctor simian to Sakaar headed down the opposing hall.

"And behind that door is the patient,"

"Great!" Penny was the first to push the door open and sped into the room.

The door closed behind the young girl leaving her into the dark room that was partially lit. The door locked behind her. She could hear Will trying to tug the door open from the other side. She observed there were rocks, glittering sand, and bones that once belonged to animals littering the landscape. She looked up observing the two moons from above the trees that seemed to be flickering on and off on the massive screen.

"Doctor Smith?" Penny called. "Are you there?"

Penny rubbed her shoulder looking around for the familiar figure.

"Cut that out," Penny said. "You are scaring me."

She had the strangest feeling that something was watching over her, staring down upon her figure, hungerly.

"If you are going try that, it's not going to work," Penny said. "I expect that from Will not from someone like a adult."

She shifted away from the screen in the direction of the creature staring down at her.

"Come down," Penny said.

The werewolf came to a landing in front of her landing on all feet with a snarl.

"You don't scare me," Penny said, reaching her hand out.

"PENNY ROBINSON, PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE WEREWOLF!" Sakaar's voice echoed from her mind.

"It's alright," Penny said. "I am not going to hurt you."

The werewolf stepped back after a flicker appeared in one of its eyes.

"PENNY ROBINSON, STEP BACK!" Sakaar's voice insisted.

Penny reached her hand out to the lower arm of the werewolf then gently slid her hand down his shoulder.

"You're not going to hurt me," Penny said, her other hand clasping onto the small yet slightly larger furry hand.

The werewolf yanked their hand out of Penny's grasp then shoved her way while the other sections were reaching out for her. The young girl was scared as she stumbled back to against the wall. Penny vanished then reappeared in another room from across the werewolf returning to their original resting place. Maureen scanned her daughter for any wounds that were left behind by the werewolf then grasped her shaken daughter into a hug. Don was looking into the enclosure staring at the werewolf ripping out muscle from the dead lamb. There was disgust on the major's face. The werewolf stood on their feet then approached the darkness then came to a stop and stood towering over Don searching for a figure in the black. The werewolf lowered then walked away.

"Is there a chance that breaking down those walls made his state of mind a lot worse?" John asked, his arms folded, looking down upon the watcher.

"There is hope," Sakaar said. "This is the best sign that we have had from the patient in a month that he has a chance of recovering."

John sighed, briefly closing his eyes.

"Another month or two of this," John said. "Do you really think there will be anything left of him to recover?"

Sakaar stared back at the professor.

"We have considered it," Sakaar said.

"And?" Don asked, turning away from the enclosure.

"We refuse to believe that," Sakaar said. "There is always a chance for recovery when there is room for it. And he shows room."

"If you are going at this slowly as I think you are," Don said, stepping forward. "There maybe nothing left of him."

"Did we see not see the evidence contradicting that?" Sakaar asked. "He is hanging on."

"But barely," Don said. "It's a lot like being in a bad storm and you can't hold on forever."

"Don is right," John said. "The humanoids you treated are different from us. We are not strong in the mind when it comes to that."

"We don't mean for any of you to be terrified of his current state," Sakaar said. "This is why we recommend visiting when he is in werewolf syndrome," Sakaar looked toward the enclosure with a unreadable expression "He is not as terrifying from there."

The werewolf lurked about the forcefield walls, growling, eying at the Robinsons, walking on all limps.

"Doctor Sakaar," A woman's voice came from above drawing Sakaar's attention, "it is the treatment hour for Patient Zachary Smith."

"We must see the treatment," John said.

"No," Sakaar said.

"He is not asking," Maureen said. "He is telling you."

"We are not leaving until we see what is going on here," John said.

"You feel the same way?" Sakaar asked.

One by one, each member of the Jupiter 2 crew had a nod.

"I want to see how it's being done slowly," Don said. "All of us do."

"That is understandable," Sakaar said, then faced the enclosure. "It will begin in five minutes."

Sakaar vanished in a blink of their eyes.

The Robinsons's attention attention were drawn toward the enclosure that glowed a bright white. The simulated environment was replaced by a clean, empty white room with the skeletons and corpse all disappearing at once leaving the werewolf standing in the center of the room looking around in alarm with a deep growl that unnerved John and intimidated. Feeling small and vulnerable to the creature that was staring back at his direction. It occurred to Don that is how the doctor felt when cornered one of the werewolves made by KaraQ. Only the terror was more consuming for Smith, the terrifying moments standing there, watching the creature approach him than it was for Don. Creatures similar to Sakaar began to appear from around the room surrounding the werewolf.

A circular hole appeared from above the werewolf.

The Robinsons watched a large body restraint structure made of metal float down the center.

The werewolf looked up then growled and bolted away from the structure.

The watchers grabbed hold, one at a time, dragging the werewolf far and farther away from the corner as it tried to lash out. Each set of claws were covered by red boxing gloves and the main feet were wrapped up in a tough white fabric. The werewolf was shoved into the structure by the watchers balancing themselves on another. The structure was shiny with its own dents and bumps that showed the uneasy history it had containing werewolves in general. The restraints clasped on to the many arms and straightened out the legs making the werewolf howl in pain. A table formed underneath the werewolf and a long support beam formed underneath. A long, wide platform with shiny lights that had a humanoid figure outlined in it. The outline clasped on to the werewolf with a soft, definite hiss.

Sakaar reappeared from across the Robisons with hands linked behind their back.

"You're not putting him under when you do this?" Maureen asked, disgusted.

"It is the standard way," Sakaar said. "Having the patient under during the procedure has been proven ineffective."

"So the only to treat them is by cruel, inhumane means," John said.

"It is the only one that works effectively," Sakaar replied.

"Effectively," John said. "What about patient's well being?"

Sakaar was silent looking away from John.

"Cramped inside a coffin," Judy said.

They could hear the doctor's silent screaming of painful terror from behind the wall.

"There are people in your world who use it as immersion therapy," Sakaar said. "They call it medicine."

"That is called torture," Don said.

"When they use that as medicine . . ." Maureen said. "I am very certain they don't shackle themselves in."

A green night illuminated from the coffin like structure.

"It is done," Sakaar said.

Their attention went toward the enclosure.

"How often do you do this?" Will asked.

"Every day," Sakaar said. "We plan to expand the number of the treatment in the next few months."

The fixture from above lifted up and retracted inside the hole. The machine that had grasped hold on to the werewolf let go letting him fall out to his knees. The structure went up returning into the cieling. Will approached the wall watching the whiteness of the interior faded away. Everything returned to where it belonged. The werewolf was whimpering struggling to get up to its feet only falling back down. The werewolf crawled over toward what it had been feasting on then curled up into a ball with a visible tremble. Don set his eyes square on Sakaar.

"And what does he get out of this on a daily basis?" Don asked. "Pain?"

Will set his hand on the wall.

"It doesn't last long," Sakaar said. "The patient is normally up and eating a hour later."

You're going to get better, Doctor Smith, Will thought, I know you will. Just keeping holding on.

"You didn't answer my question," Don said. "I see no change from him."

John and Maureen saw the boy was hurting looking down upon the snoring away werewolf.

"It is a subtle change that you cannot see," Sakaar said.

"Subtle?" Don asked. "I can see subtle. Even for a werewolf. I see no change."

Despite being so martian like, Sakaar's features reminded Don of a angry human.

"You are not the one around him on a daily basis since two months and two weeks ago," Sakaar said. "He is not alone, normally. We have the young ones spending time around his room and play with him using some remote controls."

"You mess with him," Judy said.

"We consider it education," Sakaar said.

"That is not education," Maureen said.

"That is being playful," John said. "That is what it is."

"You should see him when he hits the wall when chasing one of their imaginations," Sakaar said, bemused.

"That is not helping him when it comes to his mental condition," Judy said, as Penny joined Will's side. "I don't need to be a doctor to know that."

"It's one of those few activities where we actually see the patient," Sakaar said. "We have seen the werewolf most of the time but with your daughter," Sakaar looked toward the little girl then toward the parents. "It has proven that familiar figures are more helpful to him. Despite the entertainment that we have tried to give him only ended up making the children laugh and bring out the wolf inside even more. We will eliminate that activity." Sakaar turned toward the family. "He is not in the position to have long visits."

"We will leave when we want to," John said.

Sakaar looked at the children, peering into their minds, then stopped looking toward the whimpering patient.

For everything they had gone through accepting the patient as one of their own was perplexing.

"Doctor Sakaar," Maureen spoke up. "Can we talk outside."

"Yes," Sakaar said, glancing toward the couple.

Operating on the same wavelength, on the same page, regarding the same issue. It required no words to be exchanged. It wasn't anything telepathic for humans but it could have been as Sakaar left the room quietly then came to a stop outside the doors. It was at that moment did Sakaar pay more attention to her features. Her motherly demeanor was replaced by a more professional one that lacked its warmth and kindness. She her hands clasped together against her stomach.

"Can we trade visiting hours?" Maureen asked.

"Trade?" Sakaar asked.

"Yes," Maureen said. "Trade."

"You can't trade hours like that," Sakaar said.

"My children's happiness is my top priority," Maureen said. "I can trade for that."

"You have the motivation," Sakaar said, sensing the ever present determination from the matriarch.

"Waiting for Doctor Smith to return from current state of mind in his werewolf syndrome stage will be worth waiting for my children," Maureen said. "Spending months not knowing how he is doing," she looked toward the door to the room. "My son has developed the most unexpected bond with the doctor." She looked toward Sakaar. "I didn't see it coming but maybe I did," she hesitated, looking back, at her memory. "Someone who tries to push people away, push at their buttons to make them angry, being mean, make them not like him, and collects injustices. Just to keep a safe distance from other people between them. My children walked through all that like it were nothing."

"And this is something to them," Sakaar said.

"It is," Maureen said, with a nod.

"I see," Sakaar said.

"It slows them down, their moral has been down, and lately it has been. . ." She looked off toward the side. "quiet," was said softly. "For them, at least," she straightened her head up. "Despite those aliens that crash land on Priplanus or come by our campsite, it doesn't feel the same."