TG short stories (M2F)

A Simple Test... Part 3

Mark fidgeted nervously as he laid in the hospital bed. He was wearing one of those hospital gowns, and already had an IV stuck into him.

They'd done more examinations before this, and for the most part, Mark had just been along for the ride.

"How are you feeling Mark?" Sharon came up to him, wearing medical scrubs.

He smiled, and did a thumbs up.

A door opened, and an older looking man wearing casual clothes walked through.

He looked like a kindly grandfather - at least, the kind that Mark saw in pop culture. He'd never known his grandparents.

"So you're our volunteer huh?" the man smiled, his wrinkles bunching up like folds in a blanket.

"Yeah," Mark smiled, "I guess."

"I'm Dr. Thompson," the man said, "but you can call me Liam."

"Nice to meet you," Mark said, "are you..."

"Yeah," Liam said, "I'm that Dr. Thompson. But today, I'm here to wish you luck. You... you're a very interesting guy, aren't you?"

"I guess," Mark said. "I'm just a barely functioning young adult who is short on money."

"You gave us permission to contact the university," Liam said, "and your professors speak highly of you, even if you may struggle."

Mark smiled slightly.

"You're going to be a big help to us Mark," Liam said. "My wife and my kids said to wish you luck. The couple times we've had people like you has been a big event."

"You don't need to be nervous," Sharon said, "you aren't a trailblazer. But you will give us some valuable data, and possibly, a new employee."

"Not possibly," Liam said, "I know that I don't make the decisions on that, but I'll see that Mark gets a job if he wants one. If he responds well, he will be very useful."

"Thank you sir," Mark teared up.

"Liam," he corrected with a chuckle. "I know I'm 87, but -"

Liam paused as Mark's eyes widened.

"See Sharon?" Liam laughed, "I told you. I don't look a day over sixty five."

"I thought you were in your fifties," Mark gasped.

"You aren't the only one who volunteers for tests," Liam smiled. "I've got a meeting to go to, but I'll be back to say hi. Good luck Mark."

Mark said bye to him as he walked out of the room.

"He's certainly a cheerful one," Sharon said.

"I'd be cheerful too if I look like that when I'm in my eighties," Mark said. "A bunch of my family have gotten so into drugs they look like they're older than he is, and they're in their forties."

"He takes very good care of himself," Sharon said, "and he has done a lot of testing on genetic damage caused by age. Every time we caution him about it he says he's not letting us keep him from seeing his great great grandchildren. Personally, I think I'd be a bit tuckered out by the time I'm his age."

"So is that the kind of test you're doing?" Mark asked, somewhat concerned, "are you preventing me from aging!?"

"I can't say what your test is," Sharon said. "but no. It is genetic though. Someday, Liam plans on doing a similar prochedure to what you're doing. However, what I can say, is that he plans on doing a more permanent version, while you will only be doing so if you decide you want it to be."

Wanting it to be permanent? What exactly were they doing to him?

"Mark," Sharon said, "I'd say it's about time. I'm going to give you a patch, and over the next hour, it will deliver the drug. There will be people in the room at all times that can help you if you need something."

A few of the workers in the room walked over, hanging back as Sharon talked to him.

"Will this... be painful?"

"Shouldn't be too much," she said. "But if it is, press this button."

It was a button on the side of the bed. It had a sticker of a smiley face on it.

"So... this will last an hour?" Mark asked, "and I'll... be awake?"

"Yes," Sharon said, "you'll be awake, as we aren't doing any kind of surgery on you. And it could go faster than an hour. You can sleep if you feel like it. But I'm going to warn you... this might be somewhat... distressing."

"Okay," Mark said.

"Remember," Sharon said, "we've tested this before, and others have done just fine."

She held a patch ready, contained in some sterile packaging. It looked normal enough.

"You ready?"

He nodded.

Mark felt the slight sensation of the patch being applied to his skin. Sharon peeled off the wrapping around it, similar to putting on a band-aid.

"There," she said. "just relax, and everything will be alright."