Free Claimed by Clarissa Cartharn

around his shoulder. “Don’t you listen to James. You’re not a chimera. You never were!”
    “Your mother’s right,” James muttered. “You were a failed experiment. You’ re perfectly human.”
    Jared began to pant deeply, a frown etched deeply into his brow.
    “Jared?” Tara asked concernedly. “Are you alright?”
    He threw back his head and let out a painful cry.
    “Jared! Jared!” Stella held onto him desperately.
    His body began to contort. T he nerves in his face and throat popped out, exposing the pain surging through him. “Ahhh!!” he screamed as he threw himself against the back rest of his chair.
    “What’s going on?! Jared!” Stella cried out in a panic.
    Jared whipped his hands about him, toppling their drinks over.
    James stepped back and watched him in bafflement. “Does he have epilepsy?”
    “No, he doesn’t have epilepsy!” Tara growled. “I don’t know… what it is,” she stammered in equal confusion and frustration.
    “My back!” Jared screamed in pain as he fell to his knees.
    “Is it cramping? Jared, please talk to me!” Stella cried.
    Tara hurriedly massaged his back along with her mother.
    He thrashed on the floor, convoluting on it.
    “James, do something!” Stella cried helplessly.
    James ran his hands over his face, thinking rapidly. “Turn him over!” he ordered at last. “Turn him over! Pull up his shirt!”
    “What? Why?” Tara asked in a panic.
    “Just do it!” he said, already kneeling beside him.
    They rolled him onto his stomach and pulled up his shirt.
    Tara let out a shocked cry. His backbone was contorted awkwardly and popped out considerably.
    Stella ran her fingers fearfully on the bone pushing tightly against his skin, desperate to break out.
    “Jared,” she wept. “What’s happening to you?”
    “It’s his scapula,” James observed. “We need to take him to Dr Langford now!”
    “No, no!” Stella cried adamantly.
    “Listen, Stella,” he said sternly. “If we don’t carry him into my vehicle this instant, he’ s going to die. You hear me?”
    She looked helplessly at her hurting son and then at James. “Okay.”
    “Good,” he let out a breath of relief. “Tara, help me with him. Stella, pack a quick bag and grab the children.”
    Stella continued to stare at him, stricken with shock.
    “Stella! Now!” he ordered. He turned to Jared as Stella raced out of the room. “Son, you’re gonna have to help me and Tara, okay?”
    Jared nodded, whimpering.
    “Easy son,” he whispered as he grabbed onto one arm.  “Okay, Tara?” he asked while she grabbed the other. “Now, easy and gently. We don’t want that scapula ripping his flesh open.”

CHAPTER 7
     
    The pulsating sounds of the defibrill ator resounded in the air. Clean, fresh antiseptic scent drifted to his nose. Jared fluttered his eye-lids, trying to shake out of his drug induced unconsciousness. He could hear their muffled voices in the distance but it was much too difficult to recognize any of them.
    He tried to turn but his back hurt considerably. He felt his chest was bound tight and he took immense effort to breathe comfortably. He groaned and someone clasped his palm immediately.
    “Jared?” H e realized it was his mother. “How are you feeling, honey?”
    He closed his eyes with relief, his mother’s comforting voice soothing his anxiety.
    “Where am I?” he croaked.
    Footsteps scrambled towards him, interrupting his mother before she could answer him.
    “Jared,” said a man. “My name is Dr Mark Langford. How are you feeling?”
    “ Langford?” Jared blinked his eyes open. He heard that name before; he couldn’t remember where though. “I feel crook. My back pains like someone’s put a knife through it.”
    The man nodded and noted something on his medical clipboard.  “Do you remember where you were last?” the man asked as he continued to scribble on his notepad.
    “I was at home; in the kitchen,” Jared replied, slightly baffled with