Free Claimed by Clarissa Cartharn Page B

James Saunders at his side. “I’m Dr. Mark Langford. I’m sorry for introducing myself again. The last time you flipped out on me so I can’t be sure if you still remember me.”
    “I do,” Jared said flatly.
    Dr. Langford nodded and then silently indicated for Tara to remove the children from the room. “Very well then,” he continued. He dragged a chair and sat beside his bed. “How much do you remember of the night you were with James?”
    Jared glanced at the man standing at the end of his bed. “James said that I was a chimera and you were responsible for inoculating me with the genes in the embryonic stage. I should be getting mad at you right now but I’m too fucking tired to do that anymore.”
    Dr. Langford pursed his lips. “Do you recall the attack in your back soon after he revealed you were a para-human?”
    “Yes.”
    “Was that the first time you’ve had that pain?”
    Jared looked up at his mother worriedly. “No.”
    “Jared?” Stella said with disbelief.
    “I just never told you, Ma,” he said, concern clouding his face. “The first I had it was when I was chased by a group of poachers in the woods three months ago. And since then, my back has pained occasionally. What’s going on, Dr. Langford?”
    “When your father agreed to an inoculation of your embryonic form, we injected you with eagle and panther genes. We didn’t know how the embryo would develop and we could only assume it would develop as we had theorized. However, when you were born, there was nothing to indicate to us that any of the mutations occurred as we had presumed. You were completely normal. There was absolutely no inkling that the mutations might have even been delayed and according to your mother, nothing strange occurred.” He licked his lips in deep thought.
    “ Dr Langford,” Jared interrupted. “I’m sorry to have to cut you off there but I’ve heard all that before. I’d really like it if you could get straight to the point.”
    “Yes, yes,” he replied. “ But I need to tell you this just so I know that you’ve understood.” He coughed and continued. “What we failed to recognize was that the inoculated genes could have remained dormant all through your life. I believe that when you ran for your life from those poachers who were intent on killing you, your genes were stimulated; activated by its natural fight or flight responses. The pain you were feeling was the extension of your scapula bone which was evolving into the bone structure of an eagle’s wing. On the first night you were brought to my lab, we did an immediate surgery on your back, releasing the bone to grow freely. It was the only way we could save your life.”
    Jared blinked at him with disbelief. “Are you saying I have feathered wings attached to my back?”
    “Wings yes. Feathered- not yet. But we’ve noticed that they’ve begun to sprout some feathers. In due course, you’d have a wing span proportionate to your body size. And with what calculations we have at the moment, I can honestly say that they would also give you the power of lift.”
    “You mean I’d be able to fly?”
    “Well, yes,” he said hesitantly. “But of course, that is subject to time. Like I said, I can only assume it will happen. I cannot assure you that this will be so.”
    Jared threw his head back with frustration. “I can’t believe this is happening to me,” he muttered. “I should just kill you now.”
    Dr. Langford glanced up worriedly at James.
    Jared covered his face with his hands. “I’m a freak.”
    “Jared, honey, no,” his mother began to sob.
    “How could Da do this to me, Ma?” he shook with anger.
    “Your Da loved you, honey. He only did what he thought was best for you and the people he loved.”
    Jared grew quiet, staring up at the ceiling in this lavishly decorated room. “I want to see it,” he said at last, pulling away his covers.
    “Jared, you’re not ready yet…” Dr Langford put a hand out to stop