Alien Proliferation

wish more of the old folks would catch on and stop pretending it’s the same here as the home world.”
    “Your parents aren’t like that.”
    “No, thank God.” Naomi said with a laugh.
    Abigail jerked. “You need to get in there, Kitty.”
    “I didn’t think emotions could get in or out of these things.”
    “They can’t, really. But I’m very close, and the drug’s not out of Christopher’s system. I think that’s why Jamie’s been crying.”
    “Really, not my reactions to things?”
    “No,” Naomi said quietly. “I’m sure she’s picking up some of what Christopher’s going through, like Abby is.”
    “Everything is heightened by the drug, as far as we can tell, including what’s sent out, not just what comes in, if you know what I mean,” Abigail said.
    “Yeah, I think I do.” Which meant my emotions were likely broadcasting on a stronger frequency now than they had been before. Lucky Jeff.
    “I can just pick him up,” Abigail went on. “Trust me, he needs someone who’s not afraid of him or willing to put up with his crap.”
    I managed a laugh, kissed Jamie’s head, and then Melanie opened the chamber door. Christopher was strapped down on a large medical table that rested on a pedestal, so that the table could move in pretty much any way and rest at any angle. It was slanted so his feet were just slightly lower than his head. He was tied down, had tubes and needles in his arms, and what I knew was a feeding tube in his mouth. If he’d looked hideous, I’d have been staring at Frankenstein’s monster before the electric shock treatment.
    As it was, seeing him like this just reminded me of how often I saw Jeff like this. Not as much as I was willing to, because my reactions when I saw him in isolation were very similar to my reactions right now. I wanted to rip all this stuff out of him, get him out of the restraints, and drag him off to safety.
    Only this was safety. I’d have lost Jeff in the first two days I’d known him if it weren’t for isolation. I knew my baby would have to spend time in here, too. Maybe I would also, now. The idea terrified me.
    I went to Christopher. His eyes looked tortured and angry. I took the feeding tube out of his mouth, and gave him some water from the pitcher on one of the tables. I held his head while I helped him drink from the specially designed cup. I’d gotten good at this with Jeff, the few times I could calm down enough to be in here with him.
    Done with the water, I kissed Christopher’s forehead. “How’re you doing?”
    “It’s hell. Get me out of here.”
    I looked at his eyes. They looked better, a lot less bloodshot. But they also looked wild. “I can’t.”
    “Please. Kitty, I can’t stand it.” I could hear the pain in his voice.
    I stroked his hair. “I know. It’s horrible. But we have to get the drug out of you.”
    Christopher shook his head. “It’ll never be out of me. I know what’s happened to you because of what this did to Jeff.”
    “How?” Who would have been stupid enough to tell him against Chuckie’s direct order, which Jeff had agreed with?
    “I can see it. I can see what’s happening inside you. I can see your cells rearranging.”
    “Umm . . . Christopher? Managing not to have hysterics here, but only just.”
    He took a deep breath. “Remember I told you I could see the people I cared about if I concentrated?” I nodded. “Well, I can. It’s so awful in here—I’ve never understood how Jeff could stand it. He’s braver than me, I guess.”
    I kissed his head again. “He wouldn’t agree. Now, please, before the hysterics start, finish up the scary explanation that probably won’t make me feel any better.”
    “I was . . . scared,” he said in a low voice. “So I tried to see you and the baby, just to pretend things were normal. I concentrated so hard, I could see you, and then I could really see you. It’s never happened before, but I’ve practiced while I’ve been in here, and if I want to, I can see what’s happening in your body.”
    “Desperately focusing on the positive here. So you’re about to become the king of the brain surgeons or something, but what’s going on with me?”
    “You’re a superhuman. I know you’ve already figured it out, but your cells have altered to the point where I don’t think you’re going to go back to the old you.”
    “Is it going to kill me?” Wow, asked that without my voice shaking too much. So proud of