Chapter Thirty-Five

Doctor Gagnon and Teddy walked down to the padded rooms where she wanted to show him something that would help him grow as a person. When they arrived in the secluded part of the hospital, Teddy found a small, dirty man in a suit curled up in the corner of the cell.

“You’ve made such tremendous progress. Teddy I thought we start the day out on a lighter note,” she promised.

“Thank you Evita, I couldn’t have done it without you. I owe everything to you.” Teddy partially believed this, now standing more or less upright with his limbs looking almost completely like his own. His musculature was still improving and the scars were still visible, but his mobility was almost pre-amputation days.

“I’m glad I cancelled the starvation tests with you. That would have been a waste, I think,” she said, now standing at the window to the padding room.

“Why did you change your mind?” Teddy asked.

“Because you changed yours,” she said simply. “You’re Darwin’s pet and I really didn’t want to hurt you for long. I think you actually mean something to him. Anyway, I know what happens when we don’t eat, so doing it to you really would have been a waste.”

“What happens?”

“The hunger you feel, it just never stops. It keeps growing until finally you give in,” she informed in an anticlimactic way.

“You starved yourself didn’t, you?” Teddy asked, being perceptive enough to note the mood change in the doctor.

“I have…restrained myself from eating on a regular basis. The periods between feasts grow shorter and shorter. I tried to hold out, but I eventually wasn’t able to concentrate on anything. All I could think about was the blood.”

“So, the only salvation is to never eat, once you do you’re screwed?” he concluded.

“I don’t think so, Teddy. I infected a boy and left him to see what would happen. He’s been under camera and observation the whole time. He’s changed from anger many times but just like the rest of us, all the traits and signs of withdrawal are present even in him. Although mild, I see a steady decline in him.” The doctor pulled out the Folger Adam key readying to open up the cell.

“He doesn’t look like a boy?” Teddy commented.

“What?” she asked, momentarily confused. “No, not him. The kid is elsewhere. This is a gift for you!”

“Mine,” Teddy repeated with a pulse of nerves racing through his body.

“Yes. I thought you might like to change into something more comfortable and have a bite to eat,” she suggested.

“I’ve never killed anyone before,” Teddy said.

“Yes, it’s unfortunate your donor died before you got to eat him. Now is your chance to chew on a beating heart, wouldn’t you like that?”

Just the suggestion of it was making him grow warm as he looked at the small man through the window. It didn’t matter who it was, there was only one underlying thought within him and that was murder and consumption. He marveled how quickly the power had polluted him. He said no inside but knew he would do it, not because the good doctor wanted him to, but because he wanted to.

With the lock snapped, the two entered the cell. Teddy was already beginning to grow fangs which he half-heartedly resisted growing. His nails were tingling with a slight itch and he knew his knives were soon to show their edges.

“Mister Kimbel this is my protégé, Teddy…”

“You’re here to kill me, aren’t you?” Kimbel demanded with his eyes trained on Teddy’s growing claws and lengthening hands.

“I don’t care for rude people Mister Kimbel!” The good doctor lectured. “It’s entirely up to him whether you die. He may turn you, but I think he’ll probably eat you.”

“Don’t you think I’ll be missed?” he asked in an attempt to give her a reason to spare his life.

Teddy inflated his chest and the buttons began to break away, bringing forward his thickening mat of hair. Growing more animal, Teddy hissed and snarled at his dinner, knowing he was ready to bust open the rib cage and begin gnawing on his life pump.

“Mister Kimbel, no one is ever missed. Your car was found days ago burnt to a crisp. Looked like you and Giddon were victims of foul play but the police are still investigating. All New Haven officials can say is, after a nice dinner with city staff the two Riverview officials left for home around ten o’clock. No one heard from them again. You see Mister Kimbel, when an entire town is keeping the secret because they have to…little problems like you tend to just go away; and if they don’t, we infect the person investigating, and you can be sure that does make our problems go away.”

“So, turn me. I want to be like you!” Kimbel said in one last ditch effort as Teddy grew taller, shredding the last of his clothing with the exception of his underwear.”

“I told you, that is up to Teddy.”

“What do you say, Teddy? Have a nibble but let me turn?” Kimbel asked, with an anxious tremor.

Teddy’s snout began to stretch outwards eliminating the possibility of a verbal answer to Kimbel’s plea. In the coming minute he would be dead or he would forever be a werewolf. He found himself laughing at his situation. His laugh was enough to confuse both Evita Gagnon and wolf man Teddy.

“What’s so funny?”

“Have you ever thought about how you might die?” Kimbel asked, not really wanting an answer. “Well, I just realized I never would have conceived this as a possibility—it’s ridiculous. Pinch me, I must be dreaming! A man just changed into a werewolf in front of me! I’ve gone round the freaking bend!” He laughed hysterically and forcibly.

Teddy moved in and picked up the little man by the head and looked him in the eye. For a moment, Teddy exhaled mist onto the frenzied man who was lost in psychosis. Raising the body higher, the heart was now at eye level and inside his animal, Teddy knew he wouldn’t be able to pull back.

With a quick flick of his free claw Teddy ripped open the shirt so he could watch the beating skin. His aggression had slashed Kimbel in three cuts that now bled across his chest.

“Oh, my, you might be one of us! If he stops, that is. What do you think will happen?” she tormented.

“I…” Was all he could get out from the throat that Teddy now firmly constricted.

Teddy opened his mouth and stretched his jaw as wide as it would go readying himself for the plunge to the ever beating heart. First he swept his tongue across the trio of cuts, picking up the blood that leaked from the wound. The infusion of blood amplified what he already felt.

“What will it be Teddy, life as one of us, or food? You must decide!” she demanded.

The sharp object burst through Doctor Gagnon’s chest but she didn’t seem all that surprised to see it. Blood steamed from the silver blade that now leaked thick wads of blood from its tip. It had pierced her heart and for a moment she felt normal again, the hunger was absent.

“I thought I heard someone,” she said almost comically as she collapsed to the floor and died.

Darwin removed his mother’s good flatware from Doctor Gagnon’s back and immediately turned his attention to Teddy. “Don’t do it! You don’t want this, Teddy! You saved me, now let me save you,” Darwin pleaded.

Teddy kept looking at Darwin who continued to hold the dagger in his hand. Remaining cool, Teddy loosened his grip on Kimbel’s neck and lowered him, allowing his feet to scrape the floor. Teddy wasn’t convinced. In his primitive mind, he saw Darwin holding a knife that he knew was danger and on the ground he saw a person he had been connecting with who was now dead. It was hard for him to fight the feelings but the words Darwin spoke made sense.

“Teddy, you helped me find change! Did you know that?” Darwin cried. “Watching you change from the big high school jock to the humbled and apologetic sympathizer…you have no idea how that affected me. I never in a million years would have thought you were capable of anything other than hatred and demonizing those with differences. I was wrong! You showed me that we can all change. You’re a beautiful person, and it pains me to know you wanted to die. The world is a better place with you in it.”

Teddy’s brow softened and he dropped Kimbel to the floor who began sucking in as much air as he could while pushing with his feet to move away from the unpredictable Teddy Holmes.

Sobbing openly Darwin continued his plea, “I’m sorry I did this to you. I turned you back into the bully. You had changed and I put you back the way you were. I made you like me! I’m the fucking bully now! I became everything I ever hated in you!”

“Darwin!” Steve shouted as he rounded the corner and came face to face with Teddy.

Teddy took one look at Steve and sauntered over slowly to the person he had long hoped he could finally see again. Teddy leaned in and rubbed his snout along Steve’s soft cheek. A minute later, Steve was holding on to the steaming body of his former bully who was now bawling. Steve held him, caressing his head but saying nothing.

Years of guilt came rushing out in a torrent of pain that could only be expelled through his eyes. Teddy choked and gasped but refused to let go of Steve until he was able to finally say the words that he had thought he would never be able to say. “I…I…I’mmm…soor…sorry,” he said.

“I know,” Steve replied. “I forgive you.”

“I don’t…des…des…deserve it!” Teddy spat out.

“You have to forgive yourself, because until you do, you’ll never be free.” Steve continued to run his fingers through Teddy’s hair, trying to sooth him.

“Mister Kimbel, I’m sorry you had to see this,” Darwin said, attempting to resume his role as leader.

“I’m like you now! See, my wounds are healing!” Kimbel pointed to the faint scars left on his skin.

“How does it feel?” Darwin asked, moving closer to Kimbel.

“I think I can feel it already!”

“Can you feel this?” Darwin asked as he rammed the dagger into Kimbel’s chest, bringing an end to his transformation. Kimbel looked at Darwin’s hand which clutched the dagger. He let out a small sigh and closed his eyes before Darwin lowered him to the cell floor.

“Too many werewolves already.”

“Lieutenant Dan, you got new legs!” Darwin said in his best Forrest Gump accent possible, trying to make light of the moment.

He chuckled and wiped his eyes. “Yeah,” he said. “She allowed me to walk again. Despite all the horrible things she did, I think I will miss her. Why did you kill her?”

“We have to kill everyone,” Darwin replied with a look on his face that would re-define the meaning of serious.