Crissa's Mate

Chapter Twenty-Five

The three made it back to the lodge as the light was fading behind the trees and distant mountains. Brad still remained agitated and did not want to communicate with the professor, seated now with Mary and Josh inside the dining area. He preferred to go upstairs to the rooms.

"So how are you feeling, young man," Dr. Dekker asked David, seemingly anxious to speak with him. "You know," he continued, "we will do a complete physical exam of you when we return. While your rare condition is unprecedented, and little understood . . . every effort will be made to reverse this transformation you experienced."

David simply nodded at him. Then he spoke softly.

"Whatever it was which has happened to me and Julie . . . the condition we have is not new. We all know it's  been recorded over time in legends and myths. I'm sure you were quite aware of that when you brought us here, Professor."

Josh and Mary, along with Crissa, looked on with amazement as the young man confronted him strongly about what was now everyone's suspicion.

The professor remained silent, and just stared back at him.

"What's done now, is done," David continued. "And I am prepared for where ever it will take me. I can't speak for Julie . . . but I must go on with this change . . . either as a curse or a blessing."

"I promise you, David," the Professor answered with uncharacteristic emotion in his voice. "Every effort will be made to study this. I promise you . . . and bring you back to your original state. What's phenomenal is that you two hold phenomenal discoveries. All waiting to be made when we return. You and Julie will provide immeasurable insight into genetic research on an international scale, young man. Not to mention a host of biological connections. All of which have never been scientifically investigated."

David, along with the others, just stared back incredulously at him.

"Once the dynamics of your condition is thoroughly studied," he continued, "we will be able to walk back the process, leaving you both free of this . . . terrible alteration, David."

Mary and Josh looked at each other in anger, transferring much of what they had always suspected between them. Crissa immediately looked into David's eyes and once again admired him for his bravery and tolerance.

"Well you can just save your lab work, Professor." David responded. "I don't wish to be dissected by you or anyone else. Or be any focus of research . . . just to make you and a few other biologists famous. I plan on going home and dealing with my new life. As anonymously as possible."

"But, my boy!  You cannot simply hide form this now.  It is a serious affliction and you will need the closest study to reverse it."

"Is that what you really want to do, Professor? Reverse this?  Or just spend the rest of your career studying the actual existence of lycanthropy?  We all began to suspect this about you when you brought us here and then exposed us to the dangers which lurked out there. You knew of this phenomenon. Which over the past years has transformed many of the people in this village. And now you want to take it home. In the forms of Julie and myself."

The professor stood up, seemingly enraged by the young researcher's audacious charges. And David was undeniably and rightfully entitled to make them.

"How dare you accuse me of such . . . duplicity!  Of such an irresponsible act, young man!"

"No. How dare you  to put your reputation above the safely and lives of us all!"