Lightning in his Eye

The eye hangs limp in its covered jar, its lid closed, waiting to be awakened.

The apartment is dimly lit; a fire in its place, candles strewn about, the windows letting in faint light of a bluish hue.

"Follow me! I haf to show you somesing!" the doctor says.

His lab coat swings at his side as he strides into the next room. The newcomer, who is wearing a waistcoat and bowler hat, is at his heels. He strokes his mustache, very expressive in his curiosity, but doesn't say a word.

They reach the covered jar, and each crouch on either side of it. Beside the jar are other instruments and wires that JJ can only describe as an amusement park for electricity. The doctor leans in close, a certain fire lighting in his blue eyes, his words low:

"I am of ze belief zat death can be made a temporary condition."

His new assistant crosses his arms and shakes his head.

"Vat?" He leans back, a cocky smile creasing his features, "You sink iit's imposeeble? No, no, no my friend. Not probable maybe, but when you're working with ze great Doctor Schneeplestein," he raises a finger proudly, "you must go for only zee best!"

He doesn't look convinced.

"Life is temporary. Vhy should death be any deeferent?"

He says it like it's the simplest thing, like life and death are an equation.

"Now, I don't have time for redeeculous notions like false modesty. Zo, it iz without pride or shame, I declare this an act of—"

Schneeplestein rips the pale curtain off the lonely stage to reveal the jar of green liquid, and the lonely eye within it.

"Genius!" The doctor finishes, like the word is the last note in his show's final song.

The other man stills, staring. His own eyes flick from the lifeless one to meet those of the doctor.

"I vas looking for applause," Schneep puts his hands on his hips, looking away and clearing his throat, "but I vill take stunned silence."

His assistant starts clapping.

"It iz too late now!" he holds up a hand to stop him. "Just...liisten."

He starts turning some of the dials, preparing the experiment.

"Zis eye is over sree months old." He explains, "Ze liquid is an electrically conductive jelly of my own device, that serves a double function; to preserve and to..." he pauses, looking up at JJ, "Don't be getting ahead of yourself liitle Jameseyboy!" He wags a finger in front of him, then turns to the table behind him. "I von't bore you with all ze technical mumbo-jumbo, you know how it iis," he waves his hand, "doctor ztuff."

He pulls a device that looks like a metal fork from a cloth on the table, and holds it up in front of himself—looking at as if he isn't quite sure how it works either. He then holds it up precariously by one of the handles to show JJ.

"Zee?" he gestures to it with his other hand, "Doctor zings."

He then proceeds to plug the fork into the liquid, and JJ crouches back down to get a better look at the upcoming experiment.

Schneeplestein begins spinning the wheel beside it, haphazard metal spinning, pumping in an effort to appease its maker, who has an almost maniacal gleam in his eye as he does so—(fear and awe mixing in JJ's). It sparks lightning, which startles his new assistant, but crackles like the low laugh in the doctor's throat. Green smoke like the breath of some dragon forms in the jar beside it. He flips the switch and the lightning storm dives in the liquid, sputters and frays, making it smoke and bubble.

The eye awakens. It opens.

It looks around, but cannot move, due to its tail being clamped down.

In a fluid motion the doctor takes a match from the tiny pot beside it and holds the fire up to the eye. It shies away from the light.

"There, do you zee?" A small laugh bubbles in his throat. "He lives."

The look of awe, concern, and curiosity in Jameson's eyes shifts to inquisitive at the word 'he.'

"Vat? You sink I'm just going to call him 'it'? No no no my friend. I just said hee's alive, I'm not going to call him 'iit' like zome barbarian! You're working with Doctor Schneeplestein, as I said, you haf to expect the best! In fact, let's giive him a name! Vat do you sink ve should call him?"

JJ shrugs. Clearly he is out of his depth.

Schneep strokes his beard, leaning back, looking at it.

The eye stares. He has seen this doctor before. Whenever he awakes, he's always there, and he always has this gleam in his eye. Something like pride but...darker. He isn't quite sure how he feels about him. He hasn't seen the other one, but he seems nice enough.

"Sam!" Schneep suddenly exclaims.

JJ jumps slightly.

"Zats vat ve'll call him! Sam!"

Why? JJ's expression asks.

"I don't know! Am I supposed to explain everysing? I am a doctor James—Jack—whatever your name is! I don't haf to explain everything to you!"

JJ raises an eyebrow.

Schneep turns up his nose and walks out of the room, as if to make a dramatic exit, but which simply seems like he left a question hanging unanswered in the air.

Jameson stays to observe the experiment, marveling at the miracle that has occurred before him.

Sam tries to swim closer, but his tail tugs at the clamp. Without asking the doctor, JJ stands and opens the clamp, releasing him.

Alive. Jameson marvels, watching the eye move freely now, gaining his bearings. How could this eye be alive without a body to be within? How could some lightning and metal create life? It was...beautiful. And terrifying. But Schneep didn't seem like a bad guy. A little crazy, maybe, but that was a discussion for another time. He had saved his life, after all.

And, he had to admit, Sam was a pretty adorable name.

The eye learns to move in a matter of milliseconds, floating along in a way one might mistake for being happy.

JJ taps the glass.

Sam shies away at first, then, as JJ waves at him, decides to swim closer. For a moment they simply watch each other, two blue eyes meeting one.

Jameson then holds up a finger, telling him to wait, and proceeds to write 'Sam' on a spare piece of paper nearby.

Of course, Sam has no idea what the paper says as he holds it up, but the man seems pretty happy about it, pointing to it, then Sam, and beaming.

He may not know what it means, who exactly they are, or who he even is, but he thinks he's going to like being alive.