EJAX-472: Ch. 08

Little "Abby Gabby" was just finishing her breakfast when her father came walking into the kitchen with the morning newspaper. He took one look at the headlines and threw the paper on the table next to her. He had a disgusted look on his face.

"Your mother and I are going to work now. You have the house all to yourself."

"What's wrong Dad? You look upset."

"You would be in school right now if it wasn't for that."

He pointed to the newspaper and, without waiting for her response, walked out.

She read the headlines: "Swensen Medical Clinic Director arrested for administering illegal drug to patients."

At first she didn't know what to make of it. But as her eyes quickly scanned the text she came across a familiar name. 'So that's it!' she said to herself. 'That's why Mr. Cardelli was arrested. It's all because of this drug!'

The article detailed the circumstances leading up to the arrest of Dr. Christiana Swensen, her brother-in-law Philip Olmstead, and his wife Bonnie. There was mention of a certain Luis Ramon Hernandez, a known drug lord, and, last but not least, her beloved teacher, John Cardelli, who was now out on bail awaiting arraignment. St. Bridget's was also mentioned, but the names of her classmates were conspicuously withheld. As she read the part that accused her former teacher of being a mean, lecherous, pervert, she felt a great weight suddenly placed upon her shoulders—a weight so ominous that it threatened to crush her tiny frame into nothingness.

Since the incident at St. Bridget's, she had wrestled with the idea that she and her girlfriends had not acted ethically in their refusal to confess the truth about their part in their teacher's sexual misconduct. She knew that such an admission of complicity would result in possible dismissal from the school for herself and her classmates, but she also knew that is was wrong to withhold the truth from the authorities. Going to the police would have been the proper course of action, but she was under great pressure from her less than honorable peers to conform, and that meant keeping her mouth shut.

Abigail Rylander had always been a highly inquisitive girl, her talkativeness belying a keen and analytical intellect within. Her lilting, high-pitched voice often led her teachers to believe that she would never make a great public speaker: a prerequisite of every pupil who had any aims toward serving in the public sector. But this did not deter her. And despite her occasional bouts of running off at the mouth, she nonetheless managed to maintain very high grades, much to the chagrin of her classmates. Even when they poked fun at her for being, as they so jealously put it, a "semen-clogged brain," she found it better to combat such narrow mindedness by achieving a high grade point average rather than resorting to verbal retaliation.

She had told no one about her misgivings, certainly not her parents, and certainly not her classmates, who would have ostracized her at the first sign of insubordination. But having to suppress the truth for so long was taking its toll on the girl's conscience. For above all things, Abby was honest, and this clandestine pact created by her friends to protect their own selfish interests was something she was finding difficult to abide.

The truth was that although John Cardelli had acted irresponsibly, he had been under the influence of the drug, which had compromised his otherwise previously staunch ethical behavior. In Abigail's mind, he was less to blame than the real culprits in this whole ugly affair—Bridget Veerhoft and Helga Nelson—both of whom had exacerbated matters by acting in a sexually wanton and provocative way and orchestrating the event to the point of acting as ringleaders for the rest of the class in helping to bring about Mr. Cardelli's downfall. But, because of their pact, none of this information had been revealed to the police.

She remembered how difficult it was for her to lie to the authorities when she had been questioned a week earlier at her home, her parents having to leave the room when the more gross details of the sexual escapade were divulged. She hated the fact that she had to keep the truth hidden, and she soon began to hate herself for being so weak. But the most pressing reason why Abby found it difficult to endure the silence was because she knew that her beloved teacher was suffering. Her desire to assuage her own conscience by telling the truth, coupled with her need to comfort him, made her want to speak out in his defense.

But it was already late.

Seeing that it was now well past 8:00 AM, she remembered that she had an appointment to keep with some friends. They were going to a local mall to do some clothes shopping, something she always found time for. And her friends were not the snotty, stuck-up kind like the girls in her class. It was going to be a fun day she thought, and, in spite of her father's remark, she wasn't missing school all that much either.

"Poor Mr. Cardelli!" she said aloud as she put on her coat.

The weight continued to bear down upon her unmercifully.

************

The interim of time following my arrest and subsequent release was a matter of only a few hours, yet it felt like an eternity. Philip's lawyer had arrived at the police station soon after we did, and made arrangements with the judge for the setting of bail. The three of us were summarily discharged after paying a sizeable amount of money to the bailiff, but were scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing, which was to be held on Wednesday morning of the following week. I learned Luis was to remain in custody until the hearing, and I was glad to hear it.

Rebecca had invited me to stay with her until the media circus subsided and to keep me safe from any negative repercussions from those who had been less than satisfied about the claims I had made for my drug. Her three-bedroom chalet was located several miles north of the city in a quiet, rural area well off the beaten track. Bonnie and Philip, however, decided to take their chances by returning to their house, but they had to wait until the early morning hours to make it past the hordes of paparazzi that swarmed over their estate like flies on honey.

The Clinic had been shut down on orders from the judge. From what Rebecca had told me, Lynette had been deprived of the sperm and blood samples taken during the last experiment, and was questioned and then released. She told me that Maria had called her late the previous evening to see if I was all right, but she hadn't heard a word from Cheryl. Michelle had also called to let her know that she was actively preparing witnesses and evidence in my defense, and would be in touch with me soon. She had heard from no one else.

"This sucks Chris," she said, stretching out her long legs onto the hassock in front of her. "Are you getting the feeling that your friends are abandoning you?"

"Like rats on a sinking ship?"

"Exactly."

I took a sip of tea and drew a pillow behind my head.

"Well, let's see. Michelle called right? And Maria? And..."

"And that's it. I don't know what the fuck happened to Cheryl."

"Probably screwing her brains out with that young stud Mr. Lundquist," I said, chuckling. "She's in love with him you know."

"I think she's in love with his big nineteen-inch dick!" she laughed. "God, you created a monster with that thing!"

"I don't know how the hell he managed to get it into his pants!"

We both laughed for a few moments but quickly became serious once again.

"I've got to do something, Rebecca. He can't go around like that for who knows how long. And what's going to happen with those other men? How can they live normal lives with their genitals being compromised like that?"

"If you're asking me for advice, I have none," she said gloomily. "All the answers lied in those samples, but now they're gone."

"Yes," I said, staring into my cup, "they're gone. And with the Clinic closed my hands are completely tied."

We sat quietly for a while, ruminating on this unfortunate event.

"How's Bonnie?" Rebecca asked suddenly.

"Holding up pretty well considering what she's going through. She and Philip stand to lose the better part of their fortune. And his career...that's in shambles."

"Philip is a fool. Allowing himself to get involved with that scumbag Luis and his greasy little fiends. That's the reason you're on the hot seat right now. It's because of him."

I could not disagree with her. If Philip had simply come to me with his intentions all this could have been avoided. But he knew that I would have had to refuse him, and knowing this is what forced him to resort to subterfuge to achieve his goal.

"I'm sorry Chris," she said, trying to comfort me. "Philip is a good man but he just became too greedy. You have to admit, that drug of yours is every man's dream, sexual dysfunction or not."

"I'll be honest with you Rebecca. There are times when I wish I had never invented the thing. It's caused too much pain. Too much."

Just then the doorbell rang.

"You expecting someone?" I asked.

"Not at this hour. It's almost midnight."

I followed her to the door, anxious to see whom it was.

"Who is it?" Rebecca asked, trying to discern the image through the tiny glass hole in the door.

"Open up. It's me."

"Oh for Christ's sake! "It's Cheryl!"

Rebecca flung the door wide open.

Cheryl was holding a small metallic container in her hands and behind her stood her new boyfriend, all smiles.

"We were wondering what the hell became of you!" Rebecca exclaimed. "And look who else is here!"

"Hi Rebecca! Hi, Dr. Swensen!" Craig said, following Cheryl into the room.

"Craig!" I said, pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"We've got some really great news for you Dr. Swensen," Cheryl said, as she placed the container in my hands. "Look what Craig did for you."

"Bring it over here Chris," Rebecca said. "Put it on the table. What's the big secret Cheryl?"

"You'll see," the girl replied, as I gently put the metal box down.

"Go ahead doctor," Craig said. "Open it."

I tentatively lifted the lid, not knowing what to expect.

"Oh, my God!" I exclaimed, as the lid came off in my hands.

Rebecca immediately looked inside. "How the fuck did you manage to pull this off?" she said to Cheryl.

"It wasn't me. It was Craig I told you."

I removed one of the glass phials from the insulated gel packs and lifted it up into the light. It was very cold to the touch.

"They're all there. Every single sample," Craig said. "All color coded and named."

"I can't believe it," Rebecca said. "How did you get it past the cops?"

"If you remember, Cheryl and I were in my cubicle when the police came in. We knew what was going on so she and I grabbed the samples out of the cooler and gave Lynette some other phony samples to throw the police off the track. While they were occupied with her, Cheryl and I stuck the real samples in the soda machine in the back lobby. After the police were done questioning us, I pretended to get a soda and opened the machine up and took out the samples. I put them in my backpack and since the police had already inspected it, they let me go without a problem. And here you are!"

"Holy shit!" Rebecca said to Cheryl. "That's right, you have the key to all the machines. What a fucking brilliant idea. But where did you get the container?"

"I keep a few at home," Cheryl replied. "They're great for doing Jell-O shots."

At that point I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both. I must have appeared quite amusing to my friends as they watched me laugh hysterically while shedding an ocean of tears. In no time I had them all laughing with me.

"You are one beautiful man!" I said, throwing my arms around Craig and hugging him. "Do you know how much this means to me?"

"Yes, doctor I do," he replied, returning the hug.

"And you!" I said to Cheryl. "I love you so much."

I was crying so profusely now that I could barely see her reaction to my comment. But when she hugged me I knew that she was crying too. Even stalwart Rebecca was misty-eyed.

"We have to keep these samples refrigerated," she said. "I think it best to call Michelle and tell her what's going on. We have to get over to the University tomorrow and you have to develop the new and improved EJAX-472 so that this lovely boy here can...oh my! What's that?"

Craig followed her eyes down to his crotch and blushed.

"I guess I'm a little excited."

"Jesus, Craig," Cheryl laughed, noticing his erection. "And you just had the orgasm of your life."

"That was yesterday, Cheryl."

"Oh, I see. So now you're ready to go again?"

"I can control it," he replied, clearly fighting to will his erection away.

Rebecca put the samples in the refrigerator and called Michelle to inform her that she and I would be coming to the University in the morning to run tests on the samples. She then rejoined us and we talked for a few more hours.

"So that's why you gave me that smile," I said to Craig.

"Doctor?" he replied.

"You know, you kind of gave me a weird grin when I was escorted out of the Clinic."

"Oh, yeah. I couldn't very well tell you what we had done, so I tried to reassure you in the only way I could. I know it probably made you wonder more than anything."

"It did. But what I don't understand is how all those people from the media showed up so soon."

"I called them," Cheryl said.

"You called them?"

"As soon as I saw the cops, I phoned the Stockholm Press and told them that something big was going down at the Clinic in regards to the drug. As you all know, they and every other paper in town have been following the story about Mr. Cardelli. I didn't think so many people would show up."

"That wasn't such a wise idea Cheryl," I said dismayed. "The last thing I wanted was to bring this kind of attention to my experiments before they were completed. Now the press will never leave me alone."

"I'm sorry doctor," she replied downcast. "I thought maybe you would want to tell them what really happened. You need them on your side right now."

Rebecca poked me in the arm. "You know Christiana, she's right. If you can get the support of the media behind you, you've got it made. Don't forget, you're still an innocent victim here. It's Philip who has committed the crime, not you."

"But I'm guilty by association."

"Extenuating circumstances! He ripped you off for Christ's sake!"

"I think it's your brother-in-law and that idiot Luis who are the ones in real trouble doctor," Craig said. "All the guys and I...well, we're going to stand up for you in any case."

"And Michelle and the others will do the same," Cheryl added.

Despite their positive prediction, I still felt dubious. "I just hope my sister's lawyer knows what the hell he's doing."

We sat around talking for few more minutes about other matters, but my mind was preoccupied with the hearing. Cheryl looked at Craig and gave him a wink.

"I think it's time to go home," she said, during a lull in the conversation.

"I won't hear of it," Rebecca said. "It's late. You guys can stay here for the night. I've got an extra bedroom."

"We don't want to impose upon you Rebecca."

"Don't be silly. My house is your house."

Without further debate, Craig and Cheryl were shown to their room and shortly thereafter I heard the door close followed by some giggling.

"I think I'm going to turn in too," Rebecca said with a yawn. "We have a big day ahead of us."

"The shelf life of those samples is only a few days under these conditions," I said. "It's either tomorrow or never."

"Get some sleep," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I had only been sleeping a few hours before I was awakened by noises coming from the master bedroom, which was adjacent to mine. For a minute I thought Rebecca had left her television set on, as she often did before going to sleep. I got out of bed and put my bathrobe on and gently tiptoed into her bedroom. Pushing aside the door I noticed that the television set was off, but on the bed were three bodies all coiled around each other in a tangled mess of frenzied lust.

"Oh!" I exclaimed.

Upon hearing me, they froze. I made a quick apology and turned to go.

"No, wait!"

It was Rebecca's voice. "Come in, Chris."

"This is not my thing Rebecca. You know that."

"Please," she said softly. "You don't have to do anything. Just stay with me for a little while."

"Why do you need me? You already seem to have your hands full."

"This is really so beautiful, Chris. It's not like you think. There's a lot of love here. We're your friends for heaven's sake. Nobody's going to think the less of you."

I hesitated for a few seconds, imagining what it would be like to partake in their blissful union.

"It's okay doctor Swensen," Cheryl said. "We'd like you to join us but if you're tired we won't bother you."

Craig kept silent, but I could make out his facial features in the dim light and I saw a look of expectation in his eyes.

"Look Chris, if you don't want to join in, it's fine. Why don't you go back to bed? We'll try to be quiet."

I sensed the disappointment in Rebecca's voice. I knew that she had been in love with me for a very long time, but I could only return her love in a sisterly fashion. Now that an unusual opportunity had presented itself to her, she was taking a chance that maybe she could finally entice me into having sex with her, in whatever context that might be. The truth was that I cared dearly about all three of them, though I had no romantic feelings for any of them. Did they really just expect me to sit and watch as they engaged in sex?

"How long are you going to stand in that doorway gawking at us?" Rebecca joked.

I stood there for a few moments and then, to my surprise, I found myself walking into her room.

"I'll stay for a little while, but don't expect much."

"Nobody is forcing you to do anything you don't want to do Chris. We're all friends here."

She reached out her hand to me and I sat beside her on the bed.

"Lie down and enjoy the show."

Propping my head up with several pillows, I leaned back and watched as the lovemaking commenced.

Craig, it seemed, had been fucking Cheryl from behind, and picking up where he left off, drove his enormous cock in and out of her with wild abandon. Rebecca's legs were spread out before her so that she could watch the young girl feast on the triangle of hair between them. At times she would grab my arm tightly as Cheryl's tongue drove her into fits of ecstasy.

It was one thing for me to be watching, or even participating to a small degree, in the sexual relations of people who were part of my studies at the Clinic, but quite another to merely sit and watch. In the first instance, I was in control and could choose to participate if I wished. But in the scenario taking place before me, I was merely a passive observer, and although the opportunity to get involved was still there, I was reluctant to take it. I was reluctant because I was unsure of how I would ultimately respond to the loving attentions of my friends. The truth was that I was afraid of lowering my sexual defenses to the degree that I might actually lose control in front of them; that they may see me in a less than desirable light. And losing control was, to me, something I had always regarded as a weakness in others, and ultimately in myself—whether imagined or not.

As I watched the three of them enjoy themselves, I began to feel like I was invisible—an incorporeal voyeur who could look but not touch. In the semi-darkness of the bedroom, the scene took on an almost surreal aspect—limbs akimbo, bodies undefined—and the only thing that made me aware that anything was going on at all was the persistent sound of Craig's cock and balls slamming into Cheryl's vagina, and her increasing moans of pleasure.