Chapter 11

I woke up quite early the following morning. Surprisingly clear-headed, after the amount of brandy we'd taken on board. Thank god, I thought, that it never gave me a hangover.

Someone walked out of the bathroom. Female, naked. Well, maybe I hadn't woken up yet. Never mind - with dreams like this, who wants to wake up anyway.

Then I looked again. Hilary's body, give or take a curve. Tanned and shaved like Hilary. Hilary's face, almost. Hilary's smile, definitely. The only real difference was that the hair cascading on to her shoulders in a shining stream was dark brown, not blonde.

Ohmigod! "Jackie?"

"Good morning, Jack. I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"Uh, no. But..."

"But what? Oh, the transformation. Ugly duckling into swan? Well, I always carry my kit with me. In case Hilary and I decide to go on somewhere nice, straight from work. And you have a very well-appointed bathroom here."

"We like to have everything, in case some visiting VIP gets caught in the rain. But I have never, ever, seen it put to better use. You're beautiful!"

"So Hilary keeps telling me. Maybe I'll start letting a few more people in on the secret. The disguise thing is getting a bit tedious."

"You should. Starting with Mike - I think he's earned it."

"Yes," she said. "Definitely Mike. I've been pretty nasty to him, haven't I?"

"From what Hilary told me, yes. You have."

"And do you know why I object to Mike so strongly? Don't laugh, please."

"I promise."

"Because the bastard keeps nearly giving me orgasms!"

I tried. I really tried. But I couldn't hold the laugh in. "Really?"

"Yes! The first time we did it, I was in agony. I couldn't bring myself to ask him, seeing what I thought of men. So Hilary begged him to do it - and he did. It took a couple of minutes, but when he climaxed the pain went away, instantly. The sheer relief from pain started to turn me on, I think. And then he carried on with a few more strokes, and I had to pull away, fast. Otherwise I'd have come, right there on the carpet. After that, it just got worse. I had to ask Hilary to wind him up, and then just put it into me when he started coming. But watching them do it turned me on as well. It's not right! I'm a lesbian, for god's sake!"

"Could it be that you swing both ways?"

"I suppose - no! Men are filthy creatures, with disgusting habits!"

"Present company excepted?"

"Present company definitely included, Jack. Trouble is, I'm feeling pretty disgusting myself, right now. Is there any chance you could add me to your roster for today?"

"Well, Sue set me a target of three a day. I didn't think I could manage it, but with a lot of help from some very attractive and willing ladies, I managed six in twenty-four hours. So, I ask myself. Can I manage four today?"

"And can you?"

I smiled. "I'll give it my best shot. If it's what you really want."

I took her hand, and led her to the bed. No dramatics, just a gentle insert and quietly sliding in and out. I figured, this girl has been fucked a lot, but she's never been made love to by a man. In that respect, she's a virgin. I figured that I owed it to her, and to the male side of the species, to show her another way.

Unfortunately, Jackie had other ideas. She took the 'slow and gentle' treatment for a couple of minutes, and then started bucking like a rodeo mule, forcing her hips against mine. She climaxed about thirty seconds later, paused for a while, and then went back to her 'ride 'em, cowboy' tactics. I didn't feel properly awake, but I managed to stay aboard her through a couple more orgasms, until I finally managed to blast away for myself.

She smiled up at me. "Thanks, Doc. I needed that, more than I knew. I think you've managed to lay a few ghosts."

"I thought I was just laying a pretty girl!"

"That, too. Just one thing, though."

"Anything. Just ask."

"Don't tell Hilary. I didn't tell her I was coming here last night. She thinks I just checked into a hotel, for a quiet think. I do that sometimes, when I can't stand any company, even hers."

"Why not tell her? She won't be jealous - she'll be delighted that you're cured."

"And that's just it. I don't want her to know about it, just yet. I want to go home, looking like this, and seduce Mike. He might not be so willing if he knows I don't need it."

"Last time I looked at his record, there was no insanity marked on it. Of course he'll be willing! Any man would be."

"Even so. I want to do it with him once, just like we've just done, with no complications. Then..."

"Then?"

"Then, I don't know. I'll tell him the truth, of course. And we can all talk it through. I'd like him to stay with us. I have a feeling we'd make a pretty good three-way."

We had breakfast together, and she left. I reminded her that she'd need to get her photograph changed on her new security pass - they'd never let her out otherwise, let alone let her back in again. Even if she did own a big chunk of the company.

Downstairs, the work was going well. We now had sperm samples from three other beanstalks, apart from mine. We'd eliminated mitochondrial DNA, and quite a lot of the nuclear DNA. Either we were on totally the wrong track, or it was something else. Probably one or more of the enzymes, the others thought. I agreed, and we mapped out the analysis we'd be doing that day. What we needed, of course, were more specimens. Hopefully, the day would bring them.

The local Health authority weren't being too helpful. I'd offered them six cures per week, but so far they'd only found three candidates that they thought needed my help. Two were lying in a hospital beds, waiting for surgery. The operations were such that they wouldn't be able to manage sex for at least a week afterwards, so they needed the cure first. Unfortunately, they were too far gone to come to me, and, after looking out of the window, at the press encampment, we realised that it would be bloody difficult for me to go to them. I left Mike Bradbury trying to think up a suitable disguise for me, and went on to the third case. A psychopathic murderer, clinically insane. She wouldn't allow a man near her, even when her insides were burning with red-hot knives. They'd had to strap her down every forty hours, and persuaded one of the male patients at the same high-security hospital to give her a 'temporary' cure. I'm afraid that I didn't much fancy that one at all. I'd read about her during her trial, and what I'd learned had sickened me. No - she could go on burning. There had to be better candidates.

Mike had decided by now that the best way to get me out was inside a delivery van. They came and went all day, bringing us various supplies. So, I'd hide inside one before it left, and they'd drive me to the hospital. Later, I could be smuggled back inside the same way. We had to be careful not to let too many people on the inside know about the ploy, as we were fairly certain that some had been bought by various newspapers. It worked. At eleven o'clock, I pronounced myself ready to try for a 'cure'; a short time later, a small van drove in through the gates and into the loading bay. The doors opened, I climbed aboard, and we left, straight past all the waiting pressmen.

At the hospital, I was ushered in and given a white coat and stethoscope. I was able to administer the first treatment quite quickly, to a poor soul who looked more dead than alive. A dreary business, but she thanked me with tears in her eyes.

After that, of course, there was an embarrassing wait. Dangerous, too. Quite a few people knew I was in the building, and it was only a matter of time before someone let it slip to the wrong person. The staff proved true to their oaths, though. Some three hours later I made the second cure, which was only slightly more fun, and was smuggled out.

Rather than going straight back behind the barricades, I headed for home. Not my home, which was being staked out by another batch of reporters, but Jill and Frank's. They were out househunting again, but I'd spoken to Sue earlier, and she was there. It was a flying visit - I needed to get back to work before I was missed, and she was still chasing theories and churning out research papers. Even so, it was good to hold her. I gave her a security pass, so that she could get through the cordon to see me, and she promised to use it, that night if possible.

Then it was back in the van, and off to the laboratories. The driver was one of the security guards, and saw it as 'a bit of a lark'. I thanked him, but thought we might need something different next time. Somebody was bound to talk, I thought.

It was now late afternoon, and I headed for Med section, to see Hilary.

"Hello, gorgeous," I carolled.

"You sound happy," she replied. "Had some good news?"

"Nothing special. The work's going quite well, though we need some more samples. Any luck? And don't tell anyone, but I've been outside. I even managed to see Sue for a few minutes."

"Good for you! I know how much you miss her - she's a lucky girl. And yes, we've had two more samples in - beans, not peas!"

"Glory be! Keep them coming at this rate, and we might be able to get somewhere."

"And I've got some more news for you. Jackie's dropped the disguise!"

I managed to sound surprised. "Has she? This I must see - but preferably when she can't see me. I don't want her going for me again."

"She stayed out last night, thinking, she said. It seems to have done some good. I've never seen her look this content."

"I'm glad for you. Really I am."

"And will you consider doing the cure?"

"I don't know. She was pretty scary yesterday."

"Well, take a look. Maybe you'll feel differently when you see her."

"Ok. Just don't build up your hopes. Meanwhile, the Health Authority has done you a good turn. They put forward three scraping-the-barrel cases, but I only accepted two. So, if I'm to keep my average up, there's one more cure going spare today. Do you have a candidate?"

"I'll find one. Let me get my list - or, you could have any of the three girls you did yesterday. They all need their other ends seeing to."