Team of Seven Heroes Shorts Tales 3; Chapter 7

7.

The other doctor looked into her patient; her only son who was still in recluse after the embarrassing moment a week ago. She had tried to coax him to leave the sleeping chamber there but he had refused. With his self-declared banishment, she had continued her life work on the cultivated organs. The last batch of organs have been bottled and the previous batches fed to the two guard dogs she had in the place. She approached the table where the organs were displayed.

“Are we close to the recovery?” The doctor heard the voice from the shadow. She knew her trusted aide was concerned on her health. She had suffered two falls and was assisted by her son, Igor then but she knew her body was aging. She had been studying the effects of electricity on the flesh for many decades. It was her first mentor, Doctor Nikola Tesla, a Serbian American inventor. He was a dedicated scientist on electrical designs. He was her mentor and then dismissed her when he realised that her aim was different from him. She left to work with one named Rudolf Virchow, the father of pathology. He discovered a number of illness from his pathology works. He was also the first to introduce forensic investigation. She left to work with then Louis Pasteur, his discussion partner on the new discoveries and then her own practice to understand the functions of the human organs. It was also when Shelly fell ill and then went into comatose. Since then, the doctor has been trying to revive her. It was to be her life gift to Igor.

“Are we close to the recovery?” The figure in the shadow asked. “Will she ever …”

“I don’t know but I won’t give up. She is all Igor have now.”

“Igor have you.”

“For how long? I am dying.” The doctor sighed. “I am not sure if I can ever complete this task here.”

“You will do it. It’s the you inside of you.” The dark figure voiced out. “You are my hands.”

“And your father’s notes are my guide.” The doctor looked the dark figure. “The bastard son of Victor Frankenstein. He could not face you in living and created a monster to replace you.”

“My father did not create a monster. He created a new life form but like him, I was also mistake for that. I was pursued by the others when they learned of my inheritance. Every one of them wanted to recreate what my father did but failed. They pursued me for his findings. They are yours now as my gift to you for your love. As I will gladly kill for you too.”

“He is not your….” The doctor snapped back.

“He is not but with his love, we can have our own child. You will revive Shelly and they will have a child. Our child.” The dark figure spoke out. “Our son who will walk the world with our love.”

“Yes, Shelly and Igor will have us a son.” The doctor smiled. “Igor and Shelly will be our surrogate.”

It was then the sound of the bell sounded out. It was the signal from the estate which was a walking distance from the work area. The doctor stepped away and then changed her clothing. She was no more the doctor but the sister of Lord Matthew Millard, Illinois Millard.

“Darling brother Matthew, how nice of you to drop by?” The lady named Illinois Millard was wheeled in on the disabled chair designed for her. She was pushed by the House Butler, Tom Benson, the ex-slave turned house servant of the family from the State of Illinois. The servant was into his nineties but was fitter than men half his age.

“I had to when my letters were never replied.” Lord Millard saw the pile of unopened letters. “You ought to reply them or I will have a secretary appointed for you.”

“You know me, Matt. I am not a lady of words. I am of …”

“Science? I know but your son incident had me concerned on you. Is he around?” Sir Millard looked for his nephew.

“Charlie is in his room. I heard of the incident. Regretfully, they don’t understand him and the ridicule was…” Charles Deacon was the father of the child but he was dead. The child was raised by the mother and she had him called by his nickname Igor in the private confines of the house.

“It was managed, my darling sister. I heard the lads were taken care of. Their ill manners will never plague the lad again. He may return to the …. I meant social activities.” Sir Millard told the sister. “He must socialize. It’s good for his upbringing.”

The deformity of the lad was never discussed and the servants were told to ignore it. He was the next Lord of the Millard Estate.

“Sister, I have come to caution you on the Ripper. He has returned. He plagued us once more and I have pledged to removed that threat.”

“And to how am I troubled by the Ripper? If the Ripper were to come here, I have Benson to assist me. And more to that, I don’t leave the estate with my useless legs.” Illinois drew on the sympathy from her brother of her weak legs. “And Charles is a man and I think the Ripper had any interest in that. Perhaps yours may be of interest to the Ripper if he ever changed his mind.”

“Sarcasm, my dear sister. I was just concern on you. After all, the last Ripper exploits had us in the list of suspects…” Lord Millard was cut off there.

“Due to my works then. Well, with my crippling legs, I am more into planting seedlings than dissecting organs.” Lady Illinois hit back. “The papers can stop speculating on that. If you were to excuse me, I need to exercise my legs if it was to do me any good. Benson, see to my brother safe departure please. Carry the wooden stake please in case you do meet the blood sucker out there.”

Later back at the lab, Lady Illinois was back in her alter ego as the doctor. She had left the wheel chair by the door and walked over to the working table. Her walk was slow but steady. A set of hands reached out to her but she pulled away.

“Victor, you must not expose yourself. You could get burned.” The dark figure stepped back, He was named after his father but he had dropped the family name ever since. He was a rare born with an affliction that he can’t withstand lights or sunlight. It will be years later medical science will have a name for it; xeroderma pigmentosum. It was this that he stayed in the shadows or moved in the dark. He was a subject for Doctor Illinois then when she was with Doctor Louis Pasteur. She knew of his identity and worked her way into his life initially to get the father’s notes but they fell in love later. He was unable to have a child while she was beyond her fertility years. They had relied on Igor with Shelly who fell to the sudden illness and then comatose.

“Illinois, I will rather die than to lose you.” Victor stepped back into the shadow. He was the son that the father refused to accept and in time build another.

“Dying? None of us will be on this day. You will live on for I am telling you now. I am living and if I die, then you may do so but only when we have our child. And for that, you and I can’t die until Shelly comes alive.”

“Illinois, why can’t we create her? Father….” The mentioned of the father was a bad taste in the mouth for the figure in the shadow. “Like him, we can create…”

“Victor, your father created monsters. I am trying to revive the … living.” Illinois looked at the figure covered on the next table. “She is real and still alive.”

“I am sorry, my love. I will leave you to your work now.” The lady was once more into her works as the doctor while the other dutifully remained in the shadow like her guardian. Unknown to his mother and uncle, Igor overheard the conversation of his guardians. He was residing in the room since then and with the news that tormentors were dealt with, he was ready to go back to the parties. He smiled and then went back to his chamber to freshen up.

Igor stood in front of the mirror. He had one which was the hand-held mirror and it only showed his face then. He had good looks but the deformity was the curse for him until he met Shelly. She had shown him that there was more to him than that misshaped back. He loved her and will live her forever. No one can harm her or he will rip their hearts out.

“Heart…” Igor thought hard. He will get more hearts for his mother. She once told him that the way to love was through the heart. He will rip those hearts for her. He will go and hunt for more hearts. Uncle Victor will help him.