SHORTS - HAYDEN - 4 - THE TEST
 
Hayden stirred from his slumber. He had been on bed rest, by order of Gregor, for the past two weeks. As he awoke, he stretched his four arms upwards, stretching them until they touched the ceiling of the high room. At the same time, he yawned, with his mouth opening up over 3 metres.
 
"Good morning, handsome," Gregor purred beside him. "All set for the big day today?"
 
Hayden smiled. Today was the day that they would test the delivery system. They were one step closer to achieving his vision...
 
***
 
Doctor Mark Richards was a nervous man. He was the Chief Scientist at Genetech, responsible for all new developments and projects. In any normal business, he would have been fine, any slip-ups would have either meant a return to the drawing board, a reprimand, or, at worst, dismissal and loss of reputation. At Genetech, however, any slip-ups tended to have fatal consequences, delivered in a manner that put the fear of God into everyone who worked for the company.
 
The 'god' in question was currently sitting opposite Mark at the conference table. He looked unassuming, like a 19-year-old model, completely out of place in a room full of white coated, middle aged, scientists and engineers. Looks can be deceiving, and Mark knew that he was in the presence of one of the sharpest minds on the planet, as well as one of the most powerful beings ever known. *And a sadistic bugger to boot,* he thought. *Actually, that’s unfair. He's not sadistic, he doesn't torture anyone or cause any lingering death, but cruel and uncaring...*
 
Everyone was currently listening to one of the engineers explaining the construction of the test delivery system. Everyone wanted to make sure this was perfect before building the actual delivery system that would be used. *I wonder what he'll do to us if it works, and his 'vision' is accomplished?* Mark thought. *We certainly know what he'll do to us if it doesn't work...*
 
"So, it looks like it's good to go then?" the young Doctor said. All the assembled company nodded in nervous agreement.
 
"Good. Gregor, are the test subjects ready?"
 
"All the volunteers are ready," Gregor replies, cheerfully.
 
"Volunteers?" Hayden asks, sarcastically.
 
"Yip. Every single one of them has volunteered for this."
 
"Oh well. I suppose it's always nice to try something new...
 
"Well then, there's no time like the present."
 
They all stand up and head out to the test area.
 
***
 
Sitting on the test site is a container, about the same size as an articulated lorry. It has glass walls to allow the observers to monitor the changes as they occurred and make any adjustments as necessary. At either end are large metallic compartments, housing the machinery that allows the genetic agent to be delivery effectively.
 
The 5 volunteers stood outside the container waiting on the Doctor arriving with the other scientists and engineers. They had all volunteered, thinking that the Doctor's plan was to create super soldiers who would rule over the rest of humanity. Little did they know...
 
"Hey, have any of you guys ever seen this 'Doctor' guy?" one of them asked.
 
"Nope. Can't say I have. I've heard all the stories about him though," another said.
 
"Yeah. He's meant to be like this incredible genius but he's also a man who doesn't take failure lightly. Everyone who makes a mess of things just seems to vanish."
 
"Yeah, I'd heard that too. Like they vanish without a trace. Just a message to their families that they have died in service, with a big pay out."
 
"Well, I heard that the Doc is meant to be some freak mutant who is trying to cure himself, and that's what all this is about."
 
"His assistant wasn't that bad though. He seemed nice enough, although the guy must have been a basketball player or something before getting this job."
 
As they chatted, the cars arrived carrying all the eggheads. They all poured out and started surrounding the device. All except two guys - the tall guy who offered them the chance to volunteer for this, and some 19-year-old kid. No sign of who 'the Doctor' might be...
 
The tall guy led the kid over to them.
 
"Are these the test subjects?" the kid asked the tall guy.
 
"Yip. All volunteers, and they are aware of what they are getting themselves into."
 
"You know, Gregor, there are times where you really do amaze me," the kid said smiling, but shaking his head.
 
Without speaking to any of the volunteers, the two headed back into the throng of white lab coats, but not before the tall guy turned and gave a thumbs-up to the volunteers. As they did, one of the lab coats came up and gave them a quick check over.
 
"Ok, you guys are good to go. If you just step in through the door, please, then we can get started."
 
As they stepped in, they looked out at the assembled eggheads. The door was closed and sealed from the outside. Now they just had to wait.
 
***
 
Hayden had been working on this serum for years. Based on his own transformed DNA, it was designed to induce a transformation in any subject once sufficient quantities became infused with their own DNA. It was his pride and joy. The thing he had laboured on for nearly 10 years, since his own transformation...
 
[Flashback]
 
The young blonde 19-year-old had been studying his fellow student for nearly a year now. This guy already stood out, on account of his extra arms and extra mouth, but that wasn't what Hayden was interested in. Nor was it the target's 10-foot-tall roommate. No, it was something else that Hayden was after...
 
For weeks now, there were rumours that this guy was causing transformations in his fellow students. Sure, the guy himself seemed oblivious to this, but here and there Hayden caught glimpses of guys with something different, something new that they hadn't had previously. Sure, it might have just been the odd extra finger or two, or the few guys who clearly were packing more than one cock into their underwear, but Hayden noticed all of them.
 
Tonight, he was going to strike his target. He'd grown up with a desire to help people, to take away things that held people back. Maybe it was the complete contrast to his own life that spurred this on. Sure, his family had plenty of money - they sent him to the best boarding school money could buy, ensured he had everything he required, but still he was neglected by his parents and his older sister. He knew he was an accident, a drunken night gone wrong nine months later, and he was reminded of this every time his parents and sister went on holiday without him. But that just made him want to do better for people.
 
He'd ended up with a very sharp mind. That, combined with his want to do good, spurred him on to develop a system of safe genetic modification to crops which paved the way to end world hunger. He did that not long after his 18th birthday. Still, his family didn't even turn up to the presentation by The King.
 
Slowly, he started to decide that humanity, like the men of old, needed more than just to be helped, they needed to be guided, to be led, and to evolve to the next step. He saw some of that evolution with the multi students coming from that town in Scotland. And tonight, he would become one of them...
 
[End Flashback]
 
***
 
Hayden walked over to the Delivery System control panel on the side of the container and inserted a vial of bright green serum. The amount should be exactly right to transform the 5 men. If it works, as it should work, then this time tomorrow he could be correcting his mistake with Gregor and give them both the chance to remain together for all eternity.
 
As he activated the system, Hayden started to smile. He then walked back over to Gregor, and watched, with the other assembled scientists and engineers, as the Delivery System started to operate.
 
"Everything is going according to plan, Doctor," Doctor Mark Richards, the chief scientist, noted.
 
"Excellent," Hayden whispered under his breath.
 
The serum was colourless when in the air, but the volunteers were already starting to react. Slowly, they all stopped moving, as though a tranquillity had come over them.
 
"How long until the serum takes effect?" one of the scientists asked.
 
"I estimate between 2 and 5 minutes," Mark replied. "Although it will depend on the saturation within the tank, and whether the system is working at optimum capacity."
 
"The system is operating perfectly, Dr Richards," one of the engineers answered. "Beyond what we had thought possible."
 
All those assembled felt a slight joy at the news. Not only had their device worked, it was working beautifully. This meant that they had not only succeeded at their task, but they had also managed to satisfy Doctor Masters - they all get to live another day...
 
Suddenly, one of the volunteers in the tank grasps his side in pain. His t-shirt is beginning to bulge outwards, before ripping completely, revealing a new arm growing from his torso. Another volunteer's trousers had started to tear as a new leg was starting to emerge.
 
"Perfect," Hayden whispered to Gregor. "It works. It really works..."
 
[Flashback]
 
Hayden was at the party, along with 40 other students and, more importantly, his target. His plan was working, slowly but surely. Now he just had to get the multi guy all alone...
 
After a few hours chatting to his quarry, Hayden realised that he was far more intelligent than he gave him credit for. He also realised that he was also very naive and innocent in the real world. Using that to his advantage, Hayden had managed to convince him to go somewhere a bit quieter, like the garden out back.
 
They continue conversing, while Hayden charms the multi stud. Eventually, they both end up naked, with Hayden amazed at the size of the other guy’s cocks and starting to wonder if he's bitten off more than he can chew. *No,* he thinks to himself, *I must do this so I can be transformed.*
 
Taking one cock in his mouth, and one cock in his ass, Hayden and his target work, and work, and work until they both climax. Swallowing as much as he can, Hayden almost drowns in cum. As the multi takes his long, thick cock out of his ass, he quickly, and sneakily, stuffs a butt plug in so that no semen will leak out.
 
Parting ways, but promising to meet up in the morning (a promise Hayden won't be keeping, much as he had started to warm to the multi guy) Hayden heads back home so that he can begin the process of evolving...
 
***
 
Two days have passed, and still nothing has happened. Going through his plan in his head, Hayden still can't work out what went wrong. He was just getting ready to leave the house for the first time when he felt a blinding pain and blacked out...
 
***
 
Waking up, Hayden found himself in the hallway of his apartment. He was dizzy and disorientated. Slowly he tried to stand up, but his legs felt like jelly, so he tried to drag himself into his living room.
 
With determination he threw one of his arms forward to pull himself, but his hand reached out further than normally possible. His fingers also dug into the floorboards by an inch or two. Not noticing either of these things, he flung his other hand forward, but the same thing happened. A realisation suddenly came over him, and a feeling that his arms were still beside him, so he threw them forward too. Pulling himself, along, throwing arm after arm, he soon made it into the living room.
 
Slowly his senses started to come too, and he realised he was pulling himself along with four arms. *Holy shit!* he thought. *It worked. It really worked! But why does it feel like my legs are still in the same place?*
 
He looked back, twisting his neck in a way that wouldn't be possible to any normal person, but he still couldn't see his legs. Without moving any other part of his body, he slowly starts moving his head, stretching his neck, as he traces his long, stretched out torso to finally reach his legs.
 
"There you are," he said to them. "Wait, how long am I?"
 
A sudden realisation and panic suddenly set in. Hayden was now a multi. *How will I explain this to everyone? What will I do for clothes? Will I need to eat more now that I have a bigger body? What will my parents say?*
 
At that last thought, Hayden became angry. *Why should I care what they say? They've never cared about me before. This will just give them even more of an excuse to ostracise me. They just don't love me.* At this last outburst Hayden opens his mouth to yell, but instead a ball of flame comes out and sets fire to his sofa.
 
"Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit! What will I do, em, em, em..."
 
Panic set in as Hayden watched his sofa burn. Trying to react before the smoke alarm went off, he ended up doing something that would in later life become one of his trademark moves. By instinct, he lifted the sofa, noting subconsciously how light it was, then opened his mouth wide, very wide, and swallowed the sofa whole...
 
"What the fuck?! Why the hell did I do that? Wait, I can't feel anything. My hands aren't burnt from the flames, and I can't feel any discomfort inside me. This feels, well, amazing!
 
"Wait a minute. If I can stretch, I wonder if I can compress myself?"
 
Using all the willpower currently available to him, he started to compress his body. It was at this point that he started to notice his abs - he had gone from a one-pack (!) to a sixty pack! More and more he compressed his body until he was almost his original height. Looking down at his abs, he noticed that he still had a 60 pack, but that they were all scrunched up. Making a mental note to avoid going topless, he now wondered about his extra arms, and the luscious, juicy pecs he had gained. Concentrating, he folded his pecs down and flattened his arms against his side. Quickly throwing on some nearby clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror. He could pass for his old self, although he did notice that his face was now free from any blemishes.
 
The thought of his new body and what he could do seemed to also be having an effect in his underwear, as he noticed that he now had two cocks in place of one, and they were a lot bigger than his boyfriend's.
 
"Shit. Gregor!" Hayden exclaimed. "Wait till he sees what I can do..."
 
[End Flashback]
 
***
 
"Wait," Gregor said. "What's happening to them? Is there something wrong?"
 
Everyone watched as some of the volunteer test subjects started to grow extra limbs in all the wrong places. One of them grew an arm out the centre of his forehead, while another grew a leg out of his shoulders.
 
"Check the system," Dr Richards shouted, as engineers rushed forward to the control panel. As they did, the mutated subjects started to display aggressive tendencies towards them, banging on the glass and looking at them with rabid eyes.
 
Snapped from his dreaming, Hayden rushed forward to check with the engineers. Neither he nor they could find anything wrong with the Delivery System. It was working entirely as planned.
 
"It can't be... It just... can't be..." Hayden said quietly. Realisation came over him that it wasn't the work of the scientists or engineers, but his own serum that was at fault. A serum that was meant to save Gregor. As he stood, frozen to the spot, the other assembled experts tried to do anything to fix the situation.
 
Hayden just stood in stunned silence...
 
[Flashback]
 
"Fuck, Hayden, that's incredible! Your plan worked. It worked!"
 
Gregor was mesmerised by Hayden's display of his new abilities. Now resuming his old, familiar shape, he placed both (upper) hands on either side of Gregor's face and gave him a loving kiss.
 
"The best of it is, I think I've found a way to replicate it's effects! That means that I can share this feeling with you!" Hayden said, before kissing his love again.
 
"Not just that, it gives me a chance to help humanity evolve to the next level. Perhaps this will help push us to even greater things, rather than more wars, hunger and suffering."
 
"Really? You think I could also become like you?" Gregor asked. "That would be amazing!"
 
"Yes! And once we've managed to achieve my vision, we can just relax on a little island in the Caribbean and live our lives away.."
 
***
 
One year later...
 
"Gregor, I've done it! I've actually done it!" Hayden came running in to the living room.
 
Gregor looked up at his boyfriend. *He hasn't aged a day since he transformed,* he thought. *I wonder if he'll live forever like this?*
 
"So, what do you want me to do?" Gregor asked, holding back the excitement he felt.
 
"I'm just going to inject you with some of this serum" - Hayden indicated a green liquid - "and then you might feel a bit of pain, and black out for a few days. But don't worry, I'm right at your side the whole time."
 
Gregor just nodded and held out his arm. Hayden carefully injected him with the serum.
 
"You know, that wasn't so - " Gregor collapses and blacks out from the pain.
 
***
 
A few days later, and Gregor regains consciousness. Hayden looks at him, with a worried expression.
 
"What's wrong?" Gregor asks.
 
"Nothing, nothing," Hayden replies.
 
"You know I can tell when you're lying. I can read you like a book Hayden Masters."
 
"Ok," Hayden takes a deep breath. "The serum has worked, but only to an extent. You've transformed, as you'll soon discover, but nowhere near the same level as I have. You've also got a lot of bruising and bleeding, but I've managed to take care of all of that. You'll just need to rest up for a few more days."
 
"Oh, that's all..." Gregor says as he passes out again...
 
Hayden starts to mentally kick himself. *The man you love is now in great pain because of you,* he thinks to himself. *You were meant to make him like you, but instead you've only changed some of him. He's still as fragile as any human, despite his new extra parts. You're a failure, Hayden Masters, a complete failure...*
 
[End flashback]
 
***
 
As Hayden remains motionless, stuck in his thoughts, Gregor snaps into action. Noticing that the mutated subjects are now starting to attack each other, tearing flesh and even ripping one subject’s limbs off, he uses the distraction to usher away the assembled staff members.
 
"Get away from here now. We still have the designs for the Delivery System, and we know it works, but none of you will be safe here. I'll get Hayden."
 
The staff members don't hesitate to flee the scene, heading back to the vehicles and driving away as quickly as possible.
 
Gregor turns back to Hayden, who is still in his thoughts, although he does notice a few tears falling from his eyes.
 
"Hayden! Hayden! You've got to snap out of this!" he shouts. "We've got to get out of here now. These things are continuing to mutate, and they are out for blood."
 
Blinking, Hayden finally returns to earth.
 
"What went wrong, Gregor? This was meant to be my gift to you, and it's all went wrong."
 
For the first time in many years, Gregor witnessed something few other people had ever seen - Doctor Hayden Masters, one of the most feared beings on the planet, was starting to cry.
 
"C'mon Hayden, we don't have time. These things are going to kill us!"
 
Hearing the glass smash, Gregor turns around. Something in Hayden stirs. Sensing the imminent danger to the one he loves; he snaps in to action. Lifting the entire container, he opens his mouth wide and swallows the entire thing, but not before one of the creatures escapes and leaps at Gregor, throwing him to the ground.
 
Tears of anguish change to anger as Hayden stretches out his arm and constricts the creature before it follows its fellow mutants into Hayden's waiting maw.
 
Hayden rushes over to Gregor, who is badly hurt from the encounter. Lifting him in his arms, Hayden takes off at incredible speed to the infirmary, running so fast that he overtakes the vehicles that had left several minutes before.
 
He couldn't forgive himself for allowing Gregor to come into harm's way...
 
***
 
Hayden waits patiently in the corridor of the infirmary, pacing up and down. With his mind focussed on one person, and one person only, he doesn't notice that he has stopped pacing on the floors and is now walking between the walls and the ceiling, as though gravity has no power over him...
 
*How could I let him be so close to danger? How could I be so stupid? What if I had decided not to test the serum out first and just inject it into him - would I now be sitting with my love digesting in my stomachs rather than those creatures?*
 
As his mental self-beating continued, Hayden didn't notice the surgeon come out and try to find him. He had stopped pacing and was now sitting cross legged on the ceiling, with his head in his hands. For the second time today, Hayden found himself in tears. Tears of anguish mixed with tears of anger. Anger, not at anyone else, but at himself. He had allowed this to happen. He alone was responsible for the serum which was going to allow humanity to evolve to a higher level of being, but most importantly, was going to allow Gregor to join him in becoming immortal, enjoying eternal companionship and love. But no, he had royally screwed up, and now Gregor, the only person on the entire planet who mattered to him, was in surgery, having been attacked by one of those creatures that Hayden had created. His arrogance may just have caused the death of his only love...
 
Spotting the tear drops hitting the floor from the ceiling above, the surgeon looked up at the pathetic shape of a man that was Doctor Hayden Masters.
 
"Ahem. Doctor Masters, I have an update on Mr Skye," the surgeon quietly said.
 
Dropping to the floor with the grace of a cat, Hayden stood in front of the surgeon, wiping away the tears to clear his eyes.
 
"Mr Skye is currently in an extremely critical condition. The force of the impact has caused some damage to his skull and spine. He also has numerous incisions where the creature clawed at him, some of which have become infected. Finally, three of his lungs have been pierced, due to additional fractures on his rib cage. We have managed to stabilise him enough to perform surgery, but at this early stage we can't be certain on anything. Naturally, we are doing everything thing we can."
 
With that, the surgeon quickly re-entered the theatre, in case Hayden's mood changed and he ended up becoming a casualty himself.
 
Hayden just stretched himself back to the ceiling and took himself back to his thoughts...
 
***
 
[Flashback]
 
"So, Hayden, how does it feel to be 'Doctor' Masters?" Gregor asked.
 
"It feels incredible Gregor. I've managed to achieve so much, and yet I feel like my work hasn't even begun."
 
"You know, it's really funny. You just haven't changed since that day 4 years ago. I really do think you are immortal or something."
 
That stung Hayden badly. True, he had guessed so himself, but the fact that Gregor was convinced made Hayden feel even more of a failure on what should have been a great day. He knew it wasn't Gregor's fault, nor was it his intention to make him feel bad, but he still did. Putting those feelings to the back of his mind, he smiled at his love.
 
"You know, I think you might be right. It's the odd things - like the fact I haven't needed to shave or have a haircut since that day."
 
"Wait, I've seen you with longer hair though. You changed your style a few years back for a few months remember?"
 
"Oh yeah, but that didn't involve any hair styling or haircuts. I'm elastic all over, so I just stretched my hair into a different shape, like this." Hayden demonstrated by allowing his hair to stretch down to his waist and back.
 
Gregor just laughed, "I wonder how much you've saved over the years not needing a haircut. Must be at least a hundred pounds or so. Add in the shaving foam and razors and I can see why you're not short of money..."
 
*Little do you know, my love,* thought Hayden. *Or you do know but have decided to let it pass. The banks I've managed to rob to start funding my vision, without ever being caught...*
 
"So, what are your plans now that you've finished uni?" Gregor asked.
 
The question stopped Hayden in his tracks. He hadn't thought of 'beyond uni'.
 
"To be honest, I haven't actually thought about it," Hayden replied. "I kind of just thought that life would continue as it is."
 
"Typical Hayden," Gregor shook his head. "Visions affecting the whole of humanity, but no idea about the here and now."
 
"Well, what are you going to do?"
 
"I'm not at uni, so I'll just continue working away as I always have. I guess you'll head back to your parents' house?"
 
There was a hint of sadness in Gregor's voice, like he expected this to be the end of things.
 
"Gregor, why don't you give up your job and just come live with me?"
 
"Good one Hayden. You've saved on haircuts and shaving, but you don't have enough to support both of us. Plus, you'll need to get yourself a research job somewhere if you want to continue working on your vision. There won't be many good paying entry level researchers, and your parents certainly won't support you now that you're finished uni."
 
Hayden frowned. Gregor was right. Despite the wealth he had acquired from some of the banks, he couldn't just flash that around. His parents wouldn't support him. Hell, he hadn't even seen them since he started uni. Maybe it was time to visit the folks back home.
 
Telling Gregor that he was going to find out where he stood, he kissed his love goodbye and made his way back home to confront his family...
 
[End Flashback]
 
***
 
Hayden hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten, he hadn't even moved from his spot on the ceiling. Time was passing by, and he had no idea how long he had been in that position. All he knew was that he wasn't moving until Gregor emerged from the theatre, one way or another...
 
***
 
[Flashback]
 
Hayden arrived at his parents' manor house. He was greeted coldly by the footman, who announced that his parents weren't expecting him. Brushing past, he entered the house and searched for his family, eventually finding them all sat together in the drawing room.
 
"Hayden?" his shocked mother said, "you're not meant to be home."
 
"Greetings to you too, mother."
 
"Well then, boy," his father joined in, "do you think it not appropriate to call ahead? We might not have been in."
 
"Oh father, I know that if I had called ahead, you would most definitely not have been in."
 
With the family gathered, including his sister, Hayden asked the question about where he went from here. Would they support him?
 
"Well, boy, there comes a time when a man has to stand on his own two feet. I've funded you through school and through your university studies. I think that's more than can be said for most fathers out there."
 
"And yet, my sister hasn't ever done anything with her life but sits like the Queen of Sheba?"
 
"Don't take such an insolent tone, young man. Your sister was here first and deserves your respect as your elder sibling. Need I remind you that you were a mistake?"
 
"Oh no, father, you've reminded me often enough of that."
 
"Again, with your impudence. I can see that you may have graduated, but you certainly haven't grown up whilst you were at uni. In fact, you don't seem to have grown full stop. You look like a child and act like a child."
 
"Father, I can assure you that I have grown. I have grown into something beyond your comprehension. I have evolved beyond mere mortality, capable of more than any human has ever dreamed."
 
As he said this, Hayden started allowing himself to expand into his true body. His parents looked terrified as their son became a monster in front of their eyes - all 15 ft 6 inches of muscle.
 
"What are you?" his mother asked, "what have you done to our son?"
 
"You've never really known your son, mother, and it shows today."
 
From behind Hayden, the footman comes running in and tries to tackle him to the ground. Instead, Hayden doesn't move an inch and the footman feels as though he's hit into a brick wall. Using the distraction, Hayden's father runs over to a cabinet and pulls out a revolver, pointing it up at Hayden's head.
 
"Get away from my family, you monster," he shouts at his son. "You were born a mistake, and you live as a mistake. You're nothing to us, and always will be nothing to us."
 
Without another word he pulls the trigger...
 
A smile breaks on Hayden's lips.
 
"Ha! Did you honestly think a mere mortal like you could ever harm me?"
 
He stretches his lower right arm over to his father, takes the gun from him and has a closer look before simply swallowing it whole. The family stand in shocked silence, waiting on his next move.
 
"Well, father, I have to say that you've given me the perfect excuse to rid myself of you all..."
 
Hayden opened his mouth and slowly snaked his tongue out towards his father. Wrapping it around him, he starts pulling him into his waiting mouth. Just as father reaches Hayden's face, another three tongues snake out to capture his mother, his sister and the footman. Without warning, he pulls them all into his mouth and swallows.
 
*That's that,* he thinks. *No more of their cruelty. Now to make it seem like a tragic accident. But first...*
 
He heads over to his father's safe and pulls the door off. Retrieving all the valuables, he swallows the lot, but doesn't allow them to be digested. With everything of value stripped from the house, he simply starts to breathe fire until the whole house is a blazing inferno. With his super-human body, he simply stands and watches as the flames engulf the entire house...
 
***
 
Four hours later the fire brigade finally brought the blaze under control, but there isn't much left of the Manor House at all. All the staff except the family and the footman managed to make it out alive. Although no trace of the family was found in the wreckage, all four were officially classed as dead.
 
A few days later, with no-one at the scene, Hayden oozed his way from the remains of his home. *Not my home,* he reminded himself. *I've never been at home here.*
 
Resuming his old shape, he returns to Gregor with the news...
 
[End Flashback]
 
***
 
 
 
"Doctor? Doctor Masters? You can come in and see him now."
 
He shook himself out of his dream and dropped to the floor. Pushing past the surgeon he rushes into the theatre. There, looking like hell but with a little smile, was Gregor.
 
Resisting the temptation to hug him, knowing that he could cause more damage, he simply smiled back. Tears once again filled those eyes.
 
"Gregor, I... I... I..." Hayden couldn't find the words.
 
"I love you Hayd. But I want you to promise me..."
 
"Yes, anything."
 
"Promise me that once I get out of here, if I get out of here, that you'll take a break from all this, and we can just go and sit on a beach somewhere."
 
Tears continued to stream down the Doctor's face as Gregor continued, in a faint, weak voice.
 
"I just want to sit and be with you, like we used to do before your vision took over..."
 
Gregor trailed off as he fell back into unconsciousness. The heart monitors started to react, and the surgeons pushed past to try to stabilise the one person on the whole planet that Hayden cared about.
 
His eyes not moving from the face of his lover, Hayden whispered to himself -
 
"I promise..."