Prologue

Prologue

The eerie silence of a hospital room only breaks as machines gave a piercing beep. It was the only thing that broke the monotony of seeing a limbless loved one bandaged. If it weren’t for hospital forms and dog tags, the mother would not be able to recognize her own daughter. The body didn’t have the form she remembered.

 

Her daughter was out patrolling when an IED ripped her body apart. The mother didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse for her to be alive. She was in a medically induced coma until the doctors figured out the best approach. There were microscopic amounts that could still provide Mrs. Caulfield with the hope that her daughter would receive a good quality of life. Eighty percent of her torso had third-degree burns, which only added to the shrapnel damage. Even if Ms. Caulfield got limb replacements, her body would be a horrifying mess with medical complications. Mrs. Caulfield had even considered taking the dark approach to euthanizing her daughter. As severe as it sounds, it would be mercy from the pain and suffering that her darling angel will experience.

 

A soft knock came on the door as the doctor enters with another man. The man wore prism glasses and a suit, but the sincere expression caught her attention the most. The darkness of the last few weeks started to dwell on her, but the man still seem to put a ray of sunshine into her life. She looks hopeful at the man for anything to help her Angel.

 

"I am Doctor Leonard Witaszek. We spoke on the phone earlier."

 

Mrs. Caulfield hopes began to drown in despair. Dr. Witaszek works for a company called Almost Human, which provides robotic limb replacements. He didn’t offer much over the phone, but he wanted to discuss the matter in person.

 

"Doctor, it’s good of you to come, but my daughter needs more than prosthetic limbs." she stands up and looks at the man. "She served her country and she needs to have the quality of life that she fought for."

 

"I couldn’t agree with you more." Leonard states. "I wanted to talk to you about a tentative plan. It would rebuild her body to who she was before."

 

Mrs. Caulfield blinks her eyes as she looks at her daughter and then Leonard.

 

"How?"

 

"Well, there is..." he starts before being interrupted by a man in a business suit.

 

"Doctor, you have a call. It is about your daughter."

 

For the first time in the conversation, Leonard went pale.

 

"My apologies. My associate will explain the option. I have to take this call." he stutters as he walks out the door. As he is leaving, his colleague walks in to talk to Mrs. Caulfield.

 

Leonard walks out of the hospital and rushes to call his wife. The phone rings for a minute before a strange voice picks up the phone.

 

"Hi, I am Dr. Thompson. I have been trying to reach out to you." the man on the other side spoke as Leonard’s mind raced. He couldn’t place Thompson’s name immediately until he recalls a caretaker talking about a new pulmonologist. "Hello?"

 

"Yes, I’m here." he speaks as he shudders, the specialist was calling. He left his family in the best care at Baystate Medical in Springfield, MA as he conducts his research in Boston. It could only mean one thing.

 

"I think you should come to Springfield. I fear your daughter doesn’t have long." Dr. Thompson spoke with a solemn and compassionate voice. It was not news that he ever wants to give a parent, but it was inevitable he would run into a case. "Right now, she is comfortable, but there isn’t more I can do."

 

"Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can." Leonard spoke as a courteously as he could given the circumstance. As he hangs up the phone, Leonard collapses against the wall and loses all composure. He has already lost two children to Cystic Fibrosis and he was on the verge of losing another. His will was breaking as his compatriot joins him outside.

 

"Mrs. Caulfield agrees to allow her daughter to enter our experiment." the man speaks coolly. "We just need to arrange transport."

 

"Prepare another prototype." Leonard stands up. "And get me to Springfield. Let the company arrange Ms. Caulfield’s transport."

 

The man nods and follows Leonard to the car. The man speaks on the phone before entering the driver’s side and exiting the hospital.

 

Next Chapter: Chapter 1