Abel Ladd - The Crying Child | Day 3 : 2230 words

After the uncomfortable ride back to the delivery center the next day where Abel spent much of the time in full volume screams, the elevator ride was tense as the other passengers tried as hard as possible to ignore the screaming child. For people who have never been exposed to the screams of a child they managed pretty well considering the situation. The older man stood looking straight ahead with a thousand yard stare, the young woman and man held each other’s hands tightly, the doctor seemed to handle it the worst as he was scrunched against the wall with his arm over his head.
The door opened and Esme quickly walked out followed by Neal close behind. The group of sudden cohorts turned to look at each other with wide eyes, silently yelling. The now fading scream clipped off as the doors shut.
Abel’s cries subsided to a whimper as they entered the hallway to the checkup hall. The hall consisted of a rows of 3 sided booths, each with a variety of displays on the wall and a pair of ring cuffs mounted to the table. One of the aides walked up to them and ushered them to one of the booths midway down the closest row.
“Can you please put your arms through the cuffs ma’am?” the aide asked Esme.
Neal reached forward and picked Abel from her arms. She sat at the table and inserted her arms into the cuffs. The aide pressed a few buttons and the table came to life. The cuffs began to constrict as the table vibrated and shook. A hatch opened in the wall above the table and a robotic arm emerged with a sheath of medical utensils. It moved down and flipped a syringe attachment forward as it moved smoothly toward Esme, quickly inserting itself and drawing a small amount of blood from the side of her neck.
Esme squirmed in he chair and pressed her arms against the cuffs. The constriction had held strong but started to relax just as she felt the need to speak up.
“That wasn’t very pleasant.” She said as the cuffs released their grip. The robotic arm slotting itself back into the wall. The screens around the booth began flickering to life as her various test results began appearing. Her date was always the first result in any test, then blood type, emotional range, inherited “genetic demerits”, extension probability, then the standard slew of vitals filled the screens.
“Your iron has dropped a little bit too much, we will want to correct it. You also seem to be showing a sign of a hemorrhoid beginning that you will very much want to take care of before it gets out of hand.” The aide scanned the screens and then stared at one for a while. “This is weird.” he said.
“What’s weird?” Esme asked.
“Uh, I need to get the doctor to look at this.” The aide said standing and beginning to walk away.
Neal stood and leaned forward towards the screen the aide had been staring at. He couldn’t decipher much of the medicalese but he saw “Blood” in a couple of spots and his hackles raised.
“I’m not sure but I see this says blood in a few spots. Maybe it’s something to do with your iron?” he offered as he sat back in his chair.
The aide returned with the doctor and she walked to the screens and stared at the offender without acknowledging Esme.
“This can’t be right. This just can’t be right. There is no way.” The doctor exclaimed to the aide.
“Ma’am I checked and this is the second result like this we have. The first one is his.” He said as he pointed to Abel.
“What are you saying?” the doctor asked.
“These two tests are from her and her child.” The aide again motioned to Esme and Abel.
Neal sat watching the doctor and aide, his mind pushing through a thought he had suddenly come to him. He tumbled it around his skull for a moment and found no reason not to offer it up as an option.
“Maybe the diviners are right?” he said with only a modicum of effort.
The doctor spun on her heal and stared at Neal. “What exactly are you saying? You think this child is the one?” she quipped.
“He is the crying child isn’t he?” Neal replied curtly.
The doctor continued to stare at Neal for a while before turning to the aide, “Would you go tell doctor Biggs that they are here?”
The aide turned and walked out of the hall without a word, the doctor turned and stared at the wall of screens, looking closer at one then scrolling through options on another trying to kill time and avoid eye contact, clearly irritated.
Neal still held Abel who was attempting to eat his fist as Lennie entered the hall with the aide at his side. The doctor saw them enter and she got up from behind the desk saying, “I will leave you with them.”
“Mr Ladd, Mrs Ladd. Thank you for coming in. We have had our unit fully re-calibrated and a number of infants have successfully been tested since.” Lennie said directly.
“That’s good. Can we do it without him screaming this time?” Neal asked, his eyes narrowing.
Esme shot Neal a look of surprise then turned back to Lennie, “can we all go this time?” she asked.
“Of course Mrs Ladd. Why don’t we head back to the lab now?” Lennie motioned towards the hall entrance and Neal and Esme followed carrying a still calm Abel.
“This is quite the difference from the last time.” Lennie said with a slight smile.
“He has been a handful for sure. I don’t even know what our neighbors think with the screaming. He hates the casket I think.” Esme replied with a sigh.
“Most all children take some time to get used to the casket. Just keep at it and follow the manual and he will get there.” He said as they reached the door to the lab. Grey stood by the unit inside and looked up as they entered.
“Welcome Mr and Mrs Ladd. Abel.” Grey said lightly. “I have everything warmed up and ready to go. I’m hoping we can keep this as normal as possible.”
Neal put his hand on Esme’s shoulder, “let’s get him in. The sooner we do the sooner it will be over.”
“I know, I just can’t stop…” she trailed off.
“It’s okay. Here let me.” Neal reached his arms out for her to hand over Abel but she didn’t move. “It’s okay really. Let me try.” He said imploringly.
“I’ll do it.” She replied reluctantly, trying to summon her strength.
Esme set Abel inside of the glass lined unit atop a small pile of warm blankets. In stark contrast to his first experience in the unit this time he was calm and still focused on trying to devour his tiny fist. Lennie looked at Grey and nodded, Grey in turn pushed the screen and the machine whirred into action. The robotic arm slid from the wall of the unit and flipped a syringe attachment from the sheath. It moved quickly towards Abel’s leg and inserted the needle just far enough to draw a small sample of blood. The moment the needle entered his skin Abel held very still before turning his head and staring intently at Grey.
The unit withdrew the arm back into its cubby and the whirring stopped. Grey looked intently at the screen as it flashed “Processing” at him. The unit continued processing the sample and Lennie said to Esme, “You can take him out of the unit if you like.”
She thanked him as she reached in and picked Abel up. His surprisingly calm nature helped to keep Esme calm. Abel tried to eat his foot toes first.
Lennie walked around the unit and stood next to Grey watching the screen for any sign of a result. The continued flashing of “Processing” caused Lennie to frown, “this can’t happen again. We just had this thing totally calibrated.”
“Just give it a minute.” Grey responded.
Neal looked at Esme, his face contorting in concern and apprehension. She tried to give him a reassuring look back but could feel the uncertainty showing through as she shifted Abel in her arms.
“Come on.” Lennie grumbled at the unit.
After what everyone felt to be an exceptionally long time the screen on the unit stopped flashing “Processing”, the screen turning to the same flashing red background with the words “Unknown Species” in bold lettering as before.
“What the hell?” Grey barked.
“Are you kidding me? Again?” Lennie said putting his hand to his forehead.
“What? What is it?” Esme asked suddenly feeling very eager.
“You should call the director. He needs to know.” Grey said to Lennie then turning to Esme said, “It seems the unit has a flaw. We are going to see what the director would like us to try next.”

Lennie walked out of the lab and into the nearby office, going to the com and dialing the director. The speaker crackled and the director’s voice came across, “What is it?”
The words flowed from Lennie’s mouth, “Sir, the test came back the same as before. The unit has been fully calibrated but it gave the same result. What are we going to do?”
The room around Lennie was silent for what felt like too long before the com crackled to life with, “Don’t say anything. Tell them the machine is broken and not to worry. Everything is fine and they are free to go. Delete the sample and data.”
“Sir? I think, they are suspicious by now.” Lennie said hesitatingly.
“Just do what you’re told. We don’t need this getting out any more than it already has. There are already questions being asked that I don’t need to be answering. Just bury this.” The director’s voice held the tone and cadence that let Lennie know there was no other option.
Lennie held his breath a moment, biting his lip, then said, “yes sir. We’ll take care of it”
He walked back to the lab doors, popped open on and stuck his head inside saying, “Grey, can you come here?”
Grey excused himself and walked to the door, pushing it open, “What? What did the director say?”
“Step out here.” Lennie said in a hushed tone.
Grey looked back at the Ladds then stepped out into the hallway. Lennie waited until the door shut then said, “he wants us to bury it.”
“What? The kid? He wants us to bury the kid?” Grey’s head jerked back as the shock spread through his body as the thought sank in.
“No dummy, he wants us to bury the data and the sample. We’re to tell them that the machine is jacked and there is nothing wrong with the kid.” Lennie whispered.
“Why the hell would we do that? You know what this kid is just as well as I do. Why would we bury the proof?” Grey’s strained voice becoming louder.
“Shh. Let’s just get them out of here and we can deal with the sample.” Lennie hushed Grey with a lowering gesture of his hands.
“Fine let’s just get them out of here. I’ll tell them.” Grey said pushing the door open and entering the lab.
They walked back to the machine and stood next to the unit trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. Grey’s mind was racing as he stared at the same result, “Unknown Species” with that mocking red background flashing on and off. He glanced up at the Ladds and they were both staring intently at him. He felt his face flush and he looked up to face them.
“I’m sure it is nothing. Really this machine has given us fits the past year. For some reason it has done it again. The director has assured us that there is nothing for you to worry about and that you are free to go. We will just make the notes in the records.” Grey attempted to sooth over the tension.
“Is it the same result as last time?” Neal asked.
“The machine seems to have given the same result but as I said it has not been the most reliable lately.” Grey replied.
“You’re sure he is okay?” Esme pried.
“From everything we can tell he is just fine. Please, go home, enjoy you child, and if you have any issues we are here.” Grey encouraged them.
Neal and Esme looked at each other and both recognized their opportunity to leave was at hand. Esme stood and shifted Abel in her arms his little foot audibly popping from his mouth, Neal rose next to her and said to Grey, “thank you doctor. I have to ask, do you believe the Diviners?”
Grey’s eyes opened wide for a moment before he caught himself. He composed himself and replied a bit too stiffly, “the system has worked well for ages now and I am not in a place to question it. I am here to facilitate the birthing process.”
“Okay. I get it.” Neal’s left eyebrow raised as he turned and put his arm around Esme. “ Thank you doctor.” He said as they walked from the lab.