STRANGE BLOOD

"How was it?"

He gave his co doctor slash friend a disappointed response, "I don't know if I'll continue all these, Ron," he roam his eyes around in every corner of the Lab. "But..." there's always a but; for there are always a reasons... for him, perhaps.  "But I have to keep going for Elizabeth. It's her life at stake, so, I have to keep going." Just like their former formulas, the current one was another failed test.

"I understand, Marco, believe me..." Ron stopped as if the next words would be a matter of life and death. "Believe me if I say we understand your situation but... But Elizabeth is getting weaker and weaker. We know how much you love her but maybe it's about time to..." his friend's  voice cracked but trying to elaborate what was he's trying to tell. "Maybe it's about time to let her go?" he said the last words with full of agony.

Marco didn't bother to uttered even a single word. His attention is currently on his failed project! The Project Elizabeth. One year ago when he started the Project Elizabeth when his fiancé was diagnosed a stage four brain cancer.  From that day, he started looking for any remedies to her illness. How could he forgets all the sacrificial rats and even those naked mole-rat? Every formula that they created—he and Ron—they injected it to those lab rodents but after a few minutes they died.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Ron," he said few minutes later. He headed towards the lab freezer. He opened it and took the only thing that's inside—a container containing the F29EP—the only experiment that could possibly help them to create an alternative biological cells that helps to control or even defeat the cancer cell. "Maybe there's a missing piece in this nanotechnology? Maybe if we could figure it out it'll work?"

"Hmm, maybe, yes?"

The F29EP was the only thing that kept the rat alive for almost two days. They tested it to five more rats and they had  the same results. They gathered more informations, research, references and everything but up to this day the F29EP is a failed subject.

"But there must be something, right?" Being optimistic is the only way to keep his heart-will burn.

"We should go home. Elizabeth is waiting for you. I told her that you'll coming with me, so, no one will be working here. And for tommorow, I'll be working with Chad and you're going to take Elizabeth to church, okay?"

"Ron, please, we don't need to waste another time." There is a plea in his voice but he knows that when Ron said a word it'll not be undone.

"So, you are saying that being with Elizabeth is a waste of time?" A smirk curved his friend's face. Ron was definitely joking and Marco knows that, so, he smiled.

"Oh, come on, man! You're starting to use your authority again."

"And if you don't come with me now and not take my sister to church tomorrow, don't bother to see your face to us for two weeks."

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"If that's what you call it, then, it's a blackmail. So, let's call it a day?" He nodded. "I'm leaving my car here, so, I need a lift. You'll drive and I sleep hahaha."

"Where's Rob?" They are on their way to the Augustus' Residence.

"Madagascar."

"Madagascar?" He repeated what his friend's told. "You mean across the Mozambique Channel? Madagascar rainforest?"

Ron gave him a absurd look. "Of course, Is there any place on your mind?"

"Nah, I thought you're pertaining to the movie," he laughed as if Ron's identical twin was in front of him. Between the two, Ron is the serious type while Rob is the childish even in his 30's. "What is he doing there?"

"As usual, doing what he do best."

Photography! Rob is a free-spirited and adventurous unlike his brother. Elizabeth used to travel with Rob before she got sick.

"His pictures helps Elizabeth not to entertain negative energies. It serves as a therapy."

"Ron, I want to marry your sister next week."

"Holy shit! What did you say?"

"I want to move our wedding day. I want her to be my wife as soon as possible. Five months is like waiting for forever and I want to spend her last days with our home."

"You should have told us that earlier so that —"

He prevented his friend from talking. "Calm down, Ron, everything is already settled. Help me talk to your parents about the arrangements instead. When will be Rob coming home?"

"I'll call him later. My, why I'm feeling so excited to be your brother-in-law? You two could make a genius little kids. With your genes and Elizabeth combine, no doubt about that!"

"We can make a good little one, Ron. We'll continue to find remedies while she's relying in her medications for now."

"Yeah, maybe this news help her to create a happy hormones in her body. Dopamine," he chuckled. "Thank you!"

"For what?"

"For not giving up to our sister. For finding a solution to solve this problem."

"I'll do anything for Elizabeth, Ron. If I would given a chance to take her position, I would do it without any second thoughts. We are here!" He announced.

"Look who's here waiting?"

"She's so beautiful."

"Of course, it runs through our bloods hahaha!"

They laughed together as if it's their first time to laugh after a year.

"Love!" It is the only lyrics that he knows about the certain song that only the two of them could understand.

"Love," he gave her a lightning-fast kiss. "Why are you here?"

"Nah, I'm eager to see you that's why I'm here, isn't it obvious?" Even without her hair and her pale skin and lips, Elizabeth managed to be beautiful as ever. "You'll push my wheelchair as my price." She winked.

He called his friend who's now entering the door with his things. "Ron, have you heard what she said? Your sister is so sweet. You probably have to find a partner to experience what I'm feeling right now."

"Tsk! You two, get a room but we need to eat first."

"We'll leave this thing here," he said while eyeing the wheelchair, "I'll carry you." As he held her, he can feel her soft-like-feather skin on his flesh and smell the sweet midnight-mist on her breathe.

"Ohh!" He heard her gasped. "I love you, Marco."

"And I love you more, my queen!"