The Iso-Stasis Experiment (The Experiments)

by Jacqueline Druga

  Even with the thin carpet on the floor, it was cold. Jake would rather have stayed where it was ninety-eight point six degrees, right in that bed with Cal, but it was time to get busy, to keep moving.

  “Cal.” Jake called her name from the side of the bed. “Cal.” He didn’t get an answer. Annoyed, he reached back and with his knuckles nudged her backside. “Get up.”

  The normal Cal grunt but she followed it with a word. “No.” It was muffled as she buried her head in the pillow, pulling the covers up more.

  Jake stood over the bed, keeping his arms across his bare chest. “Cal . . . get up.”

  “Jake.” Cal lifted her head, eyes squinting. “No.”

  “You can’t stay in bed all day.” He walked around the bed. “You have to work out. If you don’t, you’ll get weak.”

  “You’ll get weak. I’ll get flabby.”

  “All right, but any wolves I pick off go on my score card. You’ve defaulted for today.” Jake adjusted his boxers and headed to the bathroom, slowing down at Cal’s desk to look at the picture of Jessie. He quickly turned back to Cal when he realized what day it was. “I’m going in the bathroom, Cal. When I get out, I want you out of bed. Understand? You aren’t lying in bed all day, period.” He flicked on the coffee pot for her and went into the bathroom.

  Cal said nothing to Jake when he emerged from the bathroom. She merely set down the mug of coffee she stole from the pot before it was done brewing and walked into the bathroom.

  Jake waited until he heard that final suctioning of the last drop to flow into the grinds. Seven minutes wasn’t too long to wait for him. Jake pulled out the rifle and the shotgun, and their gloves. He sipped his coffee waiting for Cal to finish up. He expected her to move slower so he made himself be patient with her.

  “I’m ready,” Cal said in a monotone. “I can’t believe I jumped out of bed at your request.” As her arm extended past him for her mug Jake stopped her.

  He slid his hand up her arm to behind her head. “Cal,” he said softly. “You’ll make it through this day, I promise you. We’ll get through it together. Just . . . know that I’m here. OK?”

  Raising her eyes to meet his, Cal saw it. Jake knew. She hadn’t a clue how. She never mentioned it. But the date must have set in Jake’s mind. Somehow Jake knew that exactly one year ago, Jessie was killed. Cal couldn’t speak. She fought her lips that began to pout. She leaned forward resting her forehead on his chest.

  “It’s OK, we’ll stay busy. We’ll talk. Whatever you need, we’ll do it.”

  “I don’t want to do anything, Jake.”

  “I know.” Jake pulled her closer. “But trust me, staying busy helps. It really does.” He stepped back, sliding his arms down to grab her hands. “Come up to the roof with me. Put those emotions and that energy to work for you not against you.”

  Cal lifted her head to him and just nodded.

  ^^^^

  Jennifer let out a loud frustrated grunt and at the same time slammed the book closed. The groan she released made Carlos stop playing his guitar, Rickie stopped tearing tiny sheets of paper and John stopped typing on his lap top. Her head and eyes were raised toward the ceiling. “I can’t take it.”

  Carlos laughed and began to play again. “Ignore it.”

  “I can’t.” Jennifer opened her book again. “Maggie is so right, those two are demented.” Again she lifted her head to the ceiling to listen to the routine that repeated itself over and over. The banging came from the side of the building followed by the thump-thump-thumps across the room and the squeaking slide down the other side of the building. Then every other time, the thumps would stop on the roof and then there would be gunshots. “How can they do that, every single morning?”

  Carlos removed the guitar pick from his mouth as he tuned his guitar. “Jake is an exercise freak and Cal, well, Cal is his drone.”

  “Dude!” Rickie jumped in very defensively. “That’s like way off base. Do a negative about my friend again and you won’t have strings on that guitar you sleep with.”

  “Oh, Rickie, you don’t scare me.” Carlos laughed at him.

  “Fine, I’ll just tell the Sarge you’re ripping on his woman.”

  “I can’t take it.” Jennifer slammed her book again. “Stop it!” She yelled to the ceiling. “Maggie, you tell them . . . thank you.” Jennifer started walking out and paused. “Between their thumping and running, John’s tapping, Carlos’ awful guitar playing and Rickie’s humming of seventies tunes, we’ve had enough and we’re out of here.” Not realizing she was doing everyone a favor, Jennifer left the room. “I’ll just go to our room. What do you think? . . . I think that’s a good idea. I also think we should cut that rope . . .” Jennifer slowed down at Griff’s door, the door before her own. “Shh. Do you hear that?” She asked her counter personality who was keeping her company. “I do, too. But don’t say anything; they think we’re nuts as it is.”

  ^^^^

  “You hardly ate any dinner.” Jake told Cal as he lay on her bed, propped up, feet extended and watching her as she just sat at her desk staring at Jessie’s picture.

  “I really wasn’t hungry, Jake.” Cal reached up and grabbed Jessie’s photo. “I had a nightmare last night.” She turned to look at Jake. “Is it OK if I talk to you about it?”

  “Don’t insult me by not.”

  “I dreamed of the night I got the phone call. I can still hear David’s voice as he answered that phone.” Cal swallowed and closed her eyes. “It was the middle of the night. You know how, when the phone rings in the middle of the night, you know something is wrong? All I heard him say was ‘Oh my God’ and he kept saying it over and over.” Cal slowly set down the picture and walked to the bed to stand beside Jake. She grabbed the hand he held out to her and slipped onto the bed facing him. “I can still see that expression on his face. It was as if all the pity in the world was in his eyes when he looked at me. And I knew. I kept thinking, this is a dream, but I knew. Last night it was a dream and I woke up into the reality that it really did happen. I don’t know why I just didn’t die when that happened. I don’t know how I went on. I just wish . . . this is going to sound so stupid . . . but I wish I had met you years ago.”

  “Why do you say that? Not that it’s a bad wish.”

  “I really needed someone like you to get me through that. You would have been so strong, Jake. You would have been what I needed to make it through. I’ve never talked about Jessie’s death with anyone, until you. Thank you so much for listening to me.”

  “Hey.” Jake ran his hand down her face, bracing her chin between his thumb and fingers. “Whenever you need me to, I’m here. I may not be the best talker, but I can listen.”

  “You sell yourself short, Major Graison.”

  “Why do you do that? Call me Major Graison all the time?”

  “I like to. I’m proud of who and what you are. I think it’s great.”

  “You know at this moment . . . I’d really like to tell you I love you.”

  “Why don’t you?”

  “I don’t think I know how, at least without sounding rehearsed or deliriously ill.” Jake smiled. “But . . . know that I do. OK? I really do. I wouldn’t imply it or let myself be with you like this if I didn’t.”

  “I know how you feel, Jake.” Cal leaned closer to him. “And know . . .” she brought her lips to his ear and whispered softly how she felt for him. She kissed him before she backed away.

  Jake smiled widely, rested his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. He let her words sink into his head, “Cal?” His hands wandered down to her legs. “I didn’t know you lived with David.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “It’s just that you implied that it was the middle of the night and all.”

  “No, David didn’t live with me. He used to spend the night when Jessie was away. That seemed to be the only time we could . . .” Cal bit her bottom lip and closed one eye. “Sorry. And why are we talking about David? I feel like
, I don’t know, guilty for having been with him.”

  “A part of me wished you weren’t. I guess it’s mostly jealousy. But I think it’s my competitive side, too.”

  “What you and I have is very different, Jake. David and I, we were a couple in the real world. You and I are here, no outside stimuli to disrupt us. What attracted us to one another up here may not breed the same feelings when we’re done with the experiment.”

  “Don’t do that. You piss me off when you imply that. And you do that a lot.” Jake released the hand she grabbed. “It’s very insulting to me. You make it sound like when this is over, so are we.”

  “Jake.” Cal grabbed his hand again. “Let’s just forget I said anything.”

  “Is it, Cal?” Jake looked in her eyes. “Is it over when the experiment is?”

  “I don’t want it to be.”

  “That’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

  “It’s the only one I can give you. How can you say for sure you’ll feel the same way for me?”

  “Because, Cal, I don’t give my feelings away freely. I wasn’t married before. I never lived with anyone until you. Hell, I never even went to sleep next to a woman until you . . .”

  “Stop.” Cal covered his mouth with her hand. “I’m not going to talk about this with you anymore. It’s insane.” She removed her hand kissing him softly. “Not tonight. Please, I don’t want to fight with you tonight. I need you tonight. Just know . . .”

  “Sarge . . . whoa. If you guys are going to be having bedtime practice sessions, you’re going to have to lock the door. That way I won’t walk in when I have a brilliant light bulb burning in my brain.”

  Cal lifted her eyes to Jake. “Want me to get rid of him?”

  “Nope, Rickie spilling his brilliant idea is just what you need today.” Jake moved his head around Cal to look at Rickie. “We welcome your presence. What is it you want?”

  “OK.” Rickie pulled up a chair. “You know how you two are always playing games against each other. I’ve invented a game. It’s called, get this, Rickie Pursuit. It’s the new way for you two to go up against each other.”

  Jake ran his hand down his face. “Rickie Pursuit? What exactly is Rickie Pursuit?”

  “OK, it’s . . . Trivia.” Like he was pointing to a marquee, Rickie ran his hand across the air. “It’s the world according to Rickie with my questions, my way, and my answers.”

  Jake snickered at him loudly and obnoxiously. “Sounds interesting, but we prefer to play something that is at least a little bit of a challenge.”

  “My game is challenging. I know things,” Rickie said insulted.

  “Right,” Jake said and got off the bed. “You don’t even know what branch of the service I’m in.” He headed to the bathroom tucking in his shirt. “Cal, I’m getting a beer.”

  Rickie shook his head at Jake. “I know what branch he’s in. He’s a . . . Air Force guy.”

  Cal cringed hunching her shoulders, shaking her head. “No, Rickie, he’s in the Army.”

  “The Army? The Army is like the boring branch of the service.”

  Annoyed, Jake hollered from the other room as he started back, “I heard that.” He handed Cal her beer. “Rickie, we appreciate the effort on your part . . .”

  “I cut up all the questions into little squares and all.” Like a disappointed child he held up an abundance of cut up notebook paper which he had in a shoe box. “I worked real hard. You just don’t want to play because you know Cal-babe will rule over you.”

  Nearly choking on his beer laughing, Jake wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Oh, she would not.”

  “What do you mean I would not?” Cal snapped. “Oh, that’s right; you’re the, I-know-all-guy.”

  “It has nothing to do with it,” Jake argued. “These are Rickie questions. A third grader would be an I-know-all-guy.”

  Cal shook her head. “Rickie, I’ll play your game. He underestimates you.”

  “Thanks Cal-babe. You want me to get Carlos?” Rickie started to get up.

  “Stop.” Jake held out his hand. “I’ll play the Rickie Pursuit. What are the rules?”

  Rickie smiled. “I’ll keep score. If it’s your turn and you’re right, you get ten points, five if you answer it when the other person gets it wrong. Simple.” Rickie slowed down his talking speed. “Do . . . you . . . under . . . stand?”

  Jake breathed outwardly with a grunt. “Yes, Rickie.” Jake took a drink. “Fire away, Rickie.” He pointed the bottle at him.

  “Cool.” Rickie laid the small notebook on the bed, closed his eyes and reached into the box. “I’ll ask you the first question, Sarge. You’re at a disadvantage.” He pulled out the first slip. When he read it, he began to laugh. “This is cool.”

  “Ask the question, Rickie,” Jake barked.

  “OK, in the Batman series, the good one where the old guy in the leotards is running about, which villain is it that the actor who played him has a salad named after him?”

  “What the fuck kind of question is that?” Jake snapped.

  “Answer the question please.” Rickie held up the paper.

  “There’s no villain with a salad named after him.”

  “Wrong!” Rickie looked to Cal. “Babe, do you know it?”

  Cal smiled. “That would have to be the Joker.”

  “Ding, ding, ding.” Rickie grabbed a pencil. “Five points for Cal-babe.”

  “What!” Jake looked at them. “How in the world do you get that?”

  Cal rolled her eyes. “Joker is played by Caesar Romero, hence Caesar salad.”

  Jake’s mouth hung open. “A Caesar salad is not named after the guy that played the Joker.”

  “Ignore him, Rickie. Ask me the next question. It is my turn, right?”

  “Correct-a-Mundo.” Rickie grabbed a question. “Name the really weird guy in the Partridge Family that Shirley was secretly banging.”

  Cal with confidence answered, “Reuben Kincaid.”

  “Whoa.” Rickie pointed his pencil. “Excellent. Cal-babe is the trivia ruler.”

  “Wait a second,” Jake interrupted. “You can’t give her points for that. Reuben was the manager. He wasn’t sleeping with Shirley.”

  Rickie tilted his head at him. “Dude, are we being a sore loser? Anyway, it’s your turn, Sarge.” He grabbed a question. “You should get this one. When taking out a babe for the very first time, what is a sure fire way to impress her?”

  “I don’t know.” Jake raised his hand and let it fall to his thigh with a slap. “Spend a lot of money on her?”

  “Buzz. Dude, no wonder you never got laid. Cal?”

  Ignoring the disgruntled look from Jake, Cal answered. “Make sure you show up in a in a cool ride.”

  “That is correct.” Rickie added more to her score. “Your question is what did Charlie Brown’s teacher say to him when he was in the spelling bee?”

  Cal laughed and answered the question, “Waa . . . Waa . . . Waa . . . Waa.”

  Jake grew more perturbed, especially when they laughed and Cal kept saying ‘good one.’ “What the hell kind of response was that, Cal? That wasn’t even an answer; that was a noise.”

  “Sarge, Charlie Brown’s teacher didn’t speak. Cal was correct, and she’s winning thirty, nothing.”

  Cal looked arrogantly at a baffled Jake. “You really aren’t getting it, are you? These are Rickie questions and Rickie answers. You have to think like Rickie.”

  Grunting, Jake finished his beer and turned to Rickie. “I can do this, I was young once. OK, I’m ready now. Ask away.”

  “All right, here goes.” Rickie pulled out another slip. “Ah . . . Sarge . . .” He cleared his throat. “What is the approximate relative atomic weight of Iodine?”

  Jake’s mouth dropped open “Rickie . . . Christ. You don’t know that answer.”

  “I do, too. See?” He showed the answer and then hid it fast. “I’ll have you know, I aced chemistry. Answer the question, Sarge. Ti
me is ticking.”

  Jake’s mouth fell open again and his annoyance grew with every note to the theme of Jeopardy that Rickie sang. “I’ll get it. Wait, I think I know it.” Jake scratched his head with the hand that still held the empty bottle. “I got it, is it . . .” A startling, long, blood curdling scream coming from the hallway disrupted his answer. “Fuckin’ Jennifer.” Jake looked to the door. “Is it . . .” He noticed Cal jump up and run to the door. “Cal, come on we’re playing a game here.”

  Cal opened the door. “Jake, that scream didn’t sound right.”

  “Cal.” Jake leaned forward shut the door and pulled her back down. “Jennifer is not right. Rickie, back to the game, is it . . .” His name, screamed by Carlos and John, sounding so desperate, was called over and over and grew closer to the door. “Son of a bitch.” Jake faced the door. “We’re busy here.”

  Without knocking Carlos came bursting in the room. “Jake!” The look of desperation on his face said it all. He breathed heavily, his face was flush. He spoke quickly. “It’s Jennifer, something’s wrong. Something has her. It’s, it’s making that noise.”

  “A wolf?” Jake asked as he reached for his duffle bag.

  “It’s no wolf, Jake.” Carlos took off running down the hall.

  “Cal, grab the M-16.” With the shot gun in his hand Jake followed. “I hate when I have to do this shit.” Bitching all the way down the hall, he stopped at Jennifer’s door. There were no more screams. “It’s quiet.” Jake placed his ear close. “What exactly did you hear, Carlos, besides her screaming?”

  Carlos wiped the sweat that formed on his head. “I can’t describe it. Me and John were in the gathering room and we heard it first, and then she screamed.”

  Cal arrived with Rickie. “You think she’s OK?” She asked.