"Aw don’t worry about it Charlotte. It’s okay, I’ll get to that later, we’re having dinner."
John not knowing it’s his old boss on the other line, leaves it to go to voice mail. The family continue passing around the food dishes on the table to fill their plates.
John looks around the table at his family which he is proud of. Sue sees him doing so, then stares at John with a broad smile in admiration as they soon make eye contact with John then winking.
Sue mouths to John "I love you" with John returning as they look into each others eyes for a moment.
"Here you go dad. Dad!"
John turns to Danny who is holding the Salad up toward him, then looks into the salad as he eagerly takes the dish from his son.
"Yum. Salad looks great Charlotte."
"Thank you."
Charlotte looks to her mother who gives her a wink as the family continue enjoying their meal and each others company.
Meanwhile back at the lab, Mike with his headphones blasting out metal music starts preparing the animals dinner from the storage near the animal enclosures.
Mike unaware of the animals growing activity in the other room since the previous hours check due to C.J, which is becoming more active than the previous primates for her hunger pains grow rapidly within every passing moment with the strain and in need of a good meal.
C.J paces back and forth aggressively in the cage banging on every few passings of the door. Mike begins to bring the food out on a trolley with headphones still on, turns the side lighting on which startles some of the animals.
C.J turns sharply with a grunted snarl toward the light, then sniffing appearing to smell Mike and the food on approach.
Walking up to her cage door, she bangs on it harder than previous with Mike unaware who is busy feeding the rats down below.
The sound bellows from Mikes headphones, causing the animals to react toward the noise from inside their cages.
Mike noticing their activity, soon turns the volume of his mp3 player down, taking note of their response to the noise upon doing so and continues cautiously, feeding them all one by one making his way toward a hungry C.J.
Mike moves up toward the cage housing C.J, and wondering if she’d lunge against the door like that which had happened earlier.
C.J now positioned at the back of the cage, soon comes charging at the perspex door on Mike sliding in her food.
However, Mike somewhat prepared sees it coming and stands firm looking into C.J's eyes which are now staring straight back at him.
Mike turns his mp3 player off, after another grunt from C.J who begins sniffing toward him, and with her attention soon turning to the food which is eaten vigorously as Mike watches on analyzing every moment.
C.J continues to mostly look toward Mike while eating her food, she lunges at the door another time with food still in mouth and hanging out the side which sprays across the perspex door.
However she soon appears to lose interest in Mike altogether and continues to eat her dinner with Mike shaking his head a little before walking away to get more food for the rest of the animals while voicing to himself.
"Gone crazy on us! I would though too being stuck in here."
Mike exits the room, leaving C.J grunting and snorting as she continues to shovel the food down her throat.
Back at the family home as the night becomes later, John with Sue go see their children who are getting ready for bed.
Danny is lying on top of his bed with the laptop open and appears on-line communicating with Jennifer arranging the next day with her for their date.
Sean is in the bathroom, with the toothbrush half hanging out of his mouth while he’s messing about in front of the mirror practicing moves similar to those of his idol Bruce Lee.
Charlotte is all tucked up with Sue at her bedside, as John enters and approaches leaning over giving Charlotte a hug with a kiss on the forehead.
"Goodnight, sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams for you too dad."
Sue looks up at John with a somewhat concerned look, with John pausing while thinking of his recent recurring nightmare which causes him to wake.
"Thank you, I hope so too."
John leaves the room with Sue staying at Charlotte’s bedside for a few more moments. John knocks on the bathroom door as he hears Sean doing more than brushing his teeth.
"Bedtime Sean."
Sean hearing his Father's voice through the door soon responds. "Coming Dad."
John moves away on up to see Danny, as Sean finishes brushing his teeth then spitting and rinsing.
John knocks on Danny’s door which is partially open.
"Goodnight Danny." "Night Dad."
John looks around the door to his son.
"Not too late."
Danny glowing from his conversation on-line with Jennifer, looks up toward his Dad standing at the door.
"I won’t be."
"All the best for tomorrow, hope it goes well."
Danny smiles from ear to ear on his Dad’s words.
"Cheers Dad."
John pulls the door toward him, but leaving it open a little then heads back to the bathroom as Sean begins to exit.
"You ready now then?!"
"Yep!"
"I heard you practicing your moves, you’ll have to show me on the weekend."
"Cool, I will! Bruce Lee is the man!"
"Yep, he was pretty good."
"He was the best!"
John nods to agree with his son as Sean makes his way to his bedroom.
"Have a good sleep Son."
"I will, night Dad."
John leaves Sean who enters his room closing the door behind him.
Then moments later, approaches Sue along the way who comes from Charlotte’s room to proceed down to see both Danny and Sean.
John grabs at Sue's hand holding it, looking at her until she is at a distance with them both letting go.
"See you soon."
"No doubt."
John makes his way down to the living area, then decides to check his phone for the missed call. Finding the missed call is from his old boss and good friend Jim which he voices to himself.
"Jim?"
While looking up wondering why Jim may have called, he then looks back toward the phone before proceeding to press the button to hear the voice mail message and listens.
"John, just wondering how you’re getting on, it’s been a while and I’m keen to catch up. Let me know when you’re available, be good to see you too and take care my friend!"
John puts the phone down back on the bench as Sue comes back through.
"Who was it?"
"It was Jim, wanting to catch up?!"
"Did you ring him?"
"I’ll ring him tomorrow, besides it’s our time now."
Sue moves in toward her husband holding him tight.
"It sure is!"
Sue begins to kiss John which turns passionate as he lifts her, turning to place her onto the bench while holding the kiss.
As the hours tick by, with John and Sue who are both in bed asleep.
John in a deep sleep, is once again dreaming the recurring nightmare placing him in an uncomfortable darkness, soon fading into a room with a USB drive at his feet which he then picks up.
He looks down at the drive now in his hand, standing there with noises coming from his right side he turns his head and goes toward the door.
Sue wakes from Johns movement in the bed as he softly voices. "Kids, no, kids."
With the sweat now dripping from her husband which begins to dampen the bed as his breathing becomes heavier.
John still in his dream walks up toward the door upon hearing noises.
Sue voices to her husband before beginning to roll over.
"John, John."
As John approaches the door in his dream, he looks down at the USB drive before looking back at the door.<
br />
Then suddenly a face appears similar to those he encountered three years ago breathing up at the window, then begins banging on the door wanting to get at John causing him to move backward in the dream and waking in a frightful panic while panting.
"Ah! Phh, phh.."
"You had it again didn’t you."
"Aw shit, yeah."
"It wouldn’t hurt to catch up with Jim?!"
"Yeah, I’ll give him a call in the morning."
John lays back down on the bed looking up to the ceiling with Sue lying on her side looking over her husband.
"Guess I should get fresh sheets, and I’ll have a shower while I’m at it."
"I’ll get the sheets."
John turns with a smile toward Sue.
"Thanks love."
John gives her a kiss then gets up to go have a shower, leaving Sue who watches her husband leave the room into the en-suite.
CHAPTER 7
Friday
John wakes from the alarm which he immediately turns off, then turns back toward Sue lying next to him still appearing sound asleep. He raises his left hand up to her hair finger combing it away off her forehead down and her right cheek.
Sue moves slightly appearing totally relaxed snuggling up in to John. John looks lovingly over her and responds to the action.
"I have to get going now love."
"Aw, just a few more minutes."
The couple snuggle in together as John holds her a little closer for the few minutes he can spare before getting ready to return to work and glad it’s also Friday.
"Friday, bring on the weekend!"
Sue snuggles into John responding.
"Yay, Friday!"
John with his eyes closed as he holds her, although soon opening again thinking of the day ahead and the impressions with expectations upon the scheduled visit.
John gives Sue a kiss on the lips, with Sue responding when they hear their two sons heading off down the hall past their door toward the kitchen for some breakfast with the footsteps of their daughter close behind.
John in his boxers gets out of bed and heads toward the en-suite, and while inside John collects his razor.
He then places the plug into the sink, turns on the hot water then stares up into the mirror as the condensation begins to move up the mirror from the flowing hot tap.
After a moment he looks down toward the tap and proceeds to turn it off then moving to get the shaving cream.
John now dressed, ready for work, heads out of the bedroom toward the kitchen and living area down the hallway with the sound of the TV getting louder upon approach.
He slows in the hall at the doorway to the living room where his children are, all dressed and ready for school relaxing with the TV on although not really paying any attention to it.
"Morning all!"
Looking over their shoulders and up toward John all three respond.
"Morning Dad!"
As John slowly continues on making his way toward the kitchen with the three also turning again back to their activity, he soon enters the kitchen and sees the packed lunches on the bench.
He then looks toward Sue in her dressing gown with a coffee in hand reading the newspaper at the dining room table.
"Hey gorgeous."
Sue looks to John smiling as she responds before watching him move toward the pantry for breakfast with admiration.
"Hey handsome."
Sue soon gets up from the table, walks over to John who’s found a bowl for his cereal placing on the bench. Sue stops at John for a kiss as he pulls her in toward him.
"I really enjoyed last night, thank you."
"So did I, and well done!"
As he holds pulling Sue closer from around her behind, he kisses her again with Sue teasing a little as she asks.
"So what are your plans for the weekend then?!"
"I was hoping to spend most of it with you."
"I’m sure that could be arranged."
As they come away he gives her butt cheek a little pinch, with her letting out a little moan of mixed pleasure and pain from the action.
"Ooh ow, you got me.. You just wait, I’ll get you when you least expect it."
"You always do!"
"Hm I know, and you love it!"
"You know me too well."
With them both smiling, looking deep into each other, Sue however soon voices.
"I better get ready too."
Looking into each others eyes with their hands holding one another, as Sue moves away out toward the direction of the bedroom.
Their hands slowly part as Sue turns away, with John who stands there watching her leave the room to get dressed.
John turns to the fridge for the milk, gets his breakfast together in the bowl on the bench then puts the milk away and then sits down where Sue was sitting.
John now looking down over the paper looks to an article by a columnist similar to that of the report he had witnessed on the TV at the liquor store the previous night with John reading out loud the final thought from the writer to himself.
"Man's continued ignorance and arrogance could see us join the extinct species list sooner than we think. Species have evolved over hundreds of thousands, even millions of years, and in our generation there are those willing to manipulate natural laws or the circle of life. Everything on the planet is here for a reason, having it’s own place just as we do. It only takes one person's action, or wrongdoing to destroy and break down everyday life for many living organisms. Within the blink of an eye, our civilized world as we know it could disappear from us if the precautionary measures are not upheld, and the chain reaction from the loss of critical species in a short space of time can be damaging for many others over the following. Maybe it’s simply just a matter of time before it’s taken one step too far, and all to line a few pockets with an extra dollar. Are we as a species taking others for granted?"
John looks up with a slight frown, appearing to think on the writers view with potential consequences in mind from his own work.
John turns away, looking through the window toward the road as a child walks to school on the footpath while bouncing a ball and two cyclists ride past moments later as Danny comes through to get his lunch from the bench.
"Catch ya later Dad, I have to go."
John looks back toward his son.
"You don’t want a lift to school today?"
"It’s okay, I’m meeting some friends."
Sean shouts out from the living room in a teasing tone while drawing out the name as he voices, with Charlotte also does upon hearing her brother as Sue hears from down the hallway.
"Jennifer!"
"Ooh, Danny’s got girlfriend."
John looks through to the living area then back to Danny as he begins to blush turning away placing his bag over his shoulder shouting back through to his younger siblings.
"Leave it out you two!"
John smile's at Danny for his reaction.
"Have a good day, and see you tonight."
"Thanks Dad, bye."
John watches his son exit the house to meet up with his new friend Jennifer, who appears from behind the fence onto the end of the driveway as her face glows up to and upon with Danny’s approach which comes into view through the dining room window moving toward her as they soon meet.
Jennifer a naturally attractive young women of the same age as Danny, with longish slightly wavy brown hair and of slim yet slightly curvy athletic build which is noticed by all three as they watch from the dining room with Sean voicing.
"Told ya!"
Johns attention is pulled to Sean who is looking out the window at his older brother walking with Jennifer, as the two then move off together in the direction of the high school.
"Yes Sean, you did."
Charlotte comes closer leaning toward the window to watch them.
"She likes him, and she’s pretty."
>
John smile's toward Charlotte on her words.
"I better get going too, I’ll be taking the back route again."
Charlotte looks back toward her father.
"Is that why you were late home last night?"
"That’s one of the reasons yes."
Sue starts to head down the hall, but stops when she hears Charlotte voice the question.
"Can you get a job closer to home?"
Sue in the hall stands, somewhat folding her arms and placing one hand up toward her lips as she listens.
"I have been considering it. At this stage though I feel like I have to be there for the kind of work we are doing."
"What are you doing at the moment?"
Sue presses the side of her fingers to her lips, then closes her eyes for a moment appearing to think about John’s job as he continues in conversing with Charlotte.
"That sweetie I’m sorry, I cannot say and if they found out I told you then I would no longer have a job."
"I won’t tell anyone?!"
Sean listening also appears to cut in.
"They won’t fire you dad. You’re the best and that’s why they pay you lots of money, aye?!"
"Thanks Son, but you never know?! There could be a time where they may think they’ve found someone better."
"I hope that time comes soon, then you’ll get home quicker!"
John smile's toward the two thinking, when moments later Sue reenters the kitchen catching his attention just as he appears ready to leave for work and makes eye contact.
"Okay, it’s time."
John moves up and over toward Sue who voices on his approach.
"Hope it goes well today."
"Me too."
Sue then remembers, while holding her ground and asks.
Viral Evolution (Book 1): Retrovirus Page 4
