Page 11 of The Flesh Remembers
She sighed, a flicker of resolve in her eyes. "I couldn’t abandon him after all we’ve accomplished together. He needs me, you see. Without me, the man wouldn’t even remember to eat a proper meal, let alone take a moment’s rest." Marian laughed softly, the edges of her sadness smoothing into warmth, her gaze brightening as she spoke of him.
Eleanor walked the rest of the way, wondering if she felt better or worse about Fairfax and his methods. It seemed she had walked straight into the lion’s den where limits had already been pushed and boundaries already crossed.
Moments later, they joined Dr. Fairfax in the corridor outside the central laboratory. He held a thin sheaf of notes, tapping lightly against his palm. “Prepare yourself, my dear. We have his body,” he began carefully, “We acquired it through connections Lord Blackwood maintains. We seldom question the details. The point is to confirm we can maintaina stable reanimation window longer than a few minutes, fuelled in part by your… emotional impetus.”
She swallowed. “You want me to provide that impetus?”
He offered an apologetic nod. “Yes. The apparatus is attuned to you, especially through the device you wear. Tonight, we will attempt to stir his body’s systems momentarily. It won’t be a full resurrection, merely a test of how strongly your energy influences the galvanic current.”
The realization roiled her stomach. They would attach her body’s heightened emotions to the corpse of her dead lover, push it beyond natural death… and see if he moves? The concept appalled her, yet somewhere beneath the revulsion lay a lurking sense of excitement at being integral to bending mortality. She forced herself to remain outwardly calm. “I will do what’s needed.”
Marian stepped forward, setting a comforting hand on Eleanor’s arm. “I’ll be here for you. If you tremble or slip, I’ll be here to catch you. Don’t worry.” Marian smiled at Eleanor, her hand stroking her arm with gentle encouragement.
Eleanor managed a stiff nod. She heard the subtext: Use your lust for James like a power source. The idea both roused and unsettled her. She felt her cheeks flush just at the thought of feeling physically aroused in front of Fairfax and Marian. Still, the idea of being that way in front of Frye and Blackwood seemed mortifying, but dare she say, also slightly titillating?
As Dr. Fairfax excused himself to arrange final details in the lab, Marian lingered, guiding Eleanor down a quieter corridor. The nurse seemed uncharacteristically hesitant, lips parted as though she fought to find the right words. Finally, she paused before a half-open door cramped but tidy supply room.
“Would you… Come in here for a moment?” Marian asked quietly.
Eleanor followed, shutting the door behind them. The small space smelled of gauze and antiseptic. Dim lamplight cast a glow that accentuated Marian’s anxious features.
“I… needed to speak with you away from Dr. Fairfax and the others,” the nurse began, wringing her hands. “It’s about the reanimation process. And my involvement.”
Eleanor tilted her head. “You seem uneasy. Are you… Afraid of what we’re doing?”
Marian let out a shaky laugh. “In a sense, yes. But there’s more to it. At first, I was purely fascinated by the science reanimation seemed a chance to conquer tragedy, to do the impossible. But then… as I witnessed how emotional and carnal energies fed the apparatus, I started feeling… drawn in ways I never anticipated.” Her voice quivered on that last phrase.
“What do you mean?” Eleanor asked softly.
Marian lowered her voice, gaze darting nervously. “I can’t deny the rush I feel when I watch the experiments… and you. Your grief and determination… resonate in ways I don’t fully understand.”
Eleanor’s pulse quickened as their gazes met, an unspoken tension filling the tiny room.
Marian stepped closer, her voice trembling. “I just needed you to know… you’re not alone in this.”
Eleanor reached out, brushing Marian’s hand. Their fingers touched, a jolt of understanding passing between them. “Thank you,” Eleanor whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “We’ll face it together.”
Marian squeezed her hand gently, a faint smile tugging at her lips before she stepped back. The moment passed, but its weight lingered as they rejoined the others.
Back in the lab, Marian excused herself from Eleanor and rushed over to aid Fairfax, her eyes focused lovingly on him as he worked, which made Eleanor smile slightly for being correct in her assumptions about the two.
Eleanor walked toward the dais, her feet drawn by some unseen gravity. The room was warmer than before, and the scent of copper and jasmine clung to her skin. The apparatus pulsed softly, its low whir vibrating through the floor, her boots, and her thighs. The table itself gleamed under low light, almost wet. When her fingers brushed its edge, she gasped. The metal waswarm—almost… welcoming.
This dais is where they would bring James and strap him down to administer this mysterious “process.” Eleanor noted the thick leather straps in place, no doubt for keeping James immobile should the process cause the body to jerk and flail about. But as Eleanor stared longer, she noticed what appeared to be other smaller straps that dangled from the platform. These seemed not to be in current use, but by the wear on them, they had been used once. The size difference in these straps was significant, and it appeared that perhaps these had been made for a small woman. Or, even more horrifically, for a child.
Letter from Marian Collins to her mother
Dearest Mama,
I am so very sorry that it has taken me so long to reply to your last letter. Time here gets away from me so quickly. Unfortunately, I have been very busy working with Dr. Fairfax in the clinic, and there has been very little leisure time. I do not mind the hard work or long hours, as I know the work we do herewill be of great importance to the world one day. So, please don’t be too cross with me for my tardiness!
I have found a new friend in a woman who has come to the clinic to work with us. Eleanor. She is a doctor, if you can believe it! I admire her very much. I can’t imagine that being one of only a few women in medical school was easy. She told me that her classmates were often rude or condescending to her and that they did not want her there, but she persisted and graduated with high honours. I do not think I would have been able to handle the animosity she faced.
Eleanor has been working closely with Dr. Fairfax and me, and I must confess that I enjoy having another woman around. Indeed, there are female staff members, but none that I work with regularly. I greatly appreciate her company and look forward to seeing her each day. The process she will be going through soon will be quite difficult, and I do hope I may be of comfort to her.
She is quite pretty with black hair and pale skin. Her lips and cheeks are petal pink and soft. She looks like an old-fashioned painting come to life. If our process is successful, you can meet her soon.
Well, Mama dear, I must go for now. I need to prepare some things in the lab for Dr. Fairfax. Please give my love to Papa and give Snowy an extra scratch under his chin for me. Goodbye for now.
