Guilt's Cost CLXXVI

Introductions

Hi there,

Just a teeny tiny note: Some of my readers have asked why Vincent has to be grown a new body instead of just dipping him in Mako to make him normal. Well, if his body was made of living tissue that would be an option, but Vincent from the shoulders down at this point is mechanical and Mako isn't going to turn a machine into a human body. There's no other way J

Vincent returned his borrowed car and took the dog down into the base. He went to the lab, knowing that Porter was most likely inside working with Quigley.

Vincent opened the door and immediately saw a large lexan cylinder standing in the middle of the room. He momentarily forgot about the dog at his side and went forward, touching the eight-foot tall monolith.

Quigley, working a short distance away took notice of the visitor. "Are you here for another injection?"

He snapped out of his daydream and looked over at the other man. "Well, yeah but also I wanted to see Porter."

"Porter!" Quigley shouted out toward a smaller back room. "I'll get the drug ready while you wait for him."

Vincent just nodded in response and looked back over at the large object looming next to him.

"Like it?" Porter said as he emerged, noticing that Vincent was eyeing their current project. "I'll say its going to be a week before it's up and running."

"It's the accelerator, isn't it?" Vincent asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yup." Porter knocked on the side of the lexan. "Luckily, they had an older version of an acceleration chamber here that they had managed to salvage from an abandoned Shin Ra lab a couple of years ago, making our job a hell of a lot easier." His words trailed off as he looked down, taking notice of the short dog at Vincent's side. At once he got to his knees to pet the animal, not being able to resist the expression on the dog's face. "Where did you find this guy?"

Vincent smiled; able to see that Porter was already taken by the dog. "I went to the pound this morning and adopted him."

"I didn’t think you were a dog person." Porter said, getting even lower so the dog could lick his face.

Vincent cocked an eyebrow in disgust while watching Porter subject himself to such a face washing. "Well, he isn't for me."

Porter immediately looked up and saw Vincent holding the end of the leash toward him. "For me?"

Vincent smiled. "Yes, I know he can't replace D, but I thought you'd like another dog to keep you company."

Porter reached out with an apprehensive hand and took the leash. "I don't know what to say…"

"It's nothing." Vincent also held out the bags that the shelter and vet had given him. "He came with some stuff, too. I took him to the veterinarian to get his shots and there's some stuff for his ears in one of these bags."

Tears of both sadness over D and gratitude came to Porter's eyes which he quickly wiped away after accepting the care packages. "Thank you, Vincent."

Quigley interrupted the moment by reentering the room with a loaded syringe in his hand. He went up to Vincent and pushed back his hair, exposing the I.V. port still embedded in his neck. "You want to sit or anything before we do this?"

Vincent shut his eyes, just waiting for the injection to be over with. "No, I'm fine."

"Okay then." Quigley attached the syringe to the port and slowly infused Vincent with the chemical.

A cold sweat broke out on Vincent's skin as the medication entered him, burning where it ran through his veins. He did his best not to waver in his stance as he began to feel a little lightheaded.

Porter got up from the floor, noticing that Vincent was turning pale as Quigley pulled the syringe away. He placed his arms around Vincent from behind, fearing that he was going to pass out.

Vincent, feeling Porter supporting him let go and collapsed against him.

Porter found it hard in his own physical condition to hold up someone as heavy as Vincent. "Quigley, help me get him in a chair."

The researcher complied and tossed the empty syringe in his hand onto a nearby counter, then moving to help Porter set the other man down. As they eased Vincent into a seat, his eyes fluttered open as he came back to consciousness.

Quigley jogged from the room, only to return a few seconds later with a cup of water in his hand. "Vincent, are you okay?"

Just starting to get his bearings, Vincent rubbed his eyes before answering him. "Yeah, I think so, just got a little dizzy, that's all."

Quigley handed Vincent the water, relaxing somewhat as he realized that the other man was going to be okay. "Sit there until you feel better."

Vincent immediately started to get up, even though he was no where near ready. He was already embarrassed for having passed out and didn't want to sit around.

Porter halted his progress by pushing him back in the chair. "Stay."

Vincent dismissed Porter and again tried to get up. This time, the dog that he had just sprung from the pound came to Porter's side, sat down and bared its teeth at Vincent, halting him in his tracks.

Porter looked down at the dog, approvingly. "Good boy, make sure he doesn't try to leave until he's ready."

Vincent knit his brow and locked gazes with the dog. "Virgil, is that anyway to thank me for getting you off death row?"

Porter smiled, "his name's Virgil?"

"Yeah," Vincent resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

"Cool." Porter bent down and patted his new companion. "Virgil, that's funny."

The dog wiggled as he was spoken to. There was obviously a lot of intelligence behind Virgil's brown eyes.

If he was going to be held prisoner, Vincent was at least going to make the best of it. "How long until you think my body will be ready?"

Quigley didn’t need to think long for the answer. "Assuming all goes as planned, I'm guessing six months."

Vincent's eyes went wide; he hadn't expected it to be that soon. "Really?"

Quigley looked at Vincent with a slack expression. "You know me well enough to know I don't make a habit of joking around."

He had a point there and Porter laughed. "I've noticed that, Quigley. Working here with you hasn't been a barrel of laughs."

Quigley turned his gaze to the former Turk. "Sorry, God blessed me with scientific talent, not humor."

Vincent took that moment to say something completely out of character under his breath. "You need to get out and get laid."

Both Quigley and Porter heard what Vincent had said and looked at him slack jawed. No one would have expected such a comment from him. Vincent noticed their expressions and defended himself at once. "You know I'm right."

Quigley furrowed his brow in consideration of Vincent's words. "Well, yeah…"

Porter immediately broke out into riotous laughter at the scientist's admittal. "Quig, you ever even done it?"

Quigley pursed his lips momentarily, deciding to explore this theory on his lack of humor a bit more. "Maybe."

"Liar!" Porter dropped himself into a chair near Vincent's, feeling that if he didn't sit, he'd fall over laughing.

Vincent at once felt a little bad for having brought this conversation about. Aware of his own few sexual encounters, he could sense Quigley's unrest. "Leave him alone, Porter."

Quigley volunteered information at that point no one would have suspected. "I've had two girlfriends and have had sex a total of thirteen times in my life. The last time being well over four years ago."

Porter suddenly stopped laughing. "You kept count?"

"I am a researcher," Quigley smiled. "It's my job to count and remember things."

Porter nodded, knowing that the man before him was always thinking. "Four years, huh? That's it, we're taking you out. Isn't there anyone around that you're interested in?"

Quigley shrugged. "I don't know."

Even Vincent with his limited time with Quigley knew that he was lying. "Come on, you might as well tell us."

"The woman in the cafeteria who hands out the vegetables." Quigley's cheeks turned a little red.

Porter and Vincent both knew of the diminutive and plain woman that he was talking about. To them she had seemed a bit of a geek, but whom better for the king of nerds? They didn’t quite know what to say in response, neither of them understanding the lady's appeal to the scientist.

Porter finally spoke up. "Well, have you asked her out?"

Quigley's cheeks got even redder. "No."

"What's holding you up?" Porter leaned forward, now on a mission.

"I just have been really busy." Quigley wasn't lying this time.

Vincent smiled. "Look, I don’t mind if it takes an extra day to get me fixed, go out and live a little."

Quigley shrugged. "I'll think about it."

Porter got up from his seat. "The hell you will, I'm going to go tell her that she has a date tonight. Come on, Virgil."

Before Quigley could protest, Porter had slipped through the door, followed by his new dog.