Chapter 8

They'd been here a few weeks now. Elaine took them to see the sunset and the sunrise each day. Give the poor hybrids some sun. Elaine and Richard asked questions on occasion about what it was like there. Wild was more vague than the other two at first. He just wanted to be done with that place. Wild knew he would have to talk about it eventually, though. Eventually, he started to tell them about the schedule that he'd grown so accustomed to. How they were always in their rooms as they were now and about the gymnasium that acted as their outside time. Then, there were the experiments. He didn't say much about them other than "It hurts."

Richard was doing card tricks with Westley and Tiffany. Wild was watching, but he was more interested in the people with Elaine. A couple with Westley's scent on them. It was very old. Another couple with a boy, all carrying Tiffany's scent. The last was a man, nearly ten years older than Wild. "I'm very glad we found you, Mr. Thatcher. I'm sure you already heard, but if he is your brother Scott... he doesn't look the same as the boy you knew. You all already know that they were genetically modified. This is your last reminder before we go see them." Elaine was saying. This was I then. Their families were here. They were going home.

Elaine came in first. Richard was showing off an ace that had been a seven moments prior. "Wild, Westley, Tiffany, we have some people who want to see you." Richard looked up and put his cards away so that they could give their attention to who was there. Westley was already in tears. He smelled his parents, and he recognized them. Elaine stepped through and out of the way as a five year old boy came running in. "Tiffany!" Tiffany ran back at the boy, hugging him. "Tyla!" She tried to say through her tongue. Westley was clinging to his dad while both his parents were I tears. It couldn't be easy to see their son like that.

Mr. Thatcher stared at Wild.

It felt like he was being sized up by this unknown human. The person's appearance was like his own with styled, dirty blonde hair and neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were honey brown as Wild's as had been so long ago. His clothes were casual, a shirt, a zipup hoodie, and jeans with sneakers. "You're Scott?" Wild knew in an instant that he was related to this man, yet he was a complete stranger. "I'm Wild." He replied to the man that was supposed to be family. "... Lukas." He replied. They stared at each other longer. Wild shifted on his paws. "You don't remember, do you? Anything from before? Mom?" Mr. Thatcher asked. Wild shook his head immediately. "Whatever family I had died with me a long time ago." Wild told Mr. Thatcher. "You're not dead yet."

Mr. Thatcher leaned against the wall. "I don't know what happened to you or what is going through your head right now, but I'm gonna remind you of who you are." Wild sighed. He might as well listen. Maybe something would ring a bell. "You're Scott Thatcher, youngest son of Lucinda and Fred Thatcher. Our dad died in a car accident before you were born, and mom raised us on her own. When you were five, I was supposed to be watching you, but you snuck out and got kidnapped. A year later, mom died of a heart attack. Just couldn't handle it, I guess. I've been looking for you ever since I turned eighteen. Mom would've wanted us to be together if you were alive."

Wild listened to the story. He thought about his next words, too. A mom and dad felt impossible to have, let alone a brother who searched for him. Where would one even look for a lost orphan boy? Certainly not in the right places. "I don't remember you. I don't remember having a mom. I don't remember a life before... this." Wild gestured to himself. "If I was your brother, he is dead. Scott Thatcher is dead. Wild is all that remains." Mr. Thatcher and Wild stared at each other for a very long time. "I see..." Mr. Thatcher finally said, pushing off the wall. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Moore, but this man isn't my brother." He told Elaine as he headed towards the door. Elaine frowned and looked at Wild. He shrugged. "I'm the one who should be apologizing for dragging you out here, I'll lead you to the exit."

Wild watched the stranger walk away.

Westley and Tiffany went with their families that day. Both of them were excited as the adults sorted out all the technicalities. There was a lot unknown about them. After all, the government would still need to watch them for a while. Wild was happy for them. Westley and Tiffany deserved to be where they belonged. "Sorry things didn't work out for you, need like, a head scratch or something?" Richard offered. "This is how it's got to be." Wild didn't hesitate to say what was on his mind. He knew he couldn't go back to society. Otherwise, he probably would've gone with Mr. Thatcher. Something inside him said that it was wrong to live as a human, back into their culture. He was better off staying here. He was needed here.

Wild helped to pack away the two cots, now that they weren't going to be used anymore. The humans were nervous when he first approached. Not as nervous as he was, but still nervous. He folded up the blankets for them and removed the sheets and pillow cases from the pillows, and put them in a pile before he pulled the mattresses off and leaned them against the cupboards. Once that was done, he figured out how to fold up the cots and left the rest to the cleanup crew. "I, uh, thanks?" Wild nodded quietly before muttering a quiet, "you're welcome." He went the back and watched them remove everything, leaving him alone once more.

Wild followed Elaine out to watch the sunset. "Sorry you didn't get to leave too, Scott." Wild flicked his yellow gaze to Elaine. "Wild." He reminded her. Scott was dead. "You're really not..?" He looked away. "No, I ain't..." He wanted to, but at the same time... He wasn't human. Not anymore. He wasn't an animal either, but he wasn't human. "Sorry, I really thought he was your brother." He shook his head. "I don't have parents, and I don't have siblings. All I have is the hybrids that were left at the W Series." Elaine looked at Wild this time, trying to read him. "I feared this was how it was gonna go..." He glanced at her again. "How would you like to help me bust the guys who did this to you and still have the others?" Wild's ears flicked up in intrigue as he gave her his full attention.

"I would love to."