But the Children Survived

by A. L. Jambor

  “No, not right now. I’m so excited!” Antonio was bursting. He was closer than ever to his dream.

  “As far as Brazil is concerned, we have to get permission from the indigenous people from wherever you harvested the plant. Once we reach an agreement with them, we can get a patent. I have a friend who’s worked with patents for years and he’s going to assist me with this aspect of the process. Any questions relating to the patents?”

  “Can we trust him?”

  “He’s bound by confidentiality just as I am. Now, I’ve had no luck in finding any information regarding George Ranier.”

  “I’m satisfied he will be no trouble.”

  “Well, that's good then.” Mr. McKenzie stood up and walked around the desk. He shook Antonio's hand and said he would be in touch.

  Chapter 29

  When Antonio got home, Teresa was nowhere to be found. He saw a note left on the kitchen table. It said that she and Lorraine had taken Chloe to visit Rocky in May's Landing and she would be home later that evening. Antonio grabbed a sandwich and headed to his lab.

  Antonio was eager to start working on his new drug. He walked over to his plants and said “Hello Dono di Russo.” He then donned gloves and cut a leaf off the plant. He placed it in a dish and gently scraped the spores off the leaf. Then Antonio set the center of the leaf on a paper towel to dry out. When it was sufficiently withered, he would throw it away.

  Antonio used his pestle to disperse the spores. Tiny purple filaments flew around the dish. He added a little water to the spores. He stirred them some more. The formula took on a pasty texture. He added a little more water until it flowed when he lifted the pestle. Now he was ready to put them in the freezer. He would wait a week and take them out of the freezer to see if they retained this elastic consistency.

  When Teresa got home she announced that the mating had been a glorious success. She expected Chloe to be pregnant very soon. She would take her to the vet in two weeks to have her examined. Teresa took Chloe off leash and put her arms around Antonio.

  “I’m in a mood to celebrate, Mr. Russo. We are about to become parents.”

  She gently kissed Antonio, who responded in kind. He put his arms around her and passionately kissed her and held her tight.

  “I have such good news too,” he said when they separated. “The lawyer says we can apply for the patent. We’re calling the plant the Dono di Russo.”

  “Russo’s gift. I like it. Wow, this is big news. Now we really have to celebrate.” Teresa got on the phone, called the local pizza place, and ordered pizza with extra cheese.

  *****

  Chloe started acting different within a few days of her “tryst” with Rocky. She was moody and kept throwing up. By the second week, she was scratching her bed trying to make a nest. Teresa just knew she was pregnant.

  Every day she would greet Chloe with “Hi, Mommy” and give her special treats, which she sometimes threw up right away, or sometimes threw up later. By the third week, Chloe was looking a little rounder around the middle. Teresa felt her tummy but could not make out the puppies yet. She took her to Dr. Kemp to have her examined.

  “She seems just fine. She’s pregnant and all signs seem normal. Is she getting exercise?” Dr. Kemp was feeling around her belly.

  “I walk her every day. I make sure she’s getting enough water too.” Teresa looked anxiously at Dr. Kemp.

  “I have some vitamins for you to give her. Also, no pesticides right now. Use something natural like a shampoo with citrus oil until she delivers.”

  Dr. Kemp left Teresa with the technician, who gave Teresa Chloe's vitamins. She took Chloe home and the little dog quickly went to her bed. She was tired from all the day's excitement. She slept most of the day, with Teresa peeking at her at regular intervals. If all went well, the puppies should be born in six more weeks. Teresa didn’t know how she would wait that long.

  *****

  Teresa was awakened at 3 a.m. by the sound of Chloe crying. She got out of bed, careful not to wake Antonio, and went down the stairs to the kitchen. The little dog was lying on her side whimpering. She was bleeding from her vagina.

  Teresa ran over to her and stroked her head. Chloe looked at Teresa and Teresa could see the pain and fear in her eyes. Teresa didn’t know what to do. She called the vet's service and they told her they would try to contact Dr. Kemp. Chloe was five weeks along. Suddenly, a puppy fell out of Chloe's vagina.

  It was so tiny and lifeless that Teresa began to cry. She tried to help Chloe by taking the puppy away, but soon another puppy emerged from her. There were three altogether. When it was over, Chloe began to settle down. Thankfully, there was no excessive bleeding following the miscarriage.

  Teresa put the puppies in a plastic bag and into the trash. She didn’t know what else to do and she wanted to get them away from Chloe. She went back to Chloe and sat down next to her. The little dog was sleeping now. Dr. Kemp called within half an hour, but it was already over by then.

  When the sun came up, Teresa took a shower and got dressed. She was going to take Chloe to Dr. Kemp's at 8 a.m. She couldn’t eat. She was crying when Antonio came downstairs for breakfast.

  Teresa told him what had happened, and he genuinely felt sorry for the little dog. He put his arms around Teresa, who buried her face in his arm and cried uncontrollably. He offered to help her take Chloe to the doctor, but she said she would be okay.

  Dr. Kemp examined Chloe and said she would be fine. She said this sometimes happened if the dog wasn’t mature. If Teresa waited another year, she should be ready to carry to full term. Teresa thanked the doctor, but said she didn’t think she could put Chloe through this again.

  She took her baby home and together they sat on the recliner while Teresa brushed her and softly hummed a lullaby. She promised Chloe she wouldn’t put her through this again. The little dog raised her head to look at Teresa and seemed to smile with her eyes. Teresa hugged her close and wept into her fur.

  *****

  Antonio took the test tubes out of the freezer. He allowed them to defrost and checked the consistency. The purple goo looked good. He was satisfied that it had passed the first test. Now he would let it sit at room temperature to see how it fared after several days. He repeated the freezing and defrosting experiment for several weeks. He wanted to see how well the spores would adapt to different environments.

  After several months of experimentation, he was satisfied that the Dono di Russo spores were everything he had hoped. He believed he was ready to use them on a living subject, but wasn’t sure where to start. He was on the verge of getting two white rats when Teresa announced that she was going to try to mate Chloe again.

  “I thought you were totally against that!” Antonio was saying. “You promised the dog you wouldn’t put her through that again.”

  “I know, but Dr. Kemp said she should be fine, and I really want to have puppies. I don't know why. I just love the idea of seeing them born and raising them.”

  “This is a very selfish idea. It’s wrong to put that little dog through this again. I won’t let you.”

  “Since when do you care so much about Chloe? I think you’re just jealous because when she was pregnant she was the center of attention.” Teresa's voice softened. “Please, Antonio, let me do this. I’ll take very good care of her. You’ll see. I’ll keep her close to Dr. Kemp.”

  Then the thought struck Antonio. He needed a living subject. Chloe, who had suffered from cervical insufficiency, would be the perfect candidate. He would have to keep it secret from Teresa or she would accuse him of using Chloe as a guinea pig, which of course he was. Accordingly, he relented.

  “Well, if it means that much to you, I’ll suffer through it.” Teresa hugged Antonio tightly and then ran to Chloe. She picked her up and cradled her like a baby. Antonio rolled his eyes and walked over to kiss his wife good-bye.

  “Thank you, Antonio. I love you, you know.” She kissed him and then put Chloe down.

  She wal
ked Antonio to the door and waved him goodbye. Then she called Lauren Sheridan to tell her Chloe would be calling on Rocky again.

  Chapter 30

  Chloe became pregnant as easily as she had the first time. She had a better appetite this time also. As a matter of fact, she ate all the time. Teresa was a little worried she might get too fat. She was a little dog, and this would be a big problem.

  Antonio kept telling her to calm down and enjoy the experience. Meanwhile, he tried to determine the best time to give Chloe the drug which he was now calling “Fetura,” the Latin noun for “bringing forth.” His drug would allow women to bring forth a child they would otherwise lose. He decided to treat her later this evening, when Teresa went out with Lorraine for their weekly girl's night out.

  “I don't know if I should leave her,” Teresa said to Antonio at dinner. Antonio had to play this just right.

  “Do you think I’m not capable of caring for her?” He hoped he would sound indignant enough.

  “Oh, no, of course not, it's just that she’s at that critical time. She wouldn’t understand if I wasn't here.”

  Antonio took her hand.

  “Bella mia, you go. Enjoy yourself with Lorraine. You need to talk and talk. I will watch her.”

  “You're right about that. I do need to talk. Okay, but I won't be late. Maybe just a couple of hours.”

  Lorraine was honking outside and Teresa kissed Antonio on the cheek as she ran out the door. He waited until he heard them drive away. Then he ran down to the lab and grabbed the test tube he had prepared for Chloe.

  Antonio wasn’t sure how much to give a little terrier, but he made the same amount that Maggie had made and figured a portion based on Chloe's weight. He ran upstairs with the test tube in hand.

  Chloe was watching him from her little bed. He approached her slowly so she wouldn’t try to run under his bed.

  “Piccola, how are you tonight?”

  Antonio put Chloe's bowl in front of her. He wasn’t sure how the mixture tasted or if Chloe would even try it. The mixture smelled like a wet plants. He poured it into her bowl and sat down next to her. Her big frog eyes looked at him suspiciously. She sniffed the air to see what was in the bowl. Antonio kept smiling at her, trying to remain calm.

  “Cara mia, please try it. It will not harm you.”

  Antonio actually reached out his hand and stroked the dog's head. She pulled back, but then relented. She liked the feel of a human hand on her head. She crawled closer to the bowl. She then got up and came to the bowl. She sniffed. Then she licked. Then she lapped. She even licked the bowl until it was clean. She then looked up at Antonio hoping for more.

  “Ti amo, piccola mia, there is no more!”

  Antonio scooped up the little dog, and as he did he saw her pink belly glow purple for a moment, and then fade back to pink. Antonio put her down and looked into her eyes. They were bright and healthy looking. She showed no ill effects of the drug. Antonio got up and found her treats. He gave her one and she wagged her tail.

  “We are friends now, right?” She walked over and he bent down to stroke her head. “But we will not tell Mama. This is our secret.”

  The rest of the evening Antonio watched Chloe. She was full of vim and vigor and she ran back and forth to Antonio with her toys. He would throw them and she would chase them down and bring them back. She seemed tireless. Antonio prayed that she would stay this way.

  “Please let these puppies be born.”

  Seven weeks later, on July 24, 1990, Chloe gave birth to two beautiful puppies, a male and a female. She went into labor in the afternoon and gave birth just before dinner. Teresa was in attendance the whole time.

  When Antonio came home from work, Chloe was in the last stages of labor with the first puppy. The humans sat side by side and watched as the little dog pushed the puppy out. Teresa got a strange look on her face when she saw the afterbirth.

  “Antonio, is that placenta purple?” She asked.

  “Well, it could just be that it’s wet.”

  He was just as surprised as she was. Maggie had never mentioned this when discussing the women who gave birth to Mortevida babies.

  “No, I don't think so. It's definitely purple.”

  Chloe was licking the puppy and ate the placenta. She licked and licked, getting the puppy’s system circulating. The puppy began to squirm. Then Chloe went into labor again. Teresa gently moved the puppy away so Chloe had room. As she moved it, Teresa noticed its belly was a light shade of purple.

  “Oh my God, his belly is purple too!” She looked at Antonio. She thought a minute and then her eyes went wide. “You didn't. You didn't make Chloe your guinea pig.” She knew he’d been searching for one and she knew the drug was purple.

  “Cara, what does it matter? She had her puppies without a problem.”

  “But they're purple Antonio. How can I sell purple puppies?”

  Antonio didn’t remember seeing any purple people in the jungle.

  “The effect will wear off. I promise. Look, the second one is out.”

  The little female had been born. She, too, had a purple placenta and belly.

  “I hope for your sake it does wear off. How could you do this without telling me?”

  “Because you never would have allowed it, and I knew she would be safe. I couldn't let her lose these puppies when I knew I could help her.”

  He looked so earnest that Teresa forgave him. He was right. The puppies had made it and Chloe was a mama. Lauren Sheridan had asked for the pick of the litter and Teresa had agreed. Teresa had hoped for more puppies, but a deal was a deal.

  “I’ll let her know in a few days. I have to be sure the purple goes away first. Otherwise I have to lie to her. I can't give her a purple puppy.”

  Teresa got up from the floor and got some water for Chloe. Chloe was exhausted, and she put her head down. The puppies were already rooting around for a nipple. Antonio stroked Chloe's head.

  “Thank you, my piccola. Thank you.”

  *****

  Three days later the purple color faded from the puppies’ bellies. They were very healthy puppies and they nursed vigorously. Chloe was a good mama. She groomed the puppies and took very good care of them. Teresa was entranced by the way they looked.

  “They are the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.” She kept saying. “I want to keep the male. I just love the coloring of his face. But I don't like Rocky. I think I’ll name him Ricky. I had a friend named Ricky when I was in elementary school. What do you think of Ricky, Antonio?”

  Antonio was reading the paper. Teresa knew he wasn’t listening, which is why she asked him. She snuck over to his side of the table and peeked over the top of the paper.

  “I said, what do you think of the name Ricky?” Antonio jumped a little.

  “Why do you always do that? What do I think of what?”

  “The name Ricky, for the puppy?” Teresa sat back down on her chair.

  “It's okay. It's for you to name him. Ricky sounds okay.”

  Antonio had just about had it with puppyland. Yes, they were very cute, but the sooner they sent one of them away the better. When Teresa insisted on keeping one, Antonio extracted a promise in blood that there would be no more.

  “No, I promise. Chloe is going to be spayed when she’s ready.” Teresa was cuddling the puppy while Chloe whined in the birthing box.

  “I guess I have to call Lauren and let her know the puppies were born.” Teresa sighed as she held the puppy to her face and nuzzled it.

  “Yes, call her please. TODAY!”

  Antonio got up from the table and kissed Teresa on the forehead. She lifted Ricky up for a kiss too, but Antonio shook his head and muttered something in Italian. He then left for work.

  Teresa called Lauren Sheridan and arranged to bring the female to her in 10 weeks. Lauren was happy all had gone well and said she looked forward to meeting her new baby girl.

  Chapter 31

  Teresa and Lorraine drove to May's Landing
with the little female between them. The puppy climbed onto Teresa's lap and put her front paws on the door so she could look out the window. After a time, she settled on Teresa's lap and slept the rest of the way.

  It was a two-hour trip to May's Landing, and the women decided to stop in Atlantic City to have lunch and play the slots after they dropped off the little girl.

  Lauren Sheridan’s house was located on a little side street off Cologne Avenue. It was a cute yellow semi-Cape Cod with a large front yard and a stream flowing by in the back. Teresa and Lorraine parked in the driveway behind Lauren's minivan. Teresa carried the little dog to the front door and rang the bell.

  Lauren answered the door with two kids standing behind her. The kids were pushing each other to get closer to the door.

  “STOP! Go get dressed,” Lauren yelled. The kids ran to the living room and jumped on the couch. “Hi, come on in.”

  Teresa and Lorraine entered the house. The first thing they noticed was that Lauren's daughter Sue was sitting on the couch completely naked. She looked to be around 4 years old.

  The next thing they noticed was the noise. Sue and her brother Micky were screaming in unison that they didn’t want to get dressed.

  “You will get dressed or I will spank your bare bottoms!” Lauren seemed to be at her wits’ end. “My husband worked last night so I haven’t had much sleep. Sorry.”

  Sue noticed the puppy in Teresa's hand.

  “WEEEE! Is that my puppy?” The little girl seemed unable to speak below a bellow. “Let me have him, let me have him.” She put her hands up and was pulling at the puppy's legs.

  Lauren grabbed her arm and turned her around. “I said go and get dressed!” The little girl frowned and went to her bedroom.

  “I’m really sorry. Oh, she’s so cute.” Lauren held out her hand and Teresa reluctantly gave her the puppy. “Oh, my, what a face! She looks just like Rocky. He's out in the yard. Let's go out there and introduce them.”