He was gone.
Over the past few days, Jackie been dragged through pure agony, imagining all the awful ways Matt and Ashley could've died, or even... even imagining what had ultimately happened. But now it was reality. It hadn't been with one climactic moment, where he could still talk to her... where he could truly say goodbye.
For the next few minutes, she tried everything she could to communicate with him. Asking him yes or no questions. Telling him to stamp his paw if he understood her. She broke down, crying, pleading for him to come back to her. He did not nod his head. He didn't even bark or smile wider. He just kept on panting... not a thought in his mind. He was gone. Gone forever.
Jackie felt a hollowness inside of her, unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was as though her soul was eroding, drying up, decaying, leaving an empty void inside her. Despite the silent hallway, and the tears on everyone around him, he was... he was happy. Even as Meagan and Lucas couldn't bear to hold onto their children any more, Jackie held onto Matt. He licked her. Rather than feeling like a sign of romantic affection, it felt only like instinct, just a reaction to someone who was nice to him.
"Matt," she said with blurry eyes, "Matt please... think. Hold on... we can help you..."
A firm hand gripped her shoulder, the padded grip telling her it was Lucas.
"C'mon," Lucas said. "There's nothing we can do right now that will help Matt and Ashley. Let's get out of this wretched place. Then I'll start seeing what I can do."
"We'll stay behind," Clive said with Patrick beside him, "start searching through Seth's lab, and that flash drive of his."
Meagan had to guide Jackie out of the building, leading her in front of Matt and Ashley so that she wasn't looking at them. As the group walked out the door of the building, bright light glowed on the treetops on the hillside below them. The sun was setting, leaving a vivid deep orange on the clouds above. A small feeling inside Jackie felt like it was a message. It was a beautiful sight. For just a moment, it lessened the burning sting of her pain.
Jackie slowly plodded, one foot after another down the road to where the cars were parked. As she looked down the road, she was surprised to see two dogs watching them - a border collie and some breed of husky. The collie had a watch on one of its forelegs.
Matt walked over to them and started sniffing at them, but the border collie growled. Jackie ran over there, and Meagan held her gun ready - but the border collie stood down. The dog looked up to them with a very deliberate, somewhat stern looking glare, and raised its paw, as though in waving goodbye.
The dog barked to the husky, and then the two ran off into the woods. The two dogs, once Melina and her associate, seemed to harbor some sentience still. Maybe the same was true for Matt and Ashley.
On the car ride back home however, Jackie felt doubt permeate her mind. Matt sat in the seat next to her, panting excitedly as they drove. He seemed no different from any other dog. Maybe they could save them - but what if they were able to turn Matt and Ashley back, and they had major brain damage? Or worse... what if they became human, but still had the minds of dogs?
She hugged Matt again. He licked her face. She didn't flinch or anything, and he stopped. Jackie just laid her head against his, closing her eyes. It felt like somehow, a thief had stolen him from her. Part of her just couldn't believe that this was him, that he must be off somewhere in some faraway place.
Jackie opened her eyes as she felt the dog rub his head against hers. It didn't feel quite like the Matt she knew... but looking in his eyes, she could swear she could see something. That somehow, even if Matt had lost his intelligence... that he still cared about her, in his own simple understanding.
"No matter what happens," she said, becoming teary eyed again, "I'm going to take care of you."
She heard Lucas sigh from the front seat.
"I'm going to do everything I can Jackie," he said. "Hopefully, something that we find in Seth's old lab will help us - and... and perhaps Matt's last, final push there at the end, to get us that flash drive... maybe that one last piece could help us figure all this out."
"Okay," Jackie said quietly.
"Lucas," Meagan said.
"Yes?"
"Is... is there any risk of... of this happening to us?"
Lucas was quiet for a moment.
"I don't know Meagan. I don't think so. Seth did something to them. Something... vile."
Jackie saw him tighten his hands on the edge of the dash board, as though he felt frustration that the car had no steering wheel for him to angrily grip.
"Maybe he gave them a stronger version of the virus," Lucas said. "Maybe he further engineered the virus to have more canine DNA in it. Or maybe still, the virus was set off by some kind of external stimulus... gosh I don't know. My brain is so overloaded right now. As much as I feel so... so... distraught... I need sleep. I need to be able to start working on this problem with an actual full night of sleep."
"What if we do start to change though?" Jackie asked. "What if it's rapid like what happened to those others? We wouldn't have any time to..."
"Jackie," Meagan said, "calm down. Like Lucas said, we're going to do everything we can. Worrying about anything beyond that point... it... it's not going to solve this problem."
"But what if everything you can isn't enough?" Jackie said, fighting back tears. "You've said it before Lucas, I have that early version of the virus... what if Matt's DNA has already gotten into me? What if I find myself reduced to that same... that same awful place..."
"Then...," Meagan inhaled deeply, "all I can say is, we'll try to do all we can... and I know that your mom will still be there for you."
"I... I just can't imagine it," Jackie began to sob again. "I can't imagine forgetting everything... being a dog."
She licked her nose. "... Well... fully a dog this time."
Matt's parents said nothing more. Matt sat still, panting happily. Ashley just looked out the window with a neutral look.
Thoughts from the past crept into Jackie's mind. Times she'd wished she could transform into a werewolf, run away from her problems and be a creature of the wild. Free of responsibilities. Free of stress. Free of worrying about all the awful problems of human life. Maybe... maybe being a dog... didn't sound so bad. Maybe... maybe she wanted this, deep down. She'd be able to play with Matt and Ashley all day, playing fetch, getting treats...
There was something strangely alluring about the idea. But it conflicted with what she wanted at her core. She wanted Matt. The real Matt. She cuddled closer to him. He nuzzled her back. At the very least, she felt some of her stress fade, knowing that he wasn't in pain.
That didn't make hers feel any better.
****
Weird dog girl was sad. Even smiling she sad, me knew somehow.
Me got home. Me felt very happy. Me remembered good smells here. Me more happy when dog woman gave me treat. She gave me good belly rub.
Me slept on weird bed. It big for me. Me felt weird. A human slept here. Now he gone. Where did human go? Weird thoughts hurt. Me slept.
Every day was good. Every day was better than being with the bad man. Weird dog humans got me nice things. They got me leash for going on walkies. Dog girl took me on walkies. Me like walkies. Everything smells good. Me smell good dogs on walkies.
I saw more weird dog humans on walkies. Some talk to dog girl. She is weird, but less weird. I liked her. Some humans saw dog girl and were mean to her. Me barked at them and they go away. Dog girl told me that me a good boy when me do that.
Dog humans gave me other things. They gave me new bed. It doesn't feel good. Me like other bed. It feels nice.
Me and girl dog have fun playing. The dog humans are fun to play with. They were not home always. Me sad when me and dog girl alone. When humans home they made me happy but they not always happy. Sometimes they happy until me get very happy. Then they sad. Being more happy and licking them did not make them happy again.
Human dog man is very busy. He wakes me up when he comes home at night. Me always say hi to him even when me tired at night. He gives me good scratches then.
Other dog humans visit. White and black fur dog boy came. He was nice but also sad. Me didn't understand why he sad. Weird hard thoughts came. Weird thoughts hurt. Me don't like weird thoughts.
Dog humans talk to me weird. They want me to do tricks. Me like doing tricks because it makes them happy, and me get treats. Their tricks get harder. Me don't like these tricks. They bring weird thoughts.
They still nice to me even when me don't do their tricks. Me know they sad when me don't do hard tricks. Me wished me could make them happy.
