Heartless: a Derek Cole Mystery Suspense Thriller (Derek Cole Suspense Thriller Book 1) by T Patrick Phelps Read Free Book Online

themselves and by transferring and borrowing from other cells. The cells contain thousands of times the normal amount of oxygen and are able to share this oxygen with nearby cells. This ‘sharing’ enables the cells to share oxygen, glucose, glycogen, triglycerides, water, and whatever else the body needs.  
         
    “This sharing extends to energy, as well. His stomach does function, though not as a normal stomach. Food seems to be broken down quickly into cell transferable energy. All the results are not in yet on the stomach, so this is still sketchy. Also, any waste products are also carried and transferred from cell to cell and are then drained via gravity out of the body. We don’t feel that the patient will ever have any control of his elimination, however.
          
    “He is able to go without sleep until the oxygen levels in his cells is too low to sustain movement. He then falls into a deep sleep, which activates his one half of a lung to begin drawing air, thusly re-charging and replenishing the cells.
         
    “Most notably, there seems to be no cell decay or even cell death. This, if true, would explain his ability to learn quickly and remember practically anything. Once a brain cell is imprinted with an event, the cell will always be there and will be ready to relinquish its content whenever needed. This is another area where more tests are needed, but so far, we have seen no cell decay and no cell death.
         
    “Also, it seems that the more he grows, the stronger his cells grow. If this mutual growth continues, he will only need to sleep after very long periods of intense activity. I also feel that Alexander could become very dangerous. If he can truly remember everything that happens, everything he hears, sees, or touches, and if his growth continues, he is going to be one very strong, very smart person.  
          
    “To sum up our findings thus far, some preliminary tests show that Alexander has a life expectancy of just over thirty-years. At that point, his cells, though not in decay or death, will no longer be able to transfer oxygen as efficiently. What will happen, again in theory, is that as he grows closer to his ‘life expectancy,’ he will begin to sleep more and will eventually simply never wake up. My team may be wrong, though, and Alex could live a thousand years. They just can’t provide a ‘rock solid’ estimate for you. His cells may find a way to continue well beyond what I project. His brain cells are already showing signs of environmental adaptation. He is, and will remain, for a while at least, a mystery.”
         
    There was silence at both ends of the phone line while the doctors at Saint Stevens avoided looking into another’s eyes. No one knew what to ask, yet all had thousands of questions. Mark Rinaldo broke the silence after the silence entered its second full minute.
       
    “Super-charged cells? This includes all cells?”
       
    “It appears so,” Straus answered.
         
    Mark fell silent again. As each word came out of the small, black speaker sitting on the desk of his office, Mark fell deeper into the realization that his sleep would be affected for a long time to come. “Even Alexander,” he thought wryly, “will be getting more sleep than me.”  
         
    Besides the conference call and the questions it raised, Mark was also thoughtful and worried about Henry Zudak, who hadn’t been back to work since Alexander was born. Stanley told Mark that Henry was suffering from severe headaches and night terrors. Mark was worried because of the intense concern he saw in Peter’s eyes.
       
    “How bad are the dreams?” Mark asked Stanley a few days after Henry informed Mark that he needed some time off.
       
    “I guess that they are pretty bad. Very realistic.   They’re really doing a number on him. He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. I gave him some Valium hoping that the drug would help calm him down. He keeps saying