The Write Place

“Another big boy.  Stay with me Dr. Wesley.  What you learned in med school still applies, but this is going to be a bit different” said the man standing left of the large cargo, now resting on the table in front of them.  The young, auburn-haired woman stood near him, as a young pup would its trainer. There were ten of them in the room altogether, all standing over the table preparing for what appeared to be, something surgical.

“I wish you’d explained beforehand what exactly I was getting into” the masked woman to his right said from behind her surgicals.

“There’s only so much we can tell you, and only so much that can prepare you.  Besides, I told you enough technically… Large autopsy.  Let’s have a look shall we.  Remove the tarp Abram” he said to the short man to the left of the table.

“Sure thing let’s have a look at our most recent entry” Abram said. The surgical table was much larger than the average, specially built for the task.  He took hold of the tarp and removed it.  As he did, a large human figure appeared inch by inch, a man clearly between twelve and fifteen feet tall.

“More fire red hair as you can see Kenneth ” Abram said as he pulled the tarp away. “Why do they always have red hair?  What do you think? One row of teeth or two this time?”

“Well, the measure of his height was fourteen?  So, two I’m betting.  The taller they are, the more likely they are to have two.”  The other doctors in the room scurried about, preparing the surgical tools and making measurements of the body.
“Dear Lord. A giant man?” Wesley said. “You’re telling me we do, in fact, have a giant?” she said, more in amazement than inquiry.
“No, we have several.  I assure you he’s dead and I assure you we know enough already to know what we are doing. We don’t just let anybody in, Dr. Wesley. Welcome to the club” Kenneth said to amused cheers from the rest of room.

“It isn’t that strange is it Kathy?  We have giant dogs, large and small bears.  Why we have bear hunting dogs and chihuahua’s and they all come from the same ancestor” Abram said as he made his way back to the head of the table.

“Are you saying we’re chihuahuas?” Wesley asked amused.  Abram and Kenneth laughed softly as they pulled their surgical tools close.
“Only if that helps you picture it.  Though maybe more like a boxer or shepherd” Kenneth said. He took a small dental mirror and with his free hand opened what was left of the giant’s jaw.  It had clearly taken heavy rounds to the head.

“More headshots, mostly intact.  Looks like our boys on the front line are getting better at this.  Bet they even stopped when he died this time.  Two rows of teeth.  Told you Abrams.”

“Should’ve bet money,” Abrams said.

“My loss, Abrams” Kenneth said. “Some teeth missing, looks like he took a few rounds through to the throat” he added as he adjusted the remains of the lips, and examined the back of the mouth.

“My goodness that smell” Dr. Wesley said shaking her head. “You can smell him right through the mask.  Smells like an entire morgue.” She had worked in the field long enough to know the smell of a room of bodies. This she had decided, was far worse.
“Wait till we get to the stomach contents. He may well have eaten an entire morgue.”

“Cannibals?”
“Usually yes” Kenneth said.  He looked at her with a flicker in his eyes “You signed up for this Wesley. I’m sorry it will be rough, but this is the world.

“I mean, it is what it is, isn’t it doc” she said. “Most savage thing I ever saw.”

“Story with this one is that he wasn’t alone.  He also was extorting a village.  Some Taliban happened on him fleeing from Americans.  Americans found them while he was killing Taliban.  Bit of a mess. I suspect we will find some of the Taliban were his guests for dinner so to speak” Kenneth said grimly, setting down his dental mirror. “As you noticed things never shower. Never seem to do much anything other than rule by fear Wesley.  Sick lesson about humanity I suppose.”

“They’re human?” Wesley asked.

“Down to their DNA. Same Alleles, DNA, RNA, Chromosomes, all of it.  Just a big boy, like all the others.  The diversity is a problem for Darwin, but we won’t tell anybody” Abrams let out a heavy sigh.  “They’re just evil.  But if it might makes right…Well, I guess we know that can’t be true.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to face these things,” Wesley said, shaking her head.  

“No, I can’t imagine.” Kenneth said. He looked out the operating room door to see the heavily armed guards.  A sense of curiosity, fear, even sympathy filled him. “Can’t imagine what it was like, and I hope we never find out.”

The Mountains of Kandahar Part 3: Eyes Open