Morbid - 182 Odd Choices

Professor Hamil Crenslav had a very informative weekend. He had finally managed to squirrel away enough spare time from preparing the medical school specimens to take a look at Arnold’s display model. He didn’t know much about the fancy parts of computers, because his world was made up of the physical things he interacted with and not really the virtual. Or so he thought.

Hamil loaded the model view onto his laptop and chose the only model on the USB thumb drive. He almost laughed at the scientific name for the common sewer rat, then he took in a sharp breath of surprise when the model loaded up.

“Did he get this done professionally?” Hamil asked and used his mouse to click on the viewer. It started to slowly rotate the model and it looked just like a rat, albeit with a smooth surface and not covered in hair. He saw the ‘expand view’ button and clicked it, not knowing what to expect, and the rat flipped up to present its belly. The telltale flap was there and Hamil clicked on it.

He took in another sharp breath in surprise when the flap disappeared and inside was everything that was inside the rat. He moved the mouse over the organs and the names popped up when he did. He clicked on the heart and it jumped out at him, then started rotating as well.

“Good lord.” Hamil said and clicked it again. It went back inside the rat and he clicked the lungs. They popped out and spun slowly as well. He clicked the stomach and it popped out and replaced the lungs as they retreated into the rat’s body cavity. He checked all of the organs and they were all there, quite detailed, which meant that the specimen had been completely dissected.

During any spare moment he had all weekend, Hamil would load up the viewing program and take another look at the specimen that Arnold had modelled. It amazed him each time and he knew that a tremendous amount of work went into creating it, even not knowing about how it was created. When he went to work Monday morning, he made a mental note to ask Amy about it before class started.

*

Amy wasn’t sure why Hamil wanted her to show up ten minutes early and go to his office. Did he find out we’ve been spying on Arnold? She asked herself, nervously. If that was the case, how would she explain herself? She didn’t have any of the evidence that the detective had presented her with and she knew that as soon as she mentioned Arnold was a potential serial killer, Hamil would laugh in her face.

Or worse, he might get angry at her for thinking such thoughts and might fire her and Cissily over it. Amy sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case as she knocked once on the door frame and entered the professor’s office.

“Ah, Amy. Thank you for coming early.” Hamil said and waved her to come over to his desk. “I want you to look at something for me.”

Amy almost sighed in relief and walked around the desk.

“Sit down and look at this.” Hamil said and pointed to something. “Click that.”

Amy sat down and looked at the laptop, clicked the program he indicated, then she gasped in surprise. “Where did you get this?” She asked and clicked the different organs in rapid succession to see if they were all there, just like Hamil had the first time. The organs were all present and she looked at the professor. “It’s amazing!”

“I’ll give you three guesses.” Hamil said and pointed to a wooden frame on his desk. It contained a certificate of recognition for contributions to the college curriculum. It had surprised him that it took two weeks for it to come through and made a mental note to remind his peers to get off their duffs when something like that came across their desks.

“Arnold.” Amy said, her tone defeated.

“What’s wrong? I thought you would be happy for him.”

“It’s not that.” Amy said, reluctant to explain. She didn’t want the older man to react poorly. “It was a long weekend.”

Hamil chuckled. “I know. I’ve been preparing the medical school specimens.”

“Professor!” Amy exclaimed. “You were supposed to call me!”

Hamil waved away her concerns. “It’s just make-work.”

“That you shouldn’t be doing all alone.” Amy countered and he laughed.

“Thank you for your concern.” Hamil said and touched her shoulder briefly, then he pointed to the laptop’s screen. “Now tell me about the work that went into making that. I know it’s a lot; but, I don’t have the technical background to grasp just what it entails.”

It took Amy several minutes to explain, the last few minutes they had to spare before class, and Hamil’s appreciation for the model was raised even higher. They went to class and everyone was already there, including Hamil’s favorite student. He sincerely regretted that he wasn’t permitted to allow Arnold to help with the lab work and the work the lab did for external clients.

That reminded Hamil that he had received high praise and glowing reviews from the equestrian school for the full size horse specimen that the biology department had prepared for them. He had forgotten to pass that along to Arnold and made another mental note to mention it when he handed over the certificate.

“Arnold, would you come to my office after class? I have something to give to you.” Hamil said.

“Okay.” Arnold responded.

Hamil asked for last week’s lab report and everyone handed them to their lab workers, who brought them to the professor’s desk. After that, he taught them about the changes that the next specimen would need for proper dissection.

After class, Arnold, Janet, and Pam followed Hamil and Amy to the office to see what it was the professor had for Arnold. They never expected to see a framed certificate of contribution, a check for five hundred dollars, and another frame with Arnold’s dissection report that corrected the procedure.

“I thought you would want the original report back and preserved.” Hamil said and handed Arnold the three items. “If you don’t, I’ll gladly add it to my own wall of achievements.”

“My mom will want it.” Arnold said.

“I’m sure she will.” Hamil said with a smile.

“Professor.” Amy said.

“Yes, the next class. I know.” Hamil said. “Arnold, remind me during the lab on Friday to ask you about the digital model you made.”

“Okay.” Arnold said and he left with Pam and Janet.

“You’re going to ask him to make another one, aren’t you?” Amy asked as she followed the professor back to class.

“How did you guess?” Hamil asked with a smile.

“You want proof that it wasn’t a fluke.” Amy responded. “Do you want me to dig something out of storage?”

“Do we have any extras?” Hamil asked as they entered the classroom that was already full of students.

“Did you even look at the specimen inventory that Arnold and Cissily did?” Amy asked, exasperated.

Hamil chuckled and waved for her to take her spot and then he started the class without answering her, which meant that he didn’t, even though they had done all that work.

*

Arnold took his new accolades back to his dorm room, then he celebrated by making love to both Janet and Pam on his bed. They hadn’t done it in his bed in a long time and the novelty helped them get off quicker. After a quick shower, they went to their next class and then went to lunch.

Arnold paid and said that he wasn’t wasting the money by taking his friends out to eat. Pam couldn’t really argue with that, because she had splurged after she got a raise. It always gave you a bit of a euphoric feeling when you could occasionally do things like that. She was adamant about covering the tip for him, though. He nodded and she left the proper amount.

“Do you want dessert?” Arnold asked.

Pam felt a bit naughty, so her hand stroked him a little. “Yes, please.”

“Pam, we’re in the middle of a restaurant and…” Janet stopped talking when Arnold’s pants were opened and Pam ducked down to rest her head on his lap. “I can’t take you anywhere.” She chuckled and propped the cardboard menu on the table in front of Arnold to block Pam’s head from being seen. “You’re lucky no one’s seated behind us.”

“Mm hmm.” Pam mumbled and kept going.

Arnold pulled Janet’s chair closer and put an arm around her shoulders. She turned towards him, knowing what he was going to do. When he kissed her passionately, Janet moaned a little and she put her arms around him to hug him back.

A few people in the restaurant saw them making out and that gave them the idea that it was okay. Two of the other couples briefly kissed and one man leaned towards his date.

“Don’t even think about it.” The woman said and kept eating her meal, to her date’s dismay.

Arnold, Pam and Janet left the restaurant and went back to the college, had to go their separate ways and attended different classes that afternoon, and finished out the day. They had Art first thing in the morning, so Arnold told Dalla he was staying in Pam’s and Janet’s room that night. She thanked him with a kiss and Arnold spent the night with his best friends.

Not surprisingly, they had sex.

The next morning, it was Janet’s turn with Arnold in the shower and Pam showered alone, then they dressed and went to art class to ‘relax’. The thought made Pam laugh and she explained it to Arnold when he asked. He would remember what she said for a long time.

“When sex is as good as you do it, it’s the most relaxing thing that any woman could ever have.” Pam said as they entered the classroom. “Remember what you told Janet and me that time about dopamine levels and seratonin?”

Arnold nodded as they sat at their table and Pam leaned in close.

“Always remember that your penis is the best relaxation tool I have ever found.” Pam whispered and gave him a kiss. “I love it and I love you.”

“It’s good that you have such a close relationship with your friends.” Miss Josephine said from the front of the class.

“Arnold makes me very happy.” Pam said, a bit proudly. “He and Janet have improved my life so much since I met them than I can never thank them enough for it.”

“Aww! That’s so romantic!” One of the other girls said.

The guy beside her sighed and shook his head slightly, because he was never going to come up with something like that to tell her and still have her believe it, now that they both heard what Pam said.

Heather sat at the next desk and didn’t say anything, because her life hadn’t really improved after meeting Arnold. It had definitely changed; but, had it improved? No, it hadn’t. Not really. Not with everything that had happened since.

Janet reached around Arnold and put a hand on Pam’s shoulder, then she rested her head on Arnold’s shoulder to hug him. “I feel the same way.” She said and Pam reciprocated and copied her.

“Do I have to make you sit at separate desks?” Miss Josephine asked with a laugh. When the two girls let Arnold go, she walked over to them. “I was only joking.” She said. “I would never try to come between such strong bonds of friendship.”

Arnold, Janet, and Pam nodded and the teacher went back to the front of the room.

“Your other projects have come out fantastically, so now we’re switching to music.” Miss Josephine said.

“Yes!” A guy said loudly and a few people laughed.

“Don’t jump to conclusions.” Miss Josephine warned him. “Just because you like listening to your favorite music, that doesn’t mean it relaxes you.”

“Oh.” The guy said.

“Once again, don’t jump to conclusions.” Miss Josephine said with a laugh. “That’s what this class will be focused on for a while. We will find the best music to calm your mind and to soothe your soul.” She said. “It may only take you an hour, or it may take you all month. We will take this journey together and we will discover your harmonic resonance eventually, even if it kills you.”

A few people laughed and Arnold was actually intrigued by the idea.

Could music kill? Arnold asked himself. Is it the sound or the wave frequency? Does the amplitude variance cause the vibration in the air to vibrate the ear drum and could that kill?

Miss Josephine saw that her stoic and handsome student, that was quite the ladies man according to the rumors, had his interest piqued. I may have found a way to get closer to you. She thought and smiled. “Let’s get started by having you write some of your favorite music and artists down for me.”

As they did that, Miss Josephine went around the classroom to each student and talked about their choices and what they liked about the music.

For most of them, it was actually a great class and they enjoyed it immensely. For Arnold, who had no particular tastes at all, nor cared at all what he was listening to, was at a complete loss as to what to write or to say.

Miss Josephine was glad that she had saved her handsome student for last, because after she talked with Pam and Janet to get their opinions and their views, she was met with a blank piece of paper and just as blank of an expression on Arnold’s face. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, then the bell rang and ended the class.

“We will continue this next week.” Miss Josephine said as Arnold left her class and left her with a conundrum. If he didn’t have a favorite artist or song, then finding his personal music was going to be quite the difficult task. She watched his retreating back as the two girls tried to comfort him and she wondered if her popular choice to switch to music was going to be a bad one for him.