Seizure Read Online Free

back gate.
    Entering, we secured the barrier behind us. We’d forgotten once, and curious monkeys had spent a night testing doorknobs. Not good.
    Around us, a dozen modern glass-and-steel buildings gleamed in the midday sun. Arranged in two rows, they faced each other across a central common. A concrete path bisected the grounds on its way to the main gate and, eventually, the dock. An eight-foot fence encircled the whole complex.
    We paused outside Building One, at four floors the largest structure on the island. In addition to LIRI’s administrative offices, Building One also housed the marine biology laboratory, my father’s little fiefdom.
    A tiny alarm piped in my brain. Something felt off. The facility seemed hushed, and strangely empty for a weekday.
    Coop barked once, shattering the stillness. I placed a hand on his head.
    “Easy, boy.” Ear scratch.
    Kit emerged from the building. Fast. Too fast. He must’ve been standing in the lobby, watching for me. He eyed his watch, impatient.
    “That’s my cue. Later guys.”
    Nods and grunts in response.
    Spotting me, Kit strode forward. We met at center court.
    “Hey kiddo! Ready to head home?”
    Uh oh. False bravado, laid on thick. My BS sensors triggered. Why was Kit trying so hard to be cheerful?
    “Sure,” I said. “Is something wrong?”
    “Wrong?” Kit pulled a face. “No! Pssh . Relax.”
    Nonsense answer. My anxiety skyrocketed.
    Kit was avoiding something, but I held my tongue.
    The crossing was weird. Cooper sat beside me on Mr. Blue’s shuttle boat, his large head resting in my lap. Kit kept the conversation light, focused on trivial subjects.
    So why the parental summons? By the time we reached Morris Island, I was on high alert.
    A note about Christopher “Kit” Howard. He’s my biological father, but I call him by his nickname. Not Daddy, or Pappy, or Father, or Sir. We’ve known each other less than a year. For now, it feels like a good fit.
    I came to reside with Kit nine months ago, after a drunk driver killed my mother. The shock of losing Mom had been doubled by meeting “Dad.” I’d barely had time to grieve before being shipped hundreds of miles to my new home.
    Hello Carolina, good-bye Massachusetts. Whatever. I’d only lived there my whole life.
    Kit and I are still figuring each other out. We’ve made progress, but there’s a long way to go.
    “Home sweet home!” Kit stepped onto the dock and made a beeline for our front door. I followed, baffled. Home sweet home? Seriously?
    Most of LIRI’s senior staff lives on Morris Island, in a row of townhomes owned by Charleston University. Constructed on the remains of Fort Wagner, an old Civil War fortification, our tiny community is the only modern structure for miles. The rest of the island is a nature preserve held in trust by CU for the state of South Carolina.
    Morris Island is pretty far off the beaten track, even for Charleston. An outpost on the ass-edge of nowhere. I live in almost total isolation. Tough at first, but I’ve grown to love it.
    “Come on, Coop.” I slapped my side. “Let’s get the news. Whatever it is.”
    When I arrived, Kit was seated in the kitchen, toying with a napkin. His eyes met mine, darted away. Shooing Coop to his doggie bed, I took a chair at the table.
    “You’re clearly uncomfortable,” I said. “Spill it.”
    Kit opened his mouth. Closed it. Crumpled the napkin. Tossed it. Put his face in his hands. Rubbed his eyes. Looked up. Smiled.
    “First of all, we’re going to be fine. There’s nothing to worry about.” One hand made a chopping gesture. “At all.”
    “Okay.” Now I was worried.
    “There’s a chance , that maybe, possibly , I might . . .” Kit searched for words, “. . . lose my job.”
    “What!?! Why?”
    “Budget cuts.” Kit sounded miserable. “Charleston University may have to shut down the whole LIRI facility. Obviously, that would eliminate my position.”
    Bad. Very bad.
    “Close LIRI? Why would they do