Embryo

Come on, little lady.

Let's get you taken care of.

Paul, you were supposed to be back at 8 o'clock I was worried.

Help me.

Paul, what happened?

Here, use this for his head.

Did you find it hurt or did you hit it?

Oh Martha, she ran out in front of the car. I couldn't stop in time.

All right, or were you asleep at the wheel? Careful!

Turn on those lights.

All right. Just a minute, Paul.

Okay.

- All right. - Be careful there.

Watch her neck. Watch her neck.

Okay. Okay. Easy now.

Okay. Easy does it. Okay.

- Give me some alcohol. - Okay.

Looks like we're gonna have to operate.

Get me some K-9 plasma out of the refrigerator, and an IV too.

No, you're gonna have to connect it. Hang the tube up there.

Now insert the needle right in the tube here.

Insert it?

Okay.

- Alcohol. - Okay.

Okay.

Is there anything else?

No. That's fine, thank you.

I, uh... I'll get some coffee that I have made.

- I'll get it for you. - Fine.

Good.

You've got more than a ruptured spleen, little mother.

I don't think you're gonna make it.

Maybe your pups will have a chance.

Paul.

Is there anything else I can do?

Get Gordon on the phone.

Is the dog gonna make it?

I don't know.

Put it on the speaker.

No, no. Answer it in the morning.

It could be important.

- Okay? - Thank you.

I'll check back with you.

Hello.

Gordon? This is dad.

I want you to go to the research hospital and get me...

What is it? You're not sick, are you?

No, no, no. I'm fine.

- Get 20 micrograms of Thyroxcin, 30... - Hold it a minute.

Now, tell me again.

20 micrograms of Thyroxcin...

30 million units of Penicillin...

And 10 units of K-9 blood. And hurry up!

Be there as quick as I can, dad.

So, what's happening?

I don't know, but he called. First time since the accident.

He's really excited about something.

- Yeah, so was I. - What are you doing?

It's called getting dressed. First you put on your...

Get back to bed before you both catch cold.

Oh no, nothing doing. We have unfinished business.

You know, on the way home, that lookout point on Mulholland Drive

- would be the perfect place to stop off. - Helen!

I'm very adaptable as well as being very sexy.

Being pregnant does that to you, you know, makes you sexier.

God give me strength!

Don't give it a second thought, darling, it is all taken care of.

You see, God is a liberated female and she is on my side.

It's open.

- What's going on, dad? - I'll tell you in a minute.

What happened to her?

She ran out in front of the car. I couldn't stop in time.

I'm trying to save her pups.

You mean these things are alive?

Two of them are now.

They don't resemble their mother very much.

Well you didn't exactly look like Robert Redford at that stage, either.

They're alive, and that makes them beautiful.

- She's gonna live, isn't she? - I don't know.

She's holding her own,

- but, you know how it is. - You are a mess.

Why don't you go get cleaned up.

Yeah, I'll be back in a minute. Thanks.

Is my future protégé behaving himself? - Oh, hardly.

He's ornery as hell, starting to kick. Do you want a feel?

Yeah!

Hey, what does Dr. Kamin say?

He says you're going to be a perfectly healthy grandfather.

Grandfather! Hmm! I'll be back in a minute.

Oh, god.

It's good to see him working again.

You know he hasn't been in the lab since mother died.

This is the first time that I have ever been in the lab.

It is unreal.

Oh, Nicole, where in all this are you?

My sister's still here, Paul. With us.

No she isn't.

And I'm still guilty. Does that make it easier for you?

No!

Do you still resent the fact that I walked away without a scratch?

Nicole's gone.

And I'm still here.

You can't accept that, Martha.

And neither can I.

So you see, we agree.

It's as simple as that.

It looks like you lost another one.

Oh no.

You two go on home. It's gonna be a long night.

I'm sure you've got better things to do.

- How about some golf next week? - Good idea. I'll call.

And if you don't, I will.

Little mother, we must try something new.

Maybe your last pup will have a chance after all.

Only one fetus left.

Five weeks or so developed.

The mother is providing life support, but she can't live over twelve hours

and the fetus has no chance of survival on its own.

So, in an attempt to speed its development

at 3:05 am, I commenced intravenous injection of placental lactogen.

Placental lactogen, is a growth hormone,

Nicole, that is Dr. Nicole Holliston, and I were experimenting with

at the time of her death.

It will either cause rapid development of the fetus

due to accelerated growth of molecular cell structures,

or the patient will die within hours.

Placental lactogen consists of polypeptide fragments

with a C leucine marker,

and has two desilicified bridges.

Give me a few more minutes, little mother.

Just a few.

Christ, not yet!

You're alive!

Like it or not you're getting one hell of a chance at life.

I hope you like it... Number 1.

Because of prematurity,

and to alleviate possible shock,

I placed Number 1 in an isolette at 10:40 am.

The growth hormone is discontinued,

but nourishment is being fed intravenously.

The sample specimen cells seems to be without defect,

and the growth pattern normal.

I've decided to recommence intravenous feeding of placental lactogen,

the growth hormone,

to study further how the rapid growth progresses.

At 1:40 am on the 24th,

the puppy is now six weeks or so developed but is only

two days and 15 hours old.

Come here, you...

When the growth hormone is administered

the accelerated growth is constant.

When it's withdrawn

the growth pattern immediately returns to normal,

with no apparent harm to the cells.

However, I've decided not to release the results of this experiment,

until I'm sure, placental lactogen, the growth hormone, has no side effects.

Placental lactogen discontinued.

Cell activity dropped again to normal.

Number 1 has attained growth comparable to one year.

Is still in light tranquilized state.

Will attempt to stimulate the consciousness

by injection of nelin.

Heel.

Sit.

Down.

Stay.

Come.

Sit.

I didn't think that dog stood a chance.

Are you gonna keep her?

Yes.

Heel.

It's a shame you weren't able to save any of the puppies.

Yes, I'm sorry too.

But failure is what keeps us geniuses from becoming too vain.

Come.

Somebody forgot to tell her that dogs and children always like me.

She's obviously been well trained. You don't need me.

Thanks for your help.

Oh, I'm sorry Number 1, I forgot the time.

Go get your dinner.

Now put the dish away and go to bed.

Number 1's ability to learn in is extraordinary,

it may be an accidental

side effect of the drug.

I have decided to attempt,

under controlled conditions,

a similar experiment,

with a human embryo.

Stay. I won't be long.

Impossible!

Difficult...

but not impossible.

You'd be jeopardizing your career, your whole life.

The results could be worth it.

Nothing is worth going to jail for.

That's debatable.

Nicole had three miscarriages before we had Gordon.

They were all genetically perfect.

But they died because they came into the world too soon.