The Specimen

The Specimen tells the tale of a young, sickly boy who goes missing. Isobel and Thomas live in a small room in Edenbourgh, Scotland. Thomas contracted scarlet fever when he was young, which left his heart scarred and greatly compromised. Following an encounter with a Dr. Burnett, Isobel learns that Thomas has a rare heart defect and has not long to live. She is instructed to take her son home. With whatever time Thomas has left, Isobel decides to live life to the fullest. Isobel teaches music. While she is away teaching music lessons, she comes home to find her son missing. Her son's caretaker had fallen asleep and could not be woken. Thomas is nowhere to be found. One and a half years later. The search for Thomas continues. A variety of animal and human parts are displayed in jars in Dr. Burnett's office, which attracts onlookers from near and far. His collection is constantly expanding. Isobel and some friends visit Dr. Burnett's to see his latest specimens. Isobel comes across a specimen that is of a child's heart with the same rare defect her son possessed. She feels her heart racing and faints. Inquiring how they obtained the heart, she begins to question the medical student present. There is no question in Isobel's mind that this is her son's heart. A few days later, Isobel returns to the exhibit dressed in disquise and can't locate the heart. It's gone. Her son is crying out to her and this draws her to a side room, where she hears the sound of the beating heart calling out to her. She lights a match in her room and she sees her son's heart on a shelf. She quickly extinguishes the match after it starts to burn her hand. Her immediate departure from the room is followed by a questioning as to why she was there. Her response is that she thought it was the restroom. Could this really be her son's heart? She will need proof, but how? Is anyone going to believe her? Is she going to be considered mad? Did her son die for his heart?

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