His tongue stuck out, testing the air, and I angled the straw into his lips.He licked the straw.It was like watching a gerbil drink from a water bottle.
"Have you seriously never used a straw?"I asked.
"I do not often drink human drinks."
"Jesus Christ," I said."Move your tongue.NO, out of the way.Alright.Make an 'O' sound with your lips.Now breathe in."
He sucked in air and then began to choke.I patted his chest, and he gasped, hacking, and coughing.His eyes grew red—almost as if he were asphyxiating—and he gasped, then fell still.A coiled loop of his intestines started to beat against the ground like a tail.He sat up, gasping.His whole body was vibrating.
"I'm sorry, Stacey," he said."Leave me.This will… not be pleasant to look at."
"It's already not pleasant to look at."
One of his arms exploded into a wash of tendons and muscles, slapping against a wall right next to my face.
"Okay, I'm out," I said.
"Leave the drink," he said."I need more."
I paused on the threshold to the door.
"How long is this going to take?Just ballpark, I mean."
"I'm not sure," he said."I feel like I'm going to explode, possibly.I've never had to regenerate this much of myself before.Come check on me in twenty minutes."
"Got it," I said.
There was another splatter of viscera against the door behind me as I closed the door to the shop.Rhonda was out here, vaping.She tried not to look at my dripping fist.I clutched it a little tighter.
"Does that do anything for you?"I asked.
"What?"Rhonda asked.A huge cloud of vape juice exploded from her nose.
"Check in on your boy," I said."He's growing his body back."
"Really?Already?"
"I guess?"I asked.
Nagisa was alternating between screaming and slurping as I walked back to the food court.
Chapter8
Ifound Tamara at the food court, talking with another couple of humans.
"Hey," she said, nodding at me."Any progress?"
"Maybe," I said."He's starting to regrow himself."
"Why are you clutching your hand like that?"Tamara paused.Then I could see her face harden."Didn't I tell you not to do that?"
"Tamara, listen, we didn't have any choice—"
The couple Tamara had been talking to was staring at us.I caught their eyes.They seemed to be a little concerned.
"Everything okay?"the wife asked.
"Yeah," I said.I beamed a quick smile at them."Should have some reinforcements coming soon."
