“There, there.I told you that you would throw up all that blood, didn’t I?”
“Ugh, shut up.”He spotted Raven and threw him a victory sign.
“You were throwing up?”Heath sounded unimpressed.
Clement gave him a level gaze.“For about the past hour.You missed it all.”
Heath snorted.“Sorry, not sorry.”
“I’m all good now.Hey, ’s that a dog?”Jason asked.
“They brought him in from the street.He lives here now,” Clement said.
Maxim came jogging down the stairs with his braid redone, dressed in yesterday’s clothes.
“Oh, good morrow, Jason.You two are quite the sight.Clement, be a darling Lar and give poor Jason some coffee.”
Heath was holding his head.So was Jason.
“Mr.Vallois, do you have to be so…bubbly?And loud?Sorry, it’s just that my head really hurts.You have such a beautiful bathroom though.Nice floors.I really love the floors.I think I fell asleep on them for a couple of minutes.Very comfortable.For, you know, floors.”
“Why, thank you.You’re most welcome to a shower too.After some breakfast, perhaps?”
Heath groaned.“Aw, no.Blood diet.”
Jason shuddered.“Nah.Nuh-uh.No more blood.”
Clement patted his back.“That’s it.That’s the right answer.Such a smart human you are.”
Raven’s hand balled in the dog’s fur, but he stopped, not wanting to hurt him.How are they for real?Why are all of them so silly?Was Jason always like this?Raven thought about the parties they’d been to together, about stuff they’d done together—pigging out on snacks Jason had brought from home after the holidays or having too much vodka with too much Coke after the final exam of a term.He was always that silly.When did I forget?
Jason plopped onto the couch on Raven’s other side, making him flinch.“Oh, sorry.So what’s with the dog?”
The dog looked at Jason with tepid interest, but got up and climbed on Raven’s lap in order to sniff Jason.
“I guess he’s with me?”
Jason grinned.“I had a dog growing up.Dasher.I told you about him, right?”
Raven nodded.“A couch potato despite the name.”
“Yup.This one’s a cutie though.”He patted his lap.“C’mon, boy.Come here.I give good scratches.”
The dog promptly turned up his nose, did a little pirouette, and plopped down on Raven’s lap.
Maxim sat back down on the couch while Clement brought Jason some coffee.“Here, human.Have this if you cannot have that canine’s soft affection.”
Jason nodded.“Thanks.”Then, in a whisper: “Also for helping me in the bathroom.Really, thank you.”
Much like the dog, Clement turned up his nose.“You were unable to help yourself.I have to go now.There are duties I have to attend to.”
They all watched Clement walk away.He had to push the call button of the elevator, and it took a while to get there.Clement was as stoic about that as the commuters who took New Amsterdam’s subway on a daily basis.After he’d gone, no one spoke for a long while, but eventually, Heath put down his mug and stood, holding his head.
“I…am going to work too.Ugh, the blood diet.”He smiled at Raven with dark rings under his eyes standing out starkly.“Hey, want to come grab some blood with me downstairs?”
Raven looked at the dog in his lap.“I think I’m good.”
Heath groaned.“I’ll make sure there’s dog food.That one looks spoiled.”
