His body thrashes violently, and foam forms at the corners of his mouth.
Tearing off my jacket, I position Squirrel on his side. I tuck the jacket under his head. When his convulsions slow to a tremor, I race into the hall, yelling for help. No one is around. I scream again and again. No one comes. I return to check on Squirrel.
His body's stopped shaking, but he’s flushed with a fever. I don’t have a choice. I need to leave him to find help. I glance over my shoulder. Darwin is still missing.
I run out to the field, where transitioning training should still be taking place. The recruits bound down a hill in wolf form. Using my mind link, I communicate with the twins and Skunk.
I need help! Quick! Meet me in the computer lab.
Three wolves separate from the group and run toward me. I turn around back toward the lab, relaying images of what just happened in my mind.
Sliding to a halt just before the computer lab door, I rush into the room, expecting to find Squirrel on the floor. He’s no longer there. I spin in near panic, only to find Darwin sitting in his chair typing on the keyboard. Squirrel stands at one of the tables against the wall, dissecting one of the computer towers. They both go about their business as if nothing happened.
I look back and forth between Darwin and Squirrel, confused. Did I imagine it? Am I losing my mind?
The clicking of claws sound from down the hall. The twins and Skunk are close. They’re going to think I’m fucking crazy. I know what I saw.
Slowly, afraid to move deeper into the room in case that stupid orb thing projects out of me again, I place my hand over my chest and step farther into the room. “Squirrel? Are you okay?” I ask him quietly.
He jumps when I call out to him, and I swear his whole body blinks, like a quick flash of electricity ran through him. I turn my head toward the door, where the twins and Skunk stand naked and panting.
“I saw it,” Justin says out loud.
Skunk walks over to us. “Hey, man. You good?”
Squirrel jumps again, and he glitches right before our eyes.
“Yeah, I’m good,”he says with a frown and starts to rub at his chest.
I look over to Darwin, still deep in thought at his computer. “Darwin? Are you okay?” I ask.
He looks up from the screen as if he only noticed us standing there now. “Hey, guys. Yeah. All good. Sorry, I was fighting with the coding for something Anders asked me to do. I just figured it all out.”
Justin rushes over, slapping a hand over Darwin's forehead. Jeremy stands next to Squirrel and pokes at his arm. Squirrel jumps and glitches like a toy.
“Jeremy! Stop harassing Squirrel,” I scold.
Laughing, Jeremy continues to poke Squirrel to make him jump. “Why? This is fun.”
I turn to Skunk, helpless. “I swear I know what I saw. I know what I did.”
He shrugs. “I believe you, Jess.”
“Hand me that tool over there, will you?” Squirrel asks Jeremy. Jeremy struts over to the table with the tools and picks one up.
“No, not that one. That one.” Jeremy picks up another, and when Squirrel shakes his head, he picks up another. Jeremy smiles at this new game, and I roll my eyes. He’s always messing with him. Squirrel flashes forward, slaps Jeremy in the back of the head, picks up his tool, and flashes back to his spot within seconds.
“Holy shit, did I just do that?” Squirrel gapes in amazement. Jeremy rubs the back of his head, mouth open in stunned silence.
Justin nods his head, equally stunned. “I’m going to find Uncle Chris and grab our clothes.”
Darwin looks around the room, eyes wide, when he realizes that the twins and Skunk are naked. He scrambles up from hischair and practically jumps over his desk, nearly tackling me to cover my eyes.
“What’s the big deal? We all have the same junk,” Squirrel professes as Darwin presses my face into his chest, nearly suffocating me.
“Darwin, I can’t breathe,” I mumble.
“No, we don’t all have the same package,” Darwin hisses at Squirrel as he continues to wrestle with me as I fight against him for air.
