ForeverEgg

  By the time my leg bones were sorted enough for me to walk again it was Deyha's turn to take some time off her hooves. Despite her asking Carolyn to make the downtime as brief as possible, I could tell it was going to take a while. The tail hadn't taken long. It turned out that the resembo a scorpion exoskeleton was mostly etid the remoulding into her new lion tail had only been about a week long process. Already, the tip had floofed out quite majestically.

  Said tail flicked idly as Deyha lounged on the bed.

  "Hey baaabe." I pulled up a chair to the head where she was hugging a pillow. "How are you feeling today?"

  She let her tablet flop and turned her head. "I'm bored."

  "Yeah, I bet. Would you like me to take you anywhere?"

  "Should you be pushing things this early?"

  "Pssh." I waved, "If I walk I push a wheelchair, It won't be fast though so… are you in a hurry?"

  "I do miss our walks. Did Carolyn okay this?"

  "Ah, no. There is a non-zero ce of this putting one or both of us in the doghouse. Where should we go for a walk?"

  Deyha chuckled. "Anywhere is fine."

  "It must be bad if you are risking her wrath for some fresh air." I pulled the chair over and locked the wheels.

  "When you phrase it like that I am less sure."

  "Welllll if we go visit her first then I don't think she would mind so much, right?"

  "I'm just desperate enough to risk it." She pushed herself up onto her knees and shifted to hang her legs over the edge. Like me, she had reverted to human skin, but because so many years had passed, Carolyn insisted on also reverting to at least four toes to be sure all her nerves were in good order. Presently, Deyha's feet were encased in a gel sack. Carolyn expi as a whole nutrient delivery system but my insisten calling them "my slime shoes" never caught o of all now that the slime shoe was on Deyha's foot.

  I helped stabilize the wheelchair as Deyha did a sort of gymnastics routio swing her legs in position without hitting them on anything.

  She pulled her tail around and held it in her p. "I couldn't do this before. I gotta say the flexibility is already well worth it."

  "We should do a tail painting day some time. We make nice abstract vases to decorate the ic or something. Bitches love abstract ic art."

  "ing the 'brushes' sounds like murder," she made air quotes. "but I suppose as a one off activity it would be tolerable."

  "Maybe we get Xander in on it too. Make it a craft day or something." I wheeled us toward the b on a sort of auto pilot and in no time we arrived outside the door. It was closed, which was unon, and a quick peek through the window showed Carolyn ser focused on her desktop.

  "She looks like she's in a bit of a wroove, should we interrupt?"

  Deyha shrugged. "We could bring her some food and drink and make the interruption a bit more funal."

  "True, true. What are her favorites? I think she's long overdue for a treat."

  "There's no telling how much coffee she's had today, but it's hard to g with a milkshake or hot cocoa."

  "And I assume she takes her coffee with plenty of cream?" I id the sarcasm on thick, but Deyha seemed to not notice.

  "No actually, but she tells me your milk tastes like smiles so she probably wouldn't be opposed."

  I stopped the wheel chair and stepped around in front of it. "That's not a quiack, if we are going to detour across the farm and back then we o tell her where we've gone first."

  "Well if she's thirsty she might just prefer it fresh." Her eyes drifted down to my chest, as if trying to gauge how full I was at the immediate moment.

  "I--"

  "Hey babes."

  I nearly jumped out of my skin as Carolyn peeked out the door.

  "Did you say you were going to the barn?"

  Deyha recovered first, pivoting her chair back around to face Carolyn. "That's what we were thinking. I wao make sure you knew where we'd gone, but Maddie really wao surprise you."

  Carolyn folded her arms and leaned on the door jamb. "Uh huh." She looked over Deyha to me. "Is that what happened?"

  "I-- we were…" I wanted desperately to defend myself but it seemed both necessary ao point out that Deyha was lying. I grabbed the handles of the chair, trying to el my displeasure toward Deyha through the inanimate object.

  Carolyn chuckled. "Rex Maddie, I know she's fibbing. Even if I hadn't heard you as I was sneaking up to the door, I reized her tells."

  "You were sneaking?!"

  "Well yeah." She ughed. "If I'd walked up normally you would have noticed. It's a little uny how high alert you always are."

  "That's so mean!"

  "It really is." She agreed. "And unfortunately for you, I might just make a habit of it."

  "Whyyyyyy?" I whined. "Why are you like this?"

  "Probably because you aren't using nursing pads."

  "ads?"

  Carolyn stepped away from the door, drawing closer until she was bag me into a wall. "As a mercy, I am going to expin it to you simply. Every time I make you leak a your shirt I'm only going to want to do it more. So you either get used to soaking your shirt for my amusement, or you wear nursing pads."

  "You'll be gentle, right? You won't just startle me stantly will you?"

  She took my hands, weaving our fiogether before pinning them against the wall above my head. "All I promise is that I won't start anything I 't finish."

  She leaned in to kiss me, pressing her whole body against me as she held me there.

  "Starting now, that is." In an instant she was pletely back to normal. "I really do o get back to work. Deyha," she turo our spectator. "You'll take good care of our Babygirl, right?"

  "Always babe, always."

  "Good good. Don't hurry back," she paused at the doorway "But I would like something sweet… you throw in a few cookies for me?"

  "Sure, if they have them."

  As they discussed treats I surveyed the damage. I was soaked and out of breath. It was hard to decide which of the three wet patches was most distrag though.

  "Are you ready to go?" Deyha brought me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, yeah. Uh, we go to my stall and… yeah."

  I steered us to the barn on auto-pilot dreading the sympathetic looks I would get from the other producers. They probably all used the pads, so the first couple times they might be sympathetic but eventually they would just know I was iionally going without. Maybe I could cim it's a sensory issue? Though I'm not sure in what universe anyone would prefer wet cotton to a purpose-designed absorbent pad. Maybe I'd just wear them sometimes. Carolyn might end up disappointed occasionally but that would only make the wet days all the more special, right?

  I took care to avoid bumping Deyhas feet as I maneuvered us into my stall and as soon as I had the door shut I peeled off my shirt and bra.

  "Did you get cups and tubes?"

  "Fuuuuuck" I groaned and pulled the shirt ba. Already new wet spots were f and the old ones chilled my skin as I ventured out to collect supplies.

  "Hey Maddie!" Xander was cheerful as ever her polite smile turned into a coy grin as she assessed the state of my shirt. She opened her mouth as if to tease but seemed to thier of it.

  "Hey Xander, how's it going?" I tried to pick up my practiced small talk as I rifled through the supply drawers.

  "Not bad, not bad… I uh, don't want to poke fun, but--" she trailed off.

  I debated my response, and for some reason, ripping the bandaid off sounded like the best pn. Besides, everyone could tell just by my mods that there was a lot going on so it's not like it would surprise them. "Yeah, in all likelihood it's probably gonna be a regur thing."

  "It doesn't have to be--"

  "Carolyn told me about the pads, but she also expressed her i in me uh… not using them."

  "Oh… oh my." Xaone dropped to spiratorial.

  I checked my shirt and frowned. It was like the fabric was just wig the milk out of me now. Such a waste. I hoped it wouldn't stain but something told me I'd have to add a bit of effort to my undry ritual.

  "Should I just… pretend I don't notice?"

  I collected the st of the hoses and grabbed the pulsing throttle. Xander was already taking stock of the colle in my arms and I had no reply, no defense whatsoever.

  Still, she smiled kindly. "I'll try to read the room and go case by case, just let me know if I'm ever too much." She patted my shoulder. "Have fun~"

  "Thanks, you too." I cursed myself and she giggled as she went about her business.

  Deyha was sitting on the couch when I got back, sidering the harness. "We might not his today, holy."

  "Oh? Why not?"

  "I'll be here to help keep them in pce, and besides…" she reached over the armrest and there was a meical whirring noise as the motorized reer lifted her legs and leaned back, going nearly horizontal. "We don't have the widest range of options for ways te ourselves so that you aren't fighting gravity."

  She patted her p. I wavered for a minute before handing over the supplies to her and undressing. I grimaced once again at the cold sensation and pushed my pants and panties off my hips. My bell rang softly and then muted against my chest as I straightened back up.

  "Nice socks." Deyha's eyes trailed slowly up, evidently finding several pces to dwell before finally reag my gaze.

  "Is that sarcasm?"

  "No, no. They're cute. I like the stripes.

  I pulled at the tops to try ahem roughly even. These had been my first pair and weren't quite big enough anymore, so now they barely reached past my knees. Still, I was fond of the pink, white, and blue stripes and figured I'd always have at least one pair like them at any given time. I wondered suddenly if Carolyn could just give me fur in these colors, but I doubted that would ever be worth doing instead of some temporary dyes. Or tattoos.

  I fought off the rambling train of thought, Deyha had sorted out the tubes so I climbed up into her p. I delighted in the feeling of her between my thighs, so warm and strong. I could scarcely wait until she made good on her promise of railing me.

  Deyha was holding up the cups for me as I came back from my own little world.

  "You're awfully distracted today."

  " you bme me?" I took the cups ahem in pce as Deyha reached to plug in the vacuum line.

  She shrugged as she dialed up the su. "I'm starting to think you prefer the pulsiion." She mused.

  "Well, I hardly pretend I've gone for it by act this many times."

  Deyha rested her hands on my hips, caressing the curves of my belly for a moment before drifting down over my thighs. "If you wao pretend, I'd py along."

  "Mhmm. You're a sweetheart like that."

  As if to prove me wrong, she kicked up the su a couple levels.

  "I bet the cups will hold themselves in pce, why don't you rest your head on my shoulder?"

  I nodded and gasped as she kicked it up another notd as she predicted, I found that the cups stayed ihout any help now. I ed my arms around her ned sighed into her shoulder as the cups tugged pleasantly at my breasts.

  Deyha's hands trailed back up, rubbing up and down my back as I put more weight on her shoulders. I sat up for a moment and shifted my knees down the seat of the couch so that I could have my back be just a little more horizontal, but before I could lean fain her hands cupped my chest. She rubbed lightly, but I ractically panting now.

  "Deyha~" I sighed as I practically fell forward onto her.

  "Yes, dear?"

  "More. I need-- Ah~!" I didn't have to finish the thought. She grabbed one breast with both hands, squeezing and pulling down firmly.

  I colpsed, rog forward into her as she pulled and I moaned into her shoulder, but the need between my legs only grew more and more unbearable. It was a violent desire. I o be filled just as much as I o be emptied, and the absence felt akin to pain in how I couldn't take my mind from it.

  "Deyha please~" i whimpered

  "Yes?"

  "Fuck me, please just… something. I don't care what, i need you to--"

  She was already moving, she pulled on the bay thighs and I straightened up just enough that I could move back toward her. My knees immediately gave out and I sank into her p, dislodging the cups as I shook us with the impact. Dehya released me to fix them but i grabbed desperately for her hand, pulling it between my legs. "No." I gasped "Fet the milk I need--"

  She curled her fingers into me, holdiher hand on my stomach as if to stabilize me. I pulled her hand up to rest over my heart and held it there as I rocked into her fingers. I gasped and whimpered, g out and spasming as she brought me up to the edge and I coasted over. I rexed into her touch as all the pleasaions softened and lingered. She pulled out of me a bit soohan I would have liked, but I simply substituted one of my own hands to ride out the st fshes of warm glow.

  I let my hands fall in my p, feeling drunk and giddy as I checked bato my surroundings. Deyha was watg me with a fond sort of amusement.

  I stretched and then picked up the fotten cups, hugging them ih one arm as I dialed down the su.

  "Hmmm." I sighed. "That was hank you."

  She ughed. "Happy to be of assistance."

  "What?"

  "I'm just amused. It was quite the show. Oouched your chest it was like you went prompt-critical-- ah, i'm not sure if that makes seo you."

  "It does, a little. That's when a nuclear rea cascades or something, right?"

  "Yeah, close enough. Though the analogy is pretty piven you didn't just spontaneously make yourself cum."

  "Hah. Yeah. It retty crazy though, it was like a switch flipped and having something inside me became life or death."

  "Carolyn didn't mod in any breeding instincts."

  "True, and this isn't the first time I ever felt this way, it's just never been much more than a sad, empty yearning."

  "Is that going to happen any time you milk now?"

  "No, no. That was all from the toud feeling of being loved aed. When I'm imagining people toug me it just gets me a little wet."

  I took stock of the mess I made. I hadn't dripped all that much milk after the cups were dislodged but there was a dark puddle in Deyha's gown from where I'd worked myself up.

  "Sorry about yown." I looked around, "Did you guys stock this room with any tissues? Or some kind of towel?" I took my time climbing down from the couch, taking care not to disturb the slime shoes as I got my feet under me.

  The milk bag retty heavy now and Deyha caught it as I dragged the tubes with me. "What kind of sex dungeo have a towel?" She ughed and leaned over the arm of the couch to check. "Ah, yes, Carolyn thought of that." She pulled a wet wipe from a tube dispenser and ha to me.

  "Thanks" I ed myself as well as I could before looking around for my clothes. At this point the only garments I hadn't dirtied were the pants. I wi the thought of putting o panties and bra.

  "Did Carolyn also stash some clothes?"

  "Uh… no."

  "Do you want to text her for clothing delivery? Or should I?"

  "I left my pho the ibsp;

  "Fuck. We didn't even start the cookies. I think I'm just going to tough it out long enough to run upstairs and put on fresh clothes."

  "Do you want to pre-heat the oven while you're out there?"

  "Noooo." I grimaced as I got dressed again. "I don't want to get side tracked. Do you need anything from the room?"

  "Nah, that's fine. I don't need anything, see you in a bit."

  I hurried as fast as I reasonably could, exging soiled clothes for as I focused oing back to the task at hand. This was all supposed to be an outting for Deyha, but otle jumpscare had derailed it to being all about me again. I desperately wao give Deyha the same forts she gave me but nothing really seemed to i her. Well, aside from back rubs. That was about the closest I'd gotten to giving her anything like the pleasure she and Carolyn seemed to dispense on me so readily.

  I shook my head, as if the trifugal force could sling the insecure doubts out of my brain through my ears. Wallowing aplished nothing, and my loves needed snacks and enrit.

  I grabbed a towel for Deyha's p and headed downstairs again, making sure to slow down and take my time oeps rather than busting my ass again. Altogether, I was thinking I made pretty good time.

  And that bubble of positivity sted exactly as long as it took to get from the stairs to my stall.

  I heard Deyha's muffled grumbling from outside, which was indicative of sound isotion below par for a loud activity room, on top of just being a ing thing to hear from someone rec from a procedure.

  Deyha was on the floor and there was a mess of blue gel. I forced down panic, slipping inte mode as I took stock of the situation.

  "Are you hurt?"

  "Just my pride, I think."

  I bit back a rebuke about the time and pce for jokes. "What happened?"

  "I tried to get bato the wheelchair and it rolled out from under me. I busted one of the gel sacks."

  "Is the leak an emergency, or just a mess?"

  I avoided stepping in the gel, not trusting how slippery it could be and how much of a problem it would be if I fell too.

  "Just a mess I think."

  I sed my questions, avoiding the pointless and accusatory ones in favor of just figuring out steps. I repositiohe chair behind Deyha and locked the wheels.

  "Here." I handed her the towel. "Dry your hands and focus oing bato the chair. We'll go from there."

  She obeyed, and I steadied the wheelchair as she crawled back up to the seat and situated herself.

  I called Carolyn and she picked up almost immediately. "Hey babe, what's up?"

  I tried to keep my tone a little light despite everything. "One of Deyha's gel sacks is leaking. I just wao check; is that an emergency, or just a bit messy?"

  "How much did it leak?"

  I gauged the retive sizes of the two sacks. "Maybe half."

  Carolyn sighed. "I'll o look at it. It's probably just a matter of repg the sack. She didn't hurt her foot did she?"

  I pursed my lips. I nearly said 'I'm not sure she'd tell us either way' But my pause in responding seemed to be enough of an answer.

  "I don't know. I'll meet you in her room?"

  "Yeah." Carolyn sounded weary already. "Hurry back, I'll see you in a bit."

  "Mhmm. On our way."

  I put my phone away and busied myself ing the towel around the split bag.

  "I'm impressed that you aren't freaking out." Deyha broke the silence as I tucked the towel out of the way of the wheels.

  I didn't know how to respond to that. Did I tell her that I was freaked out? Or how pissed off I was? Or would it be better to tell her about some of the traumatizing shit I'd lived through?

  "Thanks." I kept my voice ft and pulled her out of the room. I did another quick cheake sure that I wasn't leaving a gel trail behind and the out for the ic.

  Carolyn sat on Deyha's bed, knees crossed and arms folded as I wheeled her in. Like me, she didn't seem to be in any mood for humor.

  "What happened?"

  Deyha spoke before I could. "I snagged one of the gel sacks, that's all."

  "Are you in pain?"

  Deyha didn't answer.

  "Gods…" Carolyn muttered and hopped off the bed. She uned the towel and looked at the mess. I holy wondered what she could even see or uand from it, but given the blue stains on other parts of Deyha's gown I doubted the low-detail reting of events was going to fly.

  "Maddie, baby?" there was a forced lightness in Carolyn's tone. " you grab us something to eat?"

  "Yeah…" I felt like I was bei away so they could argue, but I could hardly insist on staying. "I'll go start the cookies and up. Should be about half an hour."

  Carolyn stood and pulled me into a hug. "Thank you so much."

  I rexed into the touch, feeling a bit of the ay melt away. I focused on the fact that she clearly didn't wao worry. It would be fug difficult, but I knew I could at least make my best effort to not be another issue on Carolyn's pte. It wasn't gmorous, but this is what I could do for them right now.

  I kissed her cheek and stepped out of the hug. "I'll text you what hot food there is today as well. Let me know what you want, Okay?"

  I looked into her eyes, trying to telepathically beam the subtext of "text me back or i'll worry." I hoped she uood, but at the same time it made me wonder why I felt like I had to use subtext at all. I sidered mustering the ce to be more explicit, but oher hand, the sooner I left the sooner I'd be back.

  The true challenge of the venture asserted itself as I stepped bato the hallway. I'd already walked in on one of their screaming matches once, and I wasn't sure how much rebuke Deyha could take before shutting down. The warning and experience just made it easier to imagine.

  Simuted arguments pgued me as I made the trek to the barn again. My mood sank further as I spied a few globs of blue goo like a breadcrumb trail leading to my stall. There were only three or four spots I had to in the hallway, so I elected to table that issue in favor of preheating the oven. I felt several eyes follow me as I crossed the on area and pushed through the silver door to the kit.

  "Hey Maddie!" Jake looked up. From the stovetop where he was tossing a wok. "Are you hungry? The fried rice will be ready in just a few minutes."

  "No, sorry." I failed miserably to i any lightness into my tone. "Carolyn is craving cookies so I just wao see if we had any frozen that I could toss in for her."

  He nodded. "Sure, they should be in the pull-out drawer. I set the oven to preheat."

  "Thanks, Jake. I was thinking I'd do two each for Deyha, Carolyn and me. Should I put any more for you and other folks?"

  "We go ahead and do the baker's dozen. Just y them out on the circles."

  I nodded a about arranging them. "There's actually a bit of a mess that I o up."

  "In your pyroom?"

  I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. "Yes. Deyha leaked gel."

  "Oh… oh, is she… okay?"

  "Carolyn is taking care of her so everything will be fine."

  "I thought it was from--"

  I cut him off. "I'm really not at the capacity for jokes at my expense. I realize now that the room Isn't nearly soundproof and I'll keep that in mind for the future."

  I death-gripped the steel pan. Holding back tears through sheer force of will.

  Jake didn't say anything. There was some shuffling as he turned off the burner and dumped the tents of the wok into a food warmer bin.

  "I'll take care of the cookies when the oven is up to temp." He leaned on the ter o me. "Do you know where the mop bucket and such is?"

  "I… no. I don't-- And I'm sorry for biting your head off, there it's just--"

  "Don't sweat it. You actually did read my mind, so I'm just happy to not make a bad day worse."

  "But I feel bad…"

  "I don't want you to. You wanna hug it out?" He held out his arms, as though the answer was a fone clusion.

  "Sure." It was weird being this much shorter for a hug with aher than Deyha but I didn't dwell on it.

  "Pat. Pat." he narrated the a as he patted my back meically.

  I busted out ughing at the absurdity. "What was that?"

  "Awkward sibling hug. It's totally a thing and you're like a little sister to me sooo…"

  "Okay, okay. I'm okay with this being a thing. It's just two pats?"

  "Yeah. The more robotic the better. The mop is in the er closet by the way."

  "Thanks. I'll bring it back."

  "I appreciate it. And uh, just a heads up. Unless you say otherwise, it's open season tomorrow for jokes at your expense, be sure to let me know if I should reschedule."

  "You're marking the dar?"

  "Sure, but that just means that Thad will know as well. I'll put that today is a no-hunting-maddie-for-sport day."

  "Maybe I o e up with an outfit or accessory of some sort to say when I'm avaible for hunting."

  "The bell could work." Jake suggested. "On means open season, Off means not up for it."

  "I'm not taking the colr off."

  "Yeah, just the bell. It's detachable right?"

  "Huh. Not a bad idea."

  "I'll try not to get a big head about it. See you in a bit."

  "Thanks."

  Jake turhe burner ba and began another batch of fried rice.

  Luckily the mop bucket was the rolling type, so It was fairly trivial to get some hot water and er in to transport across the building. I checked the hot food area aed Carolyn as I pushed the bucket to my room. The room was… a bit of a mess. The puddle of blue gel had spread to be a little rger than a manhole cover, but despite going uhe couch it didn't touch the carpet, much less any of the sensitive plushies.

  "Yikes." Xander spoke from behiartli of my skin. "Oh, hey, sorry Maddie, didn't mean to startle you."

  "It's fine." I took steady breaths. They were wearing their usual cotton louhat they wore around the barn. "Sorry, I'm just a little high strung right now--" I gestured at the goo, "Deyha popped one of her slime shoes so it kinda got everywhere."

  "Let me grab the squeegee mop to start with then. I think that gel is thiough that we sost of it. Do you think we o save it?"

  "It would have to be made of kitten tears for me to even sider going to that effort."

  "Fair enough. I'll be right back."

  While she was away I tiptoed around the puddle to survey the damage. The couch reers were motorized, so there retty deal frame, easily far too heavy for me to be lifting right now. Xander was ba a minute or so with another bucket, dustpan, and the mop. She set about pulling the goo toward the door.

  "Do you know where the couch came from?" I asked.

  "It was in the on room. Why? Was it not suitable for activities?"

  I rolled my eyes. "It was fi's just in the way now and I've been made aware of some deficies of this room that make it non-suitable for 'activities' as you put it." I looked around. "What was this room for anyways?"

  "It used to hold the vacuum for the distribution system, but it was a bit too close and loud so Deyha made a pad and shelter to relocate it outside."

  "That should have been the first clue that the sound proofing oor." I grumbled.

  "Live and learn." Xander sighed. "Should that be refrigerated?" She poi the fotten milk bag.

  "Shit."

  "How long has it been out?"

  "Fifteen miops, probably closer to ten."

  "Ah," Xander waved dismissively. "It's fi sit for a couple hours before it o be either chilled or pasteurized."

  "It's actually… not going to be sold."

  "Why not?" Xailted her head to the side. It seemed to me to be an exaggerated dispy of i curiosity.

  I let the question hang a few seds too long before ing up with a passable half-truth. "Carolyn wants to test it."

  "For fvor?" Xander smirked.

  I sighed. "Yes, for fvor. Has she… ever dohat for anyone else?"

  She shrugged. "Never asked me. I mean, she may have 'misid' someone's bottle in the past, but she just doesn't strike me as the sort, ya know? She's obviously an absolute wizard with the modding but I think she's into weird stuff in general, not specifically milk s. I assume she tolerates the capitalism angle for the sake of furthering her goals of weirding the world.

  "Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually weird enough for her."

  Xaraightened and leaned on the squeegee handle, giving me an amused sort of pitying look.

  "What?"

  "It's just cute is all. I find it funny that you've been here long enough that you feel like you might be too normal."

  "I think it's reasoo wonder--"

  "Maddie." Xander cut me off, shaking her head as she resumed squeegeeing. "You're wearing a goddamn colr. Did you fet that it means something?"

  My face burned. I hated that she had a good point, but it was hard to be mad at her. Instead of responding, I worked on lifting the motorized leg rests and mopping the area she'd cleared.

  "Thanks for the help by the way, It's really cool of you to just jump in and solve problems."

  "I'd like to think you'd do the same for me."

  "If the roles were reversed I'd offer to help, it's just… I wouldn't have had a clue on how to actually tribute."

  "Sometimes you aren't going to be able to do things perfectly. Just don't let it stop you fr."

  "It sounds obvious in theory but… I don't know."

  "Oh, it's deceptively tricky in practice. People don't want to knit shitty scarves, paint crappy portraits, or cook dubious food. So maybe throwing a towel on the puddle would have been your best idea." She shrugged. "Personally, I'd ruin a towel to help a friend."

  The st of pirees quickly overtook the st of warm milk and sex as I wet the floor with warm water.

  "Ah, the st of nature--" Xander spoke as though recalling a fond memory. "Disgusting."

  I ughed. "You don't like pine sol?"

  "Eh, the er is fihe trees make me stuffy. I think it's the pollen, which is unfortunate because bumble bees are the cutest."

  "Carolyn is hoping to mod someoo produce honey, could be a good opportunity for you."

  "For me to make honey?"

  "No, I doubt she mod away allergies, I meant pulling yourself a cute bee friend."

  "A doomed love," Xander said wistfully. "Honey bees regurgitate ar to make honey, so like, first off that's miserable, but sed… I don't know, I'd assume they would be stantly covered in pollen." She pced the back of her hand on her forehead. "Milk and honey, star crossed lovers cursed with pollen allergies and ctose intolerance."

  "I'm sure Carolyn would orture you like that, sce would find a way." I finished up mopping ahe mop ba the bucket.

  "Of course, of course. Gods, if Carolyn found me a cute bee-friend I would never bother her for strawberry milk again."

  "I just realized, pasteurizing the milk might destroy the strawberry fvor."

  "Are you getting off on crushing my dreams?"

  "No! No, I'm sorry. I'm n to torture you."

  "Uh huh, the bullied bees the bully. So sad. We are now in aing feud."

  "Noooooo." I whined "I'm sorry, please don't hate me."

  "I 't believe you already figured out how to droop your ears. This is i's unfair." she sighed. "Fine. I guess you are my little pog champ, c'mere." She held out her arms for a hug.

  "Nope. ged my mind. Feud is ba, we are at eversting war."

  "Uandable. Have a nice day."

  "You too! And thanks again for the help. Does this mop also go i er closet?"

  "Yeah, but I'll walk with you, this is too much for one person to carry. Do you think we should take the gel to Carolyn? Just in case it's hazmat or something?"

  "Yeah, I do that."

  She made a meaningful g my feet "I think you are already kinda overdoing it, soooo no. You won't."

  I led the way back to the kit. "Well at least you will get a cookie or two for your trouble."

  "Oh hell yeah!"

  I realized as the cookies finished baking that I did not in fact hear back from Carolyn. It wasn't unbelievable that she would just be focused but I dearly hoped that it wasn't because she and Deyha were in the middle of ahrowdown. I went ahead and collected a rge portion for the two of them to share, just in case. True to his promise, Jake held his tongue as I left the kit with a milk bag, a cup, and cookies. I took the retive calm of the ic as a good sign as Xander and I made our way to Deyha's room.

  There wasn't even anything immediately ing as we walked in. The overhead lights had been turned up and both Carolyn and Deyha looked up as Xander and I arrived.

  "Hey girls," Carolyn id a blue cloth over Deyha's foot and spun in her chair to face us, not so subtly putting herself between us and Deyha's foot. "Oh good, food. I'm fug starving."

  "Have you eaten-- uh today?" I eyed the blue gloves with growing unease and frowned as Carolyn shrugged. "Okay, let's get some food in you. How's the foot?"

  her Carolyn or Deyha seemed eager to answer.

  "I'm just gonna put this here…" Xander set the pail of goo down. "Thanks for the cookies Maddie, ter!"

  "Later." I waited until the door was shut behind me, lookiweewo of them as they seemed to want to look anywhere but me. "Out with it." I set down the food and grabbed a chair, pulling it so I could sit beside each of them.

  "There's a small plication." Carolyn spoke in measured tones. "It appears Deyha has uh… fractured a couple bones."

  "From falling out of a chair?"

  "From nding on her foot."

  "So catg herself from falling broke her toes?"

  "I didn't catch myself" Deyha spoke at st. "My foot folded under me when the chair rolled out, and I crushed it."

  "Which is it? Fractured a couple bones? Crushed a couple bones? Will you two stop fug sugar coating it and tell me what's broken and what that means for--" I waved at her legs vaguely. "All of that?"

  Carolyn sighed. "So far I've discovered five broken bones and have set three of them. The gene instrus are proceeding too fast for me to splint or cast them so for now I o go by feel to but the bones ba the correct pces and hold them there until they begin to fuse."

  "What, as if you were supergluing them together?"

  "Actually not the worst analogy."

  "And yoing to tell me you 't take a break to eat?

  "I… no. not really."

  "Okay." I collected the bowl of fried rid a spoon. Carolyn winced.

  "Maddie, I'm not going to be able to focus with the smell…"

  "Back to work." I gestured with the empty spoon. Before scooping a small mouthful worth of rid holding it in front of her.

  "Seriously?" she looked between me and the spoon incredulously.

  "Deadly serious. Do what you have to do, I'll feed you."

  She took the bite and shook her head to herself as she lifted the cloth and repositioned Deyha's foot. Deyha winced and grabbed fistfuls of the sheets.

  "Have you taken anything for the pain?"

  Carolyn shook her head. "She refused."

  "Deyha?" I stared at her levelly. "Why not?"

  "I ha."

  "Deyha, one Oxye is not going to turn you into an opioid addict, despite what my Mom would tell you."

  "I'm not ed about pig up an addi."

  "Then you'll take a painkiller? Excellent." I turo Carolyn. "What are her options?"

  Carolyn smirked. "We don't even have opioids to give her." She oward a rolling tray table she had at the foot of the bed. "There's a local ahetic there though."

  "It's not even opioids." I looked at Deyha. "Take the fug ahetic."

  "I don't need--"

  "Quit being a baby. Your involuntary fling is only going to make it harder for Carolyn to do her job."

  Deyha's eyes narrowed. "You're assertive today."

  "If you're proud of me, you should take the ahetic." This caused a slight smile. "And even if you aren't, you should still take it. I love you, but I am stretg my imagination and ot find a single reason you should get to sit through this in agony."

  "Not even as punishment for fug up?"

  I turo Carolyn, "She's delusional with pain, you should apply the ahetic."

  Carolyn chuckled. "I'm not going to just stick her because you told me to."

  "Is it because it's a shot?" I turned back to Deyha. "I'll hold your hand if you're scared."

  "I'm not scared of needles."

  "Then take the fug shot!" They were both ughing now.

  "Fine." Deyha ughed. "I'll do it, but only because--"

  I cut her off. "I don't care. Carolyn, she said she'll do it."

  "I heard." she tio hold the spot she was w on. "I'm not sure I accept agreement under duress."

  Deyha was crag up now and Carolyn had to let go to keep from bumping anything out of pce

  I poi Deyha. "Take the shot or I'm eating your cookies." I turo Carolyn "Give her the shot, or I'm eating your cookies and p the milk down the drain."

  "Maybe you should have led with that." Carolyn reached for the ahetieedle.

  Deyha nodded. "I agree, cookies are pretty serious business after all."

  "It's called res to threats, not defaulting to them. You know, like a st resort? When all else fails?"

  "I'm sorry for pushing you to the edge." Deyha was still struggling to stay still while ughing.

  "All of this because you couldn't wait two minutes for me to put on clothes and e back." I scooped up a bite of rid held it up for Carolyn. "Why did this even happen?"

  "I fot to lock the wheels."

  "I wouldn't have fotten, and I would have been holding the chair steady too."

  "Yeah." Deyha settled bato the pillows. "Hindsight twenty twenty and all that."

  "That's not good enough."

  "I'm sorry that I was careless--"

  "Being careless isn't in the neighborhood of the problem here." I scooped some rid held it out to Deyha this time. She tried to sit up but I gestured to her hand."Take the spoon, goofball. You two are too far apart for me to feed you both. Anyways, in my opinion it's fihat you fell, it could have happened even if I was there for all I know, but this fierdependence isn't cool."

  Deyha took the bite aurhe spoon. "Carolyn gave me this exact lecture while you were gone."

  "And?"

  "And I'm sorry. I'll work on it."

  "Good." I nodded. "For all I know these mods are going to make us funally immortal as far as physical health goes so I'm expeg a tury of living happily together. That all goes to crap if you die on me."

  "A tury huh? What do you think, Carolyn?"

  "I think if I'm going to be a buzzkill about it then the human spirit isn't nearly built for that sort of loy... But the notion is romantid I'm not oo shy away from a challenge."