The Chemist

“It’s Val, like I thought,” she told Daniel quietly as she set the gun on the end of his improvised bed.

“You look like you’re going to pass out.”

“Soon,” she agreed. “Not quite yet.”

“Alex?” Val called quietly as she came through the door.

“Yes.”

Einstein bounded into the room, head whipping back and forth as he searched for Kevin. He paused and made a little whimper when he found him on the floor. Einstein’s head cocked to the side, and then he licked Kevin’s face twice. Kevin’s snore stuttered.

Alex expected Einstein would curl up with his best friend, but, his tail wagging vigorously, he turned and ran to her. He jumped both paws onto her hips so he could lick her face. She had to hold on to Daniel’s bed to keep from being knocked over.

“Careful, Einstein.”

He coughed a quiet bark, almost like an answer. Then he dropped back to all fours and trotted over to Kevin, nestled into his side, and licked his neck again and again.

Alex was shocked when Kevin spoke. The drugs she’d given him should have kept him out for… well, she wasn’t actually sure how long it had been. Her brain was too exhausted even for simple addition.

“Hey, buddy, hey there,” he said, sounding just like he usually did – too loud. His voice seemed impossibly vigorous for the way his body must be feeling. “Did you miss me? Good boy. You told them what happened. I knew you would do it.”

“Kev?” Daniel asked. Alex put her hand firmly on his forehead when he twitched like he wanted to sit up.

“Danny?” Kevin nearly shouted. Volkstaff snorted and rolled onto his side.

Kevin pulled himself up, wincing.

“You probably shouldn’t move…” Alex began, and then, when he completely ignored her, “Hey, at least keep off your feet!”

“I’m fine.” Kevin grunted.

“You’re an idiot,” Val said harshly. “Just stay put for two seconds.”

Val was out of the strange, avant-garde-runway sari-thing and in sweats and a T-shirt now. She strode out through a door marked LOBBY. Kevin waited, puzzled, kneeling on the linoleum with one hand braced against the wall. She was back almost immediately, pushing a wheeled office chair, her expression set in angry lines. If Alex had any energy left, she would have sighed with envy. Val looked absolutely ridiculous for someone in a ponytail and no makeup who’d gotten no more sleep than the rest of them.

“I’m fairly sure they don’t keep wheelchairs here, but this ought to work for now,” Val said. “Sit.”

Though her voice sounded deeply annoyed, she offered both hands to pull him up. He hissed and staggered when the soles of his feet touched the ground, but as soon as he was seated, he was trying to use them to roll himself closer to Daniel.

“Ugh, stop it,” Val complained. She guided the chair across the room while Kevin held his feet gingerly a few inches off the floor. Val stopped when Kevin was right beside Alex. Alex shuffled over a step to make room.

Kevin stared at Daniel’s open eyes and good color with shock. Carefully, he patted Daniel’s hair, obviously afraid to touch any other part of him.

“Looks like your poison woman got it done,” Kevin said in a gruff voice. “I’m not sure about the balding Swede thing you’ve got going on, though.”

“Val’s idea.”

Kevin nodded absently for a moment. “You shouldn’t have come in after me. I didn’t want you to do that.”

“You would have done it for me.”

“That’s different.” He shook his head when Daniel started to protest. “But you’re going to be okay?” Kevin looked up at Alex for the answer.

She exhaled through her nose and nodded. “He looks like he’s going to be totally fine. I don’t know what it is with you two. Are you sure your mom didn’t have a one-night stand with a genetically engineered superhuman?”

When Kevin’s hand darted toward her, Alex’s first instinct was that she’d crossed the line with the mother comment. But before she could brace for a blow, he’d grabbed her roughly and yanked her into an awkward bear hug. She found herself half on his lap, her arms pinned under his, and there was nothing she could do when he decided to kiss her full on the lips with a wet, resounding smack.

“Hey!” Daniel protested. “Get your face off my poison woman!”

Alex wrenched her head to the side, finally feeling something again – nausea. “Ugh, get off me, you psychopath.” She heard Val laughing.

Kevin managed to spin the chair in a complete revolution. “You’re a genius, Ollie. I can’t believe you did it.”

“Go make out with Volkstaff, he did half the work.”

He wouldn’t free her. It was like he didn’t even notice that she was trying – violently – to wriggle away. “What a performance! I can’t believe you just walked in there and busted me out! Never tell me you aren’t black ops – honey, you’re what black ops dreams about being!”

Einstein whined and Alex felt his jaws close lightly around her wrist. He yanked, trying to help her escape. Kevin didn’t seem to notice.

She knew where Kevin’s worst injuries were. She’d use that knowledge soon if she had to. “Let me go!”

“Kevin,” Daniel said, his voice measured but icy. “If you don’t set Alex down right now I’m going to shoot you with her gun.”