Chapter 15: Saving Grace
Taylor and Nat eventually fell asleep platonically huddled together. Ferdinand woke up with an arm around Sally, then rolled away, embarrassed. Sally opened one eye. “I really don’t mind that much,” she murmured.
Before Ferdinand could say anything, Rivki started crying. So instead of trying to figure out the best way to respond Ferdinand scooped up the baby and helped him bite. It hurt less this time. Ferdinand must have been getting used to it.
“If he gestated for three years,” Taylor said sleepily, “how – how long is Rivki going to nurse? Your neck is going to be covered in little tooth marks.”
“Assuming they let us keep him,” Ferdinand replied, stroking Riki’s black hair.
Nat sat up, rubbing his eyes. “They gave him back because they couldn’t get him to eat otherwise, and they didn’t want him to die. I don’t know if there’s another social experiment happening without a vampire baby draining the adults, to isolate the independent variable and all that jazz.”
Taylor gave a weak laugh. “I feel like I’m in a Beckett play. Waiting for Derrick.”
“Mm. Or a really, really low-budget Doctor Who episode,” Nat said.
"How, exactly?" Ferdinand asked.
"In some of the Classic Who, they get captured, then they escape, then they run around for a while and find out things and see monsters, and then they get captured again. Just in time for the cliffhanger."
"Speaking of which, have you guys tried to bang the door down?"
Nat sighed. "Yeah. They can run an electric current through it. I'm not doing that again."
Sally stood and headed to the bathroom. “I’m getting some water. It’s not filling, but it’s better than nothing. I advise you gentlemen do as well. Hard meantimes ahead.”
The silence that followed was so uncomfortable that Ferdinand broke it before Sally’s return. “I hope Miriam meant for us to call the baby ‘Rivki’. It doesn’t sound Arabic to me.”
“What, are you thinking she was trying to say something else, and we misunderstood?” Nat asked.
“He’s a pretty ad hoc child anyway. Let it go,” Taylor said.
“Oh. My. Goodness.”
“What is it, Nat? I can’t look where you’re pointing; I have a baby latched onto a major artery. Never said that before.”
“Gecko. Large gecko.” Nat leaped to catch it on the far end of the wall. “If I get it, I’ll share.”
Taylor seemed more depressed than ever at how desperately pleased Nat was.
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Ferdinand and Sally- hehee, forshadowing.
ReplyDeleteAgain, yay for Nat and his humor. I'll admit to not getting what the Doctor Who comment was referring to- is there someone named Derrick there?
'A pretty ad hoc child'- nice phrasing. And nice, Ferdinand showing some humor too. Now that *does* make me think of Doctor Who.
And yet again, go Nat.
Thanks!
Have edited for clarity. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAh, got it. Also, I need to trust myself more- half the time I feel confused, I actually have the right idea about what was meant, I just don't think it's right. Also, electric currents through the door *also* make me think of Doctor Who, and I like that line of Nat's.
ReplyDeleteThank you again.