“Was it just me, or was he more hyper than usual?”
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Nathaniel Wilder & Mara Harper & Jeremy Starke & Violetta Ginnis
prompt: “what do you mean, you didn’t take the medicine?”
He wrapped his hands around the large mug of inviting hot chocolate, amusing himself with the brief idea of what it might be like to crawl into a tub filled with the stuff. Messy, undoubtedly, but cosy, he’d bet. The Husky down beside his stool yawned, and then gave a pine, his short claws scraping on the clean surface. Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Wilder looked down at him, and frowned. Dammit, he was tired, and the dog was demanding attention now? Talk about bad timing.
“One sec’,” said the other occupant of the kitchen. “I know where someone keeps some animal treats.” She smiled, and opened a cabinet, reaching up and pulling down a little jar. Brock bounded across the room, and sat patiently but eagerly in front of Mara Harper, tongue lolling out; ‘gimme, gimme, gimme!’. Nate couldn’t help but smile as Mara pulled out one of the treats, got Brock to give his paw, and then fed him the tantalising morsel.
“Thanks. I don’t think I have the energy right now.”
Mara shrugged. “No problem. He’s a sweetheart. Who could say no?” She patted Brock’s head after putting the jar back, and joined Nate at the island, claiming a stool for herself, even as they heard a pair of voices approaching.
“… Is that who I think it is?” Nate asked, his expression almost wary and intimidated.
Mara cocked her head, listening. “I think so.” Her smile softened sympathetically. “Sorry, Doc’. No rest for the wicked.”
Nate allowed his head to drop down to the immaculate surface, sliding his mug forward so he wouldn’t dunk his face in it, or even dip his hair. He heard the hyperactive pair enter the kitchen, and dared to look up. There stood Jeremy Starke and Violetta Ginis, two of the pack’s more ‘bouncy’ members, one of whom had recently managed to sprain his wrist during a prank. And Nate hadn’t asked how. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to know.
“Doc’!” Violetta beamed. “Ooh, Brock! Hey!” She crouched to smother the dog with attention, babbling incessantly down the animal’s ears, in a tone people always saved for pets. Brock’s rear end swayed from side to side, his tail was wagging so hard.
“So how are those pills working out for you?” Nate asked, slipping into business mode at the drop of a hat, leaning his suddenly heavy head on his loose fist, his elbow on the counter below him, his other hand still wrapped possessively around the mug.
“Pills?” Jeremy blinked. “Oh! Those.” He nodded swiftly. “Yeah, didn’t take ‘em.”
It was Nate’s turn to blink. “What do you mean, you didn’t take the medicine?”
“Well, I found some other stuff, and took that instead, and it’s working like a charm.” One of Jeremy’s trademark grins slipped into place, and Nate’s expression twisted with worry and something rather similar to fear.
“What did you take?”
“I dunno.” Jeremy practically giggled. “S’good stuff though. Hey, we gotta scram. Kate’ll figure out what we did any second now, and we still haven’t destroyed all the evidence.”
Violetta bounced back upright. “Ooh, good point, partner.” She sprinted to the refrigerator, grabbed two cans of soda, and then the pair were all but skipping out of the doorway again with energetic calls of farewell.
Nate stared after them, feeling the start of a twitch coming on.
“Was it just me, or was he more hyper than usual?” Mara asked, a hint of a smile hidden behind the raised rim of her mug.
With a little groan, Nate let his head slide back down his arm, thudding it against the counter once more.