Bob stood up, his mouth set in a hard line, and marched out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Frank called after him, patting Gerard's hand because the dude looked like he'd just run over someone's dog. "Bob?"
"I'm getting those fucking books," Bob yelled back. "Nobody's stabbing you in the side on my watch."
By the time Ray, Mikey and Brian arrived, the pile of Books We Haven't Checked Yet was getting kind of small, and the No Fucking Use to Anyone pile was alarmingly huge. Frank had absorbed a lot of information about incubi and succubi and the many different guises under which the Devil could appear, but none of it seemed like it could actually happen in real life, and none of it mentioned stigmata as anything other than a gift from above.
"Hey guys, how goes study party?" Ray said, shrugging off his jacket.
Frank waved hello. "Apparently saving my life involves a lot of reading."
"Can't you just call your guys?" Bob asked Gerard, as Brian took a book and settled onto the couch next to him. "The Vatican, or whatever?"
"Frank's an atheist," Gerard said, not looking up from his book. "I tried, but it's a no go."
"They're gonna let him suffer because he doesn't believe in God?" Mikey made his most disapproving face, which involved him pursing his lips and moving his eyebrows until they formed one crinkled, annoyed line across his forehead. "Wow, Jesus would be so proud."
"Mikey, don't even start," Gerard said, turning a page. "I said I tried."
Ray moved past Mikey and skirted warily past the bed. "How are, you know."
"My feet?" Frank looked down at them. They looked really stupid, all wrapped up like that, like Mickey Mouse feet or something. "You wanna see?"
"No!" Ray said hurriedly, turning away.
Mikey hadn't moved from his spot in the doorway. "Mikey, you okay?" Frank asked him.
"What are you doing?" Mikey said.
Frank held his book up. "Reading about," he checked, "Saint Teresa's holy wet dream."
"I wasn't talking to you," Mikey hadn't taken his eyes off Gerard. "Do you cuddle on the bed with everyone you investigate?"
They totally weren't cuddling, they were just sitting next to each other, but Mikey looked like he'd walked in on them flying around in a sex trapeze or something.
"It's my fault," Frank said quickly. "It hurts less when - when he's close."
"Dude, for real?" Ray was leaning forward, elbows propped on his knees. "Are you like a healer?"
"No," Gerard said firmly, his eyes on Mikey. "I think it's part of whatever's been done to Frank. And I'm just trying to help him. That's all."
Ray gave him a weird look. "Okay, man. Hey, Mikey, come sit next to me, come on."
Mikey stayed where he was for a second, staring at Gerard with a peculiar blank expression that seemed to be saying a lot in a language Frank didn't understand, then finally went over to sit by Ray.
Brian cleared his throat and spoke over the awkward silence that followed. "So, what are we even looking for?"
Gerard told them about the herbs, about the possibility of magic being involved. "The thing is, it's kind of confusing, because some of the herbs are like, evil herbs, or whatever, but the rosemary and cyclamen-"
"Are used for protection," Ray interrupted, blushing when everyone turned to stare at him. "What, you think I just make hair products with whatever I have in my kitchen cabinets? I do research, guys, I know my shit."
