That's the Buzz

The One and Only

Trigger warning: Body horror and lots of bugs.

Bea burst into the infirmary with Nita close on her heels. "Doctor, what happened? Are you alright?"

Rosa sat up on the bed she was in, moving almost painfully slowly. "It was just an accident, mate, I'm okay," She said with a strained smile. Bea glanced over at Pam, who was rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Rosa, you cracked two ribs, bruised another three, are extremely concussed, and ya can't even remember the accident!"

"You what?" Bea shouted from the doorway. She rushed to Rosa's side, ignoring a muttered "shut the fuck up" from Edgar on the bed next to the scientist.

"It's not just her, either. None of 'em remember the accident, just the before and after." Pam said as she flitted away to another room, presumably to check on other patients.

"Yeah, Rosa ain't special," Edgar sneered. Nita checked to make sure Pam wasn't looking at her, then kicked Edgar's bed. He clung to the bedframe to avoid falling off, then flipped Nita the bird.

Bea rolled her eyes at the duo and turned back to Rosa. "So, how are you feeling?"

Rosa leaned her head back. "Bloody awful, but I'll recover. More disappointed than anything."

Bea smiled sadly. "How much work did we lose?"

"Month an' a half? All the bugs you were trainin' escaped."

"I barely managed to save Annie and Gerald," Edgar added, jabbing a thumb at a shelf across the room. Two plant pots, both adorned with googly eyes, sat atop it. The larger pot held a venus fly trap, and the smaller held a small blue jade vine wrapped around a paint stick. name tags sticking out of the pots proclaimed the blue jade Annie and the fly trap Gerald.

"But I couldn't save the rest of the blues. I think they broke Belle's fall."

Bea tilted her head. "Belle was there?"

"Shit, Bea, there were like ten of us! It was an open door day!" Edgar cried.

"Sweet nectar! No one else was hurt, were they?"

"Belle got off pretty easy, thanks to my poor jade blues," Rosa began.

"Multiple posterior abdominal lacerations!" Pam shouted.

"Mr. P has a couple of black fly bites, but he must've been pretty far away from the accident because that's all he's got," Edgar continued. "Meg's okay too, but Rico got his shit wrecked,"

"He did not get his "shit wrecked", he's cracked at worse," Rosa muttered. "Bo's the worst off. We think he landed in the wasp hive."

Bea gasped, but Nita grinned.

"He'll be fine. He and Leon had a knack for running into wasps' nests back in the village."

Bea grimaced. "If you're sure. How's Sprout?"

"A little dinged up, but it's fine otherwise. It's already back at the scene of the crime," Rosa said.

Bea sat down on the edge of the bed. "What a mess."

In another room, Pam was giving Belle a final once-over before sending her away.

"Pam, Jesus, I'm fine! I got scratched up, I ain't dying!"

Pam set down the roll of bandages. "Yes, you are fine, I was just makin' sure. You're all good ta go."

Belle picked up her satchel with a snort. "Fuckin' finally." She slung the bag over her head. As it settled on her hip, she noticed something blue glinting off the top. A single hair, tangled in the zipper.