The Many Regrets of a Cyborg Werewolf

Agony - IX

Erin groaned as the alarm stirred her from her sleep, groggily pulling her arm from beneath the covers as she searched for the snooze button. She waved it around, feeling, only to run her hand through tousled hair and a squishy face, followed by grunting as the man attached to that face was rudely pulled from his sleep. Erin snapped awake, realizing she had just slapped her boyfriend out of his slumber, and reached past him to silence the alarm.

"I'm so sorry, baby!" She said as she leaned back to her side of the bed, completely forgetting that they had switched the night before.

"What's up?" Kyle groaned, still not completely awake. He went to sit up, only to seethe, his arm still held in a sling.

"Be careful," Erin urged him, "sorry, I forgot we're swapped."

"It's okay," Kyle said, his confused frown at the pain soon softened into a smile. He sat up, mindful of his arm, and carefully swung his feet out of bed as he leaned forward. Erin shuffled over next to him, her hand on his shoulder as she sat cross-legged.

"How're you feeling?" She asked.

"It's stiff, but better," he said, working his shoulder gently. "Doctor did say it could be a while before the strength comes back."

"Yeah, but how are you feeling?" Erin asked again. Kyle let out a sigh.

"It is what it is," he said with disappointment.

"I hate that phrase," Erin rested her head on his good shoulder. "It's redundant."

"But it's true," Kyle said, "what do you want me to say? That everything's fine?"

"Of course not," she placed her other hand on his leg, "I just don't want you to bottle it up."

"I don't bottle it up," Kyle placed his hand on hers, grasping it lightly, "I just don't like feeling sorry for myself. I knew this could happen. We knew this could happen."

"Is it slightly messed up that I'm kinda glad?" Erin asked, "not that it happened, but that it wasn't worse, y'know?"

"Considering the guy was aiming for my chest," Kyle chuckled, "it's impressive he hit me at all."

"Exactly," Erin laughed with him. She turned her hand over in his so their fingers were interlocked, and she tightened her grip. "I'm just so glad you came back."

"Always," he said, gripping her hand back. "Always coming back, just not always in one piece."

"Don't say that!" Erin gasped, "you know how expensive boyfriend aftermarket parts are?"

"The whole market is over-inflated, I know," Kyle nodded in mock sympathy, only to turn his head and grab a kiss as she still leaned on his shoulder. "You gotta get ready."

"Are you sure?" Erin asked, "you're not going to need me at all?"

"I'm fine, really," Kyle said as he stood up, adjusting his sling. Erin flopped back onto the bed in his absence, rolling onto her back.

"You need anything just call Robert's desk," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm fine," Kyle stressed, "besides, it could've been way worse." Erin sighed in reluctant agreement, pulling her hands off her eyes and rolling her head to one side. When she looked at Kyle her heart froze in her chest as she saw him ripped to bloody pieces on the floor. His body was torn apart, limbs and organs strewn across the bedroom floor, his lifeless slack-jawed head sat in the center of a mound of viscera, while behind it all a hunched mass of heaving, snarling flesh gorged itself on his remains. The creature was huge, hairy, and made horrendous sounds as it consumed the love of her life, and Erin watched as it slowly turned to face her. She was frozen on the bed, paralyzed in horror, her heart torn open as the monster that destroyed her life turned, revealing its face to be her own.