Once Bitten

Background Information (39)

They left the bathroom and he saw Mei on top of one of the shelves immediately, standing on it with Sandy beneath her and her eyes were bright with mischief.

"Catch me!" She yelled and MK held back his terror-filled, knee-jerk reaction at seeing her fling herself off the top of the shelf since Sandy's arms were outstretched to catch her before she could hit the ground, holding her weight like she was lighter than grapes to him. 

She laughed loudly, hair wild as she climbed out of the buff guy's arms and scrambled up the shelf again. 

He looked around and could see Wukong nearby, catching sight of him and immediately walking over. 

"Find anything good?" He asked and Wukong nodded, showing off a bag full of random stuff with a pleased grin.

"I sure did!" It looked like mostly crips in the bag but MK chose not to say anything about it as he gave a thumbs up.

"Awesome! Let's go then." He said, hearing Mei's enthusiastic cry of catch me again behind him and then feeling a hand land on his shoulder. He looked up and found Macaque standing there. 

"Not so fast. I need to get more drugs for you kiddo and then we need to fill up the car." He said and MK rolled his eyes at the phrasing. 

"You don't have to say it like that. Makes me sound like an addict." He huffed and Macaque laughed, amused as he reached forward and ruffled his hair. 

"That's why I do it. Think you can handle filling up the car, Wukong?" Macaque asked and Wukong sent him an offended look, hands on his hips. 

"Uh duh! Of course I can." He huffed and Macaque eyed him up and down distrustfully, a smirk at the corner of his lips. 

"Sure you can. Just don't blow anything up, yeah?" He snorted before walking away to the front of the store where the pharmacy items were kept, far away from Wukong's offended muttering.

He heard a crash behind them, looking back quickly to find one of the shelves torn down and Mei in Sandy's arms like he had hastily caught her, her face morphing from dizzy confusion to sheepish joy. 

"Whoops." She said loudly, chuckling at the destruction she'd caused. It looked like she'd pulled down a shelf, probably from climbing up it so many times. 

"C'mon kid. Let's go fill up that car!" Wukong slung an arm around his shoulder and the weight almost sent MK and his unsteady legs to the ground, he managed to stay upright by practically falling into Wukong's side though, playing it off as losing his balance with a sheepish grin upward Wukong ruffled his hair at and then he was being tugged along to the entrance of the shop.

Outside the sky was dim, the clouds heavier like it was going to rain soon and MK eyed the sky with a frown and pursed lips. He hadn't seen it rain since on that mountain he and Bai He drove up. The one where she... where what was happening to MK now had happened to her. 

It was easy to recall the look on her face as she lunged toward him, that desperate, crazed look in her dull eyes that had once been so bright and hopeful. She'd trusted him so much and was so sweet and he... 

Maybe it was karma for not protecting her that MK was dying the same way. Maybe he deserved it. 

"Woah? You okay there, MK? You spaced out for a second." Wukong's voice brought him back to the present and he found himself staring blankly at the sky, blinking twice at the grey clouds above them. 

"It's going to rain soon." He said blandly, his voice flat and tonless and Wukong frowned, looking up at the sky too. 

"I guess so. Don't you like the rain?" He asked and MK didn't have to even think about the answer before he shook his head, vision going a little fuzzy at the movement.