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Chapter 7: Treading Water

Chapter 7: Treading Water

As worried as I am about Grey and his lame vanishing act, I'm more worried about Bell and Max. I guess Bell can handle herself when things go wrong but Max most definitely can't -- it's a miracle he's still alive, to be quite honest. The one that has really made me believe in miracles is Troy -- I thought his lifespan would be a lot shorter.

"What are you thinking about so intensely?" Dean bellows from across our office, spinning around on his office chair just as I taught him to do. "You've been frowning for a while," he points out, having noticed.

"I'm visiting Bell today," I tell him, kind of anxious about it. "I don't really know what to say to make things any better for the Mills family. I mean, they've lost their baby. I'm not great in situations like that," I explain the obvious. 

By now, our entire friend group is aware of the tragedy that happened. Ryan's even delayed his leaving to visit them one more time -- it's kind of sweet and unexpected when it's coming from someone as typically as rude as him. Xavier and Emma also gave them a heartfelt phone call seeing as their babies were going to be around the same age. Again, it's just Grey who hasn't reared his ugly head. I'd continue to search for him but unfortunately, I don't have a map of the underworld. If he's around criminals then I just hope he doesn't hurt one of them -- it's a likely possibility.

"Do you think Melinda's going to eat that?" Dean awkwardly changes the subject, pointing to Melinda's healthy lunch that she placed on her table earlier before her meeting with Tim. She's no doubt complaining about Dean and me again.

I pull a face at him, grossed out by the kale and other garbage mixed in with her whack lunch. "I wouldn't touch it. She's probably left it out for a reason, to fester or something."

"True," Dean immediately agrees. "I forget that she's that special, sophisticated co-worker, hairy companion if you will, that nobody ever wants around. I mean, come on, her naked mole rat of a boyfriend has less body hair than her."

Those two are sure as hell not as lovable as my furbaby companion, Slobs.

I nod in agreement. "I wish Tim would just transfer her to Oklahoma or something."

"They'd have to smuggle her in," Dean adds with a chuckle. "No place will take her in willingly."

"Or they could just send her to a big farm where she can roam free with the other animals and finally be happy," I suggest in all seriousness. It would do her the world of good...and it would do the world good.

"Yeah and they can send that useless, loudmouth boyfriend of hers with," Dean bellows loudly, always in tune with my thoughts -- it's as scary and bizarre as it is cool.

"You two are ridiculous," Leban pipes up from Melinda's desk. "Stop acting like I'm not in the room hearing every single word you two bozos are saying."

Dean cups a hand to his ear and glances back at me. "Do you hear an annoying buzz in the room, Furby?"

"Sure do, Deanie!" I reply loudly. "It seems to be coming from the corner where that fat larva-looking creature is sitting," I say, pointing to exactly where Leban is. "I knew we should have worn bug repellant spray today. It would have kept Melinda away as well."

"If I had a can of Doom I would have sprayed that fat vermin in his bloodshot eyes," Dean tells me, referring to a South African bug spray just to get under Leban's saggy skin.