Second Chances || Thomas McGregor

T W E L V E

I wake up to a gloomy window infested with drab thunderclouds as far as the eye could see. Not even that annoying fowl had enough motivation to blast its voice.

Which I was not complaining about.

The storm was definitely going to stay for a while and what better thing to do than stay indoors and cook. I remove the pillows and blankets I had piled on top of my body. It was time to enjoy my day. My clothes from yesterday definitely need to be changed. But, what better than to wear some pajamas.

I look around the floor in case those little creatures decided it was funny to sabotage me again. I search around to find the old rattraps and gardening tool over in the corner, happily untouched. Stretching out the knots in my neck, I slowly get up, having the bed creak with the lack of pressure. Having my crutch back was sure a bonus; I could maybe make McGregor something to say thanks. But what should I make him.

Baked goods? Another meal maybe?  Well, he did say he liked them.

I shuffle my bare foot against the cold stone and reach the kitchen. It had everything I needed to make the man something that would blow his mind. How about a pork chop pan seared with boiled carrots? Man that sounded pretty good right now. There was a black and gold oversized clock that hung atop the fireplace reading ten o'clock.

Maybe a brunch. Yup, it's never to late nor to early for food.

Checking in the vintage refrigerator I mentally go through a recipe I was going to try back in New York.

Butter. Check. Pork Chops. Check. Carrots. Check. Rabbits stealing my carrots. Crap.

I turn just in time to see those five devils munch happily on my produce. "Well look at what we have here?" I reach for the knives I had displayed in the kitchen ready to add rabbit to the menu. But, before I could get the one with the periwinkle blue jacket, it held up its paws to shield the others. I relax a little and realize how stupid this game of 'I hate you' was. "Whatever." I put the boning knife down. "Just don't eat all of the carrots, alright?" I gave them a crossed look and they all quickly shook their heads. I start to heat up the pan I had and decided to cut the gristle from the cut of meat.

As I was trying to focus, the little fur balls all munched happily on one vegetable. They acted too normal for naturally occurring rabbits. Maybe they were subject to radiation poisoning. But, then again, maybe they had observed humans and decided to act like them. Man this is getting too weird. Finally finished with prepping the meat, I add butter to the pan with some basil I had gotten from McGregor's garden.

The two loin cuts fit perfectly in the pan with little to no overlap. A sizzling sound made it to my ears and must have made the bunnies curious as the next thing I know, furry paws were on my shoulder, neck, and head. To say I was scared was an understatement as I hold a hand over my mouth to cover my screech. They were much heavier than appearances lead me to believe. The weight was starting to make me unbalanced and the crutch could only help so much. "Guys! Get off I can't hold all of you." One jumped off while the two evened themselves out by sitting atop my shoulders. I noticed the three creatures had plopped themselves next to each other on the wooden counter top.

"I swear if he gets food poisoning from all your dirty paws, I am blaming you guys." The smell of melted butter alerted me to the meat being ready to flip. The grease splattered all over my clothes making me curse my stupidity of not bringing an apron. After many curse words, I managed to flip the two cutlets with no help from the parasites on my person. Now that the pork had some time to cook I could move on to boiling the carrots.

Setting a pot of water on the stove, I made it to the trashcan near the oven. The carrots needed to be peeled and I was not ready to test the strength of the garbage disposal system in the sink, if there was even one. Grabbing my paring knife that was in that kitchen, I get to work with skinning the carrots to perfection. I had not made it three carrots in when the rabbits on my shoulders raced down my hands and in to the woven trashcan.