Forever

Exposure

Car keys clattered onto his desk.

Henry looked up from the file he was reading, into Jo's eyes. She seemed excited. This could mean trouble when it came to her.

"You're coming with me."

"Didn't they tell me-"

"You were poisoned three weeks ago. You're good."

He sighed."Is your shift over?"

"Yep."

Henry opened his mouth, about to object.

"Nope. You're not staying. I am taking you to see a movie and go to a fast food restaraunt." She smiled, turning to the door. "Don't even think about it. Reece said this'd be good for you, some exposure to the modern world."

He gritted his teeth and pulled his jacket on, keenly aware what she was doing. He'd been to the theaters before, but they were loud and made his head hurt. He'd been to a fast food restaurant and had ended up with the most severe stomach cramps he'd ever had in his life. He had been bowling; It was perhaps the only pleasurable thing he'd done in 'The Modern World'.

"I won't force you to eat, but we're going to a place called McDonald's. You will get a soda."

He didn't recall ever having one.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Oh, come on. Man up; It's good." Jo held the plastic cup and inch away from his nose and moved it around. "You know you want it."

"I'd really-"

"You've been drinking like a water-deprived camel ever since you got poisoned. I can tell when you're thirsty because you start licking your lips and fidgeting."

Henry relaxed his hands and bit his lip to keep from sticking his tongue out. She laughed.

"Just accept what's coming. Have you even had one of these?" She drank from her own and nudged it closer. Sighing in defeat, he looked at the beads of condensation and lifted his hand to it, glaring at his partner.

"You'll like it. Promise."

Henry tentatively put his mouth to the straw, trying to appease her without drinking.

"Ah- Drink."

Annoyed, he sucked, watching her excited eyes track his movements.

Instantly, something super-sweet filled his mouth and raced down his throat before he had a time to think about it. It fizzed and crackled and felt like icy fire, tingling and making his teeth ache like he'd brushed them with sugar. Henry bent over the floor from his position in the booth, spitting it out. Jo watched with fascinated eyes. He gaged and coughed one last time and righted himself in the seat, doing his best to smile.

She snickered as he coughed again.

"What's so funny about choking?" He demanded, irritated.

"The fact that you're a grown man and you've never had soda before. The first time you try it out, you act like a baby who just ate rat poison."

He glared.

"You're supposed to prepare yourself for it, you know." Jo hastily added, leaning this way and that. His eyes followed her, and she found herself chuckling again.

"It still wasn't funny!" A worker came over and mopped the soda he'd coughed up, giving him looks. "My apologies. My colleague believes it's funny to-"

The lady smiled at Jo. "Good job. You look like you could use it, buddyboy." She said to Henry. She walked off, and he stared after her, shaking his head. Jo arched her eyebrows.