Page 20 of The Dire Reaction

At least the chicken is starting to smell amazing. Enough that I’m standing over the pan scraping off cooked slivers and eating them. Flavor explodes over my tongue, and my belly growls louder at the sample.

It’s so good that I pull another piece of chicken from the freezer and toss it in the sizzling pan. When the first piece and half of the second disappear and my belly is still growling, I grab the last two pieces and put them in to cook.

I really haven’t eaten much the last couple of days, and now am making up for lost time. By the time all four chicken breasts are gone, my belly is just starting to settle down.

I could eat more.

Apples and bananas on the counter don’t really look that appealing. Staring into my small freezer, I find a two pack of pork chops and a pound of hamburger.

Before I know it, they’re eaten, too. That’s more food than I could eat in a full day. I must have really been hungry. Strangely enough, I’m not even overly stuffed.

But, I do feel full enough to get drowsy, and I sleep like I haven’t slept in a week.

Monday’s usually suck. Today is exceptional.

Not only is my stomach trying to gnaw a hole into itself, I am now fighting through the overwhelming new stimuli that hits me as soon as I leave my apartment.

I eat an apple and a banana just to get to my truck.

Why am I so damned hungry? I should be still stuffed from last night.

My truck is saturated in smells I never picked up on before. Someone smoked a cigarette in here at one point. And a joint. And had sex in here.

Gross. I don’t want to smell that.

Driving to work with the window down doesn’t help either. I’m assailed with exhaust, oil, rain run off, pollen, and noises. I can even taste the air when I drive past the donut shop.

Okay, that one isn’t bad.

The pebbles and ruts change the vibration when the tires roll over them. Rotation in the engine rocks the cab gently side to side in a rhythm in time with the RPMs. I can hear each individual piston firing and the turning of the drivelines below me.

I know better than to try and ignore it, so by the time I pull into the small parking lot for my clinic I’m exhausted. My head is pounding from the noises and the voices that come from blocks around to lodge themselves in my ears at once.

Inside the clinic, the noises fade to a more manageable level.

“Good morning, Doctor Michelson,” Jenny whispers.

I can’t help but smile. “Good morning, Jenny,” I whisper in return. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. I had a fever and was achy. Everything is still a little loud, but otherwise okay.”

Now, I’m curious if she experienced the same symptoms as I did. The glare of the lights, the scents of the antiseptics, and the layers and layers of animal smells make it hard to concentrate.

She doesn’t seem as affected. Her smile looks relaxed. Her shoulders aren’t rigid. I can even hear her heartbeat, slow and regular.

That’s new. I didn’t realize I could do that, too.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. It looks like a busy week ahead. Do me a favor? Find your favorite take out place, and let’s order in lunch. My treat.” I need to get to my office because the whine from the fluorescent overhead lights is eating into me.

“Thank you, Doctor Michelson!” she calls after me. I almost can’t hear her over my stomach growling.

Chapter ten

SAM

I’mgladIhada few days to learn how to control myself before I saw Dani again.

Between the sensory overload and the crazy appetite increase, it’s been everything I can do to get caught back up on the day to day business on the ranch.

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