Page 30 of The Primary Pest
“That’s easy,” Ajax lied. “Did it all the time in school when some drunken stunt went wrong. In the meantime, we have to find a way to move her.”
Bartosz offered, “I’ll find something to sling her in.”
“And I doubt she has a neck injury, but I’ll figure a way to stabilize her. We can do this.” Ajax walked behind the counter to see if there was something he could use. “Look, there’s no blood back here, so whoever it was, she probably opened the door to them, turned her back, andwham!”
Dmytro shuddered. “Could you be less enthusiastic? Wait.” He glanced at her. “I think she’s coming back to us.”
Ajax rushed over to see, and sure enough, the girl’s long eyelashes fluttered. Her lips twisted in an agonized wince. “Ow.”
“Are you okay?” Ajax asked. “Do you know what year it is?”
The girl tried to push herself up. “This is the year I stop working crap second jobs.”
“How do you feel?” Dmytro asked.
Her eyes closed. “Really, really—ugh.”
They managed to get her onto her side just as she got sick. Dmytro leaped to his feet and raced outside, where he retched audibly, bent over a planter.
“Sick people make him sick,” Bartosz said.
“He just needs air.” Ajax patted the girl’s back. “Getting sick after a head injury is normal. We should take you to the ER right away.”
Between gasps for air and retching, she said, “Oh God. My head hurts so bad. I need to call JT.”
She reached for her phone, but Bartosz drew it away. “I’m sorry. I can’t allow that.”
Ajax gasped. “Bartosz—”
“Here, take these.” Dmytro, pale as a ghost, returned with some ice and a stack of towels.
Ajax dropped one over the sick and gently wiped the girl’s face with another. “It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s gonna be—”
“She’s all right?” Bartosz asked. “Good news. Now get her keys. We need to go.”
“You hit me for my piece of crap car?” she moaned. “You peoplesuck.”
“Bartosz didn’t hit you,” Ajax told her. “Dmytro found you like this. Don’t you remember how you got this way?”
She was silent for a moment. “I remember I wanted a candy bar.”
“Bartosz, did you see anyone around earlier?”
Bartosz shrugged. “Last I saw, she was dancing with buds in her ears. What is that dance with the butt cheeks?”
“You were twerking?” Ajax grinned, but she reddened and threw up again. Once more Dmytro fled. Ajax felt so bad he said, “Hey, it’s okay. Everyone twerks when they think they’re alone.”
That made her laugh weakly. “Carl gets on me if I leave the office, but I wanted a Twix.”
“I totally feel you.” Ajax nodded. “Sometimes you just gotta twerk and have a Twix.”
Bartosz lifted his gaze to the ceiling.
“Who are you people?” she asked suddenly. “If you’re not the ones who hit me, then—”
“We found you lying on the floor, and now that we know you’re all right, it’s time for us to leave.” Behind her head, Bartosz indicated that he’d found a set of keys—hers, guessing from the Kuromi character key tag.
“What’s your name?” Ajax asked.
