Page 60 of In Darkness and Dank

“Sister have egg soon,” Shu was saying. “Want shell?”

“Yes! Please!” Browning gasped. “That would be marvelous!”

“Wait, which sister?” Kittisak was sitting in front of Shu between his legs, leaned back against his broad chest. He glanced up and quirked his brows. “You don’t mean Bal, do you?”

“Not Bal.” Shu shook his head. His arms were draped around Kittisak, and he hugged him. “Mawe. Big sister. You meet later.”

“Ah.”

“I wonder if the oxidation is occurring there in the proteins of the shell or perhaps in the tissue of the membrane,” Browning mused out loud, more to himself than either of them. “Such an intense chemical reaction would surely make for a very rich growth medium…”

“Growth medium?” Shu echoed.

“For the bacteria,” Kittisak explained. “The little germ. It’s what we came out here to find.”

Shu chirped curiously.

“The growth medium is something to plant the bacteria in so we can take it with us,” Browning said.

“Take?” Shu asked.

“Why yes, big fellow.” Browning adjusted his glasses. “To take with us when we leave here.”

“Leave?” Shu’s embrace tightened.

“Of course! We can’t stay here, you know. We have to return to America—”

“Browning,” Kittisak tried to cut in. He could tell Shu was getting upset, and he desperately wanted this conversation to halt immediately.

“If we find it, I must get the bacteria back for a proper study,” Browning went on, totally oblivious. “Kittisak has college waiting for him, his friends, his family—”

Shu grunted, letting go of Kittisak and rising to his feet.

“Professor!” Kittisak barked, but it was too late as Shu was already leaving for the pool. “Dammit. Hey, Shu! Wait.” He tried to grab Shu’s hand, but Shu gently pulled away, shaking his head.

“Oh!” Browning blinked, glancing worriedly between Kittisak and Shu. “Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Shu made a beeline right for the water and dove in without a word.

“Shit. We haven’t exactly talked about me leaving, okay?” Kittisak hissed in frustration. “There’s a lot we haven’t talked about yet!”

“I’m sorry!” Browning cringed. “I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have assumed—”

“Look, it’s fine. I did want to leave. I really did. But then I got to know Shu, some things happened, and, and…” Kittisak threw up his hands. “Maybe I don’t want to go now!”

“Kittisak, but… you couldn’t possibly…” Browning sputtered for a moment and then cleared his throat. “I understand that you have formed a very special bond with this young Rife, but you do realize there will be many obstacles ahead if this is truly what you desire.”

Kittisak nodded, his heart thudding unexpectedly. “I… I think it is. I think I wanna stay.”

“Best be sure, my boy.” Browning offered a kind smile. “It’s not so uncommon for an explorer to fall in love with their discovery, you know. More often it’s their own ego and inflated self-worth that they become so infatuated with, as if they share the same magnificence of what they discovered. I assure you, however, that it’s unheard of for a discovery to love you back.” He glanced to the pool where Shu had fled. “At least, until now.”

“Wait, you…” Kittisak’s brain fizzled. “You’re saying Shu is in love with me?”

“I’m blind to many things, but even I can see that.” Browning chuckled. “I had no idea that you might possibly feel the same.”

“I… uh…”

“Go on. Go get your scaly man.” Browning waved him away. “Please give him my most sincere apologies.”

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