unconsciousness would be an undesirable outcome

[self_composed]

On Sunday, Bella drives to the movie theater with Angela in tow, and her car breaks on the way home from Angela's house. She calls a tow truck, and calls her dad, and she goes home in the cop car and her station wagon goes on vacation to the mechanic.

On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.

As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.

Making wishes is easy.

It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.

The van creams Bella, good and proper.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

"She got you a card! That's cute. Ain't that cute?"

[self_composed]

"She got me a card and got like forty people to sign it," Bella laughs. "I think that's relatively customary when one is hospitalized."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Well, I still think it's cute."

[self_composed]

Bella shrugs. "Why's it cute?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"...I guess 'cause I think she actually cares."

[self_composed]

"Actually caring about people is cute in general?" Bella asks, cocking her head. "Or displaying actual care by means of a card is?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"...yes," he says. "Those."

[self_composed]

Bella laughs again. She seems kind of giggly overall.

"Tonight, chicken. Tomorrow, plans. The day after, more plans - to take over the world!"

[edgeofyourseat]

"I like the sound of that," he says, beaming up at her.

[self_composed]

She pats him on the head.

"I think my brain has decided that you are my pet," she says, pausing with her hand still on his head. "I'm genuinely uncertain if that would bother you or not."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Purr purr," he says, butting his head up against her hand. "I'm a kitty."

[self_composed]

"Well," she says. "I'm still not sure if you're just playing along because you think it's funny, or wholeheartedly agreeing to be my pet human." Pause. "If I wanted a cat, I would have one. Renée reacts to Humane Society advertisements so intensely that I have to change the channel for her when they come on. Had to, I mean. I hope Phil figures that out before she adopts a one-legged dog or something."

[edgeofyourseat]

"If being your pet means you keep petting me, then hell yes, I will be your pet."

[self_composed]

Bella snickers.

She keeps petting him. He's soft!

[edgeofyourseat]

"Purr purr," he murmurs, closing his eyes.

"I mean, what's it mean to be your pet, anyway?"

[self_composed]

"Good question. Pet humans aren't common so there's not a template. What I was summarizing was something like - I can just reach out and pat you on the head whenever I want, and you follow me around, and periodically you bring me presents. Which are overwhelmingly more useful than dead mice." She hefts her necklace. He can't hear it, but she can; it jingles.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Then yeah, I am absolutely your pet human," he says happily.

[self_composed]

Bella grins. "Cool." And she grins wider, snaps her fingers, and says, "Heel!" and proceeds down the stairs to check on the chicken in the oven.

[edgeofyourseat]

...Laughing, he follows.

[self_composed]

The chicken, when she peers into the oven, is sizzling nicely, but she decides to wait out the remaining minute and a half on the timer. "Almost food," she calls to Charlie over the TV.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice parks himself on a kitchen chair and gives Bella a look of unrepentant sappiness.

[self_composed]

Charlie come into the room, looks at Alice, and coughs.

Bella gives the sauce - into which the capers have sunk to the bottom - a good stir, and then dons oven mitts to remove the chicken from the oven. She drizzles half of the sauce over it, plunks the bowl with the rest on the table, and then starts setting the table for three.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice just smiles. Not even Charlie can get him out of his good mood right now.

[self_composed]

Bella ignores this entire interplay; if Charlie wants to talk to her about it, he can. She plops a chicken breast on her plate and passes the tongs to Charlie, who serves himself a drumstick to start. Bella spoons extra sauce onto hers.

[edgeofyourseat]

Assuming that someone eventually makes the tongs available to Alice, he grabs the most easily grabbed piece of chicken and digs in.