"Very flavorful." Flavorful. That was one way to put it. She gamely worked her way through the prawns, each bite requiring more water and longer pauses.
The garlic was doing its job. I could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead despite the fact that our apartment was kept at a comfortable 72 degrees. But it was the chili crab that really sealed the deal. She took one bite, and I watched her entire body tense like she'd been hit with a cattle prod.
Her face went red, then white, then an interesting shade of green that I'd never seen on a human being before. "I need..." she started, then stopped. Probably because speaking required breathing, and breathing was currently not her friend. "More water?" I asked helpfully, already refilling her glass.
"The crab is pretty intense. I probably should have warned you." She nodded desperately, downing the entire glass in three gulps. But the damage was done.
I could practically see the heat working its way through her system, adding insult to injury in places that were already tender from her medical adventure. "Maybe I should lie down," she said weakly. "I think the medication is interacting with the food." "Of course," I said, all concern and sympathy.
"You should probably get some rest. I'll clean up here." She struggled to her feet, moving even more carefully than before, and shuffled toward the bedroom like a woman walking through a minefield. Every step looked like agony, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.
As she disappeared down the hallway, I heard my phone buzz with a text message. It was from my buddy Rick, who worked at the hospital. "Dude, you're not going to believe the case that came into the ER last night. Two people glued together during sex."
"Had to bring in a specialist to separate them. Funniest thing I've ever seen." I typed back, "No way. That's crazy. Are they okay?"
"Physically, they'll be fine eventually, but the guy developed an infection at the separation site. Had to admit him for IV antibiotics. The woman went home, but she's going to be uncomfortable for a while." An infection.
Leo's situation had gotten worse, which meant Phase Three was going to be even more effective than I'd planned. I finished cleaning up the kitchen, then prepared my next surprise. Hidden in our medicine cabinet behind the aspirin and Band-Aids was a tube of recovery ointment that Marissa would probably need for the next few days. It was a perfectly innocent-looking product designed to soothe irritated skin and promote healing.