“Am I dying?” Paige asked as she leaned her elbow against the counter, cradling her head in her palm.
Dewey adjusted the microscope, staring into the eyepieces. “If you aren’t, you will be when I kill you for rushing me.”
“Sorry,” Paige said with a shrug, “I’d just like to know as soon as possible if I’m going to live beyond next week or not. Seems kind of urgent.”
Dewey shot her an unimpressed glance. Paige held her hands up in the air, signaling defeat before she hopped off the stool and wandered into the kitchen. She tugged open the refrigerator and scanned the contents, grabbing a foil-wrapped package out.
“You want any of these breadsticks? I’m going to heat a few for myself.”
Dewey narrowed his eyes as he turned a dial on the scope. “Yes, please. And grab me an Energy Dragon.”
“Flavor?”
“Any,” Dewey answered.
Paige grabbed one of the cans and slid it across the counter before tugging open the tin foil package.
“Use the air fryer. It’ll make them crisp but not overcooked.”
“Right,” Paige said as she stared at the machine on the counter. She tugged open the basket and dumped the breadsticks inside, sliding the bin back into place. “You know, I feel a lot better than I have. No tiredness, no pain in my scratch. And it looks almost healed.”
“Mmm, that’s good. But we need to be sure there are no lingering parasites in your bloodstream.”
