CONVEX

10: A Choice

 "Dr. Miles!" Michael calls. The bartender waits in front of the camper with two burgers in a take out box. When he sees a familiar head of sandy hair, the taller man stands on top of one of the lawn chairs to peer at Hector through the window of the camper.

"Hector!" Michael blurts out, "How's your recovery coming along?"

"I'm still on crutches," Hector replies, "I can put a bit of weight on it now, but it hurts like a bitch."

"Sunshine's going to be out in a minute," the paranormal investigator explains, "He's got my crutches hostage while he changes in the bedroom. Can't have you catching him in his amoeba pajamas, after all!"

"His what?" Michael blurts out. The bartender breaks out into a short laugh and covers his mouth with a free hand.

On the other side of the camper, the door swings open. Jeremy pops his head out from the other side and scowls. "I heard that," he points out. He takes a couple of seconds to fix his hair in front of the mirror near the door before he steps out to greet Michael.

"You should've left it alone," Michael points out, "You look kind of cute with bedhead."

"You should see him when he falls asleep on that picnic table," Hector chimes in, "He starts drooling on his paperwork! The guy's absolutely adorable."

Jeremy takes a second to screw his eyes shut and take a shaky breath. When he opens them, his ears look a little bit red. Instead of replying, he accepts the takeout containers in Michael's hands and sets them on the table.

"You still look constipated," Michael points out. He makes a sweeping gesture to Jeremy and turns to Hector. "Does this guy ever take a compliment?" Michael asks the sandy-haired man.

"Nope," Hector replies, "I've been trying to corner him with them for ages, but he just-"

Before Hector finishes his sentence, Jeremy opens the take out container. He shoves one of the hamburgers in Hector's mouth and uses one arm to leap over Hector's chair. He slips past Michael and runs out of the camper without another word.

"He just does that!" Hector exclaims after he takes the burger out of his mouth. The paranormal investigator sinks in his chair and rubs his temples in exasperation. After recovering, the shorter man leans over to take a bite out of the burger in his hands.

"I can't believe he's still that athletic. Anyway," Hector says with his mouth full, "'Ow've mu men, Michael."

"What?"

Hector swallows and repeats, "How've you been?"

Michael frowns. The bartender sags into a chair across from Hector and replies, "Sammy's gone off somewhere again. Molly's been banging on doors to recruit some help all morning."

"I couldn't get any sleep because of it."

"Did they find the kid?" Hector asks, "I figured he'd turn up by now."

"Not this time," Michael replies. The bartender pulls out a set of napkins from his back pocket and slides them in front of Hector.

A moment of silence passes between the two men.

"You know they're going to ask you guys to check the mountains again," Michael says, "If I didn't know you guys were heading out today, I would've told them where to shove it. You guys are scientists, not park rangers."

"Jeremy's the only scientist here," Hector replies, "I'm just the guy who's along for the ride."

"Sunshine's always talking about cellular abnormalities and unusual asexual reproduction ever since he got ahold of that damn sample," Hector points out, "I can't make heads or tails of it half the time."