Under Normal Circumstances

Smoke 'em if You Got 'em

Once the sun was set and there was just a faint blue glow left, all the Iwi's went to their huts and Hank explained that they rose and set with the sun. He put the fire out and led us all to his home, the larger ship to the right of the one we visited earlier. He told us that most everything above the hull was still in pretty good condition.

He brought us to one room in particular that had a big table and stools and his large collection of salvaged items. Slivko set up his record player and Mason set up her camera on the deck Hank built off the hole in the wall and aimed it at the amazing aurora borealis that was happening in the sky. I was just as happy to look at it from atop one of the stools. After spending all day outside, I was extremely thankful to be inside, especially at night. San and Houston occupied themselves with something in the corner and Conrad was watching Mason.

I thoughtfully observed Conrad observing Mason while I sat there, rolling my sore, tired ankles. I supposed they would look pretty cute together, but they also gave off this vibe of just being old buddies. My thoughts were interrupted by Hank.

"I don't know if I'm going to like whoever is under this beard."

I turned to see him with an old mirror on the table in front of him, sawing off his beard with a huge knife. Out of the corner of my eye also noticed Slivko playing around with one of the natives spears. I quirked my eyebrows at the two weirdos before hopping off my stool and going to fetch my back pack.

"I have some scissors Hank," I told him.

I dug them out from my little tool kit and also noticed my first aid kit in there too. I grabbed it as well and set it on the table.

"I can't tell when I'm talking, or when I'm not talking," Hank said.

"You're talking," Victor informed him, looking concerned.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I'm talking?"

"Yes."

"Your mouth is moving," Hank said as I walked up and waited to get his attention to hand him the scissors.

"What?" Victor asked, confused.

"I'm gonna stab you by the end of the night," Hank suddenly said and my eyes went wide.

"Really?" Victor asked, just as baffled.

"Just kidding," Hank laughed.

Suddenly Slivko was behind me. He grabbed my wrist with one hand and removed the scissors with the other, setting them on the table in front of Hank and led me away by the waist.

"Oo~kay~, getting you away from the crazy guy with the knife," He muttered quietly in my ear as he shuffled behind me.

"Says the guy that was just playing around with a spear," I dead panned back at him.
"Oh, come here," I said, remembering my first aid kit and led him by the wrist to the other end of the table.

I picked it up and showed it to him with a forced smile.
"Sit," I said.

"I'm ok, May," he tried to tell me but I pouted at him.

"I can't do anything about monsters, but I can do something about infection," I told him.
When that didn't do the trick, I pouted again and added a "Please, Slivie?"

He rolled his eyes and sat down, defeated, and I smiled in triumph.

I pulled out the sterile package of cotton balls and swabs, ointment, and the large-ish bottle of rubbing alcohol. I poured some on my hands and rubbed them together, carefully cleaning them and waving them around a little to dry them. I opened the package and pulled out a cotton ball, putting some alcohol on it.