“Are we doing speed now, too?”
“I need something to help me keep moving. If I stop, I’m afraid I’ll fall apart.”
She goes to the sink and dampens a washcloth.
“I might have something for that too. Let me clean you up and we can try it.”
She wipes the blood off my wounds and uses a small spray bottle to apply a potion. The bleeding doesn’t stop, but it slows to a trickle.
Allegra says, “I’ve never seen this not work.”
“Like you said. I’m made of cheese. It just happens to be the kind with holes in it. Anyway, it’s better than it was before.”
“You might still want to use the plastic to make sure the wounds stay closed.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.”
She paws through her bag and hands me a couple of triangular pink pills.
“This might give you a little more energy.”
I dry-swallow them. They taste like licorice.
“How do you feel?” she says.
“The same as before.”
“I’ll let you have one more, but that’s it.”
I swallow the third pill and wait.
“Anything?”
“Nothing.”
She looks back in her bag.
“Those are some very powerful stimulants. If they’re not working, I’m not sure what else I can give you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just need to keep going for another two or three hours.”
“What happens then?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh,” she says softly. “I wish you’d come to me earlier.”
“I wish I didn’t have to. Anyway, you don’t work on dead things. Thanks for trying.”
She gets up and gives me a little hug.
“I’m going to go back and check on Candy.”
“Good. I’m sorry about you and Vidocq.”
“Me too,” Allegra says, and goes back to the living room.
Brigitte helps wrap me back up in cling wrap. After Allegra’s cheese comment, I put extra plastic around my legs and duct tape everything in place.