Disbelief flashed across Baine's eyes and he marched up behind Iggy. He stared at him through the mirror. Confusion played dimly in both of their eyes as if neither of them knew the other. "Is this true?" he asked. Iggy was still too numb to the real world to converse in any way. Baine's hand clamped over the top of his shoulder, but still, no real response. He shook him. "He still seems out of it… How long has he been like this?"
"I know!" Nansen spun to standing at his side with his chest pointed toward the back of Iggy's head. His knees bent and his hands rose in another large dramatic pose. "I didn't want to tell you at all, but after what happened, there was just no way of hiding it."
"Well, that's comforting." Baine pulled away from the reflection. "Are you sure he had enough? He's not really there."
Nansen laughed nervously, yet feeling a little better now that some of the truth was out in the open. His hand flattened over his forehead and dragged down along the side of his neck. "That's not all… either. When we first put him in there, he resisted, but then-"
Baine's face hardened with one long blink and he planted his feet and pinned his hands on his hips in a refusal to believe. "He resisted? That doesn't sound like stage two at all. You're mistaken."
Nansen laid a hand over his heart and nodded his head so that his eyes became wider and more visible. "I was shocked too, but then-"
Baine's angry tone added another level of silence to the room. "'But then?' Start from the very beginning because this is all making very little sense. Where and who found him?"
Nansen directed his index finger at Emi. "Ask her about that."
Her smug attitude and lack of eye contact reflected her care. She was a princess and she knew it. Safer than anyone because of it. "Yep, it's true." She shrugged. "I found him on his bed. He was there the entire time."
Baine and Nansen glanced at each other. "I know full and well that we searched every corner of the house, including his room and his bed." Baine stepped toward her and pointed his finger at her chest. "And you're telling me that he was in clear view the whole time and we couldn't see him?" She nodded once and grinned. "But you could see him?" Again, another nod.
His pointed hand spread open faster than she could see it. He swung back and slapped her across the cheek. She gasped and covered her reddening cheek with her palm. Nansen pursed his lips and winced for her.
Just as big wet tears filled her eyes, Baine pointed at her again. "That means that you knew where he was and stood by as we wasted our time looking for him! Don't ever waste my time like that again! For this, you're getting off extremely easy." His hand jerked down to his side and he turned his burning glare back onto Nansen. "Go on. Tell me what happened. Undoubtedly, you have a hit coming, too."
Nansen exhaled and shrugged his arms down to his sides. "Well, if I know it's coming, then it won't be so bad… So, what happened-" his hands breathed life into his story "-I was sleeping. Emi shows up at my door…" He paused and leant in closer to Baine, his voice lowered to a whisper, "I shall add that I don't know how she knew which door was mine, because I've never invited her there. Since, I'm staying true to our agreement." A look of pride washed through his face and he nodded once sincerely. Then the enthusiasm picked right back up. "She had Iggy thrown over her shoulder." He flicked one finger up on his hand. "Paralysis. And he had a super dark shadow around his eyes." He flipped up another finger. "That's the two symptoms of stage two. So, if that's not stage two, then I don't know what is." He lowered his chin and shook his head side to side. "The poor kid." He swallowed and waved his hand toward Iggy in a gentle swinging motion. "Well, we took him downstairs, and at first he just laid there. He wouldn't go for the feed on his own. He just needed to see it, I guess. Because then… He went at it! He was out, completely!"
Baine waved his hand dismissively and turned a cheek. "Oh, that's normal, and you know that."
Nansen laughed maniacally and laid a hand over Baine's shoulder and continued, almost boasting. "You don't understand! His thirst reflex would have kept him there all night. I hate to say this… but I think it could be even stronger than our father's reflex."
Baine peeled his hand off of his shoulder disdainfully. "That's nonsense," he hushed. "If what you're telling me is anywhere near the truth, Iggy had resisted. Our father? He doesn't resist."
Nansen stomped his feet and captured Baine's shoulders in a tense grasp again. His eyes spread back and a malicious smile crossed his face. "You're not listening… We had to pry him off of the bodies, all three times."
"Three… times?" Baine interrupted. "Are you saying that he killed three people tonight?" Nansen nodded rapidly. "So, that's the bad news." He swallowed hard and turned his head toward the reflection in the mirror. His voice became a low rumble. "You killed three people?"
A silent moment passed. He balled up his fist and threw it right into the mirror. The glass shattered easily, falling to the ground in shards. Emi shrunk against the wall still shaken, and Nansen stood with his hands raised and his strange crooked smile. Baine's face burned bright red and he came face to face with Iggy, glaring right through him. "Three times?!" he shouted. "Three fucking times?! Three people?! That's enough for nine of us to eat in one night. You've caused me a big problem with the others. They'll be asking me soon enough where the feed is." He grinded his teeth and stood up straight.
Iggy spoke with a voice that was still too deep to be his own. "Baine," he said. "I'm sorry. I don't remember it… I…" He dropped his face into his hands. "I don't remember…"