Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg3

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg3

   His mocking tone and expression made Charlie look like he deserved a head-smack, but I held back, letting him snuggle up to me as he pleased. The faint scent of body wash wafted around him. It felt a bit strange because it wasn’t a familiar smell, but I figured it was probably the body wash from the lab. I just couldn’t quite picture how clumsy Liu must’ve been to get Charlie so messy that he had to shower from head to toe like this.

   

   CHRIS:

   “Charlie, I’m serious…”

   “No way.”

   That was probably the loudest sigh I’ve ever let out, and it’s been a long time since I got this annoyed about someone else’s business. But Charlie pulls it off. With that innocent face, he’s really no different from a cat (which I don’t like). Cats are arrogant, self-important, and stubborn. For Charlie, he might not fit the first two, but all those traits are rolled into his stubbornness. Once he’s made up his mind about something, it’s almost impossible to get him to budge. He’ll stick to his decision until the very last second, and no one can change his mind.

   I know, because I’ve tried.

   “Your body can’t take it anymore,” I tried to say calmly. Honestly, convincing someone as stubborn as Charlie is harder than researching drugs. If I had a choice, I’d rather bury my head in the lab than deal with this kid who doesn’t listen. “You’ve had too many injections back-to-back this month. If you won’t take a break, you need to find someone else to take your place.”

   “I can handle it.”

   “You can’t.”

   “I can.”

   “I said you can’t,” I only realize my voice is sharper than usual when the room falls meaningfully silent. Liu and Phii Touch exchange a subtle glance, as if secretly communicating through their eyes something like, So Dr. Chris can get stern too. “Are you arguing with the doctor now?”

   “I don’t feel anything at all,” Charlie insists, showing no sign of backing down. “That stuff you injected last time? Aside from making me woozy and suppressing my senses for two days, nothing’s changed. My body feels completely normal right now.”

   It’s a shame the latest drug didn’t work. At first, it seemed promising when Charlie’s illusion-creating sense vanished, but the whole team was crushed when, after two days, it came back like nothing had happened. The other senses in him didn’t even flinch. As a researcher, I honestly don’t know where we’re headed anymore. It’s like we’re holding a map but still just wandering aimlessly, stuck between following instincts and being completely lost. Everyone knows it, but no one’s ever said the word “quit.” Part of that’s probably thanks to Charlie’s stubbornness and reckless drive, keeping us all holding hands as we stumble through together.

   “I think you should listen to Chris for once, Charlie,” Liu takes over, since I’m exhausted from this endless argument. She’s holding a Kuromi-patterned mug in purple and black, perfectly matching her pastel purple dress today, like she planned it. Personally, I don’t care much about how others dress, but I have to admit Liu’s methodical (astrology-based) fashion choices give me a bit of a chill. “We’ve said it a million times, but if you die before we finish, everything we’ve done is for nothing.”

   “How would it be for nothing? Even if I die, you all have to keep going until it’s done,” Charlie says.

   “So you’re just gonna die on purpose?”

   “I mean dying from something else. People can die any day, you know,” Charlie says calmly, preaching life’s truths with a straight face. He seems to be brushing off everyone’s concern (and my annoyance) to push the research forward as fast as possible. I know exactly why he’s in such a rush, but that doesn’t mean I agree with his recklessness. “Stop worrying about me. I said I’m fine, so I’m fine. You think I don’t know my own body?”

   “Since when are you smarter than a doctor?” I cross my arms and stare at him. Charlie’s face looks like a kid who just wants to argue, but deep down, he knows he’s not right. That’s how stubborn he is. He’s just being obstinate because, in this room, he’s the one most willing to take risks. “Listen, Charlie. You can keep saying you’re fine, but if I don’t give you the shot, that’s that.”

   “Then I’ll get Phii Touch to do it,” Charlie says, turning to someone else for help when he sees I’m serious. “Phii Touch used to inject me all the time.”

   Uncle Touch, who’s been quietly blending into the background, suddenly looks flustered when Charlie targets him. He glances left and right, probably hoping a second or third Uncle Touch is standing nearby to take the pressure off. Finding no such clone, my uncle resorts to staring at the ceiling, a shameless but surprisingly effective survival tactic.

   “What about Liu?” When Uncle Touch doesn’t cooperate, Charlie’s next target is the lab’s resident astrologer. “Liu, you’ll inject me, right?”

   “I…”

   “No one’s injecting you, Charlie,” I say, fed up with his relentless stubbornness, making it loud and clear. The room goes dead silent. Even Charlie just sits there, blinking rapidly, like he’s finally cornered. I only just realized I have this much leverage myself. Looks like I’ll have to use it for more fun stuff from now on. “If I see anyone injecting me, I’ll show you who’s crazier—me or you.”

   My vague threat, unclear in specifics but heavy in vibe, shut everyone up. They made sulky faces, exchanging nervous glances like, Who’s brave enough to test him? Even Charlie went quiet. Seeing this made me realize that, in their eyes, I’m crazy enough to do things others wouldn’t dare. But when I said it, I didn’t even have a plan—just a rough sketch, maybe burning down the lab or smashing all the equipment to bits. Anything beyond that, I hadn’t thought through.

   “If you don’t inject me, then what?” Charlie asked softly, showing my threat had some effect on the stubborn guy. “How long are we supposed to wait? We don’t have that much time.”

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