His voice is hoarse, and scratchy, so we’re all no doubt certain we heard him wrong.
Ace tips his head to the side. “Brother, tell me what you remember?”
“I know my leg is gone,” he croaks, shifting. “I want to see it. Tell me you still have it.”
We’re confused.
“There was no saving it,” Kellen begins, but stops when Adrian pushes up with a groan, so he is leaning on his elbows.
“No, I want to keep it.”
Narrowing my eyes, I look to Aggie and Tatiana, who are both staring in shock and confusion.
“You want to... keep it?” Zeke mutters. “Your leg?”
Adrian nods. “It’s my leg, I want to keep it. I need it, like a trophy for everything we have been through.”
Maybe the pain medication is sending him even further into crazy town than he is on a good day.
“Adrian, buddy,” Ace begins, carefully. “You know it’s flesh, right? It will rot.”
He snorts. “We’re surrounded by salt water, I’ll preserve it.”
Rachel looks green, like she’s going to vomit at the thought.
“You... you can’t keep your leg,” she gasps, horrified.
Adrian looks to her. “Why not?”
“Because... it’s a fucking leg.”
I can’t help it, I burst out laughing. Full body hysteria that catches on fast, until we’re all laughing, unable to stop it. It’s a mix of trauma, exhaustion and just accepting how crazy Adrian actually is.
“You cannot be serious,” Kellen wheezes, through laughter. “Buddy, we’re not digging up your leg.”
Adrian shoots him a look. “If you don’t, I will. That belongs to me. My mother grew it. I’m keeping it.”
Oh lord.
“You do you, boo,” I giggle. “I’m sure Ace would love to show you where he buried it.”
Ace stops laughing and his face twists. “Fuck me. I’m not digging up a damn leg.”
“Well, I’ll need you to carry me to the location, so I can,” Adrian tells him.
Ace looks truly bewildered. “How about you rest, because that is goin’ to hurt like fuck when the painkillers wear off, and we will... deal with the leg.”
Adrian studies him. “Well, you can’t leave it in there too long, I am going to need to start the preserving process.”
Rachel throws her hands up and turns away. “I can’t. We’ve all lost it.”
Aggie is still laughing, her eyes wide, like she’s in some sort of dream she can’t wake up from.
“I’m with you,” Tatiana says, disappearing. “Ew.”
“I’m goin’ to get to work makin’ a contraption that Adrian can get around in,” Zeke says, shaking his head, still looking utterly confused.
This day feels almost unbelievable.
