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“...Apart from that, zero side effects, if you don't count numb fingertips. Which I don't.”
“Because he also lost the ability to count.”
The Maleficent Seven, pg. 221
~~~~~
“Yo! Gracious!”
He raised his head off the couch with a groan. He had been testing a device to cause sensory shutdown, and while the dizziness, vomiting, and blackouts had all stopped, one side effect was hanging around.
“What?”
Donegan grinned. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Um....” Gracious squinted, concentrating. “Seven....”
“I've only got one hand up.”
“So… it's not seven?”
Donegan burst out laughing, and Gracious groaned again and put his head down.
“You okay?” asked Donegan.
“Headache.”
“I'll get you some ice.”
Grunt.
Donegan wandered into the kitchen and came back holding a plastic bag full of ice cubes.
“Yo, Gracious.”
“Hmm?”
“How many ice cubes are in this bag?” He held it up, grinning.
“Please stop doing this.”
“Come on, how many?”
Squint. “Three?”
“The bag’s almost full.”
“Not three?”
More laughter.
“Donegan? Go away.”
“Okay, okay.”
He left. Thirty seconds later there was a shout from the other room.
“Yo! Gracious! How many books have we written?”
“I'm not answering that.”
Silence. Gracious closed his eyes to sleep.
Light footsteps padded across the room towards him.
“Yo, Gracious?” Donegan’s voice was much softer. “How many times do I have to kiss you for you to forgive me?”
Gracious smiled slightly without opening his eyes.
“I don't know. How about you just start and we'll play it by ear?”
Gracious wasn't the only one to lose count that time.