Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty Two

When I mentioned taking Shizhaoyan tablets again, she didn't object, but suggested that we reduce the dosage to the minimum.This kind of compromise is actually a good one-if the two people feel that the dose is too small, they can take a little more at any time. I made the medicine into an injection so that it works faster.I usually look at a clock after taking medicine. As long as the second hand does not move, I know that the medicine has taken effect in the body.But there was no clock in the cottage, and we wore no watches.The sun had just risen at this moment, and the two of us stayed up all night, snuggling up on the big half-moon sofa in front of the fireplace.

We lay for a while longer, feeling comfortable and hazy.I wondered, half-heartedly, whether the time-extending pills were working.The next thing I realized was that the sun had stopped rising, and I saw a bird flapping its wings and flying in front of the view window, but couldn't get past it.If I stare long enough, I can see every vibration of the wings. I turned my gaze back to my wife, admiring her long, curved limbs and undulating lines.Pirata was curled up on her belly, a furry mass, with her paws curled up like sleeves for warmth.Both the person and the cat were sleepy. "How about some breakfast?" I said. "I'm starving."

"Go ahead," she replied, "if I move, I'll startle Pirata." "You said you loved me. You respected me and you wanted to make breakfast for me." I scratched the soles of her feet as I spoke.Panting, she drew her legs back, and the cat squealed in protest and jumped to the floor. "Why, my dear!" she said, sitting up, "you make me move so fast, you see, I make him unhappy." "Leave him alone, wife, I'm the one you married." Even though I said that, I knew it was my fault.People who have taken time-extending tablets should act with caution in front of other people who are not taking the medicine.I didn't think about the cat: it must have felt like we were acting like drunk "bouncing" toys.I squatted down carefully and slowly, trying to coax it.

It doesn't help.It galloped toward its little door.I could have grabbed it and it seemed to me like molasses was slowly flowing.But in doing so, it will be more frightened.Let it go, I went into the kitchen. do you know?Mary is right, "Time Extenders" aren't good for a honeymoon.What I felt before was ecstasy and bliss, but what I felt after taking the medicine was an abnormal sense of happiness.While I don't feel the passage of time, it's the compulsive well-being of the drug.I replaced real happiness with chemically faked feelings, and it was a real loss. It is true that some precious things cannot or should not be rushed.As usual, Mary was right again.But it's still a good day -- or month, depending on how you feel about it -- nonetheless.Still, I wish I'd clung to the real feeling in the first place.

Later in the evening, the effect of the medicine wears off.I feel a little irritable, which is a sign that the medicine is wearing off.I found my watch and checked my reflexes by watching the time.When it was back to normal, I measured Mary and she told me she was back to normal about twenty minutes ago.I thought my dosage by weight was accurate. "Do you want to take another pill?" she asked me. I took her into my arms and kissed her, and replied, "No, to be honest, I'm glad the medicine is gone." "I'm so happy:" I have a good appetite, and generally speaking, after the effect of the medicine wears off, no matter how many meals I eat while taking the medicine, my mouth will open wide.

I had just mentioned my appetite when Marie said, "Wait a minute, I'll get Pirata, he's been away all day." I didn't think about it at all this past day - or "month".That's how it is after taking the medicine, I just feel happy and don't care about anything else. "Don't worry," I reassured her, "he often stays away all day." "It wasn't like this before." "It does that a lot when I'm with me," I replied. "I think I made it feel wronged—I know, it's all my fault." "Then it probably went to Old John's. Every time I didn't take good care of me, it used this method to punish me. It will be fine."

"But it's late at night, and I'm afraid the coyotes will get him." "Don't be stupid, why are there coyotes so far to the east?" "Maybe a fox or something. Do you mind, dear? I'm going out to find him." She started toward the door. "Put on some clothes," I told her. "It's freezing outside." She hesitated, then went back to the bedroom, took the casual clothes I bought for her the day I went to the village, and went out.I added some wood to the fire and went into the kitchen. She must have left the door open.I was hesitating whether to eat fast food or to fully enjoy every aspect of cooking when I heard her say, "Bad cat, you are worrying my mother to death." The voice is full of love, the way people talk to babies and kittens.

I yelled, "Hold it in and close the door!" She didn't say anything, and I didn't hear the door close, so I went back to the living room. She had just entered the house, but there was no kitten in her arms.I was about to speak when I saw her eyes, straight and full of indescribable fear. I said, "Mary!" and walked over to her. She seemed to see me, but turned and walked towards the door, her movements were jerky and incoherent.As soon as she turned around, I saw her shoulder. The shoulders under the casual clothes swelled round. I don't know how long I stood there.It may only be for a moment, but it will be unforgettable to me forever.I jumped at her and grabbed her arm.She looked at me, her eyes were no longer terrified, but dull as death.

She knelt on me. I clung to her and narrowly escaped death.I know that a dangerous opponent cannot be tackled by grabbing the upper arm.But this is my wife.I couldn't do that feint-dodge-shoot to Marie. But the slug will never find my conscience.Mary, or rather the slug, did everything in its power to take on me, while I tried my best not to hurt her.I had to keep her from killing me, and I had to kill the slug, and I had to keep the slug from catching me.In that case, I will never be able to save Mary again. I let go of one hand and punched her on the jaw.The blow would have knocked her out, but she didn't even slow down, and I grabbed her again and spread my arms around her like a bear, immobilizing her but not hurting her.We fell to the ground, Mary on top of me, and I pushed my head into her face to keep her from biting me.

I just hugged her like this, clamping her strong body with my thick muscles, preventing her from moving, and then I tried to paralyze her with nerve compression, but she knew what I wanted to do, and knew the key parts as well as I did.I was lucky not to be paralyzed by her. I have only one solution: pinch the slug to death.I know this can have devastating consequences for the host.Maybe she won't die, maybe she will.But it's sure to hit hard.I want to make her unconscious first, and then take the slug down and kill it with a milder method...Using high temperature or electric shock can force it to leave the host.

Using high temperature—— But I ran out of time to put the idea into practice, and her teeth were on my ear.I freed my right hand to grab the slug, but nothing happened.I expected my finger to touch a gooey mass, only to find that this slug has a tough, horny coat that feels like it's grabbing a football.When I touched the slug, Mary jerked off and bit off a piece of flesh from my ear, but she didn't have a violent convulsion, which meant the slug was still alive and controlling her. I tried to get my finger under the slug and try to pry it off Marie, but it stuck to her like a suction cup and I couldn't get my finger down any further. At the same time, other parts of my body were being attacked, and I rolled over and got up on my knees, still holding her.I had to dare to open her leg, which was bad, but I held her up on one knee, then struggled to my feet, and dragged her to the fire. She understood what I was going to do and almost broke away from my grasp.I feel like I'm fighting a mountain lion.But I dragged her there anyway, grabbed her by the hair and forced her shoulders to the fire I mean—I swear I just wanted to lightly sear the slug and force it to fall out of the heat, but she struggled and I slipped and my head slammed into the fireplace arch and she His shoulders fell on the coals. She screamed and jumped away from the coals.I struggled to my feet, still dizzy from the bump on the head.Then she fell to the floor, her beautiful hair burning. Her civilian clothes were also on fire, and I tried to put out the flames with both hands.The slug was no longer on her and I looked around as I put out the fire and saw it lying on the ground in front of the fire and the kitten was sniffing it. "Go away!" I yelled, "Pirata, don't come forward!" The kitten looked up and down curiously, as if this was some kind of novel and interesting game.I continued to fight the fire until I was sure the fire was completely out in her hair and clothing.I didn't have time to confirm her life and death, so I left her immediately, after all, there were more important things to do. I need that fireplace shovel because I can't risk my hands on a slug anymore.I turned to get the shovel. But the slug was no longer on the ground, and it actually rode on the cat's back.The kitten stood there stiffly, sprawled, and the slug was settling down. Maybe I should have seen it a few seconds later, it might have been better.That way, the slug riding the kitten would have fled out the door.I will not chase it in the dark night.But the fact is that I rushed towards Pirata with my body, and it was just about to move under the control of the slug.I grabbed it by the hind legs: Taking on a mad cat with your bare hands is reckless at best.It was impossible to control a cat that had been manipulated by the Titans, but I grabbed it and headed for the fireplace again.The cat's claws and sharp teeth are constantly scratching and biting my arm, This time I did it thoroughly.Despite Pirata wailing to break free, I pressed the slug onto the coals, burning both the cat fur and my hand, until the slug fell straight into the flames.Then I lifted Pirata down and put it on the ground.It didn't struggle anymore, just like I did for Mary, I put out the fire for it, and after I was sure the fire was out, I went to Mary's side together, She is still unconscious.I knelt down beside her and sobbed. Within an hour, everything that could be done for Mary was done.The hair on her left side was mostly burnt, and she had burns on her shoulder and neck.Fortunately, his pulse was strong and his breathing was rapid and weak, but steady.She's sweating a lot, but I'm sure she's not dehydrated.Although this is a remote mountain village, fortunately my reserves are fairly complete.I bandaged her up and gave her an injection to put her to sleep.Only after that did I have time to take care of Pirata. It's still lying on the ground, in the same position as when I put it on the ground, in a very bad condition.It was in much worse condition than Mary and probably had burnt lungs as well.I thought it was dead, but when I stroked it, it raised its head.I said softly, "I'm sorry, old man." I thought I heard it meow. Except I didn't dare to give it a hypnotic injection, and I applied medicine to its wounds as I had just done for Mary.After everything was cleaned up, I went into the bathroom to check my injuries. My ears were no longer bleeding and I decided to leave it alone for now.When I have time in the future, this ear needs to undergo a repair and regeneration operation.What I worry about is my hands.I pressed my hand into the hot water, which made me cry out in pain, and then I dried it in the air again, only to feel a burst of stinging pain.I don't know how to bandage the wound on my hand.Forget it, I still need to do things with my hands anyway. Finally, I pour an ounce or so of the jelly-like remedy into a pair of plastic gloves and put them on my hands.This medicine has an anesthetic in it, which helped me barely get through.Next, I walked over to the stereo phone.I connected to the doctor in the village, and I explained the situation and my treatment process to him in detail.Ask him to come right away. "Late at night?" he said. "You must be joking." I promise I'm absolutely not kidding. His reply was: "Don't ask for the impossible, man. Your thing is the fourth alert in the county, but no one goes out at night. You did all you could tonight, and tomorrow morning, I will definitely go to your house to visit your wife." I told him to come to my house first in the morning before hanging up. At one o'clock in the night, Farata died.I buried it at once, lest Mary should see it grieve.My hands hurt badly when digging, but luckily I didn't have to dig a big hole.After saying goodbye to the kitten, I went back to the room.Mary was lying still, and I pulled up a chair and sat by the bed to watch her.It's possible I doze off now and then, I'm not sure.