monkey brains

I started to speak and then someone tapped on my door.

“Come in.” Sam said. I noticed he straightened up a little and his face went calm and intent.

The elf woman pushed it open gently and tip-toed in. She had a plate of sandwiches. She glanced at me, and then away, and then said softly, “I used your kitchen to make some food.”

I concentrated on making my lizard brain override my monkey brain. Food > territory. Get refueled first, and then worry about intruders into my domain. Anyway, if I bit her Sam would probably laugh. Yeah.

“Thank you, Edris.” Sam said. He took the plate from her and passed it to me.

I sat up, because while it is possible to eat sandwiches upside down in bed, it’s not a good idea, especially if they are made of bread that has been warmed but not really toasted because the toaster didn’t actually work properly below “black and crunchy,” and then globs of butter have been slapped on them quickly enough for the residual heat to make them just a little bit runny but still mostly solid in the middle, and then additional fillings have been added of whatever was in my fridge. Nut butter. Cheese curds. Fried eggs. Ketchup.

They were the most delicious sandwiches I had ever tasted. I ate three of them, and Sam ate one with a tired, residual hunger–reaching for it gingerly when my mouth was full and it looked like I wouldn’t bite his hand off if he tried. Then I wiped my mouth off on the inside collar of my shirt and set the plate, with one last oozing pile of delicious near-satiation, back down on the bed.

On the far side of me.