Surly glanced at the back door. It might open again if they were doing something back there. Then again, she had a better chance for sympathy with Joe. If only she could make him understand. She decided to stick with him. After the other two went to prepare the table, she flew up to his shoulder. He still had little crusts of blood under his nose, and his cheeks were swollen and dark under the eyes. He shook his head as she cocked hers sideways to look at him.
“No, Shirley, you don’t want to see this. You stay here.” He held out a finger for her to climb on, but she refused. He wiggled his shoulder. She flapped but clung on.
“All right,” he said, “but I don’t have anything for you, that was the last apple.”
He opened the front door and its tiny bells jingled. They turned down the hallway and into the large clothing store. The racks had been shoved to the side, and dozens of humans stood in the empty center, each bound with rope except for their feet. Thick pieces of cloth blocked their mouths, but they still made the continuous moan that had warned Surly earlier. They shuffled to and fro but never moved far or looked at anything for very long. Not even each other.
Something was wrong with them, but Surly didn’t have a lot of experience with human behavior, seeing only customers of the store for a few moments at a time. Joe grabbed the closest one by the lead rope binding her hands. Surly noticed the woman was muddy and scratched, something she was sure humans found uncomfortable. At least, the ones she knew would.
Joe led the woman grimly back to the pet shop, Surly still attached to his shoulder. The bells rang again and the woman jerked and snapped her head around, as if she were looking for the sound. The puppies began to whine immediately. They knew something was wrong with the woman. Surly fluttered down to the floor as Joe led the woman into the back room.
Surly didn’t want Gray to see her and force her back into the cage. She inched around toward the exit door, ready to dart out. Where was she going to go? She wasn’t sure, but it had to be better than the dark pet shop. The men were struggling with the bound woman, lifting her onto the table and tying her down. She snapped her head from side to side and kicked, but the ropes held her tight.
Gray took off the thick mouthpiece and fished a steaming pair of silver pliers from the dog bowl. “Walt, hold her down. Make sure she doesn’t get loose. Joe, you got to keep her mouth open for me.”
Joe looked down at the woman on the table. Surly saw the flash of a tear falling from his face.
“Joe, pay attention! I’m trusting you to keep her mouth open so she doesn’t bite me. You understand?”
Joe nodded and put one hand on the woman’s forehead and the other on her bottom jaw, forcing open her mouth. “Shouldn’t we—isn’t there something for the pain?” he asked.
“Did I have painkillers when that bitch broke my arm? No. There aren’t any more. Besides, look at her mouth. Most of her teeth are rotten. It’ll probably be a relief when they’re gone.”
The woman screamed as Gray pulled on the first tooth. Surly hopped around, nervous. She found a tall box of dog pillows and shuffled behind it, out of sight.
“Damn,” swore Gray, “it broke.” The woman continued her screaming. It went on and on, the puppies barking and growling, the woman shrieking and choking on the blood. Joe winced with every tooth. At last, Gray stuffed the cloth mouthpiece back. “Get her hands,” he said to Walt. Walt uncurled the woman’s bloody fist and forced it flat onto the table, holding it there. Gray began casually cutting the long, jagged nails on the woman’s hands. “That took longer than I expected,” he grumbled, “but with practice I’ll get faster. Next patient, nurse!” He elbowed Joe cheerfully.
“I can’t do this,” said Joe, his face a pale, sweaty moon. “I can’t take two dozen more of those.”
Gray glared at him, but then softened his gaze. “Ah, you’re just tired. Don’t blame you, it’s been a long day. Tell you what, we’ll get some of the other guys to do a few while we sleep. Wake up refreshed and ready to tackle more.” He slapped Joe on the back. Joe didn’t respond. Walt untied the woman and led her out, blood already soaking through her cloth mouthpiece. Gray strode out after him.
“Can’t let them do this,” mumbled Joe to himself.
Surly hopped out from behind the box. “Bad bird,” she scolded. Joe knelt down to pick her up.
“I know,” he said. “I was really bad. This is worse than everything else we’ve done. I can’t let them do it again. But they’ll be at it all night. What can I do?”
Surly tapped the door with her beak. “Nuh-night,” she chirped helpfully.
“If only I could bring the Cure here. I know Gray would do the right thing if he were just certain it was real…”
“Bad bird!” squawked Surly. Nothing that Gray did was right. Even she could see that. Joe opened the back door. The way was clear. A soft night breeze blew fresh air over Surly. She hopped toward the door.
“They’ll know I’m gone,” said Joe to himself. “They’ll know what I’ve done and come after me.”
There was movement in the hall outside the shop. The next procedure was about to start.
“Have to try,” said Joe grimly. He looked down at Surly with a smile. “Stall ’em for me, will you?” He laughed. “Must be crazy, plotting with a bird.”
Surly hopped to the entrance and looked out. The flat parking lot spread out farther than she’d imagined anything could. The air was clean and sweet in contrast to the fetid stench of the shop. She even thought she caught the scent of ripe berries. No cages. No humans poking things at her or grabbing or scolding.
“Well,” he said to her, “in or out. I have to go, and fast!”
Surly looked up at him. With nothing to delay the bad man, he’d catch Joe for sure. He’d hurt Joe. Joe who didn’t yell when she bit him. Who took her away from the roiling smoke. Who saved her. The bells on the shop’s front door jangled. The men were back with another Infected. “Nuh-night, Joe,” she cooed softly, then flapped away, back into the store. Joe slid out the door and gently closed it without a sound.
It was up to her to stop them, to buy Joe some time.
She flew around the back room in a loop. The men had been very careful to clean everything before they started. They’d put the tools in water and scrubbed down the table. Maybe if she soiled it, they’d have to stop and clean it again.
Surly landed on the table, her claws clicking on its hard surface. She let a few droppings splatter behind her onto the table and tried to grab the tools. But they were heavy. She nudged the bowl, trying to tip it before the men came in. She could hear Gray talking to them in the front and knew she didn’t have much time. She flew up and hurtled back down toward the bowl, her momentum nudging it off the small stool and dumping the tools onto the floor with a clattering splash.
She surveyed her work. Not enough. They’d have it cleaned in seconds. A cup of bloody teeth and filthy nail shavings sat on the counter next to the table. Surly found it light enough to pick up with her claws. She dumped it and the teeth skittered across the table, leaving bloody trails behind them.
The men were coming. The table was as dirty as she could make it. She glided over the heads of the men to the top of one of the shelves. Surly heard them swearing as they saw the table. She tucked her head under her wing, confident she’d distracted them enough.
After a few moments of swearing, the men had started the fire again, trying to boil enough water to sterilize the table and tools again. Surly had fallen asleep waiting for Joe, sure she’d delayed the men for long enough. When she woke to the screams of an Infected, she knew they’d returned to their grisly dental work. She tried to come up with another plan to stop them, even though she thought it pointless. Humans didn’t learn. They were so stubborn. But Joe thought it was important, so she fluttered down to the floor and the safety of deep shadows.