Daisy and Boss: 22 - Nest Of Hornets (Part 2)

Story by Lillywolfsbane on SoFurry

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#24 of Daisy and Boss

Long delayed 22nd chapter to Daisy and Boss, I'm so so bad! It's been forever, but I am going to really try and be disciplined and finish this! Please shoot me a comment if you are still interested in seeing this through to the end. I'd really appreciate it and it will help me feel motivated! Thanks! :3


Fornsworth sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair, watching the heavily bandaged badger in the hospital bed a few feet away. Putting his phone away he flicked his ears towards Sarah Brockley.

"He's on his way."

"Thank you."

Her eye and chest still throbbed through the numbing medications, and Sarah felt dizzy when she looked around, the darkness on her right side making her feel vulnerable, like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. Gingerly, and against the nurse's advice, she raised a paw to her head and inched it closer until she felt the tip of her right ear. Her sense of distance was all screwed up. Her claws met stubble and she realized with horror that they hadn't just shaved her arm, they had shaved most of her head. Metal staples held her scalp together. She withdrew her paw, trembling slightly. She only distantly registered the fox scrutinizing her from across the room until he spoke up again.

"You're very lucky." He nodded. Sarah stared at him dumbly.

"A badger never runs..." She mumbled softly.

Fornsworth looked as though he was going to say something more when the door suddenly slammed inward and four badgers barged in, an older female and three huge males, the chair was the only thing that saved him from being concussed.

"Sarah! The hospital called us! We came as soon as we heard!" Her father, the first one in the door, rushed to her bedside, his huge paws flexing in anxiety. He chittered in dismay at the bandages that covered half his youngest child's upper chest and eye and the state of her shaved head. Sarah's mother shoved her way to the front and her normally demure face twisted into an ugly mask of fury.

"Oh, Sarah! What did that bastard do to your face!?" Sarah reached out for her mother and Gina Brockley grasped her daughter's paws gently in her own, cradling them against her cheek.

"My eye..." Sarah said haltingly. "They called a specialist to come look at it... But it doesn't look good."

Her father, Patrick, growled low in his chest, and it was echoed by her brothers who hovered nearby. The oldest, Jack, clicked his teeth together several times in anger making the fox in the back bristle instinctively. The middle cub, Charlie, leaned around his mother to regard her seriously.

"Tell us who it was, Sarah! Me and Jack... We'll go tear the fucker's whole head off." Charlie's eyes were dead steady, and all four Brockley family members nodded as a whole. Sarah opened her mouth to say something but the Detective, forgotten at the door, spoke before she could think of anything to say.

"I'm afraid Sarah beat you guys to the punch on that one."

Five badger heads turned as one in his direction and the red fox barely managed to keep himself from fidgeting under their steady gazes. With the exception of Sarah, who just looked tired and a little scared.

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked, his face still set in impending violence. The fox shrugged.

"The suspect is already dead, Mr. Brockley. Sarah told us... she killed him."

Patrick turned back to his daughter in amazement and Sarah watched his expression cautiously, not know what to expect. She had been raised well, taught that she should never use her teeth and claws on another living fur, and here she was a murderer. What would they think of her?

"He was going to kill me..." She wavered, whiskers trembling. The words kept running through her brain as she tried to rationalize what had happened.

"Oh, sweety..." Patrick saw her crestfallen look and laid a work hardened paw on her shoulder, trying not to disturb her wounds. "It's okay. You were just defending yourself, right?" He rumbled, his voice a reassuring platform of stability for Sarah's shattered nerves. Sarah nodded, her voice failing her.

"He got what he deserved." Gina chirped. "Don't you dare feel guilty." She smiled and Sarah's brothers echoed the sentiment.

"Good job Sissy." Charlie grinned.

"That'll teach him to pick on a digger!" Jack wrinkled his muzzle, displaying his larger than average teeth in aggressive approval.

"Well, you'll be glad to know... I'm not arresting you." Fornsworth thought to add in, also finding himself feeling bad for Sarah. "The evidence so far is supporting the conclusion of self defense... I'll have a final report her in a little while, but I doubt there will be any charges made against you, Ms. Brockley."

"Thanks." Sarah let go of a shaky sigh and smiled hesitantly at her family.

Fornsworth stood in the doorway of the crowded hospital room, watching the Badger family comfort Sarah when a large shadow fell over him making him twitch his head to the side only to see Lester Boss' bulk standing behind him. Boss did not appear to be in a very good mood. His growled voice rumbled through the slight fox's frame from behind and Fornsworth lashed his tail in response.

"How is she?" Boss looked in the room over Fornsworth's head. The fox shrugged and scooted around the dog out into the hallway.

"She'll recover. She might lose the eye." The fox eyed the large white canine as he shook his head and cursed under his breath.

"How could I have been so stupid?!" Boss snarled. Inside the room, Sarah's voice picked up out of the jumble as she spotted Boss outside the door.

"Boss? Boss! Get in here!" Boss headed into the room, followed closely by Detective Fornsworth, who still had not gotten his full report.

Sarah muttered to her father as Boss entered the room and reluctantly he corralled his wife and sons from the room. Boss stood to the side until the door had closed behind them, growing rapidly agitated as he surveyed the young badgers condition. She seemed somewhat alert, but the stitches, staples and bandages were everywhere he looked, and it stabbed at his conscience.

"Boss, The guy who attacked me said he was delivering a message from Julian." Sarah's one good eye leveled on him in earnest seriousness, as she got right down to business. Fornsworth looked between the two in confusion.

"Julian who?" He pulled out his worn flip notebook but his question was ignored, much to the fox's annoyance.

"This is my fault... I was afraid something like this would happen." His ears laid back, Boss walked to Sarah's bedside. The badger female made a small bark of dismissal.

"I'm fine! Someone should check on Daisy!" Her distress was apparent, and Boss once again mentally commended her for her loyalty to the goat girl. He nodded and rushed to relieve her fears.

"Dani is on her way out there right now. She's going to call me when she gets there." He assured. "And Daisy isn't alone, her folks and her sisters are there... It's out of town. I doubt Julian would try anything there." He hoped fervently that it was true. One paw was in his pocket, wrapped around his phone as he waited for Dani's call to let him know that Daisy was safe.

"Who are you talking about?" Fornsworth snapped, tired and tired of being ignored. "Damn it, this is my case, Boss!"

"Julian Wilderson." Boss seemed to notice finally that the other detective was in the room.

"The serial killer?" The fox blinked. Sarah and Boss nodded. "Ah... Correct me if I'm wrong... Isn't he in jail?"

"Makes no difference. He sent the Jackal, I know it." Sarah glowered, starting to fade. Her outburst and the stress along with the drugs making it impossible to stay awake now that she knew someone was checking on Daisy. Boss saw her starting to fade and he moved towards the door, motioning Fornsworth out as well.

"You need to rest, Sarah. I'll come back and tell you when Dani calls, all right?" His concern over Sarah's injuries overrode his urge to question her about her attack further.

"But... My report.... Aw, hell!" Fornsworth followed Boss out the door, glaring at the big dogs back. Once outside Boss spoke confidentially with the Brockley's and then headed out to the waiting area to snag himself a cup of coffee. The grouchy fox followed after him doggedly.

"Boss! You can't keep me in the dark. This is my case, I have a right-"

"Garett." Boss stopped in his tracks to glare at his red furred pursuer. Fornsworth stopped at the use of his first name, but recovered fairly quickly.

"Ah... Lester?"

"It's complicated." Boss huffed and went to sit on one of the hard couches, fishing his phone out and dialing Dani's number. He was tired of waiting. Fornsworth's yellow eyes fairly bored a hole into the back of Boss' skull as he listened to the ring tone sound four times before Dani picked up.

"Boss, I just pulled up, keep your shirt on." Dani's irritated voice sounded in his ear. Boss tapped his claws on the arm of the couch.

"Sarah said it was a Jackal that attacked her, that he had a message to send to Daisy. It was definitely Julian's goon." Boss growled.

"Well, fuck." Dani swore, cutting the engine to her car with a sharp twist of the key. "Evil bastard... Is she all right?"

"She's pretty beat up... but she is one tough badger. How does it look?"

"Like everyone's asleep." Dani shot back. Boss heard her hooves on the gravel driveway as she cautiously approached the house. "It looks quiet...no sign of a break in... lights are all out."

"That's a relief..." Boss murmured. Dani's hooves clunked softly on the front porch as she made her way to the front door.

"I'll circle around back just to make sure..." The mare whispered. Her ears swiveled about alertly as she made her way along the wrap around porch, one hand on her sidearm, still on the line with Boss. She rounded the far corner and jerked in alarm, dropping her phone as a dense black shadow lunged at her from out of no where.

"Police! Identify yourself!" Dani yelled, her gun flashing up in her hand. The shadow skidded to a stop at her call and the sight of the gleaming gunmetal. A rough voice addressed her sharply.

"What the hell are you doing sneaking around on my porch, Detective!?" Kale Fields reached into the darkness of an open doorway and flicked on the outside lights, glaring at the tense equine standing on his porch. Dani lowered her weapon with a snort and shakily picked up her phone. She could hear Boss barking for her before she even put it to her ear.

"Jesus Christ." Was all she managed the first try.

"WHAT HAPPENED!?" Boss snarled in her ear. Dani gritted her teeth.

"Your girlfriends Dad just gave me a damn heart attack! I'll call you back." She hissed and jabbed at the button to end the call. Kale stood by, an ominous black figure in the harsh lights, his arms crossed over his shaggy chest.

"Please explain." He bleated. Dani saw that he was dressed for bed in a pair of flannel drawstring pants and she flattened her ears in acute embarrassment.

"There was an incident in town, Mr. Kale... Boss had me come out to check on you guys, just in case." She said sheepishly. "I didn't want to wake anyone up, I was just going to check the perimeter and then sit out in the car for a while." Dani explained, holstering her gun. Kale bristled.

"What incident?" He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward in concern, his green eyes growing round in alarm.

"Daisy's friend Sarah was attacked..." Dani reluctantly informed the Buck.

"Is she all right!?" Kale exclaimed. Dani nodded.

"Boss just spoke to her. I don't know the details yet, but he says she'll be okay." Dani assured.

"So... it was him, then?"

Dani made a face, wondering how much she should really tell him, when a voice called out through the dark house.

"Kale? I heard yelling, what's going on!?" Flossy flitted across the living room to the side door where Kale was silhouetted by the porch lights. He turned to her and offered her a comforting arm. She stopped in confusion when she spotted Dani.

"Detective Hardy was checking up on us and I gave her a scare." Kale gathered the doe close as she looked between them questioningly. She clutched at the neck of her robe and Dani could see Kale's words had little effect.

"What happened?" She demanded, looking to the mare. "Something must have happened!"

In the end Dani caved and told them everything she knew so far. Flossy was shaken but Dani assured them again that Sarah was going to be all right. They went into the living room and sat down, numb with shock.

"I should have just burned the letter... I shouldn't have given it to Boss." Kale shook his head, his face tight lipped. Dani made a small noise of dismissal.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. Psychos like Wilderson don't need an excuse to do things like this. It was just a matter of time." She said firmly as she held onto the cooling cup of coffee that Flossy had given her out of habit. The older doe sat close to Kale with her hand on his knee, drawing as much comfort as she was giving it.

"Do we tell Daisy?" She looked to Kale in pained indecision. Kale was about to answer when he was cut off by a voice behind them.

"Tell me what? What are you guys doing awake?" A groggy voice heavy with sleep sounded from the hallway and they all turned to see Daisy shuffle in, blinking. The three turned and stared at her in dismay and Daisy's heart gave a lurch, bringing her fully awake in an instant.

"Tell Daisy what!?" She repeated with an edge of panic. Dani set her untouched coffee down on the end table and stood up with a calming gesture with her hands.

"It's okay, something happened, but everything is going to be fine." Dani smiled, trying to reassure the goat girl before giving her the bad news about Sarah. Daisy looked at her in dumbfounded confusion and Kale was the one that eventually spoke.

"Sarah's in the hospital...She was attacked..." He started, and then looked at Dani, his expression lost, unsure how to finish.

"She's okay!" Dani spoke quickly, seeing Daisy's wide eyes. "But... she told Boss that the fur that attacked her... talked about Julian." She added reluctantly. Dani and the Fields watched Daisy as she seemed to go very still at the news, her eyes wide and her face drawn in horror. Flossy couldn't stand the look on her daughters face and jumped up to go to her.

"Oh, sweety, it's okay..." She started, reaching for Daisy. Daisy seemed to snap back when her Mother's hands grasped her by the shoulders and tried to pull her into a hug that she evaded with a sharp jerk backwards. She lowered her over bright eyes to the floor, still rigid as she took several steps back down the hall.

"It's not okay." She said softly. "It's never okay."

"Boss is at the hospital with her, he says she's going to be okay." Dani tried but it was as if Daisy didn't even hear her. She kept mumbling to herself as she backed away.

"I thought I was free, but I'm not... I might as well be in that room still... I might as well be in pieces... I'll never get away..." She whimpered. "It's my fault! For running, it's my fault!"

Dani pulled out her phone and hit redial as Daisy's parents tried to calm her down. The mare didn't even hear the phone ring but maybe once before Boss answered in a rush.

"What happened? Why did you take so long to call back?" Boss asked gruffly.

"Well I was a little busy pointing a gun at Kale Fields."

"What?!"

"Nothing... It's fine now... except... Daisy knows about Sarah, she's losing her marbles over it." Dani sighed. "Next time you get the urge to go do something stupid just tell me first so I can hit you over the head and knock some sense into you." Dani muttered so that no one else could hear. Boss stammered.

"Something stup-what?!"

"You heard me! I'd be a lousy partner if I didn't keep tabs on you, Lester Boss, now talk to your girlfriend before she goes into full blown hysterics." She hissed before reaching past Kale and Flossy to the whimpering doe curled against the wall in the hallway, thrusting the cell phone in her hand. "Here... It's Boss. Talk to Boss, Daisy."

Reluctantly Daisy held the phone to her ear. She tucked her head, listening as Boss's voice reached over the miles that separated them.

"Sarah's going to be okay, Daisy, but she was worried about you... Are you okay?" Boss' deep voice sounded tired, pained. Daisy sniffled and shook her head.

"No. It's my fault this happened... All my fault." She hiccupped.

"Absolutely not. Don't you dare say that!" Boss growled. "Daisy this is not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. Julian did this, and there wasn't anything you could have done to stop it." Boss sounded almost angry and Daisy trembled, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to believe his words even though her mind still screamed at her.

All your fault.

"She's okay?" She whispered, still not convinced.

"She's going to be fine, I promise." Boss assured in a softer tone. Daisy let out a shaky breath.

"Can I come? Can I see her?" There was a pause on the other end.

"Daisy, I don't know-"

"Please, I want to!" Daisy bleated.

"It's really late... You should get some rest..." Boss tried to reason. Daisy grimaced and rejected the idea of going back to her room alone with a shiver.

"Please, Boss...I want to see Sarah... I want to be near you. I... I just... I'm scared." The end of her sentence was spoken softly with a trembling lip. Kale and Flossy stood nearby, anxiety etched into their faces. She didn't want to look at them, she didn't want to hear the comforting words and see the pain in their faces. She caused them that pain. She caused all the pain. She wanted to go to Boss and cry, and she couldn't do it here. Not again. To see the hopeless face of her father, to know she worried him half to death. That anguish in her mother, knowing she would cry too. It was suddenly unbearable. "Please... Let me stay with you." She whispered.

"All right. Hand the phone to Hardy." Boss answered. Obediently Daisy extended the cell phone up to the silver mare and watched her face as she listened to Boss talk.

"You're sure? ...All right we'll see you when we get there." Dani asked and then nodded and hung up the phone. Daisy stood and retreated down the hall as Dani turned to talk to Flossy and Kale.

"I'll go get dressed."

The car ride into the city was a quiet one, they were both extremely tired, and Daisy kept blinking in and out of consciousness until Daisy realized they were headed to the apartment, not the hospital.

"Aren't we going to see Sarah?" She asked. Dani glanced over at her, starting out of deep thought as if she had suddenly been reminded Daisy was there at all.

"Huh? Oh, no... We're all beat... Hospital visitation hours are over, we'll have to wait until morning anyway. Might as well get some sleep. Boss said he'd meet us back home." Dani smiled encouragingly. "Sarah's family is there with her, she's not by herself."

"Okay."

Daisy looked tiredly around at the interior of Danielle Hardy's car, noticing how expensive everything looked. A fancy dash computer sound system and GPS with a touch screen, black leather everything. Her seat had controls to one side that Daisy couldn't even begin to guess what they were for, but one looked like a button for heated seats. Dani saw her looking and managed a smile.

"So you like Martini?" She asked.

"Huh?" Daisy blinked. Dani patted the steering wheel. The one thing she'd ever allowed herself to spend her fathers money on that she didn't regret later. A fully restored and modernized 1970 Dodge Challenger coup painted electric plum. She was a showroom diva with all the luxury perks and Dani loved her. Boss thought it was a garish color and wouldn't ride in it, a fact that amused her to no end.

"My car, Martini."

"Oh, the car, yeah." Daisy nodded. "It's really cool, was it super expensive?" Dani shrugged and made the last turn, pulling up to the apartment building.

"Sort of. But I didn't have to pay for it." She gave Daisy a wink as they parked and she shut of the engine. "Remind me sometime and I'll tell you all about how screwed up my family is, and how I got this car. C'mon." Dani stepped out and waited for Daisy to get out the other side before locking the doors to the purple muscle car with a chirp of her keys. They trudged up the stairs tiredly to the third floor apartment. The door was unlocked and they made their way in. It was only until they were standing in the front entry way that Daisy realized she hadn't brought anything but her purse with her. She had no toothbrush or clothes with her except the ones she was wearing. She must have made some kind of noise, because Dani turned around in the middle of taking off her jacket to look her up and down.

"What?" Dani asked, staring. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't bring a change of clothes.... Or anything to sleep in." Daisy lamented.

"Oh, Oops." Dani frowned.

Boss came around the corner of the living room and Daisy stepped into his arms with relief. Boss hugged her close and nuzzled the top of her head, murmuring against her short fur.

"Oops what?"

"Daisy forgot pajamas." Dani yawned as she made her way around the two of them and staggered her way into the kitchen to stare at the fridge contents for a few minutes. After a moment, Boss rubbed Daisy's back comfortingly and then pulled back so that they could follow the mare.

"Do you have anything that will fit her?" Boss asked as Dani pried open the top to a container of leftover spaghetti and fished out a fork from the cutlery drawer. She eyed the doe swaying on her feet tiredly and shook her head.

"Sorry, I don't think so."

"S'okay... I can just sleep in my clothes." Daisy sighed. In truth she hated sleeping in her jeans, but her t-shirt was too short for modesty's sake and so she'd have to leave the restricting garment on.

"I guess you... could wear one of my shirts..." Boss suggested hesitantly as he walked back around to the couch and sat down. "They're long at least, and we can roll up the sleeves for you." Dani raised her brows at that but didn't say anything, just chewed quietly on her cold spaghetti noodles.

"O-okay." Daisy nodded hesitantly, and Boss stood up with stretch.

"Alright I'll go find you one." He headed for his bedroom. Dani tossed her fork in the sink with a clatter and re-lidded her food for later.

"Well I'm going back to sleep for a couple more hours..." She glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly 5:30 am. "Make that an hour and a half." She sighed. Boss came back out of his room carrying a v neck sports jersey and held it up for Daisy.

"Will this work?" He asked. Daisy nodded and he pulled it off the hanger and handed it to her. The material was cool to the touch and soft when she reached out and took it from him.

"Go ahead and sleep in, I'll cover for you at the station." Dani brushed by on her way to her room and it was Boss' turn to raise his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You and Daisy can hang out with Sarah at the hospital tomorrow, it'll be okay." Dani brushed off Boss' doubt with a flick of her ears and bid them both good night before disappearing into her room. The mare briefly wondered where Boss planned on having the goat girl sleep, exactly, but was far too tired to think to much about it, and soon she was snoring softly under a pile of blankets on her own comfy bed. Three different alarms set for 7 am.

Daisy went to the bathroom down the hall to change and tiredly began stripping off her clothes. She took off everything except her panties and pulled the jersey on over her head. The soft material whispered over her face as she pulled it down and she was struck by Boss' scent. The fabric was fairly saturated with the dogs unique scent and that of laundry detergent. It was intensely comforting and Daisy inhaled it deeply before turning to look at herself in the full length mirror that hung on the inside of the bathroom door. The oversized shirt probably came down a little past Boss' hips but on her it was past her knees. The v neck dipped a little low but not too bad and the sleeves were halfway down her forearms. It made her smile to see herself dwarfed by the big dogs shirt, and she gathered up the front of it for another sniff before picking up her clothes and hesitantly leaving the bathroom. She could hear Boss moving around in his room so she pushed the door in slowly to spot him changing the sheets on his big king sized bed. Dropping her clothes in a stack next to the closet made him flick and ear and turn her direction.

"Does the shirt..." He started to ask her if the shirt fit okay but the second he raised his eyes from the bed and spotted her he lost his train of thought instantly. She stood shyly a few feet away from the bed, wearing his jersey. She was swimming in it, one shoulder sliding down slightly, the fabric draping between her modest breasts, her slender legs peeking out from the hem. He had never seen anything more sexy.

"Fit?" Daisy finished Boss' sentence with a small smile. "It's really big." She held out the sides to show him how large it was on her and he closed his mouth and gulped as the motion briefly outlined her hips and belly against the fabric. With a little effort, he smiled back.

"Looks good on you." He managed. Inwardly he groaned. He would have just driven out to the Fields house and slept on their couch if he had known how erotic it would be to have her standing in his bedroom wearing his clothes. His mind raced, his desire warring with his rational mind. But everything unraveled at Daisy's next blushing admission.

"It smells like you... I like it." And she turned her head to rub her muzzle against the fabric at her shoulder, inhaling. Boss was hard almost instantly, painfully so as he felt his sheath become uncomfortably tight. He felt the surge of lust race all the way up his spine to his brain and he stepped closer to the doe who was sampling his scent innocently.

"Daisy... God.... You don't know what you do to me..." He murmured, his hands going to stroke along her neck, and higher to cup her face, stroking his thumbs along her jawline. Her hands came up over his and she pressed his paws to her face, nuzzling at his wrists. Her ears against the backs of his fingers felt as if they would catch fire.

"I... I'm sorry, I don't know what to do... this is hard for me..." She mumbled, her eyes cast to the side and down shyly. Boss shook his head and grinned ruefully.

"Believe me, I know what you mean." He slid to his knees in front of her and ran his hands down along her body, pausing at her hips to knead there gently as he drank in the sight and smell of her, every little tremble. She looked down at him in stunned surprise when he rumbled low in his throat. "It's not the only thing that's hard for you." His dick gave an affirmative throb from within the confines of his jeans. Under his hands, Daisy froze. She stared at him and her eyes took on a glassy look of panic as she stared down at his lap. Boss instantly wished he could take back his words and leaned away from her, starting to let his hands drop. But before he could apologize, Daisy's hands latched onto his shirt and kept him from backing away. Her grip was vice like and he felt the tug on his fur through the fabric as she dug her fingers deep and twisted.

"O-okay!" She nodded in a rush, finally blinking. But her voice when she spoke was small and frightened and Boss tipped his head in confusion.

"Daisy...We don't-" He started, but she cut him off with a whimper.

"Please! Don't make me leave! I'll do it, I just don't want to be alone... We can, I promise, I'll be good, just don't leave me alone!" She cried, crumpling into his arms. Boss caught her, stunned.

"Shh... Easy... It's okay..." He murmured, holding her close as she shook with violent tremors. "Easy Daisy... I'm not going anywhere. And you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I'm sorry..." Daisy's head was buried in his chest as he rubbed her back, his arousal forgotten and replaced with concern.

"No, no it's my fault, I was just talking without my brain..." Boss mentally kicked himself and rose to his feet, bringing her up with him. She made a small noise and clung even tighter when he moved to separate himself from her.

"No, don't go!"

"It's okay, I'm just gonna get changed for bed. I promise, I'm not going anywhere. I'll sleep right here beside you... It will be okay."

It took a few more minutes of assurances and consoling before Daisy allowed him to step out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom. Boss stood at the sink for a long moment staring at his own reflection in the mirror. He studied the grey markings around his eyes absently as his claws gripped the edge of the granite counter. His brown eyes looked troubled even to him and he sighed.

"What did you think was going to happen?" He asked himself aloud softly. When no answer came to him he set about brushing his teeth purely out of habit, and threw on a pair of sweatpants, leaving his clothes where they fell.