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'I don't know if we should touch her,' Sheila said. |
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Doug, mocking her in a trembling voice said, 'Oh, my, it might be contagious.' |
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'It's nothing to kid about. I mean, we don't know what that stuff is. It's black.' |
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Buddy spread his arms and smiled at her. His shirt and pants looked smudged with soot from his struggle with the woman. His hands didn't appear stained, but they'd been black before he wiped them on the legs of his trousers. Some faint, gray blotches still showed on the inner sides of his wrists. |
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'If it's contagious, I've got it. And I'm gonna get you!' He lurched forward like a zombie, reaching for Sheila. |
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'Stop it!' she cried out, quick-stepping away from him. 'You're not amusing.' |
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Baring his teeth, Buddy pivoted toward Cyndi. She stood her ground. 'Just quit it.' |
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He dropped his act. 'Look, gang, I got that stuff on me and it didn't do anything.' |
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'How do you know there isn't an incubation period?' Sheila asked. |
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'What kinda period's that?' Doug asked, grinning. |
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'That's when gals bleed from their incubators,' Buddy explained. |
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Deciding to take some of the heat off Sheila, Lou said, 'What she means is, maybe a space of time has to go by before you show any symptoms.' |
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'I know what she means, asswipe,' Buddy said. 'And it's stupid. The rain only started a minute or two |
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