Violently. It wasn't subtle. It was the full-body kind. The kind that makes your ribs hurt. Genesis clicked her tongue.
"Told you eating that mutated radioactive shit wasn't going to end well."
I tried to respond.
"Y..."
But as I did more vomit followed.
"...you..."
Even more followed. My knuckles whitened on the toilet rim as my stomach decided it wasn't done negotiating.
Genesis leaned off the wall and stepped closer, black nails grinding lightly against her palm.
"You ate irradiated meat of overgrown cockroaches and flies,"
She said dryly.
"What any part of that screamed good idea to you?"
I spat weakly.
"It was cooked properly..."
BLEERGH. Another heave.
"mostly..."
My throat burned. My eyes watered. My abs cramped from the force of it. Finally. Nothing left. Just dry air and regret.
I sat back against the wall, breathing heavily, the towel around my waist barely holding. Genesis, standing in front of me, stared down at me.
"You done trying to die stupidly?"
"…shut up."
She didn't.
"You're level four and still eat like a fucking raccoon."
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and staggered to my feet.
"Yeah, yeah, and youre a fucking pain in the ass"
She stepped aside as I moved past her into the main room. My gear was still scattered on the floor where I'd dropped it. I ignored it. Went straight to my tattered pants that literally smelled like shit.
And took out the anti radiation solution, aka my lovingly stolen, ahem, tactically acquired IV bag, along with the regeneration acceleration Injector, and for good measure, the looted antibiotics.
"Tch"
Genesis watching me like the annoying pain In the ass she was, clicked her tongue while leaning against the bathrooms doorframe
"Don't tell me I didn't warn you after youre shitting youre intestines all over the place later."
I gave her the middle finger and ignored her. I hung the IV bag from the bent neck of a standing lamp. It wasn't ideal. But gravity didn't care about aesthetics.
Tapped the bag to knock loose air bubbles. Tied a strip of cloth around my arm. Vein popped faintly under the skin.
"You'd better keep those hands steady and dont puncture youre fucking vein"
Genesis muttered, watching more closely now. I ignored her and slid the needle in cleanly. A faint sting followed, causing my facial muscle to twitch faintly.
Then coolness started spreading slowly up my arm as the anti-rad solution began dripping into my bloodstream. The sensation was subtle but immediate. Like ice water entering the system.
I leaned back against the wall and exhaled.
"Gods I hate this part."
"You love this part,"
She said.
"Changing to a younger body doesnt make you stop being a fucking junky."
"Yeah, well It was either the drugs or having to deal with my already fucked up body, even before the good doctors decided to play doctor Frankenstein on me, shutting down for good."
I barked back, and once the drip stabilised, I grabbed the RegenStim injector. Popped the cap and, without ceremony, I jammed it into the side of my neck. Click. A sharp pressure punch followed.
Then warmth started spreading rapidly from the injection site outward. It felt like carbonation in my bloodstream. Muscles tingled. Minor aches dulled. Nausea retreated slightly.
Genesis watched me with her eagle like eyes.
"Congrats youre not gonna grow a second dick out of nowhere."
"Shut up."
I said as I reached for Iodine pills Shook out two tablets along with antibiotics. Swallowed them dry. Only to immediately regret it. I started coughing like a hardcore smoker with late stage lung cancer.
"Water exists,"
Genesis pointed out while pointing at the sorry of an excuse sink.
"I know."
The IV continued its slow drip. Cool clarity spread through me as the radiation counter in my peripheral HUD ticked downward incrementally. The IV continued its slow, patient drip.
Tick. Tick. Tick. I sat there on the floor, one arm hanging loosely proped on a folding chair while the bag drained itself. The room was quiet except for the faint liquid tap inside the chamber.
Genesis leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching like a disappointed supervisor overseeing a very stupid intern. Finally the bag sagged. Empty. I waited another ten seconds just in case.
Then I pinched the line and slid the needle out carefully. A small bead of blood surfaced at the puncture site. I pressed two fingers against it.
"Phew good as new"
I exhaled only for somenthing to shift. Subtle at first. A low rumble. Deep. Dangerously deep. My face changed Instantly. Genesis narrowed her eyes.
"…told you"
My stomach twisted like someone had grabbed my intestines and wrung them out.
Oh fuck no. No no no no...
I stood up. Very carefully. As I did the rumble escalated into a violent internal thunderclap. My eyes widened as they did I bolted like my life depended on It because It did.
Bathroom door slammed open. I nearly ripped the toilet lid off getting it up. Sat down just in time. And then hell opened. There are moments in life where dignity dies. This was one of them.
It wasn't a normal diarrhea experience. It was a fucking bloody exorcism. It sounded like someone had detonated a wet grenade in porcelain.
I gripped the sides of the toilet seat like I was bracing against hurricane winds.
"...by all thats holy and sacred..."
Another wave hit. My entire abdomen cramped so violently I folded forward, forehead nearly touching my knees. Genesis appeared in the doorway. She did not leave.
She leaned against the frame. Arms crossed. Observing.
"…I warned you,"
She said calmly, hearing this I glared at her between spasms.
"...shut... the... fuck... up"
Yet my stomach betrayed me again as It did she raised an eyebrow.
"See, even your body is filing a formal complaint."
Another cramp hit. I hissed through my teeth. My intestines felt like they were attempting escape. Genesis tilted her head slightly.
"I told you eating that shit wouldn't end well."
"I was hungry!"
"And stupid."
Another violent round. I swear I saw my ancestors judging me. The smell began rising. Genesis's nose twitched, but she didn't move.
"You know,"
She added.
"If evolution worked correctly, you would not be allowed to exist."
I wiped sweat off my forehead.
"I fought dimensional horrors."
"Yes. And now you're losing to your own colon."
I tried to stand. My body said no. Sat back down immediately as another wave detonated. I made a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a dying engine.
Genesis tapped the wall thoughtfully.
"Should I log this under 'Combat Casualty' or 'Self-Inflicted Biological Catastrophe'?"
"Log this under shut the fuck up."
She smirked.
"You injected anti-rad. You took RegenStim. You swallowed Iodine pills and antibiotics that were clearly past their expiration date, dry like a medieval peasant. What did you think was going to happen?"
"I thought the system would carry me."
"The system is currently flushing you."
Another cramp. This one had vision blur attached. My toes curled. My spine arched.
"...why the fuck is it still going..."
"Because your digestive tract is purging everything from the last twelve hours."
"It's been more than twelve..."
"Yes. I can tell."
I shot her a glare of pure suffering. She sighed dramatically.
"On the bright side, your radiation levels are gone."
Another explosive betrayal from below. I sagged forward.
"This is attempted murder."
"No,"
She corrected calmly.
"This is consequences."
I leaned my forehead against the cool tile wall. Cold sweat coated my back. The IV clarity remained in my head. My body, however, had decided to conduct a total internal evacuation.
Genesis pushed off the doorframe and walked in fully now, leaning against the sink.
"Hydrate after."
She said clinically.
"Electrolytes. Slowly."
"You enjoying this?"
"A little."
I closed my eyes. Another aftershock. Less violent this time. More… residual. My abdomen spasmed once more and then finally, finally settled into a shaky silence. I stayed seated. Just in case.
Genesis waited.
"…you done?"
I listened internally. Cautiously. A faint warning gurgle echoed like distant artillery. I froze. She squinted.
"…still active?"
"…standby mode."
She nodded seriously.
"Good call."
Another thirty seconds passed. Nothing. I exhaled slowly.
"Okay."
Carefully. Slowly. I stood up. My legs trembled like I had just run a marathon while being punched in the stomach.
Genesis watched the entire recovery process like a documentary narrator observing a fragile species.
"Remarkable,"
She murmured.
"Despite overwhelming evidence against it, the good for nothing meat sack survives."
I flushed. The toilet groaned in protest as I started wiping my bottom with toilet paper, and boy, It wasnt pretty. After that, I washed my hands in the sad excuse of a sink. Cold water.
Rust-stained porcelain. My reflection in the cracked mirror looked slightly pale but alive. Still breathing. Still conscious. Still one dick. I glanced at Genesis.
"…you're never letting this go, are you?"