Chocolate Shake

Detective Austin left a few minutes later when Officer Hill arrived. He had changed into a clean uniform, short brown hair brushed back. He gave off a cheerful aura that annoyed Rowen the moment she saw him.

"I'm hungry."

"What do you want to eat?"

Officer Hill asked, sitting in the chair that Mullins had placed by the door. Rowen let out a sigh and turned to look at Hill.

"I want everything. I'm hungry enough to eat a human, so just get me everything they have that has meat."

"Isn't the saying 'hungry enough to eat a horse?'"

Rowen laughed, "I don't see a horse in the room with me."

Hill's face paled, and he stood. Then, he left the room and returned a minute later after giving a nurse orders to bring food.

Rowen sat up when a nurse brought the food in fifteen minutes later. She would not call any of what they brought her five-star food, but it was certainly better than most fast food places. They got her a hamburger; the meat looked real and came with cheese, lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a pickle. Everything was set to the side so that she could fix it however she wanted.

There were two chicken sandwiches set the same as the burger and a salad. There was also the assorted pudding, juice, and vegetables. Usually, Rowen would enjoy the salad and vegetables. Her parents had taught her the importance of a well-balanced diet.

But, in this moment, she felt ill looking at it all. It was the meat that she wanted and only the meat.

~It is disgusting how many plants humans eat. Their need to overcook their food is almost as bad.~

~I'm guessing you like it raw?~

Its laughter filled her mind. ~That's the only way to eat meat. Your body should be able to handle a diet high in raw meat now as well.

~Now, what humans get right is desserts. Ah, such beautiful things.~

Rowen chuckled, drawing Officer Hill's attention. She took out the burger and chickens and stacked them with the burger in the middle like the chicken were bread. She grabbed the pudding then pushed the tray away.

"Done already?"

Rowen stuck a finger in her mouth and gagged.

"Most of it is inedible. This is barely passable."

She waved her makeshift sandwich then took a bite. It did not taste good to her. It was a cross between paper and burnt popcorn. Nevertheless, she forced it down because she was starving and needed the food.

Rowen washed it all down with the pudding while Hill took the food away. She took the empty pudding container and threw it at the trash can. It hit the side and bounced off onto the floor. She laid back with a sigh.

She felt the urge to cry when she thought about her new food needs. Memories of her parents appeared without warning, all the times they had enjoyed a salad together, or Rowen and her mother shared a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes.

~It is ok to mourn them.~

Rowen snorted and pulled the blanket over her head.

~So, what do I call you?~

~You can choose a name. Demons have their true name, which they rarely ever give out, and the name they use in the human world. Both names can be used to summon a demon.

~The name that I've used in the past is well known, and I'd rather not use it.~

~Do you have a preference?~

~Make sure it's something you can live with because it'll be the name you give others.~

So, no pressure. She thought to herself as she wracked her brain for names.

~How does Gabriel sound?~

There was silence for a long while before it spoke. ~Is that not the name of an angel from human religion? ~

~It is. I thought it would be funny to use it. I mean, in some religions, they claim that the first devil was a fallen angel. Devils may not exist, but demons are similar.~

Its laughter filled her mind, and she echoed it out loud. The sound of her sudden laughter caused Officer Hill to reach for his wand. Because he could use magic, he carried a wand instead of a gun.

Rowen threw off the blanket and stood up. Officer Hill stood up as well and took a step forward.

"What? Are you going to follow me into the bathroom? I may have an old demon inside me, but I'm still considered underage, perv."

"No, I-I wasn't…."

His face was beet red, and he kept stumbling over his words. Finally, Rowen went into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

*******

It had been almost six hours between when Officer Mullins' left and when she returned to the hospital. She looked a little less tired than she had that morning.

When Mullins walked into the room, Hill stood up and pulled her out into the hall.

"I'm so glad you're here. I can't take it anymore and I'm ready to get out of here. That said, I will be swinging back with a chocolate shake."

"You didn't make a deal with her, did you?"

"No, Detective Austin made it clear that was a bad idea. No, she threatened to make me as short as her by cutting off my feet if I didn't get her a chocolate milkshake.

"I'm not taking a chance. I've been around summoned demons before, and they had nothing on the amount of power that she can pull up. Just to frighten me, Mullins, just to frighten me."

His eyes showed more white than normal as he walked away. Mullins took a deep breath to steel herself before facing Rowen.

"Was it really necessary to torment my partner?"

Rowen, who was sitting up flipping channels on the small tv mounted on the wall, let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I'm bored. There is nothing to do here and only stupid things on tv during the day. I'm perfectly healthy and don't need to stay here."

"It's important to keep you under observation for a while to make certain nothing comes up. The doctor recommended you stay for three days."

Rowen fell back on the bed, and the tv remote clattered to the floor. The impact caused the back of the remote to open, and the batteries spilled out.

"I won't make it that long, and your partner definitely won't."

"You can't be mean like that just because you don't get your way; if I got my way, I'd be getting paid to stay home. That's life."

Their conversation was interrupted when Hill returned with a large chocolate shake. He took it to Rowen, then mumbled a greeting as he walked by Mullins on his way out.

Rowen had sat up, and her full attention was on the shake.

"It's so beautiful."

She closed her eyes in joy as she started to drink the shake.

"I'll talk with Detective Austin and see what can be done."

Mullins could not blame the girl for not wanting to stay. She has had her fair share of hospital stays that were less than pleasant. She pulled out her phone and stepped out of the room.

"What's up, Mullins?"

"Is there a way she can get out of the hospital today? She's bored and causing trouble because of it. Hill practically ran the moment I showed up."

"See if you can get the doctor to agree to it. I'll be there shortly. We're not having any luck here, so a break will be good."

Mullins had a feeling he was talking about Rowen's case. They were trying to find out what group they had belonged to and locate the man that had once been Rowen's neighbor. They were waiting for the identification of the thirteen Summoners. Going by visuals alone none of them matched the man that had lived next to the Nieves' for the last two years.