Chapter 162

He moved quickly after that, setting up the gas burner and fumbling with the tiny knob until blue flame sprang to life beneath its grate. The smell hit him almost immediately as the beans warmed inside their tin vessel—it wasn't anything special or even particularly appetizing under some circumstances—but hunger clawed at him too hard for complaints now as he shoveled spoonfuls into his mouth from where they cooked.

Eugene scraped the bottom of the tin can with the spoon, chasing the last remnants of the lukewarm beans. They sat heavy in his stomach, but it was better than empty. He dropped the spoon into the can with a dull clink and set it aside on the counter.

His hands were still shaking—not as badly as before, but enough that he noticed it when he reached up to tighten the makeshift blanket around his shoulders.