PYGMALION

 

by DocPaul

 

 

 

 

Chapter Fifteen: Come to me now,

 

and lay your hands over me,

even if it is a lie,

say it will all be right,

and I shall believe…

 

Day Fifteen: Tuesday, 9:22 am

 

“I’m fried. This weekend sucked. Last weekend sucked. Actually the entire last two weeks sucked, and…”

 

“Stop your bitching, or I’ll slap you around and give you something to whine about.” Sean pulled into the Roswell First National Bank. “I told you it was just a quick stop.”

 

“We’ve got work.”

 

“Yeah, well in case you didn’t notice, we got so much work that even if we did nothing but it for the next six months we wouldn’t even move the damn pile. Guerin needs to get his taciturn ass back to his desk and take some of the load off us. Never thought I would miss bumping heads with Guerin and Evans.”

 

Kyle sighed. It wasn’t Sean’s fault. He was in an ugly black mood. Funerals did that to him.

 

“Sorry. I’ll call in the stop.”

 

“It should be just a moment. I need to get money to pay Walter for my car. He’s housing it and paid for it on delivery. Don’t want to get on Walter’s bad side.”

 

“I hadn’t realized that Walter had a bad side.”

 

Sean laughed. “He doesn’t usually, except that once when I changed all his tools to one size and hid his extensions, he was pretty steamed. That man has no humor when it comes to his tools.”

 

“I’ll wait outside.”

 

“Naw. Come on in. It’ll be a quick transaction. Maybe you should stop and see about setting up a college fund for the baby. After all, I hear that you have to start early to have enough to get them through four years.”

 

“No shit?” Kyle frowned. “I wasn’t thinking of college. Just diapers. I better get some information.”

 

“There you go. Aw, Monday morning and Kyle and Sean go to the bank. Lovely. Just lovely. They should make a movie of our life.”

 

“It’s Tuesday.” Kyle snorted. “Oh, no way. I don’t want all those creepy fans wanting to know about my private life, hiding in my trash, watching every piece of food I put in my mouth. I heard once that some fans once broke into one actor’s trailer and was hiding in the closet watching him get dressed and undressed.”

 

“Kyle, they’d hire someone to play you.”

 

“Really! Do I get to choose? I think Ben Affleck would be a good choice.”

 

Sean snorted, “Too tall! Maybe Michael J. Fox?”

 

Kyle made a sour face getting out of the car. “And for you? Who would play you?”

 

“I was thinking Orlando Bloom.”

 

Kyle laughed and snorted. “More like that Carrot Top character that makes you want to kill something, anyone, everyone, and especially him.”

 

Sean pointed at his partner as he opened the door to the bank. “You. You need to get your priorities straight. Partner. Best friend. Be nice. Take out your nasty mood on Guerin and Evans.”

 

“I’m not short!”

 

“Okay, okay! Maybe Casey Affleck.”

 

“Bitch.”

 

Sean just chuckled as they entered the bank and Kyle took off to see a bank consultant about setting up educational funds. Taking out his passbook, Sean perused his balance. Damn, this car was going to take a huge chunk. He might have to transfer funds. Hated it when his balance got too low. Never knew when he might need bail money, or something essential. Julia. He should buy her a present, something to match the cost of his car. Okay, maybe not that expensive. A ring? No, maybe some earrings. A bracelet would be nice.

 

Sean was so busy thinking while standing in line that it took a moment for what was going down around him to register. His shit was definitely slow. He had totally missed the three men entering the bank, until the flash of a sawed off shotgun caught his eye. Without thinking, he drew his weapon and turned to face the man with a gun. He missed the man standing outside his view, but the man didn’t miss him.

 

The last thing he saw for a while was the floor coming up to meet him. Dammit. How could going to the damn bank be dangerous? Every fucking time...

 

~~~

 

Max joined the other commanders at a car facing the bank. A teller had hit the alarm, and the bank robbers were inside with hostages. Looking up and down the street, Max ordered units to pull back and clear surrounding businesses.

 

“Do we have a line established?”

 

“Got the bank manager, but the phone was hung up.”

 

Max nodded. “Call me a negotiator. Where is S.W.A.T.?

 

“They’re rolling. Understaffed. Bank robbers picked a good day. The unit was lent out to Las Cruces 'cause their people are rotating through a retrain.”

 

“Fucking lovely. Great. That’s my bank! We need to stomp on this now. Do they have a sharpshooter? I need at least one good one or maybe two. Set up sights off the surrounding buildings and take a clean shot.”

 

“Don’t know until Walt gets here. He’s going to hate seeing this. His retirement is just months away, and having his teams split up all over the place...”

 

Max nodded. “Let me know when Captain Stevens hits the scene. Someone get me Henry. I want him negotiating on the line.”

 

“Lt. Daniels is down at City Hall this morning.”

 

“I don’t care. Get him if you have to pull him from a witness box.” Max took his radio and called in further support units. “Anyone get a bead on the perpetrators?”

 

“Sargento counted three. Guns. Shotguns. People are on the floor. The bank manager saw them enter and he hit the vault. It closed before they could get to it. There’s a time release and a snap count. It can’t be opened until morning, without a special code from the main branch offices in Albuquerque.” Jenkins looked at his uniforms and sent them to back up others. His beat cops were the first on the scene before the detectives arrived. Major Crimes took over from them.

 

Officer Morris joined them. “Sir, we’ve got all license plates in the surrounding area. Downtown is running the plates now.”

 

Max nodded to Morris. He was Michael’s favorite uniform officer, ever since he let Morris get hauled out of a warehouse with glass in his ass. Michael figured the man had balls. “Okay. Let us know if they get possible hits on getaway vehicles.”

 

Morris nodded and went off again.

 

They held their position as S.W.A.T. arrived. Captain Walter Stevens wasn’t looking happy.

 

“Today? It had to be today, huh? I’ve got two-thirds of my teams either out of city or down with some kind of cold or flu.”

 

“How many you have?” Max asked as he passed Jenkins the radio.

 

“Four.” Walt assessed the situation. “Hardly enough for a full breach. I’ll need some of your uniforms, Jenks.”

 

“We need some sharpshooters.”

 

Walt looked at the surrounding buildings with good sight into the bank. The robbers hadn’t pulled all the blinds. They still had a way in.

 

“Can your four guys get up audio and visual feed?” Max asked.

 

“They’re on it. It’ll be up in about three. I suggest we set up monitors in the storefront across the way. That will give up lines and a place to listen to the feed.”

 

Max nodded. The group of men moved quickly. Four men from S.W.A.T. split up two were setting the mics on the window, and the other two looked through access ports and blueprints to get small optic camera into the bank.

 

“They’re going to have to go through ventilation. It will be to the front in the main lobby, but it will allow us to position the robbers.”

 

Morris came back to join them in their newly set up headquarters. He went to Max. “Sir, we’ve got a problem.”

 

“Add it to the list. Let’s hear it.”

 

“Dispatch says that Valenti and DeLuca had called in a stop at the bank. Their car is parked at the bank.”

 

Max swore. Kyle and Sean were inside? “Brilliant. Fucking brilliant. Why the hell am I not surprised?” Max rubbed his neck.

 

“Henry's here.” Jenkins called.

 

“Good. Get him in here. How many numbers we have into the bank?”

 

“Three lines.”

 

Max nodded. “Hook up the main line first. Walt, what is the situation on visuals and audio?”

 

“Audio is a go, and visual is almost there. Last count. Three men with guns, with twelve hostages including your two men.”

 

Max swore. He hadn’t even had his coffee yet.

 

“Walt, sharpshooters?”

 

Walt shook his head no. “I’ve got good shots, but no sniper.” He paused. “There is one man who could do it. He even beats my sharpshooters. Best shot in the department.”

 

Max’s brow went up in impatience.

 

“Guerin.”

 

Max closed his eyes. Normally, Michael would be the top of the list. But not recently, not with his health waning fast. By the end of yesterday, Michael was looking like the walking dead, and that was being kind.

 

When in command, command.

 

“Get Guerin.”

 

Max turned and looked at the monitors as audio and visuals came up.

 

~~~

 

“Looks like we’ve got a cop.”

 

Sean came awake to the sense of someone rustling through his clothes, and a voice talking in a laidback drawl. Oh damn. He had hit the deck hard. Now he was going to have to explain the bruises to Julia on their next date. Great. How was he going to convince her it wasn’t just fun?

 

“I’ll be wanting that back,” Sean said to the man holding his golden shield. Shit, they took LuLu. “And the piece.”

 

“Hey, it speaks. Earl. Our little pig is awake.”

 

“Dammit, Charley, I told you not to use any names.”

 

Sean made a noise in his throat. “Too late, Charley. Earl here already spilt the milk, but me and the others are more than happy to fake amnesia if you just take the cash and split. Huh, guys?” Sean asked the other hostages on the floor against a wall.

 

Kyle was with them. He made a gesture towards his concealed weapon, and Sean shook his head no. They hadn’t made Kyle for a cop because he was over at another part of the bank when they entered. That gave them two guns, Kyle’s service piece and clutch weapon.

 

The security guard was on the floor, not moving. From his view, it looked like a wound to the head. Status was uncertain. Shit. Sean tentatively touched the back of his head. One of the armed men slapped his hand away.

 

“Stop teasing me! You hit me, you better mean it!” Sean said menacingly. Dammit, he was doing so well too. Now there was blood in his hair. Shit, and he had just washed it this morning. All that washing was drying to the hair follicles.

 

“Keep your hands where I can see them or I’ll put you out again.”

 

“Yeah. Whatever. I was checking my head. You’re starting to look attractive, so I must have a concussion.”

 

The man, Charley, eyes narrowed as he took in Sean. “You a fag?”

 

Sean reached for a smoke, slowly making a gesture to the man if it was okay. Taking a cigarette, he lit it and offered the man one too. “Naw. My girlfriend said I had to stop that shit or she’d beat the crap out of me.” Sean laughed and smiled wickedly. “Like that’s supposed to be incentive to good behavior.”

 

Charley looked up at the ceiling. “Great. We get a cop hostage and he’s a pervert.”

 

“Hey! I’m in therapy!”

 

Kyle just groaned and shut his eyes. Shut up, dammit.

 

Earl tossed Sean’s papers and badge to Charley.

 

“Detective Sean DeLuca.” He looked at the bank pass book and whistled at the balance. “Damn, you on the make?”

 

Sean made a sound in his throat. “Do I look like Vice? No. I’d have to take a pay cut to become corrupt. Ignore the balance, that’s just paper money and I’ve already spent it.”

 

“So what you doing here today?”

 

“Banking. All that money is earmarked for a car I bought.”

 

“Expensive car. What, a Beemer?”

 

Sean made another sound of disgust. “1969 Dodge Charger, charger red.”

 

“Starsky’s car!” Earl came over to talk cars. “Is it in mint condition?”

 

“I wish. But if it was I couldn’t afford it. Naw, it needs some work. I was just thinking of getting my girlfriend a present because when she finds out how much I spent, she is going to tell me to go sleep with that pile of rust, since I obviously love it more.”

 

“Women,” said Earl in earnest companionship. Kyle just rolled his eyes. Stupid Sean would have them buying him lunch soon and paying for his car for him.

 

Charley looked at Earl in disgust. “You through?”

 

“I was just…”

 

“Go check the windows. Shut those blinds!”

 

The phone rang, and the other armed man, name unknown and quiet, forced the bank manager to answer it. It was a short call. Charley went over and hung up the phone.

 

“Why did you do that?”

 

“I don’t want to talk to no cops.”

 

Sean sighed. “Then how the hell do you plan to get out of here? They will negotiate, even send in sandwiches. Dealing with the cops now is better than waiting. You wait too long and the Feds will be here and their playbook on hostage situations and acts of terrorism is a hell of a lot different from that of the local PD.”

 

“What are you saying?”

 

Sean just shook his head. “You know what statistics are on successful bank jobs? Not good. You’re looking at some major time either way. They will find you. You kill anyone, the charges go up, and you’re looking at the chair or life in prison. I’m just advising you to choose your prison. Now Federal places are the pits, I understand, but I can tell you that the State Pen just put in cable.”

 

Kyle just groaned. The armed robbers were starting to look real nervous.

 

The man Charley just looked at Sean thoughtfully. “DeLuca, huh? That name sounds familiar. You wouldn’t be the DeLuca that was part of the fiasco about half a year ago that almost destroyed the Palisades Restaurant.”

 

“That account was exaggerated. It wasn’t that bad of a stitch.”

 

“I heard you threw your partner off a building.” Kyle grunted in his corner. He did. Prick.

 

“His fall was broken nicely by the awning of the restaurant. We caught the fleeing felon.”

 

Charley just threw his hands up. “Great! I get a cop hostage. Couldn’t it be someone of value? No. No, I get you! My luck the cops will bomb this place just to get rid of you!”

 

“I’ll have you know that there are one or two of them that like me. I’m a very personable guy, once you get to know me.”

 

“Right.”

 

The quiet man called to Charley. “Boss, we’ve got more cops. It is a damn charity ball out there.”

 

“I’m telling you, Charley. They’re not letting you out unless you can negotiate. They’re going to want a sign of good faith. Maybe release a hostage. A woman is good.”

 

“Shut up! I can’t think.”

 

The phone started ringing. “Answer the phone. It’ll be the negotiator. I can do the talking. They’ll listen to me.”

 

Charley seemed to be thinking of it, and finally he gave Sean the phone.

 

“Yeah? This is Sean DeLuca.” Sean listened for a few moments his eyes never wavering from Charley. “No, Captain. Everyone is fine. There is a security guard down, but he looks alive. They want…” Sean paused. “Just a second.” He put the phone against his neck. “Um, Charley, they want to know your demands.”

 

Charley looked at Earl and the other guy. They had collected the money from the tellers, and the vault wasn’t going to open anytime soon. They didn’t have the expertise or explosives to blow it.

 

“We want out of here. They will back off three block radius and let us escape. We’ll leave the hostages unharmed, but will take a few with us.”

 

Sean shook his head. Stupid. Real stupid. “You get that, Cap? Could you send in some hot coffee and donuts or something? There are some frightened people in here. Oh, and some hostages.”

 

Charley reached over and hung up the phone. “What was that remark about?”

 

“Facts. Look, whatever vehicle you came in? It’s gone. They would’ve run the makes on all the cars to find yours. If you were stupid enough to actually use a car registered in one of your names, then they’ve already got you. You can run, but they have your faces off security cameras coming in and out of the bank. Yeah, you can run, but they will find you.”

 

“Your suggestion?”

 

Sean shrugged. “Call it a bad day, lay down your weapons and surrender before there is more bloodshed.”

 

“Just shut the fuck up!” Charley kicked a chair and began pacing the floor.

 

Sean looked at Kyle. Kyle shook his head. He only had a good sight on one. Sean was without a gun, and the main robber, Charley was moving in and out of view. The silent man was a clear target from the windows. A first year Rookie could take him. That was two out of the three. They needed Charley in the view.

 

~~~

 

Michael joined the others in the store set up as base.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Twelve hostages counting Kyle and Sean. Kyle is with the other hostages, so we don’t think they have made him as a cop.”

 

“That means he probably still has his guns. He can take out one. The man standing away from the window isn’t back far enough to be out of sight. Walt, one of your men can take him?” Michael asked.

 

“Yeah, Wayne has him on sight. If Kyle can take the man to the east, just behind that pillar. But we still need a clear bead on the main man talking to DeLuca.”

 

Michael nodded. “I’ll take him. We need Sean to get him to the window. Max, you got that? I’ll be topside.”

 

“Go. I’ll see what I can do. Michael, wear your wire. We’ll need all the shoots to go at once. Kyle will be slightly behind, but the shoots should distract the guard long enough for him to draw his gun.”

 

Michael nodded and took the sniper rifle with scope that Walt handed him. All of them worried. Guerin had a slight tremor in his hand, and it was obvious enough to be noticed by all of them.

 

“Fuck, he looks sick,” Jenkins said to Walt.

 

Max ignored them and looked at Henry. “Get them back. Tell Sean what we need.” Max looked at the other two commanders. “Don’t worry about Michael. He’ll get it done.”

 

~~~

 

The phone rang again. The three men looked at each other. Finally Charley reached down and dragged Sean to his feet. His wrists were handcuffed behind him. Pushing him to the phone, he put his hand on the receiver and looked at Sean.

 

“You talk for us. No funny business. If you screw it up, you’ll be the first to die. I’ll beat you to death.”

 

“What you going to use?” Sean asked in curiosity.

 

“My hands. It’ll be a pleasure.”

 

Sean just made a snickering sound in his throat. “Here I thought you were really serious. Hell, that wouldn’t even get me excited. Hands are for wimps. Use something like a whip or tire iron.”

 

Charley hit Sean upside the head, and pushed him to sit on the desk. “You are one sick pervert!”

 

“Everyone needs a hobby,” Sean waited as Charley held the phone to his ear. “This is DeLuca.”

 

“Sean, it’s Henry. Is everyone okay?”

 

“Yeah. Everyone is fine. The boys would like an unmarked getaway car. They’ll release two of the women in good faith if it shows up in front of the bank in the next ten minutes.”

 

“Sean, we’ve got a good mark on the one man just back from the window to the north. We need to know if Kyle can take out the man behind the pillar to the east?”

 

“Good. Make it ten minutes for sure. The boys are getting antsy.” Sean said looking at Charley discreetly and then over at Kyle. His partner met his eyes. “Hey, tell my partner he owes me for not letting him come with me to the bank. Lucky bastard always knew how to keep his ass clear of trouble. I dropped him just east of here. Can you pick him up?”

 

Kyle looked at he man behind the pillar. He gave Sean a slight nod. Yeah. He could pick off that guy easily. Clear line of sight.

 

“Sean, Michael is on scope. We can’t clear the last one. Can you walk him to the window? Get us a shot? Is Kyle able to help?”

 

“Cap, that’s an affirmative to both. The car in ten, please.”

 

“Ten count it is. Get us that last mark.”

 

Charley hung up. “What was all that talking about?”

 

Sean looked at the man. “They’ll have your car in ten minutes. You need to get the two hostages ready to exchange in good faith. They’ll let you walk out of here.”

 

Charley seemed to be thinking about it. “They wouldn’t just let us walk. What are they planning, Cop?”

 

Sean pulled his shoulder free of the man’s grasp. “Hey, your robbery. Look out the damn window! You can see them moving to comply.”

 

Charley looked out the window, but the shades were drawn. “You come with me. I don’t want some trigger happy hero trying to take me out.” He pushed Sean in front of him to an open window where they could see the street. He kept Sean in front as cover, obscuring the shoot.

 

~~~

 

“Cap, DeLuca is at the front with the other target.” Jenkins said.

 

Max took his field receiver. “Michael, you got a shot?”

 

“Negative. Sean is in the field. I don’t have a clear shot.” Michael readjusted his sighting. The two uniforms next to him watched with binoculars.

 

Sean started the ten count. They could hear him from the audio feed.

 

“There are at least ten things you’ll need done before you get out of here.”

 

Ten.

 

Sean kept talking.

 

“Nine of the hostages will be left after you get rid of the two women. That isn’t counting me.”

 

Nine.

 

“Michael, shot?”

 

“Negative.”

 

“I counted that you’ve got about eight bags to carry. I suggest you have the hostage you’re taking with you carry some of them. You need your hands free for a clean, clear shot. These cops will take any shot they can, so you want to be on your guard.”

 

Eight.

 

“Michael, Sean said to take the shot.”

 

Michael shook his head and looked again. Nothing. Just Sean’s big fat head.

 

“Seven or so minutes from now the car will show up. You’ll want to move fast or people can die. It’s maybe your only shot. You’ll need to take it.”

 

Seven.

 

“Michael…”

 

“I heard him!” Michael swore. He wasn’t going to take that shot. Sean wanted him to shoot through him and take out the third man. Six more counts. He might get a better chance.

 

“I think you might get about six thousand tops from this job. That is real crappy for the hassle.”

 

Six.

 

Michael shook his head at the uniform. No shot. Move your fucking head, Sean. Just move to the side.

 

“You’ll want to cover in five directions. The four main ones and the fifth one being to the top of the buildings. Careful to keep your back to the front at all times. Never give them a good target. If they get desperate, they’ll shoot through anything to take you out. Standard procedure.”

 

“What if I use you as a shield, Cop?”

 

“Wouldn’t work. I signed on for this job. I know the rules. My life is never a bargaining chip. They take me with you easy.”

 

Five.

 

“So perhaps I should change hostages.”

 

“Well, there is some hope. Only four guys I can think of could take you out as a sniper. Three of them are down or out of town.”

 

Four. Three.

 

“And the other one?”

 

“Guerin? He’s a pussy. Him and his partner are a joke. The two of them barely register as cops, more of a one man comic team.”

 

Two. One.

 

“Take the shot!” screamed Sean.

 

Suddenly the room exploded as a window shattered and the man standing next to it went down. Kyle’s gun went off at the end count taking out the man behind the pillar. Charley was still standing past the initial count, and Sean swung around in anger that Michael hadn’t taken the shot. As he moved around at the surprised Charley, a pen-dot hole appeared in the man’s forehead, and he dropped at Sean’s feet like a sack of potatoes.

 

~~~

 

Michael stood up from where he was kneeling at the building’s side. Tossing the rifle to one of the uniforms, he walked away. Stupid Sean sure took long enough to move his fat head. Pissant.

 

By the time Michael made the street, an enraged Sean was there with Max and Kyle, and a few others. He saw Michael almost immediately as he came around the corner. Michael noted the clean up crews. Two wounded, one dead. His kill.

 

“What the fuck is your problem?”

 

Michael pushed Sean out of his face.

 

“You’re still alive, so stop your squawking.”

 

“You should’ve dropped me, Michael. Taken the clean shot. You hesitated. It could’ve been bad. He could’ve opened fire on the hostages.”

 

“He didn’t.” Michael was ready to take off. He’d worry about the discharge report later.

 

Sean stopped him with a hand to his arm. “You know the fucking rules in an hostage situation with a cop as a shield and hostage. You know…”

 

Michael shook his hand off him. “I know nothing! I know that there is someone in the world that loves you. I know that if Maria has to watch one more person die or bury one more person she loves this week, she is going to break! You might not care how Mac will feel, but I know that Maria has no strength to add you to her deathtoll of mourning. So fucking back off!”

 

Sean turned gray as a very tired and shaky Michael knocked his hands away. “Michael…”

 

“Leave it. I’ll shoot your worthless ass later. Drop you in a heartbeat, if that is really what you want. But not today.” Michael’s voice almost came a whisper. “Not today.”

 

Max grabbed his partner and hauled him away from the others. Pinning him up against the side of the S.W.A.T. wagon he gazed at him in concern.

 

“Michael?”

 

Michael shook his head and collapsed to the ground. Max swore and quickly lifted him back up. “Dammit, Michael! How fucking sick are you?”

 

“I can’t…” Michael swallowed hard. “I’ve got no strength left. You have to do it now, Max. Alone. Look for who is doing the bombings. I can’t…”

 

“It’s okay, partner. It’s okay.”

 

~~~

 

Jonathan got the call while he was in a conference. Ending it quickly, he went to his office and shut the door. Take the call? Don’t take the call?

 

Shit.

 

“This is Jonathan.”

 

~~~

 

Maria sat and watched the television special report on the bank job. She could see people she knew. They reported that there were hostages. Mr. Booboo reclined on her lap accepting her attentions as his just due, while she watched horrified.

 

Michael was there. He went when they called.

 

A vase shattered on the low table.

 

“Oh, damn. I liked that vase.” Maria picked up the cat and stroked his nappy coat. “Don’t worry. He’ll be okay. He’ll come home.”

 

The cat tilted his head upwards to rub against Maria’s chin.

 

“It’s okay. It will be okay.” She kept repeating that, watching as the story unfolded. When it was finally over it felt like hours and hours had passed. Mr. Booboo was actually happy to be free of her clutches, and he took himself out the cat door in records time to hunt down mid-day lunch. Maria had used a lot of energy worrying.

 

Maria rubbed her stomach thoughtfully. “I told you he’d be okay. Your daddy, he always makes things better you’ll see. He’s a hero. He’ll save the world and make it safe for you.”

 

She just sat there, too tired to move. Her arms and legs hurt, like her muscles were too tired to even move. When did she get so tired?

 

The knock finally pulled her from wherever she had zoned off to. Thinking? Maybe not thinking. Just…well she didn’t know.

 

“Jonathan?”

 

“Hi. Am I disturbing you in the middle of the detective?”

 

“No. He got called out.”

 

“Oh.” Jonathan thought about it for a moment. “Oh! The bank thing.”

 

Maria laughed. Jonathan distracted and confused. Delicious.

 

“Oh god! He fucked you! You and Max are doing it!”

 

Jonathan hustled her into the loft and slammed the door watching her re-engage the alarm. How could she possibly know that in the space of mere seconds?

 

“I wasn’t paying attention before, but now that I am…of course I can see it.”

 

“See what? There is nothing different about me.”

 

“You’re glowing.”