The taste of lemonade mingled with the taste of blood in Faith's mouth.

It wasn't as sinister as it sounded; she was drinking the lemonade and chewing a sore on the inside of her mouth to take the edge of this restless monotony that'd been her reality for the last several days.

Merc said she should consider herself lucky. She never got off time, and she certainly never got lemonade.

Faith frowned down at her cast. She didn't feel lucky. If her leg wasn't healing from a massive break, she'd be out running.

"It's not like I'd have a job for you anyway," Merc lied, reading her mind. He turned around in his desk chair to also frown at her cast. That told her that not only did he have a job for her, he really needed her to be on that job.

She sighed lightly and put down her red plastic cup. "I'll be back up before you know it, Merc."

Merc smiled, standing and moving to the couch to sit next to her. Thoughtlessly, he put an arm around her shoulder and propped his feet up on the ottoman next to hers. Faith didn't notice when her restlessness and boredom disappeared, but it was sometime between then and the moment she lay her head on his shoulder, exhaling tiredly.

Merc chuckled, retrieving Faith's cup to pour a glass of stolen lemonade for himself. "I don't see how you can be tired when you haven't done anything."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Maybe your presence is tiring."

Merc's only response was another short laugh. He was silent for another few moments, then he turned his head to whisper to Faith. Pointless since no one else was here, and irritating because it tickled.

"At least you're still doing better than Kreeg."

Faith was not comforted. "Everyone's doing better than Kreeg. I'll still be doing better than Kreeg when I'm dead."

Merc really laughed this time, pulling his arm free from Faith to lean forward and put down his lemonade.

Faith crossed her arms and waited.

Merc sighed as he returned to his position. "I'll tell him you said that."

Faith smirked. "Please. Maybe he'll be motivated to pick up the pace."

Merc rolled his eyes. "I guess you'll still be motivating the others when you're in the grave, too."

Faith snuggled into his side and closed her eyes. "You better believe it."