Natalie partially rose out of her chair and leaned over the desk to grab a file folder that had been just out of her reach. She glanced up at Nick, who was standing on the other side of the desk. He had been pacing the autopsy room, but that did not seem to have relieved any of his anxiety. Having the needed folder in hand, she sat back down. "I don't see what the problem is."
Nick scowled at her, incredulous that Nat could say that after all the explaining he had just done. "I can't do it!"
She ignored his outburst and took a pen to fill in a few more details to the autopsy report. "There is no physical reason why you can't," she calmly explained.
Nick let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, you don't remember the last time you tried that on me?"
"That was before we started really working on your diet and making some headway into bringing you back across." Natalie put the pen back in the holder while snapping the folder closed. "Now you probably could tolerate it better." She placed the folder on the desk and got out of the chair. She walked over to the counter, Nick sidestepping out of her way. "It'll be good for you."
Nick followed behind Nat, then leaned on the counter next to where she had stopped. "I don't think so. I'm not ready for that."
"Only one way to find out."
He rubbed his fingers across his lips. "Something horrible will happen."
Nat turned around to face Nick. She sighed. Nick. She still was getting used to him and the conflicting knowledge that he looked young, was actually quite old, but acted like a child sometimes. "You're being rather like a child on this one, Nick."
"A child? I'm acting like a child?"
"Actually, yes. There is nothing wrong with you being able to eat a tiny amount of mortal food. Just a few bites. You can do it, and everyone else will see you eat something so they won't be suspicious anymore." Natalie glared at Nick. "You said they were beginning to notice."
Nick looked around the tiled room. "Well, yeah, but-"
"But nothing, Nick," Natalie interrupted. "You said you wanted to be mortal. Part of that is interacting in groups with other mortals and eating with them. And the food part: no big deal."
"It is a big deal, Nat."
Natalie shook her head and walked back over to her desk. Grabbing a small brown paper bag, she pulled out an apple. Turning around, she beckoned Nick over to her, and he warily approached. Natalie held the red fruit out to him, "Just a bite or two. That's hardly torture, and it won't kill you."
Nick reached out to grasp the apple. "You don't know that," he grumbled.
"I promise it won't." She turned around to put the bag back on her desk and picked up the folder for her next autopsy. "Just try a bite. It will be good practice." Natalie smiled when she heard the unmistakable sound of teeth crunching into an apple. Turning around, she saw that he had vanished and that the apple had been left on the autopsy table. She felt a little disappointed he hadn't taken it with him, to eat more later. Natalie scowled at the apple - it didn't appear bitten. She walked over and grabbed the fruit, turning it over to see the other side. There she saw two fang marks through the apple's bright red skin, and the area appeared dry of juice. "Well," Natalie said to the walls of her room, "next time I'll be more specific which teeth he should use when eating."