Steve chased the scrambled eggs around the plate. The plate would move on the table and he would have to put the fork down and move the plate back into place. Some of the egg fell off the plate despite his best efforts. The ham was a whole other challenge. He used the edge of the fork to try to cut it but it was slow and difficult. He finally gave up and grabbed the toast. At least that was something he could eat with his fingers.
Richie sat on the bed the whole time, watching Steve eat. It made him self-conscious. "Are you just going to sit there and watch me eat?"
"Sure am. How else am I going to see where you are having problems? Eat up, Colonel."
Steve sighed and made another attempt at the ham.
"You're right-handed, aren't you?"
"Well, I was."
"Okay, I have some things in my magic bag that I think will help you." Richie walked over to the chair, picked up a large black bag and walked back to the bed, placing the bag on the bed. He began rummaging around in it. He pulled out a rolled-up mat. Unrolling the mat, he picked up Steve's plate, placed the mat on the table, and put Steve's plate on it. "Now, try to slide the plate on the table," Richie ordered Steve.
Steve gave the plate a push but it wouldn't budge. "Silicone?" he asked, feeling the mat.
"Very good, Colonel," Richie replied. "Looks and brains too!"
"NASA used silicone on the soles of our space suits, among other things."
Richie reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of white plastic that was shaped in a half circle. He attached it to Steve's plate. "It's called a plate guard. Give it a try."
Steve attempted to get some scrambled eggs on his fork. To his delight, the eggs didn't fall on the table this time. The plate guard stopped them. Steve was able to easily get the eggs on his fork. Unfortunately, some of the eggs fell off the fork on the way to his mouth.
Steve threw the fork across the room in frustration. "I feel like a damn two-year old trying to learn how to eat!"
"Yeah, and you have tantrums like a two-year old too," Richie replied as he walked over to the fork and picked it up off the floor.
Steve just glared at him.
"Hold on. I have something that might work better." Richie reached into his bag and pulled out a fork.
"Another fork?"
"Ah, this isn't an ordinary fork. It's called a knork! I like to think of it as a beautiful woman."
"A what?"
"See the sides of this knork. They are not straight like a regular fork. Oh, no. They are curved just like a beautiful woman!"
"If you kiss that thing, I'm not eating with it."
Richie handed the knork to Steve. "Try it."
Steve took the knork and scooped up some of the scrambled eggs. This time he was able to get all of the egg into his mouth without any mishap.
Steve looked at the knork. "Such a simple design too."
"And that's not all it does. Try using the edge to cut your ham. Use a rocking motion."
Steve did as he was told and was surprised at how easy it was to cut the ham.
"What else do you have in your magic bag? You wouldn't happen to have my missing arm in there, would you?"
"No, sorry, no arms. That would be in Dr. Wells' magic bag."
Steve sighed. "Yeah."