"How are you feeling, honey?" Sam said, tucking the pillows more securely behind Jay's back. He was propped up in their dark bedroom, eating soup from a tray. The darkness was necessary to help Jay recover from his concussion.
"Bored, mostly," Jay said. "Ready to get out of here. Is everything okay with the guests?"
"No problem at all," Sam lied, cheerfully. "The ghosts are helping." In their own way, she mentally added. She was pretty sure that Hetty was trying to help when she started haranguing Sam about standards of service in the Manor in her day.
And when Flower offered to walk through Josh repeatedly until he calmed down about hand towels, that had also been helpful. Especially since Sam had been really tempted to take her up on it.
"I keep having one weird symptom, though," said Jay. "I keep smelling aerosol Right Guard. And maybe freshly cut grass?"
"Specifically, aerosol?" said Sam. "That's weird."
"Uh, Sam?" said Pete, who was sitting on the end of the bed, keeping Jay company. "That might be me."
"Really?" said Sam.
"I wear Right Guard. Or I did," said Pete. "You can't smell us?"
"Ghosts have a smell?" said Sam.
"I mean," said Pete, "we all smell the way we did when we died, so—yes?"
"I had no idea," said Sam. Wow, another day, another ghost fact.
"Babe?" said Jay. "Who are you talking to?"
"Pete," said Sam. "He's right over there."
"Pete! Hey, pal! How long has he been here?" said Jay.
"Pretty much all morning," said Pete.
"Because I've been smelling Right Guard all day," said Jay. "Does this mean I can smell ghosts?"
"Oh," said Sam. "We have to test this out."
"I have no idea what that smell is, but I like it," said Jay.
"Ambergris," said Hetty. "Very rare."
"It's actually a kind of whale vomit!" said Pete, helpfully.
"Patchouli oil—is that Flower?" said Jay.
"How'd you guess?" asked Flower.
"That is some nice cologne," said Jay.
"That's so kind!" said Trevor, beaming. "Thank you!"
"I think it's a man who used lemon-scented soap," said Jay. "And tarragon-scented laundry soap?"
"Tell Jay he has the nose of a chef," said Isaac.
"Woodsmoke and suede," said Jay. "Hi Sass."
"Yeah, that one was obvious," said Sasappis.
"That is about the nicest perfume I've ever smelled," said Jay. "Hello, Alberta."
"Don't I deserve the best?" said Alberta. "Sam, there's a little bit still left in my trunk, if Creepy Todd didn't run off with it. I'll let you share, since we're besties."
Jay's eyes widened. "I'm not sure I want to say this one."
"Go on," said Sam. "Thor doesn't mind."
"Like a German shepherd peed on a bearskin rug, and then it stayed out in the sun for a few years."
"Accurate," nodded Thor. "Wolf urine, best bear repellent."
"Wow, that's strong," said Jay. "I mean, hauntingly strong."
"You get used to it, kind of," said Pete.
"At least I know who's in the room with me now?" said Jay, taking Sam's hand and looking up at her. His eyes were watering.
"Well, hooray!" said Sam.
