"Is this some kind of joke?"

The boy stopped picking at the blue sling hugging one slender arm close to his skinny chest.

Blue eyes glittered in a way that somehow felt unnerving.

"No." he said simply, lifting his free hand to adjust the pale strap. "It's a simple question."

Steve wasn't sure why he took a step backward when the boy took one forward – the child looked like he was barely a teenager. Barely in High-school. Even his voice hadn't properly dropped yet. Why would he run around back alleys in the middle of the night?

Why was he so scared?

"If you're looking for drugs, I don't have any. Not that kind of homeless."

Unless he was some aggressive punk looking for a thrill by taking it out on others. Steve felt himself reach for the thin knife in his coat pocket, rocking back on his heels.

The kid had a broken arm – he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight, right?

The boy gave him a small, creepy smile, spreading his hands like he was innocent of the implication. It sense goosebumps prickling over Steve's arms.

"Of course not!" The child took another step forward, and Steve stiffened as he felt his back brush a brick wall, sweat starting to bead on his brow.

"I have a test tomorrow, I just don't want to fail it. You understand, right?"

Something in the blue eyes sharpened and Steve yanked out his knife, brandishing it as the kid lunged forward. There was something… like he was watching a movie and several of the frames were missing…

His knife didn't hit anything.

Steve felt a cold hand on his chest, even through several layers of flannel and coats.

Like ice.

"See, these turned out just fine."

Danny sat calmly on the doctor's table, kicking his legs back and forth as they dangled off the edge.

The nurse grumbled under her breath about Lab techs trying to play stupid pranks on each other, and assured his parents that he was healing just fine. The break was clean – should be completely healed in a month or two.

He frowned at the long wait, resigning himself to a lot of mother-henning from his sister until things blew over. Maybe they'd forget about the time frame by the time he got bored enough to let the ghostly healing do its thing.

He glanced at the X-ray sheets glinting in the trash, surreptitiously looking at his mom and dad's faces, making sure they didn't suspect…

No, he was in the clear.

Danny was careful to act cautious about his arm as they left the hospital and climbed into the RV. As his dad started up the car, he couldn't help but watch the back of his own hand.

It was really fascinating, the way joints and muscles actually worked. All the little tendons working together to create movement. Blood vessels lacing between them all, with tiny holes in bones to let them pass through.

He flexed his fingers, watching the shift of skin all the way up his inner arm.

He'd have to be careful, from now on. Human anatomy… was more complex than he originally thought.

A folded bit of x-ray plastic crinkled in his pocket.

If someone were to unfold it, they'd find an almost cartoonish representation of the human skeleton, with one broken forearm.

As if his body had been formed by someone who only vaguely knew what the insides of a human should look like.

Well.

Know he knew.