Inspired by GabrielleRPollack Writing Prompt #7

"Oh, this one's pretty cool looking!" exclaimed Palmer exclaimed, pointing at the computer screen in front of them. "I bet it's worth a lot!"

His character went over with its arms outstretched. Palmer looked positively gleeful, eager to be doing something to help in their quest.

That was the problem. He was too eager and far too helpful. McGee didn't know someone could be too helpful until Palmer tried to play this game.

"Do you want it or can I add it to my inventory?" Palmer asked just as the character was about to touch the item.

McGee sucked air through his teeth and counted slowly to ten. He was just being enthusiastic; he didn't mean any harm. He. Didn't. Mean. Any. Harm.

McGee tried to say calmly, no need for anyone to get startled, "For the hundredth time, stop touching the thermonuclear bombs!"

It didn't look like he succeeded in moderating his tone if the hurt look Palmer was giving him. McGee tried not to feel sorry, it was his own fault. Okay, maybe it hadn't been a hundred times but McGee had told Palmer at least ten times. One for each time they'd come across a bomb.

"I thought the thermonuclear bombs were the green ones?" he questioned in a confused tone, nearly dropping his controller.

McGee shook his head and explained, yet again, "They don't have a colour. They have that marking, see - on the side?" Palmer nodded eagerly. It was the real symbol for nuclear material so it was quite obvious in McGee's opinion. "Don't touch anything with that symbol on it. It will start a countdown to an explosion."

And they really didn't need that at this point in the game. They'd lose a lot of items not to mention a life and Palmer was only down to two of those.

"But surely we can just run from them?"

McGee covered his face with his hand. Palmer's face fell again, knowing he had down something wrong. McGee couldn't even bring himself to scold the younger man, he was so enthusiastic and genuine about his helping that it would just be cruel to scold.

"It's not his fault," McGee chanted repeatedly inwardly before taking a deep, steadying breath and replying, "It's blast radius is far too large to run out of and you don't know in advance what number it counts down from."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So, it's not something that witch we talked to would want to trade that gem she has for?" Palmer checked.

"Definitely not."

Palmer nodded and poised his thumbs over the buttons, ready to get going again.

"What about that fluffy thing over there? Surely even witches like cute fluffy things?"

"That is the rabbit you cursed by accident earlier."

"So, I shouldn't pick it up then."

"Definitely not." He said, picking his own controller up to help. "It has fangs and demonic green glowing eyes. I don't think it will let you pick it up."

"I am really sorry about that, by the way."

"It's okay. I'm just glad we didn't hit."

Who knew what the curse would have done to the characters they were playing. McGee still wasn't sure what it had done to the rabbit. All he knew, if the angry chittering from the creature was anything to go by, that he didn't want to get close to it to find out.

"Um, McGee?"

McGee shook his head to focus on the game again, leaving Palmer alone in this game had already been proven to be a bad idea.

"McGee," the Medical Examiner's Assistant's voice was more urgent now.

Oh, what could he have done now? There was literally nothing he could screw up in this scene.

"McGee."

McGee looked up at the screen and dropped his controller to the floor with a 'clunk'. The back of it snapped off and the batteries scattered across the floor.

"What the?"

Palmer was shooting him an incredibly guilty look, hiding his own controller behind his back. He pointed sheepishly at the screen. It was flashing. It wasn't supposed to flash.

One look at the screen and McGee did a double take. Palmer's character, a young trainee knight, was holding the rabbit in its arms. Well, holding wasn't exactly the right word. More like clutching desperately at it, trying to stop the creature from biting his neck. There were already scratches slashed across his face which oozed purple and all clothes above the waist were in tatters. The rabbit's teeth were dripping purple something. Palmer's character's health stats were extremely low, that's why the screen was flashing.

"Help," Palmer pleaded weakly.

McGee didn't know what to do. Which of his weapons could kill a demonic rabbit? He was pretty sure the curse had rejuvenating powers. He didn't want to decapitate it only to have two heads grow back!

The rabbit started snarling and gnashing his teeth. Palmer's character was weakening by the second, he wouldn't be able to keep the rabbit away from him for much longer.

"Oops."

Or at all, apparently. Palmer's grip had slackened and the rabbit easily got free, eyes narrowing to slits. It instinctively lunged for Palmer's head.

Both men flinched at the bloody graphics of the game. McGee hadn't known the game was capable of such detail.

"That looked painful," Palmer said from behind his fingers. "How could such an itty-bitty rabbit do such a thing?"

McGee sighed heavily and clicked on his inventory.

"I'll get the healing potions."