So now she was sitting in Kutner’s apartment, on his couch, wrapped up in a warm blanket, wearing a big t-shirt and boxershorts Kutner had given to her.
All the protesting had been pointless. Thirteen had said at least a hundred times that she didn’t care wether her clothes were completely soaked or not, Kutner hadn’t been willing to speak to her until she finally took the clothes he offered her and put them on in his bathroom.
As Kutner came into the living room and put a cup of warm tea into her hand, she felt completely awkward.
She was sitting here, on the couch of her co-worker, in the clothes of her co-worker, next to her co-worker…as if she was his girlfriend or so.
And in actual fact she had just wanted to speak to him.
Kutner looked at her as she put her tea away without taking a sip.
„Kutner,what do you-„
She was interrupted by him. „Drink some hot tea… that will warm you up.“
„No, I don’t want to drink tea now, I want to talk to you. Why-„
He interrupted her again. „Come on, I didn’t put poison in it.“
She broke off and gazed at him. Kutner just pointed at the tea.
Thirteen sighed annoyed and took a sip of her tea. It tasted sweet and warmed her stomach immediately. She had to admit that it felt very good now. She drank more before putting the cup aside again.
„Can we now talk…?“, she asked, a little calmer than before.
Kutner nodded.
„Okay. Who is this man in black… He said he knows you.“
Kutner widened his eyes.
„Man in black?“, he looked shocked, „ You..you saw him?? Was he outside before?? Did he talk to you??“
„Yes. He said something about my huntington’s test and about you.“
Kutner looked more uncomfortable from second to second. He clearly didn’t want to talk about that, but she wouldn’t give in. She had to know what was going on.
As Kutner didn’t say anything, Thirteen opened her mouth again.
„Kutner, who was this man?? He was really…weird…“
Kutner looked down. „Who did he tell you he was…?“
She smiled awkwardly. „The devil.“
Silence.
„Wait… do you actually believe that???“, she looked at him and didn’t know what to think anymore, „ Kutner, there is no..devil… Something like that doesn’t exist.“
„So…and what do you think you saw out there?? Just a man in black??“
She nodded. „Well.. a.. weird man i black, but yeah.“
She took another sip of her tea. „Seriously Kutner, if you think he is the devil you have already watched too many science fiction movies.“
Kutner stood up so immediately, that she winced for a second.
„So you also think that your deadly disease just disappeared because I watched too many science fiction movies???“
Thirteen looked at him.
„Appearantly I never had it…“
„Of course you had it, but….“, Kutner broke up, getting aware of what he was saying.
Thirteen watched him. „But…? But what??“
„Nothing.. forget it. Appearantly.. you didn’t have it.“, he smiled and sat down again as if nothing had happened.
„If we were in a fantasy movie I would assume you made a deal with the „devil“ to take the disease from me in exchange for your soul.“
She looked at him, desperately searching for the sign of a grin on his face. But Kutner neither smiled nor grinned or laughed. He just sat there like frozen, staring back at her.
Seconds passed by as they just stared into each other’s eyes, until Kutner looked away and Thirteen jumped up, throwing the blanket away.
„No…. NO! This is not true! This can’t be true! I must be dreaming… this makes no sense…“
But she had to admit, if she believed that this man had been the devil…. It all made sense… her positive and negative test results, drunk Kutner…
She turned away from Kutner. „Why would you do that…“
He shrugged. „ I dunno..it was.. something new. Sounded exciting..?“
„It sounded exciting??? You decided to sell your soul because it sounded exciting???“
Kutner stood up.
„It sounded like the right thing to do…“, he quietly said as he approached her.
„It had nothing to do with you.“, Thirteen whispered, still standing with her back to him.
„Maybe I just love playing with the devil?“, he said smiling and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
She winced a little, surprised by his sudden touch, but didn’t pull back.
„When..when will you have to pay?“
„He will only take my soul after my death….“, Kutner said, secretly knowing that this wasn’t the whole truth…