He'd slumped in the chair still breathing in the smell of charred flesh, throwing the pencils down to the floor. It didn't matter because his tongue was still numb, tasting only that smell of death. He hadn't tasted anything so vile since the Titianomachy.
"Yeah," he said biting back the pain. He wasn't sure if she would really be back or just wanted to rob his register, but in the back of his mind he actually hoped she did or he might still just die right in that chair. He flopped his head back staring up at the ceiling, keeping his eyes on something so that he didn't lose his focus or knock out from the pain, but it was intense. The veins in his neck were still clearly visible as he ground his teeth together.