Riley Gets High (Pt 1)

Riley laid back down the bed feeling like he messed up.

Shiro tilted his head to the side. “What did you do?” He asked after making sure Loreen was gone. Slither was now with him, nuzzling into his neck.

“I kissed her on the cheek” Riley sighed turning to face the wall.

“Ever think maybe she’s not used to normal girly stuff?” Shiro inquired as he stretched. “She had to be like iron back at Thrane’s place…”

“I don't know much about romance either” he admitted “before her there was someone i cared about but they chose another. After that coral and some of the female guards are the only thing I've experience and I didn't want it.” Pulling the covers over himself he tried to forget the painful memories. “Loreen is the only reason i kept holding on. I didn't want to hurt her by…. ‘Quitting’ she blamed herself for the chip i had because Thrane tricked her. I kept trying to cheer her up by sharing some of the snacks I could get my hands on. I just want to see her smile.”

“That's gonna take time for all of us…” Shiro sighed.

That was when a young woman with dark skin and black hair walked in. Her brown eyes were like amber as she took in all the patients. “Hello,” She said softly as she pushed a meal cart into the room. It had bowls and plates with fruits and berries. “I brought pain reliever berries for those in need.”

Shiro couldn't help but stare at the darkly dressed woman with what looked like flowers woven into her hair. Who was she?

Riley sat up in his bed and looked at the woman warily. “Hello I'm Riley.”

Looking at Riley, the woman seemed enthralled. “Hello, I'm River.” She said.

“It's nice to meet you miss River” Riley replied as he looked at the cart curiously having never seen many of the items before in his life.

“Thanks, nice to meet you too, Riley.” River replied as she grabbed a bowl of assorted fruits and berries. “Want some?”

“What are these?” he asked while looking at the bowl “I've never seen food like this only the nutrient paste they fed me or the candy I'd sometimes get”

“Well…” River pointed to each of the fruits and named them off, explaining what they tasted like and what they did along the lines as health for the human body. She did the same for most of the berries, but there were three that were of her own making. Pointed to some candy-like red ones, she said, “These are for helping with pain - Pain Berries. I made them through crossbreeding and trial and error. I’ve gotten them to a perfect flavor so they aren’t too sweet. I only added three of them because more than that may give you too much of a high if you’ve never had anything like it before.”

Pointed to a green berry with a pinkish hue to it, she explained. “These, I call them Relaxant Berries. They merely help calm your mind and relax you.” Picking up a yellow-green one, she held it out to him. “This is just the Lemon-Lime Berry. Just a fun flavored candy berry that has all the flavor and none of the negative side-effects.”

Putting everything back in the bowl, she set it on Riley’s table. “I hope you enjoy them.” She told him as she grabbed another and gave it to Shiro.

Riley tried one enjoying the flavor before using his speed to eat several bowls of the different berries without warning.

“Hey!” River blurted in anger now. “That’s not polite!”

Shiro stared at Riley. “Idiot, they’re in portions for a reason…”

“Sorry i didn't. … They were just…” he apologized feeling guilty as memories of the guards punishing him played in his mind before feeling the effects. “I'm not used to being around so much food” he said, his speech slightly slurred.

“Oh, dear,” River murmured with worry now.

“What’s happening to him?” Shiro asked as he got out of bed.

“He’s going to basically have an acid trip…” River groaned.

“I feel so much better” Riley sighed as he relaxed in his bed “I'm really sorry miss River is there anyway I can make it up to you?” He asked giggling “the pretty flowers in your hair are dancing”