"We need to have this clan meeting about what Brian said plus what Pap and I planned with Bobby today." No one said anything."You know that we have be...en planning for the worst and hoping for the best. While Brian's news is not welcome it is not unexpected. During our meeting with Bobby, Pap and I planned with him for over two hours how we would deal with something just like this happening." I stopped and took a drink of my tea."What Brian did today was to simply give us a two-day head start on. They pulled everything off me and slammed my head." Mary said getting wild eyed as the nurse moved in to shake an IV bag before opening it's tap into the line going into Mary's arm. I knew it was a precautionary sedative as I had already looked at all the bags on the tree."Wait!" I said touching the nurses arm. "She tends to panic when confused, give me a second." I said as I took Mary's hand again and reached to hold her cheek in my hand."I know, I know, but you're OK now. They helped you here. " Maggie realized she was spilling too much as well, but couldn't seem to stop herself."I remember when I was a kid, days felt like forever. When I was in college, it felt like I was swinging on a rope tied to the weekends. Now time zips by in months and I feel like I blink twice and it's Christmas again. I'm afraid I'll wake up one day and wonder where my life went." She felt the emotion in her throat and her eyes were full, but she swallowed it down again and blinked back the tears, not. Galvin clapped both hands over his ears and tried to leap backwards but he was already moving too slowly for what happened next.As he watched with wide eyes he saw Dusty launch himself at Galvin, but as he did Dusty's shirt was shredded as it ripped open, and a large set of scaly reptilian wings spread out of the shredded remains of his shirt. Also Dusty's body, the now exposed chest, hands, and face, all took on a reddish brown scaly hue. His head appeared to elongate and his mouth now had a.