Luca gave Nox and unsure look but opened his mouth. Nox put the bite of food on Luca’s tongue. His strained expression smoothed out as he chewed. He swallowed. “More.”
Nox tore off bits, and Luca shoved them in his mouth so fast he choked.
“Easy. Chew.” Nox pulled his hand back, and Luca snatched the food from his fingers and crammed it in his mouth. His cheeks bulged.
“I mean it, Luca, you’ll choke.”
Luca worked his jaw, but his stare remained on the bag of food. An almost feral expression Nox hadn’t seen outside of the Utah facility.
On anyone who wasn’t infected with the ichor.
Luca finally swallowed, and Nox gave him another bite. Fresh color filled Luca’s cheeks. He sucked the grease from his fingers, then made another dive for the bag of chicken.
“Give it to me.”
Nox held it out of reach, and Luca snarled.
“I’m starving, goddamn it.” His voice filled the Jeep. The tone so unlike him, Nox would have never believed he was capable of that kind of raw rage. Frantic, desperate, panicked anger.
Luca froze with his eyes wide. “I’m sorry.” He sucked his fingers again as if it were a reflex. “I’m just….”
“You’re hungry.”
Luca nodded. “I feel like I haven’t eaten for days.”
Nox bet it was more like weeks. “With the number of calories your body is burning, you pretty much haven’t.” He held out another piece of chicken and Luca took it, chewing once or twice before swallowing. Tears pricked his eyes, and his Adam’s apple worked against the column of his neck in a visual effort to force down the meat.
Luca held out his hand. “Drink some water.” He pulled a bottle from the bag, but Luca wouldn’t take it. Nox set the bag of chicken aside to open the water.
Luca grabbed the bag and tore into it.
Nox seized Luca’s wrist. “Stop, Luca.”
The frustration in Luca’s expression melted into fear. He stared at his hand like he didn’t know who it belonged to. Nox pried open Luca’s fingers and put the tatters of meat back in the bag and set it aside. He gave Luca the water. “Drink, wash it down.”
Luca took a few swallows.
“More.”
He glared at Nox and turned up the bottle, emptying it. Luca tossed it aside and held out his hand.
Nox opened a package of deli cheese.
“The chicken.”
“You need fat too. The protein was good to start with, but you need the fat for energy.” He gave a slice to Luca. He barely had it in his mouth before he swallowed.
The next piece, Nox tore into fourths.
He still didn’t chew, but at least the pieces were small, and he was less likely to choke.
Nox broke apart another slice.
Luca’s hand shook when he took the fragments and fear tainted his sweat. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Eat the cheese.”
Luca did. When half the package was gone, Nox handed him another bottled water. He drank it.