A Valuable Lesson In Non-Regeneration

Everyone please remain calm, says the flight attendant, picking up the finger.

Is this yours? she asks Gaius.

No, says Gaius, waving his hands to demonstrate that he still has ten fingers.

Nor mine, says Dries, doing the same.

Would you mind vacating your seats for a moment, says the flight attendant (whose name is Holly).

Is there a problem? asks Gaius.

Yes, snaps Holly. There's blood dripping from the overhead locker.

Gaius stands up, nearly bumping his head. He can't move yet, because Dries hasn't.

Dries stands up. They both shuffle sideways, and stand in the aisle.

Holly reaches up and pulls down the orange backpack.

Plonk. It is now on Seat 13B.

It is howling.

Wait, no, that is Terence, who has lost a finger.

Oh my goodness! says Holly. It's a little baby Jesus, and it's finger's come off.

The other passengers crane their necks to see the little baby Jesus with no finger.

Let me see, says Gaius. Stop howling, Terence. It can't possibly hurt. It's nothing my Roman bull glue won't fix in a jiffy.

Terence stops howling.

We were wrestling, says Terence. I won.

Tic! Tic! Tic!

What's that ticking? says Holly.

It's not ticking, says Terence. It's Tic! Tic! Tic!

Endangered bird alarm call, says Gaius.

Don't tell me there's a BIRD in this back pack! says Holly.

Not a whole one, says Terence. One of his claws has come off.

Hence the bleeding, says Gaius.

I shall have to report this to the captain, says Holly. Don't sit down yet.

She goes to the front of the plane.

Dries looks into the depths of his back pack. Baby B-B is there, his claw has come off and he is casting around in the darkness.

Let me help you, says Dries. He pokes around in the bottom.

A passenger stands up and comes over.

Excuse me, I was just thinking, if you don't want that finger.....

My finger! cries Terence. I do want my finger!

I just thought, says the passenger. Sorry......

He goes back and sits down. Probably some sort of Catholic.

Dries finds the claw.

Eureka!

Baby B-B looks hopeful.

Now then, says Dries. Do you want to tell me about it?

We were finger-wrestling, says baby B-B. Finger v. claw. And I won.

We both won, says Terence. But I won the most because you're bleeding.

But you lost a finger, says baby B-B.

You lost a claw, says Terence.

I can grow another one, says baby B-B.

Can he? asks Terence.

No, says Gaius. He can't.