The journey started in silence. I tried to forget the sharp aching and itching of the accelerated healing, now that my attention was no longer focused on anything else. I then realized that I was healing even faster than before.

- 'Is it me, or does my regeneration seem to be boosted?' I asked Jude in a thoughtful voice.

- 'It is.'

He then sketched a sort of grin as he continued to scan the darkness through the window with a focused gaze. What could he possibly distinguish in this mess? Mystery.

- 'Could you be more specific or do I have to beg?' I grunted.

- 'Um... It might be nice... Just try it!'

He tried to distract my attention with his mocking eyes, but I focused on the road, or at least I tried. This man was succeeding in getting on my nerves in record time. I ignored him and kept driving. He didn't want to give me any answers, so be it, I wasn't going to beg.

- 'You received a transfusion of metamorph blood. You'll regenerate like a real one for a few more hours and then it'll return to normal.'

I opened my mouth to speak, my mind swarming with questions, when he continued on the same monotone.

- 'Our healing capacity appears at puberty and gradually increases to reach its maximum during our first transformation, for obvious reasons. This also causes a visible and dramatic slowdown in aging,' he said in a bored voice.

The unexpected information stunned me for a few seconds. So much so that I almost ran off the road, temporarily distracted. Fortunately for everybody, we were in the middle of nowhere and at this time of night, we had little chance of crossing another vehicle.

- 'Maybe you'd better give me the wheel, if you're gonna drive like that.'

- 'And you, when you drop a bomb like that, set up the stage a little if you don't want any unpleasant surprises, you moron!'

Silently I called him names, while trying to calm myself. I was hoping I'd at least frightened him a little, that would be neat!

- 'Apparently, you didn't know about it!' he added with his little mocking tone.

- 'Like you don't know that. What the hell is your problem with me?'

I was annoyed and abruptly hit the steering wheel and stopped on the side of the road. Then I turned to the right to face him and was happy to see that my manoeuvre had made him a little sick.

- 'Why did you insist so much on coming with me? Obviously you can't stand me, so go ahead, explain yourself,' I shouted with as much exasperation as anger.

He turned to me with a raging movement and stared at me with an ardent look.

- 'Because I have no choice,' he spat. 'There, are you happy? Can we go now?'

He looked away at the passenger window, but I could see from the stiffness of his posture that he was furious and that he was trying not to let any other emotion get through.

- 'Are you kidding me? Do you really think I'm going to settle for that? Dream on!' I muttered in an acid voice.

- 'You don't want to find your friend anymore?' he whispered in a perfidious and soft voice, his gaze still riveted on the night.

At that very moment, the desire to punch something overwhelmed me, because, it cost me to admit it, his remark was justified. My hands tightened on the wheel, making me whiten my phalanges, and my wounds ached again. Which at least had the advantage of calming my anger. I figured no matter what I say or do, I would get nothing more for the moment and got back on the road normally.

- 'Don't think I'm going to leave it at that,' I whispered, although I knew he heard me anyway, considering the wince I saw in the rear-view mirror.

The remainder of the journey was made in a heavy silence, when we finally arrived in sight of the police station closest to my home. I parked a few blocks from it to avoid attracting unwelcome attention, then we walked the rest of the way.

It was a rectangular, one-storey building that had seen better days, as had the rest of the neighbourhood. Flanked on either side by a shabby dry cleaners and an abandoned shop, its flaked facade reinforced the gloom already inspired by the randomly suspended letters, forming the word "POLICE" above the glass door. If it wasn't for the light pouring onto the sidewalk, it would have looked like the building had been abandoned. Charming.

I stopped for a while. There was nothing welcoming about the place, especially at night. Jude then glared at me.

- 'You better hide your bandages well,' he told me, nodding at my arms, finally breaking the silence that weighed between us.

I didn't answer anything and headed for the entrance alone.

- 'I'll wait for you outside,' he added, melting into the night.