Run on for a Long Time

Eliza and Murphy walked into the kitchen where everyone else was, and Paul asked, "Eliza, will you move the rolls to the counter?"

"Sure." Not realizing that the rolls had just come out of the oven Eliza grabbed the pan with her bare hand and screamed. She clutched her left wrist and stared at her blistering palm while whimpering.

"I'll go get the aloe," Eunice said, leaving the room.

"Can't you go a single week without burning yourself?" Connor asked.

"I don't burn myself that frequently." Her voice was raised much higher than normal considering the pain she was in.

"If your voice raises any higher, only dogs will be able to hear you."

"Then you'll be able to hear me just fine!"

Connor didn't reply, but pretended to be hurt by her comment.

"You do burn yourself a lot," Murphy said, dragging her to the sink to run cool water over her hand.

"I do not."

"How did you get the burn on your leg?"

"Connor pushed me and I fell against the oven, and the door was hot. That was Connor's fault though."

"The week before?"

"I stepped on hot ashes from your cigarette."

"And before that?"

"I burned my thumb taking a pan of pork chops out of the oven. Okay! I get it! I get burned a lot, but most of the time it's not my fault."

Murphy chuckled and turned the water off as Eunice returned with a large bottle of aloe vera and a roll of gauze. She smeared the lotion onto Eliza's hand and wrapped it with the gauze. "You've got to be more careful."

"Most of it isn't my fault though. Obviously, the only way I'm never going to get burned is if I never step foot into the kitchen again, especially not when Connor's in here, and if all of you quit smoking."

"That's not going to happen any time soon," Paul told her.

"Yeah, and you pushed me first, and I wasn't trying to hurt you when I pushed you."

Eliza stuck her tongue out at Connor and he did the same back.

"What is it that makes the two of you act so childish?" Paul asked.

Neither of them answered and Eliza left the room.