There's a stink to it, as the skin loosens, and that's a bad sign, of course--same with the fluid and pus leaking around the edges. Alex wants to ask Neil what exactly the asshole did do right, but catches the words in his mouth. Just the same, he starts peeling and slowly pulling the pieces of string out, cutting them shorter to get them out easier when needs be.

To Neil, Alex only snorts. "There used to be a lot of drug cons in the Mojave before they got shut down. A lot of money pushing through, that sort of thing. You're a resourceful kid--I thought you found the last remains of one of those gangs and found a way to deal with them." He rolls his eyes, then keeps watching his hands. "Why else would someone reject every last cap I pay them?"