Back to the present.

Sarah didn't want to freak Ashley out; she had rehearsed the act of opening the door and smiling politely. "Hi, Ashley," she intended to say with a vaguely pleasant tone. "Come on in."

When she opened the door and saw her friend's face, all of that was immediately forgotten. The warmth, affection, and love that filled her heart erupted in a cry of joy and a bear hug.

"Ash! Oh my God, Ashley, it's so good to see you!" Sarah pulled back from her embrace and beamed at her friend, barely managing not to break into laughter at the look of shock on Ashley's face. "Come in, come in! We made penne alfredo!"

She opened the door wide and gestured to Ashley, who stepped quietly into the apartment to see Zack grinning sheepishly. As Sarah took her coat, Ashley struggled for words. She knew from her brief phone conversation that Sarah wasn't her usual self, but the overwhelming physical **** of her friend's exuberance completely disarmed her.

"...wow. Thanks. I mean, it's good to see you too. You seem... well?"

Sarah laughed boisterously. "Understatement of the year, Ash. Seriously, this thing is incredible! It just... sucks the misery right out of my soul. I've never experienced anything like it. But come on! Zack made an amazing dinner for us. I mean, cold hot dogs would be amazing for me but I think you're gonna like this one too."

Ashley sat at the table, where Zack put a plate of steaming pasta in front of her and Sarah. He returned with his own plate and a bottle of wine, which he uncorked and offered to the women. Both gratefully accepted and Sarah immediately began eating her dinner.

"So, what is this called again? It's some kind of anesthetic or something?" Ashley asked. She took a bite of the pasta and nodded approvingly at Zack.

"That'sh jusht what they call it," Sarah said through a mouth of sauce. "Fuck, babe, thish ish sho good. You explain it while I eat."

Zack obliged. "Yeah, it's a new treatment for depression. It's called phenomenological anesthesia and it belongs to some weird class of **** I've never heard of, something like neurochronic."

"Neuro-cthonic," Sarah corrected after swallowing a sip of wine. "God, my memory is so much better now!"

"Right. Uh, it basically makes it so that she can't experience anything bad. Nothing can hurt her or bother her."

Ashley stared at Sarah, who just grinned and nodded. She finished her glass of wine and slid it forward, indicating she wanted another. As Zack dutifully refilled it, she spoke directly to Sarah.

"You can't experience anything bad? What the hell does that even mean? If you stub your toe do you pass out or something?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, no, it's not like that. If I stub my toe I'll definitely feel the pain. It just won't feel bad. Like eating spicy food, you know? It hurts but it's enjoyable."

Zack couldn't suppress a smile seeing Ashley struggle to understand just as he had, and Sarah patiently explaining it all over again without a trace of irritation. She could spend all night repeating the same thing until she was hoarse and have a great time.

"So it just makes the pain... milder?" Ashley asked. "Turns the volume down?"

"Not exactly," Sarah said. "It's like... ok, you know how I don't like seafood? It's the same taste, but you love it and I hate it. We can describe the flavor and agree on the adjectives, but it's enjoyable for you and not for me. Well, now I like fish."

"Really?" Ashley said. "You actually like fish?"

"She ate an entire serving of cold leftover fish when we got home from the hospital," Zack said. "She liked it."

"I like everything," Sarah emphasized. "It doesn't matter what it is. Scorpion stings, rotten meat, lesbian sex, skydiving. Pain, disgust, preferences, and fear just don't register anymore."

"Jesus," Ashley said softly.

"Wanna test it?" Sarah asked with a mischievous grin.

"What do you mean, 'test it'?"

"Do something I won't like. Punch me, or kiss my husband. Give me a wedgie!" Sarah laughed. "I've never enjoyed a wedgie before."

Ashley was stunned. "I... I'm not gonna hurt you, Sarah. Did this turn you into a masochist or something? Why are you saying all of this stuff?"

"Fine," Sarah said with a grin. To Ashley's horror, she nonchalantly pulled off her blouse and tossed it aside. She reached for her bra, then paused and looked at Zack expectantly. He shrugged.

"We've both seen 'em," he said. "See, as much as Sarah's enjoying this, it can have consequences. Part of my job this week is to keep her from doing something she'll regret."

"I'm getting better at checking in," Sarah said with more than a hint of pride. Now topless, she stood and went behind the island to their refrigerator. She put her and below the ice dispenser and received a small handful of cubes.

"See?" she said as she held them to her nipples. "This feels amazing. I could stay like this till my tits froze off and enjoy every second of it. I feel the cold just as much as you would, but it feels good."

Ashley's mouth hung open at the sight of her topless friend grinning manically as her palms and nipples began to go numb from cold. She looked to Zack, who shrugged again.

"See, nothing hurts. Nothing bothers me. I want to get as many experiences as I can while this thing lasts. So let me ask you more directly: what do you want to do to me?"