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At his latest bout of stammering, Dee glances up. She's still squinting, but it's not accusingly. "You....you didn't eat them, did you?" Absently, the naturalist scratches at her injection site.

Oh, Dee. Look at that expression.The hair on the back of her neck itches and prickles, standing on end. What do *you* think?

"You did eat them," she says with a slouch and a very weak grin.

"Shhhh, shh! Newt, calm down," she quickly replies, face relaxing even though it prompted her eyes to start watering again. "I know what you're saying, and I know you were just hungry. I only asked you not to eat birds from my feeders, I didn't say you could NEVER eat birds." She reaches out towards him. "C'mere, I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm just having a really bad morning."

As she extends her arm, Dee thinks she sees a strange mark on her skin... when she tries to focus on it, it's gone. I need to get some fluids down. I'm seeing things.

"I think so. It's just a result of the heat and me not taking in enough water to counter the booze. You don't have to worry about ol' Dee."

She's a bad liar.

With a painful grunt, Dee pulls herself to her feet. Her bright red lips are pursed as a thought crosses her mind. "You know, we should take these in and put them under a light, in case they're still viable." Yes, Dee. Closer to the bed in case you keel over. "Maybe we can hatch them. Come on in..."

Dee takes a seat at her desk and gently places the nest in front of her. "Pull up that other chair if you'd like," she mumbles at Newt as she turns on the goose-neck style reading lamp. "Let's get a better look at these."

Clean white, no markings, sturdy but messy-looking nest... hmm... fairly large bird....

"I don't suppose you recognized the species of the, eh, mother? Just general ballpark type would help." Dee picks up each egg one at a time, gingerly turning them around in her slender fingertips and holding them close to the lightbulb. It was hard to concentrate through her blurring vision and the aching joints, but she could see what she was looking for.

"Two of them are fertile, Newt. Look." Sure enough, at just the right angle there was a small web of blood vessels visible just inside the ivory shell. "This trick is called 'candling.' Unfortunately..." she picks up the third egg. "This one didn't survive."

Upon said ovum there was a hairline fracture and a small, if steady, leak of fluid.

Dee's expression softens. "Well, we'll try. They're the only ones we *could* save. The broken one is infertile. Nothing in it that can grow." She looks over and pats Newt gently on his slick shoulder. "There's nothing *to* save in that one. You can eat it if you'd like...probably'd be a healthy snack."

At the thought of food, her stomach twisted, but she smiled nonetheless.

Dee nodded, looking drowsy but pleased. "I'll do my best. I've seen this work on quail and chicken eggs, but haven't tried it with pigeon." She gently slides two thick books under the nest, lifting it up closer to the light, then up-ends two more heavy books around it, trying to corral the heat in.

"That's the best I can do for now. I'll try to find some foil to help conduct better, as well as a thermometer." She leans over and kisses the top of Newt's head. "Thank you, hon. Really."

Dee flinches as Newt hammers out those potent calls. Her head aches and she has to lean away a bit, bringing up a hand and clasping it over her forehead. "Uh, n-no problem, babe. Really, it was my pleasure." She looks embarrassed at her outward sensitivity and responds with a shaky smile.

She reaches over and pulls a bottle of water from the fridge. After taking a few deep swigs, she touches the tip of Newt's snout. "Would you like anything?"