Flesh and Bone by Lesley Whyte

"You see that? You see how clean the cut is? Your hand should glide along the bone."

"You mean the scalpel should."

"The scalpel is an extension of your hand."

"Sure, because that doesn't sound creepy."

"Can you just...you know? Please?"

"Fine. So, my hand should glide along the bone."

"Watch me. See how I do it? You have to cleave the flesh from the bone. Carefully. Delicately. There's an almost surgical quality to the movement."

"That'd be the scalpel."

"Do you want to do this?"

"This? No. Not even a little bit. When can we get started on the real stuff? You know, the stuff we actually get paid for?"

"You're not ready."

"And you need my help."

"I know! I know I need your help, okay? So can you just shut up and watch what I'm doing here? The sooner I see you make this cut, the sooner we can get started properly."

"Like on an actual person?"

"You know we're not actually going to kill anyone, right?"

"Of course I know that. But still. People, right?"

"Just cut!"

Katy looked down at the raw rack of ribs on the table and sighed, but she picked up the scalpel anyway. "Like this?"