Ken collected his $200 check from Tommy and grinned. It was a bit humiliating, but $200 per day was easy money. He put the check in his wallet, and started toward the bank. Suddenly, he felt like his mouth was full of something. His cheeks even puffed out a bit. He looked in a nearby mirrored window. He opened his mouth gently, but he could see nothing inside. It was a weird sensation. Maybe it was a side effect of that sensory deprivation tank. He shook his head. Tommy had said something about hallucinations or weird sensations being a side effect, at least he thought Tommy might have said something like that. He had learned to tune out Tommy decades ago. He moved his tongue around the invisible crinkled prunes and sausage that seemed to be in his mouth. He stuck a finger in his mouth. There was nothing there, but he could still feel it. He crinkled his nose, maybe he needed a shower. Something smelled like a locker room. Maybe it was just heightened senses after deprivation that had to be it.
He made it to the bank, and discovered he was mumbling now when he reached the teller. He endorsed the check and gestured and mumbled, "Den-is."
"Oh, you've been to the dentist?"
He nodded. It was the easiest explanation. He'd call Tommy -no. He'd wait until his visit tomorrow. It would probably clear up by then.
The sausage suddenly grew and jabbed Ken in the back of his throat. He gagged and looked around. Hopefully nobody noticed. He headed for his favorite bar. He needed a drink.