When You Absolutely Need A Toothpick

"You sure you want to go further?"
Rob snorted. "I need to know. Plus Marqea pissed me off."
Larry laughed, "Yeah, I suppose. You wanna go over what I managed to dig up?" Larry pulled into his parking spot at the apartment building.
Rob shook his head and opened the door, "Later. Deb'll want to know too. And I don't want to remember all that."
They both got out, Larry shaking his head. "You keep putting temptation in my way."
"Pfft. Larry if you keep it up, she's gonna kick you in the balls. You know that, right?"
Larry laughed but didn't say anything. When they stopped before the editor Larry put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't dig too deep. I've got other friends that can do that and be relatively safe. You can't, and you're already on the radar." He paused and smiled wryly, "Plus you're the only reason Deb even tolerates me."
"Ha. I'll be careful. Just the surface, I promise. I have no desire to disappear. Deb would just find me and kick my butt."
Larry laughed and slipped past to his own apartment. "Later, bro. Like I said. Be careful."
Robbie mock saluted and stepped into the elevator. He forced himself into his own apartment, shoving hard on the door to close it all the way. He'd get it fixed, but he figured it would buy him a few minutes to call the police if anyone ever tried to force their way in. At least, he liked to think so, anyway. He stood near his recliner and looked back and forth between his computer and the small functional kitchen. He shrugged and shuffled into the kitchen to make some lunch.
He pulled out sandwich fixings for roast beef, and made a nice thick sandwich, which he promptly enjoyed. He sat at his small kitchen table and looked out the window. He was lucky enough to get a nice view over the Animas River, which was nearly in the building's back yard. He sighed as he watched the summer boaters on the river, he did enjoy people watching, and he didn't do it nearly as much as he used to.
Robbie loved roast beef. Except when strands of the meat stuck between his teeth. He got up and dug around the kitchen for a toothpick, but couldn't find one. Slightly annoyed, he washed his dishes then went and sat in front of his computer. He did some more searching on the esteemed Doctor Marqea, worrying at the piece of roast beef in his teeth. He sighed, really wishing he had a toothpick.
He tapped easily at the keys until he felt a tugging on his left fingers, then the middle didn't even touch the key, despite feeling the key being pressed. Robbie blinked, and looked at his hand. The sleeve was slightly stretched, and a peach-colored point was sticking through.
"The hell?" Rob said aloud, then pulled the sleeve off. Not expecting to see a thin piece of plastic shaped like a toothpick sticking out of his fingernail. He knew he really shouldn't be surprised. The whole situation was improbable, and yet...
Thinking, he held his hand up. He frowned and remembered the tugging sensation. He imagined someone or something pulling on his middle finger. Slowly, the toothpick-like object lengthened. As sweat beaded on his forehead with the effort, he saw his fingertip pucker and fade to flesh. Experimentally, he lightly tugged on the stick. With a feeling like plucking out a hair, the plastic toothpick came free. Fairly easily, too. He stared at the stick, amazed. It had come out of him. He was so amazed, that he never noticed the strip of roast beef had dislodged from his teeth.