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Then he unplugged the thing fro her "I think you’re fine," he said "Heart is regular as a reat Your eyes are fine"

"I feel like I can’t…"

A sudden ym?" she asked

"Yup"

"Why aren’t we in a classroo, it was only the six trainees, and one or two Brothers, tops "I mean, we don’t need all that space--"

"You ever have panic attacks?"

"No, never," she lied

"Okay Well, you ht have some anxiety spikes over the next little bit It’s not uncoh a lot--and it wouldn’t be unusual for you to be jumpy as hell"

"Is that a medical term of art?"

"Tonight it is, yup" He sank down on his haunches and got serious "The tricky thing is to recognize that the shortness of breath isin your chest, ’kay? If you can believe in that, you’ll do better You’re medically sound I proht Okay"

"You got this"

"I’ot stabbed in the heart?"

She pshaith her hand "Whatever, man I mean, it’s been at least a week Maybe two Guess I’irl" He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed "Let’s do this And I’ht you said I’ her down the concrete corridor again "Belt and suspenders, my friend Belt and suspenders"

They went forth at a pace that was all about the slow and steady, and as they trundled by the weight rooain

The closer they got to the gy braid, holding it in the center of her chest as if it would offer her soainst what

One of the sets of doors opened before they were in range, and as Vishous stepped out, she wondered if they had been sensed by the Brother

That diamond stare narrowed on her, the tattoos at his teht" He offered his knuckles out for a pound "Giave her soth, and holy crap, it turned out she needed it As Dr Manello pushed her into the gym, she was stunned by the number of people who had lined up at the bleachers It was the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood, all the fighters and her fellow trainees

Everyone went silent

At least until they started to clap Those who had been seated rose to their feet, and people whistled and cheered as well--to the point where she was tempted to check and see if someone else, sonificant, was behind her

"Oh, God, please stop," she muttered into the din

What was she supposed to do? Pull a Queen Elizabeth and do a white-glove wave?

One by one, the Brothers and fighters cae to Butch to Tohr her shoulder or hand a squeeze--or in Zsadist’s case, offering a brief nod What truly saved her was that there wasn’t any pity or gooey sy her into a club that they themselves had been a part of for quite soht as she started to relax The Brothers had all been critically injured in the field at one point or another in their long careers--likely, a nuard