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"--Novo? Hello?"

She snapped to "I’m sorry, what?"

Dr Manello stared down at her for a moment Then he sank onto his haunches "You want to tellI just ate so funny"

"What was it?"

"I don’t re-too-clearly territory, she got up and walked around "Honestly, I’ll be good by toht"

"You know, if you need to talk to someone--"

"I absolutely, positively, do not need to talk to anybody"

"Okay" He put his hands out "I’ll back off"

Dr Manello reloaded his little black bag, and then he was back at her door "Call h, if you start to run a fever or actually vo to be necessary" She went over to let hi--"

"I’m worried about you And not froht of that patient down in the clinic, the one who screaht, they had sooing to be her She just wasn’t going to have it

"I’m not," she told him "I’h what had co over the reality that Peyton was exactly who she’d thought he asn’t going to be a problem She’d already trained for it

--

Where the hell was she?

As Peyton walked into the training center’s weight rooh the various bodies on theno-Novo

With a frown, he went over to the Brother Qhuinn "Hey, have you seen Novo?"

"She called in sick Said she wasn’t feeling well"

Peyton’s first instinct was to get on a rocket ship and race across town The problem with that? He had no rocket, and he didn’t know her address--but, wait, he had fed her, hadn’t he

"Did she say rong?"

"Nope Just that she was sick to her sto in She sounded nauseous, but not at death’s door"

"Could it be so with her heart? A problem from--"

"I told Manny, so he went out there and checked her He said it was garden-variety food poisoning or soreen eyes leveled on hi her?"

"When she left htfall, I--" He clamped his mouth shut "No, I can’t"

"Maybe she would appreciate a text or a call from a classmate?" the Brother drawled "Or a visit after class?"

"Yeah That’s a real--otta work"

"No problehtailed it into the locker room and went to where he’d tossed his duffel on the floor, having not even bothered to put it in a locker Rifling through his change of clothes and his weapons, he snagged his phone Nothing from her

His first call went into voicemail His second…yup, went as well

He kept the text short and sweet: Are u ok? Can I bring u anything?

Peyton waited five o back to class