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Marius opened up a door that said STAFF ONLY and loaded us into the freight elevator behind it

"I can’t believe we have to do this," said the tan- quietly beside un to your head," Nathaniel said, then after a dra the crying woman back, until she stepped onit in an orderly fashion," Marius said before a fight could start "We’ll use X’s for rooms that we’ve cleared, O’s for rooms that are empty, and S’s for ones with people who are sick" He paused to look around and uests a chance to answer Souests are slow or deaf Then, if no one answers, go in and look around Clear fro bathrooms, closets, and balconies Okay?"

"There’s only one e asked

Marius nodded "And it’s e of this expedition"

The elevator doors opened and we spilled out onto the ninth floor’s very nice carpeting "Outside rooms--you, you, and you" He pointed to e "Inside rooms, us three" He pointed to hiirls," Nathaniel said with a shark-like grin

"Quite," Jorge said, aligning himself on our "ladies" side

Marius looked at the sheet the doctor had given hiot the Stein in to unlock our door and rap loudly on it while doing so by way of exae clicked his heels and saluted him ironically

Our door didn’t open all the way; there was still a latch closed at the top That was good, I guessed--it h the gap as Marius’s group disappeared into the roo wo fresh or anything, but if you need to, you can holdit out Kate shook her head and gave hie’s hand It would be nice to find some human comfort in all this mess But there was an entire ship to search and only three hours to do it in "Hello?" I asked the gap between the door and doorjaain "Mr and Mrs Avery?"

"Who are you?" A woman’s startled face appeared on the other side

I wasn’t entirely prepared for so and well "I’m--I’m Edie Spence I’uests Is there anyone here needing medical attention?" I tried to sound official I think Marius would have approved

The woman’s eye searched me up and down, and then the door closed and reopened fully, latch undone When she saw Jorge and Kate standing outside she frowned and clutched at her chest That would be just great, if she were fine up until the point where seeing our trio gave her a surprise heart attack

"Mrs Avery?" I said, holding upto seeot over the shock of seeing us, and composed herself quickly "Of course we are Why wouldn’t we be?"

"Can we see your husband too?" Visual confirht?"

"Ask ’em why they’re here!" someone shouted from the back

"They want to see us," she shouted back

"Ask the slow!" yelled the distant voice

The wo to one side as a wave hit it The ocean was getting rougher as the store took er and stepped in "We’re part of a rescuee’s et out of here," she said, cutting Jorge off

There was a certain kind of person who, no iven the"It’s not a rescue ship, it’s asure that no one in this rooency"

"I’m almost out of wine!" shouted whomever she was related to in the back

"That’s not a ency for ht "Look, I just watched my son die horribly downstairs None of you all look that sick"

Mrs Avery looked aghast I s Another minute of this and I would be happy to throw up all of this lady’s shoes "We’re glad you’re all present and accounted for Thanks!" I reached in and slame said, finely tweezed eyebrows rising with the hint of an aed

"Don’t be I like your style" I nodded at her "No one calls it a rescue ship again, okay?" They both nodded

Marius and his group reappeared in the hall "Any luck?"