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She shook her head But she had to ad the nanites would have fixed "Can’t be," she said

"Want proof?" He reached to the bedside table that held the cup, pitcher, and straw, and picked up a hand mirror "Look"

She was a mess Bruised Her nose had been broken and reset, and was braced with tape and ascratches, and she re to live

When she touched them, the bruises ached So did her nose, with a constant dull throb

Healing, but healing slowly At a hu else A dull ache farther down, low in her torso Faotten until now

"I’," she said, and pointed down For some reason, it

"Yes," he said "Because you’re alive, Bryn That’s the real proof"

Pain was proof Pain and discomfort and messy, inconvenient life

Bryn caught her breath on a sob All those things she’d given up, however unwillingly--love, faain All alive, like her, with possibilities

"Annie?" she asked Patrick’s smile faded, and she felt tears catch fire in her throat "Oh, no No"

"We couldn’t bring her back I’m sorry, we tried It was--I don’t know Riley was too badly hurt, we couldn’t save her, but AnnieAnnie should have coht Maybe, for Annie, she’d found what she wanted out there in the darkness beyond Maybe she’d found Sharon