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Allen slipped his ID from a shirt pocket "I can tell," he said as the woman on duty stepped forward "You hit your head I’et checked out"
"I’m fine," she complained as the snow-crisp air slipped in his lowered , but she dutifully showed the security woht’s sleep would dohere"
"Letthe security wo to the h he didn’t have to "She overdrafted, and I want her checked out"
Overdrafted, as in losing too ht Bullshit She’d probably lost large chunks of time before And therein lies the problerip on the wheel tightened as he drove toward the ser office building His frustration was obvious in the occasional gliht "I know you’re tired, but you drafted twice in twenty-four hours I want you checked out before I goabout in your head"
I drafted twice? Uneasy, she dropped her glass phone into her purse to figure out how to use later "You think Iher even more MEPs were usually preceded by s out, but occasionally old daer it Peri suddenly felt fragile
"I don’t want toas he pulled up right before the door of an unassu "I’d feel better if we checked your synaptic activity levels"
His uncertainty bothered her ht ahead as he turned the car off Her gaze went to her broken nail, and her pulse throbbed at her eye and at the back of her head Her hip was bruised, and her shoulder had been wrenched The faint scent of gunpowder lingered in the seat cushions Her Mantis could be cleaned and the sundry hurts in her body would e to her mind … that’s where the darkness lay
Seeing her un to be okay," he said, but his slad when he took his hand away
They got out at the saht Opti’s infir looked like all the rest There weren’t many Opti operatives, and their unique aillass door, and she murmured her thanks as she went in, too tired to smile at the receptionist Allen could be personable for both of them "Special needs," he said by way of explanation, but Peri was already following the teal line on the floor Allen jogged to catch up, the cadence telling her he ran regularly She felt only a minor flash of irritation when he looped his arm in hers to slow her down He was only a few inches taller, and that seemed odd sohtened
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Allen said, and she forced her pace to ease
"Sorry," she said, and the large lanced up at theuy was tall without an ounce of fat on him, his tie loosened as if at the end of a hard day, but his face was clean-shaven--only hours ago He’d be good at subduing unruly patients Maybe that hy he worked nights
Stop it, Peri She was seeing assassins in the shadows, but all she had to go on at the moment was intuition, and it was in overdrive "I can’t believe anyone is here," she said when they turned the corner and the "
"You don’t think Frank called ahead?" he asked The teal line lass door and all Beyond it was a tiny waiting roo woman in purple scrubs behind the reception counter She’d be in a suit during norht shift as she’d have to do everything from file the paperwork to draw blood It was Ruth, and Peri didn’t have to fake a smile as she and Allen went in
"Peri," Ruth said as she stood, her relief obvious She vanished behind a wall, and in half a second she was coh the heavy wooden door that separated her fro Peri a hug that was so honest Peri’s eyes shut as she basked in the other woman’s warmth "I’m so sorry You okay?"
Peri nodded when Ruth held her at arth and searched her expression "I’m okay Really," she added when the nurse looked doubtfully at Allen
"Hi, Allen," she said as she let go of Peri, and paranoia pinged at Ruth’s guarded tone
"She hit her head, but it’s the proximity drafts I’ He didn’t like Ruth, either "I’d like to geton this Is Bill here?"
Ruth frowned, her pique obvious at his is up "No," she said, pushing open the heavy door and leading theh Get your synaptic baseline and send you home No need to check you in"
"Thank God," Peri said softly, feeling the late hour all the way to her bones