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"I needed to see you"

"You saw me at breakfast," I remind him "You’ll see me at lunch"

"But we can’t really talk We’re never alone"

I nod "We never are" We’re alith other carriers, guards, and instructors watching our every move

"You shouldn’t be here Where are you supposed to be? The guard outside--"

"I’uard stepped out"

"But he’ll be back" Anxiety rides uitar on its stand I don’t want to talk about yesterday About how Tully got the best of s about that are all a-ju to o"

He rasps aze back up I flinch at his touch, his nearness I haven’t been touchedor touched anyone since arriving here Discounting gettinghow, in so short a ti for me Hoant to melt into his hands

He raises an aruess I’ve learned that herehow to be on guard He frowns but doesn’t back off Instead, his hand lifts tothe urge to bolt as his fingers lightly land on e there I know fro that a bruise discolors the flesh beneath my eye He winces as if it hurts hi to tell ain? That’s kind of hard to do when I’h hoarsely

His fingers slide aroundthe back of hter flees "I just want you to be safe"

"Look where we arethis world How can that ever happen?"

He drops his forehead to , he whispers, "You just need to make it out of here, okay?"

Me He makes no mention of himself It’s almost like he doesn’t care what happens to him and this saddens me He should care Someone should care He deserves that

His smoky eyes mesmerize me, pull me in "What about you?"

"Me? I’ll be fine"

And I realize, of course, he has soers drop froo We’ll both be in trouble if you’re caught in here"

He nods slowly and moves for the door "I’ll see you at lunch"

I nod and bitehim to stay As if he could As if there’s a choice in the irl I used to be rouses her head and wants all those things she had before Friends Freedo hands

It’s a hard battle The life I had is a diet And reerous co ahead to the future

Carriers are like a cancer to this once great nation And like any disease, sometimes the only way to battle it is with poison

--Dr Wainwright in a hearing before Congress

TWENTY-SIX

THE FOLLOWING EVENING, THE SIREN PEALS OUT across the air an hour before lights-out We all step into the dusk wearing similar expressions of confusion We never deviate from the schedule Several kids are wet fro sweaty and red faced Evidently, they were getting in an extra workout Sabinebrown hair dae as a herd on the center of the grounds in front of therun Several instructors wait there beside a table loaded with small black packs Colored stripesus with their ever-wary stares

Harris, the instructor in charge of the boys, calls out, "We have an exercise planned for you tonight"

I glance to the sky, wondering how long this exercise will take It will be dark soon

"We are dividing you into seven groups, to be identified by color When your name is called come forith the rest of your tea?"

"I’m sure it’s just a team exercise Probably for morale"

She nods, but her hazel eyes still look nervous

Harris holds up a clipboard and shouts: "Blue team! Jones, Henke, O’Rourke, Morales, Stone, Bustros, and Ruiz"