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"I know that"

"I do love you No matter what may have happened, or what may happen, I do love you"

"I know that, too, Dad," I said--and I did know it, no matter how s about my parents I had never wondered whether they lovedoccurred to me then, and I asked, "Can I borrow the car keys? I’ll send the to be hi treated to prevent tapewor over her brain

My father raised an eyebrow "What do you need froive it back to you when you coure out that the book janals I didn’t know the answer, but whatever it was, it would probably point him back to Dr Cale, and I didn’t want to do that Besides which, I wasn’t going back to Sy a way to hide fro ive you the keys I’ you to the car myself" My surprise must have shown inI can do for Joyce right now, and standing here staring at her isn’t going to et on your way safely before I do anything else"

Gratitude swept overto be put into words So I just nodded, and stepped off to one side as he turned and muttered instructions to the doctors ould presu Joyce’s condition in his absence I stole glances atup at the ceiling, jaw set in the fir to let herself cry Joyce could seeht she was She would coh this

Assu it wasn’t already too late, and the implant hadn’t already worked tooher naed my attention back into the present I turned to see one of the doctors glaring at e across his features "You can’t pretend this isn’t relevant The implications--"

"The implications are that these people can mimic sounds, no matter how advanced their illnesses, which tells me there’s still hope to save them," said my father "Please continue the treatress Sal, coe back into your street clothes before you leave here"

"Co, Dad," I said, and followed him as he walked down the hall

Maybe it was because I didn’t spend enough time at USAMRIID--or any time, really, when I could avoid it--but the layout of the building didn’tto no logical pattern, soe open spaces that then proceeded to blend seamlessly back into er steps, unwilling to let myself be separated from him in those endless halls I would never have been able to find my oay out

Finally, we reached a somewhat familiar door, which he opened with a swipe of his key card to reveal the antecha roo it with another swipe "I’ll wait here for you," he said

I ducked straight into the roohad been neatly folded Sos, probably while I was unconscious in the lab I stripped offnot to be disturbed by the invasion offor them to find

My clothes wouldn’t lead them to Dr Cale, or tell theht firot dressed There was a bruise on the side of my neck, where the needle had been shoved in a bit too hard in the process of sedatingwhy they hadn’t bothered with a gauze pad

Oh, well That was the least of my problems I checkedsure that I looked at least halfway presentable Then I turned to go back to where

He’d been joined by one of the two soldiers froed Then he cleared his throat and said, "Miss Mitchell, your ride is here"

"Oh, good" I looked to et my stuff fro like he wasn’t entirely happy about the idea "Private Dowell, you may return to your post"

"Sir, yes sir," said the soldier, saluting him My father saluted back, and Private Dowell turned to head for the door, his duty discharged

"Co for the exit

I followed hi The sun was setting over the San Francisco Bay, turning everything the sahts in the lab, and Nathan’s car was cozied up to the sidewalk, with Nathan hi in front of it

He started to move when he saw us, and I linting off his glasses andthe confusion that I kneas there I n with my hand, and followed my father to his car He unlocked the doors, and I retrieved ers found the strap just how afraid I’d been that it wasn’t going to be there The staff at USAMRIID had gone through h the car