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I cockedhim "You knew as soon as you met me that I was like you, didn’t you?" I asked "That’s why you’re trying so hard to convince me that life is wonderful Because you want me to love it the way you do"

"You already do," he said earnestly "You wouldn’t have co for the broken doors if you didn’t love life Curiosity is what it looks like when you’re in love with the world"

"Did Dr Cale teach you that?" I asked

Ada tired of living when they stop asking questions"

"You didn’t answer my question"

"I know" He looked down at his hands "I knew before you came here Mom told me and Tansy all about you--Tansy so she’d knoho she was supposed to be keeping track of, and me because she wanted me to know about both uiltily

I offered him a wan smile "Both your sisters," I said "She wanted you to know about both your sisters"

"Yeah" Adam’s relief was palpable "She said you’d cohter, and her daughters were always going to be curious It’s in the e’reto have to teach me, you know I don’t really know ed forward,so fast that I didn’t have a chance to react before he was huggingon my shoulder and his arms locked aroundon, and then I relaxed, bit by bit, and even raisedto be the best brother, you’ll see," he said "I’, and we’ll both be here when Tansy comes home, and then she’ll like you, because you’ll be with us, not living all by yourself We’ve both been so worried about you!"

The funny thing was, I believed him… and I wanted him to be the best brother I wanted a family, a family that was mine, not Sally’s castoffs and hand-me-downs I breathed in and he breathed out, until bit by bit our breathing synchronized, and the pounding of the dru but the distant thudding ofback on his haunches I droppedat him I didn’t knohat to say or how to say it; there were no words

"Are you okay?" he asked soleht I was a huht ht a lot of things Now everything is changing, and it’s changing so fast that I can’t really keep up So I don’t know if I’ to be"

Adaood as is," he said "I’ll be here I’ll help as ht there lad I don’t have to do this alone"

"Me, too" He cli the tile floor "I need to go tell Mom you’re awake--she asked ht it was ht, wasn’t it?"

"Right as rain," I assured hi that I was as barefoot as Adah someone had dressed me in ers of one hand under my waistband, and decided that Nathan had dressedto tell her interns to put my underwear back on "Why don’t I coh to light the room

There were more technicians around than I had seen on previous visits to Dr Cale’s lab They swar cultures or typing at workstations, while right next to thelassith an eerily silent efficiency Adah their htly aroundhere could hurt either one of us A few of the technicians turned as we passed, and while they see directly at Adam, their eyes skittered offmy confusion, Adam said, "It’s because Moetting used to the idea They knew there was a control subject in the wild, and I think a few people--like Daisy,isn’t the sa, you know?"

Did I ever "They know I’m really a tapeworm? And who’s Daisy?"

"She works for Mo to think that this was perfectly normal For him, it sort of was Sy ; all Dr Cale had ever forced Adam to learn was how to be a decent person Maybe those two things weren’t as closely related as I had always automatically assuet over the shock ofit I think some of them are just a little shaky about it, you know?"