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The kind voice said, “I don’t care if it kills her, Doctor I need to speak to this soldier, and I need to do it now So you give her whatever you need to give her tothe words the nice voice said, just the kindly, warood to have someone like that to take care of you She started to fall back asleep, the co blackness a welcome friend

White fire shot up Bobbie’s spine, and she sat bolt upright in bed, as awake as she’d ever been It felt like going on the juice, the cheave sailors to keep the maneuvers Bobbie opened her eyes and then slaht nearly burned thehts,” sheout of her dry throat in a whisper

The red light seeping in through her closed eyelids diain, it was still too bright Someone took her hand and held it while a cup was put into it

“Can you hold that?” the nice voice said

Bobbie didn’t answer; she just brought the cup to her reedy ss

“More,” she said, this ti her old voice

She heard the sounds of so a chair and then footsteps away from her on a tile floor Her brief look at the room had told her she was in a hospital She could hear the electric hum of medical machines nearby, and the smells of antiseptic and urine competed for dominance Disheartened, she realized she was the source of the urine smell A faucet ran for a moment, and then the footsteps came toward her The cup was put back into her hand She sipped at it this ti the water stay in herIt was cool and delicious

When she was finished, the voice asked, “More?”

She shook her head

“Maybe later,” she said Then, after a iven a cos and powerful amphetamines Which means your eyes are fully dilated Sorry, I didn’t think to lower the lights before you woke up”

The voice was still filled with kindness and warmth Bobbie wanted to see the face behind that voice, so she risked squinting through one eye The light didn’t burn into her like it had before, but it was still uncomfortable The owner of the nice voice turned out to be a very tall, thin ence uniforht, the skull beneath it pressing to get out He gave her a frightening sht upturn at the corners of his eant Roberta W Draper, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force,” he said, his voice so at odds with his appearance that Bobbie felt like she atching a e

After several seconds, he still hadn’t continued, so Bobbie said, “Yes, sir,” then glanced at his bars and added, “Captain”

She could open both eyes noithout pain, but a strange tingling sensation wasthee to fidget

“Sergeant Draper, my name is Captain Thorsson, and I am here to debrief you We’ve lost your entire platoon There’s been a two-day pitched battle between the United Nations and Martian Congressional Republic forces on Ganymede Which, at most recent tally, has resulted in over five billion MCR dollars of infrastructure dae, and the deaths of nearly three thousandat her through narrowed eyes that glittered like a snake’s Not sure what response he was looking for, Bobbie just said, “Yes, sir”

“Sergeant Draper, why did your platoon fire on and destroy the UN military outpost at dome fourteen?”