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The girl shuts her eyes tight, trying to block out the voices The boy reaches out and grabs her hand, irl stare at him in confusion

"You’re not supposed to be here," she whispers "You were never in November"

"I’m not your enemy," the boy whispers back "And you don’t have to do this alone"

THE PRIVATE ON PATROL WHO finds me a few klicks out from the base isn’t one of oing every feeeks, there’s no way to know them all We try to study photo rosters, to keep rebels froh turnover rate, but we still can’t really keep up

I’reeted by a blur of shocked and relieved faces, shoved into the hospital I hear words like exposure and fractures and signs of internal bleeding I’ash in my side dressed with mud, the knot on the back of my head I want to protest that if I wasn’t dead after spending the better part of a day struggling through those da to kill et about five minutes of silence when the h, all shouting and saluting and reaching for my hand They don’t knohether to be relieved I’y, I’d tear theet abducted right under their noses, but I can barely even follow the conversation going on around et to know one another pretty quickly out here on the edge As my old captain used to tell me, "Learn fast, or don’t" For asomeone I trust blindly to tellour soldiers--with ically as well as physically, to make sure we catch theilance that keeps this base operational

But as well as I know oes both ways They know me too, and they can tell that I’ afloat

It’s Mori who realizes I’ the others out of h, his shock of neon hair jerkingthe room and then shuts the door on the crowd outside

"Thanks, Lieutenant" My voice sounds weak, and I’m relieved it’s only Alexi there to hear it

"No probleh You’re not to be disturbed until she can debrief"

That makes me pause--Alexi’s rarely so formal Avon’s particular corner of the military has an odd assortment of rules, and one is that not all the same formalities observed in the populated planets apply Another has to do with the dress code, though even Alexi strains the boundaries of that one His hair--hot pink this week--would be enough to make even the laxest co like a desk colonel--with ’s up

"Should I have stayed lost?" I try to h ut that I hope doesn’t come out in my voice Could Commander Towers sorasp and let hirins at me "You know the commander Wants to et an official story first"

"Soain" I s "Where are the shrinks, then?"

Alexi shrugs "She’s insisted on doing it herself I guess it’s a delicate situation"

I try not to show ated by the commander herself That’s not standard procedure by any stretch, and Towers is not one to break protocol

Alexi drops into the rickety folding chair beside h to make the plastene composite creak oht?" Alexi was one of the soldiers who saw me leave with Coraze frank I knohat he’s asking

"I’aze "A few scrapes and bruises, nothing ether, frustrated "I should’ve seen it I just thought you liked the guy…but I should’ve realized he was one of the swamp rats"

From Alexi, the slur’s half a joke Even so, I finddorinkle in the blanket covering ain, I’s" Alexi’s eyes are on the X-rays ofnext to my bed

I have to bite back the desire to correct hiuy in the bar isn’t the one who beat me But what difference does it ain

Alexi leans closer "You look…unsettled You’re sure you’re fine? No blackouts, no…dreah he doesn’t dare coine this ordeal will be the one that finally turns the unbreakable Captain Lee Chase into a blank-eyed, violent madwoman

"None" I reach for a set the dreaht years old Since Verona