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His thoughts went, as they often did, to the last time he’d seen Alicia--the last time anyone had, as far as he knew Why had she chosen hi before Sara and the others had left the Homeland to return to Kerrville Michael wasn’t sure what ti by his bed She had this…look on her face He sensed that she’d been sitting there for so him as he slept

--Lish?

She smiled

--Hey, Michael

That was it, for at least another thirty seconds No How are you feeling? or You look kind of ridiculous in that cast, Circuit, or any of the thousand little barbs that the two of them had fired at each other since they were little kids

--Can you do soht went unfinished Alicia looked away, then back again

--We’ve been friends a long time, haven’t we?

--Sure, he said Absolutely we have

--You know, you were always so damn smart Do you remember…noas this? I don’t knoere just a couple of kids I think Peter ht have been there, Sara, too We all snuck up to the Wall one night, and you gave this speech, an actual speech, I swear to God, about how the lights worked, the turbines and the batteries and all the rest of it You know, up until then, I thought that they just came on by theed, euess

--Oh, don’t apologize I thought it right then: That kid’s really got so to save our sorry asses

Michael hadn’t knohat to say Never had he seen anyone who looked so lost, so weighed down by life

--What did you want to ask me, Lish?

--Ask you?

--You said you needed a favor