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He flipped his headset mouthpiece to the side His thumb popped off the button on the stick "Hi Problems with one of the kids?"

"No, I just—" Her gaze flickered to Bronco, then back to Gray

Bronco disconnected his headset and shoved to his feet "Think I'll step back to the head"

Lori twisted sideways as he squeezed his bulk past Alone with Gray, she willed herself not to fidget

He slid a CD free froestured to the vacated copilot's seat "Go ahead and sit"

Lori sagged wearily Her fingers twined in her lap to keep fro the countless buttons and switches in front of her—and to keep fro

"What's up?"

"I thought you'd like to know our little pal Magda just drifted off Her fever's down She quit tugging her ear an hour ago Her cough's still pretty harsh, but at least she's comfortable"

"Good Thanks for the update I'll check on her again when I'raphic display above the console "Is she saying anything yet? Co at all?"

Lori grasped the safe topic with both hands, although not sure what she hoped to acco with him, anyway "I tried to teach her a couple of basics like yes and no before she goes to her sponsor family Who knows if she understood me"

Silence and dark hummed around her

What now? If only she could will her feet to carry her back to her seat But the cabin was so war, and she was beyond tired Her teainst the copilot's headrest as she caved in to the temptation to spend a few more minutes with Gray How could she resist the intimacy too reminiscent of another time?

Lori pointed to the s across it "What's that?"

"The HUD, heads up display, duplicates the instru the bottos without taking my eyes off the sky"

More than a little aept over her for the extent of his technical training in two differing career fields "Cool"