Page 30 (2/2)

“Hey, Cap’n Babs,” he said

“How’s it going?”

He looked over at her “Well, I’ we put down by the drive at that depot back on Stoddard Lot of folks are seeing flaking with that batch under radiation boure e hit Medina, I should hop outside and take a peek Hate to have that turn into baklava on us ere counting on it”

“That would suck,” Bobbie agreed

“Lace plating’s great when it’s great,” A back to his screen

“How’s the rest of it?” Bobbie asked

Aure”

The silence settled between theainst skin louder than anything else in the roo to be okay with Holden and Nao him behind

“Are you going to be okay with Holden and Nao?”

“Yup,” Amos said “Why? You worried about it?”

“A little,” Bobbie said, surprised to discover that it was true “Ibefore Holden did I think all of us did But you’ve shipped with them for a lot of years”

“Yeah, buthe’d take a bullet for any one of the crew Pretty sure you actually have taken a few for us, so that ain’t changing,” Aht should check in with Peaches, though”

“You think?”

“Yup,” Amos said And that was that Bobbie pulled herself back out

Clarissa was in the medical bay, strapped into one of the autodocs Tubes ran froout of the thin body and then being pumped back in Her skin was the color of a wax candle and stretched tight against her cheekbones She still s when Bobbie floated in As a technician, Clarissa Mao had always been one of the best Bobbie had worked with She had the sense that the thin woer and desperation Working to keep soreater darkness at bay It was an impulse Bobbie understood