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licked her lips with a tongue that felt as rough and dry as a dead leaf and tried
again. Vince, what ... where am I? Where is this place?
Chapter 34
Laura? Was that you? Did you...? He turned back from the door and walked
carefully to her bed, afraid to believe.
Ye.... She coughed, a dry, dusty sound. Yes. Where am I?
In a hospital. In Phoenix--it's where the pod we were in landed. Here. He poured
her a glass of water from the plastic pitcher on a little rolling table.
Thanks. She tried to take it but her arms seemed to be too weak. Sorry, I
can't....
That's okay. He held the cup to her lips, very careful not to touch her skin.
Better?
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Much. She sighed gratefully. I just couldn't--
Hello, is everything all right in here? The door opened and a middle-aged
woman with a matronly face stuck her head in the room. She frowned
disapprovingly. Detective Roberts, you know good and well visiting hours are
long since over so I', going to have to ask you to.--
She's awake. Can't you see that?
Are you sure? The nurse came forward, switching on the light, and pushing
Vince efficiently out of the way to lean over the bed.
Laura blinked in the harsh overhead glow and tried to smile. Hi.
Oh my! The nurse drew back abruptly. I'll notify the doctor at once and of
course her family will want to know....
Of course. He tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Her precious family.
They'd gone back to Tampa, certain there would be no change. Now he supposed
they would be back, demanding that he leave their pure, lily-white daughter alone
... He checked himself abruptly. Laura didn't need to have to deal with his bitter
emotions so soon after waking up.
He looked at her apprehensively but she seemed untroubled, that tentative smile he
remembered so well was curving her pale pink lips.
Hey, he said softly. He wanted to rush over and pull her into a tight embrace but
that was forbidden. Dr. Katzenberg, her neurologist, was afraid any touching
might be harmful in view of her hyper-empathy. So he held himself back and just
sat carefully on the end of her bed. How you feeling?
She grimaced, Lousy.
I'll bet. And then he was quite, content just to look at her.
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I'll be right back. The nurse bustled out of the room.
Laura yawned, looking suddenly exhausted. I thought ... didn't you tell me you
had a plane to catch?
Vince smiled at her. Knew she could hear me. Let it wait. I'm not goin'
anywhere.
Chapter 35
When she woke up the sun was shining brightly through the window and Vince
was still sitting on the same place at the foot of her bed. The 3-D holo monitors
that surrounded the head of her bed were blinking and beeping quietly to
themselves. Apparently all her vital signs were normal. Except ... Laura looked
closely at one of the monitors which showed a rotating holographic representation
of her brain. A portion of it appeared to be highlighted in red, maybe showing
possible damage? She felt normal enough....
Hey, Vince said, breaking her concentration. His face broke into a large grin of
what looked like relief but, strangely, she couldn't feel it. After the intense
sensations from his emotions in the Lepids' hive, it seemed strange, but it was
probably just because he was sitting so far away and carefully not touching her.
Hey yourself. She wiggled to sit up, not very effectively. Her body felt stiff and
slow, a reluctant child that didn't want to do what she told it.
He watched her, looking as if he wished he could help. Don't worry about it, he
said, when she'd managed to get comfortable. Doctor says you'll be stiff for a
while until you get movin' again. Just the effects of bein' under so long.
Under? She made the word into a question, raising an eyebrow at him.
Vince looked away. In a coma.
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I ... really? She seemed to remember something about a long hall with a lot of
voices in it but the last really clear memory she had was of the chamber of the
Lepid Queen.
Vince nodded, still not looking at her. It bothered her that he was so far away--that
she couldn't feel him.
But.... Laura shook her head. How long?
Three months.
Three months? She could scarcely believe it. Have you been here all this time?
Waiting for me to wake up?
He shrugged. Didn't have anything better to do.
Vince, seriously. She tried to catch his eye.
Had to stay here a while with Kyra, anyway, he said, frowning down at his
hands. She ... the doctors think it had something to do with bein' trapped for so
long in an alien environment or maybe just malnutrition but, well, she lost the
baby.
Her hand flew to her mouth. Oh, Vince--I'm so sorry.
I hate to say it but it's probably for the best. It.... He looked down again, picking
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