Funny I didn’t remember being unconscious. I’d been stunned before and hadn’t blacked out.
Bubba Boom helped me stand. The room spun for a moment, and my knees considered buckling. He put his arm around my shoulders, steadying me before we headed to the cafeteria.
Our ragtag group caused quite the stir in the dining room. At this point, I didn’t care. Lamont fetched me a tray of food. Then everything blurred together as if a part of me had already fallen asleep. Gulping water, eating, returning to the infirmary, and being tucked into bed by Bubba Boom combined into one long dream.
Before leaving, he kissed my forehead. I slid my hand into my pocket and clutched my pendant as I slipped into a deeper sleep.
When I woke, I took a long scalding hot shower. Lamont descended on me as soon as I finished, ordering me to eat alarge bowl of her special soup. I needed to visit Logan, but she wouldn't let me leave until I agreed to a full physical.
I stifled the desire to argue and remind her of her promise not to mother me. Her medical request bordered on over protectiveness. However, it had been nice to know people had been upset by my abduction and had been looking for me. Before I had gotten involved in the search for Gateway, I could have died in the pipes and only Cogon would have cared.
“Aside from some bruising, a couple strained muscles, and slight dehydration, you're in good health,” Lamont said.
I jumped down from the examination table glad to be done.
“Do you really need to leave so soon?” she asked. “You should rest and rehydrate.”
“There's too much going on right now. I'll rest later,” I said.
I debated if I should climb into the shafts or not. Almost everyone in Inside knew about the tracer. Deciding not risk being seen in the wrong place by the wrong people, I returned to my room.
Lamont trailed after me. “Trella, wait.”
I turned. She hovered in the doorway, uncertain, and vulnerable. Not Doctor Lamont, but Kiana Garrard. Interesting how she morphed from one to the other. At least I had some warning that this wasn't medical.
“You understood my clues, right? You knew there were two armed men waiting to ambush you.”
“Yes. That's why I dropped in from the ceiling and tried to stun them.” I still needed to get my gun back from Jacy.
“Why did you come? You could have saved yourself twenty-six hours of suffering. You had to know they wouldn't hurt me, and yet you came anyway and ended up turning yourself over to them.”
Ah. A good question. Did I have a good answer? Was it because she was my mother? Or because she was an excellentdoctor? Or because I was the reason she had been targeted in the first place? How about all of the above?
Riley's comment from the maintenance closet replayed in my mind. “It's what I do. I guess you could say it's my role or job. Rushing to the rescue and doing what I can so others don't suffer.” I spread my hands, trying to find the right words. “I don't really think about it, I just react and hope for the best.” I shrugged. “Worked so far.”
“You shouldn't have risked yourself for me, Trella.”
“A moment of weakness.” I smiled. “A mistake even. Everyone is entitled to make a few mistakes.”
Logan slept on the couch. His arm covered his eyes and one foot dangled off the edge. I dropped down. The light thud woke him. Before I could say a word, he hopped up and embraced me.
“Trella! You're here,” he said with glee.
“Even though I'm not as smart as you, I do know where I am.”
“I feared the worst. No one could find you. Anne-Jade had all her ISF officers searching.”
“I wasn't in any real danger. And I’m sorry to have kept you in suspense, but no one had time to stop by here.” I explained about Jacy and Riley's plans to build a separate network. “Riley’s stringing wires as we speak.”
“Ooh. I like! Why didn't I think of that?” He bounced on his toes as his gaze turned inward.
“Because it's been me, you, and Anne-Jade, while Jacy has recruited a bunch of people.”
“True.”
“What about your idea?”
He stopped bouncing. “When you said I should climb the Expanse, you didn't explain there wasn't a ladder.”
