nurses wake me in the morning, but I refuse to leave Niall. They argue that they’ll keep an eye on him. Sorry, but not good enough.
Elese shows up soon after. “Causing problems already?” She tsks. “Maybe you’re well enough to run some laps.”
I fake a cough. “I’m having a relapse—cough—must get back to bed.”
“How convenient.” Humor sparks in her brown eyes. Then she sits down next to Niall. I hand her the portable. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Read to him.”
“And that helps how?”
“So he hears a familiar voice. Let him know he’s not alone. Or you can just tell him stories. That’s what I did.”
“All right.” She squints at me. “How’s that cough?”
“Going!” I wheel my IV pole back to my room, endure my nurse’s half-hearted admonishments about being out of bed, and eat my breakfast.
The morning briefing is held in my room in the infirmary. Officers Radcliff, Morgan, Beau, and my parents are all in attendance. No, the place isn’t that big, which is why Morgan and my mom are on the bed with me. I’m sitting up with my legs crossed to give them space. No one mentions my night-time excursion.
I recount what happened when I encountered the HoLFs, including how the weapon worked.
“Jim said they can build more,” Mom says.
“How many and how soon?” Radcliff asks.
“Enough for the security team, but it’s going to take a few days.”
“What about if we increase the number of people working on them?”
“We already did,” Dad says. “They’re tripping over each other. Plus there’s only so much they can do.”
“How long will the batteries on those floodlights last?”
“A couple nights, but we have extras. Plus we installed a bunch of ones that are plugged in behind the others just in case. The lights should work until the weapons are ready,” Dad says.
And they’re all failing to see a bigger problem. “Even with the weapons, the officers can’t see the HoLFs,” I say.
“Does it matter?” Morgan asks. “Can’t they just aim at the shadows?”
“It’s more complicated than that. The HoLFs I shot were close to me and I aimed at their core.”
“We’ll just have to do the best we can.” Radcliff glances at his notes.
“It’s not going to work. We need the team to see the enemy. We need to get to the Warrior hearts.”
Everyone looks at me.
“No, too dangerous,” Radcliff says.
“Please hear me out.” When no one protests, I continue. “I know we don’t have any evidence that touching the heart is the reason I can see them. But, think about it, it’s the only play we have left.” I explain how we can reach the hearts.
Once again, I’m the center of attention. I’d feel special except the expressions are not ones of awe and amazement over my grand plan. My idea is quickly vetoed. Too bad.
Radcliff moves on to another topic, asking Beau about the base’s power.
“The lab is cut off from the rest of the base,” Beau says. “I can’t get it back into the grid. All the other labs and housing units are fine for now. I still don’t know why the power went out. The last time the HoLFs attacked, they cut the electrical wires going into the pits. And they chewed through the floodlights in the lab because they were plugged in. But it’s not so easy to do that for the rest of the archeology lab. Those wires are behind walls.” He glances at me. “I’m hoping Junior Officer Lawrence will be able to assist me today.”
“The doctor said she’ll be discharged this afternoon,” Mom says.
“I can help you, Beau, but I’m not leaving the infirmary until Niall wakes up,” I say. And just in case they forgot, I add, “I can access the Q-net anywhere.”
Everyone looks at Radcliff as if he alone has the power to persuade me. I’d be more amused that my parents believe this as well, but I’m preparing to dig in my heels for some major resistance.
“As long as you’re not in the nurses’ and doctors’ way,” Radcliff says, surprising me.
The meeting breaks up. Beau and I plan to connect in the Q-net at thirteen hundred hours. My mother fetches me a couple clean uniforms and personal supplies. When I’m discharged, I settle in Niall’s room.
Elese vacates the chair, handing me the portable. “That’s one crazy story. I hope I didn’t give him nightmares.”
I open my mouth to reply, but my thoughts have snagged on her comment about nightmares. I wonder…
I’ve no memory of Elese leaving. Taking