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“Was that her before； talking to me—talking out loud？”
“Yes。”
“Can she… can you let her do that now？”
I sighed。 I was already exhausted。 “I can try。” I closed my eyes。
Can you get past me？I asked her。Can you talk to him？
I… How？ Where？
I tried to flatten myself against the inside of my head。 “C’mon；” I murmured。 “Here。”
Melanie struggled； but there was no way out。
Jared’s lips came down on mine； hard。 My eyes flew open in shock。 His gold…flecked eyes were open；
too； half an inch away。
She jerked our head back。 “Cut thatout！ Don’t touch her！”
He smiled； the little creases feathering out around his eyes。 “Hey； baby。”
That’s not funny。
I tried to breathe again。 “She’s not laughing。”
He left his arm around me。 Around us。 We walked out into the tunnel junction； and there was no one
there。 No Ian。
“I’m warning you； Mel；” Jared said； still smiling widely。 Teasing。 “You better stay right here。 I’m not
making any guarantees about what I will or won’t do to get you back。”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
Tell him I’ll throttle him if he touches you like that again。But her threat was a joke； too。
“She’s threatening your life right now；” I told him。 “But I think she’s being facetious。”
He laughed； giddy with relief。 “You’re so serious all the time； Wanda。”
“Your jokes aren’t funny；” I muttered。 Not to me。
Jared laughed again。
Ah；Melanie said。You are suffering。
I’ll try not to let Jamie see。
Thank you for bringing me back。
I won’t erase you； Melanie。 I’m sorry I can’t give you more than that。
Thank you。
“What’s she saying？”
“We’re just… making up。”
“Why couldn’t she talk before； when you were trying to let her？”
“I don’t know； Jared。 There really isn’t enough room for both of us。 I can’t seem to get myself out of the
way pletely。 It’s like… not like holding your breath。 Like trying to pause your heartbeats。 I can’t
make myself not exist。 I don’t know how。”
He didn’t answer； and my chest throbbed with pain。 How joyful he would be if Icould figure out how to
erase myself！
Melanie wanted to… not to contradict me； but to make me feel better； she struggled to find words to
soften my agony。 She couldn’t e up with the right ones。
But Ian would be devastated。 And Jamie。 Jeb would miss you。 You have so many friends here。
Thanks。
I was glad that we were back to our room now。 I needed to think about something else before I started
crying。 Now wasn’t the time for self…pity。 There were more important issues at hand than my heart；
breaking yet again。
CHAPTER 43
Frenzied
Iimagined that from the outside； I looked as still as a statue。 My hands were folded in front of me； my
Inside； I was spinning apart； as if the pieces of my atoms were reversing polarity and blowing away from
one another。
Bringing Melanie back had not saved him。 All that I could do was not enough。
The hall outside our room was crowded。 Jared； Kyle； and Ian were back from their desperate raid；
empty…handed。 A cooler of ice—that was all they had to show for three days of risking their lives。 Trudy
was making presses and laying them across Jamie’s forehead； the back of his neck； his chest。
Even if the ice cooled the fever； raging out of control； how long until it was all melted？ An hour？ More？
Less？ How long until he was dying again？
I would have been the one to put the ice on him； but I couldn’t move。 If I moved； I would fall into
microscopic pieces。
“Nothing？” Doc murmured。 “Did you check —”
“Every spot we could think of；” Kyle interrupted。 “It’s not like painkillers； drugs—lots of people had
reason to keep those hidden。 The antibiotics were always kept in the open。 They’re gone； Doc。”
Jared just stared down at the red…faced child on the bed； not speaking。
Ian stood beside me。 “Don’t look like that；” he whispered。 “He’ll pull through。 He’s tough。”
I couldn’t respond。 Couldn’t even hear the words； really。
Doc knelt beside Trudy and pulled Jamie’s chin down。 With a bowl he scooped up some of the ice
water from the cooler and let it trickle into Jamie’s mouth。 We all heard the thick； painful sound of
Jamie’s swallowing。 But his eyes didn’t open。
I felt as though I would never be able to move again。 That I would turn into part of the stone wall。 I
wanted to be stone。
If they dug a hole for Jamie in the empty desert； they would have to put me in it； too。
Not good enough；Melanie growled。
I was despairing； but she was filled with fury。
They tried。
Trying solves nothing。 Jamie willnotdie。 They have to go back out。
For what purpose？ Even if they did find your old antibiotics； what are the chances they would
still be any good？ They only worked half the time anyway。 Inferior。 He doesn’t need your
medicine。 He needs more than that。 Something that really works…
My breathing sped up； deepened as I saw it。
Mel and I were both awestruck by the obviousness of this idea。 The simplicity of it。
My stone lips cracked apart。 “Jamie needs real medicines。 The ones the souls have。 We need to get him
those。”
Doc frowned at me。 “We don’t even know what those things do； how they work。”
“Does it matter？” Some of Melanie’s anger was seeping into my voice。 “They do work。 They can save
him。”
Jared stared at me。 I could feel Ian’s eyes on me； too； and Kyle’s； and all the rest in the room。 But I saw
only Jared。
“We can’t get ’em； Wanda；” Jeb said； his tone already one of defeat。 Giving up。 “We can only get into
deserted places。 There’s always a bunch of your kind in a hospital。 Twenty…four hours a day。 Too many
eyes。 We won’t do Jamie any good if we get caught。”
“Sure；” Kyle said in a hard voice。 “The centipedes will be only too happy to heal his body when they
find us here。 And make him one of them。 Is that what you’re after？”
I turned to glare at the big； sneering man。 My body tensed and leaned forward。 Ian put his hand on my
shoulder as if he were holding me back。 I didn’t think I would have made any aggressive move toward
Kyle； but maybe I was wrong。 I was so far from my normal self。
When I spoke； my voice was dead even； no inflection。 “There has to be a way。”
Jared was nodding。 “Maybe someplace small。 The gun would make too much noise； but if there were
enough of us to overwhelm them； we could use knives。”
“No。” My arms came unfolded； my hands falling open in shock。 “No。 That’s not what I meant。 Not
killing —”
No one even listened to me。 Jeb was arguing with Jared。
“There’s no way； kid。 Somebody’d get a call off to the Seekers。 Even if we were in and out； something
like that would bring ’em down on us in force。 We’d be hard…pressed to make it out at all。 And they’d
follow。”
“Wait。 Can’t you —”
They still weren’t listening to me。
“I don’t want the boy to die； either； but we can’t risk everyone’s lives for one person；” Kyle said。
“People die here； it happens。 We can’t get crazy to save one boy。�