But with her . . . What’s her story? Was she treated differently inside? Was she quarantined, too? Why was she in the woods? Why did the Morph attack her? Has she been on the outside long? Will she already be familiar with the ways out here? There’s so much I was caught unaware of when I left the Helix. Humanity, ways of life, natural courses.
My stomach flips. The biggest shock was learning about hormones and sex. If she’s as clueless as I was, that’ll be some kind of conversation for her. As much as I hate to admit it, Kani does make a point.
In the reflection of Fenton’s archaic eyesight enhancers, the white-haired girl stirs.
Fenton notices, too. He cranes around my body and whispers, “Our mystery woman’s waking up.” His eyebrows twitch up and down suggestively.
My blood runs cold, and I hesitate. I need to talk to her, but I’m almost afraid of what she’ll say.
I turn around slowly to face her. The bandage over her damaged eye wraps all the way around her head. I’m sure the whole thing is disorienting, but it was the best we could do with what we had on hand. Her shredded calf is suspended a couple inches off the bench so it’s not resting on the wound. Looks like a weird contraption, hanging from the cave ceiling and looping around her foot, but it does the trick.
I raise my hand, silently motioning Fenton to stay behind, and walk into the gathering room. It’s a larger room along the cavern’s tunnel where we keep all the things that occupy our time—books, games, supplies, you name it.
Allowing a moment for her to catch her bearings, I stand off to the right of the bench. She appears so frail, and the bandage on her eye only adds to it. The wounds were deep—doubt she’ll ever see outta her eye again. For sure she’ll be scarred for the rest of her life.
Well, assuming she doesn’t escape, promptly turn us over, and then run back to the Helix to have the scars surgically altered. Could happen. I wouldn’t admit it to the other two, though. Especially not Kani.
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