Page 122 of Every Almost

"Yes, Admiral," Kess answered from Charlie's left. "We've already ensured the passenger is in good health. Formal test results will be ready and available in a few hours."

"Good to hear, Doctor," the Admiral said. "Captain, I'll begin my processes over here on my end."

"Understood, Admiral," Reyna said.

"Ms. Wickett," Vondra said, Charlie's raising her gaze to look at the display again. "I am very sorry we can't do anything more. But we will get you home."

"No, please don't be sorry," Charlie countered. "I'm sorry for my outbursts. You all are already doing so much for me. For me to evengethome. For that, I thank you."

"You're welcome." Vondra turned to Reyna again. "And Reyna."

"Yes, Admiral?"

"She's your responsibility."

Reyna nodded. "Yes, Admiral."

The wall display went dark. The water, the stone, the amber eyes, all gone. Just a wall again.

Charlie again looked at her hands in her lap. She could feel the room watching her. All of them. The bear and the doctor and the tree and the sunset and the soldier and the quiet one. And the captain.

"Six months," Charlie whispered, to no one in particular.

"Six months," Reyna confirmed. Her voice was soft. "But you're not alone, Charlie."

At this, Charlie raised her eyes to Reyna. There it was again. Thatokay."We've got you."

And around her, every head started to nod in agreement.

The crew filed out quietly.Selowen was the last to go, her hand resting briefly on Charlie's shoulder as she passed.

"It is a long time, that is not a lie," Selowen began, her hand holding Charlie's shoulder. She felt the calm in Selowen's touch, and she was grateful. "But it is not forever. Time does heal all wounds, even if it is all at once, right at the end." Selowen smiled down at Charlie while her hand remained where it was.

"Thank you," Charlie whispered. Selowen lifted her hand, bowed her head to Reyna, and exited the room.

Then it was just Charlie and the captain.

The office was quiet except for the quiet hum of the ship which filled the rest of the silence. That low, steady frequency that Charlie already started to think of as the Emberkind's heartbeat.

Charlie was still sitting in the chair beside Reyna's desk. Her mind told her to get up but her body wasn't ready yet. Shelooked down at her hands. The batter had dried completely now, cracking along her knuckles and in the creases of her palms. She looked like she'd been dipped in concrete. Which wasn't far off from how she felt too.

Six months.

Katie was in Helen's house right now, in Shelbyville, alone. And Charlie knew her sister. Katie had been on the other end of that answering machine, if not right away then shortly after. She would have heard the sound that rattled Charlie's bones, maybe even the silence that followed. And Charlie's sister, who had spent her entire life paying attention to Charlie with a discerning ability, who had never once missed a signal from any beat of Charlie's life, would know. She would know something was wrong, and there was absolutely nothing Charlie could do about it.

Charlie's breathing hitched. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes and held them there.

Reyna didn't speak, but Charlie could feel she was close enough to still feel her presence without needing to look up at her. The quiet wasn't empty.

We've got you.

After a long moment, Charlie lowered her hands. Her eyes were red but dry.

"My sister is tough," Charlie said, her voice strained. "Katie. She's the toughest person I know." She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I think she'll be okay for six months."

She wasn't sure if she was speaking to herself or Reyna. Maybe both?

"She sounds like someone I'd very much like to meet," Reyna said. Her voice was quiet. Just a person, sitting with someone who was hurting.