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You said she was a doctor.

Neighborhood clinic. I

helped her do inventory of

the medicine closet, bottle by

bottle. I listened to her spit nails

through the phone when the

closet went empty. I saw what

happens to people when you

run out.

What was it you were

making here? The work you

stopped doing when you started

making medicine?

I’ve never told anyone this.

I won’t tell.

You’ll tell Colibri. You tell

her everything.

True. Would you mind that?

Does she talk to anyone

but you?

No.

I was trying to take the

reproductive brakes off

of templates in the Primer.

I want to grow an unshackled

plant. I want to see a

real seed.

Did you do it?

No. But I was close, I know I was.

Are you hungry?