Page 96 of Love, Nemesis
The darkness came again.
Her mouth felt painfully dry.
She opened her eyes to the blurred designs of a ceiling, head shifting as she closed her eyes again.
Her entire body felt heavy and sore.
A quiet groan escaped her lips.
“Ana,” said a familiar voice. The voice of the doctor, Mech, from the State. “Ana.”
She opened her eyes as someone lifted a cup to her lips. She drank, her eyes settling on Mech, who huddled over her in a gray coat.
She was in a bed at the State. A Numbers hospital.
It took her a moment to clear the fog from her head. She started to sit up.
“Easy, easy,” Mech coaxed, hand on her back.
The memories returned through a haze. She could already tell they’d given her something strong for her pain. She lookedfrom Mech to the other side of the bed and saw a familiar face watching her from near the hospital window.
“Diane,” she said hoarsely.
“Surprise,” Diane said, a fit, short-haired woman with the tattoo of a clock on her arm. “It was a surprise for me too, coming back from the border to see my retired teammate out on a mission.” She forced a smile as she said the words.
“Jasper,” Ana croaked, her black hair hanging in frazzled waves over her shoulder. If she looked anything like she felt, she was surprised Diane even recognized her.
“We know,” Diane said. “He saved you, used his own time to stop you from bleeding out.”
Ana leaned back against the headboard, peeling the sheets away from her body. She was bruised and bandaged, her original metal arm had been removed. Her eyes zeroed in on the new metal attachment that had taken its place. It was bulkier with triggers up the wrist.
She inspected the new arm. Mech continued to explain, but Ana only heard some of her words as she collected her thoughts.
“Hailey ordered that attachment for you. It’s an old prototype from the days when we experimented with putting Atlases inside prosthetics. It’s temporary but should do until we have your new one.”
“Where is Jasper?” Ana asked, ignoring the description of her new arm.
Neither of them said anything.
Ana looked between them. “What?”
“Ana,” Diane said, “Jasper defected.”
“What?”
“He only stayed long enough for someone to get you. He went off and joined the Mystics, likely resuming a position as one of the princes. He said he’d try and convince them to wait a bit longer so we can evacuate our civilians, but Hailey and the Var aren’t letting that happen.”
“I need to speak to Jasper,” Ana whispered.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Diane said.
“No.” Ana started to get up. “I have to go back out. I have to speak with him.”
“Ana,” Mech cautioned, placing a hand on her leg. “I”—she hesitated—“I had to submit a formal request to permanently remove you from the field. Hailey approved it yesterday morning. We can’t let you go…not that you’d get too far in your condition.”
“What are you talking about? Hailey sent me out in the first place!” Ana exclaimed.
Mech sat back in her chair, folding her fingers in her lap. She exhaled deeply, a representation of the pain etched into her face. She glanced over at Ana’s Atlas.
