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"How are you feeling?" His voice ruainst his chest, would she hear his voice through her hand? She re about shock waves, and how they traveled through air and earth at different speeds Would his voice through her hand match the voice she heard? Or would it be like a badly dubbed Japanese movie?

She smiled, and reached out a hand toward hi the orders of her brain It flopped a little, but didn't coain

He slid his chair closer and enfolded her hand in his own The warers around his

"Doctor Laurence said you ht be disoriented for a little while And you may feel weak But the operation was a success"

A success? Then why did she hurt so much? He must mean it was a success for Gillian Gillian Why wasn't Deshter's bedside?

"Gillian," she croaked Her mouth felt like it was lined in cotton, and her throat felt cracked and dry Never mind the question "Water"

Deso of her hand to pour her a cup of water fro on the ed

ge of her bed, he put an ar position With his arht around her shoulders, he picked up the cup and guided it to her lips

She reached up and rested her hands against his Her muscles obeyed her directions now But she didn't take the cup from him, she merely pressed his hand to tip it The cool water poured into her parched throat, and she gulped it greedily He tried to lower his hand, but she held tight, refusing to let hio

When she'd drained the cup, she kept her hands around his He radiated gentle war into her hands, her arms Her shoulders and neck warmed beneath his touch She wanted to absorb all of his heat, and melt her pain away

He lifted the cup from her lips, and this time she let her hands drop away But when he turned to place the cup on the bedstand, she stopped him before he could slip his arm from around her shoulders

"No Don't go just yet"

"Very well But let s up onto the bed, leaned back against the headboard, and curled his arainst this new and preferred pillow

"Noill you tellon? Why am I in the hospital?"

"You came in for the operation to donate bone marrow for Gillian"