Hybrid Read Online Free Page A

answer. “Definitely. One day.” It’s all she can choke out.
    His shoulders relax, and he murmurs a quiet “thank you” as he exits the room.
    Even though the sun isn’t up yet, Sai can’t sleep, and she stares at the door for a long time. One day can’t come soon enough.

    The salad from Joe’s tastes fresh, with a slightly salty grit underlying the tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. The green leaves shine rebelliously against the mostly white and light grey surroundings, and the red of the tomatoes pops like artificial blood against the backdrop. Both are almost a distraction from the fact that Sai’s still in the infirmary. But it does taste better than anything she’s had since she woke.
    “So,” she asks as she munches her food, “how did they rearrange the Mobile to fit in the larger hospital wings?”
    Iria shrugs and chases her food around the plate with her fork. “You know, Mathur. A bit of tweaking here, a bit of tweaking there, a few families moved around, a few shoved onto another Mobile, and—voila! Enough hospital space for about seventy-five people.”
    Sai raises her eyebrows, her mouth too full of food to speak.
    Iria barely manages to keep a straight face, but the smile still doesn’t make it to her rather apathetic eyes. “There’s another section over on the opposite side. Takes up half as much space and houses the criticals.”
    Sai straightens up and blinks. “How many people did we lose?”
    “More than anticipated.” Iria’s words are soft, tinged with sadness, and her usual brightness is dulled.
    Sai puts down her fork and reaches across to put her hand on Iria’s, balancing precariously on the edge of her bed, the sudden weight of her legs nagging at the back of her mind. “Iria. What’s wrong?”
    “Wrong?” She focuses on her food and laughs. The sound crackles a little, like splintering glass, frail and insubstantial. “Nothing’s wrong with me.”
    Sai chooses not to speak and instead just sits back with her hands on her lap, one eyebrow raised, waiting for Iria to look up. It doesn’t take long.
    “What?” she says, a rare scow marring her face.
    “You’re not being yourself. Talk to me. Please? Maybe I can help.”
    Iria barks out a harsh laugh this time, filled with self-derision. “That’s your problem, Sai. You always help. Even when you shouldn’t. You put everyone in front of you, and we almost got you killed...” She pauses, sighing so deeply her chest rises and falls in an exaggerated manner. “I almost got you killed.”
    “Is that it?” Sai asks, unable to keep the incredulousness from her tone. “That’s what you’re so upset about?”
    Iria blinks at her, mouth open in a half-pout, obviously not expecting that reaction.
    Sai presses on, her tone low and guarded, because she knows it’s still a fragile topic and breaking down isn’t going to help Iria right now. “I was going to check that call either way. With or without you, I would have had someone in that slot. Your being there did nothing to make this—” she gestures at her legs “—happen.”
    “But I...” She takes a deep breath and fixes Sai with a determined stare. “I insisted on coming with you. I should have been able to protect you with my shields. I—”
    “Protect me from what? A plummeting elevator?” Sai watches Iria, “Not possible. Your shields can’t hold out against that sort of gravitational pull. You weren’t distracting. I was just too tired. Frankly, I should have sent someone else.”
    Iria’s tone is stubborn. “But you couldn’t have.”
    Sai shrugs and sets her jaw. “I could have done a lot of things. I could have demanded a more detailed scan or scanned it in more detail myself before getting in the elevator. I was tired, on a bit of a high from the adrenaline, and to be honest? I was feeling a little over-confident. Please don’t blame yourself.”
    And there it was. Clear as day in front of her. Regardless how much she might like to