Voice Read Online Free Page B

on that connection, but you’ll sever contact with Jack while you continue communicating with April. Can you do that?”
    Jemma closed her eyes at the idea of dropping her connection with Jack on purpose, but she nodded. “Ready for the test of the day?” she sent Jack. “We get to try long-distance conference calling.”
    “That sounds like a blast,” he sent back with just a trace of sarcasm. “Ready when you are.”
    She reached out, focusing again on April. “Still there?”
    “Yeah,” sent April. “Sorry I was talking like a middle school student earlier. I’ve just been cooped up for too long.”
    “That’s fine.” Jemma sent understanding, then frowned. She knew how to Talk to both of them at once, but how to make it so they could hear each other? Eyes closed, she concentrated on her connection with Jack, that one easy enough to call on, then on her new, tenuous connection with April, pulling them together. “Can you both hear me?”
    “Both?” sent April.
    “Reading you both loud and clear,” sent Jack with a mental wink.
    There was brief silence from April. “So are you not alone there, then?”
    “We were here together,” sent Jemma, “but we split up. Long story, and they want us to try something else. I have to stop talking to Jack and keep talking to April.”
    “Already?” At Jack’s question, Jemma opened her eyes and saw Dr. Harris nod.
    “Yes. Maybe they’ll let us Talk later.”
    “Be careful, and don’t overdo it,” sent Jack, ending with what felt like an embrace. Jemma smiled to herself, then closed her eyes again to focus on working through the connections as Dr. Harris had asked.
    Focus on how Jack’s connection feels, but let go of his connection. She tried it, knowing she’d visibly winced when she cut his connection, then checked to make sure April was still there.
    “Are you still with me, April?”
    “Yes. So are you two together or something?”
    “Something like that.” Jemma’s head was pounding. She didn’t think it had worked, transferring the connection, at least not entirely. She could feel her connection with April a little better, though, than she had before.
    “Give me a little more detail than that. I mean, look, for all I know, you’re either a trick from the scientists or I’ve gone off the deep end, and either way, I might as well get some girl talk out of it.”
    “Well, we haven’t really talked about it.” Jemma rested her head in her good hand.
    “Commitment issues?” April sounded understanding.
    “More like timing, I think.”
    “All right, Jemma,” typed Dr. Harris. Jemma didn’t bother lifting her head, not sure whether she could, but she did let go of her connection with April. “We’ll give you a few hours off while we study these results. Good job this morning.”
    Judging by the pounding in her skull, she could use more than a few hours off, but at least they weren’t pushing her until she passed out.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR:
    Unraveling
     
    Her head still hurt too much to function by the time her break was over. Dr. Harris seemed willing to believe her, for some reason, and delayed further testing until the next day. She didn’t risk Talking to Jack more while she waited for the drug to wear off, but they did stay in contact, holding on to their connection and the comfort and protection it offered.
    By morning, when she got to the lab where Josh and Dr. Harris were waiting, her brain felt almost bruised from the constant pain. Dr. Harris, who seemed reluctant to leave her alone with Josh, looked at her and immediately started typing on his clipboard, something inaudible to Jemma, while gesturing for her to wait near the guard rather than sit. After a few minutes, they left Josh behind, and Jemma, Dr. Harris, and the guard made their way back to the lower level of the facility.
    Again, her attempt at looking around once they were in the below-ground lab’s corridor was met with force,