Start by Odette C. Bell Page B

snapped.
    “No.
I'm fine,” she said with a firmer tone. “I can do this.”
    “Harper,” he looked at her menacingly, “the doctors might not
have ordered you back to your apartment, but I'm going to. Go back
now,” he said each word slowly, “before someone has to carry you
back,” he added under his breath.
    She
was used to being insulted by Sharpe; it happened nearly every
day.
    She
usually didn't react; she would just tuck her chin in, nod her
head, and mutter a “yes, sir.”
    But
this time she didn't.
    Blame
it on the fog in her mind, or the power of the dreams still
haunting her, but she looked directly into his eyes. “You can't do
that, sir. You can't override a medical decision; you aren't a
doctor.”
    Sharpe
looked shocked for a second, then his eyebrows descended darkly
over his eyes. “Are you challenging me?”
    “No,”
she choked, now realising this had been a bad idea, but also
realising she couldn’t back down yet, “I'm just asking you to cut
me some slack for once,” her voice wavered.
    Dammit.
    She
hated showing weakness in front of Sharpe, because Sharpe treated
weakness as an excuse to harass you even more.
    He
looked ready to shout at her, but he stopped.
    He
stood back.
    He
took a breath.
    He
shook his head. “Fine, you can go to class. But take it easy,” he
said each word slowly, as if she were especially hard of hearing,
“and if you black out, I will use this as a personal excuse to kick
your ass. Do you understand?”
    She
nodded.
    Had . . . she just won?
    Had
she stood her ground against Commander Sharpe and actually managed
to get him to change his mind?
    “Be
careful,” he snapped as he turned away from her. “And, Harper, I'm
glad you're alright,” he added as he walked off.
    . . . .
    What?
    Sharpe
was glad she was alright?
    Was he
just messing with her?
    Was
this an alien mind game?
    No,
she realised as he walked off stiffly.
    He was
glad she was alright.
    Because although he spent his life making hers hell, she knew
deep down he didn't hate her.
    Oh, he
loathed her weakness and general incompetence, yes, but he didn't
hate her.
    Surprised at that realisation, she quickly ran to her next
class, though she was careful not to push herself too
hard.
    Though
the other cadets all stared at her and tried to ask her questions
during her break, she managed to avoid them.
    Then,
eventually, she made her way back home.
    She
was exhausted.
    Really, really exhausted.
    When
she got in the door to her apartment, she greeted the place with a
shaking sigh.
    She
wanted a steaming hot bowl of pasta topped off with mounds of
cheese. And she wanted it now.
    She
also wanted to curl up on the couch and waste the night away
watching crap on the holo TV.
    She
wouldn't get the chance.
    As
soon as the doors closed behind her, Alicia was on her feet,
marching up to Nida's side.
    “What
the hell happened to you?” she looked Nida squarely in the
eyes.
    Nida
gulped, shrugging her shoulders as she brought her hands up to wave
Alicia off. “I'm fine.”
    “Fine?” Alicia spoke the word with all the force of a slap.
“What do you mean? Have you seen your bedroom door?”
    Nida
turned to look at her door. “It seems fine.”
    “That's because it was replaced,” Alicia huffed. “After that
training cube of yours obliterated it.”
    Nida
blinked her eyes closed.
    She
didn't want to remember what had happened last night.
    “Okay,
this is too weird. But what are you doing just standing there?”
Alicia snapped again.
    “What
should I be doing?” Nida asked warily.
    “Go
and sit on the couch, girl. Put your damn feet up. You almost died
last night. I mean, you totally ruined my double date with the most
eligible bachelors in all of the Academy, but you still almost
died. And I'm a pretty forgiving soul.”
    Nida
looked at her flat mate askance. “Are you being nice to
me?”
    “Yes,”
Alicia said defensively, taking Nida by the arm and leading her
towards the couch. She even