already knew that, didn't you?”
“ Yes.”
She shook her head. “Doubtful.”
He stared right back as if he wanted her to test him.
“All right, Mr. Observant, what's wrong with me?”
“ Asthma,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “How the—no, wait. Let me guess. You heard me wheezing?”
He tapped Emily 's empty pocket. “I saw the outline of your inhaler yesterday.”
“ You were checking her out,” Sarah said.
A crimson hue climbed Matt's cheeks. “I saw it right there in her pocket when she was checking on Raven. Anyone would have noticed.”
With the tray in hand, Emily slid off the bench. “You're a terrible liar.” She flipped her wrist toward everyone else in a half-hearted wave. “See the rest of you tomorrow.”
“ I'm coming with you,” Sarah said. “I want to see if they have any pain pills. They might appreciate my preemptive strike and give me some.”
“ Unlikely,” Matt said. He slapped her on the backside and winked. “Not pills at least.”
Sarah tilted her head and froze. Any witty comeback seemed lost to her confusion.
Emily tugged on Sarah 's shirt. “Come on.”
As they dropped their trays off with the dishwasher, Sarah looked at Emily. “Was he hitting on me? He slapped my ass.”
Emily shrugged.
After about a mile of hiking through deserted halls, Emily located the pharmacy deep in the south wing. It consisted of a single sliding-glass window next to the clinic but not much else. Behind the counter, an obese woman worked on a crossword puzzle. She glanced at Emily and Sarah, her eyes devoid of any emotion. “Name?”
“ Emily Heath.”
The nurse turned and sifted through a plastic blue container with the letter H prominently displayed. “Right here,” she said, and slid a white envelope across the counter. “Anything else?”
Sarah inched closer to the nurse. “Can I get some pain meds?”
The nurse 's eyes gleamed, and her lips creased into an exaggerated smile. “Are you in pain?”
Sarah glanced around and seemed to wonder if anyone might question her motives. “Yes. I'm hurting.”
“ How bad?”
Sarah rubbed her shoulder and scrunched her face. “Bad.”
“ Coming right up.” The nurse bent down, reaching beneath the counter. A moment later she popped back up and brandished a six-inch-long syringe. Clear liquid dripped from the tip and glistened under the fluorescent lights.
“ Oh shit,” Emily said.
“ Come through the door and drop your pants.”
Sarah 's bottom lip quivered, and her wide eyes reflected a perfect image of the needle. “I'm feeling better all of a sudden.” Her voice was monotone.
“ We have a struggler,” the nurse shouted over her shoulder.
A green blur rushed out the door, and Emily stared up at the MP 's rigid face. He was easily six-six and two hundred and fifty pounds. His eyes hopped from girl to girl. “Which one?”
Sarah cowered behind Emily 's back, which gave the soldier his answer. “I feel fine,” she said. “Really. Look.” She performed three jumping jacks.
The nurse chuckled.
The MP grabbed a wad of Sarah's shirt, and Sarah clutched Emily's arm. “No,” Sarah screamed. “I feel fine. I promise.” The brute strength of the MP dragged Sarah inside the clinic, and Sarah's death grip took Emily along for the ride. He yanked Sarah's pants down to her ankles. She looked at Emily through fresh tears.
“ Here we go,” the nurse said. She wielded the syringe like a dagger and stabbed the needle into Sarah's flesh. If any dogs lived nearby, they probably sought shelter from the ear-piercing squeal.
The MP and nurse laughed.
Sarah trembled as she pulled up her pants and limped out of the clinic. “Not a word to anyone,” she said to Emily.
“ Not even Vasquez?” Emily asked.
Sarah swung her elbow toward Emily 's ribs but missed by a foot. “Whoa. This stuff works fast.”
“ By the way, girls,” the nurse said. “You can't get pain medication once you start ACES training.”
“
“ Yes.”
She shook her head. “Doubtful.”
He stared right back as if he wanted her to test him.
“All right, Mr. Observant, what's wrong with me?”
“ Asthma,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “How the—no, wait. Let me guess. You heard me wheezing?”
He tapped Emily 's empty pocket. “I saw the outline of your inhaler yesterday.”
“ You were checking her out,” Sarah said.
A crimson hue climbed Matt's cheeks. “I saw it right there in her pocket when she was checking on Raven. Anyone would have noticed.”
With the tray in hand, Emily slid off the bench. “You're a terrible liar.” She flipped her wrist toward everyone else in a half-hearted wave. “See the rest of you tomorrow.”
“ I'm coming with you,” Sarah said. “I want to see if they have any pain pills. They might appreciate my preemptive strike and give me some.”
“ Unlikely,” Matt said. He slapped her on the backside and winked. “Not pills at least.”
Sarah tilted her head and froze. Any witty comeback seemed lost to her confusion.
Emily tugged on Sarah 's shirt. “Come on.”
As they dropped their trays off with the dishwasher, Sarah looked at Emily. “Was he hitting on me? He slapped my ass.”
Emily shrugged.
After about a mile of hiking through deserted halls, Emily located the pharmacy deep in the south wing. It consisted of a single sliding-glass window next to the clinic but not much else. Behind the counter, an obese woman worked on a crossword puzzle. She glanced at Emily and Sarah, her eyes devoid of any emotion. “Name?”
“ Emily Heath.”
The nurse turned and sifted through a plastic blue container with the letter H prominently displayed. “Right here,” she said, and slid a white envelope across the counter. “Anything else?”
Sarah inched closer to the nurse. “Can I get some pain meds?”
The nurse 's eyes gleamed, and her lips creased into an exaggerated smile. “Are you in pain?”
Sarah glanced around and seemed to wonder if anyone might question her motives. “Yes. I'm hurting.”
“ How bad?”
Sarah rubbed her shoulder and scrunched her face. “Bad.”
“ Coming right up.” The nurse bent down, reaching beneath the counter. A moment later she popped back up and brandished a six-inch-long syringe. Clear liquid dripped from the tip and glistened under the fluorescent lights.
“ Oh shit,” Emily said.
“ Come through the door and drop your pants.”
Sarah 's bottom lip quivered, and her wide eyes reflected a perfect image of the needle. “I'm feeling better all of a sudden.” Her voice was monotone.
“ We have a struggler,” the nurse shouted over her shoulder.
A green blur rushed out the door, and Emily stared up at the MP 's rigid face. He was easily six-six and two hundred and fifty pounds. His eyes hopped from girl to girl. “Which one?”
Sarah cowered behind Emily 's back, which gave the soldier his answer. “I feel fine,” she said. “Really. Look.” She performed three jumping jacks.
The nurse chuckled.
The MP grabbed a wad of Sarah's shirt, and Sarah clutched Emily's arm. “No,” Sarah screamed. “I feel fine. I promise.” The brute strength of the MP dragged Sarah inside the clinic, and Sarah's death grip took Emily along for the ride. He yanked Sarah's pants down to her ankles. She looked at Emily through fresh tears.
“ Here we go,” the nurse said. She wielded the syringe like a dagger and stabbed the needle into Sarah's flesh. If any dogs lived nearby, they probably sought shelter from the ear-piercing squeal.
The MP and nurse laughed.
Sarah trembled as she pulled up her pants and limped out of the clinic. “Not a word to anyone,” she said to Emily.
“ Not even Vasquez?” Emily asked.
Sarah swung her elbow toward Emily 's ribs but missed by a foot. “Whoa. This stuff works fast.”
“ By the way, girls,” the nurse said. “You can't get pain medication once you start ACES training.”
“
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