Chapter 26

Pain.

Pain, though not nearly as awful as it had been, found her first. Her consciousness fought through it and found its way back into the world. Her eyes snapped open with a volatile shudder that ran through her whole body like an electric shock.

A grip so tight she couldn't feel the tips of her fingers encircled her palm. She followed the limb to the attached body with her eyes.

"Sawyer," Renee murmured. A weak smile came unbidden to her lips. "You came. I ... tried to call you."

"I am so sorry-" the boy started, but Zack cut him off.

"She's awake," he said to the doctor. "Check her."

The woman frowned at the tone, but ran a hand above the synthetic's body.

"I'm sorry," whispered Sawyer. "Why didn't you tell me what you were going to do?"

"You wouldn't have let me," she replied.

The darkness concealed the expression that grew on his face.

"She ... she seems fine," said Colton, incredulity painting her tone. "She shouldn't be, but..."

"Then she doesn't need to stay here," said Zack. "C'mon, Renee."

"What?"

Zack stared up at the ceiling. "If she is going to be okay, we shouldn't stay her any longer. It will just increase all of our chances of being caught. I am calling the cab."

"No," said Colton sharply. "No. You brought her to me and asked that I help. I did so. I took your story at face value, but I can't in good conscious send her away without speaking to her first."

The boy released a long breath. "Doctor, I think you are under the mistaken impression that you'll be able to stop us from leaving. Renee belongs at home. Honestly, Sawyer and I would be idiots to just let her fall into the hands of god knows what kind of people. So, if you do try to keep us from leaving, I need to remind you that you risked your license to help her. And if word got out that you did so...

"Well.

"You have a lot more to lose than we do."

"Zack-" began Sawyer.

"You don't want to end up in some synthetic whorehouse, either, Sauce. And we can't be sure that doesn't happen if she gets taken away."

"That's all well and good," said Colton, icily. "But what does Renee think?" She turned to the girl. "Do you want to go with them?"

The synthetic could not find the woman's eyes in the dark. Straining to see through the blackness brought on a wave of dizziness and nausea. How could she trust someone she couldn't even see?

Renee shrugged. "Can I ... could I come back later?" Of course, Zack would forbid her from saying anything, but she was adept at avoiding orders. And if Colton expected to see her again, nothing too terrible could happen.

Possibly.

Zack and the doctor were already voicing their assent, both with their own agendas, she assumed.

Renee closed her eyed and leaned back into the pillows, into the shadows of sleep, squeezing Sawyer's hand tight.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, sunshine," said Sawyer.

Renee's eyes adjusted to the dim light. She lay in the soft sheets of the boy's bed, although she couldn't feel any sensation from her arms. A weak glance confirmed they were still there, the jagged lacerations concealed with hardened white foam.

The boy himself looked worse than she felt. The dark circles under his eyes contrasted sharply with the pallor of his cheeks. The smile he gave her was marred by exhaustion.

"You've been sleeping for two days," he said. He looked as if he hadn't slept for any. He lifted a glass on the desk next to his chair. "Water?"

"She finally woke up?" Zack sauntered into view; the coldness in Renee's chest had nothing to do with the liquid filling her stomach.

"What does it look like?" Sawyer snapped, then immediately seemed contrite. "Sorry. But Colton said-"

"No worries," said Zack, waving a hand. "She's okay now, right?"

"I don't know."

"Tell Sawyer you feel fine, Renee."

"I- I feel fine," she repeated, despite the snakes writhing in her stomach at his forced grin. Zack was angry- she read it clear on his face- and not with his friend.

Sawyer frowned at the answer, fingers less than an inch from hers clenching into a fist. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" asked Zack. "She listened to me. She's okay."

"She can answer for herself."

"I noticed."

He was off the chair in an instant, pinning the much larger boy against the wall. "Renee almost died. She almost fucking died, Zack. You don't get it."

"Sauce-" he began.

"No. No. You've treated her like shit under your heel ever since she got here and I am sick of it. I don't care if she's a synthetic. I don't care if she's a robot. She does not deserve your shit; she never did. You order her around like she's a drone and she's not. If you don't fucking stop, I swear to god, I'll- I'll-" Sawyer paused for a breath, eyes wild.

"You'll what?" parroted Zack. He brushed his friend's hands aside. "Listen to yourself. We've been friends for years, and you'd seriously let a ... a difference of opinion ruin it? Really? I know you care about her, but I do too. Why else do you think I'd risk taking her to the clinic like that?"