Page 96 of As You Wake, Break the Shell

any of them?

I remember loving them.

But no, not much else.

Oh—oh, shit.

What’s wrong?

I broke a plant.

Let me see. Oh, that’s all right.

Did I hurt it?

Not in a way that won’t heal.

I’ll be more careful.

You’re doing great.

I’ve never done anything like

this before.

I don’t do this work with others,

normally. But I like this. I like

working together.

Me too. Tell me about your

parents.

I only ever had a mother. That

outbreak of quiet cough, eight

years ago. You remember?

Flytown roped itself off for two

months, yeah.

I couldn’t go in to see her at the

end. She was still contagious.

I am so sorry. Were you close?

No. Two strangers who spent

every waking moment together

until I moved out. You know

how it is sometimes.