Chapter 15
When you're in a healing coma, your mind tends to wander, kind of like it does when you're dozing and just on the edge of the dream-state. Sometimes, too, people talk when they're in a healing coma. We call it babbling. Everyone does it at some point or other while healing, and since all babbling has an approximately equal potential for embarrassment, courtesy and self-preservation pretty much demand that you ignore everyone else's babbling as much as humanly possible. After all, if you make fun of what someone says during a healing coma, odds are that you're going to be next.
Trina was babbling softly at the moment. I couldn't understand anything of what she was saying because she was speaking in . . . French, I think. Her tone of voice, though, kind of made me wish that I was the guy she was talking to. Toby was quiet; he babbles probably the least of any of us.
As for me, I don't think I was saying anything. My thoughts were drifting to Lily Lee, wondering how she was doing, whether she was frightened as she lay there (I presume) all tied up in our new stronghouse, whether her weird, robotic, Crazy Kung Fu Zombie Chick persona even felt any emotions at all.
JB Swift must have been present at the game, I realized. Lily Lee had transformed at some point during the fight from pain-in-the-butt minder to deadly fighting machine, and I had seen her do that only once before, when JB Swift had pointed some sort of remote control device at her and pressed a button. We had nearly captured her then, but JB Swift had stepped in to save her. I wondered idly why he had been unable to intervene this time.
I also found myself wondering which of her several personas she was displaying at the moment. Mike had knocked her unconscious once, and she had woken up as sweet, gentle Li Lin-fa. I sure wouldn't mind seeing that side of her again. I had once promised Li Lin-fa that I would rescue her from Enclave if I possibly could. I hadn't been the one who had captured her this time, but still . . .
My eyes snapped open as the healing coma lifted and my force shield turned itself off. Toby was nowhere to be seen. Trina was just sitting up, taking deep breaths and pressing her palms to her eyes; I imagine that her coma ended at about the same time mine did.
"I think I must have been babbling the entire time," she said apologetically as she caught sight of me. "I hope I didn't disturb you."
I shrugged. "I couldn't understand any of it, so I just tuned it out. Sounded like you were speaking French."
"I probably was. I was thinking about an old boyfriend from Paris."
"Ah."
She flashed me her flirtatious smile. "Don't worry. He is long gone." She hooked her arm through mine and winked at me. "And he was not nearly as cute as you are."
I winked back at her. "And none of my old girlfriends can compare to you, Trina. You're the prettiest girl I know."
"Flatterer! Don't let Padma hear you say that, or she'll break your nose the next time you practice together."
"She'd have to actually hit me to do that!"
Laughing, we went into the kitchen together. I grabbed a glass of orange juice while she made herself a cup of tea. Toby was already there, spreading something on a piece of toast. I wrinkled my nose. "Don't tell me Mike's finally got you hooked on Marmite," I said in disgust.
"Just thought I'd try it."
"Don't! He got me to eat some once on a bet. It's awful stuff."
"Mike seems to like it." He stared for a moment at the dark-brown spread. "Well, here goes." He took a large bite, chewed for a while, then shrugged. "You know, it's not half bad," he said with his mouth full, then took another bite.
Trina's expression showed just what she thought of the Marmite that Mike insisted be kept stocked in our kitchen. "Wizzit," she said to the empty air, "where are Red and Orange?"
"They are with the prisoner in the stronghouse."
"Will they need any help with her?"
"Or a translator?" I asked hopefully.
"No and no. The subject is passive and uncommunicative at the moment. They are merely observing her."
"So when do we find out what happened with JB Swift?" Toby asked.
"You will debrief with the Commander tomorrow. Red and Orange will debrief then as well. In the meantime, lights-out is in forty-five minutes, kids. Good night!"
Attack Doll 2: Junior Prime Page 15
