Chapter 163

Vanessa shut her exhausted eyes, imagined herself in a peaceful slumber against the ceramic wall of her shower. The healer had needed much more energy than either of them had anticipated to keep working on injuries to heal quickly. They can't afford to have injured soldiers on their hands, not now. Her energy reservoirs had all but given up six hours ago, but perpetual fear of having failed people-not at meagre tasks but one of a survival possessed her like barnacle to its shell. If this is how Noah felt before every decision making, she had to think whether she was open to that responsibility or not.

Lake and Walter, the two injured soldiers, one of which had a sweet tooth. Despite the healer's threat of striping his hide red, he had insisted on inhaling gallons of sugar. His younger brother, Fuastus, smuggled him those from the vending machine.

The healer knew, the machine was at the end of the stretched hallway and crackled when put to work, but nobody had the heart to deny the