Chapter 16

Taking the stool, Kyer patted his knee. “Sit.”

If he had asked yesterday, I would’ve done so with a grin and thought nothing of it. But the memory of my dream haunted me. “I’ll stand.”

Misreading my reluctance, Kyer patted my elbow. “It’ll all be over in a few minutes. Are you going to tell them—”

“No,” I said sharply, before he could say the words out loud and possibly be overheard. Taking a deep breath, I repeated myself, trying to stay calm. “No. We’ll just see what happens.”

A moment later, the curtain drew back and the Physician entered the cubicle. She didn’t look much older than us, but that couldn’t have been right. Maybe it was the darker blend of her skin which made her look younger, or the short curls that framed her plump cheeks. Kyer stood as she shook our hands. There were no introductions—she was the Physician assigned to my cubicle, so she already knew who we were from the console in her hands.