“You’re sweet, but you don’t need to lie.” My voice came out in a rasp. I breathed in shallow breaths, to take in just enough air to keep me alive, but every inhale was like breathing in embers. “I’m not your responsibility. This isn’t your fault.”

Tyler started cussing up a storm, but I wasn’t paying attention. A wave of nausea rippled through me taking all my focus. “Gonna be sick.”

“Shit. Don’t puke in the suit. I don’t want to clean out another one.”

I tried to laugh, but it came out more like a croak. I’d vomited the day I’d gotten overheated and dehydrated. Puking purple electrolyte gel had been an experience I hoped I never relived.

“Swallow it down!” Tyler was trying to make me laugh, but the fear in his voice was real and thick.

The cart jolted under us as we entered the cooling chamber. “Five more seconds and that helmet is coming off.”

“I don’t think I can make it five seconds.” The gray dots merged into one growing black dot as my breathing grew shallow. “Passing…” I tried to fight it, but the black dot was getting bigger. “Out…”

“You do what you need to, and Audrey will do what she needs to save you.” I heard the words as if they were far away.

I tried to argue, but I couldn’t make my mouth move.

I let the darkness take me and hoped that Audrey would hold off on the stupid nanos, whatever was wrong with me this time. I’d already had enough of those little shits to last me the rest of my life.

But when I heard my breath wheezing, I knew that I wasn’t going to be that lucky. Not today.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I came awake screaming.

“Maité. Please,” Audrey’s voice pleaded with me. “You have to stop yelling. There are patients down the hall. They’re going to hear you.”

I couldn’t stop, but I was running out of air. My back arched off the table.

“We gotta hold her down or she’s going to fall,” Tyler said.

“I don’t know where to touch her. She’s burned everywhere.” Ahiga’s voice was sharp and fierce.

The air felt cold around my naked body. “Hurts.” I sobbed. “Hurts.”

Cold hands pressed against my shoulders and the pain tore another scream from me.

“Just hang in there.” Audrey was calm, and I had to trust her. “Focus on my words, Maité. Nanos will be done in a few hours. This is bad, but you can do this. You will survive.”

I concentrated on breathing, but I wasn’t sure she was right. Not this time.

I glanced at Audrey. My breath came in quick gasps, and I could see the tears pooling in her eyes.

If she was crying, then this was bad.

“Need. Pass. Out.” My throat ached with the words.