And no one would look for a secret NASA facility under a bunch of hungry cows. “Smart,” I said, and closed my eyes again, breathing in the scent of a green, living world. Even the distant smell of cow seemed pleasant after the sterile confines of the NASA holding cell.

“We need to keep moving,” said Mandy. “They’re unprepared, not stupid. Someone’s going to check the fire exits, if they haven’t started already.”

“This way,” said Lucas.

We walked across the cow pasture as fast as my condition allowed. I opened my eyes occasionally, watching the world flicker by, and I let myself be led. No matter how Lucas felt about me now, I trusted him. I trusted Mandy. And if they were leading me to my death, at least I would die outside, in the company of moonlight and trees.

The ground changed underfoot. I stumbled, looking down, and realized we had crossed onto a gravel road. Deep ruts ran down either side of it, marking the places where trucks had passed. I groaned. Mandy flashed me a quick, encouraging smile.

“Almost there, pumpkin,” she said. “Hold on, and soon we’ll have the best medical care we can give you.”

“How?” asked Lucas. “We don’t have a botanist on staff.”

Mandy glared. We kept walking.

The road was harder to walk on than the fields. The gravel turned under my feet, and the smoothness of most of the surface made the dips a more unpleasant surprise. Still, we stuck to it, following it around a shallow bend into the shadow of the nearby trees. There, parked off to one side with the doors standing open, was a black van with tinted windows. And standing by the bumper was—

“Graham!” I tried to pull away from Mandy, intending to run to him.

Grip firm but calm, she tugged me back. “No,” she said. “If you trip and scrape all the skin off your face, we’re going to need to buy a lot of foundation. No one has the budget for that. I’ll get you there.”

She kept walking, carrying me along with her. Graham stepped away from the van, and she let go, letting me literally fall into his arms.

Like Mandy, he smelled of soap and shampoo and sweat. I’d never noticed how strongly mammalian he smelled before. I inhaled, and flinched as my mouth started watering.

“Hey, baby,” he said, and kissed the top of my head. “Let’s get you out of here.”

He swept me off the ground into a bridal carry, cradling my head against his shoulder. I let my eyes drift closed, and this time, when the world slipped away, I didn’t try to hold on to it. I was safe. Whatever else I might be, I was safe.