Regardless, Akua was the lesser of many possible evils and I was 99% certain she wasn’t the one who’d kill me.

So why can’t I see what’s coming?

“What’s bothering you?” Akua’s eyes narrowed.

I almost snorted. All she had to do was check my readings on her little touchscreen wrist thing if she wanted to see my pulse freaking out.

But that wouldn’t be very Akua. She’d earned her Blue Helix specializing in psych stuff and she never missed a chance to ask an annoying question.

The last thing I needed to do was give her something to pick at. She’d make me look at inkblots until my eyes bled and then she’d really get started. I dropped into my chair and rubbed my hands against my pajama bottoms. I was seriously off my game and I needed to get it together.

Akua started into a bunch of questions to check my mental health, but I tuned her out and focused on my food. Today’s menu had cocoa, fresh fruit, and a stack of round pancakes with a side of strawberry glaze. I lifted a hand, cutting off the tide of psychobabble. “My whipped cream?”

“Your blood sugar is a bit higher than optimal.” Now Akua startled rattling off something about fiber and nutrients, but I was already done.

If I was going to die any minute now, who cared if my blood type was chocolate? Might as well go out on a high note.

It was a good enough reason to fake a tantrum, but I resisted. I had a more important goal right now. Figuring a way around this gigantic blank.

“You missed me, didn’t you?” I asked.

Akua relaxed a bit, registering that I wasn’t going to flip over the whipped cream. “I was worried about your condition after so much time alone.”

My condition. Not me. Huge difference.

And who was she kidding? She could’ve requested to end the punishment at any time.

Ah well.

Akua had tranqed me one too many times for us to ever be friends.

I dumped the bowl of glaze over my pancakes and spread out the strawberry chunks, pretending to be engrossed. “So? What’s my schedule?”

“We’ve an hour of game time, followed by a holo room session and a psych evaluation.”

I paused my spreading to scowl. “Holo room? Already?” Maybe I should tackle her and get tranqed instead? That would be so much more fun than holo room hell with Darren. Although spending time with him anywhere was hellish. Getting my thoughts projected was just the cherry on the hate sundae.

Akua nodded. “We’ve pressing matters to discuss, otherwise we would’ve continued your punishment the full month.”

“That wasn’t four weeks?” A touch of panic sounded in my voice, but I couldn’t blame myself, because whoa.

“Two and a half.”