Really. Truly. He meant it. In fact, he’d even told Ham that he was out, for the foreseeable future, during their conversation at the airfield last night, when Ham drove over to join Logan and Roy as they oversaw the retrieval of the drones and final S-poxR canister.

Unfortunately, that foreseeable future included Colt spending the night in the hospital, again. For observation.

He could have been observed just fine back at the mansion, hello. Next to a pool and in some sunshine.

But maybe Tae was right—after his second exposure to the S-poxR, some time in isolation while they all underwent testing probably wasn’t a terrible idea.

So he’d spent a very long night in a plastic room, next to Tae, next to Dodge, and even Ranger.

Dodge and Ranger had received doses of Tae’s experimental vaccine and so far, not a hint of any complications. And after what felt like Colt had opened a vein for Zoey to test his blood, not a hint of the disease was found in his system either.

Yay for white blood cells, and memory B cells, or whatever it was that kept his body in working order.

Or maybe he should be thanking God, because it seemed very much that he’d been given a second chance. A new heart, as it were.

One that suddenly felt very much alive. Hopeful.

Ready for a different future.

He just wasn’t sure what that looked like.

He reached for his shirt as he slid off the table. Winced as he tried to pull it over his head.

But Tae was right there to help, still with the slightest hue of worry in her eyes.

Dodge and Ranger, along with Noemi, were waiting outside his room when he finally emerged.

“Ham texted. Said he wanted to talk to us,” Ranger said.

Apparently Ranger was now on the payroll of Jones, Inc., news he’d dropped on Colt last night while his youngest brother paced his cell slash hospital pod.

Dodge had spent much of his quarantine time on the phone with Echo, assuring her that, no, he wasn’t going to develop pustules and bleed from the eyes. He hoped.

Today he was grouchy and clearly itching to get back to Alaska. He led them out of the hospital.

Logan was waiting for them in the Escalade. He wore a suit, was clean-shaven and all business, as he met them on the curb.

He eyed their appearance, then shrugged and got in the driver’s seat.

Whatever that meant.

Tae got in beside Colt in the back. “Zoey called. She’s going to be staying on here in the Florida lab. I told her we’d probably be going back to Alaska.”

He looked at her. “Sure.”

Except she frowned and turned away. Huh?

He took her hand. “Babe, I meant what I said. We’re in this together.”