Taloh glanced at the other woman as she sat in the chair and stared at a small metal rectangular device. "Are you going to be staying in here all night?"

"Technically, its morning," Ailee muttered without looking up.

"It is?"

"Just after 2400 hours."

Taloh started to get out of the bed and Ailee glared at her. "What?"

"If there's something you need, just say the word. Otherwise, you're staying in here."

"I just want to stand up and stretch." And I know six different ways to knock you out, she thought. Was the woman always this annoying?

Ailee smiled. "Oh... sorry. Go right ahead."

Taloh rolled her eyes as she moved the blankets and swung her feet over the side of the bed. "Dua Netjer en etj."

Ailee blinked in confusion. "What was that?"

Taloh paused and replayed what she'd said in her mind. Oops... "Thank you. And you didn't answer my question."

"About staying in here all night?"

"Yes, that."

Ailee waited until Taloh was fully standing and then answered. "No, not staying in here the rest of the night. Just waiting until I know you are at least partly oriented."

"Huh?"

Ailee sighed as she put her datapad in her pocket. "I didn't want to say anything in front of my brother, but... whatever Tuesday is, this isn't it."

"Now I'm confused... it's the second day of the week." Taloh frowned in thought as Ailee shook her head. "I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"Yes, you seem to have lost several days... and the computer thing."

Taloh froze in midstretch and stared at her. "What? You're trying to tell me that I went for a walk this morning and somehow that wasn't this morning?" She leaned against the bed, frowning again in thought. "I knew something was off when I woke up in that alley and saw what looked like giant otters. Thought I was imagining it."

"Giant what?"

"Brown, walk on their hind legs, seemed to be quadraped, way bigger than they should be?"

Ailee thought about that description as she pulled the datapad back out of her pocket and keyed up some information. Then she handed it to Taloh. "I think you mean Selonians... or Wookiees, but it's been a while since I've seen a Wookiee here."

Taloh took the datapad gingerly, squinted at the image, and then handed it back to her. "Yes... those."

"This is the sixth day of the week, by the way," Ailee told her as she waited for Taloh to get back into the bed. Then she stood up. "And no, in answer to your earlier question, I'm not staying in here all morning long. Feel like sleeping?"

"Not tired," Taloh told her. Then she felt a sudden urge to yawn.

Ailee smiled at her knowingly and dimmed the lights a little. "Try anyway."

Taloh watched her leave, then shook her head in disbelief. She'd generally avoided the medical community, but this medical person took the cake for oddness. Laying down and staring out the still-open door, Taloh had to wonder... what had happened that it was now four days later than it should have been? That thought followed her into a semi-restful slumber.

Drev strode in through the front door of the hospital clinic and frowned when he saw his sister standing at the desk, holding a cup of caf as if it were a lifeline. "How do you ever sleep?"

"Hmmm?" She took another sip, then smiled at him. "Top of the morning to you too, Drev. Sleep well?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she shook her head. "This is decaf."

"Ah. Yes, I did get some sleep."

"That's good." She took another sip and they stood there in silence. He felt like tapping his foot impatiently, but settled for glaring at her, hoping it would get the point across. "Glaring at me will only prolong the suffering, you know."

"Is this because I threatened you with a stuffed animal last night?"

"Perhaps."

"Ailee..."

"What?"

"You're going to make me ask it, aren't you?" As she smiled at him guilelessly, he sighed. "Fine. How is she?"

"Still sleeping and more oriented than last you saw her... also talks in foreign languages in her sleep. Heard three different ones when I checked on her earlier."

"What?"

"You asked." Ailee glanced around, seemed to nod to herself, and then handed him something. "Here. This is for you if you're getting her out of here."

Drev blinked as he stared at the ID card in his hand. "Why did you..."

"I had some time in the wee hours of the morning." She leaned closer, whispered... "And some connections."

"Oh. Knightshield? What kind of a name is that?"

Ailee shrugged. "I listened to her sleeptalking for a while. She kept repeating something about knights and shields... when I could understand it, anyway."

"Ah. Thank you." Drev stood there, staring at the identification card. How had she gotten it done so fast? Not that he didn't know, really... the resistance did, indeed, have connections. "Found some things out yesterday."

Ailee laughed under her breath as she took a sip of caf. "Good. Save it for the community meeting."

"Tired?"

"Very. And Drev?"

"Yes?"

"We finally got stuff to do."

Stuff to do? That had to be the oddest way to say 'we got orders from the Alliance' that he'd heard yet. It was accurate, though. "Good to know."

"Hide that thing, would you?"

"It's just..."

"Surprising?" She asked as he tucked it away into a pocket. "Not really."

"Coming from you, it is."

"I felt guilty," Ailee told him after a long moment of silence.

"For what?"

"Being tactless last night. I knew she was possibly traumatized, but..."

"Hey," Drev said as he placed a hand on her arm. "You were doing your job, Ailee."

"Doesn't change it."

"No, it doesn't."

They stood there until Ailee broke eye contact and shrugged his hand off. "I'm going to go see if she's up yet... thanks."

"Anytime." Drev watched as she started to walk away and his eyebrows went up when she stopped and turned back to look at him. "What?"

"Just thought of something." She shrugged again and continued to walk away.

Taloh was staring at the wall when the lights were suddenly turned up to full. "You didn't have to do that. I'm up."

"Sort of figured you would be," Ailee told her with some consternation in her tone. "Come on, now. Sit up."

"Why?" Taloh heard the door shut and rolled over to find Ailee leaning against it and pinching the bridge of her nose. Frowning, Taloh sat up, wondering if the other woman had a headache. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. Just tired and taking a moment where I don't have to pretend every thing is normal and fine and dandy." She stood like that for a minute, then looked at Taloh. "Oh, good. You're sitting up."

Taloh paused and took a moment to notice what was in her other hand. Clothing and a pair of shoes. "What are those for?"

"You." Ailee set the clothes, which Taloh recognized as her cloak and a pair of pants with a matching midnight blue top, on the bed and handed the shoes to her. "I think these are your size. Hard to tell with shoes. Put 'em on while I go get my brother and bring him back here." She chuckled suddenly. "And let's not tell my superiors that I loaned a patient clinic garments."

"Why not?"

"Trying to keep a low profile."

"I won't tell them if you don't," Taloh told her as she picked up the cloak. "This is mine."

"Yes. Got it decontaminated finally. Thought it's funny..."

"How so?"

"That cloak is not burned like your dress was."

Taloh frowned as Ailee flashed her a grin and left the room. Then she stood up slowly, wondering at that statement. Of course it wasn't... she hadn't been wearing a cloak on a summer morning. Then she blinked the image of a plane away. Where had that come from?

Five minutes later, she was dressed and there was a knock at the door. "I'm decent." The door opened, revealing Ailee and Drev. "Still don't get why the cloak."

"You were wearing it," Drev told her.

"Ah." That wasn't really what she'd meant...

"Come on."

"Where?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"That's where we're going. Getting out of Ailee's hair, too."

Ailee chuckled. "Funny."

Drev rolled his eyes at her. "I promise not to make fun of you and stuffed animals again, all right? Force knows what you'd do if I actually got you one."

"That's for me to know," Ailee told him humorously as they stepped aside to allow Taloh to exit the room.

"You two are definitely related," Taloh told them.

Drev smiled, nodding. "Yep... Meeting later, sister dear?"

"Yes, brother darling. Have a good time."

"It's breakfast, not a night on the town."

"You never have nights out on the town. You watch while other people do."

Taloh happened to be looking at Drev as a scowl crossed his face and decided to get them apart as quickly as possible, lest one of them become violent in more than words. "So... breakfast? I'm famished and I'm not certain when I ate last."

They both looked at her and Ailee nodded. "Right. Have fun... quiet fun."

"We'll do our best," Drev told her as he took Taloh by the arm and began to lead her away. Once they were outside, he turned to Taloh. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Changing the subject." He glanced down at what she was wearing and shook his head. "I liked that dress you were wearing before, but the dark blue is nice too."

She wanted to say something in reply, but nothing came to her, so Taloh simply smiled at him. It had been a while since anyone had complimented her on anything... and now it was slightly unnerving. "So where are we going?"

"Home."

"Your home?"

"Yes."

"Why, Drev, I barely know you."

"And I barely know you, but after what happened last night, the garrison is on high alert. Personally, I'd like to avoid prying eyes."

She frowned at him as they continued to walk down the street. "Garrison?"

Drev motioned with his other hand and she followed the gesture, only just realizing that there were people in uniforms and armor displayed prominently at strategic points along the street. "Garrison."

For some reason, the white armor and the helmets were giving her the willies. She did not voice another protest as they walked the rest of the way.

Translation: "Dua Netjer en etj" = "Thank you" (to a woman)