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Sitting with Ravi, a rare quiet night just the two of them, Major popped a game into the console, interested to see if he could beat his high score on this run. "Hey," he said to his roommate as the game loaded, "guess who's about to be a real mercenary?"

"Pinocchio?"

Major grinned. "This guy, right here." He blasted a few obstacles on the screen. Well on his way to a record, he was sure. Never mind that it was only the first level. "It still doesn't seem real. I mean, Fillmore Graves has got my unit on call. In the next few days, our boots could be on the ground halfway around the world."

Ravi poured tea into his cup and added milk. "I should go in your place." He retrieved a bottle and added a generous splash of whiskey. More like a stream than a splash, really. "I've got nothing else to live for."

The cough came again, out of nowhere. Major tried to fight it, pretend it wasn't happening, but it hurt like hell, and it was too strong for him. So much for his high score; he could barely hold the controller, doubling over with the force of the coughing.

"Your inhaler!" Ravi said urgently.

Major gestured to his bag, and Ravi hurried to dig out the inhaler, bringing it back to Major.

He was almost afraid he was going to die before Ravi got to him, the coughing was getting so strong. He couldn't get enough air, couldn't ... Reaching out for the inhaler, he managed to fill his lungs with the medication. The cough faded, but his throat felt raw and sore and he was very, very afraid. He sat there, trembling, and tried to remember how to breathe properly as Ravi sank onto the couch next to him.

Measuring his words carefully, Ravi said, "I think it's time."

Major didn't want it to be time … but Ravi was right. He nodded, unable to fight it any longer, and Ravi picked up the phone. "Hey, Liv, are you still at the morgue?" He glanced at Major. "It's time. Can you bring them?" Closing the phone, he said, "She's on her way. Hey … for what it's worth, I'm sorry it's come to this. I'm sorry I couldn't fix the cure sooner."

"You did all you could."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ravi was silent, and Major knew he was thinking of Peyton, and the way he had been distracted by her, and then blown things with her. And as much as he liked his roommate and sympathized with his issues, Major could have told him all along that he was handling the situation with Peyton all wrong … and he really didn't have it in him to hold his friend's hand. Not right now. Maybe tomorrow. If he was still himself tomorrow.

Major returned to his game while they waited for Liv, but the fun had gone out of it.

She let herself in, looking at Major anxiously as she came around the corner. "Are you … okay?"

He shrugged.

"You brought them?" Ravi asked.

"Yeah, they're here." Liv held out a rolled up package.

Ravi unrolled it on the table in front of Major, displaying a case full of syringes. "These seventeen syringes constitute the world's entire supply of the cure."

"Side effects might include complete and total memory loss."

"It won't be long before you have an episode too severe for that inhaler to help." Ravi took a syringe out of the case, holding it out to Major. "You keep it somewhere you can get to it."

Major took it, studying it, not wanting to have to take it, not wanting any of this to be real. But he didn't have any choice, after all.

Ravi looked over at Liv, who was rocking back and forth in her chair, clearly bursting to say something. "'Sup with you? You look like the zombie who ate the canary's brain."

"It's just …" Liv had a prissy look about her, lips pursed disapprovingly. Major wondered what kind of brain she was on now. She didn't seem like herself at all. Leaning forward, she let her news loose. "Blaine and Peyton? I saw them duck into the alley last night after his set."

"No," Ravi said.

Liv was too caught up in the need to share to see the pain she was causing their friend. "They were out there for quite a while. Doing what? You tell me."

Ravi and Major looked at her, and then at each other.

Then she clapped a hand to her mouth, gasping. "Oh, Ravi, I'm so sorry. This woman was a horrible gossip, and I … I'm really sorry." She got up hastily. "I really shouldn't be around people until this wears off."

Neither Major nor Ravi bothered to disagree with her or stop her before she left. Once she was gone, Ravi lifted the bottle of whiskey. "Shall we drown our sorrows?"

"You know, I held the UDub college record for best gaming while drunk."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Oh, it is."

"All right, then." Ravi reached for the controller and handed it to Major. "Let's see what you've got."