The door opened again. Soma turned, half-expecting to see Mele there before she remembered--her friend had been released two days ago. Still, the arrival of a replacement sparked an irrational flare of anger in her gut. The accompanying nurse didn't exactly help matters.

"Oh, Maria! You were in that special sleep study last night, so you wouldn't have heard the news. This is Jessica! She's a little newer here, so I expect you to show her the ropes!"

Soma forced a smile onto her face. By now she should have gotten used to it, the bland cheerfulness of the nurses as they dismissed one patient and brought in another, as simple as that, but it never really stopped hurting. At that moment, she was pretty sure she would have killed to bring back the soldier who'd been her escort for the last few days. At least he hadn't patronized her.

Still, the smile became a little more genuine as the door shut behind the nurse and Soma turned to "Jessica," who looked about her own age and friendly enough. Mele was gone--hopefully just released; there hadn't been any mention of her death on the bulletin--but whatever had happened, it wasn't the newcomer's fault. She had to remember that.

"Sorry about that," she said. "It sounds like you're my new roommate. I'm Soma Peries, and I'm guessing Jessica isn't your real name."