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long gray-brown plait over her shoulder. "That's not possible. Cryo is a nothingness. Drugs make you sleep first, you don't even feel the cold. Then you wake, and it's over."

He looked up, catching her gaze with his. "I was somewhere else, T'Chebbi, somewhere deadly cold— and she was there. I usually feel warmth from our crystal, but it's been cold since we put her in cryo. Until now." His hand emerged from the blanket, holding out the crystal he always wore. "Feel it."

Leaning forward, she touched it gingerly with her forefinger. With an exclamation of shock, she pulled her hand sharply away.

He let the crystal fall back within the blanket, smiling wryly. "You felt it— too warm for just my body heat, isn't it?"

"You told me Carrie sensed her mother dying in cryo. Is it possible that the Talented stay aware? That they don't sleep?"

"Never heard of it happening. It could be a Human trait," he replied.

She grunted. "What was the dream?"

"Only what I told you. Just being in this bitterly cold place and sensing Carrie and her fear. The sooner we get to Tuushu Station, the better. She's terrified of cryo, T'Chebbi."

"She's safe asleep," she said, her tone soothing as she touched his face briefly. "Can I get you anything? A hot drink? You should try to sleep again."

"Nothing, thank you," he said automatically, then hesitated. He wasn't fooling either of them. "Join me. I'd like your company. Who's on sentry duty in the mess?"

"Taynar and Kate. Slept long enough in cryo, they said. Tallis is on graveyard shift."

"Should have left him on the Hkariyash, " he grumbled, glad to be dealing with more familiar issues as she slipped into the bed beside him. "He's more trouble than all the others put together. He's done nothing but complain since he came on board." Pulling the blanket from his shoulders, he leaned over to drop it on the floor. T'Chebbi snagged it from him.

"We use this," she said, spreading it over him. "You feel like you been in cryo. We can manage Tallis. His mind is sickened after what the Valtegans did to him. He needs help more than anything."

He lay down, grateful for her warmth and company; it was helping dissipate the frozen images of his nightmare. As his shivering stopped, he could feel her soundless purr.

"You only had to ask if you wanted to join me," he said awkwardly. "You have the right— you are my Companion." He was finding it difficult to cope with his need for her company and the desire for Carrie's he was walling away.

"Sleep," she said, wrapping her arm across his chest and tucking her nose under his chin.

     
    * * *
     
    It had come as a shock to Jeran to find himself on Giyesh's ship, almost as big a shock as it had to her, judging from her expression when they came face-to-face in the landing bay. Later, she'd managed to see him alone for long enough to arrange this meeting in the unused mess on the second deck. Sitting there at the main table, nursing a hot drink, he wondered why he'd come.

A shadow fell across the table and he looked up to see her standing in the doorway.

"I hoped you'd be here," she said, closing the air lock door behind her.

"I hadn't expected to see you again," he said awkwardly.

"Neither had I." She joined him at the table, sitting down opposite him. "This is rather embarrassing for both of us."

He frowned. "Why? Only you and I know what happened that night."

Giyesh looked away. "Not exactly," she murmured. "The captain overheard me talking to our medic."

"Your medic?"

"We rescued the young ones, Taynar and Kate," she said, her voice low. "Mrowbay thought he was an immature male. I told him likely he wasn't."

"You only came to spy on me?" He'd thought there had been more between them than that. A common attraction, a need for company that night at least.

"No! I came to talk to you, yes, to find out what I could about your people, but the rest... That was real."

"So all your crew know about us? What did you do? Go into details? Tell them how