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“It is, and the edges of my consciousness are still retracting and being reinforced. Give me another month and I might be able to run around without you.”
    Spot waddled up the blankets and burrowed against her chest.
    “He was worried as well.”
    Wim made a face. “How long until the doctor gets here?”
    “Why?”
    “I probably shouldn’t eat or drink anything until I have that scan you are insisting on. If there is something wrong, an empty stomach will make things easier.”
    He nodded and revised the directions to one of the bots.
    “They will wait on the broth until you have been given the all clear.”
    She smiled and relaxed as fatigue swamped her. A trill of worry ran through her. This didn’t feel normal. A headache pressed inward, and she slid a hand under her hair along her scalp. Perhaps seeing a doctor wasn’t a bad idea after all.
     
    The woman’s hands were steady as she ran the examination scanner over Wim’s body. “Everything seems fine.”
    Wim looked her in the eye. “Check my head.”
    The scanner moved up and the doctor’s expression grew solemn. “Ah. Well that would do it.”
    Benliar looked up. “What is it?”
    Dr. Nejik closed her scanner. “Tumour at the base of her skull. It is small, but it is capable of disrupting her ability to control any psychic talent. It looks disruptive but benign.”
    Wim smiled brightly, “Can you remove it?”
    “I will need to do further scans at the medical centre. I am not equipped to do surgery here.”
    Benliar was scowling, “When?”
    “Give me a few hours to prepare. When can you have her there?”
    Benliar scooped Wim and Spot up, and he strode to the window. It burst open at his approach. “Call them to run the diagnostics the moment I arrive. We will be there in ten minutes.”
    Dr. Nejik nodded and Benliar took off.
    Wimsah put her face against his shoulder, and she said, “You don’t have to be in such a hurry.”
    “You knew.” His tone was grim.
    “I was pretty sure.”
    “Why didn’t you mention it?”
    “Because my people couldn’t treat it and the Balen healer was concentrating on keeping me alive with some muscle tone. Pretty sure that my physio didn’t cover my head.”
    He scowled. “I am going to discuss that with Balen. Your medical issue should have been visible.”
    “Should have been but wasn’t.”
    He held her tight with the bedding wrapped around her. She had to admit that this time she was far warmer than the first flight.
    The diagnosis was both a relief and a source of tension. For the last three years, she had been aware of the degradation of her self-control, and it had been a suspicion that there was something in her head. Getting treatment on Resicor had been out of the question. Her mind glowed on the scans and they wouldn’t be able to miss that little tidbit. Fear had almost cost innocents their lives. That was what she couldn’t stand.
    Spot was facing the wind and his eyes were half closed in pleasure. He enjoyed flying.
    The medics met them on the roof and put her on a gurney for her exams. There were several doctors on site who ran all of the pre-surgery scans, and then, Dr. Nejik arrived and things got into full run.
    Being sedated again didn’t really feel like something she should do, so when Nejik suggested that she should be awake during the procedure, she agreed.
    With Spot locked out of the room and clutched in Benliar’s arms, she lay face down and let them strap her in place.
    The shaving of her hair was not unexpected, but she held still not only because of the clamps, but also because this was something that had to be done.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    Everything felt lighter when she was ready for her visitors. Her head wound was sealed and she was settled against fluffy pillows.
    Benliar came in and Spot propelled himself through the air to land on her chest. She flinched at the sudden impact but caressed him as he nuzzled her chest.
    Benliar sat next to her and he took her