“Zoe, are you ok?” Zane asked the helmeted figure standing at the clinic’s door.

“Uh huh.”

“Come in,” Zane said stepping back so she could enter. Zoe walked in and took off her helmet. She dropped the helmet and it bounced and rolled before coming to a stop right side up.

“Are you ok?” Zane asked again.

“Don’t think so,” Zoe replied as she started shaking again. She pulled her P750 out. Zane gently took it from her. “I…I shot two men.”

The big nurse ejected the magazine and examined the rounds. “You knocked whoever it was out. You said that yourself when you called earlier. They’ll be fine in a few hours after their nap.”

“Need to get whatever data is in my head out and need to get home,” Zoe said.

“You need a good night’s sleep,” Claire said from her office doorway. Zoe hadn’t even noticed her standing there. “The rest can wait.”

“Claire’s right. Come on, you can bunk in the same room you used before,” Zane said.

“I’ll call Jimmy and let him know you’re staying with us tonight,” Claire said as Zane led Zoe past the office. “That way your family won’t worry about where you are.”

Zane exited after getting Zoe to sit on the bed as Sonya slipped into the room carrying a tray. Zoe took off her jacket.

“Here drink this,” Sonya told Zoe handing a teacup to her. The room may even be the room she stayed in before. Zoe wasn’t sure though. She eyed the mug that the nurse forced into her hands. “It’s just chamomile tea mixed with a mild sedative. It’ll help you relax and sleep.”

“Ugh! That’s horrible tasting,” Zoe complained after taking a sip of the steaming hot tea.”

“It is not!” Sonya retorted. She grabbed a bottle of honey off a tray on the bedside table. “Add some honey. It’ll sweeten the tea some more.”

“I’d rather have peppermint tea,” Zoe said as she added a healthy dose of honey to the tea. She stirred the tea and sipped it. “That’s a little better.”

“Peppermint tea is good, but not as relaxing as chamomile. Besides, we don’t have any peppermint,” Sonya said. “I’ll start stocking some for when you drop by.”

“Thanks,” Zoe replied. She sat the teacup down as she started to nod off. She took off her boots with Sonya’s help. “I thought you said mild sedative?”

“I did. You’re more exhausted than you thought,” Sonya replied as she helped Zoe stretch out and covered her with a sheet. She winked at Zoe. “The sedative is fast acting too.”

“Already sleeping?” Claire asked a short while later as her and Zane entered the room.

“Yup. Just what kind of mission did you send her on?” Sonya asked.

“It was supposed to be just a simple data pickup,” Claire answered. “It obviously didn’t go as planned.”

“We can find out more in the morning,” Zane said.

“True. Let’s let her sleep,” Claire said. “Sonya, wake us if anything happens to her.”

“Yes ma’am.”

*

“How did you sleep?” Doc Brown asked Zoe the next morning.

“Like the dead,” Zoe answered as she sat up and stretched. She grimaced. “Ow. Doc, did you stay with me all night”

“No,” Claire laughed. “I just sat down actually. I figured you would sleep a little longer. Sore?”

“I have to get up and go to work,” Zoe said. “I also need to call Aunt Anne too.”

“I told you last night we called Jimmy. He told your aunt that you were staying with friends,” Chloe informed Zoe. She checked Zoe’s vitals. “Physically you’re fine for the most part.”

Zoe groaned.

“What is it?” Claire asked.

“My jacket. There must be a hole in it now.”

Claire laughed. “There is a pretty big hole actually. Zane and I bought you a new jacket just like it. It should be here in a couple hours.”

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that,” Zoe replied. Claire just waved the concern away. “And yes, my back is sore.”

“You did get shot and will have a nice bruise for a while. The soreness is better than the alternative though,” Doc Brown replied.

“True,” Zoe agreed.

“Before you say anything else, I want you to take a shower. After you’re done with that, come upstairs and join Zane and I for breakfast,” Claire said. Zoe nodded. “I’ll call Cartier Transport and inform them you won’t be coming in today while you shower. We’ll extract the data and then talk about your experience.”

“I didn’t realize you’re a shrink too.”

“I’m not. That said, Zane and I do have some basic training in that sort of thing that should help you,” Claire said.

*

“I’m not sure I want to talk about yesterday,” Zoe said as she handed the data transfer cable to Zane after he confirmed the data transfer. She replied to a message from Chloe stating she was alright and would explain what happened yesterday when she came in to work tomorrow.

“It’ll help to talk about it,” Zane said. He and Claire shared a couple of stories from their pasts.

“So, you both served in Alpha Force?” Zoe asked after they were done.

“Yeah. We did our time in the CSA’s army,” Doc Brown answered.

“Are stories like that why you two got out?”

“Partly,” Zane replied. “Being in a corporate army even if it’s Alpha Force is no picnic and closer to being in a meat grinder.”

“Now, tell us what happened starting with the pickup,” Claire ordered.

Zoe did as they asked for the next two hours. Claire and Zane listened for the most part and asked questions to clarify things or to get Zoe to expand on what she was thinking and feeling at those times. She did feel better after the night’s rest and talking about things.

“Zoe, do you still want to be a courier?” Zane asked.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, if you’re going to be a courier, this is the sort of thing that can happen at times,” the nurse answered.

“Oh. I never considered that,” Zoe admitted.

“And if you do what you had planned before getting your frame and software, it could get a lot worse,” Claire added.

“I…”

“I remember what we talked about when you picked out the Allegro. Violence committed against you is the price you may have to pay,” Claire said.

“And doing violence to others might be part of the price too,” Zane added. “I’ll be right back.” He stood up and walked out of the room.

“I hadn’t considered I might need to fight. Heck, I guess I thought I could get away with using pranks and disguises to along with my wits to keep me ahead of others,” Zoe said. “The triad proved me wrong there.”

“So, still want to be a courier?” Claire asked.

“Yeah,” Zoe said after thinking it over. “I like the freedom and riding my bike too much to give it up.”

“Good. You’ll need this then,” Zane said bringing in the new jacket he and Claire had bought. “Consider this a bonus for that job going sideways.”

Zoe stood and took the jacket. She slipped it on. It felt as good as her original one did. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome. Feel up to doing a delivery for us?” Zane asked.

“As long as it’s not to Bratva territory,” Zoe said.

“This might be worse.”

“What do you mean?” Zoe asked.

“Don’t let Zane tease you like that. The delivery is to the CSA’s offices,” Claire said. “It’s just some documentation and completely legal.”

“Oh. That’s ok then.”

“And Zoe, call us if you need us,” Claire said.

“I will,” Zoe promised.