Azami collected her vitals chip and bolted from the infirmary. 23 looked after her worriedly.

"Hey, M'Kinzie," 23 said. The blond, lanky driver shrugged into his uniform jacket and approached.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where Azami's quarters are?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Azami just took off, I want to make sure she's okay."

"That's weird; I would have thought she'd stay here to keep an eye on Shea."

23 agreed, "Me too."

Mendi joined in at this point, "There's nothing she can do here. Maybe she wants to be alone." If that was the case, he knew how she felt. Everyone pestering you; wanting to know what happened, how you were doing, offering condolences...

23 regarded his big friend closely. "Sometimes, Mendi, people shouldn't be alone, even when they think they want to be." For a moment 23 looked as old as his 65 years.

Michael gave a shudder at the pain in those old eyes. But he also remembered what Azami looked like... "I don't know. You didn't see the look on her face."

M'Kinzie looked up, "Utter, complete despair; life caving in all around; pain and helplessness combined?"

"Uh, no."

"No?" 23 and M'Kinzie looked at each other. "Than what?"

"Actually, she looked as if she was going to kill something."

"Oh." 23 gnawed on a knuckle. "That's different."

M'Kinzie grimaced, "Well, at least we know where she is now."

This time it was Michael and 23 who exchanged looks, "We do?"

"Of course." M'Kinzie started down a corridor with Michael and 23 following closely.

'Bam!' Thumping and pounding sounds were coming from behind the door to the dojo. The three men hovered around the outside.

23 asked Michael, "Is it her?"

With Michael's hearing, he could even individualize the sounds of ke-i's. "It's her."

M'Kinzie gestured towards the door handle, but both 23 and Michael shook their heads. After standing in the hallway for a minute, M'Kinzie sighed, "I'm going to go to the Snake Pit to wait for results. If anything... happens, let me know, will you?"

"Of course." Michael assured him. He and 23 watched the driver walk back down the hall.

With a sigh, 23 slid down the wall to rest sitting on the ground. He leaned his head back and covered his eyes with his hands.

Michael also sat down, crosslegged, with his chin propped on his hand, staring at the door and listening to the thumps from within.

They'd been sitting there for some ten minutes when 23's comdeck beeped at him. Casting an anxious glance towards the door, hoping Azami hadn't heard it, 23 activated the comdeck. "This is 23."

Valdoon's voice sounded from the tiny speaker, sounding very formal, "Lieutenant-Colonel, I hope you're not involved in anything, but General Mede has summoned a Command Meeting. We need to Gate over in five minutes."

23 straightened up, "On my way, Colonel." Turning the comdeck off, he looked towards Michael.

Michael looked at the door, then back to 23. "I'll stay here," he promised.

Closing his eyes briefly in pain, 23 wanted to say so many things to his friend -- and to his friend inside the dojo. But there weren't words or time. Inadequately, he finally murmured, "Thank you," and left.

Michael stayed, and tried hard not to think of Rhin lying broken and possibly dying in the surgery room.

Another half an hour went by, and Michael's non-thoughts were interrupted by footsteps coming down the hall. He looked up.

Dennis, the sensei who had taken over most of Azami and Rhin's classes when they had joined the RCF, walked over. "Can I help you?" he said, noting Mendi's bloodstained and rumpled RCF uniform.

Mendi stood. ...