"What?" Miranda said. "Tom, you can't be serious. You're not really going to
try to get Michelle that part."
"Oh, shit," I said.
"She didn't," Joshua said. "I saw the memory of her pulling the tubes out my
self. It was a conscious, active act. It couldn't have happened by accident.
"
"Grandmama came to the US after the war, married again, and had another chil
d," I said. "My mother. And now we've come to the end of what I know of the
story," I looked over to Michelle. "Grandmama would never talk much about he
r life before the US to my mother, and of course my mother never did talk ab
out it much with me. I'm hoping I can get her to share her experiences with
you."

"What's this?" I asked.
"Would one of you mind telling me how Joshua got in there?" Carl said.
"I don't think that would be very helpful," Miranda said.
Avika regarded Michelle coolly. "Aren't you supposed to be in a coma?" she s
aid.