Read Online Contributor (Contributor Trilogy, book 1) by Nicole Ciacchella - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nicole Ciacchella
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look, he turned and headed off to logistics.
"How are you?" Dara turned to see Javier studying her.
"I'm fine, I guess," she said, shrugging.
He nodded. "I'm sorry about your mom. I hope she'll be okay."
"Thank you." His unexpected kindness brought tears to her eyes. Hastily, she looked away.
"Well, I'll see you in engineering." He walked off, raising his hand in a brief gesture of good-bye.
She headed to engineering, running into Letizia just before she entered the area. Her master must have been waiting for Dara, wanting to head her off.
"How is she?" Letizia asked.
"She's stable. The doctors say her vitals are strong, but she hasn't woken up yet."
Letizia looked grave. "Still, it's good that her vitals are strong. Do they have a prognosis?"
Dara shook her head. "They said they can't predict anything until they see how she responds to tests when she regains consciousness."
Now Letizia looked worried. "This must be so difficult for you."
"It is," Dara said honestly.
"I'll try to help you however I can but, Dara, everyone will be watching to see how you handle this."
"I know. I'll keep it together, I promise."
Taking her by the shoulders, Letizia forced Dara to look at her. "I know it's going to feel impossible, but you have to do it."
Nodding weakly, Dara let Letizia propel her to her station. Ryan had already arrived, and she turned her head away, unable to deal with him. Fortunately for her, he was either too preoccupied or he possessed at least some modicum of human feeling, because he left her alone. More than once, she caught Javier looking at her with a concerned expression.
Though worry proceeded to gnaw a hole through her stomach, Dara found that work did help. Her engineering tasks were so complex that they left no leisure for her mind to wander. It was a relief to just shut her emotions out for a time, though she felt guilty about allowing herself any reprieve from her fears for her mother. The knowledge that her mother might be fighting for her very life crushed Dara like a lead weight.
"The best thing you can do for her is continue to focus as much as possible," Letizia said at lunch, as they sat in their usual spot.
Dara didn't even bother with her food; she had no appetite. Instead, she sipped water and stared off into space.
"I know."
"Do you?" Letizia asked forcefully.
Startled, Dara looked at her. "Yes, I do," she said firmly.
Letizia glanced around, looking as though she was measuring her words carefully, and Dara wondered if their seemingly safe little corner of headquarters was also bugged. "Your mother would want you to continue Contributing."
Nodding, Dara read between the lines of what Letizia told her. Just like her father, Dara could not afford to let the quality of her work slip. If there were to be any hope at all for their keeping her mother at home, both she and her dad would have to prove that they could still be valuable Contributors.
Chapter 12
Jonathan was waiting for her at the end of the day and he looped her arm through his wordlessly, steering her out of headquarters and into the crowded thoroughfares. She hadn't heard a word from her dad the whole day, and she had to assume that this was because there was nothing to report. Her stomach bubbled with acid, and she had a sour taste in her mouth. Was her mother's continued state of unconsciousness a sign that Leona wouldn't recover?
By the time they reached the med center, Dara had chewed the inside of her cheek bloody and ragged. She was quite sure her fingertips dug into Jonathan's arm, but he hadn't protested.
Her father met them inside, shaking his head sadly, his face drawn. "There haven't been any changes." Dara studied his face anxiously, beseechingly, but she knew there was nothing he could do.
The doctor emerged from a room and headed their way, a serious expression on his face.
"Contributor Morrow, Apprentice Morrow," he greeted them. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he looked at Jonathan.
"I'll
"How are you?" Dara turned to see Javier studying her.
"I'm fine, I guess," she said, shrugging.
He nodded. "I'm sorry about your mom. I hope she'll be okay."
"Thank you." His unexpected kindness brought tears to her eyes. Hastily, she looked away.
"Well, I'll see you in engineering." He walked off, raising his hand in a brief gesture of good-bye.
She headed to engineering, running into Letizia just before she entered the area. Her master must have been waiting for Dara, wanting to head her off.
"How is she?" Letizia asked.
"She's stable. The doctors say her vitals are strong, but she hasn't woken up yet."
Letizia looked grave. "Still, it's good that her vitals are strong. Do they have a prognosis?"
Dara shook her head. "They said they can't predict anything until they see how she responds to tests when she regains consciousness."
Now Letizia looked worried. "This must be so difficult for you."
"It is," Dara said honestly.
"I'll try to help you however I can but, Dara, everyone will be watching to see how you handle this."
"I know. I'll keep it together, I promise."
Taking her by the shoulders, Letizia forced Dara to look at her. "I know it's going to feel impossible, but you have to do it."
Nodding weakly, Dara let Letizia propel her to her station. Ryan had already arrived, and she turned her head away, unable to deal with him. Fortunately for her, he was either too preoccupied or he possessed at least some modicum of human feeling, because he left her alone. More than once, she caught Javier looking at her with a concerned expression.
Though worry proceeded to gnaw a hole through her stomach, Dara found that work did help. Her engineering tasks were so complex that they left no leisure for her mind to wander. It was a relief to just shut her emotions out for a time, though she felt guilty about allowing herself any reprieve from her fears for her mother. The knowledge that her mother might be fighting for her very life crushed Dara like a lead weight.
"The best thing you can do for her is continue to focus as much as possible," Letizia said at lunch, as they sat in their usual spot.
Dara didn't even bother with her food; she had no appetite. Instead, she sipped water and stared off into space.
"I know."
"Do you?" Letizia asked forcefully.
Startled, Dara looked at her. "Yes, I do," she said firmly.
Letizia glanced around, looking as though she was measuring her words carefully, and Dara wondered if their seemingly safe little corner of headquarters was also bugged. "Your mother would want you to continue Contributing."
Nodding, Dara read between the lines of what Letizia told her. Just like her father, Dara could not afford to let the quality of her work slip. If there were to be any hope at all for their keeping her mother at home, both she and her dad would have to prove that they could still be valuable Contributors.
Chapter 12
Jonathan was waiting for her at the end of the day and he looped her arm through his wordlessly, steering her out of headquarters and into the crowded thoroughfares. She hadn't heard a word from her dad the whole day, and she had to assume that this was because there was nothing to report. Her stomach bubbled with acid, and she had a sour taste in her mouth. Was her mother's continued state of unconsciousness a sign that Leona wouldn't recover?
By the time they reached the med center, Dara had chewed the inside of her cheek bloody and ragged. She was quite sure her fingertips dug into Jonathan's arm, but he hadn't protested.
Her father met them inside, shaking his head sadly, his face drawn. "There haven't been any changes." Dara studied his face anxiously, beseechingly, but she knew there was nothing he could do.
The doctor emerged from a room and headed their way, a serious expression on his face.
"Contributor Morrow, Apprentice Morrow," he greeted them. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he looked at Jonathan.
"I'll
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