(The Push Chronicles (Book 2): Indefatigable by J.B. Garner Read Free Book Online Page B

eyes remained impassive, but I could see the eyes of the actual woman underneath grow concerned.  "There'sss been sssomething eating at you for a while now and I am ssserioussly worried about you."
    "There's nothing wrong that putting Epic and Mackenzie behind bars won't fix."  I was feeling horrible enough at the moment; why did everyone suddenly decide it was 'dissect-Irene's-emotional-state' day?  "Until then, there's just not going to be much time for anything else."
    "None of that isss going to happen overnight or we would have already done it," she astutely noted.  "None of it isss going to happen without you, either."  I let out a sigh.  I didn't want to get into the same argument I almost got into with Duane just minutes before.
    "I'm not trying to get killed, Meds," I said.  "At the same time, though, what do you think the real bad guys out there are doing?  I bet none of them are stopping to take a few days off to rest up or to just enjoy the day."  Medusa stroked her chin with a long finger.
    "Well, maybe you ssshould assk the one perssson who could tell you that later.  You might be sssurprissed by the ansswer."  I really had been a step behind my usual self all day; we had a source of information we never had before.  A semi-friendly font of insights into how the Crusaders operated from the inside out.  I started to force myself up off the bed until the snake-woman shot me a reproachful look.   "When I ssaid later, I meant it.  Doctor'sss ordersss are for you to get sssome resst and heal."
    With a sigh, I relented and tried to relax.  I was really showing my ass today and I knew it.  Maybe the stress of bearing all this responsibility was starting to make me crack.  There was no relief; the one outlet I had tried to make for myself ... well, that ended horribly.  I rubbed my hands over my face and realized I had yet to take the mask off.  I was beginning to wonder if, one day, the mask wouldn't come off; that it would be a permanent part of my face.
    A gentle, scaled hand pulled first one, then the other arm away.  In the time I had been lost in those thoughts, Medusa had gotten the acetone solution from my dresser and come back.  She dabbed at the edges of my mask with a soaked cotton ball and peeled away at the loosened spirit gum.
    "Meds, I'm sorry."  Taking off that mask was like taking a thousand pound weight off of my shoulders.   "I've really been -"  Her snake hair collectively hissed for silence.
    "Ssshut it, amiga ."  She shook her head slightly.  "Apology accepted and let'sss not make more out of thisss.  We might not be like you, whatever you are, but we're not ssstupid either."  She laughed, accompanied by a chorus of snakes.  "Not that I think you think we're ssstupid, but let'sss be real, you know thingsss we don't."
    "Well ..."  She was, of course, right.  Her job before the Whiteout was as a social worker and Meds had a very good eye for people.  Seeing what had happened when I brazenly told Ex the whole truth, I was certainly never going to tell it to the rest of my Pushed friends.
    "I don't want to know," she said, sitting back down.  "If you aren't telling usss, there'sss a good reasson.  The important thing isss that we know it'sss a burden on you.  We all make allowancesss for that.  Jussst lissten to usss when we tell you to ssslow down."
    "Alright," I acquiesced, "I'll honestly try."  I glanced at her sidelong.  "Just promise that someone will get me up before sunset."  Medusa let out a put-upon sigh.
    "Even now, you are alwaysss thinking about the misssion," she said as she threw up her hands, her snakes writhing in concert.  "Fine, Irene, you win.  I'll make sssure."
    "Thanks, Meds, I owe you."  I absently kicked off my boots and rolled over to a more comfortable position.  The fatigue of using my abilities was beating out the pain now and sleep was coming on unbeckoned.
    The last thing I was conscious of was Medusa pulling a blanket over me