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[科幻]宿主-第137章

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 “Why?” he asked me。

 Then his face went blank; and his body slumped; unresisting; to the cot。 Two trails of blood flowed from 

his nostrils。

 “No!”I screamed; lurching to his inert form; knowing it was far too late。 “No!”

 CHAPTER 54

 Forgotten

 Elizabeth?” I asked。 “Anne? Karen? What’s your name? C’mon。 I know you know it。”

 The Healer’s body was still limp on the cot。 It had been a long time—how long; I wasn’t sure。 Hours 
and hours。 I hadn’t slept yet; though the sun was far up in the sky。 Doc had climbed out onto the 
mountain to pull the tarps away; and the sun beamed brightly through the holes in the ceiling; hot on my 
skin。 I’d moved the nameless woman so that her face would be out of the glare。

 I touched her face now lightly; patting the soft brown hair; woven through with white strands; away from 
her face。

 “Julie? Brittany? Angela? Patricia? Am I getting close? Talk to me。 Please?”

 Everyone but Doc—snoring quietly on a cot in the darkest corner of the hospital—had gone away hours 
ago。 Some to bury the host body we’d lost。 I cringed; thinking of his bewildered question; and the 
sudden way his face had gone slack。

 Why?he’d asked me。

 I so much wished that the soul had waited for an answer; so I could have tried to explain it to him。 He 
might even have understood。 After all; what was more important; in the end; than love? To a soul; wasn’t 
that the heart of everything? And love would have been my answer。

 Maybe; if he’d waited; he would have seen the truth of that。 If he’d really understood; I was sure he 
would have let the human body live。

 The request would probably have made little sense to him; though。 The body washis body; not a 
separate entity。 His suicide was simply that to him; not a murder; too。 Only one life had ended。 And 
perhaps he was right。

 At least the souls had survived。 The light on his tank glowed dull red beside hers; I couldn’t ask for a 
greater evidence of mitment from my humans than this; the sparing of his life。

 “Mary? Margaret? Susan? Jill?”

 Though Doc slept and I was otherwise alone; I could feel the echo of the tension the others had left 

 

 The tension lingered because the woman had not woken up when the chloroform wore off。 She had not 
moved。 She was still breathing; her heart was still beating; but she had not responded to any of Doc’s 

efforts to revive her。

 Was it too late? Was she lost? Was she already gone? Just as dead as the male body?

 Were all of them? Were there only a very few; like the Seeker’s host; Lacey; and Melanie—the 

shouters; the resisters—who could be brought back? Was everyone else gone?

 Was Lacey an anomaly? Would Melanie e back the way she had… or was even that in question?

 I’m not lost。 I’m here。But Mel’s mental voice was defensive。 She worried; too。

 Yes; you are here。 And you will stay here;I promised。

 With a sigh; I returned to my efforts。 My doomed efforts?

 “I know you have a name;” I told the woman。 “Is it Rebecca? Alexandra? Olivia? Something simpler; 

maybe… Jane? Jean? Joan?”

 It was better than nothing; I thought glumly。 At least I’d given them a way to help themselves if they were 
ever taken。 I could help the resisters; if no one else。

 It didn’t seem like enough。

 “You’re not giving me much to work with;” I murmured。 I took her hand in both of mine; chafed it softly。 
“It would really be nice if you would make an effort。 My friends are going to be depressed enough。 They 
could use some good news。 Besides; with Kyle still gone… It will be hard to evacuate everyone without 
having to carry you around; too。 I know you want to help。 This is your family here; you know。 These are 
your kind。 They’re very nice。 Most of them。 You’ll like them。”

 The gently lined face was vacant with unconsciousness。 She was quite pretty in an inconspicuous 
way—her features very symmetrical on her oval face。 Forty…five; maybe a little younger; maybe a little 
older。 It was hard to tell with no animation in the face。

 “They need you;” I went on; pleading now。 “You can help them。 You know so much that I never knew。 
Doc tries so hard。 He deserves some help。 He’s a good man。 You’ve been a Healer for a while now; 
some of that care for the well…being of others must have rubbed off on you。 You’ll like Doc; I think。

 “Is your name Sarah? Emily? Kristin?”

 I stroked her soft cheek; but there was no response; so I took her limp hand in mine again。 I gazed at 
the blue sky through the holes in the high ceiling。 My mind wandered。

 “I wonder what they’ll do if Kyle never es back。 How long will they hide? Will they have to find a 

new home somewhere else? There are so many of them。… It won’t be easy。 I wish I could help them; 
but even if I could stay; I don’t have any answers。

 “Maybe they’ll get to stay here… somehow。 Maybe Kyle won’t mess up。” I laughed humorlessly; 

 

 “I wonder what it’s like here when it gets cold。 I can barely re…member feeling cold。 And what if it rains? 
It has to rain here sometime; doesn’t it? With all these holes in the roof; it must get really wet。 Where 
does everyone sleep then; I wonder。” I sighed。 “Maybe I’ll get to find out。 Probably shouldn’t bet on 
that; though。 Aren’t you curious at all? If you would wake up; you could get the answers。I’m curious。 
Maybe I’ll ask Ian about it。 It’s funny to imagine things changing here。… I guess summer can’t last 
forever。”

 Her fingers fluttered for one second in my hand。 
It took me by surprise because my mind had wandered away from the woman on the cot; beginning to 
sink into the melancholy that was always conveniently near these days。


 I stared down at her; there was no change—the hand in mine was limp; her face still vacant。 Maybe I’d 
imagined the movement。 
“Did I say something you were interested in? What was I talking about?” I thought quickly; watching her 


face。 “Was it the rain? Or was it the idea of change? Change? You’ve got a lot of that ahead of you; 
don’t you? You have to wake up first; though。”

 Her face was empty; her hand motionless。 
“So you don’t care for change。 Can’t say that I blame you。 I don’t want change to e; either。 Are 
you like me? Do you wish the summer could last?”


 If I hadn’t been watching her face so closely; I wouldn’t have seen the tiny flicker of her lids。 
“You like summertime; do you?” I asked hopefully。 
Her lips twitched。 
“Summer?” 
Her hand trembled。 
“Is that your name—Summer? Summer? That’s a pretty name。” 
Her hand tightened into a fist; and her lips parted。 
“e back; Summer。 I know you can do it。 Summer? Listen to me; Summer。 Open your eyes; 


Summer。” 
Her eyes blinked rapidly。 
“Doc!” I called over my shoulder。 “Doc; wake up!” 
“Huh?” 


 

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter; processtext/abclit。html 
I 
know it’s hard。 Summer; Summer; Summer。 Open your eyes。” 
Her face grimaced—was she in pain?


 “Bring the No Pain; Doc。 Hurry。” 
The woman squeezed my hand; and her eyes opened。 They didn’t focus at first; just whirled around the 
bright cave。 What a strange; unexpected sight this place must have been for her。


 “You’re going to be all right; Summer。 You’re going to be fine。 Can you hear me; Summer?” 
Her eyes wheeled back to me; the pupils constricting。 She stared; absorbing my face。 Then she cringed 


away from me; twisting on the cot to escape。 A low; hoarse cry of panic broke through her lips。 
“No; no; no;” she cried。 “No more。” 
“Doc!” 
He was there; on the other side of the cot; like before; when we were operating。 
“It’s okay; ma’am;” he assured her。 “No one is going to hurt you here。” 
The woman had her eyes squeezed shut; and she recoiled into the thin mattress。 
“I think her name is Summer。” 
He flashed a look at me and then made a face。 “Eyes; Wanda;” he breathed。 
I blinked and realized that the sun was on my face。 “Oh。” I let the woman pull her hand free。 
“Don’t; please;” the woman begged。 “Not again。” 
“Shh;” Doc murmured。 “Summer? People call me Doc。 No one’s going to do anything to you。 You’re 


going to be fine。” 
I eased away from them; into the shadows。 
“Don’t call me that!” the woman sobbed。 “That’s not my name! It’s hers; it’s hers! Don’t say it again!” 
I’d gotten the wrong name。 
Mel objected to the guilt that washed through me。It’s not your fault。 Summer is a human name; too。 
“Of course not;” Doc promised。 “What isyour name?” 
“I—I—I don’t know!” she wailed。 “What happened? Who was I? Don’t make me be someone else 


again。” 
She tossed and thrashed on the cot。 


 

 “Who are you?” she demanded。 “Who’s she? She’s like… like I was。 I saw her eyes!”

 “I’m Doc。 And I’m human; just like you。 See?” He moved his face into the light and blinked at her。 
“We’re both just ourselves。 There are lots of humans here。 They’ll be so happy to meet you。”

 She cringed again。 “Humans! I’m afraid of humans。”

 “No; you’re not。 The… person who used to be in your body was afraid of humans。 She was a so

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