We sat on the wall as the sky went from black to the deep blue that came before dawn, and he walked me through his scenarios, and I gave him the field lead's read on which ones held and which ones fell apart, and somewhere around scenario thirty-one I realized I'd forgotten to be terrified for a solid twenty minutes. Turned out having a plan drawn forty-three different ways did that to a person.
"You should sleep more," I said eventually.
"I'll sleep when I'm dead."
"I've done that twice this month. It's overrated."
He laughed, a real one, the kind that startled him. Then he checked his watch and his face did something complicated. "You're going to be late for Vale."
I checked mine. Five-fourteen.
"Vale's going to murder me."
