Chapter 3
Dounia lay on her belly on her cot, unmoving and silent except for her even breathing. It was the middle of the afternoon, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She listened to her own heartbeat and closed her eyes against the world. Breathing seemed like too much effort and she wondered if she should just stop. After a rustle of movement, Ira poked her head into their quarters behind her, checking in on her, no doubt. Ira hovered, as if uncertain whether or not disturbing Dounia would do any good.
“Have you eaten?” Ira finally asked.
Dounia sighed. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, now that she bothered to think about it. Getting up, getting dressed, and going all the way to the mess was beyond her capabilities.
Her stomach was numb. Sometime in the past several hours, it
