Think of me as one you'd never figured would fade away so young

[anekantavada]

Four miserable days worth of endless questions, disturbing nightmares, and an unending pounding in her head took their toll. Kara'd probably slept twenty hours in all that time, and it showed. By the time she pushed through the door into her quarters, dark circles smudged her cheeks, her hair was lank and matched her ashen complexion, and she couldn't stand still without swaying.

Seeing Archie wasn't in the billet they shared, she went right to the shower, guiltily grateful for the reprieve. Though Kara could do little more than stand beneath the spray, the hot water soothed her tense muscles to some degree so when she got out and crawled right into bed, she was drowsy enough and so exhausted beyond measure, she fell right to sleep.