"Kris—Kirby, I'm not connected with anybody at the Dorian Institute. I'm supposed to become a patient there myself. I'm just trying to find out what happened to you when you underwent your treatment there."
"I can only remember little things." She was moaning. "There was this man. He said I could have anything I wanted. I trusted him. And now . . . I see faces but I can't remember who—"
"Kristen—that's your real name, by the way—can we meet? I promise you won't be harmed. I just—"
"You don't understand do you? You don't know what's happening to me." Her voice had begun to break. "It's the Beta. I don't know how long it's going to be before—"
"Before what? What beta? What are you—Kristen, we've
really got to meet. I mean it. I desperately need to talk to you. Maybe we could find another doctor, if that's what you need. Could I come down—"
"I have no idea who you are. You could be . . . He says they're trying to help me, but I'm not getting any better."
Ally was pulling onto the interstate, heading south. It was hard to concentrate on driving, but at the same time she wanted to push the speed limit. Kristen sounded like she was getting ready to disintegrate or flee.
Then she had another thought.
"Kristen, it's okay if you don't trust me. But could you tell me more about your . . . side effects? Are they—"