Seven stared at her knees.  She could hear whispering and movement.  She knew what they were saying.

"What happened?"

"Why would she come back?"

"She didn't make it, dumbass."

"She looks so... broken."

She had traded her figurative freedom for two lives.  Two human lives.  Two guards.  Two guards who had family and people who loved and cared for them.  Two people who had lives left to live. Seven smiled slightly.  She had made the right choice.  She knew she did.

***

"So you're telling me... there was an explosion and two people in lab coats tried to kill you? But Seven stopped them?"  Omond shook his head, trying to understand.  The guard, Mitch was his name, nodded vigorously.

"She said something about experiments and an exchange." Mitch paused, thinking it over.  "I guess the exchange was her for us."  He glanced over at the guard, Hazel, who had been on duty with him.  She seemed to be fast asleep, her arm in a cast and her body hooked up to multiple machines.  There were bandages over her face and it was unclear if she would be able to serve again, but Omond hoped she would wake soon.

Omond looked back at Mitch.  The asian still had his gaze on Hazel, pain and love filling his eyes. Omond let out a long breath, not quite a sigh, then stood.  He had to know what the hell was going on.