Free Death Wish by Lindsey Menges Page A

day?”
She starts to shake her head, but then she pauses. I wait for her to speak. She is clearly mulling something over in her mind. Her expression is thoughtful when she finally speaks.
“Well, it’s not really a question, but I just wanted to confirm some details.” Her voice sounds normal, but I notice that she’s clenching and unclenching her hands as they lie folded in her lap. I hope that the load of information today didn’t overwhelm her. It’s a lot to take in.
I nod and sweep my hand in front of me. “Fire away.”
“So the only way for someone to die is to remove the Life Chip?” She emphasizes the word only. I am about to say yes, but then I stop to really consider the question. “Well,” I reply, my words drawn out by contemplation, “not technically, I suppose. Remember that the Chips are responsible for healing any injuries we sustain?”
She nods.
“Well, if the functioning of the Chip was damaged somehow, it wouldn’t be able to heal the body, and that would certainly cause the person to die.” My voice trails off as I think about this scenario, but then I snap back to attention and look at Robin with a shrug.
“But that’s never happened, and the Engineering teams are the ones who handle the technical aspects of the Chips. So the Chips would have to malfunction in order for something like that to ever happen.” I cock my head to the side while looking at her. “Why do you ask? Are you worried someone will die before submitting a Wish?” She looks to be deep in thought, but after my question she looks back at me and shakes her head.
“Oh, no, nothing like that. I was just curious. Thank you for clarifying that for me.”
Robin stands, smoothing her skirt with her hands, and gives me a slight bow. “Thank you very much for today, Eliza. Is that all?”
“Yep.” I move off of my own chair to stand as well. “That’s all I’ve got. And hey, I have some good news for you before you leave. I just got a new Wish submission for next week, and I’ll be taking you with me. Are you ready to go on your first assignment?”
I’m sure my eyes are sparkling with excitement. I can’t wait to see how Robin does on the field.
A trace of nervousness passes across her face, but then she swallows and gives me a shy, excited smile.
“I can’t wait.”

Wish 8
    The week leading up to Robin’s first Wish passes by uneventfully. I continue working with my trainee, complete my piles of paperwork, ingest absurd amounts of coffee, and spend time with my boyfriend. But the day finally arrives and I’m sitting in my office, waiting for Robin to join me for her first Wish completion. My pendent is near my lips while I talk with Harrison, who’s currently on his own assignment.
“So what did your guy request?” I tilt back in my chair and prop my legs up on the desk. The cuffs of my black pants move up slightly, showing the smooth skin of my ankles. “Eh, it’s a pretty normal one—basically he wants to be a victim of a mugging-turned-murder.” Harrison’s voice is hushed and the sounds of traffic ring in the background. He must be at the completion site now. “I’m all decked out in my standard robber outfit, complete with dirt and an air of desperation.” I laugh. “Oh yeah? So you aren’t looking very clean and put together, I take it?”
He whimpers. “It’s horrible Elly. I smell like a freaking dumpster. And frankly, I look like one.” I cluck sympathetically. “Well I still think you’re sexy, with or without the smell of garbage on you.” “Love you too, sweetie,” he replies. “Alright, the client’s going to be here in a couple of minutes. I’ve gotta go. I love you forever, and good luck with pixie’s first assignment! Knock ‘em dead.”
He laughs under his breath and I grin at the pun. There’s a knock at my door; I wave Robin in as I say “Always do. Love you for always, Hare,” and drop the pendent back to my chest.
“Hey, Robin. Have a seat.” I greet her