I find Veric in a care station set up near the fighters' exit.
He's sitting in a wide chair, his torso bandaged, the arm on his wounded side held in a sling. Even so, three stream windows stay open in front of him.
Two Azurea guards wait for orders.
"Close the east corridor when the last number goes in," Veric says. "Anyone left outside gets the list of official shops. Don't push the crowd toward the main exit or we'll have another riot."
The guards confirm and step away.
I stop in front of him.
"You should be resting. There was a hole in you."
Veric looks at the chair.
"I'm sitting."
"And running an all-out military operation?"
"Still sitting."
There isn't enough energy in his voice to turn that into a real jab. His skin is pale, and he breathes carefully to avoid moving the wounded side too much.
"What did they say?"
"The point didn't hit any organs. A few layers of protection did the work before I decided to use the rest of my body. Zhang Xi healed me."
