As a side benefit, my slip showedthrough the shell provocatively.Cindy went to work on my hair. At her suggestion I let her color itauburn with some ...ubtle highlights. She then gave it more of afeminine cut that last time actually styling it a bit shorter. I wassurprised that it looked more natural and ladylike than the big hair Ihad worn Saturday. It also was going to be much easier to care for. Finally I asked her to pierce my ears which were done quickly. She putin some studs and we. The countdown started, the couples that were there huddled together and when the sound of Big Ben came over the radio, everyone yelled together.“Happy New Year!”Nicola turned and stood in front of me, with an arm around my neck she pulled me down for a kiss.“Happy New Year, sweetie.”“I'm with you, Nic, of course, it will be. Happy New Year."We then separated and made our way around the other staff there and kissed and hugged and wished everyone individually our best wishes for the coming year.. ““You must have really loved him.””I had felt stupid saying that back then, but I had said it, anyhow. What had surprised me, was the response ... not the audible one, but the one I was able to feel magically. A connection that reminded me of the one with Fainauriel. I had been there for a blink of an eye or two, but then it was gone again. But it had been there, and I knew it. So did Bellcauniel.I remembered that episode now, when I talked to ‘my ladies’ - since that was how I almost saw them. Lance felt fine. She had mentioned a severed spineand brain injury but he felt fine. He looked down and wiggled his toes and everything worked fine. He felt pretty coherent for having had a brain injury. He wondered how long he had been there. The woman motioned for him to sit up. She walked to a small cabinet and pulled out a pair of jeans, underwear and a t-shirt. She brought them to his bed.She said, “We couldn't use your old clothes. They had to cut them off of you. We bought.