Morning or day or night? Time and light spiral away the deeper she dug herself into this oceanic nightmare. Pressure leagues deep impressed upon her forehead, threatening to crack her open. Her fingers crunched the wad of bloody tissue against her palm. Another bone-rattling cough. Sputum flew up, landed on her chin. Constanza sat up in bed, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Thank god for no mirrors, she thought. She was sick. If ADAM was a double-edged sword, then she obviously took a stab wound to the chest. Rapture had an ugly side, and Constanza epitomized it, wallowing in her own illness. The idea of quitting completely, of going cold turkey, lingered in her mind. This could be it. She could sweat it out, suffer another number of days, and then be free. Free for Marie, free for the girls. A bitter smile curled the corners of her mouth. Choices down here weren't so simple. ADAM gave her the edge she needed to take down the assortment of crazed denizens of Rapture. Protection, protection for her family was necessary. That was what Constanza prided herself on; she was the protector, the guardian. And if she couldn't help the girls, or Marie, then she was better off a corpse. The decision weighed heavily against her shoulders; almost literally. She could feel herself slouching from effort of thinking about it. Then came a rustling noise---
"Marie?" she called, "Becky? Cadi?"
