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[hr][hr]Natalia remained as quiet as the others as she made her way to the kitchen. The aftermath of the mission had affected them all to such point, and even though every new mission brought on with it new risks, the gamble of death was just about the only factor that remained constant. She pulled some chilled wine out of the refrigerator and poured herself a full glass, then grabbed a napkin and headed to her room. Everyone in the house had their way of dealing with their team members' deaths, and this was hers.

Once in her room, Natalia prepared herself a nice, warm bath. She sat on the edge of the bathtub solemnly looking at the slow-rising water. The same thought always bothered her: [i]What if I'm next?[/i] Even though they were always being told not to dwell in the past, Natalia couldn't help but think about how things might have turned out had she or another teammate done something different. Regret had a nasty way of making the young woman feel helpless, and it always took her more or less the same amount of time to get over it.

Eventually, when the bathtub was just about full, she removed her clothes, stepped inside, and began drinking her wine.