The fragments finally clicked into place. What had seemed like random technical noise was now forming a coherent pattern, guided by the one person who knew his language best. Helen felt a chill. This was the first time his speech felt less like recovery and more like a delayed alarm.
Rachel helped Helen decode his speech faster. From her memory of his work, she explained how exactly the town over the ridge was an ecological disaster waiting to unfold. Together, they built a crude map of a plan on hospital paper.