Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Kef that.
“We have a med bay on our ship,” I tell them. “We can take her there and see if it’s not too late to fix whatever is ailing her.”
Farli rushes to my side, hope in her eyes. “Do you think they can fix Har-loh like they did Chahm-pee?” She turns to the male and nods encouragingly. “They healed my dvisti, Rukh. And so fast. You would not think he’s hurt at all.”
The male—Rukh—turns his gaze to me. There is agony there. “Please.” He offers his mate back to me, and I take her in my arms.
How can I refuse?
“I’ll show you the way,” I tell him. I cut through the happy gathering, Farli and Rukh trailing behind me. As I pass, Niri reluctantly gets to her feet and follows. The captain looks frozen, and I know why—running the med bay machines is expensive, and each of the treatments it doles out ends up using precious supplies. He’s probably seeing credits go out the door at the thought of healing one of the locals, credits we don’t have.
I don’t care. I’m not going to sit by and watch someone die when we have the ability to save them.
Not again. Never again.
8
FARLI
My mate has such a kind heart.
I do not know why the others from his ship did not act the moment Har-loh collapsed, but he took action right away. He helped bring Har-loh directly to the ship itself and laid her in the same bed that Chahm-pee was healed in. This time, though, it gets sucked into the wall and all the screens light up as it runs tests. I can tell Rukh is panicking, so I pat his arm and try to keep him calm as Mardok explains what the machines are doing.
We all knew Har-loh was struggling and that her khui is not as strong as most. We knew the pregnancy was hard on her. I just did not realize how hard. Looking at Rukh’s devastated face, though, I think he knew she was not well. I see sadness but not surprise.
The thin healer of Mardok’s small tribe, Niri, eventually enters med bay and shoos us all out. We are just in her way, she says, and closes the door on us. Then it is just myself, Mardok, and Rukh. Mardok takes us to the dining hall and gives us bland food and funny-tasting water. I try to eat to be polite, but Rukh just stares ahead at nothing. I hope his little Rukhar is not crying. Jo-see will try to keep him occupied. She is good with the kits.
Time passes, and Mardok sits down next to me. He looks stressed, my mate. The lines of his face seem to be deeper and sadder than ever. I take his hand in mine, and he holds on to me tightly. It is like he needs comforting, too. So I put my head on his shoulder and let my fingers run up and down his arm. Just a light touch, just to let him know I am here, at his side.
Niri comes in a short time later. Rukh jumps to his feet, his big body trembling with worry. “How is my mate?” he asks.
“She’s weak,” Niri says in that flat, unfriendly voice of hers. I wonder how someone so impatient with people can be a healer, but I suppose not all that are called are kind and gentle like Maylak. “She has a very large malignant mass in her brain that is pressing against her frontal lobe, and it looks like it’s been there for a while. I take it humans aren’t technologically advanced enough to remove it?”
I am surprised to hear such a thing, but Rukh only nods. “She said it has been there a long time, and the khui keeps it at bay.”
“Well, it’s failing,” Niri tells him bluntly. “Do you want me to remove it? The mass? I can do it, but…” She looks over at Mardok.
I look at him, too. I do not understand. If we can save her, why do we not do it?
“But it’ll be expensive and the captain won’t like it?” Mardok’s voice is bitter. “I don’t care. Dock my pay. Just save her. I can’t believe you even have to keffing ask, Niri.”
“I don’t work for you. I work for Chatav,” she retorts. “But I’ll do it as long as her husband signs a release that this is what his woman wants.”
“Anything,” Rukh says tightly.
Niri nods. “Come with me, then. I’ll show you where to input your signature.”
They leave, and then it is just me and Mardok. “I do not understand,” I tell him softly. “Why did she hesitate?”
He just shakes his head. “It’s complicated. Too much worry over money and job security. It’s what happens when you get rescued by four loners.” The smile he gives me is faint. “None of us are very good at being compassionate.”