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Authors: Richard Chizmar
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head covering.
“Injured in the fray was her larynx, from Interrogation while we were escaping” was Dchêm-os’s convoluted explanation.
I injected the patient with the only analgesic on hand to help eliminate some of the pain, and received a pleasant overture of gratitude before another crew member climbed up on the unit.
We continued in that bizarre, speechless fashion. The prisoners had to be treated for everything from lacerations to broken bones, and eventually the Major lost interest and thumped off. Alunthri stalked a few feet away on all fours, then sat as though standing guard.
“Whew!” I blew out a soft breath. “That was nerve wracking.” I noticed the next patient was having trouble stretching out on the table, and went to help. The willowy life-form had a few burns on his limbs, but the problem was a deep puncture wound and surrounding abdominal lividity. I frowned as I checked the injury. “We need to get this one to Medical.”
“Shhhh!” Dchêm-os examined the patient herself, then removed her headgear. “Because of the incident with the guard, they have confined this section. In or out, no matter what the emergency, no one goes. Him, just stabilize.”
“Not possible.” I scanned the available supplies, and found a container of generic antiseptic usually used in field emergencies. “We can sterilize ourselves and the patient with this, and sedate him with what’s in this syrinpress.” I hunted through the rest of the case. “I need a laser.”
Zel glared at me. “About, what are you talking?”
“There are no lasers,” one of the other nurses said. “Nor are we likely to get one if we ask.”
“Then I’ll need the sharpest blade you can find, a heat source to cauterize the vessels, and something to sew the tissues back together.” I thought for a moment. “Something to suction or soak up the body fluids with, too.”
“Perform surgery here, you can’t,” Zella said. Why was she acting so agitated? “Your arm, what about?”
I flexed it gingerly. The stab wound and wrenched muscles twinged. “I can handle it. I
have
to,” I said, when the nurse would have argued, “or this one won’t make it.”
While my staffers went to search for supplies, I walked over to Alunthri. “Why the big snarly kitty cat act?” I finally had the chance to ask.
“I have had to assume a more feral demeanor since being incarcerated,” the Chakacat said. “For purposes of self-defense.” It bared its fangs. “Actually, I have found it most stimulating. Dramatics are, after all, a true physical art form.”
It would think that.
The nurses proved incredibly resourceful. As Zella and I prepped the patient, they went through the Detainment Area, and came back with a small garment-repair kit, a thermal braising tool, and a pile of personal hygiene sponges.
I looked over the collection and hoped it wouldn’t kill my patient. “I still need a something with a blade.”
“They seized all the weapons when we were boarded,” Pmohhi said.
“A moment, wait.” Before I could stop her, Zella took the blunt end of the braising tool and struck herself in the face with it.
“Stop—what are you doing, you idiot?” I grabbed her furry face to assess the damage, but she shoved my hands away and put a paw in her mouth.
“Take this, here.” She worked it loose, then handed me a bloodstained chunk of one of her incisors. “It’s sharp, be careful.”
It was, I nearly sliced my hand open grabbing it. And the shock of what she’d done made me yell at her again. “God, Zel, we could have found something else!”
“Down, keep your voice!” She spat blood out onto the deck. “Use it, go ahead. Fine, I will be.”
I packed her mouth with a small hygiene sponge anyway.
“All right. Sterilize everything with that antiseptic. Pmohhi, section us off with some linens and make sure you keep everyone at least three yards away from us. I’ll need something undyed and as clean as possible
“Injured in the fray was her larynx, from Interrogation while we were escaping” was Dchêm-os’s convoluted explanation.
I injected the patient with the only analgesic on hand to help eliminate some of the pain, and received a pleasant overture of gratitude before another crew member climbed up on the unit.
We continued in that bizarre, speechless fashion. The prisoners had to be treated for everything from lacerations to broken bones, and eventually the Major lost interest and thumped off. Alunthri stalked a few feet away on all fours, then sat as though standing guard.
“Whew!” I blew out a soft breath. “That was nerve wracking.” I noticed the next patient was having trouble stretching out on the table, and went to help. The willowy life-form had a few burns on his limbs, but the problem was a deep puncture wound and surrounding abdominal lividity. I frowned as I checked the injury. “We need to get this one to Medical.”
“Shhhh!” Dchêm-os examined the patient herself, then removed her headgear. “Because of the incident with the guard, they have confined this section. In or out, no matter what the emergency, no one goes. Him, just stabilize.”
“Not possible.” I scanned the available supplies, and found a container of generic antiseptic usually used in field emergencies. “We can sterilize ourselves and the patient with this, and sedate him with what’s in this syrinpress.” I hunted through the rest of the case. “I need a laser.”
Zel glared at me. “About, what are you talking?”
“There are no lasers,” one of the other nurses said. “Nor are we likely to get one if we ask.”
“Then I’ll need the sharpest blade you can find, a heat source to cauterize the vessels, and something to sew the tissues back together.” I thought for a moment. “Something to suction or soak up the body fluids with, too.”
“Perform surgery here, you can’t,” Zella said. Why was she acting so agitated? “Your arm, what about?”
I flexed it gingerly. The stab wound and wrenched muscles twinged. “I can handle it. I
have
to,” I said, when the nurse would have argued, “or this one won’t make it.”
While my staffers went to search for supplies, I walked over to Alunthri. “Why the big snarly kitty cat act?” I finally had the chance to ask.
“I have had to assume a more feral demeanor since being incarcerated,” the Chakacat said. “For purposes of self-defense.” It bared its fangs. “Actually, I have found it most stimulating. Dramatics are, after all, a true physical art form.”
It would think that.
The nurses proved incredibly resourceful. As Zella and I prepped the patient, they went through the Detainment Area, and came back with a small garment-repair kit, a thermal braising tool, and a pile of personal hygiene sponges.
I looked over the collection and hoped it wouldn’t kill my patient. “I still need a something with a blade.”
“They seized all the weapons when we were boarded,” Pmohhi said.
“A moment, wait.” Before I could stop her, Zella took the blunt end of the braising tool and struck herself in the face with it.
“Stop—what are you doing, you idiot?” I grabbed her furry face to assess the damage, but she shoved my hands away and put a paw in her mouth.
“Take this, here.” She worked it loose, then handed me a bloodstained chunk of one of her incisors. “It’s sharp, be careful.”
It was, I nearly sliced my hand open grabbing it. And the shock of what she’d done made me yell at her again. “God, Zel, we could have found something else!”
“Down, keep your voice!” She spat blood out onto the deck. “Use it, go ahead. Fine, I will be.”
I packed her mouth with a small hygiene sponge anyway.
“All right. Sterilize everything with that antiseptic. Pmohhi, section us off with some linens and make sure you keep everyone at least three yards away from us. I’ll need something undyed and as clean as possible
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