Read Online Eternity Row by S. L. Viehl - Free Book Online Page A

mopped up the blood on his cheeks and neck with steady hands. “Most proficient.”
    “Dear God.” I’d never seen a weapon that could do that to a ship with one shot. Then I glanced down at my kid. “Intern, could you take Marel back to Alunthri for me?” I paused long enough to remove her wrist unit and stick it in my pocket before handing her off. “Go with ClanCousin Adaola now, baby. I’ll see you later.”
    I watched her go, then turned to Squilyp. “Bend down here for a minute and let me check you.”
    Blood filled the Omorr’s tympanic channels, which I evacuated, but there were only slight perforations which I quickly treated with a topical anesthetic. He claimed to have no lingering pain or hearing loss, so we went back to work. I signaled Alunthri to make sure Marel had returned home. It reported she was shaken by what she’d seen, but otherwise fine.
    “I am sorry, Cherijo.” The Chakacat seemed confused. “I do not know how she got away from me. One moment she was there, the next…”
    “She does it to everybody, pal. Don’t blame yourself, just lock down the door panel.” I saw a number of wounded stream in through the main entrance, and grimaced. “Looks like I’ll be tied up for a while. Would you stay with her until Duncan gets home?”
    “I will stay as long as you like,” the Chakacat reassured me.
    I went to help with the triage, which went smoothly, until Dhreen’s girlfriend showed up and demanded to see him.
    “You can’t go in there,” I said as I herded her away from the critical care unit. “He’s in sleep suspension, and he’s also too weak to resist infection from the germs you’re carrying.”
    “I have washed, thoroughly.” She spit the words out through clenched teeth as she tried to go around me. Although Xonea had made it clear to her that I hadn’t been responsible for Dhreen’s wounds, she still treated me like a leper. “He does not like to be alone. He needs me at his side.”
    “He doesn’t need the bacteria that exist in places you can’t wash.” I saw the desperation in her dark eyes, and tried again. “Ilona, more than anything right now, he needs to stay under suspension.”
    “So you say, patcher.” She stalked out.
    More crew members reported with injuries, but all were thankfully minor, and Squilyp told me to leave.
    “Everything here is under control. See to your family, Doctor.”
    Marel burst into tears the moment she saw me, convinced her beloved “Uncwip” was hurt. It took a lengthy explanation, a signal to Medical so she could speak to Squilyp herself, then two bedtime stories before she calmed down enough to sleep.
    Alunthri lingered, and seemed very upset, by the way it paced around our quarters. “I do not understand it.”
    “I’m telling you, it’s like a hobby with this kid. Don’t let it bother you.”
    “It’s more than that, Cherijo.” It stopped, and stared at Marel’s door panel. “I tried to track her, but I couldn’t find her scent path.”
    Given the Chakacat’s extraordinary olfactory senses, that seemed a little strange. “Maybe you’re congested.”
    “Perhaps.” Its whiskers twitched. “I will leave you now.”
    “But-” I sensed it was upset and needed some space, so I let the topic drop and walked it to the door. “Thanks for helping out.”
    The cats were also agitated; an extra server of dried cod bits soothed Jenner, but Juliet wasn’t interested in eating. My husband came in about an hour later, his face set in remote lines.
    “I take it you saw what Xonea’s big gun did to that raider,” I said as I brought him a server of tea.
    “Yes.” He stared down at the steaming liquid.
    Now for the hard part. “Marel saw it, too. There was no warning, or I wouldn’t have let her near the console, but… she saw everything.”
    He glanced at her room. “Is she all right?”
    “I think she will be, but we’d better expect more nightmares.”
    He abruptly handed the server back to me. “I