side of the pile. “Anyone else get tagged?”
Shatter scowled. “You are injured?”
“One sliced me on the leg. Nothing major.”
He moved to carry her, but she stopped him. “I walked in, I will walk out. It is important or Horris won’t be able to leave with us.”
Horris snapped the cuff on his right wrist and grinned at them, “Shall we? I am eager to leave this place.”
Gadget moved slowly and left a bit of a blood trail, but they completed their walk through the platform without being accosted again.
A group of platform workers were near the Dark Fairy dock. They took one look at the trio approaching them, and they ran for it.
“If only I had had that talent back home. I could have gone shopping on Christmas Eve without being jostled.” She grinned.
They didn’t understand the reference, but once they were inside the ship, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Eleven
“Why did the bubble activate around me?” Prince Naroz was amused but irritated.
Horris was in stasis below, and Toby was cleaning her wound. “We were attacked and the ship decided that it was safer for everyone if you received protection as well.”
“Well, I wasn’t getting any information out of Lerar, so it is just as well that things were cut short.”
Shatter elbowed him aside and pushed Toby’s hands out of the way. “This is more than a little slice.”
“I will live. What are you doing?”
“I also have medical training. Quit talking and give me your leg.” He grinned and used a laser to slice the fabric of her suit. It was calibrated for just such a purpose.
“There is a skin sealant on the second shelf. It is marked with my name and a smiley face.” She sat still as he prodded at the gash. It was about eight inches long and started at the top of her tattoo down to her calf.
Naroz peered over Raol’s shoulder. “Aw, it sliced through your tattoos.”
Shatter looked at him. “You have seen them?”
“She wore sundresses when she was staying with my family last summer. Her arms and legs were quite visible when the wind blew.” Naroz leaned back against the doorframe.
Shatter grinned up at Toby. “You wear dresses?”
“Whenever I am alone on the ship when I am not on duty, I dress in as little as I can. This is my home, after all.” She winced as he dug deep into her wound.
“I know that. Damn, what was on that blade?”
“Mining knives are known for being used for everything from poking ore to stirring food to unclogging lavs. I am trying not to think about it.”
Naroz shuddered and Shatter gave her a dark look from beneath his brows. “You are going to stay off this leg until it’s healed.”
“We will see. If Naroz gets another assignment, I am going to hop into the control room without any warning.”
The image must have transferred itself to his imagination, because he grinned. She understood why when he said, “Not if I tell the ship that it is dangerous for you to move around before you are well.”
Horror flickered through her. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He snorted. “I just did.”
The ship started to flicker grey images in her mind. Every time the image was of Toby on her feet, it flared scarlet. The ship had gotten the message.
“You will pay for that, Shatter.”
“I look forward to it, Gadget.” He winked and kept tending her.
Two days later, she was going out of her mind. Raol carried her everywhere, including the lav. He left her alone, but it was still embarrassing to have to ask, and ask she did. The Dark Fairy alerted him every time she tried to get up by blaring alarms and flashing lights. The ship could have cut her motor skills off, but it didn’t. A little bit of trust was rebuilt in those moments.
“Your leg has healed. The grafting paste is working very well. I think it is even fixing your tattoo if that makes sense.” He was staring at the line in shock.
“Oh, it does. The gel comes from Yaccaro. There are nanites in it to
Shatter scowled. “You are injured?”
“One sliced me on the leg. Nothing major.”
He moved to carry her, but she stopped him. “I walked in, I will walk out. It is important or Horris won’t be able to leave with us.”
Horris snapped the cuff on his right wrist and grinned at them, “Shall we? I am eager to leave this place.”
Gadget moved slowly and left a bit of a blood trail, but they completed their walk through the platform without being accosted again.
A group of platform workers were near the Dark Fairy dock. They took one look at the trio approaching them, and they ran for it.
“If only I had had that talent back home. I could have gone shopping on Christmas Eve without being jostled.” She grinned.
They didn’t understand the reference, but once they were inside the ship, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Eleven
“Why did the bubble activate around me?” Prince Naroz was amused but irritated.
Horris was in stasis below, and Toby was cleaning her wound. “We were attacked and the ship decided that it was safer for everyone if you received protection as well.”
“Well, I wasn’t getting any information out of Lerar, so it is just as well that things were cut short.”
Shatter elbowed him aside and pushed Toby’s hands out of the way. “This is more than a little slice.”
“I will live. What are you doing?”
“I also have medical training. Quit talking and give me your leg.” He grinned and used a laser to slice the fabric of her suit. It was calibrated for just such a purpose.
“There is a skin sealant on the second shelf. It is marked with my name and a smiley face.” She sat still as he prodded at the gash. It was about eight inches long and started at the top of her tattoo down to her calf.
Naroz peered over Raol’s shoulder. “Aw, it sliced through your tattoos.”
Shatter looked at him. “You have seen them?”
“She wore sundresses when she was staying with my family last summer. Her arms and legs were quite visible when the wind blew.” Naroz leaned back against the doorframe.
Shatter grinned up at Toby. “You wear dresses?”
“Whenever I am alone on the ship when I am not on duty, I dress in as little as I can. This is my home, after all.” She winced as he dug deep into her wound.
“I know that. Damn, what was on that blade?”
“Mining knives are known for being used for everything from poking ore to stirring food to unclogging lavs. I am trying not to think about it.”
Naroz shuddered and Shatter gave her a dark look from beneath his brows. “You are going to stay off this leg until it’s healed.”
“We will see. If Naroz gets another assignment, I am going to hop into the control room without any warning.”
The image must have transferred itself to his imagination, because he grinned. She understood why when he said, “Not if I tell the ship that it is dangerous for you to move around before you are well.”
Horror flickered through her. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He snorted. “I just did.”
The ship started to flicker grey images in her mind. Every time the image was of Toby on her feet, it flared scarlet. The ship had gotten the message.
“You will pay for that, Shatter.”
“I look forward to it, Gadget.” He winked and kept tending her.
Two days later, she was going out of her mind. Raol carried her everywhere, including the lav. He left her alone, but it was still embarrassing to have to ask, and ask she did. The Dark Fairy alerted him every time she tried to get up by blaring alarms and flashing lights. The ship could have cut her motor skills off, but it didn’t. A little bit of trust was rebuilt in those moments.
“Your leg has healed. The grafting paste is working very well. I think it is even fixing your tattoo if that makes sense.” He was staring at the line in shock.
“Oh, it does. The gel comes from Yaccaro. There are nanites in it to
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