Read Online Hostage To The Stars: A Sectors SF Romance by Veronica Scott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Veronica Scott
Ads: Link
water,” she said, holding the canteen to his lips. “You’re going to get dehydrated.”
“Lemme rest a minute and then I’ll go patrol.” His voice was slurred and faint. A tremor rocked his frame.
Sara patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about patrolling right now. Rest sounds like a good idea.” Gently she covered him with the thin blanket and then retreated to a nearby boulder to sit. Dropping her head into her hands for a moment, she gave in to the tears that had been threatening for the last hour while she tended to Johnny. Sara rocked back and forth, struggling to breathe past the tightness in her chest and lightheadedness. Never in a million years would it have occurred to her something would happen to Johnny. He’d seemed so tough and indestructible.
“Sara? You ok?” His voice penetrated her agitated thoughts and she realized he was struggling to rise, to check on her.
In a heartbeat she knelt at his side, pressing him onto the mat. “I’m fine. You don’t worry about me right now. Take care of yourself.”
He fumbled for her hand and held it tight. Blinking, having a hard time focusing, he peered at her. “Promise you, we’ll be ok. Not going to let anything happen to you. Just need time to let the venom work its way out of my system.”
She squeezed his fingers. “I believe you. Rest now, ok?”
He nodded but didn’t let go. “Getting you home. My word on it.”
She realized a moment later he’d passed out. She disengaged her hand from his and covered him up again. Sitting cross legged, she gazed into the depths of the cave and shuddered. “Going to be a long night.”
Sara drowsed off and on as the night progressed but Johnny was restless, muttering in his sleep, throwing the blanket off. She checked on him often, alarmed to find him feverish and sweating. Her fingers tingled where she’d touched his skin. With an exclamation, she realized he’d spoken the literal truth – he was sweating the venom out through his pores. “That can’t be good.” She pondered the advisability of leaving the diluted venom on his skin until he recovered enough to take a bath. Holding the hand lamp close to her fingertips, she could see the skin was inflamed and itching from the brief contact.
Taking the handlamp and moving with extreme caution, she made the trek to the tiny stream meandering down the hillside close to the mouth of the cave, and rinsed her hands. Then, filled with grim determination, she got the remaining strips of torn T shirt, soaked them in the stream and returned to her patient. She bathed his face and hands, appalled to watch as the T shirt fabric absorbed reddish beads of venom-laden sweat. An ugly rash spread over his skin, probably in reaction to the diluted venom.
Realizing there was no other choice, she made a repeat journey to the stream in the dark, rinsed the fabric and carefully retraced her path to the cave. “Johnny? We’ve got to get you undressed and wash off this poison,” she said, hoping against hope he could rouse and handle the task himself. No such luck. He was unresponsive, breathing heavily. “Please let him be completely out of it or this is going to be embarrassing for both of us.” She fumbled with the fastening of his shirt, tugging and pulling until the garment was off.
He wore a curious medallion on a chain around his neck, next to the military ID. Gold, an elaborate, mythical-looking creature with tiny gemstone eyes. She examined it for a moment; a bit unnerved by the way the eyes glowed and winked at her in the light from the handlamp. Glancing at his ruggedly handsome face, she thought it didn’t resemble anything she’d have expected him to have. “Probably a gift from a woman,” she muttered, laying the medallion on his skin with a delicate touch. And why should it annoy her in the least that Johnny Danver might have a woman in his life who cared about him enough to give him such an expensive, obviously meaningful token?
“Lemme rest a minute and then I’ll go patrol.” His voice was slurred and faint. A tremor rocked his frame.
Sara patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about patrolling right now. Rest sounds like a good idea.” Gently she covered him with the thin blanket and then retreated to a nearby boulder to sit. Dropping her head into her hands for a moment, she gave in to the tears that had been threatening for the last hour while she tended to Johnny. Sara rocked back and forth, struggling to breathe past the tightness in her chest and lightheadedness. Never in a million years would it have occurred to her something would happen to Johnny. He’d seemed so tough and indestructible.
“Sara? You ok?” His voice penetrated her agitated thoughts and she realized he was struggling to rise, to check on her.
In a heartbeat she knelt at his side, pressing him onto the mat. “I’m fine. You don’t worry about me right now. Take care of yourself.”
He fumbled for her hand and held it tight. Blinking, having a hard time focusing, he peered at her. “Promise you, we’ll be ok. Not going to let anything happen to you. Just need time to let the venom work its way out of my system.”
She squeezed his fingers. “I believe you. Rest now, ok?”
He nodded but didn’t let go. “Getting you home. My word on it.”
She realized a moment later he’d passed out. She disengaged her hand from his and covered him up again. Sitting cross legged, she gazed into the depths of the cave and shuddered. “Going to be a long night.”
Sara drowsed off and on as the night progressed but Johnny was restless, muttering in his sleep, throwing the blanket off. She checked on him often, alarmed to find him feverish and sweating. Her fingers tingled where she’d touched his skin. With an exclamation, she realized he’d spoken the literal truth – he was sweating the venom out through his pores. “That can’t be good.” She pondered the advisability of leaving the diluted venom on his skin until he recovered enough to take a bath. Holding the hand lamp close to her fingertips, she could see the skin was inflamed and itching from the brief contact.
Taking the handlamp and moving with extreme caution, she made the trek to the tiny stream meandering down the hillside close to the mouth of the cave, and rinsed her hands. Then, filled with grim determination, she got the remaining strips of torn T shirt, soaked them in the stream and returned to her patient. She bathed his face and hands, appalled to watch as the T shirt fabric absorbed reddish beads of venom-laden sweat. An ugly rash spread over his skin, probably in reaction to the diluted venom.
Realizing there was no other choice, she made a repeat journey to the stream in the dark, rinsed the fabric and carefully retraced her path to the cave. “Johnny? We’ve got to get you undressed and wash off this poison,” she said, hoping against hope he could rouse and handle the task himself. No such luck. He was unresponsive, breathing heavily. “Please let him be completely out of it or this is going to be embarrassing for both of us.” She fumbled with the fastening of his shirt, tugging and pulling until the garment was off.
He wore a curious medallion on a chain around his neck, next to the military ID. Gold, an elaborate, mythical-looking creature with tiny gemstone eyes. She examined it for a moment; a bit unnerved by the way the eyes glowed and winked at her in the light from the handlamp. Glancing at his ruggedly handsome face, she thought it didn’t resemble anything she’d have expected him to have. “Probably a gift from a woman,” she muttered, laying the medallion on his skin with a delicate touch. And why should it annoy her in the least that Johnny Danver might have a woman in his life who cared about him enough to give him such an expensive, obviously meaningful token?
Similar Books
