Read Online Recon Marines III: The Marine's Doctor by Susan Kelley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Kelley
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slow progress,
still only on the second vat. Mak ordered Box and Pender to assist
them as they could while he stood watch by himself. Though
convinced the structure was devoid of life, something about it put
him on edge. Five hours later, the doctors declared themselves
satisfied with their tubes and full sacks.
“ Sir, there’s an
elevator,” Pender said.
Mak knew that, of course, and wondered
why the young soldier needed to tell him.
Dr. Shear clapped her hands.
“Wonderful idea, Kory. I’m too old to walk up all those steps
again.”
Mak didn’t like the small, enclosed
structures but he wanted to get the doctors back on the ship and
perhaps ease the tension between his shoulder blades that wound
tighter with every minute they explored. They used the freight
elevator rather than the smaller personnel one near the stairs. It
easily had room for them all. Back on the space dock level, Mak
urged them toward the ship.
“ Box, help the doctors get
their things stored away. Pender and I are going to the station
control center.” Any clues about where they might locate more
recent labs would be found there. “Doctor Drant, any ideas how long
ago this place was used?”
Molly shrugged. “It’s difficult to
know. We might be able to tell once we take a close look at the
samples, Mak.”
Mak suspected the sparkle in her eyes
when she used his name had to do with his reluctance to address her
by Molly in front of the others. Use of her first name implied an
intimacy of a sort he didn’t wish the others to know of. “We’ll
leave as soon as Pender and I return. Lock up, corporal, and keep
an eye on the outside sensors. Pirates have been known to use these
abandoned facilities as hideouts.”
He hadn’t seen any sign of pirate use,
but Mak wanted to keep Box alert. He and Pender took the stairs,
five flights, to reach the top level of the station. The door
opened with the override code as the others had.
The lights came up and revealed a
two-story high operations base. Wide viewing screens showed an
infinite expanse of darkness punctured by spots of bright stars.
“Stay behind me.” The tension across Mak’s shoulders tightened
though he saw nothing unusual. He took his time crossing the open
area at the head of the steps to the long counter holding the
communications gear. Unlike the lighting, the comms hadn’t
awakened. The subspace radio equipment looked outdated, none of it
of a kind that Mak had ever used.
He looked it over without touching.
One small light flashed, probably a power switch.
“ I saw something like this
when I was a boy, sir,” Pender said. “My grandfather had some old
ships he used for hauling his produce to off-world
markets.”
Mak pushed the pulsing button but
nothing happened. “The power must be cut off at its
source.”
“ There’s probably a
breaker switch underneath, sir.” Pender dropped to his knees and
looked under the console. “Here it is.”
“ Don’t touch any….” A
sharp snap cut off Mak’s words. Pender’s scream overlaid it. Mak
grasped the young man’s shoulders and pulled him back from the
console.
Lights flashed and blinked as the
communications and other computers powered up, but Mak saw only
Pender’s bleeding arm. The flesh in his forearm lay open, exposing
both bones. Blood flowed in a crimson gush.
Mak took the flaps of torn skin and
folded them across the wound as best as he could. Then he took
Pender’s other hand and forced the soldier to squeeze his wound.
“You hold it shut. Don’t let go and don’t pass out.”
“ Is that an order, sir?”
Pender tried to smile, his lips paler than his ashen face. Tears
hung unshed in his eyes.
“ Absolutely. Don’t you
dare disobey me.” Mak picked up the ensign like he was a child. The
soldier matched Mak in size, not a light load. But they only had
five flights of stairs. Mak considered the elevator but feared more
traps.
He ran down the steps, unable to see
where he placed his feet
still only on the second vat. Mak ordered Box and Pender to assist
them as they could while he stood watch by himself. Though
convinced the structure was devoid of life, something about it put
him on edge. Five hours later, the doctors declared themselves
satisfied with their tubes and full sacks.
“ Sir, there’s an
elevator,” Pender said.
Mak knew that, of course, and wondered
why the young soldier needed to tell him.
Dr. Shear clapped her hands.
“Wonderful idea, Kory. I’m too old to walk up all those steps
again.”
Mak didn’t like the small, enclosed
structures but he wanted to get the doctors back on the ship and
perhaps ease the tension between his shoulder blades that wound
tighter with every minute they explored. They used the freight
elevator rather than the smaller personnel one near the stairs. It
easily had room for them all. Back on the space dock level, Mak
urged them toward the ship.
“ Box, help the doctors get
their things stored away. Pender and I are going to the station
control center.” Any clues about where they might locate more
recent labs would be found there. “Doctor Drant, any ideas how long
ago this place was used?”
Molly shrugged. “It’s difficult to
know. We might be able to tell once we take a close look at the
samples, Mak.”
Mak suspected the sparkle in her eyes
when she used his name had to do with his reluctance to address her
by Molly in front of the others. Use of her first name implied an
intimacy of a sort he didn’t wish the others to know of. “We’ll
leave as soon as Pender and I return. Lock up, corporal, and keep
an eye on the outside sensors. Pirates have been known to use these
abandoned facilities as hideouts.”
He hadn’t seen any sign of pirate use,
but Mak wanted to keep Box alert. He and Pender took the stairs,
five flights, to reach the top level of the station. The door
opened with the override code as the others had.
The lights came up and revealed a
two-story high operations base. Wide viewing screens showed an
infinite expanse of darkness punctured by spots of bright stars.
“Stay behind me.” The tension across Mak’s shoulders tightened
though he saw nothing unusual. He took his time crossing the open
area at the head of the steps to the long counter holding the
communications gear. Unlike the lighting, the comms hadn’t
awakened. The subspace radio equipment looked outdated, none of it
of a kind that Mak had ever used.
He looked it over without touching.
One small light flashed, probably a power switch.
“ I saw something like this
when I was a boy, sir,” Pender said. “My grandfather had some old
ships he used for hauling his produce to off-world
markets.”
Mak pushed the pulsing button but
nothing happened. “The power must be cut off at its
source.”
“ There’s probably a
breaker switch underneath, sir.” Pender dropped to his knees and
looked under the console. “Here it is.”
“ Don’t touch any….” A
sharp snap cut off Mak’s words. Pender’s scream overlaid it. Mak
grasped the young man’s shoulders and pulled him back from the
console.
Lights flashed and blinked as the
communications and other computers powered up, but Mak saw only
Pender’s bleeding arm. The flesh in his forearm lay open, exposing
both bones. Blood flowed in a crimson gush.
Mak took the flaps of torn skin and
folded them across the wound as best as he could. Then he took
Pender’s other hand and forced the soldier to squeeze his wound.
“You hold it shut. Don’t let go and don’t pass out.”
“ Is that an order, sir?”
Pender tried to smile, his lips paler than his ashen face. Tears
hung unshed in his eyes.
“ Absolutely. Don’t you
dare disobey me.” Mak picked up the ensign like he was a child. The
soldier matched Mak in size, not a light load. But they only had
five flights of stairs. Mak considered the elevator but feared more
traps.
He ran down the steps, unable to see
where he placed his feet
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