Read Online The Enclave (The Verge) by H.M. Clarke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: H.M. Clarke
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looked very familiar. Daniel? Katherine gave herself a shake as she felt her past try and slide over her . It can’t be Daniel. It can’t be. She looked away.
“You’re bleeding.” The man stepped closer to her, carefully as if afraid that she would bolt, and gestured to her arm.
Katherine looked at him again and now saw a stranger. Not Daniel. He just looked like him. She raised her arm and looked at the gash that ran down her forearm. It was a clean cut, once cleaned and sutured it would heal in a day or two and within a week it would be a new scar among the many already there.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“Let me look at it, I have a medikit back at my place.” He gestured down the street in the same direction one of her assailants had nodded. “It’s not far.”
Katherine looked carefully at the stranger but saw only genuine concern in his eyes. She should go and inform the Adelaide about this incident. But it can wait. The man was right; she should get this looked at quickly. It would take a while to get transport back to the Port and all the rigmarole that would go along with it. A diplomatic incident was not what she needed right now.
“Sure,” Katherine nodded. “Thanks for the timely help,” she said as they walked to the building at the end of the street.
“I doubt that you really needed it.” He fished into a pants pocket and pulled out a large white handkerchief. “Here, don’t worry its clean.” He quickly wrapped it around Katherine’s elevated arm to try and stop the bleeding.
“A hankie? I haven’t seen one of these in years.”
“My mother made me carry one when I was a kid. I guess the habit stuck. I’m Joshua by the way.” He smiled at her.
“I’m Katherine. The police will need to be informed.” She jerked her head back down the street at the prone bodies.
“Don’t worry; they were called before I came out. That group has been prowling around for a few nights now looking for a victim. You just happened to come along at the wrong time.”
“They just happened to pick the wrong woman to bully you mean.” Katherine smiled. And she felt a hell of a lot better. Her body was still on a high from the adrenalin that coursed through her veins and the fight had taken an edge off her aggression. “When the police arrive I’ll go out and make a statement.”
“That’s not a good idea. The New Holland Police aren’t too keen on outsiders at the moment. They would throw you in prison as well just for being Val Myran.”
“I’m not Val Myran. But I’m not from New Holland either,” Katherine said as she was shown through a small side door into the apartment building. “I must have a sign over my head today that says ‘kick me’.”
Joshua opened a door. “Just through here.”
The apartment was plain, simple and comfortable and Joshua ushered her to the lounge before disappearing into what must be the bathroom. Katherine carefully slipped off her coat, frowning at the now wrecked sleeve. There was no way that invisible stitching could fix that! She slowly removed the blood soaked hanky and studied her arm. Joshua reappeared with a red medikit in one hand and a water bowl and wash cloth in the other.
“Welcome to my home,” he said placing everything on the coffee table and taking a seat beside her on the couch. “Let me look at that.” Joshua squeezed t he excess water from the wash cloth into the bowl and Katherine offered up her injured arm to his ministrations.
“So. Where are you from if not from here?” he asked as he cleared the blood away from her arm.
“From Earth initially,” she replied as she watched Joshua work on her injury. His hands were firm but gentle and their touch distracted her from the pain. “Lately I’ve just been a citizen of the Gateways.”
“A Spacer?” Joshua asked in surprise. “If you don’t mind me saying, you
“You’re bleeding.” The man stepped closer to her, carefully as if afraid that she would bolt, and gestured to her arm.
Katherine looked at him again and now saw a stranger. Not Daniel. He just looked like him. She raised her arm and looked at the gash that ran down her forearm. It was a clean cut, once cleaned and sutured it would heal in a day or two and within a week it would be a new scar among the many already there.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“Let me look at it, I have a medikit back at my place.” He gestured down the street in the same direction one of her assailants had nodded. “It’s not far.”
Katherine looked carefully at the stranger but saw only genuine concern in his eyes. She should go and inform the Adelaide about this incident. But it can wait. The man was right; she should get this looked at quickly. It would take a while to get transport back to the Port and all the rigmarole that would go along with it. A diplomatic incident was not what she needed right now.
“Sure,” Katherine nodded. “Thanks for the timely help,” she said as they walked to the building at the end of the street.
“I doubt that you really needed it.” He fished into a pants pocket and pulled out a large white handkerchief. “Here, don’t worry its clean.” He quickly wrapped it around Katherine’s elevated arm to try and stop the bleeding.
“A hankie? I haven’t seen one of these in years.”
“My mother made me carry one when I was a kid. I guess the habit stuck. I’m Joshua by the way.” He smiled at her.
“I’m Katherine. The police will need to be informed.” She jerked her head back down the street at the prone bodies.
“Don’t worry; they were called before I came out. That group has been prowling around for a few nights now looking for a victim. You just happened to come along at the wrong time.”
“They just happened to pick the wrong woman to bully you mean.” Katherine smiled. And she felt a hell of a lot better. Her body was still on a high from the adrenalin that coursed through her veins and the fight had taken an edge off her aggression. “When the police arrive I’ll go out and make a statement.”
“That’s not a good idea. The New Holland Police aren’t too keen on outsiders at the moment. They would throw you in prison as well just for being Val Myran.”
“I’m not Val Myran. But I’m not from New Holland either,” Katherine said as she was shown through a small side door into the apartment building. “I must have a sign over my head today that says ‘kick me’.”
Joshua opened a door. “Just through here.”
The apartment was plain, simple and comfortable and Joshua ushered her to the lounge before disappearing into what must be the bathroom. Katherine carefully slipped off her coat, frowning at the now wrecked sleeve. There was no way that invisible stitching could fix that! She slowly removed the blood soaked hanky and studied her arm. Joshua reappeared with a red medikit in one hand and a water bowl and wash cloth in the other.
“Welcome to my home,” he said placing everything on the coffee table and taking a seat beside her on the couch. “Let me look at that.” Joshua squeezed t he excess water from the wash cloth into the bowl and Katherine offered up her injured arm to his ministrations.
“So. Where are you from if not from here?” he asked as he cleared the blood away from her arm.
“From Earth initially,” she replied as she watched Joshua work on her injury. His hands were firm but gentle and their touch distracted her from the pain. “Lately I’ve just been a citizen of the Gateways.”
“A Spacer?” Joshua asked in surprise. “If you don’t mind me saying, you
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