Tiger

by Kate LaMontagne

  He sighed and set down the scanner, peeling off his gloves and rubbing at his eyes. “I’ve finished cataloging the injuries and programmed the bots, so we’re ready to inject them.”

  “Good. Go ahead. Captain Styles was able to identify him. He’s not a merc. He’s from the fort and he has no family, so they gave us permission to treat him. He’s better off here anyway. Our trauma facility is way better than theirs. I’ll check in on him later. Page me if anything comes up.” He patted the attending physician on the shoulder supportively and left.

  *****

  Remi woke slowly the next morning, bleary-eyed and feeling hungover, when Jake shook his shoulder whispering “rise and shine sunshine”. “Don’t wanna” he grumbled, parroting his brother. Someone had draped a blanket over him at some point during the night and he rolled to the side, pulling the blanket tighter around him.

  “Come on, I’m hungry and I want to go see Tiger.” Jake whined, fidgeting excitedly and wringing his hands.

  “Fine, but we have to wait for Doctor Stafford’s approval before they’ll let us in.” Remi yawned and stretched his arms over his shoulders. “I have to go meet with Doctor Stafford and Yamano’s CO anyway.”

  As it turned out, Tiger was still in the tank and would be for several days due to the extent of his injuries, so Remi and Jake wouldn’t be able to speak to him yet. Remi filled Jake in about Tiger being a soldier from the fort as they walked to the cafeteria. Jake was pleased to hear that Tiger was a Ranger and stationed nearby, figuring he’d be able to spend some time with the dashing hero.

  Leaving Jake to eat breakfast, Remi met with Doctor Stafford in his office. He was getting an update on his condition when there was a knock on the door. The receptionist from the front desk peeked in. “Excuse me Doctor Stafford. There’s a Captain Kirk here to see you.”

  “Show him in please” he said as he rose from his chair, stepping around his desk to greet the new arrival. “TJ, sorry you had to rush back here to deal with such an upsetting situation. I was just updating Captain Styles on Tiger’s condition.” Remi stood and nodded to Captain Kirk. Kirk was tall and muscular, with shaggy blond hair, sapphire-blue eyes and extremely hot.

  Kirk stuck out his hand to shake Remi’s. “Captain Tiberius James Kirk, United Corvan Army Rangers, at your service.”

  Remi’s eyebrows shot up. “Captain T.J. Kirk? Any relation to…”

  Kirk grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Yup. My great, great, great grandfather. I’m Lieutenant Yamano’s CO and team leader. We’re all kind of a famous bunch. That may be why we all ended up on the same team” he joked.

  “More like they wanted to keep all the troublemakers in one location,” Max said under his breath as he headed back to his desk. Kirk just grinned and winked at him.

  “Well then, if we can all sit down, I’ll give you an update on Tiger’s condition and we can discuss how to proceed.” Stafford drew their attention back to the reason they were there.

  “And what exactly is Captain Styles’ involvement, if I may inquire?”

  “Tiger was injured in the course of protecting Captain Styles’ brother during the attack. Captain Styles is United Corvan Air Force, Security Section. He’s temporarily assigned to the fort to assist with their security upgrades. The lieutenant had no id on him, so Captain Styles initiated an investigation to determine his identity and was helpful in obtaining authorization to have him treated here. Also, his brother seems quite taken with Tiger and is reluctant to be parted from him.

  “I see. Well, I appreciate that but we in UCAR take care of our own. We can take it from here Captain.”

  “Now wait a minute,” Remi snapped. “I’d like an opportunity to interrogate Lieutenant Yamano regarding this incident.”

  “Interrogate?” Kirk’s brow went up. “Is Tiger suspected of criminal involvement in this matter? I think what you meant to say was that you’d like to thank Tiger profusely for saving your brother’s lily-white ass,” Kirk growled and rose from his chair.

  “Gentlemen, if we can dispense with the dramatics, we’ll make much better progress. Let’s not turn into a bunch of screaming drama queens here. I don’t think any of us are really in the mood for a cat fight right now.” Stafford arched a brow at both men and stuck his tongue in his cheek.

  Blushing furiously, both men resumed their seats and waited for the doctor to speak.

  He took a deep breath and let it out. “Look, Tiger is going to be fine but he’s going to need some time to recuperate, both physically and mentally. Rebuilding deep tissue trauma takes time to heal completely.” He gave a detailed list of Tiger’s injuries and the requisite treatment. Remi already knew most of the details from what Jake had told him, but Kirk was appalled and looked pale.

  “There’s no point in keeping him in the hospital once we finish treating him. He’ll need to come back for check-ups, but he’ll just need a quiet place to rest and someone to make sure he eats and to help him get around. He won’t be able to live in the barracks for a while and he can’t return to duty until I clear him. He doesn’t need a babysitter and he’s not under confinement.”

  “Captain Styles has a house here in Aurora with, I believe, several bedrooms and his brother, I’m sure, would love to have his company. Might even keep Jake occupied and out of trouble while he’s there. If everyone agrees, does this plan sound feasible? The only alternative would be to put him in an assisted living facility.”

  “An old-folks home? No way!” Kirk shouted. Remi and Kirk both glared at each other, then nodded at Stafford. “Fine, but Tiger has to have a say in what he wants to do, and I get to do welfare checks on him to be sure he’s being properly cared for,” Kirk groused.

  “Agreed. It’s the least we can do for him. I believe Jake would have died in that alley if Tiger hadn’t interceded. Jake and I owe him a debt than can never be repaid. However, I would like to talk to Jake and Tiger separately before he’s released just to be sure they’re both okay with it. I don’t want either of them to feel like they’re being pressured into anything. Is that okay?”

  “I’m fine with that. I’d like to talk to him first, alone. He still owes me a report on his last mission, then I’ll get out of everyone’s hair.” Kirk narrowed his eyes and looked at Remi. “Don’t make me regret this. Tiger isn’t just my teammate and subordinate, he’s family.”

  “Alrighty then. Tiger should be ready to be transferred to a bed in a few days, but he will probably remain sedated for another day or two once we do so. Once he’s awake, we’ll need to keep him here for a couple of days to evaluate his condition and establish his level of pain control.”

  “If you’d like to go eat and get some things done, I’ll go check on my patient and let you know when you can see him. Thank you, gentlemen.” Stafford saw them out of his office and closed the door. He leaned his back against the door and closed his eyes. “Well, that went well.”

  *****

  An hour later, Stafford met Remi, Kirk and Jake outside of the tank room. He cautioned them that Tiger was immersed in a solution and that they might find it a little unsettling. They entered the room and moved to the side of the clear tank where Tiger floated, completely immersed in a pressurized greenish solution, clad only in brief black swim shorts.

  He was supported by blocks at his ankles, buttocks, wrists and neck, raising him up from the bottom of the tank. He had an oxygen mask over his face and his eyes were closed. Even through the green tint, the dark bruises stood out on his body and, though they couldn’t see most of the damage to his back, the reflection of darkened raw skin off the bottom of the tank was disturbing.

  Stafford explained the healing process and how the nano-bots worked, assuring them that Tiger was doing very well and that no scars or bruises would be left once the bots and retro solution finished their tasks.

  Kirk moved in close, inspecting the condition of Tiger’s body. He laid a hand on the tank and closed his eyes, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. �
�Please keep me updated on his condition doctor” Kirk muttered, rushing out of the room. Stafford rushed out after him, leaving Remi and Jake alone with Tiger.

  Even through the green stuff and the plexiglass Remi could tell that Tiger was an attractive but petite man, not at all what he had pictured when Jake was describing Tiger and what he’d done. He’d expected a muscled Norse god, picturing Thor leaping off the roof into that alley. Turned out that that was closer to Kirk’s description. How could this twink soldier inflict the damage he had to so many men by himself?

  He hoped the doctor was correct about the bots. He hated to think of Tiger having to live with the horrible scars that would normally be the result of such a brutal attack. This could just as easily have been Jake and Remi felt the bile rising in his throat. He ran to the attached bathroom and barely made it to the toilet before the contents of his stomach emptied into the bowl. Jake followed him in and crouched behind Remi, rubbing his back and saying “This is my fault. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Remi coughed and wiped his mouth with some tissue. “Nonsense, Jake. This is no one’s fault but those gang assholes and I’m going to make sure they pay for this.” Remi pulled himself together and they left the room. He noticed Kirk and Stafford huddled together in an alcove off the hallway, conversing in low whispers as Stafford gripped Kirk’s bicep. He wondered just what their relationship was with each other.

  *****

  For the next four days, Remi and Kirk took turns sitting by Tiger’s tank, reading to him and talking about random events. The tank was wired for sound and the doctor assured them that Tiger could hear them even if he was unconscious. Finally, on the fifth day, Tiger was moved to a regular bed in a private room, but he was covered by an oxygen tent.

  Stafford let them continue to visit Tiger, although he was still in a medically induced coma. Kirk and Remi still sat by his bedside and when Remi visited, he held Tiger’s hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb as if to soothe him.

  Once, when Stafford came in while Remi was there, Remi inquired “I’ve noticed the fingers on Tiger’s right-hand twitching occasionally. Is it from nerve damage?” He was quite concerned about that.

  Stafford actually laughed and Remi was taken aback. “No, it’s a trait of longtime swordsmen. I’ve seen it before when I volunteered at some of the tournaments. Their blades are so much an extension of their bodies that they miss them when their sword hand is empty, even in their sleep. It’s not uncommon for them to sleep with their blades. They become so attached and guarded that they have to know where their weapon is at all times.”

  Remi arched a brow at Stafford and the doctor shrugged and laughed again. “Yeah, it’s pretty weird but it is what it is.”

  Three days later Tiger was finally awake. Stafford warned Remi, Jake and Kirk that Tiger was still heavily sedated and in a lot of pain. They could see him briefly he told them, but he might not be very lucid till the following day. “Don’t wear him out and try not to do anything to upset him.” He aimed a warning look at Remi. “Tiberius, you can go in first. He asked about you earlier. I’m sure he’ll be relieved to see you.”

  Tiberius slipped through the door. The room was darkened so he couldn’t see Tiger very well till he stepped up to his bedside. Tiger lay on his side, the covers pulled up to his chest in front but down to the base of his spine in back, showing his newly healed skin that looked like a bad sunburn. There was an IV drip running to his left hand and a monitor lead attached to one finger.

  He was pale and his eyes were closed, brow furrowed in pain, a slight sheen of perspiration on his face. Outside of that, he looked pretty good. The bots were still hard at work in his system, but the bruising and surface tissue damage was gone.

  They’d taken his braid apart so they could wash the blood and regenerative slime out of his hair. It lay splayed across the pillow, still partially damp. ‘Ah, Sleeping Beauty’ Kirk thought.

  He quietly pulled up a chair and wrapped his fingers around Tiger’s right hand, squeezing gently. “Hey gorgeous” he murmured. “Heard you had a little trouble.”

  Tiger opened his eyes and turned his head a little. “TJ?” he croaked weakly. His eyes looked glassy, unfocused.

  “Yeah. Glad you’re back” Tiberius answered (no one on his team actually called him that, it was always TJ or Cap). He reached over to the bedside table and poured some water into a cup with a straw, then stuck the end to Tiger’s lips and held it while he drained it.

  “I had a weird dream. You were reading me a story about a bear. Then later someone was singing to me. Can’t remember what it was,” Tiger slurred.

  “We were starting to get worried about you. You get the job done?”

  “Yeah.” He spoke slowly, like he had to concentrate to choose the correct words. “Fucker gave me a little trouble, but I terminated him with extreme prejudice. He lost his head… literally.” He giggled, then frowned because it hurt. “You can cross him off your to-do list.”

  “What kept you? You get lost in the forest? I thought cats always found their way home,” TJ teased.

  Tiger frowned. “Freak went after a kid. He was right on top of the him when I got there. If I’d known, he was so close…. fuck, he’d been a day ahead of me all week. He must have circled back.” He stopped speaking and TJ thought he’d dozed off, but then he started talking and frowned again.

  “I was afraid of hitting the boy the way they were moving around, so I had to do it old school and get in close and personal. Bastard tossed me around like I weighed nothing, soooo strong… nearly ripped my arm off. Was laid up at a farm for a li’l bit.”

  “You and that sword. One of these days that thing’s going to be the death of you. Damn it, Tiger, you’re fast but…”

  “Yeah, yeah Dad. It got the job done. Those armor-piercing rounds we use to bring those monsters down aren’t safe around civilians and you know it!” He winced as he tried to speak louder, his throat still raw.

  “Okay, okay, take it easy.” He patted Tiger’s hand. “So, no plan is perfect… and I’m not that much older than you by the way,” he sniffed. “I’m more like your slightly older better-looking brother. Look, I can’t stay long. Doc says you need your rest and someone else wants to talk to you. I’ll see you tomorrow. You need anything?”

  “Where’s my stuff? Did Jake bring it back?”

  “The MP’s have it. Don’t worry, I’ll pick it up and hang on to it, including that stupid lizard killer. ‘Dragon Slayer’… really? Who the fuck names a fucking sword?” TJ growled.

  “It’s traditional among Japanese samurai… I think.”

  “Pfft! Or more likely tiger cubs” TJ laughed, standing up. “Rest easy, Kittycat” he murmured, brushing the back of his fingers lightly over Tiger’s cheek, then slipped quietly back out the door.

  He approached Remi and Jake, looking grim. “He looks good but he’s really weak… and loopy…. and in a lot of pain. I’ll talk to the doc before I leave. They may need to knock him out again after you’re done. Don’t hit him with any hard questions right now. He’s fading fast. Just say ‘hi and thank you very much for saving my precious brother’.”

  He hesitated. “Look. I know you want to head this investigation, but I want in on this. No one does this to one of my people and gets away with it. Don’t even think about trying to shut me out.”

  Remi nodded and Tiberius walked away, leaving them to get their visit over with.

  *****

  Jake tapped lightly on the door, then peeked in to see if Tiger was awake.

  “Hmm? TJ? Did you forget something?” Tiger murmured sleepily; his eyes still closed.

  Jake stepped forward, waving shyly. “Hi Tiger, can we come in? We just wanted to see how you’re doing. They wouldn’t let us see you till now. I was so worried. Do you remember me?”

  Remi squeezed Jakes shoulder lightly “Easy buddy. Take a breath.”

  Tiger shifted a bit, biting back a groan, and squinted at him. “Um… yeah…
come on in kid.”

  Jake took Remi’s hand and pulled him to Tiger’s bedside. “This is my brother, Remi. He’s a captain in the air force and he works at the fort too.”

  Tiger looked at Remi and blinked a few times, not saying anything.

  Remi tried to stifle an involuntary choking sound and Tiger said anxiously “What? Is it that bad?” He touched his face hesitantly.

  “No, no! You look fine! Really! Just a little tickle.” Remi rushed to reassure Tiger, rubbing at his throat.

  While Jake chattered away, Remi just stood there smiling, like the proverbial bump on a log, gawking at Tiger. ‘Mine’ his gray cells shouted as all his blood rushed painfully south to his cock. He was absolutely staggered by the beauty of the man before him. How was it even humanly possible for a man, a soldier no less, one who’d fought in a bloody war, to be so beautiful?

  This was his first time seeing Tiger without blurry plexiglass or an oxygen tent obscuring his face. No way did that file photo look anything like the man in this bed! This man had viciously slain a dozen men without remorse, hardly breaking a sweat, and here he lay looking like an absolute angel.

  Wait… wasn’t that the description of a psychopath? Shaking his head, he made a mental note again to upgrade the cameras in the security department while he was there.

  His brain was having a bit of a problem putting sounds together to form words. What the fuck? His body was reacting like a horny teenager! Was he having some sort of stroke? Rubbing his fingers over his heart to relieve what he assumed was heartburn ‘yeah, that’s it …. it’s just the stress’, he shifted slightly behind Jake with his hands locked on his shoulders to hide the erection tenting his pants.

  Those stunning inhuman violet and silver eyes and long dark lashes, luscious pink lips, compact but sculpted muscles, long silky raven hair… From where he was standing, he could see the graceful curve of Tiger’s bare back to the beginning swell of a tight bubble butt disappearing beneath a lightly draping soft sheet.