by Viola Grace
Shake followed Reset's lead and helped her shuck the suit off him. The wounds were swollen and angry. His skin burned to the touch.
"I may have to tank him, but we have to drain and seal these wounds first. If you assist me, I will be able to get this done a lot faster."
Mute, Shake nodded and took the instrument that Reset handed to her.
"Now, when I lance the wound, you sluice it out. His body will absorb most of the fluid so don't be shy. You are hooked to a ten-gallon pump." Reset took a short breath and sliced open the first of four wounds on his ribs.
Shake mechanized her motions, ignoring his whimpers and moans as each slice exposed muscle and bone. She had to do it, so she did it.
She was shaking with fatigue by the time he was cleansed and Mist returned to lift him into the tank.
Reset smiled at Shake. "Well done. I have rarely had an assistant who could handle an irrigation rig like that."
"Thank you. I guess. Doesn't he need a breather?"
The healer smiled. "He will actually do better without one. Oshanic immune systems are only triggered when you remove most of their oxygen. Can I fix the gouges in your neck?"
"Oh. Are they still there?" Shake turned to Reset and the woman's features grew hazy.
"Yes. Hold still."
Reset's hands closed over Shake's neck and tingling warmth flowed over Tosha. A small burst of energy got her moving as well. "I think I need a sandwich."
"I think you do, too. You are running on empty. Wish Vortex a speedy recovery and we will get you fed."
Tosha walked to the tank and pressed her hand against the plexi. She put every emotion she had been feeling in the forefront of her thoughts and when a hand mirrored hers from inside the tank, she smiled. She broadcasted her hunger and he nodded, eyes still closed.
"Okay, we can go now. I am Tosha, by the way."
Reset took her arm. "I'm Gralial. Call me Gray. Come on. Let's get you something to eat."
"Funny that your name is Gray and that is the colour I am wearing." Tosha was babbling again.
"You don't have to talk."
"Oh. I wish I could stop."
Gray laughed and hauled her into the commissary. She dragged her over to a table where other men and women were sitting. "This is Shake, but off duty, she is Tosha. She has been injured and is in desperate need of food, so don't quiz her before she has a chance to eat."
Numb, Tosha sat with the strangers. Two of them bore species similarities to Relay. "Hello."
One of the men looked behind him. "Where is Micix?"
It was all it took, she burst into tears while one of the women hissed, "Esur, what did Gray say about questions?"
A comforting arm was around her shoulders as she sobbed out her stresses of the last few days.
A bowl of soup appeared under her nose and she sipped at it in between blubbering episodes.
Her eyes were puffy and swollen when her episode ground to a halt. "I am sorry."
"Don't be. We were trying to get the guys to leave us to girl talk anyway." The speaker was the woman who had been sitting with the gold-coloured Drai.
The petite woman across from her smiled with gold-green eyes. The woman extended her hand. "I am Drahali or Gravity when I am on duty."
Tosha took her hand and accepted the greeting. "Pleased to meet you."
"I am Roxanne or Finder when on duty." The woman next to her smiled and extended her hand.
Tosha finished her greeting and the final woman winked. "I am Past Tense on duty, Mayden when I am relaxing. I am a Reader, so don't shake my hand unless you want to share your history with me."
With nothing to hide, she extended her hand to Mayden and let the woman make the decision. When the warm fingers closed over her own, she smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Mayden."
Gray laughed. "All are introduced, now eat."
Feeling the peculiar lightness that followed an emotional outburst, Tosha started consuming the food that Gray had selected for her. She got stronger with each mouthful and the women around her carried on a low conversation until she was finished.
Mayden gave her a strange look, "Okay, I have to ask…are you really trying to get a groomer here?"
A little drowsy but otherwise fine, she felt like sharing. "Yes. I used to work in a natural-cosmetics shop and I am really feeling the lack. I confused the heck out of Mix the first night when I worked on making my own hair fixative."
Mayden reached out and touched Tosha's hair. "It looks like it held."
She shrugged. "I do good work. If I had some supplies, I would be making up some skin lotions. I find the process cathartic."
Roxanne looked interested. "But what about the groomer?"
"Oh. He was working at Talimatic and just seemed to have an energy that didn't really match the facility. He needs a challenge and I think massaging the Sector Guard could be that challenge." A cup of caf arrived in front of her. She looked up to see Gray smiling. "Bless you, doc."
The caffeine hit perked her up immediately, she didn't realize it had been so long since she had one. "Oh, that's better. Anyway, Nuris is a talented groomer. Everything for every species commonly encountered in the Alliance. He let me read his file while we waited."
Roxanne cocked her head. "I have never been to a male groomer. Is he a fan of the same sex?"
"I have no idea. He looks like he could bench press a Drai if pressed, so I don't think it matters. If he wants to sleep with it, it might not have a choice."
They erupted in laughter and began to discuss everything from manicures to the last time they had their hair trimmed.
"I don't know about you, but I didn't agree to ignore my personal grooming just because I agreed to the Sector Guard."
The table burst out in a round of, "Here, here!" that drew the attention of some of the support staff.
Tosha turned to the nearest woman in a Teklan-base uniform. "If you had a chance to go to a groomer on base, would you?"
"Hell yes! I use all of my leave time just going to the spa when I am back home." Her grin split her grey skin, her black eyes gleamed with energy.
She smiled and gave a thumbs up before returning to the other Guardsmen. "See? I just have to wait until Might returns and then I will start nagging him to let Nuris set up shop here. He already has the clearances. He works at Talimatic after all."
Before the ladies could comment, Tosha yawned. "I am sorry. I haven't slept in…two days?"
Gray nodded. "Something like that. Do you want me to wake you when Micix wakes?"
"Can I stay in the medical bay? I won't get in the way. I just want to be there when he wakes up."
The ladies sobered, their faces serious. It was obvious that the pain of losing one's partner was not something that any of them took lightly.
"Yes. By all means. I will get a bed for you and you can sleep there. Come on. You need to lie down before you fall down." Gray helped her to her feet.
Tosha waved goodnight to the other Guardsmen and walked back to medical with Gray's support. The bed was comfortable and was calling her from across the room the moment that Gray wheeled it out.
"Here you go. Have a good night. You won't be disturbed unless there is some kind of emergency." Gray boosted her onto the bed and helped her cover herself with the light blanket.
She had been alone for a few minutes when she extended her hand to press it against the tank. With the surrogate contact, she let herself fade into a deep, restorative sleep where her dreams featured her man with his totally blue eyes and very little clothing.
It wasn't a bad night at all.
Chapter Eleven
Water was dripping on her and she wiped it off, pulling her sheet over her head.
"Wake up, Tosha. Time to go home." A gentle hand pulled the sheet away and she was looking up into Mix's eyes.
She squeaked and lunged up to hug him.
He caught her in his arms and laughed. "I am fine, Tosha. Don't worry."
Tosha frowned u
p at him and squeezed him tightly. "I can't help but worry. How are your wounds?" She released him as if he was hot when she realized where her hands were. "Did I hurt you?"
He laughed. "No. I am mostly healed."
The door opened and Gray came in with the cloud from the day before. "Morning, Micix. Step into the scanner and then put on this suit. Tosha, this is Canil, my partner. Also known as Mist."
The cloud formed into a column and that column formed into a man. He appeared to be Kozue, but with his other form, it wasn't likely.
"Pleased to meet you, Canil."
His gaze was focused with a scowl on Micix and her partner simply walked onto the scanner pad and had a focussed beam assess him from head to toe. The moment it beeped in completion, he took the suit from Gray and stepped into it. With Mix's genitals covered, Canil turned his attention to her.
"I am pleased to meet you, miss. I hope you enjoy your time in the Sector Guard. It can be rough at times, but it has its benefits." He bowed low and cast a quick glance to Gray. It was obvious that he considered her a benefit that he truly enjoyed.
"We have to be getting back to the house. Tosha needs a shower and then we will return for breakfast. Will you join us?" Mix put his hand on her waist to shepherd her out the door.
Gray laughed. "Yes, we will join you. See you in an hour."
There was a certain feeling of full circle to the steps back to their house. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to speak and ruin the silence between them.
The shower called her just like it had the first time and as her hair came clean, she sighed happily. Her hands stroked the places where Rumal had had his hands, scrubbing as hard as she could until her skin was bright and painful. She must have been making noises because Mix pulled the curtain back and caught her in his arms.
"It's fine. We made it and he can't do any of the things that he was planning to do. You stopped him and he will never hurt anyone again." He knelt with her under the hot spray until she stopped moaning and rocking against him.
His kiss came as a surprise. She opened her eyes and they crossed as she tried to meet his gaze with her own.
He laughed and backed away. "Come on, we are going to have breakfast with Gray and Canil as well as any of the others who are around." He lifted her to her feet, turned off the shower and wrapped her in a towel.
Sighing and wanting to pursue the kiss, she held herself back and went to the dressing table to work her hair into a smooth cape. It took a while and by the time she finished, it was almost dry. She opened her wardrobe and pulled out another uniform.
This was going to get very old if she didn't have a chance to get some new clothing issued to her. The uniform was fine when she was on duty, but she felt that even though it had been her first assignment, she needed a day off.
Covered and ready for breakfast, she went in search of Mix. He was outside doing something on his knees.
"Are you ready for breakfast?" She stayed far enough away not to startle him.
He turned and rose with a handful of flowers in his hand. "These are for you."
Tosha opened and closed her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. "Me?" The word came out as a squeak.
"Yes. I wish to begin a formal courtship with you. If we were on Oshanic, I would bring you shells. I am improvising." There was a sensitive shyness to his actions.
She took the flowers from him with a smile. "I accept. Let's go to breakfast."
He grinned and leaned down to place another kiss on her lips. This time, she leaned up and cupped the back of his neck to steady herself. The kiss was fairly chaste, but her heart was pounding like a drum when she let herself drop back to her heels.
She quickly ran inside and put her flowers in water. They were too pretty to dehydrate while she was in the base.
When she returned to him, he placed an arm around her waist and they started their short walk to the base. A shuttle was coming in and as it landed, Tosha had a peculiar feeling.
"Whose shuttle is that?"
"Might's. He has one of the shuttles designed by a Drai based on Morganti."
"Can we go greet him? See if they need help like we did?"
He looked at her strangely. "Might flies alone. He doesn't have a partner."
"There is someone else on that shuttle." She began to move toward the shuttle and she left him to trail after her.
She broke into a run as the door opened and when the figure of the Dhemon emerged, she paused, a crippling disappointment running through her.
He stood on the final step and extended his hand to someone inside the shuttle. When the pale hand came out and rested in his, Tosha's heart stuttered in her chest.
The woman exited the shuttle and stood on the tarmac looking around. When she caught sight of Tosha, she screamed and came running.
"Alara!" Tosha met her halfway and swung her cousin around with all the strength she possessed.
"Tosha, I am so glad you are safe," Alara sobbed.
They were both sobbing with relief and it was only when Brodin and Mix separated them that they realized they weren't alone.
"Alara, have you had breakfast?" Eagerness to be with her cousin was unmistakeable.
Alara looked to Brodin and he nodded.
"I will be joining you for breakfast. You can tell me how your orientation has gone. Brodin said you were not on full duty yet." Alara smiled.
"It has been interesting, but I think part of it has to be told to Brodin as a debriefing. He can catch up when he gets back to his office."
They linked arms with their partners and themselves. The foursome walked back to the base with smiles and a swing in their step.
Tosha's favourite cousin was back with her, safe and alive. Anything else could wait until after she was settled in.
Tosha gave Mix a glowing grin and he smiled. She had a future here now and while Alara could give her a window into it, it didn't matter.
Vortex and Shake would do what they had to in the hopes of making the Sector a safer place. Who knew, it might eventually be fun.
Author's Note
Okay, big tease. Alara's tale will be told in Echo in Time. We will learn where all of the Guards have been and what they have been up to.
Thank you for joining me in the Sector Guard. I look forward to telling the tale of Brodin and Alara, or Might and Echo in Time, if you prefer.
Oh, and yes, you really can make your own hairspray with citrus. Google it.
Viola Grace
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About the Author
Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.
Viola's fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
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